Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 29, 2012

10

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

 Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 29, 2012 


A FOND FAREWELL TO 3 OF MY

FAVORITE FURRY FOUR-LEGGED 
FRIENDS

I think it’s safe to assume that just about everyone has 
heard the saying: “Bad things come in threes”. I myself 
don’t necessarily subscribe to that old adage as a rule of 
thumb, but I must admit there have been times when it did 
fit the occasion, and it just so happens that a combination 
of events that occurred the week before last, turned out to 
be one of those occasions.

Converse to the legendary “Bad things come in threes” 
theory, the sudden death of 3 close canine companions 
in the course of 3 days, reminded me of a passage in the 
Bible, found in the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, verses 1 
& 2: “ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every 
purpose under the heaven: a time to be born and a time 
to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which 
is planted “. I am grateful for the fact that those verses, so 
familiar to me from my childhood, came to mind, bringing 
comfort in knowing that the loss of those three precious 
pups was part of a meaningful process versus the result of a 
meaningless, chaotic tri-cluster of curses.

When I first started this column, about a year and a half 
ago, I chose to entitle it “Happy Tails” with the intention of 
writing about fun times and exciting adventures with my 
canine and kitty clients, and sharing my experiences living 
among the wild animals and gorgeous natural landscapes 
that surround us here in the San Gabriel foothills. 
Fortunately, for the most part I have indeed had numerous 
happy tales to share, but just as the referenced Bible 
passage indicates, there is a time or season for everything, 
including not only happy times, but times of mourning and 
bittersweet memories as well. Therein lies the reason for the 
subject matter of this week’s perhaps not-so-happy tale.

Last Sunday morning, I received a call from a Canyon 
Canine client, Janis Salin, telling me that one of her two 
dogs, a sweet, petite yellow lab named “Loucie” had been 
put to sleep that morning, as an act of mercy due to terminal 
cancer. This came as such a shock to me, but I understood 
that it was the most humane option for her loving owners to 
let her go, rather than allow her to suffer with an incurable 
disease. During that difficult phone conversation with 
Janis, I couldn’t help thinking about another client who 
told me that her dog “Murphy” had also been diagnosed 
with cancer, and had been given a short-term prognosis 
just a week before. Ironically and sadly enough, while I was 
on the phone with Janis, I received a “call waiting” from 
Colleen, Murphy‘s owner, telling me that he had gone to 
sleep that day as well. The sad news coming from both of 
my clients at the very same time hit me like a ton of bricks. 
It just seemed so bizarre to me that they were both having 
the same sad experience at the very same time. Then, in case 
that wasn’t enough bad news, I found out the following day 
that my nephew’s dog, “Hank” whom he absolutely adored, 
had been run over by a car when he escaped through the 
gate to greet his family who had just returned home, and 
ran out into the street. The tragic news of the third dog’s 
death left me feeling overwhelmed with sadness that soon 
turned to anger and eventually back to sadness again - a 
classic mourning cycle, I suppose. 

“Murphy” was an amazing dog who showed total respect 
to his ‘also adopted doggie sister‘, “Hannah“ throughout 
their lives. Hannah and Murphy meant so much to each 
other and to Colleen, who often referred to them as “the 
perfect married couple“. I feel so privileged to have had the 
time that I did with Murphy, and I will miss him like crazy, 
but nowhere near as much as Colleen and Hannah will, I’m 
sure. Loucie was a precious little soul with a small body but 
an enormous heart. Much like the relationship between 
Hannah and Murphy, Loucie and her ‘baby brother’ “Bo” a 
big beautiful Labradoodle shared everything together. They 
romped and played like two children in their back yard and 
swam like fish in their pool. They had never been apart 
until Loucie passed away, so we all knew “Bo” was going to 
have a tough time with her absence, just as Hannah would 
with that of Murphy.

I can’t help thinking that at the very same time Murphy was 
crossing over, he met up with little Loucie, who was also 
making her way across the proverbial bridge from life as 
we know it, to the “other side“, both soon to be followed 
by poor ole “Hank” who was so excited to see his family 
come home that he wanted to run and play, but forgot to 
look both ways. I don’t know how they do it, but pets get so 
deep inside your heart, it almost seems harder to let them 
go than some of our human friends. I guess it’s because 
they give us so much and expect so little, and they are so 
innocent and they love us absolutely unconditionally.

I will miss those three furry four-legged friends immensely, 
but the season for their lives on earth had to come to an 
end. I can only hope we might be able to see them one day 
on the other side of that bridge, and give them all the love 
we still had in our hearts for them when they departed. 
Farewell, Loucie, Murphy and Hank. It was my privilege to 
have known all three of you and be blessed by your short 
yet very sweet presence on earth. Thank you for all the love 
and respect you gave to your human friends. Our lives are 
so much better for the time we had together.

