This is the astonishing moment when one devoted man decided to risk life and limb to save his animal companion, who had fallen through the ice on a lake after chasing a group of ducks. The mischievous little dog – named Jarvis – was lucky however, and survived the icy temperatures thanks to his brave guardian Marc Greenhalgh, who defied sub-zero temperatures and plunged into the icy water.

Despite being warned by the fire service not to take the leap, Marc stripped off and waded through the ice to reach his dog, who was clinging onto the edge of the ice sheet with his front paws to stay afloat. Awww… The man of the hour said, “I didn’t think twice about it. Jarvis was in trouble and he needed my help.”

PETA is sending Marc a ‘Hero to Animals’ award for his act of compassion. Please join me in giving him a virtual pat on the back!

Images credit: Julie Brown

If I’m absolutely honest with you all, I blubbed like a baby when Alexandra Burke won The X Factor last month. And when ‘Hallelujah’ was announced as the Christmas Number One I had to suppress a little smile of triumph in front of my family, who were rooting for Peter Kay’s alter ego, Geraldine. But like the guardian angels for animals that we are, PETA did pick up on Alexandra’s little comment about wanting to buy a designer puppy for herself.

It seems the star is thinking about buying a ‘designer dog’ like a Bijon Frise or a Chihuahua, and whether she means to or not, this gives the cold shoulder to millions of unwanted dogs that end up in extremely crowded animal shelters around the world. Sadly, many of them are put to death simply because there aren’t enough good homes for them. Now we don’t believe for a second that Alexandra would want to contribute to that kind of wide scale suffering, so we sent a letter asking her to consider adopting a rescue dog from one of the many shelters in the UK.

We also reminded her that many pedigree puppies up for sale come from puppy mills, as Charlize Theron points out in the shocking video below. Conditions similar to those shown have been found at puppy mills in both the UK and the Irish Republic.

So now we wait with bated breath to see if the X Factor winner’s heart is as big as her fan base. Go on Alex, make the compassionate choice!

Image: Mirror / CC

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas! Well, I told you I’d be back with anything breaking, and if there’s been one story doing the rounds right now, it’s Prince Edward’s alleged ‘beating’ of two Labrador dogs.

As if a love of shooting helpless animals out of the sky wasn’t enough to attract an ‘animal abuser’ label, it would seem Prince Edward just had to sink that little bit lower. The Prince, a.k.a. the Earl of Wessex, was captured on camera with a hunting rifle in one hand and a four-foot long shepherd’s crook stick raised above two cowering dogs in the other. The dogs were grappling over a dead pheasant, no doubt one he had probably just sent falling from the sky. Now we don’t actually know if he got round to hitting the dogs or not, but they look pretty scared regardless, and let’s be honest, the whole thing came about because of a murdered pheasant. So however you look at it, it doesn’t bode well for animals.

As our director Robbie LeBlanc puts it, “As Prince Edward regards the killing of small, helpless animals as an enjoyable way to spend his spare time it is not surprising that his lack of compassion may also extend to man’s ‘best friend’. Hunting, as well as all other forms of cruelty to animals, should be outlawed.”

Image: Mirror / CC

If you think it’s been mighty cold out there over the past few months, just think what it must be like for animals who don’t have scarves and duvets to snuggle into. In the UK, I would hope most cats and dogs are kept inside, especially during the Winter months, but we hear more and more about those that are left outside to fend for themselves – come rain or shine. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and cats can still suffer from frostbite, exposure and dehydration when water sources freeze. Make sure you take good care of your companion animals this Winter by following our six simple tips:

· Take animals inside. Puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Dobermans, are particularly susceptible to the elements. Short-haired animals will also benefit from warm jumpers or coats.

· Don’t allow your cat or dog to roam freely outdoors. In cold weather, cats sometimes climb under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are badly injured or killed when the car is started. (By the way, to help prevent this, bang loudly on the bonnet of your car before starting the engine.) Animals can also become disoriented when there is snow or ice on the ground.

· Increase animals’ food in cold weather. In lower temperatures, animals burn more calories to keep warm. Also, ensure that animals are free of internal parasites, which can rob them of vital nutrients.

· Keep an eye out for strays. Take unidentified animals inside until you can find their guardians, or take them to an animal shelter. If strays are wild or unapproachable, provide food, water, and shelter (stray cats will appreciate a small doghouse filled with warm bedding), and call your local shelter or the RSPCA for help.

· Clean off your dogs’ or cats’ legs, feet, and stomachs if they have been outside in snow. Salt and other chemicals can make animals sick if they are ingested while the animals are cleaning themselves.

· If you see dogs left outdoors, provide them with proper shelter. Whilst ‘doghouses’ are less common in the UK, those in use should be made of wood (metal is a poor insulator) and positioned in a sunny location during cold weather. Raise the house several inches off the ground, and put a flap over the door to keep out cold drafts. Use straw for bedding (rugs and blankets can get wet and freeze).

With The X-Factor pulling in millions of viewing figures for every show, it’s safe to say that the public loves Simon Cowell. But what I hadn’t realised was quite how much… In a recent poll of 1,600 under-10s, when asked the question ‘Who is the most famous person in the world?’, the answer was not ‘God’. The answer was not ‘The Queen’. No, these came second and third to the man himself – Mr Simon Cowell.

And with his compassion for animals, we’re loving the kids’ answer! Simon has worked with PETA on a number of occasions, and my personal favourite is his anti-fur ad to the right. Simon knows that killing animals for fur items is cruel and unnecessary, and after all – if you wouldn’t your best friend why any other animal?

