Martha Stewart named new kitten Electra after Jennifer Garner who played Elektra and has a dog named Martha Stewart

There's really no news item other than the very meta headline: Martha named a new kitten after a character played by Jennifer Garner who has a dog named Martha Stewart.

There's a lot of weirdness in that bit of trivia, but perhaps the weirdest part is that Jennifer has a dog named Martha Stewart. Who wants to run around the neighborhood trying to find your dog by hollering, "Martha Stewart! Come her, Martha Stewart! Heel, Martha Stewart!" That's the kind of behavior that'll get you locked up.

This little tidbit was found on the Daily Blabber.

Vin Diesel, Ice Cube, and George Lopez show up to movie preems with animals

Variety notes that, "Clutches, couture and arm candy took a back seat in the past 12 months to the new must-have red-carpet accessory: animals."

Apparently stars hungry for picture opps to support their movie premieres can't get enough of animals these days. And so long as someone is making sure the animals are safe and having a good time, we don't object. After all, it gives us a good opportunity to post pictures and links here for your enjoyment.

Below are pix of Vin Diesel (at 'The Pacifier' opening), Ice Cube (at the "Are We There Yet?" preem), and George Lopez (at the "Lemony Snicket" premiere).

Click here to see pictures of even more stars with their animal friends, including Scott Bakula, Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Stockard Channing, David Schwimmer, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith and Ben Stiller!



Images: Getty Images

Clay Aiken, Nicole Richie, Rachel Bilson and Adam Brody walk their dogs (separately)

Check out the Celebrity Dog Blog for some shots of Nicole Richie and Clay Aiken walking their pooches. Actually, in Clay's case, it more appears the dog is walking him.



And over at Egotastic you'll find shots of Rachel Bilson and Adam Brody walking their pooch.

Luxury Pet Hotel opens in Japan

There are no celebs in this article, but you just know a celeb is making his or her way to Japan to see this new hotel: The Pet Inn Royal opens Thursday at Tokyo's Narita International Airport with 170 rooms to keep dogs, cats and other small animals in the lap of luxury while their human companions are away.

Staffed 24 hours a day, it even has veterinary and grooming services and an exercise field. Room types vary from standard, for around 4,000 yen a night, to deluxe suites for 20,000 yen, Kyodo News reported. (That's $33.50 to $167.50 per night, to us Americans.)

The Pet Inn Royal is banking on a pet boom that has gripped Japan in recent years, pushing the number of pampered pouches and pussycats to 19 million -- more than the number of children under 15, which just hit a new low of 17.8 million.

Read more on MSN's Japan news site. And in the event you care to make a pet reservation, you'll find contact info here.

"Just Pet Strollers" featured in Brilliant Magazine

It isn't often we can use the name of our blog sponsor within the same sentence as the name of a famous supermodel, so here goes: JustPetStrollers.com has a product featured in the November 2005 issue of Brilliant Magazine featuring Jerry Hall on the cover. Okay, so it might have been more exciting had Jerry actually been seen with a pet stroller, but we'll take any PR we can get!

The AT3 All Terrain Pet Stroller was included in an article entitled, "Trend: Fashion Hound." If you'd like to check out the AT3 for yourself, our sponsor would appreciate your visit at JustPetStrollers.com.

Paul McCartney boycotts China

Not that we needed another reason to hold Paul McCartney in high esteem, but the former Beatle is putting his foot down to raise awareness of animal abuse in China.

Sir Paul has announced he will not visit or perform in China--even for the Olympics--after seeing horrific undercover footage of dogs and cats being killed for their fur.

According to BBC news, Sir Paul and his wife Heather looked aghast and close to tears as they watched the footage for a special report for the BBC's Six O'clock News to be screened on Monday.

"This is barbaric. Horrific," said Sir Paul. "I wouldn't even dream of going over there to play, in the same way I wouldn't go to a country that supported apartheid. This is just disgusting. It's just against every rule of humanity. I couldn't go there."

Heather McCartney, herself a vociferous animal rights campaigner added: "People in every other country in the world should now boycott Chinese goods."

