Andrew White brings his four-legged friends Oliver and Amore to his neighborhood Petco in San Diego for a little take out. 

He's brought the pair to a kibble re-fill station that allows owners to use their own containers. 

"Less waste and it's more affordable for everyone," he said of the arrangement.  

Like many things these days, inflation has hit the price of owning a pet. A report on petfoodindustry.com finds the cost of feeding household animals was up about 6% in March over last year.  

The overall pet category saw a 7.5% increase compared to March of 2021. 

The pet food maker Canidae says its kibble dispenser is one way to save money. Four pounds from a station like the one White uses is $9 cheaper than buying it in a bag. 

"It costs a lot of money to fill my gas tank, so if I can save a few bucks on items like this it's very helpful," he said. 

The American Pet Products Association says a record $123.6 billion was spent in the U.S. last year on pets.  

A pandemic-related ownership surge means 70% of American households now include a pet of some kind. 

In Kansas City, the KC Pet Project is seeing animals surrendered due to financial burdens. That includes rising rents that are squeezing budgets or making it hard to find new places to live that will accept pets. 

"It has just been relentless with the amount of pets coming in through our doors," said KC Pet Project Chief Communications Officer Tori Fugate. "People are calling us every week saying, 'I don't want to give up my animal, but I can't find a place to live with them.'"

One big cost is vet care. The KC Pet Project gave out more than $96,000 last year to help owners with medical bills.  

The Pet Products Association says owners spent about $34.3 billion on medical care for their animals in 2021, which is the second-highest annual expense after food. 

"We found that some practices are charging four, even five times more than their nearby competitors, right? For the exact same procedures. You know, neutering a cat and a dog, lab analysis, teeth cleaning, these types of procedures, five times as much," said Consumers' Checkbook Executive Editor Kevin Brasler. 

Recent findings from Consumers Checkbook showed costs varied widely from veterinarian to veterinarian in seven cities they sampled. So they say if you want to save money, do some checking first.

"If you know that your pets are going to need certain procedures, you can call around and get prices pretty easily," Brasler continued. "You could call around and get prices for teeth clean, for example, it's a snap. I mean, we found no problems doing that."

In Florida, the Tampa Humane Society has expanded its animal pantry so folks can get free food for their dogs and cats. So far, they've given out more than 130,000 pounds of animal food. 

"Hopefully things will get better," said Sherry Silk, CEO of The Humane Society of Tampa Bay. "It's got to get better because the animals really need us."

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Now this hound has something to toot his horn about.

A bloodhound named Trumpet won the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Wednesday night.

Trumpet beat a French bulldog, a German shepherd, a Maltese, an English setter, a Samoyed and a Lakeland terrier to take the trophy.

“I am so excited for Trumpet,” said handler Heather Helmer, who co-owns and bred the 4-year-old.

Trumpet became the first bloodhound to win Westminster.

Winston, a French bulldog co-owned by NFL defensive lineman Morgan Fox, took second in the nation's most prestigious dog show.

The competition drew more than 3,000 purebred dogs, ranging from affenpinschers to Yorkshire terriers. The goal is to crown the dog that most represents the ideal for its breed.

Usually held in winter at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, the show moved to the suburban Lyndhurst estate last year and this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Westminster is often described as the Super Bowl of U.S. dog shows, and Winston aimed to make it so for Fox, a defensive lineman who was just signed by the Los Angeles Chargers and has played for the Los Angeles Rams and the Carolina Panthers.

Before the finals, Fox said he was “ecstatic” when Winston made it there.

“He’s basically a superstar,” Fox said by phone Wednesday.

The dog came his way from his grandmother, Sandy Fox, who has bred and shown Frenchies for years. Morgan Fox grew up with one and says that as he watched Winston mature, he knew the dog was a winner in both appearance and character.

“He’s a joy to be around,” Fox said. “He always walks around with as much of a smile on his face as a dog can have.”

Winston, currently the top-ranked dog in the country, faces Striker, a Samoyed that also made the finals last year; River, a big-winning German shepherd, and Trumpet, a bloodhound descended from the 2014 winner of another major show, the Thanksgiving-season National Dog Show.

After topping the canine rankings last year, Striker has lately been hitting a few dog shows “to keep his head in the game,” said handler Laura King.

What makes the snow-white Samoyed shine in competition? “His heart,” said King, of Milan, Illinois.

“His charisma shows when he’s showing,” and he vocally complains when he’s not, she said.

While he was quiet in the ring, an Alaskan Malamute provided a yowling — cheering?— soundtrack for a semifinal round featuring the Samoyed and other breeds classified as working dogs.

Then there are MM the Lakeland terrier — terriers have won many a Westminster — and a Maltese that clearly is aiming for stardom: Her name is Hollywood.

But the belle of the ball could be an English setter. Belle made the finals after being squired around the ring by one of her breeders and owners, Amanda Ciaravino — a feat at an event where many top contenders are accompanied by full-time, career handlers.

“It’s amazing,” an emotional Ciaravino said. “I’m so proud of her.”

Monty, a giant schnauzer that made the semifinals Wednesday night but didn’t advance further, is a son of the dog that won Westminster’s runner-up prize in 2018. Classified as a working dog, Monty enjoys yard work — which, to him, means presenting a football to be thrown while handler and co-owner Katie Bernardin’s husband, Adam, is mowing the lawn, she said.

Another competitor, Ooma, was the only Chinook that showed up. The sled-pullers are the official dog of the state of New Hampshire, but they’re rare nationwide.

“I would love to see a couple more” in the Westminster ring, said Ooma’s breeder, owner and handler, Patti Richards of West Haven, Vermont. “Without people who will show and breed, we’re in danger of losing our breed.”

Bonnie the Brittany is owner-handler Dr. Jessica Sielawa’s first show dog, and the two didn’t come away with a ribbon on Wednesday. But their teamwork extends beyond the ring.