But that’s not all. The so-called ‘Mr Nasty’ also teamed up with us in 2006, when he starred in our ad urging people to avoid leaving dogs in hot cars during the scorching summer months. He said, “Far be it from me to be critical, but I find it really appalling that this year, thousands of dogs will die of heatstroke inside parked cars.”

You go, Simon!

To fetch his injured mate. In one of the most widely circulated videos of the week, we see a ‘hero dog’ risk life and limb to fetch a fellow dog who has been hit by a car on a Chilean motorway. I have to warn you, it’s a bit of a tearjerker but totally worth a watch. All over the world people are praising the mystery dog, who is missing in action, and it has been a great chance for people to see just how compassionate and empathetic dogs can be.

In similar news, it seems that dogs have a sense of fairness and jealousy. I love the pics that go with the story about the researchers in Austria who discovered that dogs will stop doing tasks, if not rewarded when another dog continues to be rewarded. So if two dogs are doing a “handshake test” and both are performing well but only one dog continues to get a treat, the other dog with get the ump and refuse to participate any longer! Apparently, this kind of behaviour has only been seen in primates before.

All hail the dog! Seems kinda sad dogs are killed for their fur in some countries, huh…

We’ve been reporting on the whole Kennel Club and Crufts debacle from the beginning, so it gives me great pleasure to announce that it looks like it may all be crumbling down at their feet. The BBC is considering ending their coverage of Crufts dog show, and if that happens… well, that could be the final nail in the coffin for the Kennel Club. Organisations such as the Dogs Trust, the PDSA and the RSPCA, as well as sponsors Pedigree, have already jumped ship. The media and the general public are all agreeing that the breeding of pedigree dogs for aesthetical reasons is inexcusable. But with no coverage on the BBC (and really, what other channel is now going to take on such a doomed project?), this signals the end of a show that puts the looks of a dog over his health, and even his life.

Now we need to all pool together and send messages of encouragement to the BBC, and help them see that dropping their coverage of Crufts is the best decision they could possibly make for dogs born into the world of pedigree eugenics. Remember the scenes from Pedigree Dogs Exposed of the pug gasping for breath, his face so flat he damages his eyes if he bumps into things; and the cavalier King Charles spaniel writhing in agony, who needed to be put to sleep to end his pain? This is our time to shine, people! The end is in sight, let’s send the Kennel Club to the doghouse.

Two of Britain’s ‘finest’ from Prestatyn, North Wales, have been convicted for abusing their dogs after a neighbour set up a camera overseeing their back garden, capturing 240 hours of video. Anja Mason and Craig Macleod were convicted of causing unnecessary suffering yet have seemingly kept their jobs and escaped a prison sentence. Instead they were given community service orders and banned from keeping dogs for 5 years. The video shows:

Mason kicking Tess (a Border Collie puppy) and picking her up by the neck to throw her across the back garden. Mcleod also picking up Tess by the neck and throwing her across the garden for no apparent reason, whilst hanging out washing. Mason picking up a stick and chasing after Tess to beat her, yelps could be heard on the video. Mcleod grabbing Snoopy (a Rottweiler) by the lead, dragging him closer and then hitting him hard on the nose, Snoopy tried desperately to back away.

“Unnecessary suffering?”.. or “torture?” And remember, the video also only shows events that happen outside of the house.

The PETA Foundation sent a letter to the magistrates court and Denbigh police calling for Mcleod and Mason to be removed from service, undergo thorough psychological evaluation followed by mandatory counselling at their own expense. In my opinion, allowing these two officers to go back to active duty is a time-bomb waiting to explode, the police are there to stop violence, not be the propagators of it – there is a strong connection between cruelty to animals and violence to humans and this may not be the last we hear of these two – I can only hope that it is.

For more information on the link between cruelty to animals and violence to humans, visit the PETA Foundation website.

If you’re walking in Tel-Aviv’s suburbs, particularly Petah Tikva! (excellent name), help is soon to be at hand if you step in some doggy doings! People are asked to bring their furry friend to a local vet where a swab of their DNA will be taken from inside their mouth, this can then be used to trace which canine companion has left behind their droppings!

Once the dog has been traced – a fine will be issued to the animal companion’s guardian for failing to pick up the poop! Though I wouldn’t fancy doing the analysing myself!

Now it’s not all bad news for people that live with dogs there, any poo put in specially marked bins on Petah Tikva’s streets will be eligible for rewards – including dog toys and food coupons for their companion.

IMAGE: CC | Bella Basset

Matt here (before you run off, don’t worry, her highness is back tomorrow!)

Scientists at the University of Vienna have released a study that – according to this article from the Mail - claims “living with humans has taught dogs morals.” The researchers state that the dogs’ sense of fairness is directly related to their contact with humans.

Now I may be as mad as Mad Jack McMad, but I always thought that humans were more well known for their systematic abuse of the world and all its inhabitants, wars, social control, power struggles, dominance – all brought about by yep….us! Not at all how I envisage the canine species, which in my contact with them has been filled with love, caring and loyalty. In my opinion, the latter traits in humans are often well hidden by the former..

This story from Argentina is a good example: A 14-year-old girl abandoned her newborn baby outdoors, in winter, in the middle of the night. When the baby was found, she was being kept safe and warm – not by the human being who left her to die or by any other human but by a dog.

The dog, called China, was keeping the baby girl safe among her own puppies and, perhaps seeing that she was weirdly hairless, had even covered her with a rag! Authorities theorize that China found the baby outdoors and carried her back inside. If not for China, the baby would have died unprotected against the cold outside.

So let’s face up to it – who should learn from whom here?