Folks are lining up for rabies shots in San Ramon, after a cute stray kitten turned out to carry the virus. Authorites estimate that about 60 people were in contact with the kitten, and that 35 people would have to get shots (including one person who was bitten). 26 other people are also getting shots as a precaution. One vet noted that the kitten had gotten a lot of attention because it was just so darned cute. "Everyone loves a kitten." Two pit bulls were euthanized in Concord today, after they killed four animals in a neighbor's yard last Friday. The owner had kenneled the two dogs but claims that they escaped when they got spooked by the thunder and lightning last week. The dogs killed their neighbors' two cats, a goat, and a bunny. Animal Control got to the scene right as the dogs were in the rabbit hutch, and they report that the dogs were so intent on the rabbit that they didn't even notice the fuzz. The dogs also killed four other animals in the neighborhood that evening. ...and we know we're stepping a little on SFist Rain's territory here -- but hey! New Animal Cops SF episodes just appeared on our TiVo! Starting next week! Yay, more Lieutenant Michael Scott! ...

What's going on with our four-legged friends? Well -- Oakland's passed a law making it illegal to own more than three animals in one house. You can petition to have more, but only if you can show that all the animals are registered and spayed/neutered. People who already have more than three pets are grandfathered in, but for those animals only (so you can't swap out Fluffy for Bane later or anything). This will supposedly make it easier to take legal action against the dreaded animal hoarders. We like the euphemism they use on Animal Precinct -- you're not a hoarder, you're just "overwhelmed." Across the bay, a San Francisco cop shot a pit bull charging at him as he investigated reports of squatters in the Portola District. No human injuries were suffered. In other animal-human encounters, two "terrified" campers fled their campsite on Mount Tam as two mountain lions, um, propragated their species. And the SF SPCA has just received a $13 million gift, which is the largest gift in the organization's history. They'll use the money to build a new animal hospital. The hospital will be called the Leanne Roberts Animal Care Center, in honor of a former board member of the SPCA who died in 2003 (and whose husband ponied up the cash). The hospital will be finished around 2007 -- just in time for the third season of Animal Cops SF! ...

KRON 4 viewers are the best! After seeing a heartwrenching news clip on KRON 4 about a kitten stuck in a pipe for two days, a KRON 4 watcher who works as an excavator was moved to go down to the pipe and help find Smoky the cat. Thanks to his help, the rescuers were able to locate Smoky in the pipe and get her out. She's doing fine, thanks for asking! The only other animal news around here is pit bull-related. So the Peninsula Humane Society is offering $10 to anyone who brings in a pit bull to be spayed or neutered. And two pit bulls who attacked two people and three dogs at the end of May in McLaren Park were found to be "vicious and dangerous" by Animal Cops SF hero and Dog Court Judge Officer Bill Herndon, and will be euthanized. One of the dogs had mangled the hand of a guy trying to break up the fight, and the other had disemboweled (yikes!) another dog (which survived!). ...

Those of you who read SFist Watches have probably deduced that your Junkie's TV viewing habits consist solely of KRON 4 News at 11 and Animal Cops SF. (It's not entirely true -- sometimes we watch Robot Chicken.) But we're making an exception tomorrow! Instead of our usual 7:30 p.m. routine (viz, watching Wheel of Fortune over our usual dinner of Lucky Charms and Trader Joe beer), we're tuning in to see ..... none other than our beloved editor-in-chief SFist Jackson MAKING HIS TELEVISION DEBUT!!!!! Yeeeeeeeeee-ha! Jackson's this week's talking head on local politics TV show SF Unscripted on Comcast Channel 11, hosted by local Republican Arthur Bruzzoni (he's the guy up left). He's talking about (what else?) blogging in local politics -- with unrepentant blogger and District 5 candidate Mr. h. brown. Check out Jackson sporting his cool pink shirt! Rrrowr! What's the SFist staff doing while Jackson rockets to fame? Drinking game! Play along with us tomorrow at 7:30! (Jackson, h., and Art Bruzzoni reair Thursday at 6:30, Friday at 8, and Saturday at 8:30).

This first story is so good (thanks, SFist Jon!), we've had to wait until two other animal stories popped up in the local news just so we could do an Animal Roundup about it! A heroic African parrot named Mango is recovering after breaking up a raucous fight in the South Bay. The guilty party, named Grady Powless, rooms with a guy named Joey, who's lost both his legs. Powless got in some kind of fight with Joey, over a shirt, and ended up hurting his teeth. The next day, Powless, still sulky, came in, kicked legless Joey in the crotch, and threw a flower pot and a barbecue grill lid at him. As Mango's owner tried to intervene in the fight, Mango flew in to help and began dive-bombing Powless. Powless freaked out, started pulled out some of Mango's tail feathers to protect himself, and the cops came and took Powless away. Powless, who has mental problems, is being looked after, and Mango's tail feathers should grow back. Surprisingly, no word on legless Joey! Obligatory two other stories about animals: A poodle being illegally walked off-leash at Fort Mason got stranded on the cliff, and the Animal Care and Control officer sent out to help got stuck on the cliff too. The coast guard saved the poodle and the fire department saved the ACC officer. The Oh, we so hope this gets on Animal Cops SF! And a Marin woman's 50-year-old tortoise has run away (the article's pretty funny). ...

Last week's winner: SF Weekly. Ignore all other news and read the cover article about Dog and Order! So rad, we read it twice! Follow our latest crush (auf wiedersein, Chris Daly -- sorry), Officer Bill Herndon, as he presides over three cases in Dog Court. You know what's awesome? They call cases appealed to regular court "habeas canis." Awesome. (But why no mention of Animal Cops SF, covering the exact same material?) You can't run an article this awesome all the time, it diminishes everything else that appears in the paper by comparison: Matt Smith on raising parking fees, Harmon Leon works in pr0n, . Savage Love: transgender person tells friend, accidental barebacking, girl should dump inconsiderate boyfriend. The East Bay Express. Sadly, no articles about San Francisco Dog Court. (We love you, Officer Herndon!) Cover article: We're all going to die in a big earthquake in the next 30 years!!! Aaaaaaaaugh! (Part 1 of 2). Food reviews: An African-American Hebrew biblically-inspired vegan restaurant in Oakland. Queer Oakland hip-hop. The Guardian's Noise Pop coverage and the Metro on poetry slams, after the jump....