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NORFOLK It's billed as a "Blowout adoption event for our black babies." The Norfolk Animal Care Center, the city's animal-control facility, is offering half-off fees on black dogs and cats starting the day after Thanksgiving, dubbing the event "Black Fur-iday."

VIRGINIA BEACH Photos of pets with Santa will be offered Saturday and Sunday by the Colonial Terrier Club at the Care-A-Lot pet supply store, at 1924 Diamond Springs Road in Virginia Beach. For appointments, call (757) 636-9045. Proceeds will benefit the Portsmouth Humane Society and the Animal Aid Society of Hampton, a no-kill shelter.

Want to stick your head into a Komodo dragon's lair? Come face-to-face with an Egyptian cobra? Walk under the Red Sea? No problem. Not enough for you? How about slogging through a Malaysian peat swamp without wetting your feet? Crossing the burning sands of the desert without breaking a sweat? Diving to a coral reef in your everyday duds?

Norfolk's sentinel chickens, who serve as a front line of defense to mosquito-borne illnesses, have been granted a reprieve from their usual ending of euthanasia. The dozen leghorn chickens, who were stationed in locations around the city during the spring and summer months, had their blood drawn every two weeks and tested for West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis.

Veterinarian Dr. Lisa Holland took readers' questions this afternoon. Find out what she had to say.

SUFFOLK All the dogs came at once. The police department had gone years without a K9 unit, until the mid 2000s, when it acquired six German shepherds. They're all close in age, and they'll all reach retirement about the same time, said Maj. Larry Wilson. With a working life of about eight years, that's not too far off.

VIRGINIA BEACH The Virginia Beach SPCA will offer discounts to veterans on pet adoptions Wednesday.

Adoption fees for all veterans will be 50 percent off for dogs 5 and older and for all cats and kittens. Fees for all other dogs and puppies will be $25 off. The offer runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3040 Holland Road. For more information, call (757) 427-0070 ext. 41.

Portsmouth Humane Society employees are hoping for the quick return of Laverne and Shirley. The two dogs, both pit bull puppies, are believed to have been stolen from the kennel yard Saturday morning, said Susan Mirman, manager and adoption coordinator. The kennel is located at 2704 Frederick Blvd.

VIRGINIA BEACH Socks, a 2-year-old shepherd mix, donned a multi colored banda na and put on his best show. He chased a tennis ball, gave out free kisses and greeted everyone who passed by in the hopes of sniffing out a new family to take him home.