Mugsy declared fit for command

DALLAS (AP) -- Ayatollah Mugsy -- the cleric behind the world's largest interfaith, interspecies ministry -- was pronounced fit for command by his veterinarian after his annual physical exam on Saturday.

The ayatollah had his checkup at Dallas' world-renowned Pepper Square Pet Clinic. His veterinarian, who asked to be referred to as "Dr. P" for security reasons, said Mugsy appeared to be in excellent health.

She said his teeth were in fine condition, and the pigment in his eyes was unchanged from a year ago.

The mullah's weight was up slightly from a year ago, to 28 pounds. Dr. P said she was not concerned, and she attributed the increase to "one pound of rock-solid muscle."

Ayatollah Mugsy declined to comment, but an aide said the results of the checkup were great news for the faithful.

"The doctors once again have found the ayatollah fit for duty and have every reason to expect that he will remain so for the foreseeable future," said Ari Fleischer, Mugsy's press secretary.

Fleischer said the ayatollah was celebrating the good news by chewing on a large rawhide bone.

Beth Adams, a veterinary assistant at the clinic, said she was honored to be able to take part in the exam.

"Just being in his presence was a wonderful thing," she said. "I feel so much better about the future of planet Earth, knowing that His Holiness is healthy and able to lead us onward."

Visibly swooning, Adams also referred to the ayatollah as "a paragon of virility," despite his 2001 neutering.

Mugsy is the supreme ayatollah of Pug Life Ministries, a shadowy group that claims millions of dogs and humans as members, as well as several cats, a turtle, a donkey, a sock monkey and a rocking horse. The group lists among its goals the establishment of an autonomous pug homeland in the American Southwest. Some critics have called the ministry a cult and a for-profit enterprise, but they have seldom been seen or heard from again.