An animal rights activist wearing a goose costume thanked Britain's Prince Charles in front of the White House on Thursday for his opposition to foie gras.

"Charlie is my darling for banning foie gras from royal menus," read a placard held up by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals activist.

A massive boa constrictor whose reported escape sparked panic in the Argentine capital and a large mobilization of police and firefighters was found asleep Thursday safe and sound in its owner's closet.

"Margarita the boa was resting well coiled-up inside a closet in its owner's home," said a police spokesman for the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Banfield.

Apartment not big enough for a dog? Too busy for walkies? In crowded Tokyo you can rent a mutt for a few hours of wet noses and unconditional loving from Man's Best Friend.

For seven-year-old Rino Kakinuma, surrounded by toy poodles and beagle pups, it is the perfect solution -- a fortnightly chance to play with her four-legged friends.

A cat that vanished in South Carolina two years ago is going home after ending up nearly 2,000 miles away in Southern California.

Kevin the orange tabby is leaving Palm Springs on Wednesday after disappearing from Anderson, South Carolina, in 2013.

A Southern California doughnut shop has come up with yet another guilty pleasure gone viral: a gigantic doughnut stuffed with a Pop Tart filling.

Donut Bar, with outlets in Fountain Valley and San Diego, calls the 1-pound creation the "Big Poppa Tart Donut."

Serbia's interior ministry on Wednesday urged citizens to hand over grenades rather than leave them in garbage cans as it seeks to cut down on illegal weapons left over from the 1990s Balkans wars.

The appeal was not in response to any specific incident, but came with authorities encouraging residents to hand in illegal weapons and the government tightening laws on arms possession.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has a history with broken planes but during Iran nuclear talks in Switzerland this week even his bike needed fixing.

In what sceptics might call a metaphor for the talks in Lausanne, Kerry's orange racer on Monday couldn't get into gear properly, Lionel Schumann of the Sam's Bike shop in the town of La Tour-le-Peilz said.

A Dutch court has upheld the right of Amsterdam's Stedelijk Museum of modern art to ban an artist from entering after he threatened to urinate on works, including those by Marlene Dumas.

Rob van Koningsbruggen this week lost his suit in an Amsterdam court to force the world-famous museum, close to the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum, to allow him in, the Stedelijk said on Tuesday.

A corgi could have been forgiven for eyeing a new royal home when Queen Elizabeth II, well known for her love of dogs, visited the London animal charity where he lives Tuesday.

Twelve-year-old Beama featured in a canine guard of honour for the monarch when she opened the new kennels at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. The dog was later elevated on to a seat so the queen could meet him properly.

A 77-year-old Utah man charged with lewdness after sunbathing nude in his backyard agreed to a plea deal Tuesday that keeps his record clean as long as he wears a swimsuit.

Myron Lee Kipp pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges in Farmington. But under the terms of the deal with prosecutors, the pleas won't be recorded if Kipp stays covered over the next year.