Early television outside broadcasts, such as Badger Watch and the second ascent of the magnificent sea stack known as the Old Man of Hoy, presented huge logistics problems requiring teams of specialists, not to mention literally tons of sensitive and expensive equipment. Now it can be done from a room in one's house, over the Internet, at minimal cost. Ah, progress!

Meet Lizzie (thumbnail) and her five puppies. Streaming video from just north of Syracuse, New York, Chris and Katie have set up a litter monitoring page for your delight. As the page loads you may catch intriguing glimpses of the background image of Lizzie and the pups. Allegedly there is also a sign plugging Chris Flannagan's beer web site. Perhaps we were having yet another senior moment, so we sought elsewhere for the big picture and the BrewCast.TV beer link. Equitable trade? Beer for links? What a splendid idea!

H3N8 is a flu virus that most affects flat faced dogs (thumbnail) and dogs that live in canine communities. However, USDA (US Department of Agriculture) APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) has now approved a vaccine. The virus was first identified in Florida racing greyhounds in 2004 by Dr. Cynda Crawford of the University of Florida veterinary school.

General information on canine flu is available from the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) web site. Technical information on H3N8 is available from the Department of Health and Human Services (CDC) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention EID (Emerging Infectious Diseases) Journal. As always, if you have reason to be concerned, consult a licensed DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine).

You may think Scout (thumbnail) had an unusually vacant look about her. You may also wonder how her first human could possibly know that Lisa Stahr's car was the place to dump Scout, who had survived distemper that left her with disabilities. Scout died after four year's of loving care and recovery, but her name lives on in Scout's House, a rehabilitation center for animals

A new podcast started on 23 Jun. '09, entitled Special Pets, Special Needs available from the SPRN (Small Plate Radio Network). It's very easy to listen: go to name link, and click on the play arrow beside the loudspeaker icon.

When Calvin Owensby was planning to sell a five legged puppy named Precious to John Strong's freak show (thumbnail), Allyson Siegel stepped in with an alternative and successful offer of $4,000 to try and achieve a better life for Precious. We associated freak shows with past millennia; The Elephant Man and Coney Island, not with the politically correct values of the modern world.

How wrong we were. Specialized web site Side Show World ran an interview with John Strong in 2006, and in 2009 we read he was planning to expand his operation to the west coast, on Coney Island. That same web site is also promoting Rocky, a five legged dog in the Venice Beach Freak Show. You may bring your freak show experiences up to date by watching Rocky with Cesar Milan on National Geographic Channel at the end of this month.

When does a healthy interest descend into unsavory excess? In the case of deformed human beings, the often referenced Michigan Penal Code draws a line between "…scientific purposes before members of the medical profession or medical classes" and the rest of society, which neatly avoids an objection under the Void for Vagueness concept of American constitutional law.

In the case of pornography, British society was blessed to have the insights of Francis 'Frank' Aungier Pakenham (1905-2001), the 7th Earl of Longford, whose moral strength allowed him act as a self appointed arbiter, visiting with impunity places offering commercial exploitation of sex. Lord Longford seemed genuinely surprised by the ensuing public ridicule.

There have been wordy defenses of erotic books, claiming they have artistic value that transcends the material that forms their substance. On occasion in such cases, reference has been made to 'contemporary community standards' although even if such a standard could be ascertained, application would be localized at best, and almost guaranteed to please only some of the people some of the time, as PT Barnum would have said if he had been a sociologist.

Although Justice Potter Stewart may have wished to be distanced from his observation, "…I know it when I see it", many of us may perhaps understand what he was trying to say. So it seems that attitude, intent, moral compass, wisdom of the crowd, and semantics all play a part in deciding what is seemly and what is unseemly. We confess to having reservations about including this item. We wondered where objectivity ended, and if we might inadvertently end up being part of the promotion of the unseemly.

We leave the last words to Precious' first human carer. After viewing a video interview with Calvin Owensby, we failed to appreciate his firm grasp of the subtleties of language. However, in the report at our main link there is a direct quotation (as we all know, journalists never make up direct quotes): "He didn't tell me it was a freak show," Owensby said of John Strong, owner of John Strong's Shows. "He told me it was an amazing animals show."

