good morning, america. i'm bianna golodryga. >> and i'm dan harris. this is saturday, november 13th. and this morning, tough trip. the president finishing his overseas trip. and coming back with less than he hoped for. is he now striking out at home and abroad? missing family mystery. an ohio mother and two children go missing, along with a family friend. police find blood at the home and suspect foul play. why was an entire college campus put on lockdown as part of the search? looks like winter is here. parts of texas getting wallops by an early-season snowstorm. and now, parts of the midwest are bracing for one of the worst november storms in a decade.

and how to be happy. a new harvard study may unlock the key to a happier life. the secret? it has something to do with your wandering mind. so, are you with us this morning? are you here? are you in the moment? as they say. >> i'm focusing on other stories we're covering this morning. i want to pay attention to that segment. >> if you're not in the moment, if your mind's wandering, it makes you unhappy. we'll talk about that coming up. also this morning, breaking news, freedom, for the woman called the nelson mandela of asia. the nobel peace prize winner, an sang suu kyi has just been released in myanmar. also, let the sales begin. retailers may finally have something to be merry about this holiday season. and they're trying to start it

earlier than ever. has black friday become black november? we'll talk about why some consumers are ready to spend again. and where the best deals will be. also coming up, an unbeatable combination. ron claiborne and beagles. a big finish to our "gma" "work with me" series. ron, with a story about a pretty extraordinary veterinarian. she works with people that have been hit hard by the recession, to get low-cost and sometimes free care for their pets. coming up. >> can't wait to see that. we begin with president obama, who is finishing up his asian tour. he had hoped to come back with some victories to help boost u.s. trade and his political standing. but he's been met with tougher-than-expected resistance. karen travers has been covering the president. she joins us from yokohama, japan. not a shellacking. but not the trip the president was hoping for, as well. >> reporter: that's right. president obama has had bruising economic setbacks over the last

two days. but today, he emphasized modest gains. speaking to asian business leaders, president obama cede the u.s. economy can benefit from the growing markets here. >> in today's interconnected world, what happens in japan or china or indonesia, also has a direct effect on the lives and fortunes of the american people. >> reporter: the president continued to press the case for more u.s. exports to asia, reiterating his goal of doubling the u.s. goods sold in the region over the next five years. he framed it in the context of his most pressing issue back home. >> for america, this is a jobs strategy. with every $1 billion in exports, 5,000 jobs are supported at home. >> reporter: of his top agenda items, the president will be going home largely empty-handed. no agreements on a long-sought free trade deal with south korea. the president could not convince south korea to open its markets to american cars and beef. no breakthrough on chinese currency. the white house says china is

deliberately undervaluing the yuan. that makes it cheaper to produce goods in china and cheaper to sell them overseas. the president said cooperation is good. but competition among nations is necessary. >> there's no reason to view trade, commerce or economic growth as zero sum games. thank you, everybody. >> reporter: one significant takeaway. >> cheers. >> reporter: trade deals with india, that will total nearly $10 billion in u.s. exports and support nearly 50,000 american jobs. no surprise, the white house is pushing back against the notion that this trip was a failure. and new national security adviser, tom donilon says disagreements were minimal. is the president on a losing streak here? we're joined by james carville, in his hometown of new orleans. james, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> good morning. so, after the shellacking of the midterms, i know that's becoming an overused term.

after the shellacking in the midterms and let's say this tricky trip overseas, do you think the president is on a losing streak? and if so, how serious is it? >> well, losing streak is -- i wouldn't use that word. but i would say he's in a rough patch. kind of a slippery slope. and that happens to presidents all the time. i don't think any president goes through a time in an administration where they don't have several of these. and it's going to be interesting to see how he reacts, what he does between now and the first of the year. >> so, if you were advising him, what would you tell him to do to get out of this rut? >> well, you know, first of all, time passing is one thing that works in your favor. some economic news is a little better now. he's going to have to make some changes. his white house staff.