Bonnie accompanies Sielawa to work at her chiropractic practice in Syracuse, New York, where “she’s really helped people with their emotional stress,” Sielawa said.

She plans to get her show dog certified as a therapy dog, too.

It’s a big task: Placing thousands of beagles removed from a breeding and testing facility in Virginia.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice took over the Envigo lab. The lab was used for testing, but also bred the dogs to supply other labs that test on animals.

A lawsuit filed by the DOJ described shocking conditions for the animals. Government inspectors found that the beagles were denied veterinary care for easily treated conditions and were instead killed. They were denied food. Over eight weeks, 25 beagle puppies died from cold exposure. Some dogs suffered injuries when they were attacked by other dogs in overcrowded conditions.

The company denies the allegations but closed. The animals are now being cared for by the Humane Society of the United States while it works to move the dogs out of the lab and, eventually, to loving homes.

The dogs are being moved to organizations across the country. A few even made their way to Kansas and Missouri.

The Southeast Kansas Humane Society has taken in eight beagles — four adults and four puppies. When we visited the shelter, they’d been there about a week. Prior to that, they only knew life in a cage.

“When they first came in, they were petrified,” said Jasmine Kyle, Director of the SEK Humane Society. “They’re getting adjusted with human interaction and know what a toy is.”

The first order of business was naming them.

Video above: Rescued beagles brought to Adams County play outside for first time

“None of them had names; they were products,” said Kyle. The dogs were tattooed on their ears with a number. “So, when they entered the front door, we named them because that’s what they deserve. There are two males. Five-year-old Robert and 1-year-old Copper. A female, Nellie, is the oldest in the group at 7. Then Daisy and her pups — Lily, Tulip, Lavender and Rose. All the dogs are receiving veterinary care and learning to socialize.

The placement of the beagles has been particularly challenging because shelters across the country are at capacity. Kyle said SEK Human Society is at capacity for large dogs but was able to take a few of these smaller dogs.

“If it had been Labs, [we] would have had to say, ‘No,’” said Kyle. “There was nowhere to put them.”

The beagles staying at SEK Humane Society are in good physical shape, considering what they’ve been through. They are all being treated for coccidia, which is a common intestinal parasite. They are expected to pass their medical examinations soon. After that, the beagles will be up for adoption.

The shelter has received a lot of attention because of the beagles. When they are ready to move on to their permanent homes, they will post a date and time where those wanting to adopt the puppies can apply. However, Kyle cautions against adopting to be part of a moment.

“Never adopt for a story,” said Kyle. “Please, never adopt for a story.”

Kyle asks “would-be” dog parents to do it for the right reasons and consider other animals for adoption.

If you're interested in adopting a rescued beagle, go to the Humane Society of the United States website to find a facility that received some of them.

“We absolutely understand that everybody loves the kids but most shelters, including ours, are at full capacity,” said Kyle. “Make sure that you’re looking at everybody, not just one.”

The Human Society hopes all the attention being focused on the beagles will be a learning moment about animal testing. Many consumers unknowingly support it when they buy certain products. The Humane Society of the U.S. says large companies such as Johnson & Johnson, L’Oréal and others test on animals. They want consumers to make better decisions when buying products.

We wondered why beagles are the popular breed for testing. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said it’s because Beagles are small, docile and breed well.

Our investigation also found a connection between that shut-down facility in Virginia and the University of Missouri. In 2016, researchers bought puppies for testing. An article in PubMed reported researchers chemically burned the puppies’ eyes during a seven-week period. The puppies were killed after the experiment ended. MU previously defended the experiment, saying animal research is important and the animals were treated humanely during the testing. The research hoped to benefit animals and people with corneal injuries, including veterans.

A spokesperson for the University of Missouri pointed out that the facility was under different ownership at the time and had a clean track record.

Two young children are dead and their mother is recovering at a hospital in Tennessee following an attack by two pit bulls.

The attack happened on Thursday afternoon at a home north of Memphis.

The children, a 2-year-old girl and a 5-month-old boy, were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.

Their mother was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where she is reportedly stable.

The sheriff's office said the pit bulls were euthanized.

An investigation is underway to determine what prompted the pit bulls to attack the family.

Dogsbite.org, a nonprofit that tracks dog bites in the U.S., reports that there have been around 40 fatal dog attacks in 2022.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), children are most at risk of dog bites. The CDC states that nearly 1 in 5 people who are bitten by a dog require medical attention.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Deniece Young's cat, Mr. Moe, looks pretty good for a 20-year-old.

"Check this out! He has his own water bottle in our refrigerator,” she said. "And there he is – healthy now."

More than a companion, Mr. Moe is part of Young’s family.

"He's my world. He greets me when I come home,” she said. “My husband has passed away. So, it's just Mr. Moe and I."

On this day, though, they’re not alone. They're getting a visit from a group consistently making the rounds in her neighborhood.

The team knocking on her door is with "Pets for Life," a program from the Humane Society of the United States.

They work in 43 states across the country, to get pet care to places where people experience poverty or lack access to veterinary care.

"Just like there are 'food deserts,' there are 'pet resource deserts' and 'veterinary deserts' – and, oftentimes, the two overlap," said Pets for Life senior director Amanda Arrington.

That is where the Pets for Life teams come in, bringing supplies and arranging vet care.

"Just about every community in the country - whether it is urban, whether it's suburban, rural, Native - has pockets where there are concentrations of poverty and little to no access to pet resources,” Arrington said.

On this day, Melissa Corey and her team went door-to-door in one such community: North Philadelphia.

"We are going to one of our clients, Jessica Preston. Jessica is what we call a community ambassador,” she said, "and then she also is there to assist her neighbors with spaying and neutering a lot of cats in her neighborhood."

Preston and her daughter are currently caring for a number of kittens, hoping to find them homes.

"Anyone comes across cats, they come to me," Preston said. "If I can, I'm going to do it. I help. I take them in. I thank God I have the Pets for Life."

