Caring for our canine companions can be challenging at the best of times...

But Christmas has the potential for complete chaos where our dogs are concerned. One day everything's normal and the next there's a tree inside, paper everywhere, strangers stumbling over them with drinks in hand and it's all a bit too much. I've been 'sister' to my parents' West Highland terrier, Harry, for thirteen years now, and he's had his fair share of festive mishaps. So here is my guide for giving your dog a stress-free time this Christmas.

Firstly, there will be a tree inside and your dog will be confused by this. If they're young and not quite housetrained, this paves the way for some potentially soggy presents so don't put them out until the last minute. At Harry's first Christmas, he managed to piddle all over my Grandad's gift, a jumper that fortunately he wasn't in desperate need of that day, but it was still very well received (minus the wee).

It's bad enough for dogs that there's a tree in the house, but this one will also have balls on it. Well, baubles to be exact. Dogs can go for the baubles and if you see them go up to the tree and walk off sheepishly into a corner, chances are they've got their paws on your decorations. Approach your dog cautiously though as the baubles could break in their mouth causing injury. For this reason, buying shatterproof decorations is a must.

It's not just younger dogs who could potentially have problems at Christmas. Although older dogs must get somewhat used to the routine every year, they still need to be treated with extra care. Having family and friends round to enjoy a full spread of festive goodies is what this time of year is about, however it is an opportunity for the dog to tug on the heart strings of reveller's to win a chipolata or two.

Let people know when they arrive to not feed the dog from the table. Not only will this promote weight gain and obesity which will exacerbate any condition an older dog may suffer, but Christmas favourites like turkey and chocolate are poisonous to dogs and should not be given to them under any circumstances. Other foods laden with herbs and spices could cause your dog to have an upset stomach and sickness and you really don't want to be dealing with that as well as your sore head on boxing day morning.

That's not to say a dog should miss out. There are stockings for pets and dog treats available so your dog can be a part of Christmas. When we open presents, we wrap Harry up a treat or two and he opens his (with a little help) along with the rest of the family. Dogs can also enjoy some Christmas dinner if you have alternative meats, or a little potato and veg with gravy on will not fail to go down a treat. Harry's always gone slightly mental at the after-dinner pulling of the crackers though.

Ultimately, dogs want to be involved at Christmas (even if it means being put in a funny hat or costume until the humans backs are turned so they can rip it off). During the mayhem, take some quiet time out with your dog to walk both your dinners off , they'll soon get tired and fall asleep back at home with that adorable expression on their face.

Remember, it will soon be over and you'll have to do it all again next year.

From my dog and I, have a Harry Christmas!

With a bark of excitement, Titti, Tato and Carmela scamper down the corridors of the Bollate prison near Milan and are enveloped by prisoners who shower them with treats, pats and hugs.

It's pet therapy day, and Valeria Gallinotti, founder of the Dogs Inside association, has brought her labrador, doberman and a mongrel to play with inmates in Italy's model jail, where a host of such initiatives keep repeat offender rates at a record low.

Convicted murderers and sex offenders scoop up the canines for kisses, burying their hands in their fur and play endless games of fetch with tennis balls in the prison yard, chasing them oblivious to the rain.

"My dream was to organise pet therapy sessions in prison because it's the one place where there is a total lack of affection, where dogs can create calm, good moods, emotional bonds and physical contact," Gallinotti, 47, told AFP.

She volunteers once a week to teach the prisoners how to train the animals -- with treats handed out for sitting, shaking paws and lying down -- as well as how pet therapy works so that some can go on to set up their own initiatives once released.

"I have always loved animals, I had a cat and dog at home, and pet therapy has been wonderful," said Nazareno Caporali, who is serving life for murder.

The 53-year-old, who divides his time between the dogs and studying for a third university degree, said he wanted to pass on the joys of pet therapy to others.

"I hope one day we will be able to give to someone else what we have received, by doing pet therapy with people with Alzheimer's or children with psychophysical problems, with the same dignity it's been done with us," he said, as Titti, tired out by the game, settles down for a snooze nearby.

The theory of using animals as agents of socialisation and relaxation dates back to the 18th century.

Later Sigmund Freud and Florence Nightingale favoured the use of dogs or other pets during during sessions or while treating patients.

It is also a way of tackling solitude within the towering walls at the medium-security facility in northern Italy, set up in 2000 as an experimental project designed to cater to prisoners who wish to study or learn work skills.

