Being Americans, we like to celebrate by blowing things up. This weekend, thousands of fireworks will explode in brilliant colors and high pitched squeals, bringing joy and wonder to everyone ... except pets, which is why animal shelters see a huge increase in strays around this holiday. Dogs and cats will panic and bolt through doors, windows - both open and closed - trying to escape the noise.

The string of 19 (by some counts, 33) cat mutilation killings that have terrorized South Miami-Dade for the past month have hopefully, come to an end. Police have finally arrested a suspect and he's not exactly the angry, freaky loner that many were expecting. Instead, he's a dog-loving class clown, a swim class instructor and a local teenager known by all his neighbors. He was taken into custody while at a party and even flashed a smile for his mug shot.

I suspect there are some people who don't think this is a serious crime, the serial killing of pet cats allegedly by Florida teen Tyler Hayes Weinman, 18. However, mental health professionals and researchers have long associated cruelty to animals with antisocial personality disorder. This disorder should never be taken lightly. If you have a child who is cruel to your pets or others' pets and animals, you may be nurturing a sociopath or psychopath.

Ever had to ship your pet on a plane? While statistically safe, it's still scary for both of you. So, after years of loyalty and love, pets have won their very own airline. Starting on July 14, PetAirways will provide animal-only flight service to five cities – Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. Us control freaks can even obtain 15-minute status updates on our airborne pets online.

In January, I wrote "Do Cats Go to Heaven?" talking about pet death. Suddenly the Arens household is revisiting this discussion, as we lost eight-year-old Bella the Monster-Eating Cat last week to acute kidney failure.

While April showers may bring May flowers, this past month has brought a number of gardening articles.  Let's wrap this digging-the-dirt-fest up with a round up of what's being talked about on some of the garden blogs.  Flower first: Margaret Roach of Away To Garden remembered her species peonies shares several lilac tips.

It is time once again to explore the BlogHer Life blog topic category and blogroll. I'll share some beautiful and poignant writing here on the site and introduce you to some new additions to the blogroll. I will start with the blogroll. We have new members joining every day and adding their blogs to our blogroll. Every time I look at the new blogs I find gems. I encourage you to take some time to wander around and find some gems of your own. First though, let us begin with three of the latest additions.

We love them, and often take them for granted. Yet they can be some of our most powerful and simple spiritual teachers. Our pets. They can be great teachers of love, loyalty and compassion. At some point, the persistent love of my pet made me see that my dog might just be training me.

Did you know that over two-thirds of American households claim a pet among the family members?  These animals look to us for food, shelter and comfort.  So while we're crafting fun things for the other family members, let's not forget the pets.

Between Oprah's dog, Gracie, choking to death on a ball last summer and Martha Stewart's chow, Genghis Khan, recently perishing in a kennel fire - it's been a hazardous stretch for celebrity pooches. Now, Oprah has also lost one of her 8-week-old puppies, Ivan, to Parvovirus.

Sure, Bald Eagles look sharp on currency but if there is one true symbol of American grit and spirit, it is the horse. And, come to think of it, when is the last time you bonded with an eagle? Americans love our horses so much that we now face a terrible reality: We have too many - way more than we can handle, and the wounded economy has raised the issue from troubling to urgent.

While we recognize guide dogs for the blind, plenty of other kind beasts are helping out humans in need - causing some to cry fowl. Monkeys for quadriplegia, goats for muscular dystrophy and parrots for psychosis?  And cats, ferrets, pigs and ducks? For anxiety. Don't forget the guide miniature horses. Thanks to the dogged efforts of reporter Rebecca Skloot, we’ve learned that all non-canine service animals are threatened to become 'declassified' as service animals by the Department of Justice.