It’s a sentiment shared by Paul Diaz. One of his three small dogs is facing a serious illness.

"When I have a concern about whatever she's going through, I know Melissa's there, so I can ask her or the team, so they can guide me," Diaz said.

It’s a journey the teams share with pet owners.

"It's a package deal,” Corey said. “You know, you can't have the person without the pet. You can't have the pet without the person."

During the past 12 years, Pets for Life has helped more than 265,000 pets and just recently completed its one-millionth service.

"People will do anything for their pet, even putting their pets needs above their own," Arrington said.

It's the people they meet, though, that drives what they do.

"Everyone that you meet is so grateful for everything, you know,” said Sely Cumba, as she drove the Pets for Life van to another home. “Even if it's if it's a small bag of treats - they are so grateful."

They are treats that Deniece Young’s car Mr. Moe is happily partaking in, which makes her happy, too.

"Knowing someone needs you,” she said, “he's my someone."

To find the Pets for Life team operating in your area, click here.

PORTLAND, Tenn. (WTVF) — A little girl’s kind gesture is inspiring dozens of people to give back to an animal rescue in Portland, Tennessee, called A Place to Bark.

The 21-year-old nonprofit is a no-kill foster and adoption rescue dedicated to the welfare of dogs.

"I take them in; I get them well. I work with any behavioral issues, and we get them ready for adoption," said A Place to Bark founder Bernie Berlin.

Berlin said in recent years, volunteers haven’t been showing up to help; it’s been difficult hiring new employees, and donations have gone down.

Berlin started the new year off a little sad until 7-year-old Lila Stephens decided to take all the money in her piggy bank and donate it: a total of $27.25.

The two met for the first time in Franklin, Tennessee, for a pet adoption event. Her mom, Samantha Stephens, posted her daughter’s kind gesture to social media, and now other people are matching Lila’s donation to give to the rescue.

“We had a family friend who lives in Texas just messaged me and said, 'I would really like to match that because that’s so sweet she’s doing that.' We didn’t know Bernie’s need. We didn’t know she was going to get the donations. Everything came together at a time that made a big difference for Bernie," Stephens said.

Berlin said Lila is such a big inspiration.

"Like, right now, I have a bill over $1,000, and we spend $5,000 to $7,000 a month to spay and neuter. This month, we had over a thousand, and Lila’s little gift turned into a big gift that pays that bill off," Berlin said.

Donations for A Place to Bark are still coming in.

If you would like to match Lila’s $27.25 and give to A Place to Bark, here are some ways to do so: PayPal, Venmo (@aplacetobark), or mail: A Place To Bark PO Box 649 Portland, TN 37148.

This article was written by Aaron Cantrell for WTVF.

A boy died and his mother was seriously injured in a dog attack in Idaho, authorities said.

According to The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, two rottweilers and two mixed-breed dogs attacked the pair at a residence in Fort Hall on Saturday.

The victims were taken to the hospital where the boy was pronounced dead.

A GoFundMe page for the family says the mother is being treated in the intensive care unit after sustaining nerve damage and a ruptured artery in her right arm.

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes said the dogs were euthanized. The owners were also cited for 15 violations.

An investigation is ongoing, authorities said. The case will be submitted to the U.S. Attorney for potential federal charges.

Fatal dog attacks in the U.S. are relatively rare. According to dogsbite.org, an organization that tracks attacks, 521 people were killed in incidents involving dogs between 2005 and 2019.

When you think of therapy animals, you probably don't think of Great Danes, which are bigger than some horses.

But they are a big hit at a Minnesota hospital. Pun intended.

“If a nurse isn't aware of us coming in, doesn't know that the dogs are that big, they've been scared, Wayne Chmelik.

Chmelik brings Hulu and Tootsie, his two Great Danes, they have to avoid narrow spaces.

But despite their size, the dogs are about as friendly as they come.

“They are [friendly]. Unless you were a squirrel. Yes, they are just the most gentle animals that I’ve ever raised,” Chmelik said.

Hulu weighs 170 pounds and Tootsie weighs 166, both towering over the miniature horses in the local therapy animal association.

A while back, Hulu made friends with 3-year-old Nellie Koubsky, who briefly stayed in the hospital for appendicitis.

"Why did you come to the hospital, do you remember?” Rachel Koubsky, Nellie’s mom, asked her daughter.

“Because my tummy hurt,” Nellie said.

But just before the surgery, the biggest and friendliest dog Nellie had ever seen paid her a visit.

“Did he help you feel better?” Rachel Koubsky asked.

“Yeah,” Nellie responded.

“For a little bit?”

“Yeah, he was just cheering me up.”

Watch the video above for more about Hulu and Tootsie’s impact.

Researchers in Hungary say they've found that dogs can recognize their owners by their voice alone.

The dogs' owners were invited in on the study and were able to record their voices and use their voices in various parts of the study. The dogs had to choose from a distance and had to look for their owner who was hiding. The game lasted multiple rounds and the owner's voice was mixed in with the voices of 14 different strangers.

The study, done at Budapest's Eötvös Loránd University, found that after looking at 28 dogs, they determined that the animals were able to find their owner in 82% of cases.

A senior researcher at the Department of Ethology at Eötvös Loránd University told CNN, "Probably in a lot of cases dogs have to switch on their nose to find things and they don't just use it routinely all the time."

In the study it said, "Humans are highly skilled in extracting identity information from speech from an early age."

The study found that dogs have a high ability to recognize aspects of voice in humans, like pitch.

Tamás Faragó, a senior researcher at the Department of Ethology for the university said, "Of course, usually, the dogs meet in person with humans so that they can differentiate us by our looks, and also the smell, and they use all these things, but there are more and more research and technology going into this direction."

The photos look like a scene out of science fiction: Robot dogs patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border, climbing over harsh terrain to search for threats and contraband.

But these images are real.

