Most pet owners know not to leave Fluffy or Fido in a locked car during the summer because of the risk of heat stroke. But did you also know that your cat or dog can get sunburn if left in the sun too long? It’s true, said Terry Jessen, a veterinarian at Harrisonburg Animal Hospital, especially on areas like ears and noses. "Not through a coat, but they can get sunburn on any exposed areas of skin," Jessen said. "White cats have a terrible time with sunburn on the tips of their ears."During the summer, pet owners need to take extra steps to account for the heat and sun, said Anne Anderson, executive director at the Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA. Full Article

Artist William Scott sinks his hands into a mass of soft, wet clay. Using his thumbs he carefully shapes the clay into the nose of an Afro-American basketball player. Scott recently sold out a one-man show of his striking ceramic busts at the prestigious White Columns Gallery in New York. His work has been displayed at galleries across the United States and Europe and is sought after by art collectors worldwide. William Scott is also severely autistic. He is one of 150 artists with mental and physical disabilities based at the Creative Growth Art Centre, a former car repair workshop in the industrial district of Oakland, near San Francisco. Full Article

For the first time ever, Caterham Cars is offering customers 0% finance on all new models powered by the K-Series engine. This means it is possible to buy an entry level Caterham Classic for a deposit of £3,374 and 24 monthly payments of £399. As usual, finance is subject to status and excludes Caterham Academy and race cars. The company says that indemnities may be required. The lightweight K-Series engine has powered the Caterham range for 15 years and is linked to its world record titles including 0-60mph, 0-100-0mph and fastest production car lap of the Nurburgring. With variants available from 105 to 165bhp, the K-series provides the performance in Caterham 7 Classic, Roadsport and Superlight models. Full Article

It''s touching to think that when Richard Donner''s Superman was released in 1978, the ads could tempt audiences with the line "You''ll believe a man can fly." Nearly three decades later, it''s hard to find a man in the movies who doesn''t fly. Special-effects comic-book fantasy is the atmosphere we breathe, and when you go to see Bryan Singer''s "Superman Returns," it''s with the expectation that you''ll believe a man can fly, and also speed through blasts of underground fire, land a crashing airplane, and stop a bullet, in slow motion, with his left eyeball -- all of which Superman does, without breaking a supersweat. He''s still a sleek marvel of fun, though, even if we now take his powers for granted. Full Article

Peugeot has extended its diesel hybrid technology programme to the 307 CC Hybride HDi, unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in February. This diesel-hybrid technology demonstrator combines a 1.6-litre HDi diesel engine with a DPFS (Diesel Particle Filter System) and an electric power train. The 307 CC Hybride HDi joins the 307 hatchback, announced in January, to lead diesel hybrid development in readiness for possible introduction in 2010. Peugeot says that, in use, the hybrid electric/diesel powertrain heralds a genuine new benchmark in terms of fuel consumption, combining the efficiency of the 1.6-litre HDi engine with that of the electric motor designed mainly for use in town.Full Article

A portrait by Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani of his lover Jeanne Hebuterne has sold for £16.3m. The oil painting, Jeanne Hebuterne (au chapeau), dates from 1919 - a year before Modigliani died of tuberculosis. Ms Hebuterne, who was eight months pregnant, committed suicide a day after the artist's death. The painting was part of a sale of modern and impressionist art, which raised almost £89m at London auction house Sotheby's on Monday. An 1895 pastel of a woman bathing by French artist Edgar Degas sold for £6.7m in the same auction. Full Article

Almost half of North Carolina dog owners let the chips fall where they may and don't clean up after their animals, according to a statewide survey of how people handle their dogs' waste. "It's a big water-quality problem," said Chrystal Bartlett, the state's stormwater awareness and outreach coordinator. "It's also an aesthetic problem." The state's 1.8 million dogs deposit an estimated 681 tons of waste per day in the state, said Bartlett, who works for the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Chris Gonzalez, owner of Poop Away, said he has hauled away as much as 27 gallons of waste from a single yard. Full Article

The Lotus Europa S, the Grand Tourer inspired two-seater, goes on sale from the 16 September. The car will be fully equipped, including driver and passenger airbag, air conditioning, satellite navigation and full leather interior. Metallic Paint and Lifestyle Paint colours are the only cost options. The recommended retail prices for the UK are £32,995, while metallic paint adds £595 and 'Lifestyle' paint is an extra £1,009. The Europa S is said to follow the core Lotus philosophy of performance through light weight – it weighs only 995 kg. Full Article

