WASHINGTON, July 16 (UPI) -- Sen. John McCain's staff may want to tell the likely GOP presidential nominee that Czechoslovakia no longer exists after his two references to the non-country.

For the second time in two days, the Arizona Republican commented on current events in "Czechoslovakia," which hasn't existed since January 1993 when it split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, CNN reported Wednesday.

During a town hall meeting in New Mexico Tuesday, McCain commented on Russian reaction to U.S. plans to locate a defense shield in Europe that included "reduction in oil supplies to Czechoslovakia after they agreed with us on a missile defense system, et cetera."

That would be the Czech Republic.

On Monday, McCain, 71, made nearly the same statement about Russian moves troubling him, citing Moscow's attempt to reduce "the energy supplies to Czechoslovakia."

McCain's campaign later corrected the senator's verbal miscue in a statement quoting the senator calling the nation "the Czech Republic," CNN reported.

GOP hands out speaking awards

WASHINGTON, July 16 (UPI) -- Seven Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have received commemorative oil cans for expending the most CO2 on the subject of energy.

The oil cans are the latest in a series of awards handed out by the House GOP caucus to encourage members to take to the floor and express their views, Politico, a Washington publication, reported Wednesday.

"I've never won an oil can before," said Rep. Lynn A. Westmoreland, R-Ga., "We'll continue to work hard and maybe one day win a barrel."

"My parents will be very proud," Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., who also received an award, said to Politico.

Other winners were Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, Rep. Dan Burton of Indiana, Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, Rep. Bob Latta of Ohio and Rep. John E. Peterson of Pennsylvania.

A spokesman for Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., who runs the Democratic floor operation, told Politico his party doesn't have to hand out awards to get members to speak.

Dog found after five years on the lam

ROCKFORD, Ill., July 16 (UPI) -- A collie that disappeared from his suburban Chicago owners more than five years ago has been located 85 miles away in the town of Rockford, Ill.

"Bo" was reunited with the Moeller family of Arlington Heights, Ill., thanks to a microchip that allowed authorities to identify his owners, the Daily Herald newspaper in Arlington Heights reported Wednesday.

"I honestly hadn't thought about Bo in so long," said Melissa Moeller, 23. "It seems so far-fetched that he would be found."

Kelly Swanson of the Winnebago County Animal Services says a resident discovered Bo running loose and called the shelter.

"This is the first time ever that I have found any animal that's been gone for that long," Swanson told the Daily Herald.

Swanson says there is no way of knowing where he spent the last five years, the newspaper said.

Toaster oven used to compost dog poop

MONTREAL, July 16 (UPI) -- A man in Montreal is experimenting with a toaster oven in a bid to turn dog waste from a park into safe compost.

Jim Fares is a volunteer with a group that has been maintaining the Notre Dame de Grace dog park for four years. The group has been stumped about what to do with 2,800 pounds of excrement along the way, The Gazette newspaper reported.

"I bought a toaster oven and I heated some samples over a two- to three-week period," Fares told the newspaper. "Not only did I manage to kill the (pathogens) but also every living thing in the compost, so what I have left is a pile of dust."

His challenges are to stop short of creating useless dust and end up with viable compost. Then the next hurdle is how to do it economically on a large scale, he said.

"There's no question it can be done," Fares told The Gazette.