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America's obesity epidemic isn't just about us packing on the pounds, spiking our risk of developing deadly diseases. 

The same thing is happening to our dogs -- especially in Minnesota, according to Banfield Pet Hospital's newly released 2012 State of Pet Health Report.

Hot dogs by Shutterstock.com

The report produced by the massive veterinary conglomerate (Banfield operates more than 800 pet hospitals in 43 states) analyzes medical data from more than two million dogs per year between 2006 and 2011. These findings reveal that American pets are having their own obesity epidemic, with the number of overweight and obese canines seen by vets increasing by nearly 40 percent in the last five years. 

The state with the largest number of fat dogs is Minnesota, followed by South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Nevada, Colorado, and Massachusetts. The states with the fewest are Louisiana, Connecticut, Mississippi, and New York, according to the report.

"Over the past five years, many chronic conditions have continued to increase, in some instances at an alarming rate," writes Banfield's Chief Medical Officer Jeffrey Klausner. "The overweight and obesity findings are some of the most concerning. ... When pets are diagnosed as overweight, their waistline is not the only concern; the condition is associated with other serious diseases such as arthritis, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and hypothyroidism."

How can you tell whether your dog is overweight? First, take a good honest look.

"When their ribs, spine, and hip bones can barely be felt when touching their body, a defined waist cannot be seen and belly fat is noticeable," it's time to ask the vet about exercise, illness, and dietary changes, warns the report.

Dieting dog by Shutterstock.com

As for what's fattening up our pals, the report points to people food. "To keep pets at a healthy weight, the treats they receive each day should be limited to less than 10 percent of their daily caloric requirements and, when treats are given, the amount of food fed each day should then be reduced by 10 percent. ... Pet owners do not realize that even in small quantities, human food can represent a large percent of a pet’s daily caloric requirement."

The 114 calories in one ounce of cheese and the 147 calories in a single beef hot dog make up a whopping 33 and 43 percent, respectively, of a small dog's daily caloric requirement. 

Given the animal obesity epidemic, it's no surprise that the prevalence of canine arthritis has soared 38 percent in the last five years. Rates of other diseases have increased as well. Even so, 76 percent of dog owners remain in denial and "believe their pet is just the right weight," reads the report. 

Looks like that 76 percent could use a good run in the park -- as could we all.

The Diamond debacle continues. On May 5, Diamond Pet Foods issued a press release announcing yet another expansion of the ongoing voluntary recall to include batches of nine brands of dry pet food formulas manufactured between December 9, 2011 and April 7, 2012, due to potential salmonella contamination. 

Dog eating by Shutterstock.com

In April 2012, Diamond initiated three voluntary recalls of dry dog food. Although none of the additional products being recalled have tested positive for salmonella, Diamond is pulling them from store shelves as a precaution. The company says it has taken corrective actions at its Gaston, S.C., facility and voluntarily expanded the recall out of concern for customers and their pets.

Brands involved in the recall are Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, Country Value, Diamond, Diamond Naturals, Premium Edge, Professional, 4Health, and Taste of the Wild. 

To determine whether pet food that you have bought has been recalled, check the production codes on the back of bags for a number “2” or “3” in the 10th position AND an “X” in the 10th or 11th position. The best-before dates for the recalled brands listed above are December 9, 2012 through April 7, 2013.

The Diamond recall affects only products distributed in Canada and the following states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Kirkland Signature products involved in the recall are Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Lamb, Rice & Vegetable Formula; Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula; Kirkland Signature Super Premium Mature Dog Chicken, Rice & Egg Formula; Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formulated with Chicken & Vegetables; Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula; Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula; and Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs.

Shetland sheepdog by Shutterstock.com

The production codes on the back of bags in the above list must have both a number “3” in the 9th position AND an “X” in the 11th position. The best-before dates for the recalled brands listed above are December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013.  

The Kirkland recall affects only products distributed in Canada, Puerto Rico, and Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia. 

If you are unsure whether food you purchased is included in the recall, or if you would like replacement product or a refund, call toll-free at 1-866-918-8756, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. EST or visit DiamondPetRecall.com. 

Better safe than sick.

Every dog owner has had this experience: Your dog stares into your eyes as if desperate to figure out how you're feeling. Then those big brown eyes fill with what can only be described as sympathy. 

