I read a news article about a French bulldog being hurled off of a 6th-floor apartment in Japan by a person who stole the dog.

Here is what happened according to the news article: a woman who saw a French bulldog tied with a leash just outside a pharmacy thought the dog was cute. She decided to steal the dog and take it home, which was on the 6th floor of an apartment building. After a few days of handing out "missing dog" fliers the original dog owner eventually located the woman who stole the dog. Confronted by the dog owner at the front door, the woman who stole the dog didn't know what to do. In a state of panic, she went back inside, grabbed the dog and hurled it off from the 6th floor balcony of her apartment so that the original dog owner wouldn't see the dog. The dog died from the fall. The woman has since been reported to prosecutors on suspicion of theft and for violating the animal protection law.

It was not a happy ending for the dog or its owner. Dog thefts can happen if you leave your dog unattended outside a store, even if you think you will come back in only a few minutes. If you think your dog is very cute, other people may feel the same way when they see your dog outside a convenience store by himself/herself.

How many times a year do you visit your veterinarian for just "check-ups" for your dogs and cats? Average pet owners may take their pets to their veterinarians once a year.

But pet professionals such as the AVMA (The American Veterinary Medical Association) actually encourage twice-annual wellness exams for all pets.

Their reason is that dogs and cats age five to eight times as quickly as people do. So for pets, seeing a veterinarian annually is like you seeing a doctor or dentist once every five or eight years.

The advantage of additional visits to your veterinarian is an increased chance of detecting subtle signs of health change in your pets. As people say, "an early diagnosis may mean a better prognosis."

Remember, you can nip possible problems your pets may develop in the bud. Nobody wants problems, but if you catch issues in an early stage, things will likely to work out more smoothly for both you and your pets. Your pets may not have to go through much pain. Your vet cost may be less. Both you and your pets can be happy.

It's all about prevention.