Visitors at Utah's Hogle Zoo usually only get to look at the animals, but Saturday's adoption event let some people take an animal home.

The zoo's "Meet Your Best Friend at the Zoo" event had cats and dogs available for adoption. Six shelters from around the valley brought animals for the public to adopt.

"There are a lot of animals out there. We have 6 rescues here today and that's just a small sampling of those here in Utah and all of them are always looking to adopt out as many animals as they can to good homes," said Cagney Smullin, event supervisor for Hogle Zoo.

Anyone who adopted an animal on Saturday received a free ticket to the zoo, good through the end of October. They will also get a free dog bath from Camp Barkalot and a free yard waste removal from Utah Critter Litter.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The death of a stray dog whose heart was removed by University of Utah researchers conducting cardiology tests has spurred a renewed call from animal rights groups to stop the practice of selling some shelter animals for research nationwide.

Thirty-six states, including Utah, allow stray dogs and cats to be sold to research facilities if they are scheduled for euthanasia at animal shelters.

But animal activists say the shelters should be safe havens, and fear that if the practice continues, people may stop bringing in their unwanted pets.

            Feb. 15, 2011 - The risk of deadly hantavirus outbreaks in people can be predicted months ahead of time by using satellite images to monitor surges in vegetation that boost mouse populations, a University of Utah study says. The method also might forecast outbreaks of other rodent-borne illnesses worldwide.