The DogChannel Newswire (04-17-08)

Pets Abandoned by College Students When Semester Ends
As students start packing up their apartments and houses next week for summer break, they're bound to leave things behind. For some, it's a pet who didn't factor into post-graduation plans, The Michigan Daily (University of Michigan) reports.
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Help For Pets in Foreclosures
With the surge in foreclosures resulting in more homeless dogs, the Humane Society of the United States has created a new grant program for shelters and rescue groups. Pets have been among the voiceless victims of the current economic downturn, with some families struggling to keep and feed pets, and others forced to leave them behind when foreclosed on, the Baltimore Sun reports.
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Legislation Would Ban Pets From the Driver’s Seat
A bill making its way through the California state Legislature is taking aim at pet owners who share the driver's seat with their favorite animal. Assembly Bill 2233 would fine drivers $35 if caught driving with a live animal in their lap, The (Palm Springs, Calif.) Desert Sun reports.
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Bill Would Reign in Animal Rights Activists
A Bay Area, Calif., Assemblyman said Monday he has introduced a bill to allow University of California officials to withhold names of animal researchers from public documents to prevent activists from harassing them. The legislation, AB2296, would also prohibit attempts to injure or intimidate animal researchers or interfere with their work, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
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