Lead dogs Socks, left, and Blue, right, after crossing the finish line first to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Nome, Alaska, on Wednesday, March 16, 2005. Along for the ride was Robert Sorlie of Norway.
Platoon Buddies
Baracus the platoon dog stays warm while traveling with U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Francisco Davila in Karabilah, Iraq, on Dec. 5, 2005. Baracus is named after the character played by Mr. T in the 1980s TV series "The A-Team," who wore his hair in a similar "Mohawk" style.
An Emotional Reunion
Phil Fricano embraces his dog, Pretty Face, after she was rescued in New Orleans, Sept. 9, 2005. Thousands of missing animals were the subject of one of the largest animal rescue efforts in U.S. history after they were separated from their families during Hurricane Rita.
Waiting Out The Storm
Peaches, one of 17 cats and one dog belonging to Homer and Debbie Hollis of Biloxi, Miss., sits on a shelf at Pulaski County Humane Society's shelter Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005, near Little Rock, Ark. Officials refused to allow pets in shelters with their families.
Thanks, Buddy!
A giraffe kisses Houston Zoo director Rick Barongi on Sept. 24, 2005. The zoo successfully protected its animals from harm during Hurricane Rita by creating a sort of Noah's Ark. Geese, ducks and chickens were housed in window-less men's rooms while turkeys sat out the storm in a women's rest room.
Snuppy The Puppy Clone
The first claimed dog clone sits between his Afghan hound genetic donor, left, and his surrogate mother at Seoul National University on Aug. 3, 2005. Scientists supposedly created Snuppy by taking a cell from the Afghan's ear and embedding it in an empty egg cell. Revelations by one of the scientists that he fabricated research on another project, however, have cast suspicion on Snuppy's origin.
Animal Farm
Three of 14 piglets cloned by Italian researchers are seen on Oct. 28, 2005, on a farm in northern Italy. The animals were born at the Laboratory of Reproductive Technology in Cremona. Research leader professor Cesare Galli said the pigs would help in understanding animal-to-human organ transplants.
He Looks A Bit Like Uncle Lou
As the debate over Darwin's theory of evolution re-ignites, you have to wonder what they think. Chimpanzees play with a carved pumpkin head at Sydney's Taronga Zoo, Monday, Oct. 31, 2005. The zoo's behavioral biologist is introducing new foods to stimulate the animals.
On The Job In London
A British police officer leads a sniffer dog as rescue personnel gather at Warren Street in central London, July 21, 2005. Terrorists planted three bombs in the underground system and a fourth on a bus, but all failed to explode. The incident came two weeks after the deadliest bombing in London since World War II, in which 56 people died and 700 were injured.
The Therapist
Makenzi, a therapy dog, is a frequent visitor at Casa Grande Regional Medical Center in Casa Grande, Ariz. Dogs increasingly are being trained to provide comfort and companionship to people with physical or emotional problems. Makenzi, a Shetland sheepdog, is part of a pilot program.
Movie Action Hero
Children release balloons in front of a giant Gromit in Cannes, France. The clay-mation hero of "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" was a big cheese at the annual film festival. Also there were, from left, producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, director Nick Park, producers David Sproxton and Peter Lord.
Live Action Hero
Toby Brown's Australian Sheppard, Jake, 7, clears a jump in the Pepper Memorial Classic Dog Agility Trials in Carson City, Nev., on April 17, 2005. The event raises money for canine cancer. Advances in animal cancer diagnosis and treatment often mirror practices in human care.
Newcomers Of The Year
The life of the emperor penguin was documented in "March of the Penguins," a surprise hit by French documentary makers. The film follows them on their annual trek across the Antarctic.
Not My Fault
A chicken peers out of a cage in a market in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, on Oct. 26, 2005. Fears of a pandemic have increased as a virus infecting millions of birds has spread throughout Asia. While the virus has not yet spread from person to person, officials fear that it could.
Marooned By A Monsoon
A white ibis perches on a submerged tree at Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, south of Bangalore, India, on Aug. 3, 2005. Hundreds of migratory birds were trapped after monsoon floodwaters inundated their sanctuary.
Pup In Peril
A woman carries her dog as she flees Woolsey Canyon on Sept. 28, 2005, near the Chatsworth area of Los Angeles. Wildfires scorched 24,000 acres in the region northwest of Los Angeles before firefighters contained them Oct. 1.
Global Warming?
The debate about the causes of global warming continued to rage in 2005, but the effects are clear to Yukio the polar bear. He tries to break an ice block to savor a salmon packed inside at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo on July 23, 2005. Zoo workers also passed out icy treats to monkeys and spectacled bears to help them get through the hot summer days.
Rainforest Refuge
A Malayan tapir feeds at the new Wild Asia exhibit at Sydney's Taronga Zoo on Sept. 22, 2005. The new mega-exhibit is home to 200 animals of the Asian rainforest, including the tapir. One of the most primitive large mammals in the world, it lives in dense rainforests from Thailand and Burma through Malaysia and Sumatra.
Prairie Dog Nation
A prairie dog perches in Mexico's Janos Valley, where conservation groups have purchased 46,000 acres of desert grasslands to convert pesky prairie dogs into valuable farm tools. The Conservancy says the endangered prairie dog is vital to restoring the dwindling grasslands of the Chihuahuan desert.
Fashion Dog
Paris Hilton poses while holding Tinkerbell during a press conference to unveil her new Paris Hilton Limited Edition Watch Collection on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2005, at the Tourneau store in New York.