Puppy Bowl player Pong and Florida Little Dog Rescue

Courtesy Heather Munson.

Too. Stinkin'. Cute.

Pong visited my workplace Sunday morning before her big debut in Puppy Bowl X on Animal Planet. There's lots of excitement in Orlando for the big game -- PUPPY BOWL!!! Biggest game on Earth! (Is there another game being played today...?)

Pong is a seven-month-old Havanese mix. The girl holding Pong actually assisted in her birth.

Pong is representing Florida Little Dog Rescue in the Puppy Bowl.

FLDG is a non-profit rescue that specializes in unwanted, abused and abandoned little dogs. FLDR pulls dogs who need emergency medical care, and likely would not get adopted in the shelters. They taken in dogs of all ages, all over Florida.

Pong's inclusion in the Puppy Bowl is great exposure for Florida Little Dog Rescue and its little dogs.

Check out Pong's page on the Florida Little Dog Rescue website, and be sure to watch the Puppy Bowl TODAY on Animal Planet.

Hero dogs of 9/11: Dog Files' tribute on Animal Planet

I can't believe it's been 12 years.

I won't tell you where I was or what I was doing or thinking.

I want tell you about a story I don't recall hearing much about in the immediate aftermath.

On Tuesday, Animal Planet aired "Hero Dogs of 9/11," a one-hour special about the 300 dogs who helped in the search, rescue and eventually recovery effort in the aftermath.

The special came from producer Kenn Bell, creator of The Dog Files. On his website, Bell talked about how this special came about, and why it was so important to him:

"One of the things I noticed were the dogs that some of the emergency workers walked with. At this point, Dog Files wasn’t even a glimmer in my eye but I knew something special was going on with the dogs. The workers gathered around the dogs. Some workers hugged them, others cried. The dogs were a great comfort to the exhausted workers. Probably more than the cheering crowd was that I was a part of. It was cathartic to all who watched."

Bell created a short called "Hero Dogs of 9/11," which was soon a viral hit. But that short only gave us a visual look at the dogs who worked tirelessly at Ground Zero. That hour long special went much deeper, with interviews with the handlers, and with survivors from the towers. 

Not all the hero dogs were rescue dogs. There was also Roselle, a seeing eye dog who helped her human, Michael Hingson, get out of the towers before they collapsed.

There were therapy dogs, like Nikie, who helped not only the victims, but also the Ground Zero workers by providing them with a furry friend to curl up with and confide in. Their place in the history of the day is just as important.

And then there was Sirius, a bomb sniffing dog, and the only dog to die in the attacks. Sirius' handler, David Lim, had left him in his crate while he went to help people evacuate from one of the buildings. Lim was trapped under the rubble and survived the collapse.

These stories touched my heart because they demonstrated the unbreakable bond between humans and animals, even when times are dark.

Right now it does not look like Animal Planet will be airing "Hero Dogs of 9/11" again. I hope that changes. Or at least I hope they put it up on their website, or release it on DVD.

However, you can see two shorts about the dogs on Dog Files -- the original, and "Hero Dogs of 9/11: Legacy.

Thank you to Kenn Bell for reminding us that heroes are not just human.

Countdown to Global Pet Expo -- Litter Genie

We are counting down to the Global Pet Expo, the largest pet product trade show in the country.

When I first heard of the Litter Genie Cat Litter Disposal Odor Free Pail System, I joked that I would need to have a shower so I can get one.

But while at first glance it may seem silly, but it actually makes a lot of sense.

This unit includes a handy slotted scoop for the poop.

This insert goes inside the unit.

And now you are ready to place your pet's... um, deposits inside, just like a regular Diaper Genie.

Now, I know what you're thinking: why is a dog blogger talking about something for a cat?

Well you can litter train dogs. Animal Planet has a how-to page on training your small dog to use the litter box. And, there are companies that sell dog litter boxes and even litter for dogs.

But, suppose the litter box is for the cat. I don't know about you, but one of the most disgusting things my dog does is... hunt... for buried treasure... in the cat box, if you know what I mean. So here's one way of getting the poop out of Lulu's way.

I suppose you could just scoop the poop up and put it in a plastic bag. And I suppose you could flush it down the toilet too.

Except, Galadriel doesn't like scoopable litter, and you shouldn't flush the other stuff down the toilet. Using the Litter Genie, we can also use fewer bags to hold the poop. Better for the environmennt. One refill lasts two months if you have one cat.

So:

Pros:

• Keeps poop away from tempted pups
• Holds scoopable and non-scoopable litter
• Uses fewer bags

Cons:

•  Doesn't weigh much, so could easily be knocked over
• The refills cost around $8

 The Litter Genie can be found in pet stores, and on Amazon.com:

 Disclaimer: I received my Litter Genie from the company for this review.