Everyone meet ALF (GREAT NAME).   It is our honor to announce ALF is our Facebook Dog Of The Day.   Alf and his wonderful dad, Keith Howard-Challis, hail from across the pond (God Save The Queen).   Alfs dad graduated from The London School Of Economics and Alf has learned some economics of his own:  ALF + stuffed toys = Happy Newf.    I mean seriously look at this face!!!  Have you ever seen anything cuter?  I think NOT!!!! 

Everyone meet, Callen, aka affectionately called “Snot Nose” by his mom, Debbie Elgonitis Schwechel.  Callen is our Facebook Dog of the Day for his impressive nose art.  As I told Deb, I believe him to be a true artisic visionary, dare I say avant-guarde.   The lines, the way he has used his shading, the randomness of it all.  What other artist out there can use mud to tell a story.   Picasso has nothing on Callen.    He is a true artistic talent.    I still think Deb needs to go check foundation of her house though. LOL

By Anthony Bond

It is normally used to wrap up large cardboard boxes or fix household objects.

But as these incredible images show, talented artists have managed to find other uses for Scotch packing tape by creating these sensational sculptures.

An annual contest organised by the U.S. firm has seen amazing entries including a life-size mermaid and full-scale car.

 

Talented: Artists have managed to find new uses for Scotch packing tape by creating these sensational sculptures. This piece won the contest set by the U.S. firm

 

Winner: Jake Longenecker, from Manheim, Pennsylvania, scooped a $5,000 cash prize with this Free Fallin’ piece. It is a skydiver made from 15.5 rolls of tape and inspired by a Second World War era paratrooper

The company set customers the challenge of creating imaginative art pieces just using rolls of the sticky tape.

It led to dozens of entries and 30,000 votes being cast to find a winner.

Eventually Jake Longenecker, from Manheim, Pennsylvania, scooped the $5,000 cash prize with his Free Fallin’ piece.

It is a skydiver made from 15.5 rolls of tape and inspired by Second World War era paratrooper.

 

Incredible: Abigail Colety, from Austin, Texas, won $1,000 as runner-up for this piece called Game Night – a depiction of two people playing draughts made using 9 rolls of tape

 

Different: The competition led to dozens of entries and 30,000 votes being cast to find a winner. This entry is called King of the Jungle

Mr Longenecker said: ‘My objective was to capture the action and intensity of such a simple and graceful act, such as falling through the sky.

‘I accomplished this by uniformly wrapping parts of my own body with tape, which were later assembled into the skydiver.’

Abigail Colety from Austin, Texas, won $1,000 as runner-up for Game Night, a depiction of two people playing draughts made using nine rolls of tape.

Other entries included a bicycle, Spider-Man, Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, a ballerina on a tightrope as well as several dogs.

 

Unique: This is called Take a Seat and Fly Away

 

Lifelike: This piece called Come Play With Me is made from six rolls of tape

 

Dedication: The Creation of Adam Artist by Gavin M Puyallup took two weeks to make.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2144812/Talented-artists-create-sensational-sculptures-using-everyday-household-packing-tape.html#ixzz1uxq6ZpBV

By Steve Doughty, Social Affairs Correspondent

Dog owners whose pets harm others should be jailed for at least six months, according to strict new guidelines.

The Sentencing Council said the tougher punishments follow a rise in convictions for dangerous dog offences.

Its updated rules set a standard of six months in prison for anyone in charge of a dog which is  dangerously out of control and injures a person or other animal. 

The most serious cases, such as repeated attacks or where the victim is a child or elderly, should be punished more severely, with 18 months in jail.

However, courts were free to ‘use more severe sentences when appropriate,’ said the council, which sets advice for judges and magistrates.

The new rules also suggest that owners who let their dogs run dangerously out of control should face six months in jail even if no one is injured.

Anne Arnold, a district judge and council member, said: ‘Most dog owners are responsible and take good care of their pets.

‘But we have seen more and more cases of owners who have put the public at risk or let their dogs cause injuries,  sometimes very serious.’

There was a 39 per cent rise in the number of people sentenced for dangerous dog crimes in just a year, up from 855 in 2009 to 1,192 in 2010.

The number of dog bites reported at A&E departments has nearly doubled in a decade, reaching 6,097 in the year to April 2011.

The guidelines also urge the courts to use powers to put down dangerous animals, ban offenders from keeping dogs and to compensate victims.

Ministers are working on a consultation paper on the best way to control dangerous dogs, including an option to micro-chip all puppies.

The Dogs Trust and Blue Cross animal charities welcomed the tougher sentences.

However, the Blue Cross also called for new laws to target irresponsible owners to prevent attacks happening.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2144506/Danger-dog-owners-pets-harm-face-minimum-months-jail.html#ixzz1uweAC5Bt

By Christine Show

A young boy who noticed a Westboro Baptist Church picket line staged a counter protest with his own sign that read ‘God hates no one.’

