This time it's an exceptionally irresponsible, ignorant comment, especially considering the recent news about the growth in dogfighting in Texas. Jamie Foxx opens his mouth again. As the quest for the first dog continues, Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx thinks he's come up with the perfect solution for the President-elect and his family. "A A pitbull," the entertainer said. "(I'm) I'm) trying to pick out Barack Obama's Christmas puppy right now, so we're working hard on that," he joked. "I MORE

An Arlington, Texas, municipal judge ruled that the animals suffered from neglect and cruel conditions, and an appeal by the company's owners to a higher court was denied last weekend. Holy cow! That's HUGE. It was an exotic animal importing firm (why the eff do those even exist?) that was allegedly mistreating its animals. A lot of these animals are reptiles, spiders and amphibians, which explains the large number. This rescue is the result of a PETA undercover investigation. MORE

Here's an opinion piece from Ingrid Newkirk arguing to stop the transfer of 202 "retired" chimpanzees to a Texas facility where they may be subjected to more experimentation. The Governor of New Mexico has already met with the National Institutes of Health to try and stop this transfer with no apparent success. Some of the animals are 60 years old and veterans of the US space program. MORE

When you add the roughly 335,000 square-mile-area in the Pacific that is now protected from virtually all fishing to the nearly 700,000 square miles he closed to bottom trawling, the most destructive kind of fishing gear, this president has given future generations an ocean gift nearly the size of Texas and Alaska combined. This blog pounds on George W. Bush a lot. So, to be fair (and balanced!), here's one person who thinks he's done some good stuff for the oceans. MORE

Investigators found that dogfighting was on the rise in Texas and was much more widespread than they had expected. Besides a cadre of older, well-established dogfighters, officials said, the sport has begun to attract a growing following among young people from hardscrabble neighborhoods in Texas, where gangs, drug dealing and hip-hop culture make up the backdrop. Tags: animal cruelty Texas dog fighting us From the New York Times. MORE

I’m glad that Obama didn’t select Charles Stenholm, a former Texas congressman with a long history of defending animal abuse, who had sought the position with support from the factory farming industry. While the Humane Society was pretty happy with Vilsack as Obama's pick for the Department of Agriculture, the Farm Sanctuary is wary. This is a December 18 post from Gene Bauer's blog pointing out some concerns about Vilsack. Bauer is the president and co-founder of the Farm Sanctuary. MORE

The animals can be used again for medical experiments if transferred to the Southwest National Primate Research Center in San Antonio, Texas. Tags: chimpanzees animal research animal laboratories Texas new mexico From the AP. Bill Richardson is asking to tour a former medical research lab in southern New Mexico that houses more than 200 chimpanzees. Richardson made the comment Tuesday after meeting in Bethesda, Md. MORE

Please read this excellent and compelling letter by former Mayor Paula Bacon about the disastrous effects of having a slaughter facility in her hometown of Kaufman, Texas. From Elizabeth Forel, of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages. On Friday, April 3rd, Montana Governor Brain Schweitzer returned House Bill 418 to the legislature with suggestions for amendments. The danger is that the amendments will be made and the bill will be signed into law. PLEASE TAKE ACTION. MORE

To help those affected by the Texas wildfires, select VCA Animal Hospitals in the state of Texas (in and around both Austin and Houston) are offering free boarding for companion animals. Here is a list of those who are available to help: Austin-area hospitals: VCA Ben White Animal Hospital. VCA Northwest Hills Animal Hospital. VCA Tanglewood Animal Hospital. Houston-area hospitals: VCA Tomball Veterinary Hospital. VCA Woodlands Animal Hospital. VCA Spring Animal Hospital. MORE

SAEN says previous USDA reports revealed primates have died at the Texas lab from dehydration and hypothermia, while others have simply been "found dead" -- possibly without veterinary care -- after suffering from serious disease conditions that include temperatures up to 105 degrees. Tags: animal research primates Texas Stop Animal Exploitation Now! SAEN) is calling for an investigation of Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio, TX. MORE

What about the nut who flew his plane into the IRS building in Texas? According to our government, the animal rights and environmental movements are the number one domestic terrorism threat in the United States. That's BS. What about militias? White supremacists? Was Tim McVeigh who blew up the Oklahoma Federal Building an animal rights/environmental activist? MORE

I hope this woman rots in jail, but I doubt that will happen in Texas. Authorities found the dog, a German shepherd mix named Bruce, in a small crate on March 18. They arrived after neighbors complained of a strong smell emanating from Martin's apartment in the 2800 block of Townbluff Drive in Plano. The crate was in a dark closet that functioned as a laundry room and had flooded, according to the affidavit. Police say Bruce was emaciated in a puddle of water and his own feces. MORE

