Breaking News

Brea, Calif. -- It seems pet owners, like pre-teens, are latching on to the popular "Twilight" franchise, with the name of the book/movie series' star character securing places on the top 10 lists of pet names for cats, dogs and exotics in 2010.

Concord, N.H. -- Dog racing officially becomes an illegal activity in New Hampshire with the start of 2011, though broadcasts of races elsewhere still will be permitted.

Portland, Ore. -- The Oregon Department of Agriculture, as directed by state lawmakers in 2009, will stop issuing new exotic animal permits beginning in January 2011.

Columbia, Mo. -- Researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) College of Veterinary Medicine have started a clinical trial on a human oncology drug which may prove useful in the battle against canine cancer. The drug Attaxol?, which is made by CritiTech in Lawrence, Kan., could be ideal for use in dogs with naturally occurring cancer, says Dr. Kim Seltin, assistant professor of oncology at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine.

Washington -- The results of a study commissioned four years ago to investigate the veterinary workforce needs in the United States is expected early in the new year, according to Jennifer Walsh at the National Academies of Sciences (NAS).

Washington -- Increased food plant inspections and more government authority in food-recall cases are on their way with passage of the long-awaited federal food safety bill by the Senate Nov. 30.

The equine welfare war

Baltimore -- Dr. Thomas R. Lenz will headline AAEP's meeting dubbed "The Equine Welfare Wars: When Emotion and Fact Collide."