According to the New York Times, "Keeping pets in New York City, of course, has always required delicate negotiations between neighbors and species. The city’s 311 line fielded 6,622 complaints about barking dogs last year, while housing officials banned pit bulls, Rottweilers and other large dogs from public housing projects. Real estate experts say that co-op boards large and small always wrestle with pet policies, many of them tied to barking dogs."

Critics say debarking is an archaic and inhumane practice; proponents say it's often a means of keeping a dog from being euthanized, and the animals rarely seem to notice a difference.

It's easy for me to say that I find this procedure disgusting, but then, I've never been in the position of having a dog who barks excessively. But even then, it would just seem wrong. I don't know. It's not fair to pass judgment, so I'll stay quiet on this one for now. I highly recommend reading the New York Times story, though, and you can find it here.

Where do you guys stand on this issue?

(Thanks, Georgina, for sending this!)

If people want to buy pets from pet stores, they should be well aware that this is the type of place is where their dog is coming from—and that they're supporting commercial breeding operations. If you're interested in one of these animals, many of them will soon be ready for adoption at the ASPCA.

To read more about the dogs, click here.

According to the story, "The medical devices—about the size of a quarter—are often implanted to speed up a slow heart rate in dogs brought on by disorders such as heart block and sick sinus syndrome that, if left untreated, drastically shortens their lives."

"The procedure is similar to the one done in humans. Under anesthesia, pacemaker wires are threaded through a dog's jugular vein to the correct place in the heart. A small incision, made in the back of the neck, then allows for insertion of the pacemaker under the skin and connection to the wires."

Most pacemaker patients are older dogs (around 6 to 10 years of age), and the surgery isn't exactly cheap: It costs from $3,000 to $4,000.

I'd suggest reading the article if you're interested, because there's a whole lot more information in there.

Now that we've clarified that it's a totally unpleasant experience, we have to acknowledge that it's a reality if you're an urban dog owner who can't just let nature take its course in some remote field. But there is a positive here. There's one site where you can get eco-friendly poop bags that are 100 percent biodegradable. It's called poopbags.com. (Charming name, right?) They sell a variety of bags as well as dispensers.

Anyway, if you're looking for a place to stock up, check it out. (They even have Bon Ton dispensers and refills at a discount.) There's nothing more mortifying than having to scrape your dog's "business" up off the sidewalk with a stray piece of newspaper all because you don't have a bag with you. I've seen it happen; it's not pretty...or dignified.

Zorro (with Donadei-Blood) is both a show dog and personal aide. Credit: Bobby Martinez/NY Post

Donadei-Blood was born with a rare deformity that only allows her to bend 90 degrees, so Zorro helps her retrieve everything from her purse to her medication. According to the Post, "sometimes, when he's bored, he even brings her things she doesn't need." Annoying? Maybe. Adorable? Totally.

Belgian Malinois—which look quite similar to German Shepherds—are often used in police and homeland security work. To learn more about the breed, visit the American Kennel Club website here.

To read the full New York Post story, click here.

Sadly, this problem isn't new. According to some shelter workers in the area, they get up to 40 beagles surrendered each year. I don't know about you, but I find this wildly disturbing on so many levels. These animals wouldn't be desperate or remotely dangerous if they weren't abandoned in the first place. What kind of clown should even be allowed to hunt if he's not even willing to take care of his own dogs responsibly, or find them new homes if they're not working out?

To read a New York Post story about this issue, click here.

And if you're interested in adopting a beagle, think about contacting Kent Animal Shelter (or any others in eastern Long Island), or you can always search on one of my favorite sites, Petfinder.com.

The tag on your dog's collar is set with several pre-recorded Tweets. So, for example, if your dog is snoozing, he'll Tweet, "Some days it feels like my paw is permanently on the snooze button!" If he's barking, his Tweet will saying, "YAHOOO! Some days you just gotta get your bark on." No, I did not come up with these, and frankly, I'd say that Mattel could come up with something a little more clever...and slightly less cheesy. No word on what your dog will Tweet if he's chewing up your stilettos or pooping in your apartment.

Puppy Tweets will be available at retailers in the fall, and it will cost about $29.99.

Would you ever buy something like this, or do you think it's absurd? I think it's slightly ridiculous, but then, I think Riley's updates would basically only prove that she's a narcolept.

To check out dog beds at discounted prices at Uncommon Dog, click here.

According to Best Friends, "ARCH will identify options for a wide-ranging, long-term plan that includes options for veterinary care, a large-scale vaccination program and services for animal population control."

To read more about their initiative, click here.

To donate, click here.