She lives with her husband in Katy, Texas, and loves spending time with her two cats, Milo and Sammy. Your cat’s antics can say a lot about what they’re thinking. MORE

Texas restricts deer importing.) Tags: wildlife trafficking Arkansas Texas deer They were illegally bringing in deer from Arkansas. Plus a little matter with stolen property. MORE

San Diego; Austin, Texas; Miami; and Portland, Ore. Community Dog Walks Will Be Co-Hosted by local YMCAs in Cities across the Country. Mars Petcare announced it will sponsor a series of “Woof Walk” fun runs as part of THE POWER OF PETS™ program for 2011. MORE

The wife of the Texas oil tycoon T. Here's hoping it works out. Boone Pickens said {November 18} that she would create a refuge for wild horses, after the federal agency that manages them said it might have to kill some to control the herds and protect the Western range. About 33,000 wild horses and burros roam the open range in 10 Western states. The federal Bureau of Land Management wants that population to be around 27,000 to protect the herd, the range and other foraging animals. MORE

Now here is something you don’t see everyday! The iconic turkey, star of Thanksgiving, also seems to enjoy playing a good game of soccer! What do you think? Could they win the world cup? cute video MORE

Tags: zoos animal cruelty Texas elephants MORE

Millions of wild pigs weighing up to 300 pounds have been tearing up crops, trampling fences and eating just about anything in their path in Texas. This doesn't sound good. But now they had better watch their hairy backs. A state lawmaker is proposing to allow ordinary Texans with rifles and shotguns to shoot the voracious, tusked animals from helicopters. For years, ranchers in the Lone Star State have hired professional hunters in choppers to thin the hogs' fast-multiplying ranks. MORE

However, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) plans to move the chimpanzees—many of them at least 30 years old—to the Southwest National Primate Research Facility in San Antonio, Texas, where they can be used in painful, invasive experiments.". Here's an action alert from Physicians for Social Responsibility. Since 2001, chimpanzees have been housed at APF, where they cannot be used for research. MORE

For more news of SPCA of Texas' hurricane work, go here. Tags: squirrels Texas hurricane rescue Nice rescue news for a Sunday. MORE

Nationally, California ranks behind Texas, Kansas and Nebraska in total cattle numbers. Potentially bad news for California Agriculture. Read the full story here at the LA Times. The reemergence of mad cow disease, discovered in a California dairy cow, could have major implications for the state’s meat industry, even though officials have said that the human food supply is unaffected. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy hasn’t been found in U.S. MORE

Canine athletes are jumping through hoops to capture the gold at Doggy Games in Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio, New York, New Jersey and Texas. London isn’t the only town where athletes are bringing home the gold this week. MORE

San Antonio Zoo (Texas) Edmonton Valley Zoo (Canada), Buttonwood Park Zoo (Mass.), This list was issued by In Defense of Animals last month. Here they are. Central Florida Zoo (Fla.), Niabi Zoo (Ill.), Topeka Zoo (Kan.), Honolulu Zoo (Hawaii), Wildlife Safari (Ore.), York's Wild Kingdom Zoo (Maine) tied with Southwick's Zoo (Mass.), Pittsburgh Zoo's ICC (Penn.). San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Calif.) earned a dishonorable mention. I'm surprised that Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle didn't make it. MORE

A major environmental experiment is underway,” Ron Kendall, director of the Institute of Environmental and Human Health at Texas Tech University, told AFP. It's the "gift" that keeps on giving. From the Khaleej Times Online/AFP. Scientists studying the massive BP oil spill fear a decades-long, “cascading” effect on marine life that could lead to a shift in the overall biological network in the Gulf of Mexico. MORE

The SPCA took 1045 animals out of a home in Texas that were living in horrible conditions. When SPCA investigators received an anonymous tip Wednesday afternoon about animals in need of medical care at a home in northwest Houston, they had no idea it would turn into one of the largest U.S. animal seizures in memory. "At MORE

Bio : Rebecca Keller is a graduate of the Arts and Technology program at the University of Texas. 5 easy ways to keep your pets and your gadgets safe. MORE

To celebrate National Dog Day 2012, Best Friends Pet Care will be giving away free doggy ice cream treats to every dog who visits any Best Friends facility across the U.S. on Saturday, August 25. The treats are made of yogurt or soy with dog-preferred flavors like peanut butter and honey. MORE