Maurizio, 36, who was found guilty of ordering five mafia killings and expects to serve at least 30 years of a sentence which officially ends in 2087, has done time in over 15 prisons and said Bollate is "by far the most advanced in terms of giving you opportunities to recreate yourself".

Italy has the second-highest level of prison overcrowding in Europe, partly due to the number of convicts who commit crimes once released, landing them back behind bars.

While 78 percent of prisoners in Italian jails go on to become repeat offenders, in Bollate just 20 percent do so.

With training for cooks, electricians and carpenters, as well as courses such as painting, yoga and gardening on offer, there's a waiting list to get in.

In exchange for a chance to spend their mornings playing tennis, learning a foreign language or playing with dogs, inmates must agree to conditions including living with sexual offenders, traditionally housed separately.

Nicolo Vergani, 25, a former Red Cross volunteer, said he wanted to work with animals once he has finished serving time for sexual acts with minors, and hopes to specialise in zoology after he gains his biological science degree.

"I do pet therapy to prepare me in even a small way for what I'd like to do in the future," he said, as his fellow inmates tried to stop the dogs from eating the cakes and pizzas they had made for lunch in the ovens in their cell-blocks.

He said his favourite dog is "Carmela, because she arrived and didn't know what to do. She was so scared, sort of like us when we arrive in prison."

"Now, like us, she too is getting used to the experience," he said.

When I was in veterinary school and learning about canine distemper virus (CDV), the “sound bite” that I filed away in my memory was “respiratory and GI signs in a poorly vaccinated dog — don’t forget distemper.” I figured this knowledge would be sufficient since preventative vaccination has been so effective that distemper seemed to be becoming a relic of the past.

Not so fast.

This summer, a wild animal sanctuary outside of Dallas was hit hard by the disease. Last I heard, 22 lions, tigers, and leopards had tested positive for CDV and 7 had died (yes, other species can come down with the virus, including big cats [not housecats], ferrets, raccoons, wolves, coyotes, skunks, and fox). That outbreak appears to be over, but now the city of Amarillo is under siege.

According to newschannel10.com an area veterinarian says he has diagnosed approximately 200 dogs with distemper since June. "We're probably seeing 10 to 15 a week," said Dr. David Faulkner at Hope Veterinary Clinic.

I can’t even fathom what this must be like. Canine distemper is highly contagious, potentially fatal, and treatment is pretty much limited to supportive and symptomatic care — your basic nightmare scenario.

Early symptoms look like those seen with many respiratory infections:

• fever
• poor appetite
• runny eyes and nose
• coughing
• difficulty breathing

Vomiting and diarrhea tend to develop next.

Then things can get really bad. The virus may invade the central nervous system. Once tremors, problems with balance, and seizures (often starting with jaw snapping) start, the chances that a dog will be able to recover dramatically decline. Some dogs also develop a characteristic thickening of the skin covering the nose and footpads.

Diagnosing canine distemper usually starts with a basic health work up (e.g., complete blood cell count, blood chemistry tests, urinalysis, and fecal examination), possibly X-rays, and often a test for canine parvovirus (CPV) since many of the symptoms of CDV and CPV are similar. Tests for the virus itself are available but are best run once a veterinarian has ruled out more common diseases and/or has a strong suspicion that a dog has canine distemper.

As I said previously, treatment for canine distemper is primarily supportive. Our goal is to keep the patient alive long enough for his or her immune system to eliminate the virus. Care may include intravenous fluids, nutritional support, antibiotics to prevent or treat secondary bacterial infections, therapies to ease breathing, and medications to control fever, vomiting, and seizures.

What I find most heartbreaking about the current situation in Texas is that dogs are becoming sick and dying from a preventable disease. Current canine distemper vaccines are extremely safe and effective. Puppies generally should be vaccinated against CDV starting around 8 weeks of age, receive boosters every 3-4 weeks until they are 12-16 weeks of age, and then get a booster one year after their last “puppy shot.” Dogs over 16 weeks of age with a no vaccine history get good protection after just one CDV vaccine. After their initial vaccine(s), dogs should either be revaccinated for distemper or have their vaccine titers checked every three years.

The outbreak in Amarillo should prod us all to take a moment to confirm that our dogs are protected against canine distemper.

