Dog lovers around the world are in shock over remarks by shoe-throwing journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi, a reporter for Baghdadiya Television.

Mr Bush ducked both shoes. Even so, this incident has made  al-Zaidi an instant hero for at least nine tenths of the world’s population.

A dot.com dog

“I welcome Mr al-Zaidi to the ranks of world celebrity” a spokesman for a famous dot.com dog said today. “Too bad he missed. That’s why I always go for the ankles.”

“Even so, there’s no need to insult Man’s Oldest Friend by gratuitous comparisons with a mass murderer.”

In related news, moves are afoot to introduce War Criminal Shoe-Throwing as a new Olympic sport, beginning in 2012.

Olympic Organisers estimate that over a billion competitors will vie for a chance to hurl a couple of boots at Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

“That should kick-start the British economy” said a spokeperson for the forthcoming London Games.