Yukon, the 16-year-old polar bear, had a tooth pulled Thursday at The Seneca Park Zoo. Veterinarians used a hammer and chisel to remove an infected tooth they believe has given the bear a bad case of bad breath.

Marlene Kess, who has a reputation as a cat lover, running a "no-kill" animal shelter in Manhattan, was charged with health code violations after 200 dead cats were discovered in her backyard, rotting away in garbage bags. According to Sgt. Joseph Bierman of the state's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, it appeared the dead cats were going to be buried in a large hole that had been dug.

Blood from sheep butchered in a religious ritual at one of South Africa's busiest tourist beaches could lure sharks towards those in the water. The Leader of the Healing Oracle, Prophet Moses Michael said the ritual was inspired by the Old Testament to help cure sick people.

An international animal rights group plans to send a protester dressed as a bear to follow the Queen when she visits Canada this month. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants the Royal Family to stop using black bear furs to make the hats that ceremonial guards wear at Buckingham Palace.

New law under the city council in Turin, Italy, puts pressure on pet owners to treat their animals properly - having to follow the most stringent animal protection guidelines in the country. The 20-page rulebook details specific treatment of animals expected by the people of Turin. Dog owners will be fined up to 500 euros ($650) if they don't walk their pets at least three times a day. People will also be banned from dyeing their pets' fur or "any form of animal mutilation" for merely aesthetic motives such as docking dogs' tails, under the law about to be passed in the northern Italian city. "In Turin it will be illegal to turn one's dog into a ridiculous fluffy toy," the city's La Stampa daily reported. Italians can already be fined up to 10,000 euros and spend a year in prison if found guilty of torturing or abandoning their pets, but Turin's new rules go into much greater detail. Dogs may be led for walks by people on bicycles, the rules say, "but not in a way that would tire the animal too much. " Italy considers itself an animal-loving nation and in many cities stray cats are protected by law. Still some 150,000 pet dogs and 200,000 cats are abandoned in Italy every year, according to animal rights groups. To enforce the law, Turin police would rely largely on the help of tipsters spotting cruel treatment by their neighbors, La Stampa reported.