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A NEW law to make dog owners culpable if their pet attacks someone is expected to pass the Victorian Parliament tomorrow.

Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh flagged the legislation this month following the death of four-year-old Ayen Chol, who was mauled by a pit bull mastiff.

The draft law, which the opposition has indicated it will support, is expected to pass both houses of parliament tomorrow.

Dogs are cleverer than cats because their friendly character has helped them develop bigger brains, a study set to end the argument between pet lovers has shown.

The intelligence of "a man’s best friend" has evolved at a greater rate than the less social cat over millions of years, scientists at Oxford University have claimed.

It was often thought that the feline pet was smarter than its canine counterpart because it needed less attention but researchers have discovered that cat's brains are smaller because they are less social.

Kelpie named Rave is alive and has a place in history thanks to pioneering Australian vets, the Herald Sun reported.

A team at the University of Melbourne's veterinary hospital has adapted an MRI machine, after buying it second-hand from a hospital, and used it to pinpoint a life-threatening tumor deep in the 11-year-old kelpie's brain, in an Australian first.

Neighbours accused of intimidating a pet pooch have been denied after the Mayor of Fremantle stepped in to keep the kelpie cross off a dangerous dog register.

In a decision published today, the State Administrative Tribunal overturned a dangerous dog order against Ubu, the pet canine of White Gum Valley resident Alex Gillam.

"It's been such a headache, stressful, days off work to attend two full days in the tribunal," Mr Gillam told oneperth.com.au.

"(Ubu) is super, super, super mellow but (if the order had been enforced) I'd never be able to take him to the park without a muzzle."

Rangers had slapped the order on Ubu after six alleged attacks between May and August last year near Mr Gillam's Hope Street property.

An election has been called for the 21st August 2010 and we would like to invite you to support us in supporting the RSPCA in becoming a Political Animal.

One of the campaigns of the RSPCA is the removal of Puppy Mills and/or Puppy Farms of which we fully support.  However to make this an election issue we need your support by putting pen to paper or fingers to the keyboard and letting your local member know this is an issue that is important to you and ever other dog lover across Australia.

For more details on how you can help visit the RSPCA Political Animal web site

The more that voice their support the greater the chance that something will get done and puppy mills and/or puppy farms will be shut down.

A new ruling by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) now enables legitimate working dogs to be claimed as part of the working day expenses.

These expenses can include vet and pet food bills which are qualified as a tax deduction if your dog assists or helps with work or is connected to any type of income generation according to the ATO. Dogs used on farms, and even tradesmen's pets who guard tools and equipment in utes and around the construction site are eligible. An ATO spokesman said there were no specific rules on which pets qualified for tax breaks.

Mixed-breed dogs are finally able to strut their stuff and compete alongside purebred pals in AKC agility competitions.

For a long time, Lisa Topol felt her pooch

Schmutzy was being discriminated against.

“It was like doggie segregation,” says the 38-year-old Murray Hill resident whose mixed-breed is quite the agile pup. “Until now, she wasn’t able to participate in her own kennel club’s agility trial.”

But on April 1, the country’s most prestigious dog organization, the American Kennel Club, introduced the Canine Partners program, allowing mixed-breed dogs to compete alongside their purebred cousins for the first time ever. (And, no, it wasn’t an April Fools’ Day prank.)

Two pit bull cross dogs attacked a camel train at the weekend as it carried tourists along Broome's Cable Beach, leaving one woman and five camels injured.

The Broome Shire said the dogs were not on leashes when they attacked the camels on Saturday evening.

As the dogs attacked, an Eastern States tourist was thrown off her animal and had to be taken to hospital with suspected spinal and wrist injures.