Yesterday afternoon, dog-owners and dog-lovers gathered in Fort Greene Park for the 10th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest. Over 50 dogs entered the competition (yes, each pup got to walk around to show off their costumes), those gathered got to "ooh" and "aww" over the cute canines. In this election year, first prize went to "Joe the Plumber." He was definitely the crowd favorite as he walked around squirting water out of a pipe......

Today was the sort of day rain dates were made for. After getting washed out yesterday, Tompkins Square Park had plenty of autumn sunshine for what is claimed to be the country's largest dog costume parade. Thousands of dollars in prizes including six iPods were given away to the owners of the winning dogs. If all of this adorability overload has you itching to see some puppet-like pups in person, there's still time for The......

One Queens couple was busted by the ASPCA yesterday when it was discovered they were housing 33 poodles. The NY Post reports on the world's cutest infestation (with a photo gallery!), saying animal rescuers were called to the elderly owner's home and noted that the dog's conditions were "deteriorating quickly." One rescuer told the paper: "I can't even describe what it was like in there. This was 33 dogs in one home, they weren't going......

Photo of Ernest Hemingway dog via eatsdirt's flickr. The best part of Halloween is unequivocally being able to dress your pets up in costumes without being dubbed "crazy." This weekend some totally normal humans will be showing off their costumed canines in Brooklyn's Fort Greene Park at the 10th annual Great Pupkin Dog Costume Contest. Get there at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday if you want to register your pup, and shortly after if you......

Brooklyn dog owners have been at a loss about where to bring their furry friends in the borough, and some new signs reminding them they're not welcome in Prospect Park have locals in an uproar. The Brooklyn Paper reports that the new signs, which states "Dogs are permitted only on the paths around the ballfields," have locals thinking "park officials are arbitrarily enforcing regulations and unfairly targeting their four-legged friends." If your pup is found......

At least one dog flown into Newark Airport from Iraq as part of a stray dog rescue mission was found to have rabies and may have affected other animals, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced yesterday. 24 Dogs and 2 cats were on the flight, organized by Operation Baghdad Pups, a SPCA group that has brought hundreds of stray dogs over from Iraq to new homes in America. The infected dog, Crusader......

Of course: An organic frozen yogurt called Yöghund, made specifically for dogs with discerning palates, has been tapping into the city's seemingly inexhaustible market of crazy pet owners. Kennel owner Jody Rogers started the company two years ago because she "wanted to come up with a product that would help with relieving stress." Don't laugh; today's dogs face more pressure than ever to stay competitive with all these adorable cats. A Yöghund spokesman in this......

The Brooklyn Paper reports that downtown Brooklyn is going to the dogs, with more and more canine-owning residents moving in, and little space provided for them to walk and play outdoors. Metrotech Commons, between Jay Street and Flatbush Avenue, was a canine hotspot, but the pups have recently been prohibited from the space. Metrotech Business Improvement Director Mike Weiss explained: “if the dog is doing his number on the lawn, it could be unsanitary. You......

Following a string of horrific attacks by pit bulls on civilians, one pit bull has actually turned hero. In an incident that occurred early Thursday morning, a stranger punched his way through the half-gated window of a young woman's bedroom in Rockland County--across the Hudson River and a few miles north from NYC. The assailant, apparently intent on raping the woman, climbed onto her bed and proceeded to punch her in the face several times.......

Since Leona Helmsley died last year at the age of 87, details of the Queen of Mean's will and wishes have caused chatter amongst those who knew and knew of her. Most notably, her dog, a Maltese named Trouble, was left a hefty $12 million...surely more than he can spend in his lifetime! The move led to death threats against the pup, who now has a security team that costs around $100K per year. She......

Police broke up an alleged dogfighting operation in the Tremont section of the Bronx last night, arresting seven men on charges of gambling and animal cruelty. 17 dogs were also removed from the building on 179th St. and they all showed signs of abuse. The bust comes approximately eight months after an investigation by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) alleged that NYC was practically the dogfighting capital of the world. That report......

Yay for dog days! Over the weekend, Times's Up! held its first annual Doggie Pedal Parade, highlighting bicycles adapted to transport pets and the benefits of adopting homeless animals. Bicyclists learned how to pimp their bikes for their pups pets and then humans and canines alike celebrated with a Pupnic at Washington Square Park's dog run.......

Starting today, teams of six NYPD officers will be patrolling the subway system in 12 hour shifts to thwart would-be terrorists. You’ll be able to easily identify the squads – called “Torch Teams” – by their rifles, MP5 submachine guns, handguns, body armor and bomb-sniffing dogs. The program is being paid for with $151 million from taxpayers nationwide, allocated through D.C. The Torch Teams will function like the similarly equipped NYPD “Hercules Teams” (pictured) above......

The most eco-friendly way to eat on Earth Day – and any day – is by growing your own food, eating it raw and composting the scraps. But for those of us who aren’t urban farmers, there are some good green options happening on or around April 22nd. il Buco (pictured), the Mediterranean restaurant on Bond Street, will be offering a $30 prix fixe lunch menu Tuesday through Saturday, and donating 100% of the proceeds......

In violation of a ruling by New York State's Human Rights Division, the principal of W. Tresper Clarke High School stood in the schoolhouse doorway and refused entrance to 15-year-old John Cave yesterday, as long as he had his service dog with him. Cave is a deaf teenager with cochlear implants, and this week, the state's Human Rights Division Commissioner Kumiki Gibson declared the school violated two provisions of the Human Rights law (PDF) and......