is facing in terms of the new republicans coming in. >> you mentioned the white house staff. do you think there's going to be a shakeup? >> after the congressional elections, there's always changes. the shakeup is one word. i prefer to use changes. but, you know, nomenclature, one person is different from another. i don't think you go through something like that and say everything is fine. let's continue to go in the direction we are. i think they have to change direction. president clinton did that in 1994. and that's typical to what happens in a white house. >> i wanted to ask you this because i know you teach a class at tulane university. i heard you teach a class there. >> i do. >> it focuses on the debt and the deficit. >> it is. >> obviously, a huge topic right now. what would you advise the president to do, in regards of the recommendations from his commissions co-chairs. they put out cutting military spending, reducing or cutting the moorage interest tax deduction, which is popular with a lot of people.

raising the social security retirement age. cutting back on social security benefits. this is tough stuff. would you recommend the president do all this? >> well, you know what i would recommend? i think he's in a good position because this is his commission. if you remember, i think senator gregg and senator conrad wanted to do this in the republicans. voted that idea down. and the president acted on his own. i would go to the republicans and say, you have promoted deficit reduction. and that was a large point of your victory. and i have a commission. they have a plan. but some of these things, even i have trouble swallowing. but it's a plan that's out there. why don't you present your plan? nobody has ever gotten any of the republicans coming in to say other than the fact they want to cut spending, they don't say what spending they want to cut. this actually tells you what spending that these guys want to cut. so, i would use that as a focal point to get a response from the republicans. and if i didn't get a response from republican, i would use that as something to, frankly, i'll say this delicately, attack the republicans with.

>> all right. one, last, quick question. you wrote a book last year, i believe, that predicted 40 more years of democratic dominance in washington. >> right. i did. >> given what happened not long ago in those elections, do you stand by that prediction? >> i do. and remember, the democrats won four out of the five popular vote in the last presidential elections. they won three out of four of 1994. and the electorate in 2012 is going to look nothing like this electorate. the truth of the matter is, the republicans can get a 2010, an ode electorate, they're not going to get an old electorate. they're one out of five. and it's moving in the wrong direction with them. the basic underbinning of the book is, the demographic change in the united states, they're going to favor democrats. and that's certainly going to be really true 20 years from now, if it's not true 2 years from now. i suspect it will be true two years from now.

>> james carville, always a pleasure having you on. we really appreciate it. >> thank you. >> give my regards to new orleans, one of my favorite cities on the planet. >> i will. one of the best-known political prisoners in the world is once again a free woman this morning. nobel peace prize winning author ang sang suu kyi has been under house arrest in the country, formerly known as berm ma for 15 of the last 20 years. jim, quite a dramatic moment for the country right now. >> reporter: bianna, a truly dramatic moment. the thing you get to witness once in a generation. the nelson mandela of this country. freed from her home that served as her prison for the last two decades. crowds swarming out in excitement. this is a treat that would have been illegal to gather on a few days ago. now, you have a party, a celebration. hundreds of people snapping her photograph there to capture this very special moment. she's the face of this opposition movement. but also, the true political leader in one of the most

repressive countries in the world. and she's done this with enormous political strength. so many times she's been offered a chance at her freedom if these agreed to leave the country. and she refused. she refused when her husband but dying of cancer abroad. and she never saw him again. that's one of the reasons he garners so much respect from her people. the personal sacrifice. it's been ruled, this country, by military junta for 50 years. we've been in the country several times in the last few years. and got to witness how repressive it is, especially during the uprising of tens of thousands of monks in 2007, when many of them were murdered, killed, tortured. now, we see the leader of this movement free once again. the people of burma hope to challenge this government. >> thank you for the latest. quite an emotional moment for the country. >> amazing moment. historic. going to turn to other headlines with ron claiborne. >> good morning, everyone. the alleged mastermind of the

