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    Sarah D. Bunting, Pets Editor

    Sarah D. Bunting, Pets Editor

  • A League of Their Own Turns 20

    It's hard to believe "A League of Their Own" came out 20 whole years ago - probably because it seems like I've watched it at least once a week since then. (I used to own it on VHS. I am old.) The movie's coming out on Blu-Ray to mark the anniversary, and if you live near the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, why not head over to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League reunion this weekend. Former players from the <a rel="nofollow">AAGPBL</a> will gather and celebrate, as they do every year, and some will even take the field against a local team. Can't make it to upstate New York? Wish the movie a happy birthday with this gallery, and pick up a few trivia tidbits about the film and the league. - Sarah D. Bunting <br> <br>

  • The 3 Percent: Female Athletic Directors at Top-Tier Football Schools

    <p> It's been 40 years since the federal government's Title IX legislation mandated equal athletic opportunities for men and women - but athletic departments haven't kept pace. A <a rel="nofollow" title="" target="_blank" href="http://www.sfgate.com/business/bloomberg/article/Women-Seen-Unfit-for-Football-as-Men-Run-97-of-3873924.php#page-1">Bloomberg News article</a> from earlier this week notes that only four women head up the sports departments at the 120 schools in college football's top tier. That's an anemic 3 percent. </p> <p> "The numbers are really, really small," Sandy Barbour, athletic director of Cal Berkeley, told Bloomberg's Curtis Eichelberger. "Frankly, we've actually gone backward. At one point, there were eight of us." And they're about to get smaller; Cary Groth, AD at the University of Nevada, is set to retire after this academic year. </p> <p> Big-time college programs pull in big-time revenues - and face big-time scrutiny, but pluses and minuses alike, it's still mostly the domain of a boys' club. Let's meet the members of the tiny sorority in the top jobs of college sports - Barbour, Groth, Western Michigan University's Kathy Beauregard, and North Carolina State's Debbie Yow. </p>

  • 7 Other Things to Remember on September 11

    Each year, 9/11 is a day of solemn remembrance, which is as it should be. But it's also a time to recall the positives that came out of that day -- the kindness among strangers, the estrangements mended, the way a nation and a planet came together if only for a short time. In the midst of the confusion and despair, small happinesses came to mean more than ever. It was the worst of humanity; it was also, in some ways, the very best. <br> <br> Some good things did in fact happen on this date. Let's reflect and remember the events of September 11, 2001 -- but if we have to cheer ourselves up with a few milestones from the world of sport, that's okay too. We're only human. <br>

  • 6 Things to Love About Novak Djokovic

    Aside from the awesome tennis-playing, the foxy haircut, and the hilarious backhand faces, here's a half-dozen more reasons Novak Djokovic is one of our favorite people on the tour. <br>

  • U.S. Open 2012: 7 Storylines

    You just never know what's going to happen in the <a rel="nofollow" title="" target="_blank" href="http://www.usopen.org/">U.S. Open</a> -- but the tournament will probably serve up some drama on these seven subplots. <br>

  • Tiny the Cat's Amazing Weight Loss

    <p> Left in a box at a shelter in Fredericton, NB (Canada) last December, Tiny weighed over 30 pounds. Since then, he's lost more than 10 pounds - an entire other cat! - and he's nearing his goal weight. We talked to the <a rel="nofollow" title="" target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/O8BzKi">Fredericton (NB) SPCA's</a> Director of Education and Training, LeeAnn Haggerty, about Tiny's health, how readers can slim down their own pets, and the party he's got planned when he's finally half the cat he used to be. </p>

  • 10 Smart Pets

    We love our cats, but we'll just say it: they ain't too bright. They chase their own tails, then get upset when they catch the tails; they keep forgetting they don't like jalapenos. Apparently, if we had <i>different</i> cats -- Balinese, say, or Sphynx cats -- we'd have smart cats. At least, that's what a list of the smartest pets says. It's courtesy by the <a rel="nofollow" title="" target="_blank" href="http://critters.blogs.starnewsonline.com/14097/ncvma-the-most-intelligent-pets/?tc=ar">North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association</a>, and it's a pretty interesting cross-section of companion animals. Read on to find out which pets got into the gifted-and-talented program. <br>

