Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 17, 2012

10

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, November 17, 2012 

THE GRATEFUL DOG

 With Thanksgiving now upon us, I feel a strong urge to show more appreciation for all the blessings I enjoy in life. It is often said that those who have an 
attitude of gratitude tend to be happier beings in general, and some believe having a thankful heart plays a part in living a longer, healthier life. I, for one will not 
argue whether it’s a fact that being grateful acts as an effective healing agent for the human heart, I‘ll just do it! Among the many things that I have to be 
thankful for in my life, is the time I get to spend with my beloved canine companions; both my own and those of my clients.

 Each and every pet I have the privilege of caring for is special in it’s own way, and each has it’s own unique means of forming a bond with we humans. However, I 
must say that the canines I care for that were either adopted from a shelter or rescued from the streets are the ones that tend to show the most appreciation for the 
love and attention they receive. A pet rescued from tragic circumstances seems to know that they’ve escaped certain death by the ‘skin of their teeth’ because 
someone cared enough to give them a second chance, and for that I believe they are sincerely grateful. In keeping with the sentiments of this week’s holiday, I thought it appropriate to share the stories of a 
few favorite canine companions. The list is limited only by the space allowed, as I know numerous grateful dogs who would otherwise have met their demise, 
but are now bringing much joy to those who saved their lives.

 “Charlee” was just a puppy when she stumbled upon a couple camping while wandering in the high 
desert outside of Palmdale. She was as skinny as a rail, and timid at first but she must have known she was 
safe with the folks she‘d found, because she allowed them to take her with them when they broke camp. 
Unfortunately the couple could not keep Charlee because they already had 3 dogs, so they contacted 
their good friends Hattie and Susan who took Charlee in with open arms. Now she is a very healthy happy 
dog, living in a beautiful home with a loving family with whom she shares lots of fun and affection. 
When you look into Charlee’s smiling eyes (one blue, one brown), you see pure gratitude emanating from 
inside. Now the biggest challenge for her owners is how not to spoil her rotten!

 “Hannah” is another beautiful dog that is thankful for being given a second chance at life. Her story is 
similar to that of Charlee‘s, but she was living in the streets of Tampa, FL eating out of garbage cans and 
sleeping under cars when the police found her and took her to the local animal shelter; one that does 
not allow much time before euthanizing abandoned pets. It was a sheer miracle that Colleen saw Hannah 
listed for adoption on a website and just knew they were meant to be together. Colleen went to the 
shelter to see Hannah in person and immediately fell in love with her. She took her home and they have 
been together ever since. Hannah is uniquely sweet in every way that a dog can possibly be. She has brought 
an abundance of unconditional love into Colleen’s life and she shows her gratitude clearly through her 
kind spirit. There is no doubt in my mind that Hannah realizes the potential demise she may have been met 
with had Colleen not rescued her.

 “Nevada” is a precious dog whose beginning 
is among the most tragic I have ever heard 
for an abandoned puppy. It is hard for me to 
even think about what he went through before two animal-loving sisters 
Harlean and Ellen took him in. He was walking on the street near the gate to 
Big Santa Anita Canyon.when Ellen saw him struggling along. He was only 
about a year old, and appeared to have been thrown from a car coming down 
the hill at high speed. He had cigarette burns on his skin, and intense fear 
in his eyes. Ellen and Harlean rushed him to the animal hospital where the 
vet tended to his wounds and eventually got him healthy enough to come 
home. The rage that I feel when I think about what that little guy went through 
as a puppy can be neutralized only by the wonderful warmth and kindness I 
feel coming from Nevada when I am in his presence. He knows how fortunate 
he was to have met Ellen and Harlean that day, and he shows his gratitude 
better than any other dog I’ve ever met. Nevada is 12 years old now, and just 
a year ago, Harlean and Ellen adopted a cute little pup named “Oddie” to 
keep him company. Oddie was at a Pasadena Humane Society adoption event, 
when they saw him and simply could not resist! There is no doubt in my mind 
that the positive energy I feel in their home comes from a combination of the kindness in those two lady’s hearts and the gratefulness in 
the hearts of their two darling dogs.