9/11 attacks is expected to "the washington post" reports after the 2012 election because of fierce opposition from two of them were wearing suicide vests. no afghan or nato troops were killed. and police in north carolina have confirmed that missing 12-year-old zahra baker is dead. they identified a bone as hers. it was found five miles away from other remains. her father and stepmother are prime suspects in that case. abc's yunji de nies reports. >> reporter: the search for zahra baker is over. >> investigators are devastated. that we're not able to find zahra alive and bring her home

safely. >> reporter: investigators found human remains, which matched the missing 10-year-old, in a wooded area outside her hometown. zahra's father and stepmother reported her missing on october 9th. the police say no one outside the family had seen her after september 25th. this week, her mother arrived from australia overwhelmed with grief. and moved by the community's kindness. >> it upsets me that there's so many loving people around here. but yet, it can still happen. >> reporter: there's still outstanding questions in this case. police have yet to say how zahra may have died. zahra's stepmother is a person of interest in her disappearance, after she admitted to writing a fake $1 million ransom note. after her arrest, zahra's father said little to defend his wife. do you think that your wife was involved in your daughter's disappearance? >> i'm not sure. i'd like to think no. >> reporter: neighbors in the area where searchers found her

remains have come to pray for the young cancer survivor, who lost her leg and her hearing, battling the disease. >> i cannot believe somebody would do this. and especially to a child who had lived through what she's lived through. >> reporter: for "good morning america," yunji de nies, abc news, atlanta. chinese artwork. but a british antiques expert is claiming that the vase is, quote, a very clever fake. i wonder if it turns out to be a fraud, do the people who sold it get to keep the money? >> that's a good question. not as burning a question in my mind as vase versus vase. >> we will resolve this by the end of the show.

>> vase makes it sound like it could be worth more. >> that's right. >> the reason on economic correspondent. >> didn't get it at the 99 cent store. time for the weather. and my old friend j.c. monahan, from our boston affiliate. good morning. >> good morning, dan, bianna and ron. go vase. it sounds special. we're going to start in omaha. they saw one to two inches of snow overnight. the snow has ended. it's not unusual to see november snowfall. it is about a week ahead of schedule. this storm, take a look. it is moving right up through the midwest. it's from warm to winter in the midwest. they've had above-normal temperatures. now, they're looking at the possibility of six to ten inches of snow in the twin cities. this could be the biggest snowfall they've seen in about a decade. so, get ready for the shovels there. traveling is difficult through the midwest. compare that with the warmth on the east coast. we have gorgeous weather, with temperatures at about 5 to 15 egrees, all the way down to >> and good morning,

washington. forecaster dave zairn here. a bliss for the washington area. a beautiful day. on the chilly side, 43 degrees in annapolis, 27 in winchester. we can see that there is snow in the upper midwest and high pressure dominating here in the east. that means today temperatures in the mid 60s, well above the seasonal average. i'll have your saturday outlook in the next half hour. bianna? >> j.c., thank you. if you were in the market for a vase or a vase, take note because black friday is two weeks away. but retailers are already starting to make some of their big holiday sales. there's growing optimism that consumers may be willing to spend again this holiday season. and it seems stores will do almost anything to get your money. t.j. winick has the story.

>> reporter: it's all retail wants for the holidays. >> judging by the amount of people with bags in their hands, it looks like it's going. >> reporter: 2008 and 2009, were hardly festive for business. but this year, things are look up. according to credit card companies, retail sales are up 3%. retailers have added three-times as many seasonal workers as last season. and one of the bellwethers are prices are higher than before. >> there's a lot of consumers to stimulate buying. >> reporter: here outside macy's in new york city, where the christmas lights have been strung up, shoppers tell us they're tired of not spending money. and what better time to start shopping than the holidays? >> i think people want to spend. >> reporter: that's why big business, like never before, is getting a head-start. best buy kicked off their early black friday sale yesterday. holiday sales at target begin the sunday before thanksgiving.

and amazon.com launches its online sale a full week before cyber monday. >> ecommerce allows retailers to start the holiday season earlier online than in stores. >> reporter: walmart is offering free shipping. it's not just the chain stores thinking big. this popcorn store outside of denver is hiring a dozen employees for the holidays. >> we're well above average than any other year. so much is fourth quarter. so much is holiday traffic. >> reporter: over the last couple of years, a 3% to 5% bump is the only present retailers really need. for "good morning america," t.j. winick, abc news, new york. and joining me to talk more about this, "wall street journal" columnist, and "gma" contributor, wendy bounds. >> hi. >> good to see you. we're xbting 2.3% increase in holiday sales. that's modest. >> precarious optimism. >> right. are we jumping the gun here? what if we have a bad employment number next month?

