Pets

SAN FRANCISCO - Hudson Landers is high-energy and loves sports. Spencer Witaszek is into quiet evenings lounging at home. And Marley James? The Topanga Canyon blond enjoys the mountains and has an independent streak. All three are looking for love, just not the kind you might imagine. Hudson, Spencer, Marley and their two-legged guardians are part of a novel online service called City Dog Share, whose motto is as straightforward as its members: "I will watch your dog if you can watch mine!"

Ever wonder what flight attendants really think of you? What they'd tell you if they had the nerve? Or weren't afraid of being fired? What secrets would they reveal about their jobs? Several of my friends work as flight attendants. One of them recently retired after 20 years flying for a storied name in commercial aviation. Others work for less glamorous domestic U.S. airlines. I asked them what they would say to their passengers if they could or what bits of wisdom they would reveal if granted anonymity.

I hate to be a party pooper. So I've been eager to join the celebration over "No-Kill December" -- the first time that Los Angeles city animal shelters have managed to go an entire month without euthanizing any adoptable dogs or cats. But I couldn't help worrying that "No-Kill December" would lead to January slaughter. What happened to all those dogs and cats -- 1,000 in a typical December -- the city shelters are forced to put to death every year? There's no way shelter employees could have found homes for all of them.

JOHANNESBURG-- South Africa's often controversial president, Jacob Zuma, emboldened after being strongly voted in for a second term as president this month, told black South Africans they should never try to behave like whites. Buying a pet dog is part of "white culture," said Zuma, a staunch traditionalist, wading into South Africa's often tense debate on race in his first speech after being reelected by the African National Congress. So are taking dogs for walks and spending money on veterinarians when the animals are sick, he said Wednesday in a speech in Impendle, in KwaZulu-Natal, according to a report in the Star newspaper.

No leash needed with this travel website. Name: PetHotelsofAmerica.com What it does: Helps you plan a pet-friendly trip from a database of 25,000 hotels, as well as parks, beaches, restaurants, tours, attractions, airlines and more. What's hot: You get the hotel info you need on the first page of your search results, without having to click deeper for hotel or pet restrictions. Look for the big green flag that lets you know the hotel has been "Pet verified," along with info such as weight limits or whether refundable deposits are needed.

Down the narrow corridor that runs through one of California's oldest neighborhoods, behind the perfectly preserved 200-year-old houses, the source of a heated debate in San Juan Capistrano pokes out his leathery neck with a goofy smile. The city resting amid south Orange County's green-covered hills is known for its tight embrace of a rich history: Hundreds of horses march through the streets each year to welcome the swallows' expected return to the mission; an old-world Spanish motif of stucco walls and terra cotta roofs includes even burger joints and banks; and on historic Los Rios Street, there are strict rules about what belongs and what doesn't.

That's more like it, Brad Pitt. After a widely panned perfume campaign and a furniture collection received with apprehension, Mr. Angelina Jolie finally gets back in his lane: A trailer for his upcoming zombie epic "World War Z" hit the Web on Friday. Playing a husband and father of two, Pitt's just making his way through gridlock (watch the trailer below) before the apocalyptic overtones begin: explosions, helicopters and the life-threatening fare these blockbusters bring. Anchored by the dramatic chops of female lead Mireille Enos, and the masses of zombified citizens that remind us of the trembling creeps in "I Am Legend," the trailer serves as a necessary reminder of what Brad does best: save the world, looking good doing it.  Pitt's Chanel No. 5 spot, a stark and brooding work of stream-of-consciousness adjectives for, um, perfume, was the subject of "SNL" and Conan O'Brien spoof sketches, and a favorite Halloween costume for Hollywood types.

"The Care and Feeding of Exotic Pets" A Novel By Diana Wagman Ig Publishing: 240 pp., $15.95 A giant iguana isn't something we've come to expect as a key component in an L.A. novel, but that's what local writer Diana Wagman has done with "The Care and Feeding of Exotic Pets. " A brisk and vividly drawn kidnapping tale, Wagman's fourth novel hinges on the 7-foot long lizard of its title, but its core lies somewhere far more familiar to those who call Los Angeles home.

Re "L.A. law would bar sale of pets from puppy mills," Oct. 25 Kudos to the Los Angeles City Council for its preliminary vote to ban sales of commercially bred dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores. This ordinance would not only prevent animals from suffering in the miserable mass-breeding mills that often supply puppies, kittens and bunnies to pet stores, it would also help save the lives of countless homeless animals by encouraging people to adopt their companions from shelters instead of buying them from pet stores.

Los Angeles is poised to become the largest city in the nation to ban pet shops from selling dogs, cats and rabbits obtained from commercial breeders. On a 12-2 vote Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council tentatively adopted an ordinance that officials say will target puppy mills and will prevent tens of thousands of animals from being euthanized in city shelters each year. Individuals still will be allowed to buy directly from breeders, but pet stores will be limited to selling animals obtained from shelters, humane societies and registered rescue groups.