www.roanoke.com

Cara and Dennis McClane thought nothing of letting their dog Roxie, wander the woods near their Franklin County home. Cara McClane said her chocolate lab liked to splash in the nearby creek. And she always came home.

That is, until Dec. 3, when Roxie did not show up for supper.

It took two days of searching, but the McClanes finally found Roxie, shot in the neck, barely alive and badly infected. McClane said Roxie’s collar, with her name and address, had been removed. Her injured body was hidden under sheet metal and a tire to conceal the results of some idiot’s reckless mistake or sick idea of fun.

When McClane told me this story, she said she was under the impression that hunters in this area think nothing of shooting dogs.

I asked Roanoke Times outdoor editor and avid hunter, Mark Taylor, if hunters he knew had such an attitude, and he assured me they did not. Mark wrote an excellent column in Sunday’s newspaper about this and other examples of bad behavior of hooligans who should not be confused with real sportsmen and hunters.

McClane told me she wished they had not let Roxie wander, but she was in an area the family thought was safe, where Roxie could play and just be a dog.

But in retrospect, letting a pet loose in the woods during hunting season is probably not a good choice. Honest mistakes can happen. It’s no excuse for the vicious and cowardly act that claimed Roxie’s life, but maybe this story will save another pet from tragedy.

Keep your dog on a leash or in a fenced yard, folks. It’s really the best way to keep them safe.

This is Stinky, who staked out the best place in the house to wait for Santa.

Stinky was the last entry in the holiday photo contest. A winner will be announced tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who sent in photos!

Harry looks quite dapper in his holiday formal wear.

According to dogcars.com, a Web site dedicated to people who seldom leave home without their favorite canine, the best car for dog owners is....drum roll please...the 2007 Honda Element.

The Web site has awarded its first ever "DogCar" of the Year award to the boxy SUV, giving it five out of five paws for it’s usefulness to pet families.

Dr. Marty Becker and PetConnection.com blogger Gina Spadafori are the creators of the site, which is filled with content relevant to pooches and the people who chauffeur them.

"Love or hate the look, no matter: The Element is as good a DogCar as could possibly be imagined." the authors posted. "From its versatile interior to its anti-nose print windows, everything about the Honda Element has dog-lovers howling with happiness. The easy-to-clean Element is a near-perfect DogCar with just the right canine chemistry."

Other vehicles that got puppy props include Suzuki Forenza, the Dodge Caravan, and the Land Rover Range Rover (insert dog name joke here.)

For those who want to reduce their carbon paw-print, the Ford Escape Hybrid is listed as a good choice.

According to Becker and Spadafori, the essential features in pup-friendly vehicles include seats that fold flat or are easily removable, lots of usable cargo space, and locks that prevent dogs from unlocking a door or rolling down a window.

We considered cargo room and the ease of loading an unloading our dogs when we choose my husband's Pontiac Torrent this summer. I drive a compact car, and we needed at least one vehicle that could tote our pups.

Anti-nose print windows? Had we known that, we may have looked more closely at the Element.

Did you use the Fido factor when you chose your vehicle? What canine-related features did you consider when you finally bought your doggy taxi?

Are thinking about sharing the love of a companion animal with someone special on your Christmas list this year?

Many kids beg parents for a new puppy or kitten, and would be thrilled to find a cute little four-legger waiting for them under the Christmas tree. You may be tempted to surprise your sweetie with something furry and cuddly and tied with a bright red bow.

With so many pets in shelters, giving a dog or a cat a forever home for the holidays does sound like a great way to celebrate the season.

But as good as your intentions are, it’s just not a good idea to surprise someone with a new pet for Christmas.

If you know someone who is yearning for a kitty, or if your kids have promised you by blood oath that they will really help care for a puppy, consider giving a gift certificate from the Roanoke Valley SPCA.

The gift certificate covers the adoption cost of a dog, cat, puppy or kitten. This allows the recipient to take as much time as needed to meet the available pets and wait to find just the right match. This also lets the entire family be part of the decision-making process in choosing the new pet.

Tuck the gift certificate inside a book on housetraining a new puppy, or wrap it up with a catnip mouse, and you will give the best gift possible to a prospective pet parent.

It doesn't look like Ms. Pebbles is too pleased with her Santa-style ruff and hat.

Her pet mom, Michelle, wrote that she was laughing so hard when she took this photo that poor Ms. Pebbles must have thought her mom had lost her mind.

Bailey, a maltese/terrier mix, is described by his pet mom, Kelly, as "loveable and fun."

This picture is just beautiful.

I am having a lot of fun with this photo contest, so I hope all you readers are as well.

Here's Tucker and Rocky posing for their first Christmas picture. These West Highland terrier pups are 7 months old brothers and their pet mom describes them as "full of energy."

If the gorgeous fireplace and Christmas tree look familiar, it's because Abby, Angie and Andy’s pet mom, our now famous trio of poodles, dressed them up and took their picture.

Rosco is a 9-year-old pomerainian and poodle mix, a pomma-poo, who would count the days until Santa brings him new toys. But dogs can't count. So he will have to rely on his pet mom, Theresa, to do that for him.

This is Daisy, a bearded collie, and I think she really belongs on the nice list, despite evidence to the contrary in this photo.

Daisy's pet mom, Lori, wrote "I took this picture 3 years ago when she was a puppy. Daisy was into everything back then so we wanted to introduce her to our card recipients as a possible troublemaker, taking my daughter's slipper instead of retrieving it for her."