You can learn more on the BBC site about the accusations against China and about Sir Paul's and Heather's reaction to the video, but be warned: some of the descriptions of what is on the video are disturbing.

Authorities confiscate Paris Hilton's Baby Luv

I know it's all fashionable to make fun of Paris Hilton, but this time we feel bad for her. Really.

Cold-hearted authorities confiscated her pet monkey, Baby Luv, after Paris allegedly refused to do it voluntarily. It's nice to know that the government of California is keeping the world safe from tiny little monkeys. After all, it's not as if they have other things about which to worry, such as, say, congressmen taking bribes.

According to FemaleFirst.co.uk, an insider said, "Paris adores animals but she's too impulsive and often buys exotic pets without understanding how to care for them or whether they can legally be kept as pets... She had no idea she was breaking the law when she smuggled him into LA."

Paris reportedly has a zoo-full of animals, so hopefully she and Tinkerbell aren't taking Baby Luv's departure too hard.

Read more about Paris and Baby Luv here.

Mariah Carey enjoys yachting with pets

We all know Mariah Carey loves her dogs, and she has plenty of money, so this should really come as no surprise: Mariah loves to go yachting with her pooches.

In an article on Sys-Con Australia about Hollywood A-listers and their yachting enjoyment, an entire section is dedicated to Mariah. It seems she opts out of hotels and seeks out yachts for overnight stays.

"When her schedule permits, Mariah loves to get away on boats," claims her travel coordinator, G. Kates. "She feels the warm, and salty air is good for her vocal health." Besides, why get hassled by paparazzi when you can relax on your yacht in a hot tub with a staff filling your champagne glass?

Of course, Mariah's not going to have all that fun without bringing her best friends! She requests yachts that will allow her to bring along her two beloved pet pooches. No surprise from a celeb who once had her dog chauffeured across country.

Does it bother me that Mariah's dog lives a life of more luxury and leisure than I? Of course not--but it does annoy me that the fleas living on Mariah's dog do! (Right--as if Mariah's dog has fleas!)

Read about the yachting lifestyles of more rich and famous here.

Joaquin Phoenix and PETA "Walk the Line"

How does one star in a movie about a man constantly clad in leather when you won't wear leather? If you're Joaquin Phoenix, you do it very carefully and with PETA's input.

Joaquin is a staunch supporter of PETA. He made their first vegan commercial (asking grocery store shoppers to spare turkeys at Thanksgiving) and posed for an anti-fur poster. He was also attended PETA’s 25th Anniversary Gala and Humanitarian Awards Show, where he accepted an award on behalf of friend and fellow vegan actor Casey Affleck.

But working on his new movie, Walk the Line, posed a special challenge for Joaquin. “He refused to wear anything made of leather,” a source told MSNBC.com. “So even Johnny Cash’s signature cowboy boots had to be approved by PETA.”

If you're a fan of Walk the Line or of Joaquin, you'll want to know about PETA's contest that is underway now. You've got until December 8th to submit your contact info online at GoVeg.com, and perhaps you could be the big winner of a black ESP Xtone guitar, a Walk the Line screen-printed guitar case from Coffin Cases, a poster autographed by the film’s cast and crew, and a Walk the Line T-shirt, soundtrack, and poster.

Enter here!

Year of the Dog coming

There are no celebrities in this news item, but I think you pet lovers will want to know that 2006 is the Year of the Dog on the Chinese calendar. But don't celebrate early--Chinese New Year isn't until January 29, 2006.

The picture at right is of a Chinese vendor selling balloons depicting images of dogs in Huaibei on November 26, 2005. The vendor said the balloons are selling well ahead of the new year 2006.

Don't you think those balloons are just a wee a bit reminiscent of Disney's "101 Dalmatians"? Does Arnold Schwarzenegger know about this?

Image: CHINA OUT REUTERS/China Newsphoto

Shirley MacLaine not lonely so long as she has her dog

We previously told you about the book Shirley MacLaine co-wrote with her dog and how she speaks her own "humanimal" language with the pooch.