UPDATE 21 Jun. '09: a couple of weeks after our original feature, the NY Daily News (NYDN) ran a story on 19 Jul. '09 that featured Precious, now known as Lilly. No new details in that report, but we thought the delightful picture was worth the link. The day after the first NYDN story, they ran another story with an offer from Dr. Neil Shaw, co-owner of NYC Veterinary Specialists, to perform the surgery to remove Lilly's extra leg at no cost.

UPDATE 24 Jun. '09: reported threats of litigation by freak show operator John Strong are said to have precipitated the surgery to remove Lilly's fifth leg. The New York Daily News (NYDN) offered a bizarre direct quote from Strong: "Even if it's been taken off, we're going to sew it right back on when we win the civil case. What good is a four-legged puppy to a freak show?"

In North Carolina follow the story with the Charlotte [1] [2] Observer, or catch the WBTV summary with associated videos. Those with an insatiable hunger for a talk radio version of events, with phone-in participation by the two parties in the original deal to sell the puppy to a freak show, can listen to the Keith Larson show on WBT radio [KL] [KL2] [KL3] — humans squabbling over ownership and money, without mention of what might be best for the animal at the center of their dispute. Oh, for the wisdom of a Solomon.

Joy, Annie Allio, and Arrow (thumbnail) head an item about DNA research. Annie, aged seven, has Batten Disease. Tibetan Terriers, like Joy and Arrow, can be affected with a neurological disease, known as neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), described as Batten Disease in humans. It is hoped that the canine DNA research will lead to a breakthrough for human DNA research.

Martin L. Katz, a professor of ophthalmology who holds joint appointments in the School of Medicine and the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri-Columbia, oversees a research project into the genetic factors of NCL. "The purebred dog population provides an ideal model for genetic research," said Wayne E. Ferguson, president of the American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Health Foundation. "As researchers complete the canine genome map, we're increasingly able to correlate our research efforts with human studies. We expect the crossover opportunities to be phenomenal."

Alternative reports are available from NPR (National Public Radio) with the human side of the story, and Science Daily with what the name says.

The DNA bank and Katz's NCL study were funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation. To date, the foundation has funded more than 275 studies involving 89 breeds of dogs at 54 different universities. It's good to see the AKC cooperating on science projects rather than taking the stance of its British equivalent, the Kennel Club (KC).

Outspoken, but amazingly tenacious under the circumstances, KC chairman Ronnie Irving oversaw a disastrous public relations fiasco, characteristically whingeing during an on camera interview for a damaging BBC documentary: "I don't want a bunch of scientists telling me that they know more than I do about all the dogs I've known over 40 years."

When a news conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, opens with girls in black bikinis flanking a spokesman who begins by declaring his fascination with the culture, pageantry, history, and tradition (thumbnail) of an event, then it is reasonable to suppose that something unsavory is going to be announced before the fizzy goes flat.

The reassurance that the participants are like painters, poets, or composers, that is to say they are artists, does little to assuage a sense of foreboding.

The premiere venue for bloody human combat and animal abuse will soon host an alternative, more ennobling, entertainment — bullfighting, absent since 1965, is scheduled to return to the self styled Entertainment Capital of the World. Tormenting animals — family entertainment at it's finest.

The mystery of the husky on the cliff

How and why a husky (thumbnail) came to be stuck on a cliff ledge near Zurrieq, Malta, remains a mystery. The thirty feet of rope tied around its neck may be a clue. We were surprised that there was no suggestion the dog may have been tethered, but chewed its way to freedom. Like Sherlock Holmes, we would have been all over the end of that rope with an oversize magnifying glass.

The curious case of the bulldog with burns

Slim the Bonita Springs, Florida, bulldog (thumbnail) needed emergency treatment. The cost was much larger than his owner expected. However, the major concern was that later, burns were found on Slim's body. The clinic denied any knowledge of the burns, which the dog's human says is a lie. The story highlights the wider issue of compensation if veterinary care goes wrong.

Kathleen 'Keek' Mensing (thumbnail) is described as a telepathic psychic mediator in the linked article, although she describes herself as an animal communicator. She is currently on tour in the USA and Europe, and will offer classes (a book signing is probably a strong possibility) at the Book Cellar on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in St. George, Utah. Call (435) 652-0227 for details.

