Pet Scoop: Beagles Rescued From a Research Lab in Spain, NY Hotel Cat Banned From Lobby

November 28, 2011: We’ve scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it’s all right here.

Beagles Get a Taste of Freedom in the U.S.

They’d never romped outside, nor had they seen daylight. But last week, the Beagle Freedom Project flew 40 Beagles to Los Angeles who’d been used for animal testing in Spain. Before they’re adopted, the dogs will spend a few weeks in foster homes, while their health is monitored. — Watch it at Today

Study Confirms That the First Dogs Came From East Asia

The genetic study uncovered that wolves were first domesticated by humans in an area south of the Yangtze River in Asia, contradicting archaeological data and a recent study that suggested canines originated in the Middle East. — Read it at Science Daily

Kitten Stuck in a Pipe Is Rescued on Thanksgiving

A team of police officers and firefighters spent three hours trying to free a kitten from an electrical pipe in El Cajon, Calif., on Thanksgiving Day. The kitty was no doubt thankful — especially for the officer who ended up adopting her. — Watch it at the Huffington Post

Newborn Lowland Gorilla Dies at a Chicago Zoo

In a sad turn of events at the Lincoln Park Zoo, a 9-day-old lowland gorilla, whose birth had just been celebrated, was found dead in her mother’s arms on Friday morning. Officials aren’t sure how the baby suffered a fatal head injury, but they are giving the parents time away from public viewing to grieve. — Read it at the Chicago Tribune

Cat Banned From New York’s Algonquin Hotel Lobby

A free-roaming feline has been an institution at the Algonquin hotel in midtown Manhattan, but the city’s health department now says that Matilda III must stay away from the lobby area because food is served there. So the famed cat is being kept on a leash behind the check-in desk. — Read it at the NY Post