He is a star player for the Philadelphia Phillies, who are in this year's World Series (which begins tonight in Tampa). Those of you who aren't baseball fans (I feel sorry for you) may not know Chase Utley. Chase and his wife, Jen, are animal lovers, which makes them good people in my book. See here for a story MORE

An autographed batting helmet from Philadelphia Phillies player and 2011 MLB All-Star Shane Victorino. The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) is hosting an online charity auction until November 9th, 2011. Items up for bid feature a variety of one-of-a-kind experiences and merchandise. MORE

Because poor Michael Vick has been through so much. Another reason to root against the Eagles. Sorry but after seeing the victims that he left behind on Dog Town, I still think he's slime. It takes a special kind of callousness and brutality to treat dogs that way. This isn't a bar fight. It's not the mistakes made from being young. This is making dogs tear each other to shreds. This is watching a dog hanging from a rope getting strangled to death because he didn't make the grade. MORE

This is an excellent opinion piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer. This is part of the piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The author, an assistant professor of sociology at Tulane University, poses some important questions. While I don't agree with everything he says, I do think he makes some legitimate points. The media and society is vilifying Michael Vick (rightly I believe.) But is he relatively that much worse than the rest of us? MORE

In 2004, Robert Stevens was convicted of violating this law and sentenced to 32 months in prison for selling videos featuring pit bulls chasing wild boars on organized hunts and depicting a pit bull attacking the lower jaw of a domestic farm pig, according to the Philadelphia-based appeals court. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear U.S. Stevens. At issue in the case is the constitutionality of a decade old law passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton in 1999. That law, U.S. MORE

From the Philadelphia Inquirer. It was a 2-1 decision by the US Court of Appeals. Six members of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty were convicted at a 2006 trial in New Jersey of conspiracy to violate the 1992 Animal Enterprise Protection Act. The law, since revised, aimed to protect animal research laboratories from illegal, sometimes violent protests. The group was formed to protest the activities of Huntingdon Life Sciences in Franklin Township, N.J. MORE

Philadelphia, PA—April 2, 2009— According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, approximately 35 percent of the total pet population is overweight or obese. HOW TO HAVE ONE FIT & FABULOUS FIDO. K9 Pet Chef Loreen Playford Offers Advice on Maintaining Pet’s Overall Health. Canine obesity increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and gastrointestinal problems in our pets, all of which can lead to shorter life spans. MORE

A Special Episode of Animal Cops: Philadelphia Premieres Monday, April 27, at 10 PM (ET/PT). Boney legs poke out from between harsh metal wires. Food and water dishes remain empty for days. Ailments go untreated as puppies bide their time among the dying and the dead. These are the squalid conditions of puppy mills, where it’s estimated more than two million dogs are mass-produced for profit each year. MORE

Philadelphia, PA Find out how you can become an active participant in national efforts to protect farm animals from abuse at this one-day conference. Hi Keith, Farm Sanctuary’s Farm Animal Forum will be here before we know it! Would you be interested in helping us promote this event by posting the notice below? Feel free to contact me with any questions. MORE

It’s prom season for teens everywhere — and that includes the canine kind! More than 600 doggy couples – decked out in bow ties and boas, tiaras and tails — will attend one of 38 Doggy Proms hosted by Best Friends Pet Care at its doggy day camp centers across the country. MORE

You will even get to watch as Nat Geo WILD joined a two-day stakeout that leads to one of the biggest dogfighting busts in Philadelphia’s history — 14 suspects are arrested, and several horribly neglected, abused and injured dogs are saved. A covert surveillance operation with the PSPCA undercover team leads to one of the biggest dogfighting busts in Philadelphia’s history — 14 suspects are arrested, and several horribly neglected, abused and injured dogs are rescued. MORE

Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit in Philadelphia voted 10 to 3 last summer to find unconstitutional the rarely used law passed by Congress in 1999. You'd think it would be a no-brainer, but no. The justices said they would review, at the request of the federal government, an appeals court decision that said Congress's broad attempt to discourage animal cruelty by outlawing its depiction violates the First Amendment. The U.S. MORE

Some huge livestock farms produce more raw waste than cities as large as Philadelphia or Houston. The US General Accountability Office (GAO) is not happy with the EPA. They've issued a report that throws a negative light on the EPA trying to ELIMINATE EVEN MORE REGULATION of factory farms. Deregulation is EVERYWHERE. MORE

This week's stories: PETA demands that the National Institutes of Health take back grant money awarded to the University of Kansas; The Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums prepares to investigate the Calgary Zoo next year; Convicted dog fighter Michael Vick receives an award in courage from the Philadelphia Eagles; Canada tries to find a public relations firm to counter anti-seal coverage; and a Washington State man is convicted of selling bear gall bladders. MORE

America has the chance to vote for the most remarkable story, and the winner will be announced in November at the National Dog Show presented by Purina in the Philadelphia area. MORE

The author is Nick Cooney and he's the Director of The Humane League, an animal advocacy non-profit with offices in Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington DC. We received an email about a new book being released by Lantern Books. It's called "Change Of Heart: What Psychology Can Teach Us About Spreading Social Change." In the author's words. Change Of Heart provides science-based answers to many questions that are hotly debated among animal activists. MORE

He is the author of several books, including Atheism: A Philosophical Justification (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1990) and The Case Against Christianity (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1991). Michael Martin is a professor of philosophy at Boston University. For what it’s worth, I consider Martin a good philosopher, indeed, a very good philosopher. MORE

I used to like this team. I'll never root for them again. I guess someone did want a dog killer on their team. MORE