Recently in Animals Category

Update: Click here for KCBS/KCAL video of Dan and Van Nuys vet Dr. Michael Pitt

Above: Veternarian Dr. Michael Pitt rubs Dan, a german shepherd who spent 2 tours to Iraq as a bomb sniffing dog and is now under the care of Dr. Pitt at Mid Valley Veternarian. (Tina Burch/Staff Photographer)

Dennis McCarthy's Monday column on veterinarian Michael Pitt saving the lives of German shepherds serving in our military, including one named Dan who sniffed for bombs in Iraq, really hits home for me.

And not just because we used to have a German shepherd mix (Notorious D.O.G., aka Dogstoevsky).

Dr. Pitt used to be our vet at Beverly Oaks Animal Hospital in Sherman Oaks. One day he was there, the next not. I never did know what happened to him. Now I do: He's at Mid Valley Veterinary Hospital in Van Nuys.

He was always great with D.O.G. and my mom's dogs, too, and if I happened to have a pet that needed veterinary care, I recommend him very highly. (Prince Philip the fish, who Ilene is trying to rid of fin rot, hasn't needed any office visits — if they even do that with fish.)

From Dennis' column:

"His trainer at the academy called about three months ago and told me about Dan's war record, his injury, and that he was going to be put to sleep," said Dr. Michael Pitt, veterinarian at Mid Valley Veterinary Hospital in Van Nuys.

Pitt and his wife, Dinna, had already rescued another dog from the academy - Rex, a Belgian Malinois. Rex had washed out of military training because of an injury.

The Pitts flew to San Antonio, rented a van and drove Rex - who now lives with them - two days cross country back to Van Nuys.

"It was like Rex knew they were going to put him to sleep," Dinna Pitt said Monday. "He was living in a cage, and when we walked in, he ran out to the van and jumped in like he knew what was going on.

"For two days' driving, he didn't make a peep. I think he wanted to be good so we wouldn't take him back."

The Pitts would never have taken Rex back, and they were not about to let a war hero like Dan be put to sleep.

"This dog risked his life for you and me," Dinna says. "He deserves better."

I found this baby finch Web cam site via Boing Boing. Just click on the picture above for all the baby-bird Web cam-ness you want/need.