Humane Society

Want to buy a camel? How about a tiger? In Ohio, where a man this week freed his 56 wild animals before shooting himself, all you need is cash and a crate, and you can pick one up at any number of exotic animal auctions held there. And if you live in Ohio, you need no permit to keep your new pet. But don't think about bringing your purchase into Pennsylvania without a permit or taking it to New Jersey at all. In Pennsylvania, ownership of most large wild animals, such as bears, lions, and other big cats, requires license holders - of whom there are currently only 28 - to complete a rigorous application and undergo annual inspections by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

WHY WERE MICHAEL VICK and U.S. Rep. Bob Brady dining together at Chops (401 City Ave.) in Bala Cynwyd Tuesday night? The Eagles quarterback and the congressman have become friendly. Brady accompanied Vick to a Humane Society event Tuesday afternoon at the Hunting Park Recreation Center. We asked Brady what the pair talked about over dinner. "I'm helping him work some things out. He's got this bankruptcy thing he needs some help with, whatever," Brady said. He denied that he was personally involved in Vick's bankruptcy case and said, "We just talk about things; we became friends.

A year ago at this time, Michael Vick was facing questions about a shooting outside his 30th birthday party, his future in the NFL in doubt. On Tuesday, though, Vick went to Capitol Hill to endorse a proposal that would make it a crime to attend an animal fight or bring a child to such an event. Vick, who was released from prison in 2009 after serving 18 months for leading a dogfighting ring, appeared with leaders from the Humane Society of the United States to back the bill, now pending before Congress.

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is expected to appear before Congress today to support a bill that would make it a crime to attend a dogfighting or cockfighting event, according to reports. The Wall Street Journal and the Morning Call of Allentown, reported that Vick, who was convicted of dogfighting charges in 2007, will join Wayne Pacelle, head of the Humane Society of the United States, to endorse the bill. According to the Morning Call, the bill, titled H.R. 2492, was introduced by U.S. Reps.

Patti and Daisy would be so happy. Patti is my oldest hen, having recently turned 7. Daisy is my youngest, having recently celebrated her seventh week on the planet with a beakful of corn scratch and a contemplative session atop her perch. I try to give them a good life, and they in turn will give me eggs. What I wish I could tell them is that their 280 million sisters, give or take, are about to get better digs. Last Thursday, the Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers announced an agreement to push for federal legislation that would change the way producers house and treat America's egg-laying chickens, a busy lot that pumps out more than 70 eggs per 100 chickens every day. While animal welfare isn't necessarily integral to sustainability, it certainly seems germane.

Someone apparently hung a South Jersey puppy on a sign to die, and authorities are hoping a $3,000 reward will help solve the case. On Friday, the Humane Society of the United States added $2,500 to $500 already posted by the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals "for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction" of the culprit. Four-month-old Lilly, a Pekingese, was found May 24 off a road in Sicklerville with her collar "intentionally entangled in the framework of a portable sign, causing strangulation," the Humane Society said in a statement.

There's more on the menu than tasty lunch dishes and homemade treats at the new Black Cat Cafe in Devon. Scattered throughout the yellow-and-lavender restaurant are pictures of cats in need of homes. The one-of-a-kind spot is run by PALS, a Main Line pet-rescue group, and is serving up food along with a feel-good mission: to find homes for unwanted cats. Earlier this year, PALS bought the former tea shop at 42 Berkeley Rd. intending to rent it out, but decided to try its own paw, er, hand at running a cafe.

Now Michael Vick is even speaking out against virtual dogfighting. Dog Wars, a game created for the Android mobile platform, has met with objections from the Eagles quarterback and the Humane Society. "I've come to learn the hard way that dogfighting is a dead-end street," Vick said in a statement released Monday. "Now, I am on the right side of this issue, and I think it's important to send the smart message to kids, and not glorify this form of animal cruelty, even in an Android app. " Because Dog Wars has players condition dogs to fight, "this game may be a virtual training ground for would-be dogfighters.

Now Michael Vick is even speaking out against virtual dogfighting. An Android app called Dog Wars has raised the hackles of the Eagles quarterback and the Humane Society of the United States. "I've come to learn the hard way that dogfighting is a dead-end street," Vick said in a statement released Monday. "Now, I am on the right side of this issue, and I think it's important to send the smart message to kids, and not glorify this form of animal cruelty, even in an Android app. " Vick has been making other video-game news, as well.

LANCASTER, Pa. - Animal-welfare advocates are celebrating a state Senate committee vote on a measure that would outlaw pigeon shoots and other target shoots with live animals. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11-3 in favor of the measure, which prohibits "use of live animals or fowl for targets at trap shoot or block shoot" gatherings. The bill heads to the full Senate. "I'm elated," said Heidi Prescott, senior vice president of campaigns for the Humane Society of the United States.