In an article on FemaleFirst.co.uk, Shirley says she'd be a recluse if not for her dog, Terry. Shirley says, "I'm a phony recluse... I love my own company." But being alone doesn't mean being without Terry: "How I would feel now about my own company without Terry, my dog, is another question."

Shirley shares more about her reincarnation pact with Terry and what she's learned from Terry on the FemaleFirst.co.uk Web site.

Barney and the President

Nothing newsworthy about this, but I thought you might enjoy a picture of President Bush arriving in Waco along with his dog, Barney. There's no sign of wife Laura or daughters Jenna or Barbara, so apparently they had to find their own way off of Air Force One.

Naomi Judd launches talk show, writes pet book, & distributes gifts to needy

Naomi Judd does it all. At the paces she's going, I'm pretty sure she'll have world hunger solved in a couple of weeks.

The nurse/singer/actor/writer/talk show host recently participated in the Santa Train, a train that makes its way 110 miles through Appalachia with Santa throwing candy and early Christmas presents out to the crowd.

Naomi gave away copies of her book, "Gertie the Goldfish and the Christmas Surprise."

"Gertie is a real goldfish that sits on my kitchen table. Wy, Ashley and I feel like we live in a goldfish bowl, but I watched her and realized she's a metaphor. I get to see things 360," Naomi said.

And tomorrow, Naomi's new talk show will launch on the Hallmark Channel. Naomi's New Morning debuts at 9 a.m. What's it about? "I want to spotlight ordinary people who do extraordinary things... The show is about health, psychology, positive psychology, and that means that we have to accept that we can't change our circumstances, but the revelation is we always get to control our perception or our reactions, and that's everything."

You can read more about Gertie, Naomi, and her talk show on Tennessean.com. And to learn more about Naomi on the Santa Train, visit the Appalachian News-Express.

More on Celebrity Pet Art Auction

Yesterday we posted an article about British celebs donating drawings of their dogs for an auction to benefit Dogs for the Disabled. Today, we found a link where you can guess which pooch artwork was created by which celebrity. Below are some pictures of some of the works of art and some of the celebs. To see who drew what, visit the Sky Showbiz Web site.

Here are three works of art:






And here are the three artists. Who did which? Click here to find out.

Actress Joanna Lumley:


Supermodel Twiggy:


Actress Emma Thompson:

Debra Messing knits her pooch a sweater

Debra Messing is lovely, funny, and apparently very talented with knitting.

Edith Eig, author of "Mother of Purl" and owner of L.A. shop La Knitterie Parisienne, has many celebrity clients, including David Arquette, Dakota Fanning , Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Felicity Huffman. Her book includes stories about many of her Hollywood clients, including Debra Messing.

Debra visited Edith's shop with her dog, Leila. Edith says, "Her knitting project centered around making a little blue sweater for the dog. Leila came for several fittings and sat on the table like a real pro while I measured."

If you're shopping for a holiday gift for Debra, you may want to take note: Debra is allergic to many fibers. Edith and Debra found the right color and fiber, and the result was apparently quite wonderful: "Debra knit a lovely dog cape sweater in powder blue with white trim. Leila was fashion forward on all fours."

If you want to learn more about Edith Eig, her book, or how to knit the "very 'Sex and the City' Scarf (for humans, not pets), visit the Seattle Times site.

British celebs draw dogs for charity

We won't be provincial and ignore pet-loving celebs across the pond. Hello Magazine has an article on British celebrities who have drawn portraits of their pets in an effort to raise money for Dogs For The Disabled. Celebrity artists include Emma Thompson and Joanna Lumley. (No disrespect intended toward the incredibly talented Emma, but Joanna is a goddess in my book--Patsy from AbFab!)

Dogs For The Disabled trains dogs to help people with daily tasks like opening doors and getting dressed.

The pet works of art, which are currently being shown at the Kennel Club in Piccadilly, will be auctioned on December 1.

Learn more about the auction on DogsForTheDisabled.org.

Read more about the auction and artists here.

Photo: © EMPICS

George Clooney's bad year including death of dog

We really prefer to post happy pet news here (or at least really odd but otherwise harmless news). Unfortunately, sometimes even in Hollywood bad things can happen to good animals.

