Mountain Views News     Logo: MVNews     Saturday, February 22, 2014

MVNews this week:  Page 7

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS Mountain Views News Saturday, February 22, 2014 7 JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS Mountain Views News Saturday, February 22, 2014 7 
THE PLIGHT OF 
PROHIBITIVE PET CARE 

by Chris LeclercHappy Tails 
COSTS

& neuter surgeries along with other vital services 

to help pet guardians, living on a low and/or 
During a recent conversation with a close friend, fixed income, care for their beloved companions. 
our casual dialogue eventually found it’s way to a One of their programs is SpayCalifornia, a 
discussion about our beloved pets, as it typically state-wide referral network/database to connect 
does. My friend and his wife have two darling people throughout the State of California 
dogs whom they love very much and treat like with participating programs and veterinarians 
family members. They spend loads of time with offering low cost spay/neuter services. For more 
their dogs, and enjoy their company more than information, go to: http://www.actorsandothers. 
most pet owners do.com/. 

 During the course of our conversation, my PAWS/LA was founded in 1989 in response 
friend mentioned that he had taken one of their to the companion animal-related crises faced 
dogs, the older of the two, to the veterinarian a by residents of Los Angeles County who were 
week before, and even with the senior citizen financially and physically debilitated by HIV/
discount his vet applies, he still ended up paying AIDS. Since that time, the agency has expanded 
just short of an arm and a leg for a few lab tests its scope to assist low-income seniors and any 
and a quick exam. He was quite surprised at how low-income individual living with a chronic or 
pet care costs have sky-rocketed these days and life-threatening illness. Their PACE Program 
when he told me how much the bill was, it took (Preserving Animal Companionship for the 
me very much by surprise as well. Listening to his Elderly) assists seniors by providing assistance 
story, I thought of how many pet-owning senior with pet care. It has been documented through 
citizens probably find themselves in a similar numerous scientific studies that the positive 
situation, met with the difficulty of covering the correlation between seniors and animals 
costs associated with caring for their pets.improves emotional outlook and health stability 

and PAWS/LA wants to help. Visit them at: 

 Most seniors are retired with a very limited 

http://www.pawsla.org/.

income, and if that is not challenging enough, 
our present-day economy is making it even more The Pet Fund is a non-profit association that 
difficult for them to make ends meet. Nowadays offers financial assistance to owners of domestic 
many of the seniors who were fortunate enough animals who need veterinary care. Their purpose 
to have put money away for later years while is to work towards a future where decisions 
working, have had to use their nest-egg savings about companion animal medical care, need 
just to keep their homes and pay off their own not be made on the basis of cost. Perhaps most 
medical bills.importantly, they provide information about 

preventative care, pet insurance programs 

 Retirement is when most people finally have 

and financial services to help the pet owner 

time to spend with a pet, and perhaps when they 

develop resources on their own and avoid future 

need that kind of companionship more than ever 

emergencies through proper care and planning. 

before, so it seems ironic and quite a shame to 

Such information is often hard to find and 

think that the cost of a vet bill could prohibit 

The Pet Fund provides a user-friendly, easily 

them from caring for their pet properly, or heaven 

accessible starting place for this purpose. For 

forbid in the saddest case scenario, force them to 

more information, contact The Pet Fund through 

euthanize to avoid the high cost of keeping their 

their web site at: http://thepetfund.com/.

pet alive. 
It pleases me to know that there are so many 

 Later that day, I was still thinking about the 

people who care enough about domestic pets 

subject we had discussed and I could not seem to 

and their owners, to invest their time, money 

get that conversation out of my mind. Being a dog 

and energy in developing programs that can 

walker and pet sitter, I guess it struck a tender spot 

help maintain a healthy relationship between 

in my heart. I decided to look into what, if any kind 

the two. It serves as a reminder to look for the 

of assistance might be available for senior citizens 

proverbial “rainbow after the storm“. Let’s face it, 

who cannot afford the high costs associated with 

if this article had ended where the conversation 

caring for their animal companion. What I found 

between me and my friend ended, it would have 

was that there are several programs in place that 

been quite bleak. Fortunately, however this tale 

offer pet vet bill and/or pet care assistance to 

has a happy ending. It serves as a reminder that 

senior citizens who qualify. Here are a few of the 

where you find a friend in need, you will most 

programs and services I found: 

likely find a friend in “deed”! 
Actors and 
Others for 
Animals is 
a California 
non-profitcorporationdedicated to 
the humane 
treatment of 
animals. Their 
main mission is 
to curb the pet 
overpopulationproblem by 
subsidizing spay 


