Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 3, 2013

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS Mountain Views News Saturday, August 3, 2013 11 JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS Mountain Views News Saturday, August 3, 2013 11 
Happy Tails 
by Chris Leclerc 

As a long time resident of Sierra Madre, I 
am a lot like many of the residents in our 
small town, in that I prefer patronizing 
the local “mom and pop” businesses as 
opposed to shopping at the many mega 
stores that now dominate the commercial 
storefronts on our major nearby boulevards. 
I have always appreciated the hard work 
that goes into a brick and mortar business, 
and I believe the keys to success in building 
a small business are hard work, honesty andtenacity; basically it takes a willingness to 
do what it takes to see through the toughtimes in order to enjoy the fruits of one‘slabor. In short, it is what we know as the 
American Dream incarnate.

 My parents were both small businessowners at one point or another in their lives.
In fact, when I was a teenager, my mother 
succeeded in supporting our missionaryfamily during hard times with the profits 
she made through her hand-tailored lingerie 
shop. In retrospect, I find it rather ironic 
that while my father worked hard to spreadthe gospel and sacrificed most of his time 
and energy to benefit inner city children 
who were less fortunate than we were, my 
mother was sewing sexy underwear for the 
well-to-do women in town, to keep things 

PETS PAMPERED BY LOCAL ANIMAL 
ADVOCATE & ENTREPRENEUR 

afloat financially! The most important

aspects of my up-bringing were the basicethics I learned about working hard to pay 
my own way in order to have something to 
give back to others. For that, I am grateful 
and I know that is why I appreciate what it 
takes to be a small business owner. 

When Jill Jungheim purchased 
Highlander Pet Center in 2005, being theavid animal lover that she is, her vision was 
to educate customers about animal care and 
nutrition, so their pets could live long and 
healthy lives. Over the past 8 years, Jill’s 
specialty pet food and supply store has 
evolved to cater to the pet owner’s needs, 
while maintaining excellent customer 
service and providing the highest qualityproducts on the market.

 Highlander Pet Center carries a wide 
variety of premium pet foods not found in 
other stores, making it a very unique sourcefor healthy pet nutrition. And although the 
store is small, they will special order yourpets’ favorite food, toys or treats which 
gives them the edge of that personal touch 
you typically will not find in a mega store. 
When you visit Highlander Pet Center, not 
only will you find the best foods available 
for your pet, you will also have access 
to some excellent nutritional education 
and consultation. Another reason I love 
Highlander Pet Center is because it has 
become a destination for pet adoptions.
Since 2005, they have adopted and placed 


over 850 cats, kittens and a few dogs. The 

homeless pets they adopt are socialized 
and well-cared for during their stay at thestore and most adoptions are by word-ofmouth 
customer recommendations. Most 
importantly, each homeless pet they take in 
goes to a loving, caring family.

 I caught up with Jill last week, and 
she shared with me another unique recentaddition to the offerings she has at her 
store. For several years, she has been 
studying essential oils and aromatherapyfor pets and has dabbled in creating special 
soaps for dogs. She has recently become 
affiliated with doTerra essential oils and 
is now teaching workshops at the store. 
Essential oils have many medicinal and 
therapeutic benefits to people and pets, 
and can be valuable in preventing the 
need for unnecessary veterinary care or 
pet prescription drugs. Jill is always on a 
quest to find new and different pet-related 
products to add to the store that will helpenhance your furry four-legged friends‘ 
health.

 I highly recommend a visit to Highland 
Pet Center for pet owners who want thebest nutrition and health products for their 
animals. The store is located at 419 W. 
Foothill Blvd. in Monrovia, just a hop skip 
and jump from Sierra Madre. The shop 
is very easy to spot as you drive alongFoothill Blvd. It is located in a charming 
1905 bungalow house on the north side

of the street. As if the charm of the 

shop keepers weren’t enough to draw 
you in, the old bungalow home adds a 
special historically interesting touch 
to an already very pleasant shoppingexperience. If you have questions about 
the products or services available at 
Highlander Pet Center, feel free to call 
them at (626) 357-1787.

 Meanwhile, be sure to visit their 
website for more information about their 
mission and provisions at: http://www. 
highlanderpetcenter.com. I guaranteeyou will be pleased with the service 
you receive and the personal touch they 
provide to each and every customer. And 
now, as always, I leave my readers with a 
favorite mantra of mine: Until next week, 
don’t forget to “Love and Let live!” 

PET OF THE WEEK


BENJI: #A4611224 



Meet a puppy with movie-star good looks, Benji (A4611224).
Benji is a perfect gentleman -an eight month old tan male 
Border Terrier mix puppy who was dumped at the Baldwin ParkShelter on July 26th because his owner could not live up to theresponsibility of having a dog. Weighing fourteen pounds, Benjihas basic leash skills but prefers to be carried and will reward youwith kisses. He is good with other dogs and we think he would bea cheerful playmate for children. This is a calm, gentle dog that 
is made to order for anyone who wants to adopt a dog withoutcreating chaos in their household. Benji is the perfect indoor petfor anyone, anywhere! To watch a video of Benji please visit:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L3bDod_Byg 

To meet Benji in person, please see him at the Baldwin Park Shelter, 
located at 4275 N. Elton, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626430-
2378 or 626-962-3577). He is currently available now. For 
any inquiries about Benji, please reference his animal ID number: 
A4611224. The shelter is open seven days a week, 12 pm-7 pmMonday-Thursday and 10am-5pm Friday-Sunday. This is a 
high-intake shelter with a great need for adoptions. For more 
information about Benji or the adoption process, please contactUnited Hope for Animals Volunteer Adoption CoordinatorSamantha at Samantha@hope4animals.org. To learn more about 
United Hope for Animals’ partnership with the Baldwin ParkShelter through its Shelter Support Program, as well as the manydogs of all breeds, ages, and sizes available for adoption in localshelters, visit http://www.unitedhope4animals.org/about-us/
shelter-support-program/.