Aromatherapy massages. Filet mignon dinners. Spa pedicures.

Lately, it seems that some pampered pooches live better than I do.

Q: Is it okay to call out environmental offenders — even if they're only harming the planet for the sake of their dog?

A: In a word — yup.

The Frisbee has served as a flying summer favorite for man and his best friend. In 1958, Wham-O, the company that brought us the hula-hoop, first marketed the airborne toy. According to legend, the craze of tossing to canines began in 1974, when a man illegally threw his dog a disc during a break in a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game. Since that stunt, which landed the owner in handcuffs, canine competitions have leapt up around the world.

San Francisco has long been known as a haven of eco-sensitivity, but a new municipal program designed to harness electricity from dog feces takes Fog City's environmental consciousness to a new level.

My neighbor's golden retriever is a volunteer at the hospital across the street. I smile every time I see his official laminated ID card dangling from his collar. It turns out that he has the right idea. Reuters reports today that heart disease patients who spend time with a dog experience less anxiety and even speedier recoveries than those who are left alone or those who are visited by a human volunteer.