Josef Miles, 9, was inspired to take a stand against the independent church known for its objection to homosexuality after watching Westboro protestors at the Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas.

The boy stood alongside the picketers who waved signs with messages like ‘Too late to pray’ with his cheery message on Saturday. 

Josef had been walking around the campus of the university as students celebrated graduation day.

He was visiting the school with his mother, Patty Akrouche.

They came across the line of protestors from the church based in the city.

Its members typically show up at funerals of American soldiers and of gay people who died from murder or disease.

 The boy asked his mother if he could come up with his own sign.

He used a small sketchpad an scribbled his message on it using pencil.

Then he decided to stand across from the picket line and hold out his sign.

 

Message: The boy decided to take a stand against the group known for strongly opposing gays after reading some of their signs (file photo)

A snapped photograph shows the boy holding out his sign as Westboro protestors clutch posters that attach hate speech to God.

The church is largely considered a hate group for its messages and protests at sensitive events.

It is led by Fred Phelps and several of his family members.

The group often claims that acts of murder and other tragedies is God’s response to people’s tolerance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2144548/Boy-9-creates-God-hates-sign-counter-protest-Westboro-Baptist-Church-picket-line.html#ixzz1uwbt7pXV

Who’s the master in this relationship then?

With some standing nearly 6ft tall, you might think its the pets who are taking the lead in these incredible pictures.

Not only do the oversized dogs tower over their owners, they have wagging tongues as big as human heads. 

 

It mutt be love: A pet owner with his arms round a massive, super-fluffy dog

 

Man’s best friend: These two are big chums 

 

Super-cuddly: The owner in this picture has quite a grin. Not surprising really, his dog is adorable 

 

Tongue out: Dwarfing its owner, this big pet is quite a sight in front of the camera

 

Grizzly: A dog takes a seat alongside its owner. It’s not easy carrying around all that weight all day

 

Huge: This friendly wolf-like beast is way bigger than its owner

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2144694/Down-boy-The-oversized-dogs-tower-owners-like-big-cuddly-bears.html#ixzz1uwaczLbZ

Animal lovers are known to do just about anything for their pets.

But these families seem to have gone a step further to show their affection.

A set of hilariously posed photos from the team behind AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com is a reminder of what can happen when pet owners become a bit obsessed. 

 

Glamour shots: They didn’t want the dogs to miss out on such a grand affair 

 

Criminal: Looks like this mutt got into the wrong crowd

Mike Bender and Doug Chernack are the authors of Awkward Family Photos, a collection of some of the most excruciating poses, hairstyles and fashion choices ever to be captured in print.

 An online gallery ranges from absolutely absurd (take the example of a man posing with a monkey in the shower), to overly staged (a family dressed in white gowns and tuxedos posing with their Maltese).

 

Help me! Little guy picked an unfortunate place to nuzzle up

 

In the buff: Was there not a towel around?

 

Scary: Is an animal sacrifice about to go down?

 

Back at the barn: The family that’s awkward together, stays together

 

Ready to ride: Why take the car when you have a perfectly well-coiffed mule?

Man of the house: It’s not the guy on the left

 

Look this way! Getting a pig to pose is rough work

 

From our family to yours: This Christmas card is one to remember

 

All dolled up: Lassie is going to enjoy his new chew toys later

 

Wild: There can never be enough cats!

 

Man’s best friend: Family photos that have gone to the dogs

 

New friends: A skunk, a dog and a bird did not authorise these images

 

Wrong cage, honey: A little girl enjoys a few laughs while holding her dog stuck in a hampster ball

 

 

Eyes on the road! The adorable pup couldn’t wait to give his owner a big sloppy kiss – let’s hope it didn’t cause any accidents

 

Snuggles! A woman gives two furry friends a bear hug 

 

Cats and mice: The Eighties are back, and these animals are not happy about it

 

Reindeer games: These families are getting in the spirit with awkward poses 

Barnyard animals are not exempt, with donkeys, pigs and chickens seeming to endure their owners’ nuzzles.

Some unfortunate pets are dressed to match, including a pair of dogs in Yamakas and tallit prayer shawls and a mule in reindeer ears.

But those are tame in comparison to the poor dog used to cover his owner’s modesty as a man poses in the nude with his son at graduation.

Another sad pup looks up from a man’s trousers as he sits on a toilet, the photographer no doubt choosing to capture the moment forever on camera rather than save it from its unfortunate choice of location.

 Kinder animal owners have a way of sympathising with their pets, albeit in a questionable way. A family of three decided it was a good idea to pose on all fours wearing e-collars just like their injured pooch.

As the authors of the book, Mike Bender and Doug Chernack quite rightly said: ‘We adore our pets, but let’s face it – sometimes L-O-V-E makes us go a little overboard.’