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc


PET OF THE WEEK: MASON - #A4489163 

Meet a special guy, Mason (A4489163). Mason is a gentlemanly 
six year old brown brindle neutered male Boxer who was found 
in Baldwin Park on September 18th and brought to the Baldwin 
Park Animal Care Center. Weighing fifty-one pounds, Mason 
walks beautifully on leash, sits on command and is undoubtedly 
housebroken. He is good with cats, children and other dogs. 
Mason is a handsome boy, with gorgeous brindle markings, a soft 
coat and endearingly big, floppy ears. Mason will be the perfect 
indoor pet for an individual or family living in a private home. To 
watch a video of Mason please visit this link: www.youtube.com/
watch?v=0XYEcI5bYBg

To meet Mason in person, please see him at the Baldwin Park 
Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 
626-430-2378 or 626-962-3577). He is currently available now. For 
any inquiries about Mason, please reference his animal ID number: 
A4489163. The shelter is open seven days a week, 12 pm-7 pm 
Monday-Thursday and 10am-5pm Friday-Sunday. This is a high-
intake shelter with a great need for adoptions. For more information 
about Mason or the adoption process, contact United Hope for Animals Volunteer Adoption Coordinator Samantha at 
samanthasayon@gmail.com or 661-309-2674. To learn more about United Hope for Animals’ partnership with the 
Baldwin Park Shelter through its Shelter Support Program, as well as the many dogs of all breeds, ages, and sizes available 
for adoption in local shelters, visit http://www.unitedhope4animals.org/about-us/shelter-support-program/.


SOCALGAS CONFERENCE ACCELERATES INTEREST IN NATURAL GAS-POWERED VEHICLES 

Vehicles cut fueling costs in half, enable carpool lane access

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25, 2012 –The dramatic cost savings realized by fueling cars and trucks with natural gas instead of gasoline or diesel was on display today as Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) 
hosted its first Light-Duty Natural Gas Vehicle Conference at the company’s Energy Resource Center in Downey, Calif. 

The conference featured the latest developments in compressed natural gas (CNG) technology and natural gas vehicles (NGVs). 

 In recent years, most major, heavy-duty transit and refuse fleets in Southern California have switched from diesel to clean-burning natural gas. This has resulted in the growth of one of the largest networks 
of CNG fuel stations in the U.S. and sparked an interest among automakers in the increasing market potential of NGVs. 

“The continuous high price of gasoline is putting the spotlight on vehicles powered by compressed natural gas,” said Hal D. Snyder, vice president of customer solutions for SoCalGas. “Natural gas is a domestic 
resource that is clean, cheap and abundant -- and helps create jobs here in the U.S. When considering cost, efficiency and environmental benefits, natural gas is one of our nation’s most attractive energy 
sources.”

 At the conference, representatives from major automakers, including Honda, provided insights on the growth of the NGV market. Honda demonstrated their all-new Honda Civic Natural Gas, which 
was named “Green Car of the Year” at the 2012 Los Angeles 
Auto Show and has solo driver carpool lane access until 
2015. Other automakers discussed how they are re-entering 
the market by providing customers with dual-fuel vehicles 
that run on CNG or gasoline. 

 Attendees also learned about refueling natural gas 
vehicles at home and access to special natural gas rates 
offered by SoCalGas. Conference programs and events 
provided an overview of the latest regulatory policies and 
funding developments affecting the NGV industry as well as 
opportunities to fuel and drive an NGV. 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, natural 
gas emits about 30 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions 
than gasoline; reduces smog-producing pollutants by up 
to 90 percent; and costs 30 percent to 50 percent less than 
gasoline or diesel. The average price in September for CNG 
at SoCalGas stations is $1.94 for the energy equivalent of a 
gallon of gasoline or diesel. This is among the lowest CNG 
prices in the last 15 years. There are more than 100,000 
NGVs in the U.S. 

Southern California currently has nearly 100 public-access 
compressed natural gas fueling stations serving more than 
17,000 natural gas-powered vehicles. SoCalGas is adding 
1,000 new natural gas-powered trucks to its fleet and plans to 
upgrade all 13 company-owned public-access CNG stations. 
The company is a member of a national collaborative 
comprised of North American natural gas utilities and 
producers focused on advancing natural gas as a fuel for all 
sectors of transportation, including cars, trucks, busses, and 
marine and mining equipment. 

About Southern California Gas Co. 

Southern California Gas Co. has been delivering clean, safe 
and reliable natural gas to its customers for more than 140 
years. It is the nation’s largest natural gas distribution utility, 
providing service to 20.9 million consumers connected 
through nearly 5.8 million meters in more than 500 
communities. The company’s service territory encompasses 
approximately 20,000 square miles throughout central and 
Southern California, from Visalia to the Mexican border. 
SoCalGas is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: 
SRE). 


Owners of natural gas-powered vehicles fill up at the SoCalGas Energy Resource Center’s natural gas filling station in Downey, 
Calif. The station, one of about 100 around Southern California, is open to the public and offers affordable, clean-burning compressed 
natural gas for less than $2 per gallon for the energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline or diesel.