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Scruffy McPoochie, the editor of the Arizona Republic’s daily Living section, ignores the criticism that the paper’s feature section should include stories about people.

Dogs are ‘living’ too, McPoochie growls, and resumes pawing through wire stories, searching out the best dog news from across the nation.

Today’s entry is about dog cancer.

It continues to add to the paper’s luster as the Nation’s Leading Purveyor of Dog Journalism™.

The lede is about a dog who lost its leg to cancer.

This poignant anecdote is made all the more affecting when we learn that the dog in question was a greyhound, which are “bred for the racetrack.”

It’s hard to run with only three legs. That’s the poignant part.

You’re not going to believe this. The owner of the greyhound, Tex, who lost his leg?

[Lisa Stone], the founder of a Scottsdale law firm treats Tex and her two Ridgebacks, Layla and Larry, like her children.

“I’m the crazy dog parent,” she said, offering proof: When Tex was in the hospital after his amputation, she stayed at his bedside for eight to nine hours a day.

And when her first greyhound had his hindquarters amputated due to osteosarcoma, she slept on the living-room floor with him for more than a year because he couldn’t climb the stairs to her bedroom.

In other words, she’s had two greyhounds who’ve had their legs amputated.

What are the odds?

The story also contains this paragraph:

“To collect the DNA, we just need a little slobber, and trust me, with my Labrador, you can get plenty of it,” Trent said.


The dog cancer story joins McPoochie’s other dog journalism triumphs.

Dog health insurance.

A dog who died.

Another dog who died.

Dogs on Twitter.

Dogs on Facebook.

A swanky kennel for dogs.

Another (!) story about a swanky kennel for dogs.

Dogs who go to church.

It’s hard to believe the Republic’s circulation is dropping ten percent a year.