Bill Campbell used to have a near-phobia about dogs based on a bad childhood experience. But after suffering brain injuries from repeated explosions in Iraq and dealing with the resulting mental challenges, he might find that a dog raised by an inmate in New York is his best friend.

Even his wife, Domenica Campbell, thinks so.

Starting in February, Stevi, a 17-month-old golden Labrador retriever, will be by Bill Campbell’s side at all times as his specially trained assistant, protector and companion.

Campbell, 46, lives with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. He will be the first service member diagnosed with PTSD to receive a dog under a new program started by Puppies Behind Bars, a New York-based nonprofit that trains inmates to raise service dogs.

The 10-year-old organization has raised 190 specially trained canines that are working a variety of jobs, including “seeing” for the blind and sniffing out explosives.

Gloria Gilbert Stoga, the organization’s founder and president, wanted to donate one or more dogs to service members wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq.

On the other side of the country, Domenica Campbell arrives at the only explanation plausible for why her husband was the first chosen.

“For whatever reason, fate put this dog in his way,” his wife said.

Police officer Rebecca Rosenblatt has a new partner. His name is Reese, and he cost $9,500.

He came to the police department courtesy of the Millbrae Community Foundation.

Reese is a 17-month-old German shepherd who is trained to track, search and protect, said Millbrae Police Cmdr. Marc Farber.

Reese and Rosenblatt are now on the beat after spending four weeks training at Tyson Kennels in Newark.

“He’s as good (or better than) a human partner,” said Rosenblatt, a

25-year-old Millbrae resident. “But the benefit of having a dog is, you don’t have to worry if he is in a bad mood, or don’t have to worry about him being mad at you.”

The Police Department hasn’t had a K-9 unit in five years, said Farber, who was once a canine handler.

Farber worked with and took care of K-9 Tino for years. Tino, a 13-year-old, has since retired and still lives with Farber. The other police dog — Rex — took ill and was put to sleep.

For the department to buy Reese — who originally came from Czechoslovakia — the foundation received the money from a donor who wanted to remain anonymous, said Catherine Quigg, the nonprofit’s president.

Rosenblatt said that when Reese turns 2 years old, he will need a bulletproof vest, should anyone want to donate money. The vest runs about $1,000, she added. Farber said the community foundation is still fund-raising for the department to get another police dog next summer.

Rosenblatt was one of three officerswho applied to be canine handlers. She was chosen because she went to canine training on her own time, Farber said.

She choose Reese because he is friendly. But like her, during work, it’s strictly business.

Next year, the duo will be trained in narcotics detection.

Rosenblatt said she’s happy because she knows Reese has her back.

“You get what you put in (from training),” she said. “He’s a really good partner.”

The next time you see someone pushing a stroller, take a closer look.

The occupant might be furry, four-legged and diaper-free.

Dog strollers are the newest trend to hit the streets of Toronto. And the reasons range from all-out glamour to the more mundane.

“We sell more when the weather gets nasty,” says Mike Fitzpatrick, co-owner of Bark & Fitz, a chain of pet boutiques based in Mississauga. “People don’t want to drag their perfectly coiffed dogs through the slush. And the salt can sting their paws. I’ve seen dogs roll over on their side because they don’t want to walk.

“It’s something that started in California, New York, Miami and Chicago and has become more mainstream in Canada in the last three years. At first we were hesitant to bring strollers into the market because we thought they were a little over the top.”

But once you get beyond the Paris Hilton-indulgence factor, there are practical issues that make pet strollers appealing.

“High-quality food is extending the life of dogs, but they are getting hip ailments and can’t walk,” Fitzpatrick says.

Even healthy toy dogs can get too tuckered out to keep up with their owners. In the summer scorching pavement can burn bare paws. And crowds can be treacherous for small dogs and nerve-wracking for their walkers who fear they may get trampled.

“And there are places where dogs aren’t allowed, so a carrier or stroller comes in handy,” Fitzpatrick says. “If the flaps are down people won’t even realize there’s a dog in there.”

Pet strollers at Bark & Fitz range from $150 to $400, from bare bones to sturdier models with high-end windbreakers and waterproof covers. “They’re not all pink and frilly,” Fitzpatrick says. “Jeep makes a pet jogger that even a guy would be fine with.”

Jeep strollers are distributed by Vermont-based Pet Gear Inc. (petgearinc.com) which also offers ultra-lights and an all-terrain pet vehicle.

Kittywalk.com has double deckers for situations where pets are better off travelling in separate quarters.

“There really is something for everyone now,” says Connie Wilson, publisher of Vancouver-based Modern Dog magazine.

She got a pet trailer this summer so she could cycle to work with her 65-pound Wiemaraner-pointer cross, Kaya, attached to the bike. The Burley brand pet trailer is built to withstand a larger dog’s heft. “And it has a flat bed with easy access and different ventilation than a baby stroller.”

Another option is the Tutto carrier on wheels, which resembles a big black lawyer’s briefcase and would be ideal in a situation that requires a professional image.

A stroller came in handy at Modern Dog when another office companion, a miniature dachsund named Esther, suffered a partially ruptured disc.

