PEOPLE Pets reports:

Forget the Iditarod. Earlier this week, residents of Anchorage, Alaska, were all about the Snausages Man Sled Race, a crazy event in which people pulled pups!

Four teams of humans dragged sleds — with dogs as the mushers — and raced across a frozen pond to win money for their pet charity of choice.

In a photo provided by Del Monte Foods, Malmute musher Buddy rides the sled as it is pulled by dog sled racing veterans Danny Seavey, left, and Dallas Seavey, center, and teammate Mari Troshynski during practice Tuesday, March 2, 2010 in Anchorage, Alaska, before the first-ever Snausages Man Sled Race. The race benefited local pet-related charities. Buddy's team won the race. (AP Photo/Al Grillo/Del Monte Foods)

PEOPLE Pets is reporting that celebrity couple, Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo have adopted a husky from a rescue organization.

The 1-year-old Siberian husky, named Kona, was on display at a roadside adoption event in Los Angeles. “I was driving down Ventura and we saw rescue dogs on the side of the road,” he explained. “Vanessa was with me — I don’t make those kind of decisions alone anymore — but since I grew up with a husky, I couldn’t resist.”

To read more, click here.

Thanks to a microchip, a German shepherd puppy missing for 2 months was reunited with his owners – 600 miles away.

A Virginia couple has been reunited with their German shepherd, which was found hundreds of miles from home in Florida. Pamela Holt, of Stuart, Va., says she thought DeLand Animal Control Officer Gary Thomas was playing a “mean trick” when he called to say he found 18-month old Deacon. The dog had been missing since December. The Holts thought their dog had died.

To read more, click here.

A seriously injured cat was saved by a persistent dog in Florida.  Toby, a Schnauzer, led his owner into a wooded area where the cat was discovered.

“When the owners finally followed Toby, they discovered a cat completely infested with maggots. The infestation was so bad that the cat’s face was nearly eaten off, but the feline was still alive. 

The cat was brought to Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary and Hospital for treatment.”

To read more, click here.   Warning: graphic images.

From Verlyn Klinkenborg’s Feb. 14, 2010 NYTimes editorial:

At 10 degrees, the Minnesota air is just cold enough for the dogs with heavier coats, like the left wheel-dog, who dips his snout in the snow more often than the dogs ahead of him. I am seated in the basket of the sled, as stiff as a quartered moose. Behind me, riding the runner, is the musher, Kelly Murphy. We slow now and then to let the teams behind us stay close, and when we do, the dogs — seven of them, right and left of the gangline hooked to their harnesses — look impatiently at us, haunches quivering, ready to pull and pull again.

read more

Pucker Up!

Here is some puppy love for you. We all know there’s no shortage of Valentine’s kisses when you  have a special pet in your life. Today The Daily Puppy features Echo, the Husky Mix puppy, who has a smile as sweet as sunshine.

How about a pooch smooch?

View more pictures of Echo here.

Pucker Up!

The Mid-Atlantic Region has been dumped with record-breaking amount of snow this year.  While the foolish humans are stocking up on essentials and digging out cars, the Huskies are celebrating.  Maggie (Pet Harbor alum formerly named Cheyenne) is a five-year-old couch potato with arthritis, but she runs and bounds through the Baltimore snow like a puppy.  Enjoy it while it lasts Huskies!

Whether you already have young children or you’re expecting your first, these two websites can give you advice, tips and training on how to raise both children and dogs harmoniously:

Living with Kids and Dogs – Parenting secrets for a safe and happy home

Dogs and Storks – The first national program that prepares families with dogs for life with baby!

It can be difficult for military servicemen and women to find care for their furry friends when they are deployed overseas, sent for training or maybe just experiencing financial hardship.  In many cases, these pets end up being abandoned or dropped at local shelters.  In order to assist soldiers who face this challenge, Guardian Angels for Soldiers’ Pets was created.  Founded in January 2005, this non-profit organization will provide foster homes to military pets and ensure that they are reunited with their owners following a deployment or unforeseen emergency.

To learn more about this organization and the services offered, click here.

The Siberian Husky is a medium-sized working dog.  Part of the Spitz family, they are quick and light on their feet.

This is the speed demon of the sled dog world. This working animal of the Chukchi people of northeast Siberia caused a sensation when it was introduced to Alaska for the All Alaska Sweepstakes in 1909. They revolutionized racing, as nothing finished even close to them. Today the racing sled dogs of Alaska owe much to their Siberian Husky blood. Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1903. Very popular as a companion animal.

To watch video about the history of this breed, and to get breed-related information, click here.