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This is Gracie. She likes to spend quiet afternoons in a sunny room reading The Roanoke Times' comics printed on an umbrella. Gracie enjoys the edgy humor of "Get Fuzzy," but feels Bucky Katt is misunderstood. She is undeniably attracted to "Garfield," and wishes her Aunt Lindsey would make her some lasagna.

Gracie, making her second appearance as a photo-of-the-week kitty, shares her home with loyal blog reader Kim. Gracie's aunt is blogger Lindsey Nair of "Fridge Magnet" fame.

Who says there are no Snowflakes in the summer?

This is Snowflake, a very sweet, people-loving kitty who has found herself looking for a new home at Angels of Assisi. She was turned in because her pet mom had allergies, and judging from this gray tabby's name, an odd sense of humor.

According to the folks at Angels, Snowflake is having a hard time living in a crate at the shelter. She apparently prefers laps and soft furniture. Then again, who doesn't?

If you would like to help Snowflake get out of the shelter, visit her at Angels of Assisi at 415 Campbell Avenue in downtown Roanoke.

And who can stop at just one kitty? Remember, cats are adopt-one-get-one-free for the rest of the month.

Dallas City Council approved new regulations yesterday that will limit the number of pets per home, require all but licensed breeders to spay or neuter their pets, and limit how long a dog can be tethered outside.

The ordinance was enacted to help animal control officers, who can barely keep up with calls about free-roaming animals, ease the strain shelters, where tens of thousands of animals are euthanized each year, and improve the quality of life for people and pets in the city.

According to a report on a Dallas television station's Web site, the city's animal shelter commission chairman, Skip Trimble, insisted that the city must move now to reduce the stray and feral animal population.

"It can only be done through sterilization," he said. "If we can't control the flow of water, we'll never stop mopping the floor."

The ordinance was passed by a vote of 10-3.

Critics of the new law feel it limits the rights of responsible breeders. However, mandatory spay/neuter laws do have significant impact on shelter euthanasia rates; the rate dropped 30 percent after the first year with such a law in New Hampshire in 1994.

What do you think? Should government enforce mandatory sterilization and limit the number of pets a family can have?

I called the Salem Civic Center to confirm that the Jack Russell terrier races, part of the Roanoke Valley Horse Show, are scheduled for Friday night's show.

The representative I spoke to could not say what time the dogs will hit the post, but she said it would be after the jumping events.

The show starts at 6 p.m. and tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids.

Click here to read a charming story written by author John Katz ("A Good Dog", "The Dogs of Bedlam Farms") about the budding romance of a Labrador retriever and a neutered ram.

Yeah, you read that right, a ram. A male sheep, mascot of many sports teams, emblem on Dodge trucks.

Real love knows no bounds.

One of the editors forwarded me this story, which was posted on roanoke.com as a news tip by a reader named Dorie in Roanoke:

"My toy poodle had 6 pups that are now 5 weeks old. One tiny pup was half as small as the others at birth and according to the vet, didn't have much of a chance to live. She now weighs a just under a pound.

The tiny pup not only fooled the vet, she saved her sister's life."

I'd hold on to that pup if you can, Dorie. She's obviously a good one to have around in a crisis.

I got this e-mail from a co-worker today:

"I was looking through your blog to see if you knew of any cat groomers in the area. It seems every place I call only works with dogs. My cat, Kali-Ma, has very long hair and is impossible to brush. She's been hair-ball-crazy lately and I'd like to get her groomed. Do you know of any places?"

My kitties have short hair so I can groom them myself with a brush (Thai actually will rub himself against the bristles if we hold it for him, effectively brushing himself) so I was no help here.

What do you say, readers? Anyone know of a cat groomer in the Roanoke area?

Save the date for fourth annual Horse & Hound Wine festival in Bedford on July 12. The paw-friendly festival returns with plenty of events for pooches, wine and food for people, and a parade for horses.

A prior commitment keeps me from going this year, but we had a great time when we attended last summer. It was brutally hot that day, but the event coordinators made sure to have plenty of water and wet towels on hand for the dogs, and a picnic shelter provided some relief from the sun.

If you want to go:

Where: Johnson’s Orchard, 2122 Sheep Creek Road, Bedford
When: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: $10 in advance for adults, kids and dogs; $15 per person at gate; children under 2 free
Contact: 586-3707 or go to peaksofotterwinery.com

All hail Gus, the nearly-hairless, three-legged, one-eyed cancer survivor named the World's Ugliest Dog at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Northern California on Saturday.

Gus is a Chinese crested, a breed that seems to have an edge in these anti-beauty pageants. Gus, however, brings the breed standard of unconventional appearance to a whole new level.

Still, the little guy is a scrapper in the face of adversity: he lost an eye in an altercation with a cat and he lost a leg to skin cancer, a battle he continues to fight. His devoted pet mom, Jeanenne Teed, told reporters she plans to use the prize money for his radiation treatments.

Gus will likely be making the rounds of TV shows soon, and the contest itself will televised on Animal Planet this fall.

Read the Associated Press story here.

(Photo by Associated Press)

Click here for information about doggie daycare at Six Wags Dog Park in Salem and a new shuttle service the park will offer beginning this week.