The Central Missouri Humane Society held a meeting Tuesday evening to hear arguments regarding a possible change to their pet placement policy.

Officials at the organization, a nonprofit that aims to promote pet care and rescue animals from dying in shelters, proposed that the Humane Society should alleviate the problem of overcrowded shelters by relaxing pet adoption policies, NBC affiliate KOMU reports.

While some volunteers acknowledge that looser restrictions would help to increase the rates of pet adoptions, they worry that the animals could go to owners who are not fit for adequate pet care.

"The board’s perspective is valid and brings a lot to the table, but the volunteers also want to be heard," Amanda Stogsdill, Human Society volunteer and owner of a shelter pet told the news provider. "Volunteers see what goes on in the shelter every day, whereas many of the board members are not actively involved in day to day processes."

Among the policy changes the nonprofit is considering, officials wish to forego background checks of prospective pet owners through references such as landlords, co-workers and friends.

The U.S. Humane Society reports that there are about 74.8 million owned dogs in the U.S. and about 3 million to 4 million in shelters.

A purse is no place for poodle, and a hermit crab is just about the only pet that would enjoy being stashed away in a suitcase. Nonetheless, 35 percent of pet owners admitted that they’ve bent the rules and snuck their pet into a hotel or motel, according to a recent survey commissioned by AAA and Best Western International.

While not every animal lover has the cunning or the courage to usher a meowing pocketbook past a concierge desk, more than 75 percent of pet-owning respondents to the travel and accommodation survey said that they would bring their pet with them on every vacation, if possible, Reuters reports. However, more than 50 percent said that they’ve had a difficult time finding pet-friendly accommodations.

In response to the survey results, AAA representatives have pointed pet owners to the AAA PetBook: Traveling with Your Pet. The reference guide provides advice on transporting pets, tips to maintain high levels of pet care on the road, and listings of pet friendly properties – including more than 1,900 Best Western properties worldwide.

"Not every pet is right for travel and not every trip is right for a pet, but when the right dog or cat and the right trip come together, you never forget it," Bill Wood, executive director of AAA Publishing told the news source.

Additionally, Pet Airways provides comfortable accommodations for dogs and cats traveling to Ft. Lauderdale, New York, Washington DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Pets that like to strut their stuff on the catwalk, French poodles and German Shepherds who dabble in the latest European fashions trends and hamsters with visions of becoming the next Miss July may have a creative outlet.

In preparation for their Almost Home 2010 calendar, the U.S. Humane Society is accepting photos of pets around the country. The winners will be chosen by a panel of judges and will be notified by late November, the Lafayette Journal and Courier reports.

The calendars, which will be available on December 13, cost $12.50 each and will raise money to help the Almost Home Humane Society in efforts to control the pet population, promote pet care and give shelter to homeless and neglected animals.

Contestants must submit a pet photo by this Friday, along with an entry form and $5.

"This is a fun thing that gives people a chance to interact with us, and it doesn’t cost much," said Michelle Warren, the Humane Society’s executive director.

The Almost Home Humane Society is an independent nonprofit agency that sates its mission is "the prevention of cruelty to animals, relief of suffering among animals and the extension of humane education."

The rise in housing foreclosures has landed many household pets in overcrowded animal shelters across the country.

The Humane Society animal shelter in Redwook Valley, California, which currently houses 24 dogs and more than 100 cats, is in danger of closing if it does not begin to raise money, the Ukiah Daily Journal reports.

According to Sheryl Mitcham, the shelter director, the slumping economy has diminished the number of donations the shelter sees, while foreclosed houses and displaced pets are causing an increase in animals entering the shelter.

Specifically, Mitcham says the number of cats entering the Humane Society animal housing has increased by about 30 percent in the last year, while funding has dropped by about half. The shelter is now brainstorming new ideas to raise $120,000 to continue its standard of pet care.

Kennel manager Stacy Dennett told the news source, "Our adoptions are really, really way down. If we get highly adoptable dog, sometimes it’ll be gone in 24 hours. But we have highly adoptable dogs that have been here for months."

The shelter, which has a no-kill policy, has begun to ask for a $40 donation for people surrendering animals, to cover the cost of pet care.

The U.S. Humane Society estimates that 6 million to 8 million cats and dogs enter shelters each year, and about half are eventually euthanized.

The popular medical reference guide WebMD today announced the unveiling of the WebMD Healthy Pets page on the company website.

The source of health information intends to use the new page to offer pet health and wellness advice to owners to improve and lengthen the lives of dogs and cats around the world, Reuters reports.

WebMD Healthy Pets will provide information, which will be reviewed by veterinarians, on pet diet, nutrition, behavior, training and preventive care. The advice will be disseminated through the website’s online newsletter, interactive slideshows, videos and expert blogs.

"[The website] provides pet owners with reliable health news and information on topics ranging from general wellness to disease – for all states of a pet’s life," said Nan-Kirsten Forte, executive vice president for WebMD.

Of the 60 million visitors to WebMD each month, more than 75 percent are pet owners who also care for their pet’s health, according to the news source. WebMD representatives hope the new service will help reduce unnecessary expenses and work toward better animal care.

The site will also focus on the benefits of pet ownership for humans, such as lower blood pressure and less anxiety.