Guide dog walkers and their trainee puppies are being given free rail travel. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association's volunteers are getting free train travel from First ScotRail to help the skills of puppies. It allows young dogs to experience getting on trains, travelling between stations and getting through ticket barriers to assist their future owners. The Scottish scheme was launched at Aberdeen Railway Station on Monday. First ScotRail has joined the puppy walker's programme in cooperation with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. Full Article

A US dog has won an award for saving her owner's life by dialling a phone number that alerted emergency services to her owner's diabetic seizure. Belle the beagle triggered a call to an ambulance crew by biting on her owner, Kevin Weaver's, mobile phone. The dog was trained to detect potential diabetic attacks by licking and sniffing Mr Weaver's nose to check his blood sugar levels and pawing him. Belle resorted to dialling for help when Mr Weaver fell unconscious. The dog used her teeth to press the number nine key, which the phone was programmed to interpret as a "911" call to emergency services. Full Article

While all of the relevant regatta sailing personnel are hailing the document as something quite wonderful, there is one particular call that if heeded will really be an indication that the sailors collectively are prepared to bid the old "row" days goodbye. James Wallace, an executive of the Nassau Sailing Association says he would like to see one more condition placed in the National Regatta Rules. His view is that the architects of the NRR should include a clause mandating that regatta committees show proof of sufficient funds to cover all of the expenses of the event, especially stipends and payments to the sailing teams. Full Article

High-octane car chases, outrageous stunts, explosive events and humourous commentary from the team continues to make the MPH show unique among motor shows and allows performance car enthusiasts to get closer to the action than ever before. Between the three live shows a day, show goers can get intimate with automotive exotica from marques that have previously included Aston Martin, Bentley, Caterham, Invicta, Jaguar, Noble, Pagani, Radical, Saleen and Ultima. There's also the chance to learn about events like the exclusive Gumball 3000 and handle cutting edge gadgetry. Full Article

Forget the old joke which starts 'my dog has got no nose...' - Duo the Staffordshire bull terrier has two. Staff at Newcastle Dog and Cat Shelter are having problems finding a home for the three-year-old because of his unique appearance caused by a harelip. The dog, named Duo by shelter staff, was handed in to them by police after apparently being lost or abandoned. Staff at the shelter said vets had not seen a harelip to such an extent in a dog before. Head of fundraising Michelle Pyle said: "We've had a few people come and see him and say he's a freak. "Duo is not a freak, he's just unusual. Not many people can say they've got a dog like that." Full Article

The Pixar animation Cars has remained the number one film at North American cinemas for the second weekend. The movie features the voices of Owen Wilson and Paul Newman and tells the tale of a talking vehicle by the name of Lightning McQueen. It generated $31.2m (£16.9m), while another motoring-themed movie, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift entered at three, earning $24.1m (£13m). It was beaten by Nacho Libre, with Jack Black playing a cook who also wrestles. This made number two on the chart with takings of $27.5m (£14.8m). Directed by John Lasseter, Cars will open in the UK on 28 July. Full Article

The Perodua Kelisa has again proved itself to be value for money in terms of purchase price, specification, running costs and depreciation. Perodua has three Kelisa models in the top five of motor research specialist CAP''s May running costs table. The company says that, with the continuation of the free SE Pack promotion, Kelisa is the number one choice for those seeking an economical yet stylish motoring solution. The industry supplier of running costs data, CAP, has announced that the 5-door Kelisa EX loses the least money over three years which, combined with a purchase price of only £4,699 delivered, makes it the most affordable car in the UK, according to Perodua. Full Article

SHETLAND yachtsman Leslie Irvine and crewmate Dick Koopmans are setting off on the second leg of the Shetland Round Britain & Ireland Race this afternoon (Thursday). Their Shetland Catch sponsored yacht Jager arrived in the Irish port of Kinsale on Tuesday afternoon after completing the first leg of the 2,000 mile race. The first yacht into Kinsale was Pete Goss and Paul Larsen sailing Cornwall Playing for Success which crossed the finish line at 11am on Monday with an elapsed time of 23 hours. Most of the 42 participating yachts experienced light winds after leaving Plymouth on Sunday and only made slow progress towards Kinsale. Full Article