Beneficiaries range from large animal shelters like the Central Florida SPCA and the Southside Animal Shelter in Indianapolis to small rescue groups like Save a Dog in Texas and Big Fluffy Dog Rescue in Massachusetts. I was really excited to hear about an Angel Tree program for pets. MORE

I am deeply troubled and angry that the National Institute of Health wants to move almost 200 chimpanzees from this facility to a laboratory in Texas where they may be subjected to testing. Here is the text we sent to Congressman Jim McDermott and Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray. It's based on the suggested text we saw on the web site for Physicians for Responsible Medicine. MORE

The company has grooming salons in all 13 resorts located in Texas, Louisiana, Florida and North Carolina. We sure love to share great press releases like this one! Did you know that pet hair clippings (and human hair too) can be used to help clean up oil? Read on to learn what Pet Paradise is going to do to help with the massive oil spill. Pet Paradise Resort to donate ALL pet hair clippings from 13 resorts to help with oil spill effort in the Gulf of Mexico. MORE

The Humane Society of the United States, SPCA of East Texas and Humane Society of North Texas worked with the Smith County District Attorney's Office to rescue 50 horses from a Lindale property. animal cruelty horses Texas50 surviving horses were rescued. For the full story, go here to KLTV.com. MORE

I was happy to hear that during the cloning at Texas A&M, new rules were introduced that planned for lab dogs to be socialized and placed into loving homes (as apposed to the usual practice of putting them down after use). Would you consider cloning your dog? Dog, Inc.: MORE

This season Cesar will visit to Fort Hood, Texas, where he takes a handful of four-legged army brats back to boot camp. Dog Whisperer and Philly Undercover have their season premieres tomorrow, January 7, 2012 on NatGeo Wild! Once again, Cesar Millan works with dogs and their owners to help dogs suffering from phobias and obsessions! There will be an intervention for ex-gang members who have turned their lives around but still battle turf wars with their dogs at home. MORE

Years later, after he had gone off to teach at Northern Illinois University and I had gone off to teach at the University of Texas at Arlington, we discovered that we had a shared interest in animal rights. Here is a profile of my friend and co-blogger Mylan Engel Jr. We went to graduate school together at the University of Arizona. I didn't like Mylan at the time, and I'm sure he didn't like me. Mylan worked in epistemology. I worked in ethics. MORE

PETA has complained to the USDA that the University of Texas has been severely mistreating its lab animals. animal research USDA Texas PETAThere may be a surprise inspection, but I don't really understand how effective a "surprise" inspection is when the facility is notified in advance!! MORE

The Texas Attorney General ruled earlier this month that the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center can withhold records of a committee that oversees the use of animals in training and research. PETA was trying to get the information to find out why the university is buying cats and dogs from a West Texas animal shelter for university training or research. MORE

Looks like a lot of people, and dogs, were involved. Authorities already have seized 187 animals from Harris, Montgomery and Tyler counties connected to the operation. As many as 100 people attended the fights, placing bets as high as $1,000 for a single match. Detailed records kept by those involved should help authorities prosecute the eight people arrested Friday and the 47 other suspects who have been indicted, but not yet arrested. MORE

Bill Richardson on Thursday the chimps will not be transferred to a San Antonio, Texas, facility until the National Academy of Sciences reviews policies on using chimpanzees in biomedical research. The NIH proposed sending them to Texas to be used in research aimed at finding a hepatitis C vaccine. I received an alert from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. MORE

Through a combination of technical and financial support, the partnership will work toward making Iraq a top beef and lamb producer within the Arab world,” said Dr. Ma’ad Mohammed, Inma project coordinator for the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture of the Texas A&M System, a key program participant. From our "good friends" at Agrilife News. MORE

To the Editor: “ Getting Bacon the Hard Way: Hog-Tying 400 Pounds of Fury ” (front page, June 21), about Texas hog hunters, illustrated the barbarity of hunting with dogs. To compensate for their lack of skill, hunters set their dogs upon a wild pig—a descendant of boars brought to America solely to give hunters the pleasure of killing a helpless animal. As the dogs tear chunks of flesh from the terrified pig, the hunters undoubtedly feel proud of their accomplishment. MORE

I am so glad this dim-witted moron is back in Texas. President Obama overturned a last minute Bush regulation that would have allowed agencies to skip consulting with govt. scientists when reviewing EPA rules. Because science, like facts, have a liberal bias. MORE

The no-kill shelter I adopted them from didn’t know too much about them except that they were found half-starved in the Jasper area after Hurricane Rita tore through areas of the east Texas coast. MORE