Rhode Island has become the first state to require cat owners to spay or neuter their pets, or obtain a breeder's license. Faced with climbing costs to euthanize stray animals, Gov. Don Carcieri signed legislation forcing cats older than six months to receive the procedures, or pay $100 for a license.

A judge was told that the court is no place for man's best friend. According to an agency spokeswoman, Judge Norene Redmond was told by the State Court Administrative Office that she was not to bring her two pet terriers into the courtroom.

A court in Spain has bared a man from seeing his dog following a divorce. At first, the Spanish man was awarded visitation rights by a court in Barcelona.

When it comes to divorce cases, a Spanish court has stated that dogs should not be treated like children with allocated visiting rights. When this one Spanish man got a separation from his wife, she agreed that he could come over to see Yako, their golden retriever.

A resident of Coral Springs was walking his puppy and his older dog on Monday morning, when the puppy ran ahead. The owner of the dog heard the puppy yelp. He realized that an alligator had grabbed his puppy by the head at the edge of a pond nearby where they were walking. The man jumped into the water up to his neck and tried to fight the alligator off by beating it with his fists. Then he began to hold onto his dog while the alligator rolled in the water.