Also on Sunday, the Utah founded World Peace Gardens will host a talk by Mensing, the venue will be the Green Valley Spa, also in St. George. You may visit Mensing on her Bear Dancing web site to learn more about her work.

In pursuit of balance, we note that Mensing's home region of Missoula, Montana, is also home to the the Missoula Skeptical Society — its web site has three [1] [2] [3] items that relate to Mensing or her work. As a former reporter, published author, and licensed psychotherapist, we feel sure that she will be able to offer a robust and articulate defense of her beliefs.

We sensed a little spin doctoring around this story of a cat (thumbnail) that was stuck in a tree for eight days at Hagerstown, Maryland. However, full marks to the tree doctor, Garrett Tharp, who climbed up and rescued the unnamed kitty — you can't buy advertising like that for the Doctor Tree company (all tree care professionals practicing in Maryland must obtain a license).

The Humane Society of Washington County in Maryland (HSWCMD) issued a news release that credited Tharp, but only after a including a carefully nuanced statement by its County Executive Director, Paul Miller: "Due to the amount of activity in the proximity of the tree we felt it would be in the best interest of the cat to take a chance and have someone try to retrieve it. We were very concerned that the cat would panic and jump out of the tree, as is frequently the case. We feel very lucky that didn't happen."

The Herald-Mail report offered a "File photo", which usually indicates a generic illustration of a subject, but then moved right along into caption text that suggested this was the actual cat in question. Perhaps we should have used the headline: "Slow week in Maryland". Cute picture never the less.

A bobcat (thumbnail) in the yard may be exciting, but also a little unnerving for urban dwellers. The picture accompanying the article was taken by the resident's daughter. We rarely read comments on such web sites — a gratuitous insult to the resident with quite reasonable concerns is about par for the course — however, another commenter offered [1] [2] [3] links to bobcat web pages.

Melbourne, FL, resident Lori Braga appears in a video (show/hide) interview.

The Ivins, Utah, Animal Control & Adoption Shelter (thumbnail) is readying itself for a reopening after recently completed renovation. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 11am on 24 Jul. '09 at the shelter, which is located at 474N 200W in Ivins. There will be an opportunity for pets to add their paw prints to a heart shaped concrete pad in front of the building.

Max (thumbnail) was well named. We visited the Lakeland Challenge back in May '09, and now comes news of 13 years old Max raising £600 ($966) with an ascent of Beda Fell in the English Lake District. The traditional summit picture took on an atmospheric twist when Max and the Hunt family posed in Flying Squirrel mode, before retreating to the summit shelter we guess.

Unusual even for a two legged dog, Dare (thumbnail) amazed us with his resilience. As his human, Tami Skinner, says: he can walk because nobody told him he could not. Two legs on the same side requires balance and determination, but to be joyous after such a bad start is spirit that most humans could not muster. Maybe as Tami says, Dare has a message for those who listen.

9News also reported and included a slideshow with twenty five slides. Click the links to show/hide video from 9News (short pre-roll advert) or from the Denver Post (advert-free), but ensure you have tissues available.

Commercial dog racing in the USA (thumbnail) is per se illegal in thirty five states of the Union. Six states have no dog tracks, although commercial dog racing remains legal in those states. Those nine dark purple states on the map have legal commercial dog racing. Two states, Hawaii and Utah, have no legally mandated gambling.

New Hampshire is an interesting case. The state has two dog tracks, the Lodge at Belmont and Seabrook Greyhound Park (a third track, in Hinsdale, closed late last year), which until late June '09 were required by the state Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission (formerly named the Pari-Mutuel Commission) to continue unprofitable live racing if they were to continue to offer profitable simulcast gambling. The cost of collecting the taxes on live racing had grown to be greater than the declining revenues generated.

Now state legislation has been changed, reports NHPR (New Hampshire Public Radio), to allows the two remaining dog tracks to continue their gambling operations, but without live racing. Harness racing at Rockingham Park, Salem, NH, falls under the same legislation, but live horse racing continues.

We welcome the reduction in animal abuse. Indeed, a little low-key rejoicing may be in order. However, this is not a victory for animal rights advocates: it is a cost cutting exercise by the gambling operators, with the state acting to protect its gambling revenues against the possible closure of the gambling venues if the status quo was not changed to help them as profits declined.