>> that's why the emphasis on the precarious. when we need to hold our breath and wait. this is not going to be pre-2008 spending. >> one ceo of a large appliance company said something that stood out. he thinks that consumers are just having frugality fatigue. they want to spend finally. but they're looking for the value. what are retailers doing to fight for that? buy one get one free.

toys "r" us, with justin bieber. they had a big sale for some of his early stuff last week. so, again, it's creating an event, a reason to get to the store beyond just the deal. >> more and more shoppers are shopping online. what are the deals expected to find? >> we can shop anywhere, holding one of the devices. online shopping is easier. you can go to places like couponcabin.com. you can find the deals quickly. that's why people continue to shop online. and also think, we don't just buy books online. we'll buy snow throwers. pool tables. big-ticket items. and you're seeing the sales of stores like sears, lowe's, offering big discounts on things like this, even this weekend. >> people buying food online. this begs the question, should we shop now? or should we hold off for better deals that could come? >> couple of things.

the two keys you can go shopping for, toys and tvs. toys, because in the down economy, parents don't want to disappoint the kids. they want the hot toy. we're seeing remarkable discounts from target, walmart, toys "r" us, on video barbie and some of the other good toys. right now, get out and toy shop and feel good about it. tvs, they're almost giving away tvs right now. they don't want to be caught with the leftover inventory. they know they're having competition from other places like the ipad. another screen that's eating away at our viewing habits. i think you're finding remarkable deals on toys and tvs. everything else, you'll continue to see prices drop as you go through the holidays. >> optimism there. >> dan is on his laptop shopping for toys for his beloved niece? >> yes. with precarious optimism. there's a mother in ohio, along with her two children and a family friend, and the pet dog, have gone missing.

> the latest on the search for them. and why a college campus was locked down in the investigation. and ran introduces us to an extraordinary veterinarian who puts her love of pets before profit. we wrap up our series, "work with me." but it's also rich in powerful nutrients that help cleanse and purify your body. cranberries are the ninja fruit. wh-wh-whoa!

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nation's capital. and yesterday's high temperature 66 degrees. we could meet or exceed that today. you can see the average is 58. very blue skies out there for today. lots of sunshine. temperatures chilly this morning though. 37 at reagan national. things will improve as we go through the day. it is snowying in the upper midwest. it is the next system coming our way but not until late tomorrow. that bodes rain on tuesday but for today, temperatures in the mid 60s. for tomorrow more sunshine again near 70, and then temperatures stay mild until late next week. enjoy your day.

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♪ work with me work, work ♪ ♪ work with me that's our very own ron claiborne, dr. ron, turning into dr. doolittle for his "work with me" story. ron got to spend the day working at an animal clinic in virginia, where they help people out who might not otherwise be able to afford to keep their pets healthy. good morning, america. i'm bianna golodryga. >> has a good touch with the animals. >> i like him in that green, too. >> i'll get a copy for you. >> good morning, as well. i'm dan harris. it's saturday, november 13th. we've heard the self-help gurus telling us we need to be present. we need to live in the moment. now, a pair of scientists have

harvard say the gurus may be right. the scientific insight into our wanderering minds this morning. we begin with a missing mystery in ohio. a woman, two children and a family friend are missing this week. now, a college campus was put on lockdown as part of the investigation. linsey davis has been following the story. here with the details. >> reporter: good morning, bianna. a search party is now under way this morning as we speak in ohio, for the four, missing people. two of them children. multiple law enforcement agencies appear to be scratching their heads over this unusual case. tina herman and her children, 13-year-old sara and 10-year-old cody, and her friend, stephanie spring, even the family dog, have all disappeared. if they left a trace, police aren't saying. >> we're seeing this is a missing person's investigation. >> reporter: tina's live-in boyfriend said he last saw her wednesday morning before he went to work. and got a text soon after, that

