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Name of pet: Suki (Japanese for "to like or be fond of")

Age: 1 year, 3 months

Resides in: Greensboro

Breed: Pomeranian

Male or Female: Female

Owner: Xandra

How owner and pet came together: SPCA of the Triad

Best trick: Gracefully jumping into strangers laps, taking them completely by surprise.

Favorite activity: Fetching tennis balls and gnawing on various objects, both about equally.

Is there anything else we should know about this pet? (i.e., likes/dislikes, act of heroism, quirk etc.) Suki never met a sranger. She is also a great swimmer.

If you would like your pet(s) to be considered for the weekly My Pet feature, fill out this form.

GREENSBORO — The mother of the man accused in the burning and severe beating of a 3-month-old puppy in August said her son abused the dog over fear it would harm his newborn child.

Read full story here.

I just saw this clip on YouTube and it is so sweet.

"Happy Puppy Cries When Soldier Returns Home."   

Staff reports

GREENSBORO — A man will be charged this evening in connection with the burning and beating of a 3-month-old puppy left for dead in a south Greensboro park in August.

Read full story here.

I took Yoshi for his yearly check up at the vet on Saturday. I tried to prepare him for it earlier in the week by letting him know gently that a vet visit was in his near future. You have to break things gently to him. But by Friday evening he started to sulk around the house, as if he knew he was going. I think he may have figured out that V-E-T spells vet.

Yoshi loves car rides, but somehow he knows when that one car ride isn't going to the park but the vet. He sulked in the back seat, and when I put the window down for him to stick out his head -- his favorite car activity -- he snuggled up to the door and just sort of sat there, unenthused with ears down.

Yoshi really doesn't like going to the vet. Over the years, I feel he's gotten more dramatic about it. He's gotten to the point now where right before we hit the doors to the vet, he will spread out all fours and freeze, which means that I have to pull 63 pounds of him. It's quite a sight.

Once he's inside, he gets impatient. Our wait this week was 15 minutes too long and Yoshi kept tugging at his leash, trying to head for the door. I spoke to him in hushed tones and pet his ears, which usually calms him, but he just wanted out.

Luckily, the doctors at his vet are so sweet. They fed him peanut butter on a stick to distract him during his exam, which was a big help. He kept getting so shy and sheepish though. At one point, he was hiding under my legs and burying his head in my thigh. It was a traumatic 60 minutes for him. But we did get some good news. He dropped from 70 to 63 pounds! I rewarded him with a belly rub when we got home.

By the time we pulled into the garage, he was all smiles and so happy to be home. So was I. We both needed a nap after that ordeal.

Readers have come to The Pet Shop wondering what to do with a stray animal they've found. As a volunteer/employee with the SPCA of the Triad, I would like to offer some suggestions on what you can do if you find a lost/abandoned animal. I've helped people find homes for animals, so this advice is based on what I've done at the SPCA. And this only concerns dogs and cats. For animals such as birds, horses or other wild animals, you should contact your county's animal control for advice.

First, you need to decide what you personally want to see happen to this animal.

If you want to keep it, there are some things I would recommend. Nowadays, when an animal is spayed/neutered, the vet will place a microchip in the pet. Most rescue groups do this to all of their animals. County humane societies and most vets will scan the animal for free, and get the microchip number for you. If the animal has a microchip, you can contact the company, and they will contact the owner. If there is no microchip, ask around the area and see if anyone recognizes the animal.

If you want to get rid of the animal as soon as possible, there are some options. Each county in the Triad has an animal shelter, which will not turn the animal away. At a shelter, there is a chance it will be euthanized. Rescue groups don’t euthanize animals, but many are overcrowded and may not be able to help.

