Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 22, 2013

A9

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 22, 2013 

CHARLIE BROWN - The ‘Canine Clown’


PET OF THE WEEK

 The most gratifying aspect of 
being a dog walker and pet sitter 
is benefiting from the nurturing 
relationships that I get to have with 
the many four-legged furry friends 
who appreciate my presence and 
are more than willing to show it in 
a variety of ways. There is nothing 
quite like walking into the front 
door of a client’s home and having 
their dogs come running to greet 
me with open elation and affection. 
As soon as I step over the threshold, 
they come to welcome me with what 
I like to call ‘canine choruses‘.

 Like humans, each dog has his own 
unique vocal tone, and when two or 
more dogs are “singing” together, in 
their excitement to see me, I hear 
nothing but happy harmony coming 
sincerely from their happy hearts. 
For some folks, loud dog barking 
may come across as an annoying 
noise, but if the context of the tune 
is a healthy one, such as a warm 
greeting of a beloved friend, and if 
you listen closely enough to hear 
that greeting, you cannot help but 
appreciate the sound 
of a content canine 
chorus.

Once the songs are 
sung and my dog 
clients have made their 
way across the living 
room to the entry 
where I am standing, they begin 
their routine of sniffing every part 
of me, as if to check the news report 
and get the scoop on my most recent 
comings and goings. Finally, they 
commence covering me with sloppy 
doggie kisses, and I let them. 

I love how my canine clients are 
able to freely express themselves 
with their eyes, with their voices 
and with their body language. They 
unguardedly reveal their deepest 
feelings with full faith and no sense 
of fear. Unlike we human beings, 
dogs are quite capable of knowing 
who they can trust, and when they 
find trustworthy individuals, they 
open up their hearts in a way that a 
human would most likely deem too 
vulnerable and become guarded and 
take caution.

Within moments, after the 
excitement of my initial arrival 
finally fades, we exchange cuddly 
hugs, and I begin my part of the 
dialogue. I ask them what they have 
been up to since our last visit, and 
they appear to listen, or at least 
appreciate the tone of my voice. 
Sometimes I think they even want 
to respond, and perhaps they do 
respond in their own ways. This may 
sound rather silly to someone who 
does not spend a lot of time with 
animals, but believe me when I say 
it doesn’t take a crazy (or eccentric) 
person to understand the loving 
language of a dog.

 Among the many cuddly canines 
I am blessed to spend time with, 
is one very special chocolate 
lab named “Charlie Brown”, or 
“Charlie” for short. Charlie is quite 
the character! What makes him so 
special and remarkably different 
from all the others is his ability to 
spring straight up into the air with 
apparently very little effort, when 
he gets excited. This characteristic 
is amazing to me, because Charlie is 
a pretty big dog. He is about three 
feet tall while standing on all four 
legs, and probably weighs at least 
80 or so pounds, but he is able to lift 
his body to the height of my chest 
in a split second, by pushing away 
from the floor with his feet. It seems 
to take very little effort on his part 
and it can come as a real surprise to 
someone who is not expecting it.

 Now that I know Charlie well 
enough to be aware of how he will 
react when I arrive to walk him, 
I prepare myself for his reaction, 
and I am careful to protect my chin 
from possibly being bumped by the 
top of his head when he springs 
upward! While he is ‘bouncing’, a 
lot like “Tigger” (the character from 
Winnie the Pooh), he is also singing 
his version of the canine chorus, 
with his very high pitched tone, 
which says to me; “You have no idea 
how happy I am to see you - I love 
you so much!”. If I am having a bad 
day, one thing I know I can count 
on is that it will get better when I 
receive that grateful greeting from 
Charlie. He is like a welcome wagon 
of wiggling waggling love and for 
me that is full-on fur therapy!

 Like many other dogs I know, 
Charlie shows his affection by 
smiling. OK, well he may not even 
realize that he smiles, but I certainly 
can see it. Between the elated look 
in his gorgeous golden eyes, and that 
wide-open clean-teeth grin, Charlie 
has found his way into the deepest 
parts of my human heart. 

If all these things were not enough 
to convince me of how special 
Charlie is, his funny, frenzied antics 
and hilarious habits are just so 
entertaining, that sometimes I find 
myself bent (cont. on page B3)

KEIFER: #A4588228 


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

Meet Keifer (A4588228)! Keifer is 
a social butterfly of a five year old 
brown and black neutered male 
Yorkshire Terrier/Cairn Terrier 
mix who was found in Altadena 
on June 6th and brought to the 
Baldwin Park Shelter. Weighing 
fifteen pounds, Kiefer will walk 
well on leash, as long as there isn’t 
a better opportunity somewhere 
else, and he is very well socialized. 
Fantastic with other dogs, we 
think he will be very good with 
children. Keifer brightens up the room with his presence and 
will make an outstanding indoor companion for anyone in 
any living situation. To watch a video of Kiefer please visit:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2U2DVRZ58E

To meet Keifer 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 Keifer, please reference his animal ID number: A4588228. 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 Keifer 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/.