The Department of Homeland Security recently released them as it revealed details about how it's testing the technology.

Officials praised the robots' potential as a "force multiplier" that could boost Border Patrol agents' safety by reducing their exposure to life-threatening hazards. An article touting the tests on the DHS Science and Technology Directorate's website notes that someday the dogs, officially known as Automated Ground Surveillance Vehicles, could become "a CBP agent or officer's best friend."

"Don't be surprised," it says, "if in the future we see robot 'Fido' out in the field, walking side-by-side with CBP personnel."

But the details about the testing did seem to catch some people by surprise, sparking a flurry of reactions on social media comparing the images to dystopian scenes from sci-fi shows like "Black Mirror."

"This really felt like a slap in the face," says Vicki Gaubeca, director of the Southern Border Communities Coalition, an umbrella group that slams the initiative as an "alarming and outrageous" waste of taxpayer money that would be better spent developing systems to hold Border Patrol agents accountable.

Gaubeca describes herself as a lover of technology and dogs (she has five). But she says she sees nothing cute in the government's recent descriptions of robot dogs lending a "helping paw." For years her organization has warned that militarization along the border puts communities and migrants at risk. And this, she says, is just the latest troubling example.

"There are other technologies that they're already using that we feel like they should cut back on, and yet they're adding on another type of surveillance technology that's frightening, to be honest," Gaubeca says. "This certainly seems like it's something that's built for something very aggressive, like the theaters of war, rather than in a community."

Ghost Robotics, the Philadelphia-based company that makes the robots DHS teams have been testing, says there's nothing to be afraid of.

"We're focused on doing the right thing. We want to do the right thing for the national security and for the country," CEO Jiren Parikh says.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesman says the project remains in the research and development phase, with no timetable for the dogs' deployment.

In the meantime, there are plenty of serious issues this technology is bringing to the surface.

There's a difference between science fiction and reality

Sometimes cute and sometimes creepy, robot dogs have been captivating Americans' imaginations for decades, long before videos of Boston Dynamics' four-legged robots dancing to Motown and BTS started going viral.

They've been symbols of futuristic innovation -- and ominous harbingers of what could happen if technology falls into the wrong hands.

In 1940, Westinghouse displayed a 60-pound aluminum-skinned dog at the World's Fair named Sparko that could walk, bark and sit. In the 1960s, the Jetsons' futuristic cartoon family briefly adopted a nuclear-powered electronic dog, Lectronimo, before deciding to donate him to the police department.

Menacing mechanical hounds hunted down fugitives in Ray Bradbury's dystopian 1953 novel "Fahrenheit 451." In 2017, an episode of "Black Mirror" featured terrifying robot guard dogs who chase and kill people.

But Parikh, Ghost Robotics' CEO, says there's a big gap between the way robot dogs are portrayed in science fiction -- and sometimes skewered on social media -- and the reality of the technology.

"It's a battery-operated computer that moves around on four legs that literally stops operating in four hours. There's no way they're going to be taking over anything," he says.

And, he notes, "it's a robot that's remotely controlled by a human in the middle."

But still, Parikh says his company's robots do provide a number of advantages in border zones. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is patrolling a huge geographic area, he notes, often under harsh conditions.

"This is a good way of technology adding value," he says, "filling in the holes."

During testing of the 100-pound robots, different types of cameras and sensors were mounted on them, transmitting real-time data to humans operating them via laptop or hand-held remote, DHS said.

Teams first tested them on asphalt, grass and hills in Lorton, Virginia, then tested them in more realistic scenarios in El Paso, Texas, where they walked up hills, down ravines and over rocks. The El Paso testing simulated sentry duty and inspections. And exercises also included maneuvers in tight spaces, high heat and low-oxygen conditions, "situations that are especially dangerous for CBP agents and officers," DHS said.

DHS Science & Technology program manager Brenda Long describes the dogs as a "great fit," given CBP's broad mission and the many risks its personnel face.

"The southern border can be an inhospitable place for man and beast, and that is exactly why a machine may excel there," she said in the department's press release.

Advocates at the border say they already felt under siege

Community advocates at the border have long accused the U.S. government of militarizing the region and using excessive surveillance. And the announcement of the robot dog testing doesn't help matters, Gaubeca says

"Border communities already feel over-surveilled, over-militarized, and yet they trot out this new technology and boast about it at a time when families are worried about how to get food on their tables and inflation," she says. "And it completely disregards the border communities as a community. It's like they fail to acknowledge that we're human beings on both sides."

For Gaubeca, it boils down to how resources are allocated.

"It's a use of technology that creates more problems and doesn't solve what we see as being the issue, which is how do we make this agency accountable, and how do we create a more humanitarian and efficient system at the border?" she says. "They should spend the money on something that is more humanitarian and effective, rather than intimidating."

The Biden administration has said it wants to create a more efficient, humane, orderly system at the border, but "this completely contradicts that sentiment," she says.

Ghost Robotics has partnered with the U.S. Defense Department in the past. And Parikh noted he'd just gotten off the phone with Ukraine's defense ministry before speaking with CNN this week. But he said the robot dogs on the U.S. border aren't part of a military effort -- and any suggestion that they are is silly.

"It's just another sensor carrier. It's really at a distance.... It's really for sensing around the environment. It's not really interacting with people. That's not what it's made for. There's no weapons on it," he says. "It's not being militarized for the border. It's not stopping people, saying 'don't go here.' It can't do that. It's a small robot."

The technology, he says, is designed to keep people safe. But could it ever be used against migrants at the border?

"That's not even come up ever," Parikh says. "It's not even a remote use case that's ever discussed or talked about."

People can't even agree about "a basic physical wall that's made of concrete and metal," he says.

"Do we really think we're going to start weaponizing robots? It's silly to do that. I don't think that's in the DNA of America either," Parikh says. "We live in a country that has so many rules and regulatory requirements in place that things like this are just remote and virtually impossible without the say of the populace."