Your pup feels your pain. And a new study shows that dogs yawn after noticing their owners yawn -- and even when they cannot even see but only hear their owners yawn. 

Ruff, the Miniature Schnauzer by Shutterstock.com

Dogs tend to yawn upon hearing any human yawn -- but they really yawn upon hearing their owners do so, as if acutely attuned to that particular arc of sound. 

This study reinforces theories about the natural empathy that dogs have for their human friends. Such empathy is a very rare trait in the animal kindgdom -- as is yawning itself. Very few animals yawn, "and only dogs cross the species barrier," according to a story appearing this week in Science Magazine.

Conducted by researchers at Portugal's University of Porto and set to be published in July in the scholarly Animal Cognition journal, the study found that "canines yawned five times more often when they heard humans they knew yawning." 

According to lead researcher Karine Silva, the close human-animal bond -- developed through 15,000 years of domestication -- "may have fostered cross-species empathy" as manifested by this phenomenon of "contagious yawning."

Her team was inspired to perform the study based on previous studies showing that yawns are also "contagious" between humans and between humans and apes. 

Yawning puppy by Shutterstock.com

From the abstract for the article: "Dogs' capacity to 'catch' human yawns has recently attracted the attention of researchers ... following recent studies suggesting that contagion yawning in humans, and some other primates, is empathy-related. ... The present study explored the 'contagion-only' hypothesis by testing whether the mere sound of a human yawn can be sufficient to elicit yawning in dogs, in a way that is unaffected by social-emotional factors. Unexpectedly, results showed an interesting interplay between contagion and social effects. Not only were dogs found to catch human yawns, but they were also found to yawn more at familiar than unfamiliar yawns. 

"Although not allowing for conclusive inferences about the mechanisms underlying contagious yawning in dogs, this study provides first data that renders plausible empathy-based, emotionally connected, contagious yawning in these animals."

Rainbow dogs. Pink dogs. Dogs dyed to look like pandas or tigers. Dogs sporting tattoos.

Welcome to the colorful world of today's modern dog. Love it or hate it, decorated dogs seem to be the all the rage these days. Don't be surprised if you see a dog looking like any of these guys in your neighborhood soon.

Less extreme:

Poodle with Mohawk by Shutterstock.com

More so:

Buddy the Dog, a greeter at Florida's Sun and Moon Inn, looks shocked at his pink predicament. The angel won't look at him and the owl seems to be eying him rather hungrily. ;) (Photo: sunandmoon.net)

Whoa!:

Most of the dyes we use in the U.S. are supposed to be nontoxic to pets. But that may not be the case in China, where turning dogs into pandas and other critters has been au courant for the last few years.

I recently read a thoughtful, hilarious article on Jezebel titled "To Quicken the Demise of Humanity, Try Giving Your Dog a Temporary Tattoo." Writer Cassie Murdoch waxed hysterically poetic about how we may be pushing the limits of our dogs' unconditional love with the trend of creative grooming. (And yes, there's even an association for people who creatively groom pets. Of course. Check out the National Association of Professional Creative Groomers if you need proof.)

Here's a dog the NAPCG features on its website. The Gene Simmons poodle was probably a real challenge to do and also quite the piece of living art, but he looks creepy to me. Maybe it's the "toenails." Maybe it's the eye dye. That's just wrong.

And then there are dog tattoos. Pretty much all the tattoos you see out there are temporary tats. Many groomers are adept at them, and a few businesses, like Pet Ink, create do-it-yourself temporary tattoos, like this:

Not all dogs appreciate being canvasses (check out this guy's expression), but at least they don't have to be anesthetized for temp tatts, and they wear off quickly. (Photo: Pet-Ink.com)

And this kind, which is -- ow -- just a bit more hands-on.

A dog getting his identification tattoo in his ear as part of his "induction" into the military. (He was about to have surgery to prevent bloat as well, thus all the medical paraphernalia, although I am pretty sure dogs who get permanent tattoos don't stay awake for it either.) Photo by Maria Goodavage

The first tattoo of the Christmas decorations doesn't hurt a bit. The second is done for military ID purposes.