tina had fed the dog. >> things are waiting down. and something happened inside that house. >> reporter: cody and sara went to school. but that afternoon, tina didn't show up at work at dairy queen. a deputy later went by the house and saw her pickup truck in the driveway. he knocked on the door. but there was no answer. later that night, the same deputy went back to the house. the lights were on. but again, no answer. on thursday, the kids didn't show up at school. and tina was absent from work again. her manager went to the house. inside, he found beer cans and blood. then, called police. >> we're looking at the blood as evidence of someone being injured in this house. >> reporter: tina's friend, stephanie's, car was parked in the garage. and late thursday night, tina's empty truck was found on the outskirts of the kenyon college campus. as a precaution, the campus was put on lockdown. and investigators have been searching for the group since. >> walking the areas of the bike

path. checking fields in the area. >> reporter: police are questioning tina's ex-boyfriend. but they say he's not a suspect. larry maynard is tina's ex-husband and the father of the two kids. >> the live-in boyfriend, greg, i don't believe anything he says. >> reporter: greg and tina dated for six years. but recently, they've been having some trouble. their home was going into foreclosure. and they were talking about splitting up. he says that wednesday night, he stayed at a friend's house and had no idea that they were missing. i think the key will be finding out what happens when the blood tests come back. >> we know you will be on top of this story to bring us the latest information. linsey, thanks for joining us and coming in. going to ron claiborne now. dr. ron. >> you may. good morning, everyone. in the news, myanmar pro-democracy leader, aung san suu kyi has been freed from house arrest. the 1991 nobel peace prize winner greeted supporters outside her home. this following seven years of

detention by the ruling military. and president obama is striking out in attempts to get asian leaders to agree to let the u.s. have greater access to their markets. the u.s. prosperity is tied to the economic success of its pacific trading partners. and the former university of tennessee student who hacked into sarah palin's e-mail account in 2008, has been sentenced. david kernel will spend a year in a halfway house, instead of going to prison. a group of family and friends in michigan hit the jackpot with a lottery ticket bought at a detroit adult bookstore. some came forward to claim the prize. others wish to remain anonymous. time for weather. j.c. monahan from boston. >> i'm moving along. and heading down to texas. greenville, texas, where yesterday, a microburst caused this damage you see here. this looks like amarillo, with the snowfall that's coming in. greenville, texas, saw a

microburst with 60-mile-per-hour winds. amarillo, texas, saw snow yesterday. we continue with snowfall that goes up through the midwest. that's where we're already getting reports of six inches of snow in parts of iowa and over to parts of minnesota, as well. that's where the winter storm warnings are up. possibly double-digits of snowfall for you there. across the country, we have windy conditions out in the west, as you >> and good morning, washington. forecaster dave zairn here. it is mild, very light winds. temperatures around 30 degrees. as we go through the day, temperatures in the mid 60s. lots of sunshine. and then s this weather report has been brought to you by dove hair care. dan and bianna? >> thanks, j.c. this is a story we've been talking about offcamera all morning. does your mind have a tendency to wander sometimes? >> it does. >> happens to everybody.

it's human nature. when we're doing one thing, we're often thinking about something else. now, a new study out of harvard says our wandering minds make us unhappy. >> you have to live your own dreams. >> reporter: it is a classic self-help mantra. be here now. live in the present moment. >> you never live in the moment. >> i live in the moment. >> deeply embrace this moment. >> reporter: according to this new study from harvard, the gurus are right. the study authors created an app for the iphone, which, by the way, is a great device for distraction. they contacted 2,250 people through their iphones at random moments throughout the day and asked three questions. one, how are you feeling right now, on a scale of 0 to 100. two, what are you doing right now? and three, are you thinking about something other than what you're doing? they found that people's minds were wandering 46.9% of the time. except, it should be noted, during lovemaking. and that people were less happy when their minds were wandering

than when they were present and attendive. >> that lot of people when they're minds are wandering, they're thinking about unpleasant things. worrying about the future. ruminating from the past. and that has negative relationship to their happiness. >> we all do it. while i've been reporting this story, i've been thinking about what i had during my last meal. what i should have had during my last meal. and my adorable 2-year-old niece, campbell. it is a unique ability we humans have. our brains allow us to spend a lot of time thinking about the future and reflecting on the past. but the study authors say, while this evolutionary leap has allowed us to build skyscrapers and the internet, it also comes at an emotional cost. >> fascinating. you know? and you were also saying there's some other tips as to how we focus on the moment. they're going to be studying that. >> the frustrating part of the study is they don't make recommendations about how to stay in the moment. that's what they're going to study next. it is a big problem. there's a great mark twain

