www.roanoke.com

Click here to read reporter Lerone Graham's story about Roanoke inmates who help out at Angels of Assisi, the downtown shelter conveniently located yards away from the city jail.

The no-kill shelter gets much needed help in keeping the living quarters for the adoptable pets clean and tidy, the dogs get some much needed fresh air and exercise, and those serving their 6-month or less sentences get to interact with cats and dogs that offer love without hesitation or judgment.

"Of course you know animals are all unconditional love. They don't care who you are or what you've done," said Nancy Brown of the Roanoke Sheriff's Office, who supervises the program.

Yes, folks, that nasty stench has reared its ugly head once again.

Blog reader Stacey would like to nominate Angus, 4, and Kona, 3 months for induction to the Wall of Shame.

Stacey writes:

"If you think one is bad, try two gas bags.The worst part is when they rough house- wow! And you can’t run away cause they’ll just follow you.
Saturday mornings sleeping in with them in the bed can be a little scary too.
I wouldn’t give them up for the world though- gas and all."

I hear ya, Stacey.  Our dogs like the Saturday-morning-snuggle-time, too, and that almost always means we dive under the covers. But we just open a couple of air fresheners and enjoy the cuddles.

Got a photo of a gassy pooch? Send it to pets@roanoke.com.

Who's with me on hating these cold, dreary, wet days?

Three days of relentless rain has left my household with three restless pooches. We have such a hard time getting them to go outside just to take care of business. And since they can't run off energy in the backyard, we have some pretty annoying, bratty dogs cooped up in our crib.

I extend my truest sympathies to the pet parents that have no choice but to leash-walk their dogs in this mess.

Last night the Stormy was bouncing off the walls, wagging his Wubba in my face, wanting me to play with him. And what could I do, really? He doesn't understand that Mommy was dead tired and she just wanted to watch "Glee."

Today I plan to take my lunch hour at the first sign of a break in the drizzle to see if I can get my pack to go outside, play and, of course, drag a ton of mud back into the house.

How are you entertaining house-bound pooches while these coastal storms keep making baby rain clouds all over this valley?

Meet Jackson and Jillian. The pair are 3-month-old Lab mix puppies.

J. and J. will be featured as the Puppies of the Week in this Sunday's New River Current.

These two pooches are at the Floyd County pound and, from what I understand from Current staffers, their time is running out. If an adoptive home isn't found soon, they will be euthanized.

The pair are desribed as happy, healthy and sweet. There's just not enough room at the pound.

If you know of anyone who was planning on a pound puppy for Christmas, why wait? Contact Cathy at 763-3299 or Nancy 230-0867 or e-mail dshaley@swva.net or visit Kids and Kritters, www.helpacritter.org

The Roanoke Valley SPCA is participating in the national “Foster A Lonely Pet For the Holidays” pet fostering program.

Over 13,000 pet rescue organizations nationwide are trying to empty the kennels for Christmas, encouraging families to open their home for the holidays to an adoptable pet waiting for a forever home.

Fostered pets can be picked up between December 18-23, and can be returned to the RVSPCA between December 30-January 2.

The RVSPCA will provide all needed supplies and support to the temporary families. You can view all of the pets online at www.rvspca.org, or visit the shelter to meet them.  The goal is to have each of these pets into a home by noon on December 23.

Ann Marie Sweeney, foster coordinator for the RVSPCA, will answer questions about the program for people interested in making this Christmas a happy holiday for a pet in need.  Contact Sweeney at 344-4840, ext. 208 or e-mail asweeney@rvspca.org.

Click here to read reporter Amanda Codispoti's story about Boca, a retired Roanoke Police dog who died of cancer at age 12.

Boca served with Officer R.D. Cox, pictured here.

"Having him as a partner, it was wonderful," Cox said. "He was always going to be there for me, and he proved it time and time again."

Please take a moment today to remember all who serve, from our soldiers to our police, fire and emergency personnel, who put themselves in harm's way every day to keep us safe.

And please also remember the dogs who work beside them, whose loyalty, bravery and intuition allow our servicemen and women to do their jobs more effectively.

(Photo courtesy of Officer Cox)

Blog reader Michelle sent us this photo of her dog Sugar, dressed up for Halloween. And she also sent this photo of her cat Max, who apparently decided "game over" and confiscated Michelle's husband's golf balls during an afternoon of living room putting practice.

Meowza! We have a winner. A bit delayed in the annoucement, but nonetheless...

The commenter claiming the prize "Cat Lover's Daily Companion" is...Other John.

Other John wrote:

"Cats are great because they are fur-covered hot water bottles that help keep you warm during a cold winter's night! Also, they are part of the green energy movement as evidenced by their solar-power collection needs on the floor wherever the sun is shining brightest. They are fashion-conscious when it comes to coordinating white and orange fur on the darkest of pants and suits, wanting to jazz up that important business meeting you have in the morning with some color. And possibly most importantly, they are the world's most reliable alarm clocks, as their stomachs keep time better than the most expensive Rolex, and unlike the watch, they lack a snooze button so it's impossible to oversleep!"

Other John is a frequent commenter and a certified kitty slave. Other John: Please send an e-mail to pets@roanoke.com with your mailing address and the book is on it's way.

A very, very close second was Sharron Smith, wrote wrote:

"I am a dog person: I am unable to explain how I ended up with four cats and no dog. My life is littered with unused scratching posts, cat thrones with a view, litter boxes tucked in secluded recesses, and an assortment of feathery/squeaky items that clog my vacuum. I devote more time to the selection of cat food than I do to the selection of husband food. I receive birthday and holiday gifts with cat pictures, paw prints, and "purrfectly" witty sayings. We now have cat ornaments for the Christmas tree: last year we received a gift basket of cookies that had two bags of cat treats tucked inside. I often wonder what life would be like if I were a cat person."

The race was so close that if Sharron will also send an e-mail to pets@roanoke.com with her mailing address another lovely book may just find it's way to her mailbox.

Tails up to everyone for participating.

Hello blog readers. Sorry that I disappeared on you for a few days. I won't bore you with details but let's just say I needed a bit of tender loving care. I am lucky to have a wonderful family that includes a caring hubby and daughter with cats and dogs, too, so I had lots of love to help me feel better.

People in hospitals and extended care facilities are often not so lucky. A visit from a pet can be just what the doctor can't order to lift the spirits and calm the soul.

And sometimes kids just need a friendly ear that will listen without interruption or judgment, and maybe offer a snuggle of encouragement, too.

That's what wonderful about TheraPets.

Click here to read yesterday's column about the dedicated group of volunteers that spans three generations and includes lots of sweet pooches that help other people feel good.

I also need to clear up an error I made: The phone number for TheraPets is 772-9542. I listed it incorrectly in the information box in the newspaper.

(Photo by  Kyle Green/The Roanoke Times)

Click here to read an Associated Press story about a cat in Iowa that has been confirmed with H1N1.

The 13-year-old feline has been treated and is recovering. Two people who lived in the house with the cat also reported flu-like symptoms.

Transmission of the disease is more likely to occur from human to pet than the other way around. Officials recommend frequent hand washing to prevent the spread of germs, including before and after feeding and handling pets.