Now here's a pretty face

Pabst competes in the World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair on Friday, June 26, 2009, in Petaluma, Calif. The toothy 4-year-old Boxer mix won top honors.(Photo Credit: Noah Berger)

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Beloved Search Dog is Cloned Five Times

Former officer's beloved search-and-rescue dog lives on in five clones

James Symington's essay about his deceased German shepherd wins him five free cloned puppies in a contest sponsored by a bioengineering firm

The former Halifax, Canada, police officer's partner, Trakr, died in April. But on Wednesday, Symington took home five clones of the German shepherd as the winner of a contest run by a business that does stem-cell research and microengineering.

In his career as a search-and-rescue dog, Trakr helped recover more than $1 million in stolen goods and sniffed out the final survivor in the rubble of the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Symington choked back tears as he described his relationship with Trakr, who was by his side for 15 years.

"I always knew he'd be with me as long as I needed him," Symington said. "I think he waited and made sure the time was right."

Symington said he named the puppies after Trakr's qualities: Trustt, Valor, Solace, Prodigy and Deja Vu.

He said he hopes the animals will contribute to society just as Trakr did.

The dogs were cloned for Symington after he submitted an essay for a contest called the "Golden Clone Giveaway" run by BioArts International, a Northern California company.

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Mucky Pup Saved In Dramatic Toilet Rescue

A week-old cocker spaniel was the subject of an emergency rescue after being accidentally flushed down his owner's toilet.

The tiny pooch was trapped in a waste pipe for almost four hours after four-year-old Daniel Blair decided he "needed a wash" in the loo and pulled the chain.

Frantic attempts to find the flushed puppy began, but all efforts by the fire brigade and the RSPCA at the house in Northolt, Middlesex, failed.

The 'plumb' job landed to drain experts Dyno-Rod, who used specialist camera gear to locate the crying pet in a pipe 20 yards away from the Blairs' home.

Neighbours were warned not to flush their toilets to prevent him from being pushed into the main sewer and an engineer from the firm was called.

Cheering broke out as the pet was plucked out of the manhole to complete the rescue.

Distraught Daniel said he was "so, so sorry" about flushing Dyno down the toilet, vowing: " I won't do it again".

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The Animal Odd Couple

Small Dogs Scare Off Cougar In Oregon

Chiquita The Chihuahua And Rosie The Border Terrier Chase Off Cougar In Oregon

A big cat picked the wrong little dogs for a fight. Chiquita the Chihuahua and Rosie the border terrier chased off a cougar that strayed into this small town near the Oregon State University campus. The dogs' owner, Loren Wingert, said Chiquita and Rosie are tough, but lucky.

The cougar pinned down Rosie, who squealed, but Chiquita convinced the big cat to flee by barking ferociously.

Wingert lives in a cul-de-sac atop a hill that backs up to a wooded area with deer trails. Warning signs about cougars are posted on the trails.

Wingert said the dogs are fine.

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