But check out this one. Poor, poor dog. He looks terrified, or in pain, or both. 

Tattooed Chihuahua

If it's truly a permanent tattoo - and I found it on a page about tattooed pets with real-deal tattoed cats, so it may well be -- what is the purpose? Should this even be legal?

So where do we draw the line? Should dogs be our canvases to do with as we please, since we feed them dog food and take them for walks and love them? Or is there a limit? If so, what's okay and what's not? Is it okay to dye your dog entirely pink? If so, how about giving your dog something like the Gene Simmons look? Are temp tattoos Okay? And what should be done about permanent decorative tattoos? Would you do any of these to your dog? Should any of them be illegal? Let's talk!

Sources: Jezebel, USA Today

Header image: Chinese Crested with Mohawk by Shutterstock.com

Pit Bulls, Presa Canarios, and American Staffordshire Terriers are no longer canis non grata on United Airlines. 

Big wing by Shutterstock.com

Although United instituted an innovative PetSafe program two months ago that offers special perks such as climate-controlled vans and airport pet hotels for dogs and cats flying with their owners, the airline also instituted a ban on nine dog breeds that were deemed too dangerous to fly United.

The other breeds are Perro de Presa Canario, Dogo Argentino, Cane Corso, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa (or Tosa Ken), and Ca de Bou.

After her 10-year-old Pit Bull, Slaw, was banned from a United flight, Hawaii resident Jessie Huart created an online petition at Change.org protesting the ban.

Now that the petition has garnered more than 45,000 signatures, United has dropped the restrictions. All nine breeds can now fly United -- provided that they are transported in reinforced crates. 

A crate used to transport any of these nine breeds "must be constructed of wood, metal, synthetic materials, weld mesh or wire mesh. ... No portion of the crate may be plastic. The crate door must be made of heavy wire mesh, metal, or reinforced wood and should have a secure means of fastening that cannot be opened accidentally," according to United's official policy.

Smiling Ca de Bou by Shutterstock.com

"United Airlines, the world's largest air carrier, has removed an embargo on nine breeds of dog they deemed 'dangerous' based on appearance rather than the dogs' behavior," reads a statement at Change.org. "Petition signers included military families, show dog breeders, dog trainers, veterinarians, and dog lovers and travelers around the world. The campaign was also supported by Best Friends Animal Society, which runs the nation's largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Jessie is grateful for the widespread support for the campaign and thrilled with the outcome."

"I am thrilled that United listened to their customers," Huart said in a news release, as reported by the Tribune. "This change is a victory for responsible dog owners everywhere at a time when many are facing breed discrimination."

Have you ever noticed that sometimes what we object to in others, we are often guilty of ourselves? For example, I am an adjunct professor at a local community college, and at our big beginning-of-the-semester faculty meeting, I observed several faculty working on their laptops, messing with their smartphones, or having conversations rather than paying full attention to the speaker. If students in their classes were to engage in the very same behavior, the same faculty members would be quick to let the students know, in no uncertain terms, that such behavior is not acceptable. I daresay many of them have guidelines mandating that cellphones be turned off during class. Do you suppose that’s the part of the syllabus they were working on during the faculty meeting?

Surely, as pet owners, we are subject to the same foibles as the rest of the population. Take my recent rant on Irresponsible Dog People (IDPs). I’m quick to point out the failings of my neighbors, but am I truly sinless enough to cast the first stone?

Curly Jean joined our family as I was finishing up junior high. In truth, I think Mom and Dad got her because my brother and sister were already off to college, and very soon they would be facing a similar situation with me. Curly provided a wonderful transition to the empty nest. Simply put, she was the world’s best dog. I know, everybody has a “world’s best dog,” but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Our dog Pal.

Our childhood dog, Pal, was a grrrific dog, too, but not much of a house dog, and after one too many accidents on various carpets and floors, my dad built Pal his own house out back. Being relegated to the doghouse wasn’t much of a life for ol’ Pal, so we eventually rehomed him with a friend who had lots of space. Pal lived out his days helping his new owner take care of a petting zoo. (One of these days I plan to tell you an absolutely fascinating story about Pal and the petting zoo.)