So, we won't linger over this news, but George Clooney gave an interview to the Daily Record about the worst year of his life. One of the disturbing things that happened was that his dog was killed by a rattlesnake. "I had to get a baseball bat and beat the snake until it let go, but it killed the dog."

Sad as that is, George's bad year included losing his brother-in-law at 46 and suffering a bad injury during filming of his new movie, Syriana.

We wish George a better 2006 and hope he and his pets (including a pig) enjoy a safer, healthier, and happier new year. (It may be a little early for New Year's wishes, but it sounds like George needs all the help he can get after 2005!)

You can read more here.

Falcon House's K-9 Kocktail Party in Delray Beach

We don't know for sure that Miami celebs hang out at the Falcon House in Delray Beach, but it sounds like the kind of place they might. Plus, if you live in the area and have a dog, you'll want to know about the Falcon House's Wednesday night K-9 Kocktail Party from 5-8 p.m.

The Miami Herald has a great review of the new bar. ("As soon as you walk in, you'll feel as though you've stepped into a television commercial for a premium beer. Just about everyone has a glowing smile, patrons chat exuberantly and couples hold hands while whispering to each other at the bar.")

But for you pet companions, Wednesday night is the night to visit the Falcon House. Multiple dog bowls are positioned on the front lawn and food and drink specials are available for you and your fluffy friend. If you order dog-related drinks, such as a Greyhound or a Salty Dog, a portion of those proceeds will be donated to the Humane Society.

Read more on Miami.com.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Charlize Theron and their dogs (No, not all together)

Happy Thanksgiving!

No big pet news today, so we'll just post a couple of pix and links of celebs and their pooches. The first is Jake Gyllenhaal and his puggle Boo on the set of his new movie, Zodiac. The second is of Charlize Theron playing with her dog on the beach in Malibu. (The fact she's in a bikini in no way influenced our decision to post this picture.) (Really.)



For more pix of Jake and Boo, visit Just Jared. And for more pictures of Charlize and her pooch, visit Egotastic.

Hollywood dogs--the new babies

An article on Slashfilm.com asks, "Are Dogs the New Babies of Hollywood?" To which we answer, "Duh!"

The article states the obvious: "Seems like, at one time, all the celebrities were having babies. Now it seems they all have dogs. This makes sense, because with all the traveling these people have to do, a small dog is much easier to take along or leave with a friend than a child."

And once again, we say, "Duh!" After all, we pet lovers already know that dogs and cats can be the perfect companions. They don't cheat on you. (Are you reading this Brad?) They don't share your secrets in tell-all books or to gossip rags (Nicole or Paris?) And they always complement your looks (which is more than I can say for whomever selects Anna Nicole Smith's wardrobe.)

The article goes on to list all of the stars seen in the company of dogs as of late (and if you're a regular reader of this blog you'll recognize the names) including Jessica Simpson (Daisy), Paris Hilton (Tinkerbell), Orlando Bloom (Sidi), and Hilary Duff (Lola.)

You can read more on SlashFilm.com.

Bush pardons Marshmallow

Yes, it happens every year and thus is not terribly newsworthy, but tis' the season so let's have fun with it.

President Bush pardoned this year's "National Thanksgiving Turkey," a bird named Marshmallow. This happens every year in the White House (although I'm pretty sure presidents then end up enjoying an unpardoned turkey come Thanksgiving).

This year's pardon comes with a twist: Instead of going to live at a petting zoo like past "National" turkeys, Marshmallow is getting treated like a Superbowl quarterback--he's going to Disneyland! He and another pardoned turkey named Yam will travel to California where they will be the honorary grand marshals at Disney's Thanksgiving Day parade.

"I know that Marshmallow and Yam are going to feel pretty good strutting around sunny California," Bush said.

Read more about Marshmallow and Yam here.

