globetrotters

Nope, this isn't Simon Says here . . . nor is it the work of a professional dog trainer. Conan the cutie Chihuahua has mastered praying all on his own – increasing attendance at this Buddhist temple in Japan by 30 percent since the pooch joined daily prayers. It only took the 2-year-old dog a few days to imitate praying – the original goal was to get the doggie to sit still during meditation. "It's not like we can make him cross his legs," one priest joked. Regardless of Conan's motivations, he looks pretty adoro posed like that and I can see why people want to come by and check out the praying pup. See a couple more piccys of him when you read more

While we played guess that breed with another Irish pup, there are still several other breeds deserving a shout out yesterday. From the Glen of Imaal Terriers to the Irish Water Spaniels, among the pretty pups coming from this country are my mom's fave – the lovely Irish Setters.

And clearly she's not the only one. Check out members of Tokyo's Irish Setter Club donning green and orange – and similarly adorned pups – for their own St. Patrick's Day Parade. Some 2,000 people took part in the festivities to commemorate the Irish patron saint, so see some photos when you read more

D'you know tomorrow is National Pig Day?! Well, the little oinker's super cute, and even popular with some celebs, too. This little piggy was taking a walk in the Barra Funda neighborhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil – where he met this dog, a couple more friends, oh, and the paps. It's hard being a pig. Check out Gabriel's gallery when you read more

With Chinese New Year celebrations still taking place around the world, I spotted pictures of some penguins getting into the spirit at a zoo in Harbin, China. I'm hoping the little ones didn't have to wear their custom-made costumes much longer than this photo opp, but they do look pretty spiffy all decked out in traditional garb. To see the rest of this family – including a baby penguin wearing a festive red bellyband for this holiday – read more

Getting the sniff of approval from whiffs by the visiting pooches, this year's Sugar & Champagne Affair definitely got four paws up! For the sixth year running, pastry chefs from some of Washington, D.C.'s finest restaurants and bakeries whipped and dipped desserts for metro area pets and their people. Produced in conjunction with the Washington Humane Society, proceeds from this benefit go towards the metro area animal welfare workers and the canines (and felines) they rescue. This year's gala was hosted by Todd and Ellen Gray of Equinox and featured delights from Bistro Bis and IndeBleu . . . to name a few! See another cute photo from the event when you read more

I couldn't resist passing along this beautiful photo! Taken today at Madrid's San Anton church, animal lovers came from all over to have their pets blessed during the feast of San Anton. San Anton, the patron saint of animals, is honored by Catholic churches in Spain — and many priests like Father Juan Manuel Villar perform this doggie ceremony with an aspergillum.

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