Leona Helmsley, the billionaire real estate magnate and hotelier, made headlines last year after her death when the details of her estate came to light: She bequeathed $12 million to her Maltese, Trouble and nothing to two of her grandchildren. (The dog, who subsequently became the target of death threats, now has a $100,000 per year security detail.) But while Trouble at first seemed to be the sole lucky dog, it turns out Helmsley had a larger philanthropic plan. The New York Times is reporting that she left $5 to $8 BILLION to the care and welfare of dogs. How that money will be distributed has yet to be determined.

The World’s Ugliest Dog Competition (sponsored by A Dog’s Life) concluded on Friday, with the title going to Gus, a Chinese crested from Florida with three legs, one eye, and no hair! Fifteen cringe-worthy dogs competed in this year’s event, and the competition was stiff. As the emcee put it, “Big buckets of drool get extra points, and so do missing limbs.” Gus had those winning qualities and more. He will receive a year’s supply of A Dog’s Life treats with his own photo gracing the labels.

Luckie and Paris Hilton.

Voting is underway for the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, sponsored by A Dog’s Life. The contenders are… how shall we put this?… absolutely hideous. You can help select the winner by voting online (polls close at midnight July 17th). The winner is crowned this Friday at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma. The winner goes home with a year’s supply of A Dog’s Life treats with his mug on it!

Janet Maslin of the New York Times has anointed The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, about a mute boy with an uncanny ability to communicate with dogs, the best debut novel of the summer. Read the full review here.

At the Nuts for Mutts dog show and pet fair two weeks ago we met an adorable two-legged dog named Kandu. We later read that Kandu had won Best Kisser and Best in Show. Click here to learn about his inspirational story.

Kandu, of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, at the Nuts for Mutts event.

In NYC, undercover cops are deployed to enforce the city’s pooper-scooper law. We’re not sure how many other cities go to such great lengths to bust negligent owners, and we certainly won’t be finding out the hard way. Dog doo is not worth the money - fines can go as high as $100!

Grover and Slash (formerly of Guns N Roses, currently of Velvet Revolver).

If the answer is yes and you happen to live in Houston, the Most Untrainable Dog Contest is for you and yours. The organizers believe there’s no such thing as an untrainable dog. To prove them wrong (or ideally, right), write a 100-word essay detailing your pup’s antics. The best essay (i.e. worst dog) gets a six-week training session.

They work as lifeguards!


Bilbo, a seven-year-old Newfoundland, may look like the latest castmember of Baywatch, but he’s a real-life lifeguard who patrols the beaches of Cornwall, England. Bilbo uses his webbed feet and incredible swimming abilities to save lives (three so far). He’s a beloved local celebrity (Cornwall’s answer to David Hasselhoff?), and he even has his own Facebook page.

If you guessed Snuggles was a Teacup Maltese, you were right!

Increasingly, lawyers are called on to negotiate what will become of the family pet when a couple divorces, according to this story in USA Today.

Watch his semi-final performance on Britain’s Got Talent.

A further indication that pet people are taking over the world is the Dallas, Texas production of A Dog’s Life, a musical about a mutt named Jack. (We wish we could claim credit, but the show is unrelated to A Dog’s Life treats.) Read a review here.