Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 23, 2013

9

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, March 23, 2013

THE OREGON SPOTTED FROG A 
HOP,SKIP & A JUMP AWAY FROM 
EXTINCTION?

Saturday, 

February 23, 2013

The Shabby Dog will 
be hosting a 

PET 
ADOPTION 

from

10:00 am to 2:00 pm 

Location:

The Shabby Dog

31 East Montecito 
Avenue

Sierra Madre, CA 
91024

(626) 836-5452

email: info@theshabbydog.
com

Dogs & Cats Available!


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

 

In 1993, the Oregon spotted frog (Rena 
pretiosa) became a U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service candidate for listing under the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973. However, 
due to preclusion by numerous other species 
considered a higher priority for protection 
at the time, this vanishing amphibian was 
deferred for future consideration. Now, 
at long last, following a 20-year wait, the 
Oregon spotted frog is finally finding its 
way into the federal bureaucratic limelight 
as a species valuable enough to be rescued. 
What this means is there will be government 
funding available for qualified programs 
designed to help restore the Oregon spotted 
frog’s population, and new legislation will be 
enforced to protect it.

 Listing under the Endangered Species Act 
is no easy task, and the waiting list is quite 
lengthy. As part of the qualification process, 
it must be proven through scientific research and data gathering that a particular species is indeed in danger of extinction. 
Such studies typically take a long time to complete and can cost a fortune to conduct. In some cases, where interested 
individuals get involved, the requisite research is done pro-bono, by skilled volunteers who care enough about nature and 
realize that the loss of any species can have a major diverse impact on the environment. However, nature-loving science 
professionals with spare time to offer don’t necessarily grow on trees, so there are times when a more creative and resourceful 
approach must be applied in order to qualify a species for listing.

 The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service most definitely took a creative and resourceful approach to helping prevent the extinction 
of the Oregon spotted frog, by taking part in a very unique prison program wherein convicts are trained to do a large part 
of the hands-on lab work that would otherwise have to have been bought and paid for at a high price. Unlike the Bird 
Man of Alcatraz, the would-be frogmen of Cedar Creek Corrections Center in Washington state will most likely remain 
anonymous in spite of their experience in helping gather data on population loss and breeding spotted frogs behind bars, as 
part of an effort to help list the species as endangered. The prisoners at Cedar Creek who qualified to be part of the national 
Sustainability in Prisons program have helped connect the dots for felons and frogs, just when they needed a bit of a boost 
to enhance their population.

 The fact is, the Oregon spotted frog has been lost from at least 78% of its originally recorded range. In fact, in recent years 
it was completely extirpated (locally extinct) from the entire state of California where it used to be commonly seen in areas 
where water reservoirs, creeks and rivers are found. In addition to the relatively recent absence of the species in California, 
the spotted frog population has also been observed waning dramatically over the past few decades in the states of Oregon 
and Washington, as well as in British Columbia. Actually, this slowly but surely absent amphibian has now departed from its 
natural habitats to a point where it is considered to have less than 25% of its original population.

 A darling and endearing dweller of shallow west coast waters, the Oregon spotted frog is scientifically defined as the most 
aquatic native amphibian in the Pacific Northwest. This happy little hopper plays an enormous role in the big scheme of 
things with regard to nature and how other living things thrive within its relative environment. While it may come easy for 
some to assume that a tiny frog is an insignificant being, the truth is that every being matters regardless of size, shape or color, 
and based on science, the smaller creatures are often the ones sustaining the life and livelihood of the larger.

 Ultimately, the Happy Tail of this article is that people who cared enough 
about the existence of a very small but special species came to the plate to 
save it from extinction, and were willing to work with anyone (including 
convicts) who were equally willing to work for the cause, and I am sure 
those frogs are leaping for joy in thanks for their help in keeping them alive 
and thriving.


PET OF THE WEEK 

SCOOBY DOO: #A4549197 

Meet an amazing dog, the 
incredible Scooby-Doo 
(A4549197)! Scooby-Doo is a 
happy-go-lucky four year old 
tricolor and black neutered male 
Beagle mix who was forsaken at 
the Baldwin Park Animal Care 
Center with his companion 
Spiky (A4549198) on March 
2nd after his former owners lost 
their home. Weighing seventeen 
pounds, Scooby-Doo is familiar 
with the concept of a leash but 
needs additional training. He does seem to be housetrained. He 
gets along well with most small dogs, but would rather avoid big 
ones, and we think he will do fine with kids. This is a medium-
energy, clever, affectionate boy who loves belly rubs. Scooby-
Doo is the perfect indoor pet for anyone anywhere. To watch a 
video of Scooby-Doo and Spiky, please visit: www.youtube.com/
watch?v=8iw0gRax26M

To meet Scooby-Doo in person, please see him at the Baldwin 
Park Animal Care Center, 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 Scooby-Doo, 
please reference his animal ID number: A4549197. 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 Scooby-
Doo 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/.