Gisele Paris, the Pittsburgh woman who stole her terminally ill neighbor’s dog and had him euthanized while his owner was battling cancer, has been found guilty on a number of charges, including theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, and cruelty to animals. She faces up to 10 years in prison.

Paris was accused of stealing the Siberian husky, named Thor, from Mark Boehler’s yard on Thanksgiving day last year. Boehler, battling stage 3 esophageal cancer, had already made plans for a friend to take Thor after his demise. This friend even paid for Thor to have a tumor removed in June of 2013. She was meant to bring him home a few days after Thanksgiving, but that day Boehler found the fence had been cut and Thor was gone.

Paris brought Thor to Penn Animal Hospital in January. When staff recognized the missing husky, and questioned the woman, she fled with Thor in tow. She had a veterinarian come to her home to have the dog put down, claiming he was ill and neglected. Why a veterinarian would euthanize the dog based on her claim alone is astounding.

A different veterinarian testified in court that Thor was healthy.

Boehler publicly pleaded for Thor’s safe return. When he learned that his dog had been euthanized, he was heartbroken. Though it will never bring his boy back, Boehler is at least satisfied that there will be justice.

“I was thrilled to death she got convicted,” he said. “If somebody did that to her dog, she would be crying like a baby. She knew what she did. She took that dog.”

Police officer Christine Luffey, who arrested Paris in February, agreed with the jury’s verdict.

“The jury got it right. I have spoken to Mark Boehler throughout this whole ordeal. Every time we talked, he cried,” she said.

Paris is currently out on bond under house arrest until she goes to trial for resisting arrest and assaulting the arresting officer for the Thor incident. She is due back in court next month.

“I hope she does time for it so she can sit in jail and think about what she did,” Boehler said.

He believes she buried Thor’s cremains in her garden, and would like her to return them.

Masha waits daily for someone that will not be coming. Masha’s human used to be at this hospital in Siberia, but has since died. Now, Masha keeps vigil for her human and will not be moved by anyone, not even for help.

Hospital staff makes sure that Masha has a warm bed and food to eat, but she’ll accept no one attempting to move her. Her story is not unlike the one of the loyal Akita named Hachiko. Hachiko came to the same train station in Japan faithfully waiting for his human for ten years, even though the owner had passed away. Masha’s human died, and she is waiting for him to come back.

“Masha will always stay here, because she is waiting for her owner. I think that even if we took her to his grave, she wouldn’t believe it. She’s waiting for him alive, not dead,” nurse Alla Vorontsova told the Siberian Times.

Staff at the Novosibirsk District Hospital Number One and patients alike all know Masha and her sadness. In an interview with news outlets, Chief Doctor Vladimir Bespalov said, “You see her eyes, how sad they are – it’s not the usual shiny eyes for when a dog is happy. You can see this in animals in the same way as with people. There is nothing medicine can do for her here, but we are still hoping that Masha will be able to find another owner. One day, and we very much want this day to come soon, our Masha will trust somebody.”

Masha looks a bit like a dachshund but with shorter legs, and began showing up to the hospital every day for the two years her human was admitted. While he was there, Masha was the man’s only regular visitor. According to some, his only visitor at all. Now she is the one with visitors.

“Here all the patients come to her, stroke her and give something tasty, especially the older people. She warms their hearts,” Vorontsova said.

Sadly, Masha’s human has been passed for a year now, but she never gives up. It just goes to show the love and loyalty a dog will have for their family. People have tried to adopt her, but she always escapes.

“People in Russia tried to adopt her three times, but she always came back. I also heard that a number of foreigners wanted to adopt her too, but it is impossible – she doesn’t want to leave the hospital,” Vorontsova explained. “And besides, we love her and she loves us. How could she live somewhere far away? She would just pine away.”

Penny, a dog that decided to take a bit of a road trip for herself is slated to be reunited with her family by this weekend. Having been through places like Iowa and Pennsylvania, Penny cannot wit to come hope to her family.

The last two stops on her journey have her visiting an animal clinic in Pennsylvania to make sure her health is tip top, then she’ll be boarding a plane for a complimentary flight home via Alaska Airlines. All of this is according to Penny's personal social media page.

“When she went missing, we thought she ran off and we were never going to see her again. We’re just happy knowing she’s alive,” said Kendra Brown, Penny’s owner. “I’m sure if she could talk, she’d have quite a few adventures to talk about.”