That is not intended to undervalue the work of activists such as GREY2K USA — this item was written specifically to celebrate and draw attention to their sterling efforts and achievements. The activists may yet have their victory day: as far as we were able to ascertain, House Bill 630 was 'retained in committee' — the job is not done until the paperwork is completed.

A News-Record headline (thumbnail) on 10 July read, "Man steals cats from shelter to save their lives". We feel it is time the word 'shelter' was reserved for places that shelter, and never used for places that kill healthy animals for the sake of human convenience. The 'S' word appeared again on 11 July, for a place where 37 cats were to be killed, "Shelter volunteer is a hero to many".

On 14 July we read, "Cats stolen from shelter find new homes". The story may end with Edward McIrvin being a criminal. Do words no longer have meanings? You may remember in 1984, by George Orwell, the introduction of Newspeak, the purpose of which was to control thought. Perhaps, when the case comes to court on 22 July, the judge might reflect that sometimes it's impossible to do right, and be right, both at the same time.

FOX8 reported this story, accompanied (show/hide) by a video segment.

Norman (thumbnail) from Columbus, Ohio, was the winner of the Bissell 2009 MVP (most valuable pet photo competition). No offense to anyone, especially adorable Norman, but one must be careful not to confuse dollars with value. The winners of the BAM photo contest have won a prestigious 2010 BAM calendar, whereas Norman won only $10k; kudos is better than cash, right?

Tara Driscoll, Normans's 'foster pet parent', plans to use his winnings towards the cost of a seizure dog, who will assist two special needs children in her community. You can see all sixty winners, the top five from all twelve rounds of the competition, from which the top five overall winners were drawn. There is also a video available from Facebook, where you can read other stories of contributions to the community from this pet aware company.

Beverly Hills, California, feral cats (thumbnail) and one of their feeders are under threat from a deleted city ordinance — if you think that opening has a ring of absurdity, it gets worse. If you want to rate a society's resilience in hard times, don't check the financial markets at the top, check at the bottom to see how the powerless, weak, and vulnerable are being treated.

We read a linked Beverley Hills Courier article, which contained the following paragraph: "Although City Council is not able to require Varjian refrain from feeding the feral cats while the issue is in committee, Mayor Nancy Krasne publically noted it would 'behoove her to do so.'"

At first we thought this was the most cruel and stupid suggestion we had heard in a long while. Are we hearing aright? We are always wary of people who think other people are behooved, so is the mayor suggesting that food is withheld from a dependent colony of cats for four weeks, while her council sorts out a bureaucratic mess of their own making?

Then we thought Mayor Krasne may have stumbled across a useful idea: perhaps everyone concerned should agree to scavenge for their own food until the case is resolved — that would speed things along, and the final decision, for better or worse, would be transparently insightful. A great opportunity for the mayor to take the initiative by leading from the front.

Steve Sullivan (thumbnail), an urban ecologist for the Chicago Academy of Sciences' Peggy Notebaert Museum, is using the web site ProjectSquirrel.org to involve local volunteer 'citizen scientists' in gathering data on squirrel populations in Chicago and it's suburbs. There is a photo gallery, so we configured a slideshow as an easier way for our own visitors to view the pictures.

In 2007, we reported that dogs played their part [1] [2] in the Tour de France. In 2008 there were no dog reports from the Tour. On Sunday, Lance Armstrong's Astana team mate, 2007 winner Alberto Contador (thumbnail), mounted the podium to accept the race winner's yellow jersey for the first time in this edition of the race.

He was accompanied on the stage by a magnificent Saint Bernard dog. The race had entered Switzerland, home of this breed, and ended in Verbier for the first mountain top finish in that country for 25 years. We were glad to see a more positive presentation of canine participation.

Retrospectively, we did find a 2008 dog story. Australian Cadel Evans (who claimed Verbier 2009 was the worst day in his five years experience of the race, despite coming in seventh on the day, next behind last year's winner), was overjoyed to see his dog Moll at the finish of the 2008 Stage 15 from Embrun to Prato Nevoso. Cadel's beautiful wife, Chiara, was there, too.

UPDATE: the day after we wrote this story [sigh] we found the picture we had originally hoped for — the redoubtable podium chief Bernard Hinault, back in the day aka The Badger, with another St. Bernard — now there has to be a joke in there somewhere, surely? The next stage offered yet another photo opportunity, the whole peloton on the start line, plus St. Bernard.