Image: EPA/MATTHEW CAVANAUGH

Jude Law willfully in dog house to woo back Sienna Miller

I'm a little sick of the whole Jude Law/Sienna Miller thing. In fact, I wasn't sure if I should post this, because I think the story of boy-wins-girl, boy-cheats-on-girl, boy-tries-to-get-girl-back is a little old hat--except this time the plot takes a twist with boy-tries-to-get-back-girl-through-pets.

As you probably (sadly) know, gorgeous Jude cheated on the luminous Sienna with their Nanny. Sienna then was seen without her engagement ring (and with new Bond Daniel Craig). But, more recently, Jude and Sienna have been spotted together again (in company of their dogs.)

Now, Jude is trying even harder to win back Sienna's confidence by dog-sitting while she tours to promote her new movie, Casanova. While Sienna travels the US, Jude is home watching the pooches, Porgy and Bess.

And isn't it cute that the rich and famous call themselves the mom and dad of their pets, just like we ordinary people do? Sienna said, "The dogs are being looked after by their dad, Jude, while I'm over here."

And another dog may be on the way. "I would love another dog for Christmas. I want a bulldog named Sid. But I don't know if I can look after three dogs."

Read more on Mirror.co.uk.

Image: AP

Obituary: 'Ugly dog' Sam

We try (and almost always succeed) to find every pet attractive. A pet's capacity to provide unconditional love makes even the most homely of them a supermodel in our eyes.

But then there was Sam. Sam was... well, let's just say it: Ugly.

We're not being mean here--he was famously ugly, and his ugliness earned him a title bestowed upon few animals: He was a true, bona fide pet celebrity.

The purebred Chinese crested hairless won the ugliest animal contest at the 2003 Sonoma-Marin Fair in California and went on to make appearances on TV in Japan, on radio in New Zealand, and in Britain's Daily Mirror tabloid. He even stayed in better hotels than we can afford and met another guy with famously bad hair--Donald Trump.

Unfortunately, Sam has passed away. The pooch with the hairless body, crooked teeth and sparse tuft of hair atop his head died Friday, just short of his 15th birthday, said his owner, Susie Lockheed.

"I don't think there'll ever be another Sam," she said, adding wryly, "Some people would think that's a good thing."

In our opinion, the world always has room for a few more Sams.

Read more about the life and times of Sam on CNN.

World's Coolest Dog & Cat Show Finalists Announced

The World's Coolest Dog & Cat Show is entering the final phase, and celebrity judges such as Trisha Simmons ("Desperate Housewives") and Julia Szabo (Pet columnist for Country Living and the Sunday New York Post) will be selecting the winner in categories such as Tongue/Slobber, Naughtiest, and Funny Face.

Our blog sponsor, JustPetStrollers.com, is also a sponsor of the World's Coolest Dog & Cat Show. The lucky winner in the Dog Craziest Tail category will win a Happy Trails PLUS Pink Pet Stroller.

You cannot vote for the winner in each category--only the judges can do that--but you can vote for "Best in Show."

Ad warning: And our sponsor reminds you that even if you don't win Craziest Tail, you and your pet can enjoy a pet stroller from the wide selection available at JustPetStrollers.com with free shipping, low prices, and top-rated service (99% customer satisfaction!)

Okay, the ad is over. We now return to our regularly scheduled celebrity programming.

Gloria Estefan and Noelle debut #2 on NY Times Bestseller list

Gloria Estefan is one talented human being--already a Grammy-award-winning singer, and now a best-selling author.

After just one week on sale, her children’s book "The Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noelle the Bulldog" debuted at #2 on the October 30 New York Times Bestseller List.

In the book – which is published in both Spanish and English editions -- Gloria shares the real-life escapades of her beloved English bulldog Noelle. A CD is included in every copy, featuring Gloria’s first song for children -- the luminous “Noelle’s Song. (Been Wishin’).”

Not to take one thing away from the multi-talented Gloria, but let's also give a little credit to illustrator Michael Garland. The book looks lovely, which is to be expected from a guy who has won two Society of Illustrators Silver Medals.

Oh, and of course, let's not fail to also give credit to Noelle for inspiring the whole effort!

Click here to visit GloriaEstefan.com to learn more about Noelle, Gloria, and the book.