“She’s only 11 pounds, so it’s easy to pick her up, but if you go any distance it’s a burden. That’s when you really appreciate a stroller,” Wilson says.

“Prior to this, people had to make do and convert baby strollers, but now there is something for all kinds of different needs. And you can even colour co-ordinate.

“It all stems back to the fact that pets are integrated into people’s lives,” Wilson says. “They hold a spot in the family that is equivalent to a child. They give so much to us; it’s a way for us to give back to them.”

But is there a danger dogs might not get the exercise they need?

“Any responsible dog owner will understand a dog can’t be contained 24/7,” Wilson says. “But if you are out on a mission and you want your dog to be safe, then a pet stroller is a useful tool.”

A dog and his owner have been reunited after last Friday’s horrific tanker crash along Interstate 95 in Waterford.

The pit bull in a tractor-trailer struck by a tanker truck on the highway was reunited with his owner over the weekend.

As chaos broke out on I-95, a heroic pit bull remained calm, sitting in the front seat of a tractor-trailer hit by a tanker truck. As the truck crumbled, the dog stood tall, staying beside his owner until help arrived.

“I was calling to him, but he was just standing there and just guarding his person,” said Phyllis Martino, a witness at the scene.

That’s when another hero was standing by to step in. Vincent Gagliardi said the pit bull was frantic as his owner was carried away. So, Gagliardi took off his belt, ran to the dog, fashioned a leash and got the dog out of there.

“This guy was still sitting in the passenger seat, and there was diesel fuel all around, so I took him out of there,” Gagliardi said.

For cat lovers with exotic tastes and deep pockets a California biotech company has created a hybrid breed that resembles a mini leopard and sells for $22,000.

The Ashera is a mix between an African serval, an Asian leopard and a domesticated cat that can weigh up to 13.6 kilos.

A hypoallergenic version is also available with a price tag starting at $28,000.

“It’s exotic, but under the skin. It’s a domestic house cat, very easy to take care of and extremely friendly,” said Simon Brodie, the founder of Lifestyle Pets that developed the breed.

“Everybody has thought at one time, wouldn’t it be great to have a leopard at home, or a tiger. Obviously you can’t and this is about the nearest thing to it,” he added in an interview.

The Ashera is not as aloof as some cats, is very vocal and can open doors and walk on a leash, according to the company.

“They’re more dog-like than anything,” Brodie said.

Many customers are first-time cat owners or dog lovers who are attracted to the canine-qualities and the relatively self-sufficient nature of cats. Most of the 100 Ashera cats sold this year by the company have been to customers in Russia and China.

The Ashera is just one of a growing breed of designer cats.

Other hybrid varieties include the Toyger, which is a cross of a Bengal and a domestic cat, the Chausie, a mix of jungle and domestic cats, and the Savannah, which resulted from breeding an African serval and a house cat.

Brodie admitted there were similarities between the Savannah and Ashera but said consistency in size and temperament were key differentiating factors.

“Anybody can throw the ingredients in, but unless you know what ingredients are the best ingredients in the best percentages, you’re not going to produce the same final product,” he explained.

The Savannah is classified as an African serval bred with any domestic cat, according to the International Cat Association. The Ashera’s domestic cat component is a specific one that Brodie said won’t be revealed.

“Is it a status symbol? I guess to an extent it is. But so are million-dollar racehorses,” said Brodie.

Izzie the Great Dane had been expecting four new pups, but after going into labour she just kept delivering, and delivering, and delivering.

Twenty-four hours later, the new mum was celebrating the arrival of 15 new babies – six short of the world record.

It has all comes as something of a shock to owners Gemma Caroll, 24, Mark Bibby, 38, who could not quite believe how the new arrivals just kept coming.

Now the family, including daughter Charlotte, 11, of Ewesley Road, Sunderland, have found themselves with a few more mouths to feed.

The three-year-old pedigree actually had 18 pups, but sadly, three did not survive.

The healthy pups have kept Izzie busy with more mouths to feed than she could manage so Charlotte, of Houghton Kepier School, dad Mark and his partner Gemma have been lending a helping hand with bottled milk.

Izzie had nine blue pups, five dogs and four bitches and eight black pups, six bitches and two dogs.

Gemma, a customer accounts manager for City Financial, said: “It is just crazy. We never expected her to have so many, but mum’s doing great.

“She looked very thin after she had given birth, but obviously with 18 puppies inside her, everything she ate was going straight into them.

“My friend who works at a restaurant has been saving all the leftovers for her and she’s been eating all of them so she’s back on form now.”

Mark, a self employed property
developer, originally bought Izzie as a present for his daughter, but then decided to breed from her.

Each puppy is expected to fetch more then £750 because they are pedigree and Izzie and the father come from families of champions.

The litter has started eating solids and exhausted mum is managing to get a bit more rest. But as the puppies get stronger, the family know they will become more of a handful.

Gemma said: “We are in the process of registering them with the Kennel Club and hoping to sell them all, but we will be very picky about the home the puppies go to.

“Great Danes are fantastic dogs and they are gentle giants. Izzie weighs eight-and-a-half stone and she makes a great guard dog because she has a big bark on her, but she has never gone for any of us.”