We had mixed feelings when we learned that the 2009 Washington County Fair (thumbnail) will offer The Great Bear Show (TGBS) as a headline attraction. In our judgement, and we have read every page of the show operator's web site, this is an entertainment. Including 'educational' in the billing is a commonplace; after all, crowd pleasing is the name of the game!

However, we were unable to find any study that rated the success of gawping at animals doing tricks as an effective tool for bringing about public demand for policies that would rescue a species from the endangered species list.

Sure, some of the animals were rescued as cubs from the depredations of stupid blood thirsty hunters — if we operated an animal sideshow we would welcome free animals in the same way a stunt driving sideshow operator would welcome free machinery confiscated by the cops.

Despite these observations, we are not unsympathetic to TGBS; nor are we the crazed activists portrayed in one part of the TGBS web site. The TGBS business (we are unable to view it as anything but a commercial enterprise, however lofty, earnest, and genuinely benign some of its other aspirations might be) and its personnel seem to be genuinely invested in the work they do, and to care about the welfare of the animals.

However, the news for the Washington County Fair and TGBS is worse than any threat from animal rights terrorists: this year we will not be attending.

The TGBS web site has an interesting bear information page, and the details on the individual bears is delightful, and refreshingly honest in admitting that some of the bears are from breeding programs.

Therein lies the problem: how do people like us, who would like to support real animal education, support operations like TGBS without feeling that we are only one step away from the circus and sideshow tradition?

Perhaps someday there will arise an operation that manages to combine a commercial response to the costs involved with a format that is not tainted by the demands of the entertainment industry.

American stadia are remarkably short lived: New York's Shea Stadium lasted from 1964-2008, which is just over four decades. It was not just a home to a baseball team, the New York Mets, it also hosted gigs by the Beatles and Pope John Paul II with the Popemobile. Popes are used to stadia with better longevity, although the pontiff seemed pleased with the 57,333 seating capacity.

The Colosseum in Rome, admittedly offering accommodation for only 50,000 and somewhat frayed at the edges from the onslaughts of earthquakes and stone robbers, has spanned four millennia! It is now so hard to find reliable contractors since the death penalty was abolished for shoddy workmanship.

Another memorable (show/hide) event was Dog Days at Shea.

Westfest 2009 in Westboro Village, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (not to be confused with a similarly named event in West Valley City, Utah, USA) hosted a Bad Dog Mug Shots (thumbnail) event. Click for a popup slideshow feature. The event was run by multitalented Liz Kerrison of the ODB (Ottawa Dog Blog) and E&J (Elizabeth & Jane Photography with sister Jane) to benefit BARK Rescue. For a $15 fine, the dog's humans were encouraged to rat-out their criminal canine companions. Our apologies to muroids everywhere for the ratist comment.

The list of offenses on the ODB is impressive: from digging, chewing, and stealing hearts, to bad gas. Canadians seems to revel in the peccadilloes of their pooches, eh? The Canadian franchisee for an Australian based in-home dog training service, Bark Busters, is currently running a competition to find Canada's Naughtiest Dog (CND): the roll-call of serious offenders makes frightening reading for those of us with well behaved pets [blush] ahem…

Feline paw-edness (thumbnail), in certain assigned tasks, is a secondary sexual characteristic, according to a study by Deborah L. Wells and Sarah Millsopp of the School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, UK. The journal Animal Behavior will publish the study, catchily entitled 'Lateralized behaviour in the domestic cat, Felis silvestris catus'. Non-specialists may prefer our thumbnail link.

The story of Bonnie & Clyde (thumbnail) — Bonnie (middle, thought to be two years old) leading the blind Clyde (right, thought to be five years old) — earned them an instant place in our newsmag clips section. The mystery of their discovery — wandering on a street in the middle of a storm — is an additional dimension to their story that may never be revealed.

We trolled the web looking for further information, but none seems to be forthcoming. From other [1] [2] [3] reports available, we have linked to some with different pictures. Meadow Green Dog Rescue Centre in Loddon, Norfolk, UK, is caring for Bonnie & Clyde while a new home and family is sought.

The 2009 Tour de France ended today, but not without controversy — all over a bicycle (thumbnail) decorated with butterflies, and intended as an artwork. "Damien Hirst accused of 'horrific barbarity' over bicycle covered in dead butterfly wings", claimed one headline, seeking no doubt to soothe and reassure its readers.

