Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 26, 2014

8

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, July 26, 2014 


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?

FUN FINDS FOR THE 
CANINE-LOVING 
COLLECTOR


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

Looking For A Best Friend?? To share 
the summer with? So is Fudge! 

 Fudge is being called a Chihuahua 
mix, although at 12 pounds, he is 
bigger than most Chihuahuas, and 
his features are not typical for that 
breed. He has a beautiful golden tan 
and white coat and soulful big brown 
eyes. As you can see from his photo, 
he usually has a smile on his face. 
Fudge is estimated to be about 7 years 
old.

 We do not know Fudge’s history, 
but he was seen being left in the 
shelter parking lot by someone who 
drove off intentionally leaving him 
behind. Needless to say, he was lost 
and confused for his first few days 
with us, staying mostly on the cot in 
the back of his kennel.

 Since those early days, though, 
Fudge has blossomed and has 
become a happy, friendly dog that is a joy to be 
around. He loves people, and will reward you 
with kisses if he has the chance. Fudge likes to sit 
on a lap, or lie next to you quietly, receiving pets 
and attention. 

 He is a smart boy and will sit for treats, so at 
some point he has had some training. Fudge 
enjoys going for walks with our volunteers and 
does very well on the leash. He seems to like the 
company of other dogs, and he happily shares his 
kennel with Pancho, another Chihuahua mix. 

 Fudge was recently taken to an off-site 
adoption event where he behaved very well. He 
was a perfect gentleman with our volunteers, and 
friendly to new people that he met.

 We get a lot of “small brown dogs” at the 
shelter, and many of them get overlooked. There 
are some hidden gems in that group, and our 
golden boy, Fudge, is one of them. He has a 
non-demanding sweet spirit that wants nothing 
more than a loving home to call his own. He has 
already been neutered, so he is “good to go” as 
soon as his forever family finds him. Please come 
in to meet him – he is sure to win your heart. 

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

 To arrange a ‘Meet and Greet’ with Fudge, 
please stop by any time from 10:00am to 4:30pm 
Tuesday thru Sunday. 

 His adoption fee is $120 which includes a 
microchip, neuter surgery, first vaccinations 
and a free wellness check-up at a participating 
veterinarian. He is also eligible for our ‘Senior 
For Senior’ reduced fee adoption program. 
Feel free to call us at (626) 286-1159 for more 
information on Fudge. 

 

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

I have often heard it said that one man’s trash is 
another man’s treasure, and as an avid recycler 
of pre-owned things, I totally “get” that old 
adage. My husband, Rick, retired chiropractor 
turned antique dealer, has taught me a lot about 
the value of antique collecting over the years. 
He has been a prolific picker since he was a kid, 
and through years of experience hunting for rare 
treasures, he’s managed to hone a keen eye for 
the good stuff. In fact, he has appropriated some 
pretty amazing art, antiques and oddities over 
the years that we both enjoy having in our home.

When Rick sold his practice several years ago, he 
decided to go full time into the antique business 
and if you don’t mind me saying, I think he is one 
of the most knowledgeable dealers in Pasadena. 
Although I have to admit I might be a bit biased, 
I really do believe his shop, UNCHARTED 
ANTIQUES, 27 North Altadena Drive is one of 
the coolest, most interesting resale stores any 
buyer or collector could hope to come across. He 
is best known for the original art work as well 
as the eclectic collection of industrial and mid 
century oddities he has for sale in his shop. He 
constantly amazes me with his ability to procure 
fabulous finds in today’s competitive antique 
resale market.

I grew up in a humble, yet very happy home 
where I was taught to appreciate what I had. My 
mother, whose most memorable mantra was, 
“Waste not, want not”, also turned out to be my 
main mentor for finding antique furnishings 
and other interesting things at yard sales, and 
fixing them to be used as decorative additions 
to our household. I have such great memories of 
scoping out Saturday morning garage sales with 
my mom, followed by stops at the local thrift 
shops around town, and coming home with all 
kinds of goodies, having spent very little of my 
weekly allowance. Thanks for the memories, 
ma…I love you for it!

With all the good input and influence that I’ve 
been privy to throughout my life, I have learned 
at least a little about the value of previously-
owned things, but I recently realized that even 
vintage pet food labels are included among the 
many rarities that are often sought out by both 
dealers and buyers in the antique resale market. 
Well, I must say as an animal lover that makes 
me very happy! I just wish I had been the one to 
come up with the idea.

