Which are smarter: dogs or cats? This IQ debate has been raising the hackles of dog and cat lovers for decades, if not centuries. And dogs usually win paws-down. For one thing, dogs have larger brains than cats, and the larger the brain, the smarter the animal -- or so...

When Tinkerbelle, our 17-year-old toy poodle, died, our family was distraught. I sent an email to our friends and family with the subject heading "Sad News" and got a tremendous outpouring of sympathy.

However, one of my oldest friends wrote back and...

A recent article I posted on Huffington Post touted the health benefits of owning pets. While the benefits far outweigh the risks for most people, the risks shouldn't be ignored. In rare cases, pets can transmit diseases to humans, medically known as zoonoses. But in not-so-rare cases, pets...

As the holiday season approaches, pets are often at the top of many children's -- and some adults -- gift lists. You may find the image of an adorable puppy or kitty nestled under the tree or by the hearth pretty irresistible. But you might also be concerned that a...