The North American Pet Health Insurance Association says that veterinary pet insurance can be used to protect pet health and ensure the financial stability of the pet’s family.

This week, Guinness World Records confirmed that the oldest living dog is a 20-year-old dachshund and terrier cross, living in Shrewsbury, England.

Otto, the vigorous hound, gained the title after the reigning record holder Chanel – also a dachshund – passed away in August, three months after turning 21, the Associated Press reports.

Lynn and Peter Jones, who have owned Otto since he was 6 weeks old, say that the secret to longevity is simple: a good diet, plenty of love and a bedtime at 8 p.m. sharp.

"He’s still going strong," Peter Jones told the news source. "In the last couple of years he’s got a bit of arthritis, but apart from that he’s quite well."

Though he might not be up for a walk each day, Mrs. Jones notes, "he’s still sprightly." A spirited walk may be considered an accomplishment for a dog that is nearly 147 in human years.

Guinness reports that the oldest dog on record was an Australian cattle dog that lived for 29 years and 5 months. According to the U.S. Humane Society, 12.8 years is the average life span of the average American or European dog.

"The dog ate my homework." The feeble excuse has been used so often it has become a common American aphorism, and motto of the lethargic. One video game aficionado, however, woke up last week to find that his dog, Oscar, had somehow purchased 5,000 Microsoft points on his Xbox Live gaming system.

A writer named Greg on the video game blog Kotaku admits that in the past, Oscar has chewed up and torn apart pillows, sox, candles, toilet paper and bottles. This time, Greg awoke to find that his Xbox controller had been gnawed on during the night, and $62.50 worth of online Microsoft Points had been purchased.

After some elementary sleuthing, the dog owner concluded that Oscar, in a frenzy of chewing, somehow managed to press the buttons necessary to turn on the videogame system, enter the online store and purchase the points, which can be used toward Xbox merchandise.

Lenient in his pet care, Greg wrote on the blog, "All in all, I’m not mad. A bunch of new games to keep me busy and a reason to finally go buy that black controller I’ve been wanting."

While training dogs, the U.S. Humane Society recommends positive reinforcement and ignoring undesirable responses as the most effective methods.

Lost pets can cause distress to second-graders, businessmen and shelter owners alike. Aside from the emotional vacancy the pet leaves, missing animals cause a pet care burden to shelters which are already overpopulated with homeless cats and dogs. The good news is a new study has found that cats that are placed in animal shelters are 20 times more likely to be returned to their owners if they have been implanted with a microchip.

Linda Lord of Ohio State University visited 53 shelters in 23 states from August 2007 until March 2008, and found that less than 2 percent of admitted animals had a microchip on them.

However, 29 percent of cats with microchips were returned to their owners, compared to 2 percent without the chips. For dogs, 52 percent of those with chips were returned compared to 21 percent without the technology.

"Hopefully, this study will help the public become more aware of how important microchipping is," said Jill Lee, executive director of the Cat Welfare Association. "It’s a very simple thing to have done."

According to the U.S. Humane Society, the chips, which are the size of a grain of rice, contain a number that is revealed after the microchip is scanned. A shelter worker can then enter the number into a registry to obtain the pet owner’s information.

Grammys, Nobel Prizes, road race trophies, gold stars – everyone gets an award nowadays. Few honorees, however have accomplished the outstanding feats that some pets and pet owners are able to boast.

This week, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) will hold the Humane Awards Luncheon in New York City to recognize the heroism and astonishing achievements performed by animal owners and their beloved pets.

"The ASPCA is proud to honor those who have demonstrated extraordinary compassion, bravery and commitment to furthering the human-animal bond," said ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres. "The Humane Awards celebrates the important role that animals play in our lives."

The ASPCA Dog of the Year award for 2009 will go to Archie, a black Labrador retriever that serves as an assistance dog for Sergeant Clay Rankin, who suffered spinal injuries while performing military service in Iraq. The Cat of the Year will be YouTube sensation, Nora, a former shelter pet who entertained the world this year with her dexterity on the piano.

The ASPCA also gives awards for Firefighter of the Year, Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, and the Tommy Monahan Kid of the Year – an award named after a 9-year-old who took pet care to the next level, losing his life to save his pet from a house fire in 2007.

Some environmentalists will chastise their friends who drive gas-guzzling SUVs, leave the faucet running or fail to reuse their recyclables. In a new book, two New Zealand authors are asking dog owners to assess the environmental impact of their pet’s carbon paw print.

Robert and Brenda Vale, authors of Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living, analyze how pet care for cats and dogs can impact the environment, Fox News reports. Specifically examining the carbon emissions pets create, the researchers found that dog food ingredients, and the land required to produce the food give a medium sized dog a carbon foot print of about .84 hectares per year.

In comparison, a Toyota Land Cruiser driven about 6,200 miles a year creates an eco-footprint of about 0.41 hectares.

However, animal lover and dog trainer Linda Findlay says the researchers do not factor in the emotional value of owning pets. "What the dogs give back to me is probably equal to what the environment gives me – but on a more emotional level," she told the Timaru Herald.

Findlay did however say that by mainly feeding her dogs biscuits, she did her part to minimize their impact on the environment.

According to the Center for Sustainable Economy, the sustainable footprint level for each person is about 15.71 hectares each year.