The whole thing started when Penny managed to get loose from hew owners. From there, she was picked up by a truck driver, and that’s where he 2,400 mile trip to see the country began.

Eventually, Penny’s humans managed to track her down, and found out she had been traveling with a truck driver. When he caught wind that Penny’s family knew he had her, Penny was dropped off at a truck stop.

“We were able to track him down and when he found out we knew he had her, he dropped her off at a truck stop in Des Moines, Iowa,” her family said.

No one is really sure how what happened next actually went down, but somehow, Penny managed to find herself in the care of a vet in West Township, Pennsylvania. This information came from the animal hospital saying that Penny had been located for good, and was identified by the microchip implanted in her with good information still on it.

For the time being, Penny is hanging out being fostered, just to make sure she’s in tip top health before she makes the journey home to her real forever family. She is set to take a flight from where she is near Washington D.C. and get on an Alaska Airlines plane for a ride back home to the Seattle Airport, where Penny will be back with her family again.

Animal activist Janet Olson admitted she broke the law when she took dogs from people's yards, but insists it was for all the right reasons.

The 61-year-old from Surrey, B.C. claims Canada does not have strong enforcement against animal cruelty, so when she stole the pets, it was to prevent the worse crime of animal abuse.

"Our animal cruelty laws encompass just one paragraph. And even those laws aren't enforced. So my defence is that I am not intentionally breaking the law ... I am intentionally enforcing it," Olson said.

She was a key figure in A Better Life Dog Rescue organization, which took abused and neglected dogs and helped find them better homes.

She was charged with stealing dozens of dogs and has pleaded guilty to stealing three.

The Crown and defence agreed Olson acted out of compassion and believed she was acting in the best interests of the dogs.

But the Crown also said her actions must be condemned or it sends the message that some laws are made to be broken and that it's alright to take the law into your own hands.

Meanwhile the defence argued Olson was forced to seize dogs and place them in different homes, because official animal welfare agencies can't or won't.

"I also had two starving dogs that I pointed out to the SPCA," she said.

"They acknowledged the dogs are being deliberately starved to death. They seized the dogs and two days later, they returned the dogs and they starved to death two weeks later," she added. "The SPCA even admitted — in a letter I have as evidence — that they cannot do their job, because they do not have the finances to do so."

The Crown is asking for a 12 to 18 month conditional sentence for Olson, while her lawyer says a conditional discharge is more appropriate.

Her sentence will be handed down sometime in the coming days.

It's a very happy new year for Bela the dog and the many people who worried about the 9-year-old German Shepherd's fate.

After an 1,800-mile trip to Utah from Indiana, Bela arrived at the Best Friends Animal Society's no-kill sanctuary Sunday where he was greeted with a great big party:

“It's wonderful to be able to welcome Bela here,” Best Friends CEO Gregory Castle said in a statement. “It speaks to our principle of valuing all animal life. In this case, there was potential for something terrible to happen, but we are set up to give him a great life and all indications are that he is a beautiful and wonderful dog.”

That great life might have ended much sooner.

Bela's owner, Indiana resident Connie Ley, died in November. Her will provided that Bela could either be euthanized and cremated, with the dog's ashes mixed with hers, or that the pup could be sent to Best Friends' no-kill sanctuary -- home to some 1,700 dogs, cats, pigs, goats, bunnies, birds and other animals -- in the red rocks of southern Utah.

For a while -- despite an outpouring of public support for the no-kill option and legal precedent advising against euthanasia - no one could be sure which option the will's anonymous executor would select.

Further complicating things, Best Friends had not been aware of Bela until news reports about the dog began to appear. The shelter reached out to Ley's attorney and executor, but there was no guarantee those in charge would agree to let the group take Bela.

That changed on Dec. 23, when Best Friends announced that Bela would be coming to Utah to enjoy "a warm, happy holiday with lots of treats, toys and love."

Best Friends spokesman Eric Rayvid told The Huffington Post it's not yet clear if Bela will one day be available for adoption like the majority of Best Friends' animals.

"We're going to let him settle in, get comfortable and see how it goes," Rayvid said.

In order for more pets to have these kinds of opportunities, "people really need to plan for what will happen to their pets if the pets outlive them," he said.

"Preparation is the key, but here's the important part: Folks need to talk to the orgs if they're looking to send pets to them," Rayvid said. "Most run at capacity and might not be able to take in a pet that they get surprised with like we did Bela."