Petfinder Blog

Rabies isn't really something we think about here in the U.S. -- at least not when it comes to our pets, since rabies vaccination is so standard.

But according to the Alliance for Rabies Control, it's still a major problem worldwide, killing more than 55,000 people a year, mostly in Asia and Africa.

So the organization is holding its second annual World Rabies Day on Sept. 28. Vaccinating animals against rabies in developing countries will not only prevent human suffering, it may well improve the treatment of animals -- especially stray dogs -- in those countries by raising awareness of their health needs and the relationship between animals' well-being and humans'.

To learn more, visit the World Rabies Day Web site.

That a puppy on a leash or a kitten in one's arms is a magnet for the opposite sex is something we all seem to know, but not think much about. (Or maybe you do think about it more than I do?)

Well, officials in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, have thought about it -- a lot. And they've now banned the sale of dogs and cats, and made it illegal to walk dogs outside. According to the Associated Press:

[An official] said the ban was ordered because of what he called "the rising phenomenon of men using cats and dogs to make passes at women and pester families."

Now, the ban on walking dogs outside makes no sense to me, but the ban on selling pets may be in some ways a good thing.

Nikki Moustaki, author of Dogfessions, is a great friend of Petfinder. Now she and her Miniature Schnauzer, Pepper (with her at right), have set sail aboard the Queen Mary 2 for a trip to Europe to celebrate their 10 years together.

The amazing photographer and travel writer Lorraine Chittock blogs about her travels across South America with her two dogs at On a Mission from Dog.

She also sends out regular e-mail updates about her adventures, and recently reported on some positive news for street dogs in Chile:

I'm now in the north of Chile, camping by the Pacific Ocean. It's glorious. It's also a refreshing change to be amongst the Chilean people, who I found friendly when I flew here almost two years ago for a writing conference. They have not changed. What's interesting is their relationship with their dogs. At the first gas station I came to, there were six street dogs, all very friendly. In other countries, they've largely been scared. One man said to me, "We have a saying. Sometimes a better friend for a man, is a dog."