The DogChannel Newswire (06-24-09)

Wisconsin Fatal Crash Blamed on Dog Jumping Into Lap
Officials say a head-on crash in Wisconsin that killed two Iowans apparently was caused when one driver was distracted by a dog jumping into his lap. Dane County sheriff's office spokeswoman Elise Schaffer says the dog jumped into the lap of 62-year-old motor home driver Gary Boldt of Pewaukee, Wis., causing him to cross the median of U.S. Highway 151 and collide with an SUV, The Associated Press reports.
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AP Poll: Americans Consider Pets Family
An Associated Press-Petside.com poll released Tuesday found that half of all American pet owners consider their pets as much a part of the family as any other person in the household; another 36 percent said their pet is part of the family but not a full member. And that means pets often get the human touch, The Associated Press reports.
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Missing Owner of Dog May Be Homeless, Police Say
Police searching for the identity of the elderly owner who disappeared last week after being seen many times walking his Saint Bernard in Hingham, Mass., are now theorizing that the man may have been homeless. The mystery was sparked when the dog was found soaking wet Wednesday, but without his familiar owner, the Boston Globe reports.
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Dog-Loving Japan Baying for Canine Blood Donors
One of Japan's largest animal medical centers is calling on blood donors of a different breed to help provide dogs with top-notch care. Japan is a canine-crazy nation, with more than 6 million dogs registered as pets. Many provide company for the growing number of elderly people or sometimes replace children in a nation with one of the world's lowest birthrates, Reuters reports.
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Dog Breeders Face Tax Evasion Charges
Indiana's Attorney General has filed tax evasion charges against two dog breeders accused of selling hundreds of dogs and puppies without collecting sales taxes. Felony charges against 63-year-old Virginia Garwood and her 26-year-old daughter, Kristen Garwood, come three weeks after authorities seized 240 dogs from their breeding operation in southern Indiana's Harrison County, The Associated Press reports.
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