Curly, however, had impeccable manners. Her bed was located at the foot of the stairs, which she only used when people were up and about. The rest of the time, she slept on the floor outside my parents’ bedroom door. Everyone knew she didn’t stay downstairs. When one of us got up to use the bathroom at night, we would hear the jingle of her tags as she trotted down the stairs to her bed, and when you stepped into the hall you could feel the warm spot she left on the carpet. Once you finished your business and were back in bed, you could hear the jingle of her tags as Curly trotted back upstairs to reclaim her spot in the hallway.

Well, I could wax poetic about Curly and her winsome ways, but she was without sin, and I must get back to my confessional. Let’s see … where was I? 

Carrots!

Curly Jean loved carrots. I honestly believe she preferred a good carrot to a bone or any other doggie treat. On this particular day she had evidently had quite a few carrots, because on our walk to Grampy’s house she needed to do her business and she deposited an orange doo-doo near the sidewalk. I was amazed and somewhat concerned. I’d never seen fecal material quite that color or texture before. This being before cellphones, I had to wait until we were at Grampy’s house to call Mom and report the problem. She laughed and assured me Curly was fine. Just full of carrots.

Curly Jean in fine form.

Funny story, right? Except Grampy’s house was a couple of miles from our house, which means the carrot deposit was made somewhere in transit. Someone else’s yard was the beneficiary of Curly Jean’s artistic output. And, horror of horrors, I am 100 percent sure that I (wait for it) did not pick up the carrot-colored poop. Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure I never picked up any poop for Curly Jean or Pal unless it was the doo-doo Pal dropped inside the house. I know I mowed over plenty of poop (the trick is to wait for it to dry first) in the section of our backyard frequented by Curly. But picking it up? Nope.

Our backyard is one thing, but someone else’s front yard? Well, let’s just say that I am mortified with myself -- and only somewhat mollified by the “I was young and stupid and didn’t know any better” defense.

What about you? Any skeletons in your closet? An excessively barking dog that annoyed your neighbors? Letting your off-leash dog approach a stranger and offering the “My dog is friendly!” phrase? You’re among friends. We won’t hate you, especially if the sins of the past led you to becoming a better, more responsible pet owner. Remember our mantra, “Knowledge is power." We want to sufficiently empower our readers to make good decisions. So please share and we will all learn together.

Moxie as a wee pup with my partner, Jeffrey. You know how excited new parents sometimes keep a journal documenting their child's first year of life? And keep all kinds of really gross things in it?

You know, first fingernail clippings, first, er, umbilical cord stump? I was the first of 10 children (yep!) and my parents kept every creepy little thing you can imagine. I highly doubt Kahn number 10 got the same treatment I did, but hey, by then mom's uterus was a fine-tuned machine. At least she never considered making a milkshake out of my birth caul. People do that these days. (And they think we dog moms are weird!)

Anyway, when I brought home my first dog almost four years ago, I was as excited as any human parent might be about their human child, minus the dread of going into labor or the desire to collect my dog's first toenail clippings. (For the record, I honest-to-dog feel my mother had enough children for several people and never plan to have any human offspring of my own in penance.)

Moxie in one of many, many sweaters.

The point is, shortly after Mr. Moxie joined the family, he soon became the not-so-proud owner of every seasonal handmade dog sweater I could purchase.

My Facebook page was littered with albums documenting his growth and misadventures -- remember the time he tore up the used tampons he found in the bathroom when we were out and left them all over the living room? Ah, memories. -- I spent all my time on Italian Greyhound forums, and once brought him to a dog show even if he was snubbed as "pet quality." I got him tattooed on my leg that first year.  

So, if this new dog journal by Knock Knock had been available to me at the time, I would have snapped it up. If there's anything I love more than telling people on the Internet about how my dog loves tampons, it's taking pen to paper and documenting things old school. I even send people letters, how corny is that?

What I love about this journal is that it's great for someone who just brought home a puppy and someone who just adopted an adult dog. You get to jot down the highs and lows of pet parenthood by the month and rate your dog somewhere between "best in show" and "bad to the bone" as she learns your house rules. There's a cut-out window to include your pet's photo and lots of good advice between the pages.

FREEBIE TIME!

As you might have gathered from the headline on this post, we're giving away one such journal! It's true.

