When I read in The Times about this heart-tugging video diary of Christian the Lion having become an internet sensation I just had to check it out!  It is a must see!

38 years after Christian was returned to the African Bush this short home movie has been watched 6m times on YouTube and other sites, thrusting two Australians who originally bought the Lion cub from Harrods in 1968 back into the limelight.

The story is that George Rendall and Anthony Bourke who lived in London at the time bought the Lion cub and needless to say impressed their friends when the trio played football in the park! The big cat lived in a London antique shop, but when at 18 months Christian grew too big he was moved to the Kenyan wildlife sanctuary featured in the film Born Free.

A year later when John and Anthony went to visit the sanctuary, its founder George Adamson warned the former owners to stay away from Christian who was now in the wild and had his own pride. He said the Lion would tear them to pieces.

John and Anthony clearly felt things would turn out differently...and as the film shows at the moment of their reunification, Christian rushed towards them, putting his paws on Rendall's shoulders and licking his face in joy! What a moment of joy and moving friendship that has apparently reduced millions of viewers to tears! I am one of them!

share in this 'feel good' moment if you have a chance, you should be able to go straight to it by clicking on the link below:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zVNTdWbVBgc

If you happen to like honey, you will know how soothing it is to drink hot lemon and honey if you have a soare throat, but you might not usually think of reaching for the honey pot if your dog gets a cut!  The thing to know is that only certain honeys are known for their healing powers, namely the Manuka variety from Australia and New Zealand.

Manuka honey ( you can get different % concentrations) has proved successful on humans, dogs and other animals, and you can find it in all health food shops and even some supermarkets. It has extra antibacterial properties and is effective in sterilising and healing infected wounds. The honey acts as an anitbacterial barrier and provides a moist wound-healing environment, helping to reduce wound fluid and odour.

You can also buy Manuka honey online, but don't be surprised if it costs a lot more than the honey you normally buy!  The higher the concentration, the higher the price, but it is worth every sweet drop for you and your pet!

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/20080704/twl-crackdown-on-moscow-s-stray-dogs-3fd0ae9.html

I saw this story broadcast on Sky TV in the UK, and was shocked by the footage of stray dogs, seemingly running wild in the crowded Moscow streets, acting menacingly to passers by, cyclists and even cars. Clearly the problem is growing and calls for drastic action. No one wants a repeat of the tragic fate of a pregnant woman savaged outside her flat , who suffered extensive injuries and worse still, lost her baby.

You can imagine the scenario that pet owners may feel targeted by police and even the general public, when their dog is in fact  healthy, trained and gentle. However, when you realise the scale of the problem, you can also understand why Russian city dwellers would think twice about adopting a pet. Hopefully the authorities will get on top of the problem before much needed homes for innocent puppies and abandoned dogs become impossible to find.

Read Sky's story in full by clicking on the link above.

If pets could do the talking , the typing and not just the walking, perhaps they would have more socially active lives than their human parents!

One thing most animal behaviour experts seem to agree on, is that pets need to be socialised as part of their training. The best thing we can do for them is to make sure they engage with other humans and animals.

This would be music to Toffee's ears, being a social and playful labrador who would like to stay in the park all day finding playmates, even disgruntled dogs or those squirrels she can never catch! Of course freedom and fun are not the only reasons for you to socialise your pet.

Broadening their social experience is meant to be an effective way of teaching them to fit our expectations. Of course pets are exposed to our daily lives and this usually means they are comfortable and familiar with the behaviour we expect of them at home...but what of the situations that break with the norm? Well apparently introducing contrasting situations at the earliest opportunity can help avoid any socacialisation issues both with other pets and unfamiliar humans.

That's it...now I am going to be organising play-dates at home for Toffee as well as the children! Could pet pals bring their own toys to avoid arguments? Let me know how you avoid social siberia for your pet!

A US firm "Vet-Stem" is providing a new treatment designed to help alleviate the pain suffered by dogs with arthritis.

The therapy involves injecting stem cells into arthritic joints in order to facilitate flexibility and generally improve pet health.

A total of 700 dogs from across the US have so far undergone the treatment. Dr Jacek de Haan from Affiliated Veterinary Specialists in Maitland comments: "Usually, activity level improves, theyr'e able to run more and be more active. If they weren't able to jump on furniture before, they are about to do it afterwards."

As in humans, any advance in the treatment of arthritis that can stem (forgive the pun) the pain of this debilitating condition is very welcome indeed, and by all accounts this method is bringing positive results: an 11 year old Australian shepherd called Maggie Mae, was taken to Florida for treatment and her owner Terry Hays was clearly happy to have made the journey : "I'm just thrilled to think Maggie Mae has been a part of it. If this is something that works, it could help many people and many animals someday. "

Fingers and paws crossed...we will keep an ear to the ground for any further progress reports!