Animal Care & Control

What kind of monster would abuse a puppy?

Staff over at the Animal Care & Control have been finding work a little more stressful than usual, as they've noticed a disturbing increase in animal-abuse cases as of late. In the last several weeks alone, they've had to investigate four felony cruelty cases and even more over the last few months.

In one case, several dogs -- living in filthy conditions with no food or water -- attacked one of their own pack (probably due to hunger pains) killing one of the pups. But ACC is blaming the irresponsible owner who is now facing possible jail time for animal cruelty and neglect charges, according to investigators. In another recent case, someone allegedly tossed a dog from a second-story window, badly fracturing its hind leg.

While coping with that tragedy, staff then discovered a third dog who had been abandoned by trash on the street; the dog had starved to death, according to ACC.

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Don't cry, we hear you taste delicious

A new item on the menu at a Bay Area restaurant has pitted foodies against animal activists.

Mokutanya Yakitori Restaurant in Burlingame is now serving lion's meat, which is reportedly as tough as the animal itself. The restaurant, which is known for its exotic meats, including peacock and swan, received its first shipment of the cat meat yesterday.

And it's not cheap.

As CBS News reports, the meat, which is farm-raised African lion shipped from from Illinois, costs $70 for one skewer, which is three cubes or five ounces of meat.

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Estately

SF dog hacking into dogster

Contrary to what the mailmen might say around here, San Francisco is the fifth best city to raise a dog, according to Estately, a national real estate blog.

This should come as no surprise considering the city has more dogs than kids -- and we're damn proud of it. But it's not just the stellar dog parks or dog-friendly watering holes that makes this a great place for pups. San Francisco dogs can live the life of their owners, browsing online at coffee shops and even cruising around town on the iconic trolley cars. How cute.

See Also: Five Reasons It's Better to Have a Dog Than a Kid

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Now try to make him sing that stupid rainbow song

Go ahead and add killer frog to the list of bewitching things you might find in Golden Gate Park.

Researchers at Stanford University tested 23 African clawed frogs and identified three that are carrying a deadly infection, including one found in Golden Gate Park. The other two that tested positive were found in San Diego.

Bay City News reports that an African clawed frog taken from Lily Pond in Golden Gate Park tested positive for a fungal pathogen that is responsible for the decline or extinction of about 200 amphibian species worldwide, the report said.

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Courtesy of the SPCA

Meet Tucker. Last year's winner.

Attention all pups and mutts: Get read to strut your stuff.

This year's Whole Enchihuahua costume and awareness event is set to be fiercer and cuter than ever, as the Bay Area's most adorable pooches and their humans will meet in Dolores Park this Saturday for three hours of entertainment, wet kisses, and canine education.

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Andrea Dougall/Oakland Zoo

Sorry, but your kid is not this cute

Every mother will say their baby is the cutest. But before you get carried away doting on your little one, just have a gander at this newborn -- who really is the cutest.

This adorable otter has made one Oakland mother very proud, and just in time for Mother's Day. He has two brothers (equally adorable) who were seen splashing around the Oakland Zoo Thursday afternoon, presumably prepping for their first Mother's Day swim routine.

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Monterey County SPCA

Finally, a real bath!

Monterey police have tracked down the woman who they say was hoarding 50-plus animals in her house -- and car.

Police have arrested 59-year-old Ilagene "Jeanie" Quaglia who reportedly lived in the urine-soaked home at 1290 First Street where the animals were found living in three feet of garbage.

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You can't say there's too many days you'd prefer to be a zoo animal caged up and stared at by a bunch of squeaky, irksome kids who don't belong to you. But today just might be one of those times you'd trade lives with a lemur at the SF Zoo (hell, a chimp could probably do your job, right?).

As you can see, these San Francisco animals -- a pig, a baby tiger, a rhino, etc. -- aren't longing for your desk job as they loaf in today's temperatures, which lingered around 77 degrees.

Marianne Hale/SF Zoo

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Ready for a new bark

Staff at the SPCA in Monterey County spent their Saturday night/Sunday morning rescuing a crowd of puppies, dogs, and cats from a home that was declared unsuitable even for humans.

Beth Brookhouser, spokeswoman with the SPCA, said the cops called in the animal rescue team at about 1 a.m. after discovering the homeowner had been living with 17 cats, 24 dogs, and seven puppies inside a urine-soaked home. The city has since declared the living quarters uninhabitable.

See Also: 51 Rescued Felines Are Enjoying Their Freedom (Video)

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Mike Koozmin/SF Examiner

Giving them something to bark about

Drivers are always bitching at cyclists and cyclists are always bitching at pedestrians. But what about our local dogwalkers? They're not exactly perfect.

Take this presumably pro dogwalker, for instance. She was spotted walking along Van Ness on Thursday with this clique of canines who are just trying to enjoy a morning stroll without any doggie drama. But it appears that their caretaker is nothing but drama.

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