Parikh says Ghost Robotics regularly works with legislators as well as government agencies.

"This is not done in a vacuum .... It has to go through processes and rules. Everything we do, everything, gets questioned. Everyone has the ability to question what we're doing."

This isn't just about the border

When Greg Nojeim heard about the robot dogs, his mind filled with questions. Chief among them: Has anyone studied their impact on privacy?

"The border has become a testing ground for new and intrusive surveillance technology," says Nojeim, co-director of the security and surveillance project at the Center for Democracy and Technology.

And in many cases, he says, the law hasn't caught up with the developing technology.

"Once the platform becomes accepted, believe me, new uses will be developed. It's inevitable. And I don't think we're ready as a society to say, this use is permissible, this is not. I don't think that legislatures are ready to say this is permissible, this use is not. ... I'm concerned that the technology is getting ahead of the law."

He says when that happens, civil liberties suffer. And that, he says, should matter to everyone, whether you live near the border or not.

As a recent Los Angeles Times opinion column noted, surveillance technologies that start out at the border often make their way into other parts of the country.

Facial recognition technology is one recent example, Nojeim says.

"That technology has now spread to some police departments, and people are finding that it doesn't identify people as well as it could, and that people of color are being misidentified at alarming rates," he says.

If robot dogs start patrolling the border, Nojeim says, it's only a matter of time before they could show up in your community, too.

CANTON, Ohio — The unusual journey of five golden retriever puppies captured the attention and the hearts of several Canton, Ohio residents who slept in their cars for the chance to take one of the dogs home.

The purebred puppies, believed to be a few months old, were found walking together on a nature preserve trail in Wilmot last Wednesday and were taken to the Dog Warden Division of the Stark County Sheriff's Office.

The four girls and one boy were spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and micro-chipped.

Deputy Jon Barber said it's not clear if the pups were lost or abandoned.

As required by Ohio law, the dogs were kept for 72 hours, giving the owners a chance to claim them, but no one stepped forward.

"Obviously, there's a lot of speculation on what could have happened, but we don't know," Barber said. "I've been here a little over six years now and never had this happen. We've had litters of puppies, but usually when they come in, they're mixed breeds."

On Valentine's Day, pictures of the puppies were put on the Stark County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, indicating they were up for adoption on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The post led to a flood of interest from dog lovers.

People started showing up at the dog warden division around 4 p.m. on Monday.

Multiple families decided to sleep in their cars overnight in the parking lot to ensure being among the first five to pick a puppy.

Deputies monitored surveillance cameras to determine the order that people arrived.

"From 9 p.m. until the morning, there was probably 20, 25 people in the parking lot by the time we got here," Barber said.

All of the dogs were adopted by 10:30 a.m.

Terry and Sonya Freeman, who slept in their truck overnight, were the last people to adopt one of the pups.

The Canton couple immediately fell in love with a female golden who was named Passion.

After contemplating names, they settled on renaming her, Millie.

It was an emotional experience for the Freeman family because their last golden retriever, Brownie, was hit and killed by a car two years ago.

"When our dog died, we all cried like babies," Terry Freeman said.

The new puppy was also special to Freeman who took her home on his 61st birthday.

"I'm happy. I'm very happy, emotional a little bit. Today is my birthday and this is something that I wanted again," he said.

Once Millie made it to her forever home, he snuggled on the floor with the newest four-legged member of the family.

"This is me and my wife's companion, you know what I'm saying? This is our friend, just need a companion in our house," he said.

Sandy Lutz and her son, Josh, also took home one of the puppies. They too lost a golden retriever two years ago.

"When I saw them post that they were going to put them up for adoption, it was like I'm there!" Sandy Lutz told WEWS.

The Dog Warden Division of the Stark County Sheriff's Office still has plenty of dogs available for adoption, including about 40 currently in the building.

The cost for adult dogs is $99 and $150 for puppies.

Those interested should call (330) 451-2343.

Bob Jones at WEWS first reported this story.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — “There’s something about it. It’s in my heart, and I can't... I just can’t stand to see them not have a place to be.”

Cathy Graeve’s life’s purpose is bringing care and comfort to dogs who need it most.

“I love all dogs, but old dogs, they just get me. Even when they’re peeing on the floor, it’s just like, what do you do?” Graeve laughed.

Her passion was sparked about 15 years ago as a member of a dog walking group at the Council Bluffs shelter.

“We started noticing the senior dogs were the ones that were really getting left behind. There just weren’t a lot of people in our area that were adopting the seniors,” said Graeve.

The group eventually opened Promise 4 Paws Senior Dog Sanctuary, a nonprofit where dogs live out their final years in a home-like environment.

About thirty dogs live at the sanctuary, staffed 24 hours a day.

“We have a few dogs now that are hospice dogs. We bring in some dogs that just, you know, they just come here, and we know their time is really limited, but we give them all the care that they need, and we make sure that they’re comfortable," said Graeve.

Graeve makes sure none of them pass away alone.

“We just keep them until it gets close, and then we make that decision and take them, and they always cross the rainbow bridge with me,” said Graeve.

With help from volunteers and the community, Promise 4 Paws has cared for hundreds of dogs in the last few years.

“I feel very fulfilled taking care of these dogs, and I do feel like if I ever have to stop and I get too old to do this, I’ll feel like I’ve done something to make a difference," said Graeve.

From food to medical costs, caring for each dog adds up fast. Visit their website to learn more about donations.

Danielle Meadows at KMTV first reported this story.

RENO, Nev. (Video: KOLO via CNN) —

If you're traveling over the holidays, you know it's a stressful experience. From crowds to screenings, traffic and worries about boarding on time, an airport in Reno, Nevada, is hoping to soothe passengers.

A volunteer organization called Paws 4 Passengers brings certified therapy dogs into terminals to encourage smiles and change the overall mood.