Later reporting quoted that same source expressing the view: "Lance Armstrong is all about life - about not dying and about overcoming adversity. Damien Hirst is a one-trick pony who ruins the very essence of this man's spirit by associating him with dead butterflies." Dead things have been a Hirst stock in trade for many years, so boringly predictable would be nearer the mark than outrageously avant garde. We suspected manufactured outrage.

The bicycle is one of six from a list of invited works, intended to benefit Armstrong's LIVESTRONG Foundation, which raises cancer awareness to fight the disease, with an auction following a world tour. STAGES (these are bold and uppercase initiatives) features the work of twenty artists.

When we clicked the link for Eric White, we were rewarded with a totally blank white web page. We found ourselves wondering if this intended as a profound artistic statement, a curatorial joke, or just a webmaster snafu of the usual sort. The Internet: adding to the confusion and chaos since 1989.

There is a serious question to be asked of the animal rights movement: does the perceived trivialization of protest benefit the movement? The question is not whether the protest is a reasonable stance for the committed, but whether it will be taken seriously by the mass of ordinary people.

We think not. We would be hard pressed to decide whether this new behavior is better or worse than the previous behavior of alienating public sympathy through acts of vandalism, and support of wholesale euthanasia.

* Jimmy Durante is the source for that catch phrase. However, if stealing other people's thunder has become an acceptable thing to do, we may as well get in on that movement ourselves: Good night, Mrs. Calabash!

Watch for warning signs from your cat

KCBY CBS11 broadcasts to the Coos Bay/North Bend, Oregon, area. The station web site ran a pet cat related feature (thumbnail) towards the end of July. We were mystified why it was linked to an outdated Seattle Humane Society free seminar (why do compelling events always happen elsewhere), but we were appreciative of the video and other excellent [1] [2] resources.

Assisting cats with their urban travel needs

Unless you are a neophyte cat acolyte, you will know by heart the list of tasks that have been assigned to you. However, have you considered your responsibility to provide a cat ladder (thumbnail) for your pet's urban travel needs? Should you have permission problems with a landlord or local planning authority, you may want to consider the Bosun's Chair or Enviro-Ladder options.

Watson the cat (thumbnail) likes to play with the phone when his human, Lauren O'Shea, is out of the house. Remember the Infinite Monkey Theorem from popular culture? Watson attempted a practical demonstration of a shorter version of the theorem by dialing 999 (the UK emergency service number, equivalent to 911 in the USA) with worse than expected consequences.

For most dogs chasing rabbits is a harmless amusement for all concerned — dog sees rabbit; rabbit runs away from dog; dog loses rabbit, but feels he has served some useful purpose protecting his human from potential rabbit aggression. Mac, a one year old golden retriever, (thumbnail) took the chase a little too far: over the edge of a chalk cliff on the Isle of Wight to be precise.

Fortunately, his potentially seventy feet high fall was broken when his collar snagged in rocks at forty feet; but never the less, he broke both his front legs and punctured a lung. Another report, satisfyingly completist in its details, shows the broken collar, Mac's X-ray images, and the cliff. We think it is a good bet that the next time Mac's human, Margaret Sills, is on vacation from their Camridgeshire home (where cliffs are almost unknown), if she does take Mac walking above the cliffs, he will be on a leash.

Jeff Clark & Cinnamon (thumbnail) were one of the big hits on the viral Internet. The original story dates back to 1999, was reprised by its original source in 2005, and is still available by blog and email. Embroidery suggests that firefighter Clark carried Cinnamon from a burning building, and was being thanked. Not for the first time on the Internet, the accurate version is every bit as good.

Snopes, a web site that monitors urban myths, classified the status of the story as "Real picture; innacurate description." By Internet blog and email standards, 'almost true' is above average for the medium.

It is suspected that an unholy alliance between greedy or ignorant organizers and probably unaware brides and grooms has resulted in cruelty to these white ringneck doves (thumbnail) thought to have been used in a dove release as part of the wedding ceremony. There is a trade association providing advice for those determined to engage in this kind of immodest public histrionics.

The New York Post covered the story, and a video (show/hide) report is available from the NYPost channel on the YouTube service.