Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 16, 2014

8

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 16, 2014 


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?

BOUNTIFUL BLESSINGS 
FROM MY BEAUTIFUL BEST 
FRIENDS....

Doing the Twist With Sid

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

Looking For A Best Friend?? And easy-going 
companion??? So is Miss Maie! She is a German 
Shepherd Dog mix, approximately 8 years old. She 
is a calm, well-mannered girl who likes people and 
will be a loving and loyal family companion. The 
shepherd is known as one of the smartest, most 
trainable and most popular dogs in the US. Ms. 
Maie came to the shelter as a stray. Her maturity 
means no worries about puppy chewing and basic 
training. Her family will be pleased with how 
nicely she fits into a home environment as she will 
be content to be with her owner and lay comfortably 
nearby. She walks well on a leash, is willing to please 
and looks forward to meeting her new family!

 Please come in to meet Miss Maie who will 
happily sit for a treat!

 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 Miss Maie, 
please stop by any time from 10:00am to 4:30pm 
Tuesday thru Sunday. 

 Her adoption fee is $135 which includes her spay 
surgery, a microchip, first vaccinations and a free 
wellness check-up at a participating veterinarian. 
She is eligible for the shelter’s ‘Senior For Senior’ 
reduced-fee adoption program. Feel free to call 
us at (626) 286-1159 for more information on this 
lovely lady. 

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


“ The average dog is a nicer person than the average 
person” ~ Andy Rooney

 The first time I met Sid, he was accompanied by his 
2 live-in adopted ‘dog brothers’, Gunner and Elijah. 
Gunner has since passed on, and I would like to take 
this opportunity to pay my respects to the beautiful 
person that he was. He was my personal friend, and I 
loved spending time with him. He led his little pack 
of three with a loving and gentle paw and I know Sid 
and Elijah will always remember and appreciate him 
for the time and love he shared with them.

 All three dogs got along harmoniously during our 
first meeting, with no excessive rough-housing or 
aggression, but I noticed immediately that Sid was 
the most bashful and least rambunctious of the three. 
He stood by quietly, allowing the other two dogs 
to sniff and greet me until they were familiar and 
comfortable enough to settle down and relax. He then 
approached me carefully and after smelling my scent, 
gave me a tiny lick on the cheek, letting me know I 
was OK by him!

 The next week, when I arrived to take Sid out for a 
walk, his two big brothers were not home, so Sid and 
I were able to get to know each other better without 
the interruption of his live-in siblings. He greeted me 
at the door with immense enthusiasm, and he was 
much more willing to display his affection openly 
with me than he had been the week before. It was like 
night and day compared to our first meeting, and I 
surmised that the difference in his demeanor was due 
to the fact that he now had me all to himself. Sid was 
taking full advantage of the chance to be the center of 
attention with no competition!

 I am constantly amazed at the wide variety of 
personality traits manifested by the dogs that I am 
privileged to know. At this point in my life, I am fully 
convinced that just like humans, dogs possess very 
unique individual personalities and they have inner 
thoughts & desires just like we do. And, like us, they 
use their own unique means of communicating those 
thoughts & desires to others.

 Back in the day I used to think of dogs as somewhat 
generic in terms of personality and individuality, with 
the only true differentiating factor being the classified 
breed from which they came. Not so much, anymore. 
After spending hours of time with so many different 
dogs, I have come to realize that regardless of the 
breed, each of my canine clients is most definitely 
a unique person inside. Anyone who doubts the 
individuality of the dog’s personality should spend 
more time with canines and observe their body 
language, eye contact, and voice fluctuations.

 I don’t need to “read-in” to the interaction I have 
with my canine companions to know that each one is 
as unique as any human is from another. Of course 
there are certain similarities among dogs of a given 
breed, such as physical characteristics, agility and 
ability to perform certain tasks, or pre-disposition for 
particular diseases, but I believe the person inside the 
dog is as unique as that of any human being.

 Sid shows his unique inner personality traits in 
the most artistic ways such that I have ever observed 
with any other canine. The most interesting and 
entertaining way that Sid expresses himself is by 
dancing. That’s right, Sid dances! More specifically, 
Sid is a master of the dance style called the “twist”! 
From the moment I emerge through the door, he 
begins his delightful dance routine across the floor. 
He wiggles his bottom from side to side so intensely 
that his tail whips around and smacks him on either 
side of his shoulders!

 With his feet spinning almost full circle below him, 
Sid uses his muscular torso to gain more momentum 
and keep the twist going back and forth as long as 
he can, with the energetic tenacity of a wind-up toy! 
He continues to dance and smiles up at me until he 
is satisfied that I noticed his performance and then 
we can finally get leashed and ready for our walk. I 
promise I am not making this up! Sid is one heck of 
a swinger. He really likes it when I join him on the 
‘dance floor’, so sometimes I will put down whatever 
I happen to be holding, and take the time to do the 
twist with Sid. It has become our regular ‘meet-and-
greet’ routine when I arrive before each walk, and I 
always congratulate him afterwards, telling him that 
he is the best dancing dog I have ever known. He 
absorbs the praise like a sponge and seems to truly 
appreciate my participation.

 Whenever I talk about my beloved canine 
companions, I have to end the story with the fact 
that I don’t know what I would do without them. 
They are all so unique and so talented in their own 
ways, and they show so much un-conditional love 
and appreciation for the friendship we share. I am 
so grateful for the bountiful blessings I receive 
from my canine clients…they truly are my ‘best 
friends‘.

PET OF THE WEEK: CLEOPATRA

Animal ID # A4742819

Love, looks and loyalty all in one sweet 
package! Meet Cleopatra (A4742819), 
a star-quality one-year-old gold-and-
brown (with some black) female 
Pekingese and Dachshund mix puppy 
who was found in La Puente and 
brought to the Baldwin Park Animal 
Care Center on August 7th. Weighing 
20 lbs, Cleopatra prances politely 
on leash and enjoys the company of 
smaller-sized dogs. She also relishes 
human company. She particularly 
enjoys being petted, and this talkative 
girl has quite a bit to say about it! She 
has a small lump on her stomach that 
the shelter veterinarian believes may 
be a hernia, but it should be evaluated 
by a private veterinarian. Cleopatra 
will be an endearing indoor pet and 
a great listening companion for any 
individual or family in any living 
situation. To watch a video of Cleopatra visit 
the following link: http://youtu.be/6VI47oRl-k4

 To meet Cleopatra 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 
Cleopatra, please reference her animal ID 
number: A4742819. 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 Cleopatra 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/.