Francesca, one of Martha Stewart's frenchies and my bff, was interviewed by msnbc about her and Sharkey's blog - The Daily Wag.

Socks, the famous Clinton cat, passed away Friday after months of treatment for cancer.

"Socks brought much happiness to Chelsea and us over the years, and enjoyment to kids and cat lovers everywhere," Bill and Hillary Clinton said in a joint statement released by the William J. Clinton Foundation. "We're grateful for those memories, and we especially want to thank our good friend, Betty Currie, for taking such loving care of Socks for so many years."

Veterinarians say he was probably either 19 or 20 years old. RIP Socks.

Sadly, sweet Loki, Mickey Rourke's 18 year old chihuahua and beloved companion passed away on Monday. I don't know about you but I was all teary when Mickey thanked his dogs at the Golden Globes and I was looking forward to seeing them together at the Oscars.

Says Rourke: "Loki is deeply missed but with me in spirit. I feel very blessed that she fell asleep peacefully in my arms."

RIP little Loki.

But what I really wanted to show you was this cute video:

Despite what our opinions may be in regards to US politics over the past 8 years, the Ruby Scoop team would like to send our condolences to the Bush family for the passing of India, the "first cat". The Bush family's 18 year-old cat  passed away just weeks before they were due to leave the White House.

According to a statement from the first lady's office, India died peacefully at home on Sunday January 4th. India, a black American Shorthair, was named after former Texas Rangers player Ruben Sierra, whose nickname was "El Indio", but was often affectionately called "Kitty" by the family.

India was often overshadowed by the family's more high-profile Scottish Terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley. In 2004 angry youths in India burned an effigy of President Bush because they felt that naming his cat India was an insult to their country. Poor kitty!

RIP India.

This isn't the first time Ruby's seen her name in print. She's been in the Mississauga News three times! Most recently we were spotted at Dog Day at the Hershey Center cheering on the St. Michael's Majors. We were also on the cover of The Booster for Doggy Dayz at Benares Museum in Clarkson (we're bottom center, not left) and at the Mississauga Humane Society Walkathon (the picture is of Ruby and our foster dog at the time, Diesel). Ruby also won a Modern Dog Magazine photo contest and was in the Fall 2007 issue  (page 29!). She was in the K9 Rescue Me 2008 Calendar (May) and was in a fashion show at PetPalooza. We were also caught celebrating her 3rd birthday! Ruby is quite the local celebrity!

I can't tell you how happy I am that Obama is the next President of the United States. I really like this man. And what made me like him even more, the real icing on the cake, is not just that he wants to get his girls a dog but that he wants to get a rescue dog. This choice is not a surprise based on what we've come to know about his character. Now, let's think... what would be the best breed for Mr. President Elect Obama? I know! A BOSTON TERRIER! Here's why:

• Boston Terriers are the all American breed. The first American breed to be recognized by the AKC.
• They are a great representation of the positives of America's melting pot. (Two breeds from elsewhere to create a cool American original.)
• They are gentle, handsome, intelligent and charismatic - just like Obama.
• They are black and white - just like Obama.
• They are excellent with kids.
• They are very low shedding dogs, great for people with allergies.
• They are small, compact, quiet, quick learners, and real characters!

What more could the Obama family ask for? So come on Obama - choose a Boston!

Ruby is Ellen DeGeneres!

The Comedienne

Ruby's quirky little act get laughs whenever she's out and about...

Turning on the charm wherever she may be, Ruby can ham it up with the best of the best. She's not afraid to stand up and be the center of attention, even if it means getting egg on her fur. Ruby will do her shtick in any size venue, from small clubs and coffee houses to large parks with huge audiences. A true lover of animalkind, Ruby generously shares what she has with her fellow furry friends. Ruby's highly recognizable vocal style is known throughout the ‘hood, and her many fans gather ‘round to hear her snuzzy tails, sure that every episode will be unlike the rest.

Drew Barrymore has reportedly put her dog Flossie, a Labrador/Chow Chow mix, on a diet. She is said to be so worried about her recent weight gain that she asked the vet to put the dog on prescription diet pills Slentrol.

You may remember that Drew was saved by Flossie when a fire struck her house in 2001. At around 3am, Flossie barked after smelling smoke and "literally banged on their bedroom door", according to Drew.

Picture: Celebrity Dog Watcher