MOUNT WILSON TRAIL RACE REGISTRATION 


Registation Begins 
March 1st for Sierra 
Madre residents 

Registration for the Mount 
Wilson Trail Race is fast 
approaching and the sign 
up process has changed 
slightly this year. For 2014 
the first 100 spaces for the 
race will be made available to 
Sierra Madre residents only, 
leaving 200 spaces available 
for open registration. For 
more information about the 
change please visit www. 
mountwilsontrailrace.com/
registration. 

The Mount Wilson Trail Race 
is Saturday, May 24, 2014 at 7:30am and begins in Kersting Court. The cost is $66.00 for adults and 
$35.00 for youth. All participants receive a tech shirt and goodie bag with entry. For more information 
about the event please visit www.mountwilsontrailrace.com. 

Sierra Madre resident only registration will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2014 from 9:00am-3:00pm 
at the Community Recreation Center in Sierra Vista Park, 611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Registration 
will occur on a first come, first served basis and only 100 spaces are available. Proof of residency is 
required in the form of a current CA Driver’s License indicating Sierra Madre address, no PO Box 
numbers accepted. A physical copy of the CA Driver’s license must be present, no copies accepted. 
Participants may only sign up for themselves; signing up for a family member or friend is not allowed. 

General registration will begin Monday, March 3, 2014 at 11:00am. Registration can be done online at 
https://apm.activecommunities.com/sierramadre, or in person at the Community Recreation Center, 
611 East Sierra Madre Blvd. 

For both registrations an account with the City of Sierra Madre must be set up prior to registration. 
If you do not already have one, please visit https://apm.activecommunities.com/sierramadre to create 
one. If you already have an account please double check that the information is current. Acceptable 
forms of payment are cash, if in person, check—made payable to the City of Sierra Madre, and credit 
card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover). 

It is strongly encouraged to sign up as soon as registration is available on Monday, March 3rd as the 
race is expected to sell out within two hours. Any questions regarding registration can be directed to 
the Community Services Department at 626-355-5278. 


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND,,, 


Sadie is too! 

She is approximately 4 years old and weighs 24.6 pounds, 
so definitely on the medium side of a small dog. We are 
calling her a “terrier mix,” but we don’t really know her 
breed. It appears that she recently had a litter of puppies 
before coming to the shelter. When we first met her, she 
seemed a little sad, and we wondered if she was missing 
her babies. 

Sadie is such a sweet girl; it is hard to not fall in love with 
her if you spend time getting to know her. 

She is not good at hiding the fact that she is not happy 
being kept in a kennel at the shelter. She is usually at 
the gate with a sad look on her face and will cry a little 
when you walk by, saying “please take me out!” When 
the gate is opened, she can’t get out fast enough and her 
face lights up with a huge doggie smile telling us, “Yes! 
That is what I want – let’s go for a walk!” 


She is a great walker on leash, so happy to be out in the 
world and not cooped up in a kennel. And she LOVES people and will happily climb in your lap 
for petting, smiling the whole time. She seems great with other dogs, and would make a wonderful, 
faithful pet for any family. 


She is looking for a good home where she can be part of family activities. She would love a nice yard 
to explore, and a nice soft bed at night, close to her people. If you take her home, she would have lots 
of love to share with you. 


She currently resides at the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society located at 851 E. Grand Avenue in San 
Gabriel. We are located off San Gabriel Blvd., north of Mission and south of Las Tunas. 


To arrange a ‘Meet and Greet’ with Sadie (aka….. 7937), please stop by any time from 10:00am to 
4:30pm Tuesday thru Sunday. 
Her adoption fee is $120 which includes her spay surgery, a microchip, first vaccinations and a free 
wellness check-up at a participating veterinarian. Feel free to call us at (626) 286-1159 for more 
information on Sadie. 


See our website at www.sgvhumane.org for information and photos of all our available pets.