quote. he said some of the worst things in my life never even happen. we project in the future with concern all the time. >> be in the moment, folks. stay with us because coming up in a moment, we're going to be taking dr. ron claiborne. ron goes to work with a veterinarian in virginia who lends a helping hand to pets and their owners. >> and he looks good in scrubs. >> he does. ♪ straightening and bleaching ♪ and dyeing and curling -♪ crimping -♪ and cutting ♪ and hair finger twirling ♪ threading my hair through some bright coloured rings ♪ ♪ these are a few of my favourite things ♪ ♪ when the curls break ♪ when the ends split ♪ when my hair goes mad ♪ i simply remember my favourite thing ♪ ♪ and then i don't feel ♪ so bad [ female announcer ] we all damage our hair. dove damage therapy with fiber actives takes care of the damage. dove damage therapy with fiber actives ["stir it up" playing]

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♪ work with me work, work ♪ we have been having a lot of fun with our catchy tune and our "work with me" series this week. we've met inspiring people all over the country. i waited tables. double-shifting. she was a great girl. >> she was cool. and juju worked with a police officer/firefighter sister act. george worked in a steel mill. sam served up barbecue. i had the easiest job of all. i went to napa valley and worked at a winery. >> now, it's ron's turn. >> for my "work with me" turn, i went to work with a veterinarian in richmond, virginia. i like animal, dogs and cat, friends. but also because this particular veterinarian is special. she set up a clinic to do

surgery and dental work on pets, which can be extremely expensive at an affordable price. helping families with a need in these difficult times. >> want to feed the dog? >> reporter: lori pastornick, begins at 6:00 a.m. in fashionable green scrubs. juggling family. and her own dogs. >> my old lady. >> let's get in the car. >> reporter: she then climbs into her 1989 chevy celebrity, outfitted to look like a beagle. and gets to her veterinarian clinic, helping animals. i wanted to work with lori because i have animals. i love dogs. but i had a great cat named eleanor for 18 years. hello? good morning. >> good morning. >> reporter: lori, i'm ron. >> hi. >> reporter: i'd like to do your job today. >> okay. we're excited to have you.

>> reporter: i'm a little wary. i've never done anything like this. >> we'll get you through it. >> reporter: at helping hands, lori and her assistant, and business partner, jackie, perform surgery and do dental care for pets, dogs and cats. >> ready to get started? >> reporter: i'm ready. just like you. >> pick him up. >> reporter: hi, there. our first patient is charlotte, a 6-year-old beagle. a little nervous. >> the reason we hold them like this, it prevents her from, if she did become nervous, from turning around and maybe biting. >> reporter: charlotte has gallstones. we're going to get them out. into happy land, charlotte. >> get the stones out. >> reporter: after tranquilizing charlotte, we shave her belly, where the incision will be made. once she's out cold, we bring her to the o.r. for the operation. >> on top. >> reporter: it takes a while. but eventually, they plush out three, tiny stones. the operation is a success. charlotte is going to be just

fine. lori opened helping hands last year, in part because of the recession. economic hard times for people have been hard, too, on pets. she wanted to offer surgery and dental service for pets at an affordable price. >> often times people would come in. and they would have these advanced procedures they needed to have done. and when you talked about what it cost to have it done, they simply couldn't find a way to pay it. they had to lose between their pet's life, paying their mortgage, or feeding the kids. often times they would let the pets go without or put them to sleep. >> reporter: at helping hands they charge a fraction of what other vets charge. lori will perform an operation, that costs $5,000 elsewhere, for several hundred dollar. they f they cant pay, they take money from a special fund. do you make any money?

