At least they could've turned that lizard's head over so we could see it's cute face.

For months now, we've been passing around crazy animal stories. I have to put them all up because they are too crazy.

The lizard head was found May 2 in a Santa Fe Chicken Salad prepared at Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar.

Kot Flora, an assistant director at the Johnson County Public Health Department, said Friday that preliminary results showed no presence of salmonella. Final results are expected Monday.

A complaint was filed with the health department by John Hellstein after his wife discovered the lizard head in a salad she ordered for lunch.

``Obviously, she was upset,'' said Hellstein, a University of Iowa professor of dentistry. ``I don't expect she will be eating Santa Fe salads anytime soon.''

Apple Corp. LP, the owner of the Applebee's restaurant, issued a statement Friday. In it, the corporation apologized and said it had confirmed it was an isolated incident. The restaurant is now using pre-cut, pre-cleaned lettuce for its salads, the statement said.

Flora said Applebee's is considered a good operator by the health department.

``We think this was just an unfortunate fluke,'' Flora said.

Hellstein agrees.

``I worked in produce for seven years, and I've seen lots of things crawl out of lots of things.''

Chicken's Head found in fast food order

A customer at a McDonald's restaurant in Newport News got more than she bargained for when she received her order. Katherine Ortega said she found a fried chicken's head in the box of chicken wings she ordered Tuesday night.

She made the discovery at the McDonald's in the 15000 block of Warwick Boulevard.

Ortega said someone who wasn't looking closely could have easily mistaken the chicken's head for another piece of chicken, like the leg or a wing. The chicken's beak, the comb on top of its head and some feathers were visible.

Ortega said she wants to know how the chicken's head could have made it past inspectors and into the hands of a customer. "I usually look at my food, but I shouldn't have to look that closely to see that. My 5-year-old probably wouldn't have looked. He probably would have thought it was a chicken leg and eaten it," Ortega said.

The manager at McDonald's offered Ortega another order of chicken and offered to return the chicken's head to the distribution company. Ortega declined.

The health department sent an inspector to the restaurant to look through the rest of the bag of chicken wings. Officials didn't find anything unusual. The incident was reported to the Department of Agriculture.

The McDonald's Corporation said it would look into the alleged incident, stating that food safety is its top priority.

House of Tigers

Ninety dead tigers, including 58 cubs discovered in freezers, were found dead at the home of an animal rescuer.

John Weinhart, who runs Tiger Rescue was arrested Tuesday for investigation of animal cruelty.

Investigators found 11 tiger and leopard cubs crawling about the attic of Weinhart's home. There were two small alligators in the bathtub and two starving tigers on the porch, officials said.

Thirty dead adult tigers, including some with their legs tied together, were found in a yard outside the home.

Weinhart, who is licensed by the state to keep tigers and other big cats, had already been scheduled to stand trial next month in San Bernardino County on 10 misdemeanor charges stemming from what prosecutors say was improper care of tigers at Tiger Rescue.

The state Department of Fish and Game removed 10 tiger cubs from Tiger Rescue in November, saying the sanctuary in Colton didn't have the proper permits for the cubs and the agency was concerned about their welfare.

More than 500 dogs have been found in "deplorable" conditions in an Oregon home.

Vets say many of the dogs are suffering from disease, malnutrition and severe neglect.

Barbara Erickson, 76, has been jailed on charges of animal neglect, police say.

She had already been charged in 1996 for hoarding dogs.

Investigators in the town of Harper discovered about 200 dogs living inside the five-room house, and another 300 living outside.

There was also a pile of dead dogs on the property, they say.

"I just want to cry, but I'm not going to. I am going to be strong," said one volunteer at the animal shelter where the dogs were taken.