If you have a cat that is not spayed or neutered and you haven’t done it because of financial reasons, the Oakland Pet Adoption Center in conjunction with.

The Michigan Pet Fund Alliance and the Michigan Humane Society are booking now for our low-cost, low-income Oakland County residents spay/neuter clinics.

The clinics are held every month at the Oakland Pet Adoption Clinic, 1700 Brown Road in Auburn Hills, and costs $20.00 per cat. The price includes distemper and rabies vaccinations, wormer, and flea and earmite treatment.

Concerned Citizens for Animal Welfare once again is sponsoring Spay Day 2010 at Escambia County Animal Services throughout February.The Pensacola-based nonprofit will pay for half the cost of the surgery to have up to 100 pets spayed or neutered.

The goal is an effort to reduce the number of unwanted animals in Escambia County. More than 10,000 unwanted pets were euthanized in fiscal year 2009 by Escambia County Animal Services. The group will also pay for half the cost of the pet's vaccines. The program is open to low-income pet owners on a first-come first-serve basis.

To participate and see if you're qualified, call the animal shelter at 595-3075 or go to shelter at 200 W. Fairfield Drive from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. This will be the 16th year Concerned Citizens has sponsored Spay Day, an annual effort promoted by The Humane Society and other animal welfare agencies.

It was more than a year ago when Laura Hawk received the call from the Michigan Humane Society -- her beloved cat, Snowball, had been found in the Rochester Hills area.

He was pretty sick, having contracted pneumonia. But his condition -- alive -- was pretty remarkable considering the circumstances.

Hawk lives 1,197 miles away in Dunedin, Fla., near Tampa. Snowball had been missing for seven years.
 "I just burst into tears, I was so excited," Hawk, 60, said. "I said, 'Oh my God. You found Snowball.' "

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Your pet dog could literally become a dangerous missile in a car crash if it’s left unrestrained. Police and the SPCA are urging people to restrain animals in cars while driving to prevent harm to both passengers and pets.

Serious crash unit sergeant Paul Latham says unrestrained animals become "projectiles" in crashes, whether they’re in the front seat or back.

"If your pet’s on your lap you are more likely to do more damage to the animal as it will hit the windscreen," he says.

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In addition to their popularity among enterprising grass-cutting and weed-control operations like City Grazing and Goats R Us, more and more people are choosing to employ goats as family pets.

According to the New York Times, some Chicago residents have become particularly fond of Pygmies.

Valued for their milk and desirable compact size (they max out at around 17 inches tall)

These bitty billies have trotted into backyards (and hearts) throughout the Windy City and its burbs. Pygmies are also revered for their intelligence and good temper.

"Out in a yard, they easily pass as a dog," one goat enthusiast told the Times. As in Chicago, keeping a goat is also legal in San Francisco, you just can't sell the animal's milk or cheese. According to San Francisco health codes, donkeys, mules, cows, and goats (basically all "even-toed hooved animals") require a permit, although pot bellied pigs and Pygmy goats are typically defined as pets. Just be sure you know the local laws before picking up a Pygmy of your own to avoid any "5-4-7" grazing violations.

Pets are living longer than ever, thanks to diligent owners and medical advances. “There’s no question that longevity is connected to quality of health care,” said Dr. Lisa Moses, head of the pain management service at MSPCA Angell Animal Medical Center in Jamaica Plain.

“It is true for humans and it is true for animals. When the patient can’t talk, you are dependent on the caretaker to tell you what is wrong and seek help. People used to bring their animals to the ER, where the diseases were really far advanced.

I think people are doing a better job of finding out when dogs are sick earlier.”Typically, the larger the dog the shorter the life expectancy. Big dogs like Great Danes are well into their twilight years by age 7, where toy-size dogs live an average of 12 to 14 years.

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For ages, pets were thought to have healing power. And now the results from clinical studies prove this point  pets are good for humans.

From Australia to Japan, in the United Kingdom, and across the United States, findings demonstrated that pets reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides.

Thus lowering risk of heart disease. Dog owners benefit from the exercise of daily walks. Pet owners are less prone to loneliness, depression, anxiety and fear.

Dogs have been recruited into health care settings for their healing power. Trained therapy dogs helped cardiac patients lower their stress and anxiety and improve heart and lung health. Joint replacement patients who worked with therapy dogs needed less pain medication than patients without dogs.

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Pluto is a 1-year-old, white and brown basset hound who has been living at the Humane Society of Greater Miami for the past six months. He's been adopted twice since his original owner surrendered him. But he keeps coming back to the shelter.

``I don't understand why people keep giving him back,'' said Jorge Leon, a supervisor at the shelter in North Miami Beach. ``He's the sweetest dog.''  And it is the same with surrendered cats like 9-year-old Anika, who even when she seemed to have found a new home, came back to the shelter five days later.

The reason: The new owner's job suddenly required extra travel, said Carol Kent, a kennel attendant at the shelter. Animal rescue organizations have reported an increase in abandoned animals as the economy took a dive -- including a spike in animals left behind in foreclosed or abandoned homes.

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Fido pauses at the door, reluctant to go outside. Fluffy stares longingly at the window, or spends hours grooming, furiously biting at the fur on her belly.

Whether it's combating cabin fever or protecting pets against the elements, our four-legged friends require special care during winter.

While it's true dogs and cats descend from wild animals, domesticated pets exist in a very different environment.

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Battersea Dogs and Cats Home said it was unable to cope with numbers of pets arriving and, for the first time, has had to create a waiting list.  Charities have said the recession and cold weather are partly to blame.

They expect to see more animals being abandoned in the coming months as pets bought for Christmas become expensive.

Scott Craddock of Battersea Dogs and Cats home, which has been taking in unwanted animals for some 150 years, said: "This is the first time that we have actually put a waiting list in place for local authorities.

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