Photo Credit: Melanie Dunea

Pink and her dog with the unprintable name

We're an upstanding blog, so we don't know if we should post this.

But we will anyway.

It comes as no surprise that Pink would do something shocking. She seems to like to shock people just a bit too much, if you ask me, because she named her dog F***er. Yes, that's right, F***er--only without the asterisks.

Pink apparently shocked diners in a Beverly Hills restaurant when she started to call out for her dog. "F***er! Here F***er! Come to Momma, F***er!"

Apparently annoyed at not being the center of attention for a millisecond, Pink continued to scream for her poorly named pooch until a waiter returned the dog to her table.

Is saddling a dog with a name like that considered cruel? Can't PETA do something about this?

You really shouldn't want to, but if you must read more, check it out on ContactMusic.com.

Nicole Richie gives Tori Spelling to Paris Hilton (and hurts Tori's feelings)

You can't really blame Tori Spelling for being a little hurt that Nicole Richie named a rat after her. Then again, if Nicole wants to name a rat after us, that's just fine.

Some time ago, Nicole gave Tori Spelling (the rat) to Paris Hilton, and Paris loved it.

As for Tori, Nicole says she could tell Tori was hurt by the fact the rat was named after her, but she needn't have worried. Says Nicole, "I actually own six rats, and what she didn't know then was that I've named each after a 'Beverly Hills 90210' character like Shannen Doherty and Luke Perry."

(Note to Nicole, Tori, Shannen, and Luke were the actors, not the characters, on "90210.")

Read more about Nicole, Paris, Tori, and rats on RealityTVWorld.com.

Image: Photo(s) by Adriana M. Barraza- © 2005- Hollywood Media Corp.- All Rights Reserved. See more on Hollywood.com.

John O'Hurley still dancing--with dogs

First things first: John O'Hurley got ripped off on this season's hit TV show, "Dancing With the Stars!" Sure, Kelly Monaco looked better in her revealing outfits than did John, but there was no doubt in anyone's mind (except in the judge's) who was the better dancer.

Turns out John is still dancing, but this time it's with dogs. Last Thanksgiving, John hosted the "The National Dog Show" for NBC, and he'll be back with the pooches again this turkey day.

John is more than just a dog host; he's a dog lover. John has two dogs of his own: a Maltese named Scoschi and a rescued mixed-breed named Betty. John says, "Betty was living up in the hills, and some kids were throwing rocks up there. They couldn't see what they were throwing rocks at, but I could. So I pulled over and stopped. I went up there and grabbed her. She had a six-inch beard, was scrawny as she could be. That's the history of it. I took her home, and she was so shell-shocked."

As usually happens when you extend love to an animal, this story has a happy ending, "She's the happiest dog in the world now. It's one of those energies where you know they've been beaten up, and that they are much more grateful."

Check out the article on Zap2it.com to read more about John, the National Dog Show, and his upcoming stint on Broadway in "Chicago."

Clay Aiken shares mistletoe with dog

Poor Clay Aiken. First he loses to Ruben "Where is he now?" Studdard. And now he has to spend the holidays alone with his dog. When the Courier-Journal asked him if he would be kissing anyone beneath the mistletoe this season, Clay said, "Oh, don't make me cry! Probably not. My dog (Raleigh, a female border terrier) will probably lick my face, that's about it."

Not that I object to kissing dogs. After all, it is safer to kiss dogs than humans.

Still, I'm not sure we should feel too sorry for poor Clay. He's sold millions of CDs, is on a successful tour, and has his how own nation--the Clay Nation--who follows his every move.

I suspect that, Clay's humility aside, he and his dog will be far from alone this holiday season!

Paris needs to part with new pet kinkajou

Free to a Good Home:
One kinkajou. Used to being
spoiled and attending glittering
social events. New owner must
not live in Los Angeles.

Watch for that ad in the L.A. Times sometime soon since it appears Paris will have to part with her brand new pet kinkajou. Turns out it's illegal to keep the animal as a pet in California.

