Here's the official story on Nick's dog

Since TMZ can't get every single fact straight, here's the scoop from the St. Pete Times:

BROOKSVILLE -- Hernando County has a new celebrity in its midst: Backstreet Boy Nick Carter's dog, Layla.

And no, you can't go see her.

The pit bull mix was dropped off anonymously sometime between Thursday night and this morning at Hernando Animal Services.

The friendly light-brown and white pooch was found wagging her tail in one of the night drop cages the agency has for unwanted animals at its Oliver Street facility.

County Animal Services manager Liana Teauge said that a microchip in the dog's neck led them to a Los Angeles woman that Carter purchased Layla through. But that was as close to finding the owner as the Hernando crew could get.

So Teague went on the MJ Morning radio show, hoping to get a few leads.

"I guess it worked," she said.

While Carter's publicist Juliette Harris confirmed that the dog in Hernando is in fact Layla, Teague said she hadn't been able to confirm so as of Friday evening.

"We're working to confirm ownership, and we’ll keep her here until the proper owner comes to pick her up,” Teague said.

While the dog stays in Hernando for now, Teague said that the public would not be allowed to sneak a peek at Layla. (She received a number of calls Friday asking.)

"We have short hours and a short staff on Saturday and can't have that," she said.

--Chandra Broadwater, Times staff writer

BROOKSVILLE -- Hernando County has a new celebrity in its midst: Backstreet Boy Nick Carter's dog, Layla.

And no, you can't go see her.

The pit bull mix was dropped off anonymously sometime between Thursday night and this morning at Hernando Animal Services.

The friendly light-brown and white pooch was found wagging her tail in one of the night drop cages the agency has for unwanted animals at its Oliver Street facility.

County Animal Services manager Liana Teauge said that a microchip in the dog's neck led them to a Los Angeles woman that Carter purchased Layla through. But that was as close to finding the owner as the Hernando crew could get.

So Teague went on the MJ Morning radio show, hoping to get a few leads.

"I guess it worked," she said.

While Carter's publicist Juliette Harris confirmed that the dog in Hernando is in fact Layla, Teague said she hadn't been able to confirm so as of Friday evening.

"We're working to confirm ownership, and we’ll keep her here until the proper owner comes to pick her up,” Teague said.

While the dog stays in Hernando for now, Teague said that the public would not be allowed to sneak a peek at Layla. (She received a number of calls Friday asking.)

"We have short hours and a short staff on Saturday and can't have that," she said.

--Chandra Broadwater, Times staff writer

Mariah carey's friends soak up new sounds

Hollywood Rag says Mariah Carey was nice enough to debut her new album — to some friends while they were soaking in a hot tub. And the follow-up to 2005’s The Emancipation Of Mimi is full of some man-hate, it sounds like. 

“I sat in the hot tub the other night playing some songs for some friends and one of them felt it was a very pro-woman kind of thing,” Carey said. “And I was like, ‘You know what, I didn’t do that intentionally.’ But she felt that it was a very empowered-woman moment.”

But the 39-year-old diva insists she’s not holding a grudge against Y chromosomes: “It’s not that the songs are male-bashing. It’s a fun record. I’m writing with a lot of different people, mainly rappers, and I bring something to the table they don’t and vice-versa.”  Soooo ... the producers you brought to the table hate men?

[Photo: Getty Images]

Man, who would pay to see Andy Dick?

You can tell things are slow when we’re writing about Andy Dick. David Stroupe told the AP that an appearance last weekend by Dick at the Funny Bone Comedy Club in Columbus, Ohio, was marred by some pretty foul behavior.

How foul? Stroupe, the club’s managing partner, said the 41-year-old actor-comedian made inappropriate comments while on stage, groped patrons, took women into the men’s room and urinated on the floor and on at least one person. Andy then missed a flight to L.A. Monday morning because he was busy being cited for public urination.

He’s headed to Franklin County Municipal Court on Thursday (unless he pays $126 and court costs), but chances are he won’t be back at the Funny Bone.

[Photo: AP]

Whaddya think of Britney's new single?

It's a long weekend, so we'll bite and link you to Britney Spears' new single, Gimme More.

You know, it could be worse. And it's a heck of a lot better than the one leaked earlier this month.

And now, since this is a democracy, it's time for you to weigh in.

You wanna go see Amy, but they say no, no, no

Don’t expect to see rolling train wreck Amy Winehouse anywhere in the States anytime soon. The AP reports the Rehab singer has pulled out of a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 9 in Las Vegas, as well as all other U.S. appearances “in a continued effort to support Amy Winehouse’s well-being,” her record label says. If they wanted to support her well-being, they’d cram some macaroni and cheese down her throat, pronto.

[Photo: AP]

Don't feel bad, Miss Teen South Carolina

Apparently the French don't know basic kindergarten knowledge, either. No wonder there are so many fires in Paris -- they must still be burning people at the stake over there for believing the world is round.

Keep your kids out of Barnes & Noble

Now Barnes & Noble has done it. After initially saying it wouldn’t carry copies of the O.J. Simpson’s If I Did It, the bookseller has changed its tune and announced it would now carry the book.

“We’ve been monitoring the pre-orders and customer requests and have concluded that enough customers have expressed interest in buying the book to warrant stocking it in our stores,” spokeswoman Mary Ellen Keating told the AP. “We do not intend to promote the book but we will stock it in our stores because our customers are asking for it.”

It’s good to know a national store chain will sell just any old hateful trash just because people ask for it. Next thing you know, they’ll be selling copies of wanton hatemongering like The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and The Turner Diaries ... oh wait, they already do that.

The team should be happy they won, at least

Have you heard about how Kyle Garcher, a senior at Hilliard Davidson High School in Hilliard, Ohio, tricked his rival school's fans into holding up cards that read "We Suck" at a football game? If not, read it here. Then watch the results below> He got in-school suspension for three days? They should be praising his ingenuity!

Just think of all the Menthols that would buy

When you’re rich and shameless, enough is never enough. Of course, it’s like that when you’re broke, too —just ask Kevin Federline, whose attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, has argued that Britney Spears should pay some of K-Fed’s legal expenses.

The AP reports that an Aug. 26 declaration says Federline has “no net income” after various expenses, and that since his $20,000 a month in spousal support ends in November, Brit should fork over $50,000 to pay for litigation costs. And while Spears is “clearly the ‘monied party’, ” according to Kaplan — she makes an average of $737,868 monthly — we can’t help but wonder what Fed-Ex blew 20 large on every month; surely it wasn’t on the kids.

A geektastic ABC song, via Capt. Picard

It's been a crazy week at The Juice*, so we're going to wind it down a little for Labor Day by geeking out with this video full of silly things: Shakesperean actor Patrick Stewart, playing the captain of a spaceship, singing his ABCs. Don't forget zed.