 Last but most definitely not least, “Gunner” is a gorgeous, enormous canine companion of mine that was adopted by Jennifer and Mike when he was about 2 years old. 
As young as he was, he already stood tall enough to intimidate, but Gunner doesn‘t have a single mean bone in his body. In fact, he is a gentle giant with loads of affection to share, and I assume that is partly 
because he knows he’s one lucky dog! Gunner and the 2 other adopted dogs that live with him, Sid and Elijah have got to be the most tended-to and loved animals on the face of this earth. As huge as Gunner 
is, he shows full respect to his two kid brothers, and to anyone else he comes in contact with. He is a sensitive-hearted big ole guy whom I love to be around. Again, it is obvious that this dog is very thankful 
for being rescued and given the opportunity to live a great life with a caring family, and his thankfulness has a way of healing the hearts of those around him, including my own.

 Enjoy the holiday season in a special way this year by showing your appreciation for all the good things in life, and as always don’t forget to love and let live!


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc


Hannah


Charlee


Nevada

Gunner


PROTECT YOUR PETS FROM HOLIDAY HAZARDS

 You can bet that during the holiday season your pet 
is bound to sniff out leftovers, dig into the presents 
and have fun with all of your decorations. And while 
these holiday effects can spread cheer and joy amongst 
your human family members, they can be a real hazard 
to pets. This season, keep your holiday celebration 
safe, happy and healthy for pets by taking these key 
measures:

Decorate Wisely

Avoid poisonous holiday plants like poinsettias and 
holly. There are plenty of toxic-free alternatives as 
evocative of the season as these traditional holiday favorites. 
If you must deck the halls with such plants, 
place them in an out of the way spot your pets can’t 
reach and keep your pets away from those areas of 
your home.

Tinsel and gift ribbons are tempting for pets that like 
to play with shiny things, but when swallowed, such 
items can cause intestinal obstructions. Clean up after 
opening presents and vacuum around the tree to pick 
up any gift debris, as well as fallen pine needles which 
pose a similar hazard.

Avoid the Problem

When it comes to the holidays, there’s no need to be a Grinch in order to keep your celebration safe for pets. New technologies are making 
it easier to teach pets to stay away from certain areas of your home, both indoors and outside. For example, Invisible Fence Brand 
Micro Shields Avoidance Solutions are small mobile wireless units to train pets to avoid areas of the home or yard where they might get 
in trouble. And if you have multiple pets, you can set different rules for different pets.

So don’t forgo that lovely holiday candle display just because you have a pet in your life. More information can be found at www.invisiblefence.
com .

Watch Your Plate

As most great pet owners know, not all human foods are safe or healthy for pets. Pets can choke on bones in meat or fish dishes. And 
such foods as onions, macadamia nuts and chocolate -- which are commonly found in holiday cooking and baking -- are unsafe for dogs.

Avoid having your well-meaning guests sending Spot to the vet by laying ground rules about sharing food.

Also, one man’s trash is a pet’s treasure, so be sure e to keep the lid on the garbage secure. By taking proper precautions, you can keep 
the holidays festive this year for both you and your pets. (Statepoint)


PET OF THE WEEK: FLOPPY - #A4509478


Meet the very cool, calm and collected Floppy (A4509478). Floppy 
is a relaxed five month old brown and white male Cocker Spaniel 
mix puppy who was jettisoned at the Baldwin Park Animal Care 
Center on November 8th because his former owner moved and 
made no provision for his dog. Weighing sixteen pounds, Floppy 
walks well on the leash and is calm and well-behaved overall. He is 
well-socialized and likes other dogs, and volunteers think he will be 
super with children. He is also a handsome dog, with a luxuriant 
coat and beautiful markings. Floppy will be the perfect indoor pet 
for anyone in any living situation at all. To watch a video of Floppy 
please click here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0XJoUnclgY

To meet Floppy in person, please see him at the Baldwin Park 
Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton St., Baldwin Park, CA 91706 
(Phone: 626-430-2378 or 626-962-3577). He is currently available 
now. For any inquiries about Floppy, please reference his animal 
ID number: A4509478. 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 Floppy or the adoption process, please contact United Hope for Animals Volunteer 
Adoption Coordinator Samantha at Samantha@hope4animals.org. 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/.