"It's always stressful traveling. so seeing dogs here makes everybody feel good," Sheri Heimerdinger told KOLO as she waited to pick up her mother at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

Sheri Harwell of Paws 4 Passengers said the dogs help calm those who might be nervous about flying.

"They just bring warmth, love and joy to all the people here," she said.

Harwell said she's also seen the dogs seek out a belly rub from people they sense may need them the most.

"If we see a child that's really crying and upset and having a fit. We'll try to go over. That's what Brooke does. She'll go over there and just sit there with that little kid and calm them down," Harwell said. "The parents are always saying thank you, thank you, thank you."

Paws 4 Passengers was founded in 2013 and currently has a team of 30 therapy dogs.

And it's not just weary passengers who enjoy their visits with the dogs.

"When those vests go on, that's their job and they know it and they love coming here and just greeting people," Harwell said. "That's their job, that's what they love to do."

Watch the video above to see the Paws 4 Passengers team in action.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a recall of several pet food products after more than two dozen dogs have died and several were sickened after eating them.

According to the FDA announcement, several Sportmix pet food products manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. may contain potentially fatal amounts of aflatoxin.

The FDA is aware of at least 28 deaths and eight illnesses in dogs that ate the recalled products and an investigation is ongoing.

Multiple product samples were tested by the Missouri Department of Agriculture and found to contain very high levels of aflatoxin, the FDA said in its news release.

The recall includes several types and sizes of Sportmix pet foods that were distributed nationally in stores and online.

FDA and the Missouri Department of Agriculture are working with the firm to determine whether any additional products will be added to the recall.

Aflatoxin is produced by a mold that can grow on corn or other grains used in pet foods. High levels of aflatoxin can cause illness and death in pets.

According to the FDA, pets with aflatoxin poisoning may have the following symptoms: sluggishness, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice (yellowish tint to the eyes or gums due to liver damage), and/or diarrhea.

The FDA is encouraging pet owners to stop feeding their pets the recalled products and consult a veterinarian, especially if their pet is showing signs of illness.

The agency is also asking veterinarians who treat aflatoxin poisoning to report cases. Pet owners can also report suspected cases.

For a full list of products in the recall and more information, click here.

There's an indoor pool in Anchorage, Alaska, that's open year-round.

And according to KTUU, it's just for dogs.

At Alaska K9 Aquatics, the dogs can hardly contain their excitement.

"We had a dog that was a beautiful swimmer that had severe arthritis, and he absolutely loved to swim, and he was the inspiration for us creating a pool," said Martina Richardson, co-owner of Alaska K9 Aquatics.

Most dog owners bring their pets here to play, but it's also a good exercise for the dogs.

"It is the best way I know to keep them in shape. And keeping them in shape is important to me. I want them lean and strong and completely mobile until their last day," said dog owner Sabrina Willis.

Different families can use the pool at 30-minute intervals, and it's busier in the winter since it's indoors.

So, pups that get restless in the winter have a place to expend their energy.

Before they go home, the dogs are quickly washed and dried off.

"We're making dogs and people happy, and nothing can be finer during this pandemic," said Richardson.

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. —

Doggie date night served up delicious food for a good cause.

Pets and owners from Independence, Missouri, were treated to a night out and a gourmet dinner Wednesday. The purpose of the event was to raise money for Shep’s Place Senior Dog Sanctuary, a refuge for abandoned old dogs in the Kansas City area.

Both the humans and the pets were treated to tasty food. The human meals were provided by two local restaurants, Ophelia’s and Courthouse Exchange, located in the city's main square. The doggy dinners were provided by another local establishment called Brookside Bakery. The event also featured space for the owners and their pets to take a picture after the meal.

All reservations on Wednesday night were sold out.

President and General Manager of Shep’s Place Senior Dog Sanctuary, Russell Clothier, was pleased with the turnout for the event.

"We really appreciate our community coming out to support us and help our mission to find a home for all dogs," Clothier said.

More than $500 was raised through the event.

Watch the video above for more on this story.

A devastating fire Saturday night killed at least 75 dogs at a pet resort in Texas.

Shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday, crews with the Georgetown Fire Department were dispatched to Ponderosa Pet Resort in Gerorgetown, Texas, in response to a report the facility had caught fire.

When firefighters arrived on the scene, about four minutes after receiving the call, they observed heavy smoke and fire coming from the building.

Despite the efforts made by the firefighters, all the pets inside the pet-boarding facility died, authorities said. All in all, 59 families lost their pets.

“We know each dog that died in this fire was a cherished member of someone’s family, so our heart goes out to all those who were affected by this tragic fire,” Georgetown Fire Chief John Sullivan said. “We believe the dogs at the facility likely died due to smoke inhalation, not the flames from the fire. We are working as quickly as we can to include the investigation, so pets can be returned to their grieving family members as soon as possible.”

Arson investigators are working to determine the cause and origin of the fire, as well as whether there were any fire suppression or smoke alarms in the building.

As the community and pet owners mourn, there’s a memorial outside of the Ponderosa Pet Resort’s fence that keeps growing. Photos of dogs, flowers, notes and even toys were placed in the holes of the fence.

“Yeah, we never thought this would happen,” Don Richard told KXAN. “That’s for sure.”

Don and his wife Pam Richard just got married on Friday, boarding their two puppies Bunny and Clyde. The couple was set to pick their puppies up on Sunday.

“They were buddies, they would play and run,” Don said.

“The building was not occupied by humans, but by no indication do I want to lead anyone to believe that that is any less tragic,” Sullivan said Sunday. “It is extremely heart-wrenching for us as first responders. My heart just dropped when I got the address and knew exactly what location we were going to.”

Ponderosa does make it clear in its boarding policies that staff members feel pets sleep better at night when no one is there, and it’s quiet, which is why staff leaves.

“There’s no reason this place shouldn’t have had someone here all the time,” Don said.

The Richard family said they wouldn’t have left Bunny and Clyde if they knew the resort was caring for as many animals as they were. They feel leaving that many animals without a staff member on-site overnight was negligent.