If you are unable to keep the animal permanently, but are willing to keep it for a period of time, there are a number of options. Most rescue groups are willing to work with you to find the animal a new home. The SPCA and NCPAL, for example, have foster programs, which means you would keep the animal at your house, but it would be adopted through their program. You would get the group's help to find it a good home, but you would keep the animal until then. There are a number of rescue groups in the area (a few are listed on The Pet Shop's main page and more can be found online). Each group will be able to help you according to their policies. If you want to find the animal a home yourself, you can post fliers and other ads letting people know you have the animal. I would highly recommend you ask for an adoption fee. Anyone who is willing to pay for an animal usually has good intentions. People looking for free animals may not be the best home.

Lastly, if the animal is injured, please call your county animal control. They can take the animal to a vet and get it the proper medical help. They would work with you to find the animal a home if you want.

Again, these tips are just that, tips. You can do what you see fit, but often it just takes a phone call to help the animal.

Lindsey is a darling Plott Hound mix, perhaps mixed with boxer. Lindsey is affectionate and playful. She is about 2½ years old and weighs 35 to 40 pounds. She has been spayed, so she can go home with you today. Ask for Lindsey by ID 8514243 from noon to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays at the Guilford County Animal Shelter, 4525 W. Wendover Ave., Greensboro. Information: www.adoptshelterpets.org or 297-5020.

For more available pets, see the Records in the News & Record.

Guinness World Records, Crissy Pascual

Guinness World Record announces Great Dane Titan, owned by Diana Taylor of San Diego, as the "World's Tallest Dog." Titan measures 42.25 inches tall.

By SUE MANNING
The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — The Guinness Book of World Records officially says an ailing 4-year-old Great Dane named Titan from San Diego is the world's tallest dog.

Owner Diana Taylor says Titan is blind, deaf, epileptic and undergoes acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments every three weeks.

He is also a gentle soul who is often mistaken by young children as a horse.

The announcement came during a ceremony Thursday.

Taylor says Titan stands 42.25 inches from floor to shoulder, weighs 190 pounds and doesn't stand on his hind legs because it isn't good for him.

Titan took over the title from Gibson, a 7-year-old harlequin Great Dane from Grass Valley who died earlier this year after battling bone cancer.

Part of my responsibilities as a volunteer/employee at the SPCA of the Triad is to walk dogs. Normally, I enjoy this. It gives me time with the dog to learn its personality and do some training. But my opinion of dog walking went south Tuesday and Wednesday.

The two nights I work at the SPCA turned into a battle with the elements, and a battle with the dogs.

They have to be walked regardless of the weather. I've taken them out in the rain before, but this week it was different. The wind, the rain, the cold. It was just downright miserable. And the dogs didn't like it anymore than I did. They'd stand out in the rain, me right there with them holding the leash, not wanting to go cause they are cold and wet.

Luckily, the SPCA has this huge fenced-in area behind the building. So in theory I could just put them back there, and call them from the door to bring them back inside. This rarely works. Most don't go unless I'm standing in the rain with them.

After this week, I love my cats even more. And I have new found respect for dog owners. Because regardless of the weather, or the day of the week, you're out there walking your dog, while I'm staying warm and dry cleaning my cats' litter box.

Name of pet: Boo Boo

Age: 3

Resides in: Gibsonville

Breed: pit bull

Male or female: female

Owner: Kristen Baker

How owner and pet came together: She was given as a gift.

Best trick: If she wants to steal a stuffed animal off a shelf, she’ll throw something at it to knock it down. Other than that, she can give you her paw.

Favorite activity: Cuddling with family

Is there anything else we should know about this pet? (i.e., likes/dislikes, act of heroism, quirk etc.) She’s very spoiled. She picks out her treats. If you give her one she doesn’t like, she won’t take it and will show you the bag of treats she wants. She sleeps with her mommy under the covers and once mommy gets up, she finds another bed to sleep in. She loves to ride in the car and doesn’t need a leash, just hops right in.

Credit for photograph: Kristen Baker. In the picture, Boo Boo is not happy that she was woken up early and still has “bed ears” and is sticking out her tongue.

If you would like your pet(s) to be considered for the weekly My Pet feature, fill out this form.