A pit bull named Tyrus is described by the New York Post as being "The Bitch of West 72nd St." and a 'Hell Hound.' Neighbors of the dog's owner at the former Olcott Hotel on the Upper West Side say that Tyrus is a menace who runs wild, poops in the hall and mauls other pets. Residents of The Olcott's 7th floor said that instead of walking Tyrus, his owners simply let the dog run......

Release the hounds. The latest innovation in bedbug eradication is being brought to you by Advanced K9 Detectives, a company using man’s best friend to sniff out the bloodsucking pests plaguing New York City. Since 2004, complaints about bedbugs to the Department of Housing have soared to 6,889 (up from 537 a year) and 2,008 building owners issued summonses (compared to 82 in ’04). Carl Massicott, the owner of the six-dog team, says he’s been......

Some dogs traveling to the U.S. from Iraq weren't dogs of war or trained to sniff explosives. Instead, they provided a little comfort and unconditional love to soldiers stuck in a war zone. With the help of the International SPCA's Baghdad Pups program, two dogs named Liberty and K-Pot have been adopted by soldiers' families. Because the military doesn't allow units to take adopted dogs with them when they move, soldiers either had to turn......

Photograph of Uno posing with his Best in Show trophy by Jason DeCrow/AP Given the state of the Knicks and Rangers, the Garden hasn't heard cheers as resounding as it did last night during the Westminster Kennel Club Best in Show ceremony for some time. But a Beagle named Uno brought the house down, becoming the first ever of his breed to win Best in Show. The last time a beagle even made it......

Photograph of Uno, a 15-inch beagle who won the Best in Group, by Seth Wenig/AP It's that time of year again - the Westminster Kennel Club will be naming the Best in Show dog tonight. Today is day two (of two) of the Westminster Kennel Club's 132nd Dog show, and the best in group for the sporting, working and toy groups will be determined. Those dogs will face off against the winners of the......

The 132nd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show arrives at Madison Square Garden Monday. The two-day event has thousands of dogs undergo a winnowing process that culminates with the awarding of Best in Show. The American Kennel Club recognizes 157 disinct breeds that are eligible for competition, and four of those breeds are brand new entries to the field. They include the Tibetan mastiff (a working dog), the Beaucerand and Swedish vallhund (herding dogs), and the......

The American Kennel Club annually releases a list of the most popular dog breeds in the country and in the biggest cities. No beating around the fire hydrant, this year's favorites in NYC: 1. Labrador Retriever 2. Yorkshire Terrier 3. Dachshund 4. Havanese** 5. Poodle** 6. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 7. French Bulldog 8. Golden Retriever 9. Bulldog 10. Pug **Tied for 3rd American Kennel Club officials noted that NYC residents are among the cutting......

Earlier this week, the NY Times had an article about how Apple's retail stores were uncommonly successful. The Apple Stores contribute to 20% of revenue, unlike other big brands whose brick-and-mortar offerings tend to be more about brand presence than actual ringing of cash registers (example: the Samsung Experience store at the Time Warner Center doesn't actually sell Samsung products). Experts credit Apple with creating stores that seem like a community gathering places, where......

The city's shocking sidewalks strike again! An Upper West Side pup was electrocuted Thursday during a late night walk on 72nd and Amsterdam. This has happened too many times over the past few years, more recently to a NY Post reporter's dog in Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, who died from the shock. A few years ago when Jodie Lane died, and her two dogs were injured from a similar shock, Con Ed reported they......

On any given night, visitors to The Stanton Social may encounter Executive Chef-Owner Chris Santos making his post-rush rounds through the dining room, or they might not: Problem is that the rush at the restaurant, which can feed (between its bar, lounge, and dining room) up to 200 people at a clip, sometimes just doesn’t let up. The 36 year-old Santos, who says he “feels 39,” is known for food that ditches ornate, mother-sauce heavy......

We always thought that Visine poisoning was an urban legend, but a crazy story from Long Island seems to suggest otherwise. Twenty-four year-old Kristine Anzalone has pleaded not guilty to second-degree assault and third-degree criminal mischief after being arrested for allegedly spiking her roommate's drink with Visine and then agitating his dogs to get into a fight. According to Newsday, Anzalone and her husband Christopher lived with a male roommate in a North Bellmore home......

With street-side Christmas trees going for more each year and the average apartment size decreasing, we propose the adoption of a new holiday standard: Enjoy your Christmas Tree in a highball glass. To wit: Clear Creek Distillery’s Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir, 375 milliliters of pine flavored brandy, found at Red Hook booze and esoteric spirits emporium LeNell’s. This small, $45 bottle is cheaper and has a lesser environmental impact than deforestation, and will......

The New York Post profiles a West Village man who's taken to vandalizing cars with incessant anti-theft alarms. Harry Schroder is a retired art director who likes to spend his afternoons practicing the piano in his home on Charlton St. Occasionally, however, he is interrupted by a car alarm. If it goes on long enough, Schroder leaves the car's owner a note in black magic market on an 18-inch by 24-inch posterboard which he sticks......

What's today's salacious claim about Anthony Marshall, who was recently indicted for allegedly mishandling his mother Brooke Astor's estate? That he hated his mother's dear dogs so much, he wanted them dead! Rush & Molloy spoke to a source who claims Marshall "wanted to put them to sleep." "Them" being Astor's dachshunds Boysie and Girlsie. When Marshal's own son originally claimed his father was not properly caring for Astor, it was mentioned that Marshall wouldn't......

Few have noticed, and perhaps less care, but there aren’t too many hot dog shacks or trucks left in the city. Despite the recent success of relatively fancy dogs topped with everything from kimchee puree to avocado mash, a few legendary hot dog outposts still exist in the far reaches of Brooklyn and Queens, tucked away on corners near scrap metal dealers and steel-frame towers of junked cars. These are the kinds of places where......