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Greenies, the makers of the pricey pet treats will donate 15,000 bags of Greenies Pill Pockets to 150 animal shelters nationwide, including 100 bags for the Roanoke Valley SPCA. The hollow treats conceal needed medication for the finicky eater that just doesn't want to take a pill. The treats come in dog and cat varieties, and the local shelter will get 50 of each.

The company says this is a healthier alternative to burying pills in human food like hot dogs or my dogs' personal favorite: cheese.

My dogs do love Greenies, so this would work for my canine clan. However, my cat Thai does not eat treats of any kind, and giving him a pill requires two people wearing padded sleeves and masks like they use to train police dogs.

What works for you when you have to give your pet a pill?

Here's a video from last Saturday's dog wash at the Kirk Family YMCA. The event was a fundraiser for the RVSPCA. If you got your pooch shampooed at there, post a comment about your experience.

It's June and there are plenty of lovers walking down the aisle this month.
But could the bride be carrying a leash instead of a bouquet?

In honor of my anniversary on Tuesday, Here is a video from Petside.com about including your pet in your wedding.

Say hello to Miss Fiona, a cute kitten waiting for a good home at Angels of Assisi. Fiona is indeed a little girl kitty, uncommon but not out of the question for orange tabby cats. (For more information on cat colors and gender, click here.)

She is described as "an easy going one [that] loves scrunches and rubs." She even likes being carried.

If you like lovey-dovey cats, Fiona may be your girl. She and the rest of the feline population at Angels of Assisi are "adopt-one-get-one-free" for the rest of the month.

It's Bun Day on Friday, June 20, at Angels of Assisi in downtown Roanoke from 2 to 7 p.m.. The shelter has plenty of wascally wabbits looking for good homes.

During the open house event, you can learn more about bunny maintenance to make sure you are ready to add a rabbit to your home. There will also be activities for kids.

All bunnies have been spayed and neutered, so you won't wake up in a few weeks with more bunny love than you can handle. For more information, go the Web site.

We've seen enough humans do crazy stunts to win prizes on reality television shows, so it's time to let the dogs take over.

CBS will premiere "The Greatest American Dog" on Thursday, July 10 at 8 p.m. A dozen dogs, and the humans who love them, will live together and compete against each other in games "that put the owners' ability to train their dogs to the test," accordning to a CBS press release.

The show is hosted by zoologist Jarod Miller. The winning team will take home a $250,000 cash prize.

Check out "That TV Blog" here on roanoke.com (formerly "Idol Times") for weekly show recaps. Click on the video below for a promo of the show.

The Roanoke Dog Park is likely headed for a different location.

The park was originally planned for a half-acre of Fishburn Park, an area already designated as off-leash but lacking a fence to keep dogs safe from busy Brambleton Avenue.

Members of the dog park committee announced in an e-mail today that Fishburn is no longer considered the ideal location and they are now looking at Highland Park in Old Southwest.

Among the reasons listed for choosing Highland over Fishburn is that Highland is not near a major road, more than an acre of land with mature trees and a water source is available, and one side of the area is already fenced.

Highland is closer to downtown, which I know will make the urban dog families I interviewed a few months ago happy.

Perhaps most importantly, the neighborhood seems to want the park. Residents can meet with the dog park committee members in an open neighborhood meeting on Thursday, June 19, at 7 p.m. at the Gish House, 641 Walnut Avenue SW.

Life with our little Stormy is going well so far. I think. I hope.

Most days are good; I get a little concerned over some of the rough play in the back yard. Concerned to the point that the only time we let the terrier pup out with both greyhounds at the same time is the early morning potty break when they are still a little sleepy.

When Storm is out with just one big dog, they play and have fun. When all three of them are out there together, the hounds tend to gang up on Little Dude (his most common nickname) and roll him around and cover him with doggie noogies. The canine equivalent of stealing his lunch money.

Hackles go up, so we break it up. And then Storm looks at us like we spoiled his fun and he goes right back for more. There is a lot of greyhound psychology to this (all rules of nice play inside the house are forgotten in wide open spaces) so this is something we will have to work on for a while.

Monday night I was home alone with the pack since my hubby was out of town. I went through the usual dinner routine: Little Dude eats his supper upstairs while the big ones do their business in the yard. Then the puppy goes outside for his major transaction while the needle-nosed hounds come in for their dinner. Then we all come together in the family room for the evening.

It was going pretty well and I was rather proud of myself. Then it was time for bed. And Storm decides to avoid me.

He ran like a crazed jack rabbit through the house. Up the stairs, down the stairs. Under the dining room table and chairs, under the kitchen table and chairs. Anywhere I couldn't reach him. I ran square into one of the pet gates in the kitchen. A great deal of loud swearing ensued.

Little Brat (his second most common nickname) finally ran upstairs and into his crate. He then patiently waited for his good-boy reward for going into his den voluntarily. I catch my breath, close the door and give him his cookie.

I added an activity point to my WeightWatchers tracker for that escapade.

Trouble, the pampered Maltese that belonged to the late Leona Helmsley, will have to make ends meet on a greatly reduced trust fund.

Helmsley, who died last August, left the pooch $12 million in her will. In April a New York judge trimmed Trouble's inheritance to a mere $2 million in a deal worked out between Helmsley's human heirs and the state's attorney general's office.

That still should be enough for the 9-year-old dog to continue to live in the style in which she has become accustomed.

According to a news report on Reuters, Trouble lives with Carl Lekic, the general manager of a Helmsley hotel in Florida. Lekic is quoted that the money would cover annual costs of $100,000 for full-time security, $8,000 for grooming and $1,200 for food.

Lekic is paid a $60,000 annual guardian fee out of the inheritance.

Perhaps the pup won't need so many security guards now that she only has one-sixth of the fortune in her paws.

The brave folks at Blue Ridge Vineyards invite folks to bring their dogs, cats, puppies and kittens for a community pet show this Sunday from 2 to 7 p.m.

And you can sip some Botetourt County wine while you are there.

Competitions scheduled for the show include: cutest puppy or kitten, pet parent/pet look-a-like, most unusual dog or cat, most vocal pet, best costumes, most patient (not sure if that means the pet or the parent) and most Frisbee catches.

There will also be rally/obedience and agility events.

The first event costs $5 to enter; additional events are $2 each. And a five-spot will get you a souvenir glass for wine tasting. Leashes and vaccine records are required for pets; I am sure valid identification is required for the wine tasters as well.

The vineyard is located at 1027 Shiloh Drive in Eagle Rock. For more information, call 798-7642 or visit the Web site.