Paris will have to get rid of her pet. Or maybe she'll take off cross country in a convertible in an attempt to outrun the law--just she and her kinkajou, pursued by the Feds and the media. We can hope, can't we?

Digital Spy reports that the California Department of Fish and Game said, "We'll send them a letter just to let them know we're aware they have a restricted species."

You Tinkerbell fans may get to see a bit more of the pooch in the future! No laws against Chihuahuas!

Read more on DigitalSpy.com.

Shirley MacLaine likes Paris Hilton's dog (but not much else)

Shirley MacLaine doesn't think much of Paris Hilton, but at least she likes Tinkerbell!

Shirley thinks Paris is too hungry for publicity. (Well, duh! Paris didn't get to be a household name by being a great actress or solving world hunger.)

Shirley said, "Paris Hilton just thinks that any publicity is good publicity. What is that...?"

But Shirley knew enough to save kind words for Tinkerbell: "I like her little dog, I guess." Well, maybe "kind" is a little strong of a description; it would seem Shirley doesn't dislike Tinkerbell as much as Paris, anyway.

ContactMusic.com has a bit more Paris critique from Shirley.

Keira Knightley and Toto

Keira Knightley is following the yellow brick road in this month's Vogue. The elaborate photo shoot came from famed celeb photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Egotastic, who shared the picture at right and has many more on site, calls them "kind of spooky," but I think they're wonderfully unusual, although I've a feeling Keira's not in Kansas (or in Jane Austen) any more.

Of course, the real star of the shoot is the dog portraying Toto. Click here to see more.

Serena Williams--it's not easy being green while walking your dog

If Serena Williams was the love child of Kermit the Frog and an Eskimo, what might she look like? Wonder no longer, because A Socialite's Life has pix of Serena walking her dog in boots and a green outfit that is greener than any green you've ever seen.

Now, before anyone says I'm being mean to Serena (or before someone who knows me points out that I ain't no fashion plate myself) let me point out that Serena is beautiful, talented, and could chase me down and kick my @ss without breaking a sweat. That notwithstanding, I would respectfully submit that she get a second opinion before she purchases an outfit. Or walks her dog.

See more photos here.

Fur flies between Pamela Anderson, Diddy, and J.Lo

Note to Pam Anderson: You go, girl!

Pam's a vocal supporter of animal rights, and this time she's naming names in her battle to combat fur. She blames designers and fur manufacturers for lavishing stars with pelts in order to make wearing dead animals fashionable again. Says Pam, "They're desperate for a fur 'comeback' so they throw their pelts at any clueless celebrity, like Diddy or J.Lo, who'll wear whatever is free."

If Sean or Jennifer wishes to comment on being called a "clueless celebrity," I'd be happy to share the response on this blog. Then again, I'd want to know why folks as lavishly rich as Diddy and J.Lo need to accept free furs. Can't they afford their own? Perhaps the fur manufacturers could instead distribute their furs to the needy?

Pam also offers this style advice to the fur-wearing stars: "A fur coat just adds 20 years and 20 pounds to you, and if you get rained on you smell like a wet dog."

FemaleFirst has more--read it here.

Paris Hilton and her kinkajou. (Huh, what's that?)

Paris Hilton could be the subject of her own celeb pet blog. Seems like a week doesn't pass where she isn't photographed out with a pet. We'd like to thank Paris for offering us so much content for our blog, and we're sure she appreciates all the attention about her and her pets rather than who she's dating or, heaven forbid, what other videos might be lurking at the bottom of her sock drawer.

So, this time Paris was seen out and about with her kinkajou. You know, her kinkajou.

No, that's not some trendy nickname for a boy toy--A kinkajou (aka, honey bear) is an "arboreal mammal (Potos flavus) of Central and South America, having brownish fur and a long, prehensile tail." (Okay, we didn't know that--JustJared.com educated us and provided the picture at right.)

So intrigued were we that we checked out Wikipedia, and I hope she keeps him on a tight leash: "They are generally tame. However, some owners report unpredictable, vicious attacks by their kinkajous even after several years of non-aggression."

See more pictures of Paris and her kinkajou at JustJared.com.

