We’re headed to Beaglefest in Tempe on Sunday. Join us!

Friend of this Blog, Laura McBride, wrote about National Puppy Day on March 23 and how finding the right puppy (or older dog) can make all the difference in someone’s life.

In this case, she wrote about Peaches, her English bulldog and longtime confidante.

Enjoy the column!

And enjoy National Puppy Day!

Sigh.

The Beagle and I were all set to go to Surprise this Sunday for Bring Your Dog to the Ball Park Day at Surprise Stadium.

Now the forecasters say there is a 95-percent chance of rain. Ninety-five percent. Have you ever heard of such a high percentage before? Sixty, 70 percent, sure, but 95! Jeez.

So, all we can do is keep everything crossed and hope for a gorgeous day, or at least the rain to wait until the seventh-inning stretch.

But…. it looks like there is a Bark in the Park for the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 27. I guess we will have to wait just a little bit longer to take in a game.

A great thing happened to me while I was writing Happy Dog Phoenix: I got to meet and talk with Bill O’Brien.

For dog lovers, Bill O’Brien is the Arizona man who introduced Rhodesian Ridgebacks to the U.S. and got them to be recognized by the American Kennel Club. His wife, Sada, posed with them onboard a ship travelling  from Africa to Boston. The photo made into Life magazine.

For lovers of everything Arizona, O’Brien is a cowboy, rancher, businessman, civic leader and philanthropist. He was instrumental in setting aside land for the Camelback Mountain Preserve, creating the Irish Cultural Center and improving behavioral health services for teenagers.

A champion storyteller, he has enough interesting experiences for several movies and sequels. He lives life larger than most of us.

So, I will be thinking of O’Brien on this St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s to you, Bill!

Looking for something fun place to hang out with your dog? If you come to Hula’s Modern Tiki on Mondays in March, 10 percent of your tab will go to benefit  Friends of Animal Care & Control.

Friends of Animal Care and Control help fund free spay and neuter services through Maricopa County Animal Care & Control’s Spay Neuter Assistance Program.

Just think your consumption of Zombies, Mai Tai and sweet potato fries can help control pet overpopulation.  And your dogs are welcome on Hula’s patio — just don’t rely on them to be designated drivers.

Hula’s is just one of a number of metro Phoenix dog-friendly restaurants on our list. We will be adding more soon –or if you have any favorites, please let us know.

Where exactly is the snooze button on a dog?

Recently I got one of those e-mails entitled “Aren’t you glad to have someone to come home to?” and featured pictures of dogs who have torn up things.

Which made me wonder: Do dogs experience guilt when they do “bad’’ things?

Um, no.

Canine expert Alexandra Horowitz recently did a study in Behavioral Processes on the topic. She asked dog owners to leave the room after ordering their dogs not to eat a treat. While the owners were out, she gave certain dogs treats. Then, she told all the owners that the dogs had eaten the treats and the owners, said why, yes, their dogs looked guilty and scolded them for their misbehavior.

The dogs’ strange facial expressions were from being scolded – not because they had a case of the guilts, Horowitz concluded.

You could try this at home:  The next time Lil’ Angel does something really bad, keep your game face on and don’t scold him for it. Now, does he still look guilty or does he head for the sofa for a snooze?

Don’t tell my Democrat-hating uncle but I think this is kinda cute:

We’ve heard about Leap Year Babies; Leap Year Marriages and Leap Year Proposals.

But what about Leap Year Dogs. Not to fear: Here’s a report from our friends at VPI:

Lincoln, a yellow Labrador retriever from Boulder, Colo., is a Frisbee fanatic. While playing Frisbee with his pet parent in an empty lot atop a parking garage, the wind aided disc veered off course, and went sailing off the top of the parking garage – and loyal Lincoln went leaping after it.

Within seconds, Lincoln was airborne, about to fall two stories to the ground below. Not knowing what to expect after his freefall, Lincoln’s pet parents found him with a slight limp, but still earnestly in search of his Frisbee. Lincoln was treated by his veterinarian for a soft tissue injury, and has since made a full recovery.