“Hopefully they were already asleep so they didn’t panic,” Pam said.

The couple said they’ve started a petition to try to create change in Georgetown, preventing animals who are in professional care from being left unattended.

KPRC in Houston and KXAN in Austin contributed to this report.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Judith Doughty cried tears of joy and disbelief as she was reunited with her dog, Skylar, who went missing three years ago.

Skylar is a 6-year-old Maltese. Doughty said she got him when he was a puppy, but one day he disappeared after going outside to use the bathroom.

She said he was with another dog but didn’t return. Her family searched for him and was devastated when they couldn’t find him.

Three years went by with no sign of Skylar, until last week, when Sherae Battle was driving to the hospital with her kids in Newport News.

“My kids were like, 'Mom, Mom, Mom, hold on. It’s a dog.' I'm like, 'Where?' He was just walking in the street, and I'm like, ‘Oh, my gracious,' so I did a U-turn in the middle of the street,” Battle said.

She said the dog went to a nearby wooded area to drink from a pond. She said she was worried he would fall in, and her kids used Goldfish crackers to lure him to them.

They brought him to the car and kept him for two days until the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter opened back up.

“I immediately scanned for the microchip, which is standard procedure for us when strays come in,” said Susan Jacobs, an animal services technician at the shelter.

She called the number on the chip, and it was owner Judith Doughty’s daughter, Ginger Vassar, who answered.

“I could hardly speak to her because she was screaming in excitement,” Jacobs said.

Vassar arranged to bring her mom to the shelter, but they didn’t tell Doughty why.

“The lady told me to have a seat,” said Doughty. “They said, 'We've got a surprise for you.'”

Skylar came strolling out, and Doughty was elated to have her precious pooch back in her arms.

“He started licking me; I started crying,” Doughty said. “It was a miracle to me. I still can’t believe I got him back after three years.”

Skylar was found about 15 miles from where he went missing.

"I'm so happy she was able to get her dog back. That's all that matters. I'm so happy," said Sherae Battle, the woman who brought the dog to the shelter.

Jacobs said Skylar was in good condition and appeared to have been taken care of. She said it's rare to see a dog reunited with his owner three years after going missing.

“It doesn't happen that often, but it has happened before. We're always so happy when it does happen -- thank goodness for microchipping. It's just awesome,” Jacobs said.

“Glad we got him to his right owner. I'm so happy that she got her dog back,” Battle said.

“I was sad when he was gone, but I didn’t give up. I prayed and prayed, and the Lord answered my prayers. Anyone else who sees this, I hope they try to look for their dogs,” Doughty said.

Watch the surprise video below:

This story originally reported by Margaret Kavanagh on WTKR.com.

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — While Louisiana and Mississippi continue to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, some steps were taken before the storm to keep hundreds of animals safe.

Merrick, Riley, and Geneva were among the dozens of dogs rescued from the storm zone and taken to Suncoast Animal League in Palm Harbor, Florida. Now, all three are hoping to find a new home.

"I can't even tell you what they've been through these past few days," said Rick Chaboudy, who runs Suncoast Animal League.

Suncoast Animal League took in 39 dogs from the storm zone ravaged by Hurricane Ida. Most are already in foster homes around Pinellas County.

"These dogs are so resilient. They've amazed us at everything they've gone through," Chaboudy said. "The trips, time spent in cages, things like that. To come out happy, wagging their tails — just glad to be here, basically."

While some dogs found and rescued after Ida could be heading to Pinellas in the days ahead, others didn't have owners and were already in shelters.

"By taking them, not only are we saving their lives, but we are also making room so they can take in the dogs that are found as strays and such during the aftermath of the event," Chaboudy said.

The dogs can't be adopted until after they've been spayed or neutered, but Suncoast Animal League said so many people have already said they want to help.

"They are watching the devastation that's going on. We are too. And then you look at these guys and think, 'Wow, 24-48 hours ago; they could have been in the middle of all that," Chaboudy said.

To find out more about adopting a dog, visit the Suncoast Animal League's website.

This story was originally published by Erik Waxler on Scripps station WFTS in Tampa, Florida.

Buffalo, N.Y. (WKBW) -- For 12-year-old Thomas Rizzone, his summer has been full of video games and sewing.

“I like to give the dogs what they need; they shouldn’t not get love that every other pet has that has a home,” Rizzone said.

Rizzone and his grandma, Bonnie Rendler, spent the summer making more than 40 blankets to donate to the SPCA serving Erie County, New York.

“I started doing cat blankets last fall and he liked what I was doing so much that he wanted me to teach him how to make them,” Rendler said.

“We are very excited that Thomas picked out dogs to make blankets for. It just proves that donors come in all different shapes, sizes and ages,” SPCA Communications Manager Bethany Kloc.

Rizzone just learned how to sew this summer, but he said it came easy to him.

“Like when I first started playing video games, Fortnite, I somehow was just really good at it,” Rizzone said.

His sewing doesn’t stop here. He said he is going to continue throughout the year.

Rizzone already has two cats, two dogs, two frogs and four fish tanks. He said he already knows how to train animals and is looking forward to working with them when he’s older.

“I’m really excited because I always wanted to have a sanctuary in my house. Like I want to have horses, cows, get them into a sanctuary,” Rizzone said.

Kloc said she loves that each blanket is different.

“This one has kittens and puppies; I think this is paw patrol. This one’s just kittens…so Thomas went all out and bought all different fabrics and they’re just adorable,” Kloc said.

Rizzone and his grandma said they’ll take any help they can get this fall, but above all, they want each dog to have a home.

“Adopt, adopt. That’s what he wants. He doesn’t want any animal at another place. He wants a forever home,” Rendler said.

“Not that this place isn’t good for them. It’s great,” Rizzone said.

