The branch manager of the Sunshine Coast SPCA, Shannon Broderick, said May was a former homeless pup,

In addition to the claw marks on her back and the broken ribs she sustained from the fall, all of her nails were so long they had grown into her paw pads and her teeth were badly decayed

Enthralled by her story, the poodle received around $4,000 of dental work to repair her horribly decaying teeth courtesy of the readers of the Vancouver Sun who broke the story.

We sure hope this horrible type of puppy-travel doesn’t happen again. Everyone knows dogs should travel in the backseat of a car, with the windows down, their snout out and ears flapping in the summer wind.

Photo: Chipper Nicodemus

Planning on taking you pet on a trip this summer? Skip the eagle-flight and check out this post by The Mercury News for stress-free dog travel.

One great tip is:

Dogs get anxiety, too. Many of the issues dogs face when traveling by car — most notably motion sickness — are caused by anxiety. Before you take your dog on the open road for a long trip, get him used to the car by taking many short trips. Take him to fun places like the dog park so he doesn’t associate the car with going to the veterinarian and groomer only.

No matter if your pooch travels in the sky or on the road, planning ahead seems to be the key. Have a great dog-travel tip? Let us know!

A British man is driving 1,250 miles to Slovenia – with a sheep in the back of his car.

The British man, David, is taking the 28 hour road trip with his four-year-old daughter because he is gifting the sheep to the people of Zrece. The sister-town of his hometown of Sedbergh.

Zrece, Slovenia is a place he has visited several times before to work with the singers of a local choir. The singers commented that they would love a reminder of his village, and so David decided to bring them a real treat, err a sheep. And to top it off the breed of sheep he’s bringing can only be found within a ten mile radius of Sedbergh; really, the perfect gift. Unable the fly the sheep, the only option is to hit the open road and make the journey by land.

Image: The U.S. National Archives’/Flickr

If you think driving a sheep is a little weird, it’s definitely not the most outlandish way to transport a sheep these days. The digital world has gotten into the sheep transportation business as well. In Zynga’s new Lady Gaga themed Farmville, sheep can ride motorcycles around the virtual farm while listening to Lady Gaga’s newest single “Born this Way.” The game was released May 23rd and is a Farmville knock off called, wait for it, GagaVille, according to MTV News.

Maybe you’ve never driven with a sheep, and perhaps Lady Gaga is on your car’s “do not play” list, but who hasn’t taken a road trip with their pet before? Ever had an amazing or terrible experience? We’d love to hear about it.

The Blur Lounge, opened over Easter weekend at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa in Tucson, AZ, offers the latest versions of iPads, Playstations and Xbox 360, along with a 46” LCD HDTV and plenty of DVDs to boot. After experiencing this kind of luxury at age 14 while traveling with their parents, what 19-year-old is going to rough it in a hostel in Copenhagen reminiscent of the YMCA in the 1970s?

Don’t forget “Poptail Hour” every Saturday night from 6pm to 10pm, where teens can make their own signature soda drink. Oh boy!

Image: Imobiliária THÁ/Flickr

Sure, teen lounges may have been a long time coming, and Marriott is just the first household name hotel to capitalize on the technology-dependent teen set. But it looks like Loews Hotels and Spas may have beat them to the punch, with their Miami Beach Hotel introducing a PBteen Cabana and PBteen Game Lounge (the PB standing for ‘Pottery Barn’, whose furniture populates the areas) way back in 2009.

Besides housing “plush couches” and wall murals, the PBteen Cabana also holds weekly Nintendo Wii competitions with prizes, DVD rentals, and their version of a healthy beverage: tropical frozen smoothies.

Plus, the cruise lines may have been the true inventors of the teen lounge, with the one on Royal Caribbean offering music until – wait for it – 2am, and also offering a “private” outdoor space. Hmmm. Sounds “hip”?

Hold off on those grunts and groans for the demise of the hostel. No matter how much teens become accustomed to US hotels, here’s the hoping the spiritual journey trip to India that they are bound to take in their early 20s will set them straight.

The ship will also be stocked with the full set of Disney characters, wandering around deck and hanging out with the little ones.  The ship’s first voyage will set sail on January 26th, and there will definitely be some very lucky children on board.  Check out the Disney Dream’s website for prices and availability.

Image: blmiers2/Flickr

On Triporati.com, a new suggestion has been made for all those suffering from Harry/Twilight/Millennium withdrawal; tours. Yes, tours.  Tours of where these movies were filmed, of where they supposedly took place, and of where you pictured these characters to be alive and well.  If you’re into Twilight and you find yourself in the Pacific Northwest, look no further than Forks, Washington for some serious Twilight history.  Check out dazzledbytwilight.com where you can find full tours of the area.  If you’re addicted to the “Girl…” books of Millennium, a trip to Sweden may be in order.  No word where exactly the Harry Potter fans should head to in order to taste some home-brewed butterbeer for themselves – we’ll keep you updated!

Image Attribution to:  krhocevar_processing/Flckr