BTW, you Tinkerbell fans shouldn't worry--Paris's pet chihuahua also came along for the ride.

Tim Allen is a Shaggy Dog

If you ask me, this early poster for the upcoming Disney flick The Shaggy Dog is a little, well, creepy. Seeing Tim Allen's eyes peering out from a shaggy dog mane is just a little disconcerting, don't you think?

In any event, the movie is coming out in March. It is a remake of the 1959 film and tells the story of a lawyer who occasionally transforms into a large, shaggy sheepdog. And not only does Tim star in the movie, he also co-wrote and produced it.

Three of the movie's stars have experience with canines. Tim says, "My dog is dumb as a box of rocks. If I walk around the back side of the car and the dog [is watching me], and [then] I come back around, he [barks like crazy]! And I go, 'It's me!'"

Robert Downey Jr., who stars in the film as Tim's nemesis, notes, "I have a lot of experience with dogs -- Mastiffs, Yorkshire Terriers -- throughout my life here on earth as a man who interacts with dogs."

And the lovely Kristin Davis notes that her pooch is pretty darn lucky (and not just because he gets to share a home with her): "My dog has a really good life. I think she knows it too." In fact the golden retriever's life is so fabulous that it flies in a private jet whenever she and Kristin travel together! "She loves it," says Kristin. "She has her own chair."

You can see the onesheet poster here. And read the Entertainment Tonight interview with the three stars here.

Dog is the most innovation of 2005, according to Time Magazine

Someone may want to let Time Magazine editors know that dogs have been around for about 150,000 years, because Time has named a puppy as 2005's most amazing invention. Of course, this is no regular puppy but Snuppy, a 5-month-old Afghan hound who happens to be the world's first cloned dog.

Being named the innovation of the year qualifies Snuppy as a genuine celeb, don't you think?

The pooch was cloned at Seoul National University in Korea by a 45-person team. Snuppy's genes are derived from a single cell taken from the ear of an adult Afghan, rather than the egg and sperm of a mother and father, Time said.

Other inventions featured in the magazine, due on newsstands on Nov. 14, include a bicycle with a hydrogen-powered fuel-cell engine, a one-time use video camcorder, and a robotic cat that recognizes speech commands.

You can read more about Snuppy here.

Sienna Miller, Jude Law, and their dogs

I'll leave it to the other celebrity sites to determine whether Sienna Miller and Jude Law are an item again. Did he plan a holiday with Sadie Frost? Did Heath Ledger bring them back together? Is she seeing James "Blond" Daniel Craig? Who cares! What's important is that their dogs are bringing the two beautiful stars together!

Egotastic couldn't actually offer a picture of Sienna and Jude in the same frame, but here are two shots of the two getting into the same car accompanied by their puppies.

Okay, I realize this is a pretty weak news item, but you have no idea how thin the celebrity news has been lately. I'm digging deep to keep you in the celebrity pet loop, people!

Ellen DeGeneres wants Jennifer Aniston's house and dog

I'm pretty sure Ellen DeGeneres was joking, but when Jennifer Aniston appeared on Ellen's show to promote the new movie Derailed, the talk show host claimed she dumped a deal to buy Jennifer's house because she wouldn't include her dog, Norman.

DeGeneres said, "When I was thinking about buying your house I wrote in that I wanted the dog to come with it... and you wouldn't give me the dog, and so I said never mind."

Was the listing, "4 BR, 2 BA, 1 dog"?

It's not much of a news item, but you can read it here on ContactMusic.com.

Speaking of dogs, have you seen Derailed? We've love to see Jennifer enjoy a fab post-Friends career, but she apparently needs to learn how to pick movie scripts as well as she does dogs! The Hollywood Reporter says "this flaccid psychological thriller keeps spoiling its own surprise by constantly signaling the big plot twist," and it's tough to find any reviewer with a positive thing to say.

How does one make a movie starring Jennifer Aniston and Clive Owen and have it suck? Couldn't you just have these two reading phone books on screen for 90 minutes and make it a watchable hit? Maybe if the movie had a dog...