  • 13 Alternative Uses for Kitty Litter

    <p> With three cats marauding the halls of Shine Pets HQ, we don't have a lot of extra kitty litter kicking around. But it does seem, after changing the cat box, like we inevitably have a couple of orphaned cups left over. What to do with the excess? <br> </p> <p> As it turns out, cat litter has a ton of other household uses, for everything from camping to crafting to cooking. You can totally justify that 40-pound bag - even if you don't currently have a cat. Read on for a baker's dozen clever uses for kitty litter <i>besides</i> in the box. </p> <p> (Note: For most of these suggestions, we're talking about old-school non-clumping clay litter. Look for bentonite as the active ingredient.) </p>

  • Our Cat-ional Pastime

    We'd intended to build a slideshow of <i>dogs</i> at the ballpark today. So many cute snapshots of pooches wearing those little novelty hats that hold soft-serve ice cream! But then we came across a few pics of <i>felines</i> at the field, and we decided to bring you that gallery instead. (Don't worry, our hot-dog gallery is coming later.) Most of the cats pictured here don't seem that happy about taking in a baseball game -- and in the case of the black cats, the players don't seem that happy about it either -- but a superstar shortstop cheering on a sprinting tabby is at least as adorable as a pup in a home jersey, right? Enjoy! <br>

  • National Bunny Week Gallery

    It's National Bunny Week! We thought we'd celebrate our lop-eared friends with some cute photos -- and also some trivia and history. Was Brooklyn's Coney Island really a rabbit haven? What does it mean if you were born in the Year of the Rabbit? Hop on through our slideshow for more information (and cuteness). <br>

  • Fairy-tail Doggie Wedding Sets World Record

    The wedding in New York City Thursday night of Baby Hope, a Coton de Tulear, to Chilly Pasternak, a Poodle, set a new record as the most expensive animal wedding in history - and doubled as a black-tie gala benefiting the Humane Society of New York. Including Baby Hope's custom-sewn gown, the lighting design, a "Cake Boss" cake, and the dulcet services of the best orchestra in Gotham, the price tag came to <a rel="nofollow" title="" target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/Nm4skj">$158,187.26</a>. (The previous record-holder for a pricey pet wedding cost a "mere" $16,000.) <br>

  • Awesome Dads of the Animal Kingdom

    These animal dads of land, air, and even sea really go the extra mile -- carrying eggs, hunting for two (or ten), even giving birth! Take a quick break this weekend from celebrating our human dads, and appreciate these dads from other species! <br>

  • Sea Spot Run: Dogs (and Cats) at the Beach

    We love the beach -- but we love looking at pictures of pets loving the beach (or tolerating it, in the case of certain felines) almost as much. Stuck at your desk instead of sprawled on a towel? Take a mental vacay with these pics of dogs and cats having (...or hating) summer fun. <br>

  • Mother's Day, Animal Kingdom Style

    It's not always easy being a mom. Feeding the kids, cleaning up, teaching valuable life skills, mediating sibling squabbles -- and that's just the lions! <br> <br> In honor of the human moms we celebrate on Mother's Day, here's a cavity-inducing cavalcade of cuteness from the animal kingdom (or should we say "queendom"?), featuring moms and babies of all species. And to our own moms, we say thanks for everything...and especially for not carrying us around by the scruff of the neck. <br>

  • Kentucky Derby: Trivia from the Winners' Circle

    A series of fun facts and photos about past Kentucky Derby winners. Who hated to eat dinner late? Which horse needed a counselor to perform at stud? Which jockeys got in fights -- during the race? Behind the scenes with the champions. <br> <br> For more info on the country's longest-running sporting event, visit <a rel="nofollow">the Kentucky Derby website</a>. <br>

  • SPCA L.A.'s Shelter Cats Get Their Art On

    Animal Planet's "Must Love Cats" filmed its eighth episode at the spcaLA P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village & Education Center; the ep features cats playing with game apps -- including Paint for Cats. The shelter felines got really into the apps, and created some beautiful works of art (especially for painters with no thumbs!). <br> <br> The paintings have become notecards that you can <a rel="nofollow" title="" target="_blank" href="http://spcala.com/ecommerce/store.php?catagory=1&start=0&pic=66">buy online</a> and/or at spcaLA marketplaces; proceeds will benefit <i>all</i> spcaLA's shelter pets (canines too). Watch the "Must Love Cats" ep on Saturday, April 14 at 8 PM PT (or check your local listings). <br>

  • 5 More Animal Blogs

    Ease back into the post-holiday work routine with turtles riding turtles, cats with unfortunate "facial hair," and more. <br>