>> not yet. >> reporter: why do you do it? >> it makes us feel good. we never have to say no. we get hugs and appreciation from the animals and the owners. it makes us feel great. >> this is our dog, oscar. >> this is janie. >> this is george. >> this the angus. >> they were willing to do the surgery for the little bit of money we have. >> helping hands helped us by reducing the cost of surgery by $900. >> i'm thankful that helping hands more in an anyone would know. without their help, she wouldn't be alived today. >> reporter: this day, lori and jackie did four more operations. this one, a denine tumor the size of a football, growing in his side. and a cool, gray cat who needed her thyroid removed. you work hard. >> you did great. you didn't pass out. you didn't get queasy. i'm proud of you. >> reporter: the standard. mr. hackly, this is ron

claiborne, from helping hands. this was the fun part. letting their anxious owners know their pet was okay. lexie is perfectly fine. waking up normal after surgery. everything went well. and remember charlotte the beagle? one of my last jobs was to turn her over to her owner. here's your dog, charlotte. back and ready to go. this was a good day of work. you see, i had a great time helping out. while hep pg hands does provide steep discounts, the service is not free unless it's a life or death situation. if someone cannot afford to pay, they can work off what they owe by volunteering at helping hands or somewhere else that helps animals. now, i would like to present dr. lori pasternak, from helping hands. >> great to see you. thanks for bringing friends. >> this is my life every day.

this is how i spend it. >> not bad. >> it's a wonderful service you're providing. a lot of people in hard economic times, we say, can't afford to take care of their pets. and sometimes put them down, even. >> absolutely. >> really? put them down because they can't afford to pay for them? >> and pets are really part of the family. they take to them like their own family members and children. >> in fact, bianna has an announcement for her husband. a new member of the family. >> that's right. >> congratulations. >> we'll be back with more dogs in just a minute. keep it here. man: so this is my new windows phone. it's pretty different. it's got these live tiles that update right here. one look and i can see what my brother's up to... what's happening on twitter... and even xbox live. and i'm done. so now i can put the phone away, spend more time with her. spend less time... alone.

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♪ work with me and dr. lori pasternak, is back with furry friends, with tips to make sure that your petlies a long and healthy life. the first one is dental care. a lot of people don't think about that. >> sure. a lot of people don't think about how important it is. your mouth is a window to your overall health, just like it is for us. and so, brushing teeth and getting regular, routine cleaning is very important. and can go a long way to keep your pet along for a live time. it's easy to see if your pet needs dental care. you lift their lip up and look. if it smells will bowl you over, you need to get their teeth cleaned. >> you do have a lot of surgery. removing growths. we saw buzz with in a football-sized tumor. what should pet owners do to be alert for growths? what can they do to watch out? >> petting your pet often. and feeling for them. and a lot of people don't think about feeling beneath them. that's very important. breast cancer is common in dogs

as much as it is in people. rubbing them and petting them. and having them removed when they're small is not only safer for the pet. it's easier recover time. a smaller incision. and it saves you money, as well. it costs less the less time they spend in surgery and the post-op care. >> and buzz turned out all right. >> great to meet you. thanks for coming in. >> it was fabulous working with you. or trying to. want to thank the north shore animal league america for bringing in the dogs for us this morning. all the dogs, some of the dogs, are up for adoption. you can find out about them at the animalleague.org. thank you for that. ♪

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mayhem on the "gma" set here. >> thank you very much, mr. lori pasternak, for joining us. you can do my job. read us off the air. >> thank you for joining us. please stay with abc news throughout the day. >>, good morning. we are taking a look of some of the stories top and never region. an executive from prince george's county is charged with

destroying evidence in a federal investigation. the rest follows a three-year probe into corruption into the county government. if you are planning to take metro, there may be delays and the red line train. between rhode island and brentwood. the orange line, the lays between vienna and west falls church. -- delays between vienna and west falls church. green line, and in time between prince george's plaza. and let's get a check on a forecast. >> a spectacular start to another great day. a beautiful sunrise out there. it is chilly elder care. still below freezing -- is chilly out there. still below freezing downtown.

heavy snow falling in minneapolis. some cooler temperatures in the next few days. high temperatures around the mid to upper 60's. temperatures down into the 30's tonight. lots of sunshine tomorrow as well. some rain on tuesday and cooler temperatures by the end of the week. >> thanks for watching. we hope you have a great day.