It was when I read an article in the Summer 
2014 issue of BARK magazine this past week, 
entitled Vintage Dog Food Labels - Selling Dog 
Food with Panache, that I began to think that of 
old pet food labels as something I might want 
to collect, myself. I already knew that certain 
types of ephemera, if kept in good condition, can 
maintain a hefty value that is likely to increase 
with time, but I had never thought about old 
pet food labels as being collectible. What makes 
this genre of ephemera so intriguing to me 
is the fact that the graphics bear such sweet 
images of animals in their design. And some, 
particularly the mid-century labels (1950’ & 60’s) 
are extremely colorful, whimsical and decorative 
which makes them perfect for display as art in a 
frame. 

After reading the BARK 
article, I was as curious as a cat 
to learn more about collectible 
pet food labels - what they go 
for in the resale market, who 
is collecting them, which ones 
are considered most valuable, 
and what makes certain ones 
more desirable than others 
to the prospective collector. 
I am a person who likes what 
I like just because I like it, 
rather than following a trend, 
but I couldn’t help wondering 
what was going on inside this 
relatively limited and isolated 
resale niche.

The most interesting result I found from my 
internet search was on a website called dogster.
com. It was a short article about Warren Dotz, a 
huge enthusiast of old dog food label collecting. 
This guy even published a coffee-table tome 
about them, entitled Dog Food for Thought. In 
the book are numerous color images of labels 
from his personal collection, many of which he 
obtained through an on-line auction website. 
He must have wanted those labels pretty badly, 
because he placed his highest bid at $4,000 for 
four lots! I imagine he must have been quite 
pleasantly surprised when he found out he’d won 
all four at only $19.95 per lot! Sleeper auction? 
Maybe.

The BARK magazine article I read included eye-
catching high-dpi color images of a few vintage 
dog food labels, and when I went on-line I found 
many, many more. I’ve included a couple of the 
images I found in this week’s column to tantalize 
the eyes of my fellow dog lovers in hopes that 
perhaps it will incite a stronger market for their 
collect-ability. To those of you who may now be 
feeling inspired to take on the hobby of vintage 
pet food label collecting, I wish you happy 
hunting! I just want to say one thing; if you see 
me at a yard sale, beware because I do tend to 
sharpen my elbows before I sally forth on my 
weekly Saturday morning hunts! Have fun, good 
luck, love and let live.


PET OF THE WEEK: SALLY

Animal ID #A4731844


There is so much to love in 
this adorable package! Meet 
Sally (A4731844), a 7-year-
old cream-and-white female 
Maltese/Terrier mix who 
was found in El Monte with 
Peppermint Patty [A4731841] 
and Schroeder [A4731843] and 
brought to the Baldwin Park 
Animal Care Center on July 9th. 
Weighing 14 pounds, Sally is a 
family-ready pup who already 
seems to understand how she 
should behave in the home 
environment. She is gentle with 
all the dogs she meets and walks 
very well on the leash. With her 
medium energy, she will make a 
stupendous couch potato buddy 
and would be happy to watch 
movies with you all weekend long. Sally will make an exceptionally good indoor companion for a 
senior or adult couple in any living situation. To watch a video of Sally, please visit the following link: 
http://youtu.be/5N4iGqO7CSo

To meet Sally in person, please see her at the Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton, Baldwin 
Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-430-2378 or 626-962-3577). She is currently available now. For any 
inquiries about Sally, please reference her animal ID number: A4731844. 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 Sally or the adoption process, 
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/.

 
The San Gabriel Valley Humane Society was founded in 1924 
by Fannie Thompson Kessler, in a time when our country was 
feeling prosperous, optimistic and a little rebellious. We’ve 
been providing compassionate care for stray and abandoned 
animals ever since. Please join us in celebrating our 
90th Anniversary! 
RSVP (626) 286-1159 
90th Anniversary 
Celebration 
August 2, 2014 
6:30-9:30pm 
at the 
Community 
Companion 
Speakeasy 
5271 Sereno Dr. 
Temple City, 
CA 91780 
$90 minimum donation per person 
RSVP (626) 286-1159 
851 E. Grand Ave. San Gabriel, CA 91776 
www.sgvhumane.org 
where EVERY donation makes a measurable 
difference! 
Libations, 
finger foods, 
music & d 
professional 
dance lessons 
under the stars 
and shhhh! 
a silent 
auction! 
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com