For a chance to win a copy of It’s a Dog’s Life: A Journal of Our First Year Together by Knock Knock, leave a comment below telling us about the new dog in your life. And please, don't forget to make sure you have a valid e-mail address associated with your Disqus account before you comment, or we won't be able to contact you if you win! We'll draw a random winner and contact them via e-mail on Friday, May 18.

An 8-year-old rescued pit bull became the rescuer when she risked her life to pull her owner off the train tracks as a freight train sped toward them.

"The engineer, the only witness, told police he saw a dog frantically pulling at a woman as he drew closer. He did everything he could. He heard a thump and thought he hit both," Rob Halpin, spokesman for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, told the Sentinel and Enterprise.

Lilly, who was willing to give her life to save her owner's. The engineer was finally able to bring the train to a stop, and expected the worst. When he got out and ran to the scene, the dog, Lilly, was covered in blood. But she was still standing there, guarding over her owner, Christine Spain. It would turn out that Spain was still unconscious, but unharmed -- saved by a dog who had come into her life three years ago as a therapy dog to help her overcome her alcoholism.

Lilly, however, was severely hurt. One of her legs was mangled, and she had pelvic fractures and internal injuries. A veterinarian had to amputate her leg, and she is under heavy sedation to help her rest, but it looks like this incredible hero will pull through. (How did she manage to stand guard over her owner when she had been through so much herself?)

David Lanteigne, Spain's son and a Boston police officer, told the newspaper, "I truly believe things happen for a reason. We found Lilly to save her life, and she returned the favor. She almost died here."

"I'm supposed to be the strong one. I'm supposed to be here for her, but she's been so great, so tough through all this that it almost feels like she's the one comforting me, being there for me and making me feel better," said Lanteigne, who couldn't hide his emotions when talking about Lilly in this video on My Fox Boston.

He said his mom was doing well with her drinking, but had been through difficult times lately. It's possible that she collapsed in that deadly spot after drinking too much.

What must have been going through Lilly's head as the train barreled toward her owner? How did this incredibly loyal dog know what would happen, or what to do? This is the stuff of Lassie tales.

David Lanteigne, Spain's son, gets very emotional when he thinks of what Lilly did for his mother. Here he visits Lilly at the veterinary hospital where she's receiving medical care.

At a time when pit bulls have such a horrendous reputation, it's heartening to be able to spread word of a dog like Lilly.

Lilly has a very long recovery ahead. Since she's 8 years old, she has to recover from her amputation before having surgery for her other injuries. A fund has been set up for her medical bills, which will likely run to thousands of dollars. A fund has been set up to help with the dog's medical bills.

Meanwhile, who does not want to hug and stroke this beautiful hero dog and tell her what a good, good dog she is?

"She's going to be okay. That's the main thing. This dog is my mother's life," Lanteigne said in a Fox News story.

"We've always known she was a special dog. She showed exactly what a pit bull is," he said.

Sources: Sentinel and Enterprise, Fox News, WCBV

Having a pet stolen delivers one heck of a gut-punch: It's robbery and it's kidnapping, all rolled into one.

When the stolen pet is a valuable show dog, it's also national news.

Riverwood's Venustus Knight, better known just as Knight, is an AKC-registered Great Dane who is believed to have been stolen from a motor home near Santa Cruz, Calif., on Tuesday. 

Naud Robinson and Lily, the Dane left behind.

The 175-pound, 18-month-old, microchipped Knight is valued at $27,000, according to KION-TV. His owner, Naud Robinson, told police that upon returning from a brief trip to the grocery store on Tuesday, he discovered the dog was missing. 

"He's like my son. I've been inseparable from him since he was 11 weeks old since he got here from Australia. And it's very emotional for me because I'm worried I won't see him again," Robinson said. "I feel they probably observed me. I can't hardly believe that he would just walk out with them because he doesn't walk out with me. And whoever came in and got him had a leash and collar." 

Although Robinson had been preparing Knight for future shows, the dog had not yet competed in any. His other Great Dane, a female named Lily, was not taken from the RV. Nor were electronics or other valuables, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

A photo of Knight from better days.

Robinson, who bought Knight from an Australian breeder for $27,000, told officials that he had been out shopping for only an hour. He thinks the robber most likely entered the vehicle through an unlocked roll-up door and that it would have been impossible for Knight to escape on his own. 