When Meghan Kahler and Steven Halstead adopted the Japanese mastiff, he came with the name Daniel.He is a big, old goofy dog, emphasis on big. He has paws the size of saucers and a head the size of a volleyball. He tips the scale at more than 100 pounds, with a wide body and a back you could use as a coffee table.Daniel didn’t seem to be a good name, the couple thought. It didn’t seem to capture his personality, or his heritage, so they changed it. They named him Ham.It’s not short for Hamilton – as in the play or the founding father. It’s just Ham, “like Christmas ham,” Meghan said.It made sense. They adopted Ham around Christmas 2020. And just a few months before that, Ham was destined to become ham, having been rescued from a South Korean farm where dogs were bred and raised to be food.“We think we’re funny,” Steven said. “For a meat market dog, it’s a great name.” Ham was among 170 dogs liberated from a farm in late October last year, rescued by South Korean members of the Humane Society International’s Animal Rescue Team from the facility in Haemi, a rural town south of the capital, Seoul.Although dog meat is not a staple in the South Korean diet, it is still part of the nation’s tradition, particularly in rural parts of the country during what’s known as Bok days, the hottest days in late July and early August. Bok days are, quite literally, the dog days of summer. Consuming dog, it is believed, increases energy and brings luck and prosperity.The majority of South Koreans, though, abhor the practice. Eighty-four percent of South Koreans, according to a poll commissioned by the Humane Society, have never eaten dog meat and have no plans to do so. And a majority of South Koreans – 57 percent, according to the poll – believe that dog meat consumption reflects poorly on the nation, contributing to racist Asian stereotypes.The South Korean government, responding to increased pressure, both internationally and domestically, has been leaning toward banning dog meat. Authorities, in the past couple of years, have shut down some of the nation’s largest dog meat farms, markets and slaughterhouses.Among those was the farm in Haemi. The 170 dogs in the farm lived in terrible conditions, kept in cages, stacked one upon another in a long, seemingly haphazard structure fashioned from PVC pipe, corrugated metal sheets and plastic tarps.An investigator from the Humane Society described the conditions as “truly pitiful.” Nara Kim, the Humane Society’s dog meat campaign manager, said, “Every dog meat farm I’ve visited has a horrible stench of feces and rotting food, but there was something different about this dog farm; it had a smell of death. When we found these dogs, they had looks of utter despair on their faces that will haunt us forever.”Nine of the dogs wound up at the York County SPCA. All but one has been adopted, a difficult feat considering that these dogs would need special attention to make the transition from the dinner table to the couch.Watch video above: South Korea expected to grant legal status to animals to end years of abuse and abandonment

Editor's note: WXYZ is working to verify the resident's account via the veterinarian she says she visited with the animal.

Monica thought she was walking away with a newborn puppy several weeks ago after she says a man was handing them out at Papaya Fruit Market in Detroit, Michigan.

“He told me it was a German Shepherd puppy,” said Monica.

Immediately smitten, Monica says in the days and weeks that followed, she noticed something was off and that the animal was a tremendous jumper.

“It was making a strange noise … it’s already funny-looking, so we just thought ... maybe something was wrong with it, we took it to the vet,” she said.

Monica's hyena pup

But the veterinarian didn’t have good news.

“The vet said, ‘no, this is not a German Shepherd,’” said Monica. “They did do blood work on the animal, but they said from the looks, the way it acts … everything, it was a hyena.”

After they broke the news to her, Monica said they then called animal control, telling her it was illegal to keep the animal.

Worried they were going to kill the hyena, Monica said she left quickly.

“Sometimes she acts like a cat, like when I’m sleeping … it’s like a regular animal,” Monica said. “I feel like my animals are my children.”

WXYZ

Monica said the man outside the fruit market had about five hyena pups he was giving away.

Other people out there may not realize they have a hyena pup.

According to Dr. Nora Wineland, State Veterinarian, and MDARD Animal Industry Division Director, “There are no state restrictions in Michigan related to owning or possessing a hyena. Hyenas are legal to own at a state level in Michigan, and no state permit or license is required. Although hyenas are legal to own at a state level, there could be local restrictions at a city, township, or county level.”

Detroit Animal Control said they are not legal in the city.

WXYZ

“Pretty much if you don’t own a dog, cat, ferret, guinea pig, or a similar pocket pet that you could pick up at a local pet shop, those animals are going to be illegal,” said Mark Kumpf, director of Detroit Animal Care. “Anything that you would see running loose in the wild, anything that might appear in a zoo or a circus, the rule is those aren’t going to be acceptable in a regular home.

Monica said she plans to keep her hyena, whatever it takes.

“I’m prepared to move if they need me to move,” she said.

This story was first reported by our Detroit sister station WXYZ.

Editor's note: Friday afternoon, WXYZ reported an account of a woman who claimed she received a hyena from a man outside of a Detroit fruit market. Those claims appear to be false. Since posting the original story, WXYZ has discovered that the video she provided of the alleged hyena was doctored. Additionally, the Detroit resident we initially interviewed has refused to give us the veterinarian’s name to confirm the visit she described to us in detail. At this time, we do not believe the woman's accounts are true.

This story was first reported by our Detroit sister station WXYZ.

Lady Gaga’s two French bulldogs, which were stolen by thieves who shot and wounded the dogwalker, have been recovered unharmed.

Los Angeles police Capt. Jonathan Tippett says a woman brought the dogs to an LAPD station Friday evening. Lady Gaga's representatives and detectives went to the station and confirmed they were her dogs.

Tippett says it's not immediately clear how the woman obtained the dogs. But she's not believed to have been involved or associated with Wednesday night's attack in Hollywood that wounded the dog walker, who's expected to recover. Lady Gaga had offered a $500,000 reward for the safe return of the dogs.

Police say the dog walker was taken to the hospital and his condition is unknown. However, a source told CNN the assistant is “recovering well.”

Officers said they were searching for the gunman, who reportedly used a semi-automatic handgun and fled the scene in a white sedan.