Trouble Helmsley Dies At Age 12

One of the world's wealthiest animals, Trouble Helmsley, has died at her Florida estate at the age of 12.

Leona Helmsley's pampered pooch "Trouble," who inherited $12 million from the real estate mogul, has died at the age of 12. That's 84 in dog years. Like many Americans, the pampered Maltese retired to Florida in 2007, shortly after Helmsley died. Carl Lekic, the general manager of the Helmsley Sandcastle hotel in Sarasota, cared for her. "Trouble was cremated, and her remains are being privately retained," spokeswoman Eileen Sullivan said. "The funds held in trust for her care have reverted to The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust for charitable purposes."

Trouble had reportedly received more than 20 kidnapping and death threats over the years.

Stealing Dogs For Jeebus

Ultimate Dog Tease

Y'all can stop sending me this now.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Woman Murders Dog For Chewing On Her Bible

A South Carolina woman says that God told her to murder her nephew's dog because it chewed on her bible.

Miriam Fowler Smith, 65, told cops on Monday that she hung and burned her nephew's pit bull after the animal took a bite out of her bible. She claimed God urged her to kill Diamond, a 1-year-old female dog, because the animal was a "devil dog" and would hurt neighborhood children. Smith was arrested on Sunday and remains in Spartanburg County jail. She could face faces 180 days or up to five years behind bars if she's convicted with felony animal cruelty. She does not have a lawyer yet. Authorities said Smith confessed to wrapping an extension cord around Diamond's neck, hung the animal from a tree, and then set the pup on fire.

(Via - On Knees For Jesus)

PETA: Buy A Dog And You Kill A Shelter Dog (And Will Drag It Around Forever)

According to PETA, if you purchase your dog, you are effectively killing the shelter dog you didn't adopt. And you'll drag that dead unadopted dog behind you forever. In spirit, one presumes they mean. I've never bought a pet in my life and my FIV+ cat was adopted as an adult from the East Harlem ASPCA. But I've never begrudged pure breed aficionados who patronize responsible sources.

Don't Leave Dogs In Cars

Photo Of The Day - Antoine Dogson

Yesterday was NYC's Halloween Dog Parade in Tompkins Square Park. Hit the link for more hilarious/humiliating photos. (I'm guessing the Breakfast At Tiffany's entry is owned by a gay man.)

OK Go - White Knuckles

I missed posting this when it came out a couple of days ago, but just can't stop watching it. Shot all in one take as is their trademark.

Central Park Has Rabid Raccoons

New York City's health department has issued an alert about rabid raccoons in Central Park. Over 100 infected raccoons have been trapped or found dead in the park so far this year.

"It's like Central Park in the '70s when you had to be fearful of people - now you have to be fearful of raccoons," said Manhattan teacher Meg McDonnell, 33, who often spots the furry masked critters in the park. "I've always been taught if I see a raccoon in the daytime, they are sick. There are big, fat huge families up there." Despite the striking rise in the number of diseased raccoons, no humans or pets have been attacked since February, when the city launched a two-month program to trap, tag and vaccinate the Central Park raccoons. Animals that appeared ill were euthanized and tested for rabies. Some were found already dead.

Televised reports have asked dog owners to keep their pets leashed at all times in the park. Earlier this year a dog and two humans were bitten by rabid raccoons, but none were infected. No human has been diagnosed with rabies in New York City since 1953. Raccoons are most active at night, so something something Ramble gay boys careful something.

Iran Bans Pet Dogs

A high-ranking ayatollah in Iran has told police they are to fine anybody found a with a pet dog. Working dogs are exempt, praise to Allah.

A senior Iranian cleric has decreed dogs are "unclean" and should not be kept as pets -- a move aimed at discouraging Western-style dog ownership in the Islamic state, a newspaper reported on Saturday. Dogs are considered "unclean" under Islamic tradition but, while relatively rare in Iran, some people do keep them as pets. By issuing a fatwa -- a religious ruling -- Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has sent a clear message that this trend must stop. "Friendship with dogs is a blind imitation of the West," he was quoted as saying in Javan daily. "There are lots of people in the West who love their dogs more than their wives and children." Guard dogs and sheep dogs are considered acceptable under Islamic law but Iranians who carry dogs in their cars or take them to public parks can be stopped by police and fined.