"We were tied at the hip. We did everything together," Robinson said of his missing dog. 

Questions arise: Why did the alleged robbers take one Great Dane but leave the other? Why would a three-foot-tall, 175-pound dog go away placidly with an abductor or abductors? Did Knight recognize whomever took him? 

Saturday, May 12: Important update below

Pit bulls on train tracks seems to be a theme at the end of this week. Yesterday, Maria wrote about a 100% hero pittie who risked her life to frantically pull her unconscious owner from an oncoming freight train. The train ran over the dog, causing serious injuries, but it looks like she'll pull through. Her owner was unharmed, saved by her loyal Lilly.

Maria -- because she is a human, I guess -- gets the hero stories. I get the creep stories for my column, Bonehead of the Week. So today I get to tell you about a bum who pulled a Snidely Whiplash on a pit bull in Antioch, Calif., just an hour from where I live. He or she (for ease of writing, I'll say figure it's a guy) tied his dog to the train tracks. Really! REALLY!

Is Snidely Whiplash at large in Antioch, Calif., only this time with a penchant for dogs?

Fortunately the track he tied the dog to is seldom used. This is how the dog looked when rescuers came upon her.

This is how Georgia looked when animal rescue crews found her on the train tracks. (Photo courtesy Antioch animal control)

It looks like she was cross-tied, so it may have been impossible for her to escape from the tracks if a train had come. It also looks like she'd been well cared for before, with a plump belly and even a flea collar. Could she have been a stray some numbskull decided to have fun with? Or did her owners find themselves unable to care for her and do this unthinkable deed? Sometimes I wish dogs could talk.

When rescuers got to her, she was panting hard and her skin was very hot to the touch, despite the relatively mild morning. She drank a ton of water. Fortunately she was found quickly, so no big damage was done, except maybe to her sweet doggy soul. If I could find the creep who did this to her, I'd put a little Malinois in my heart and bite whatever part of him I could reach.

This is a part of California that has been very hard hit by economic troubles. Dogs are being abandoned in big numbers, often by families who can't take them along when their homes are foreclosed upon (I can't imagine my people doing this to me; they swear they'd live in a car rather than ditch me).

Glenn Howell, Contra Costa animal services director, concurs. He told the San Jose Mercury News: "When the economy goes bad, it's pretty typical to see an increase in the number of surrenders."

I don't care what anyone was going through -- there's no excuse for tying your dog to the train tracks. Bring her to a shelter if you can't take care of her anymore. There are still shelters -- including the one in Antioch -- that accept pit bulls and don't automatically euthanize.

Okay, I've vented. I feel better. It's hard being a dog who can read, but at least I can also write, so I can get it out of my system. 

Update  5/12 - Ah, my canine intuition was right. The owners were not the ones who did this to the dog, whose name turns out to be Star. She was just too plump for this kind of owner craziness, and that flea collar also showed someone cared. Here's a note from the Antioch Animal Services FB page. Thanks, Misty, for pointing us toward this update!

"The Dog’s Owner has been located and Animal Control has interviewed him and determined that he was NOT personally involved in the incident of the dog being tied to the railroad track. The dog, who is named Star, was stolen from in front of his property along with another of his dogs, a Jack Russell Terrier, which was also later found tied to a stop sign in Antioch as well.

"Antioch Animal Services Supervisor, Monika Helgemo, worked with the Dog Owner to help him facilitate getting his dog, Star, fully vaccinated and spayed through donations. She will also be microchipped so that if she is ever stolen again, she can be identified and returned to her proper Owner straight away. Star and her Owner were ecstatic to see each other. The reunion at the Animal Shelter was a tearful and joyful moment for all.

"The unfortunate news is that despite canvassing the area and interviewing citizens, Animal Control is still no closer to finding the person responsible for tying Star to the railroad tracks. Make no mistake, the dog was not just caught up on the track by her leash and ropes. She was purposely tied under and over the track with clamps to secure her there. With the Dog Owner’s cooperation, the investigation will continue. Anyone with information about who tied Star to the railroad tracks is asked to call (925) 779-6989. Please continue to spread the word."