Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 23, 2014

8

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 23, 2014 


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?

Proper Etiquette 

For Walking Your Pet

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

 
Looking For A Best Friend?? To share adventures 
with? So is Midnight! 

 Midnight is a very handsome and lovable 4 year old, 
19 lb black and brown Mini Pinscher boy who was found 
roaming the streets around the 4th of July. 

 His owner was contacted but never came to pick him 
up. During his first couple weeks at the shelter, Midnight 
was scared and confused about his whereabouts. But 
since volunteers have been taking him out for walks and 
playtime, he has become more relaxed, happy, playful, 
and affectionate. 

 Midnight is very friendly, social and made lots of 
friends. He loves people and other dogs. With his cute 
smile and happy disposition, he eagerly greets you and 
will climb and curl up in your lap when you sit down. He 
loves it when you give him cuddles, pets, belly and back 
massages. Midnight is also very nurturing and loving to 
his kennel mate, and is always watching over him. 

 Midnight is strong, agile, and has medium high 
energy on his walks. He loves to have fun and run on his 
walks. He is also observant, smart and quick to pick up 
on activities shown to him and would learn and do well 
with the right training courses. He loves a challenge to 
focus on. He quickly caught on to chasing after toys and 
bringing them back for more play. It also didn’t take him 
long to jump into a kids’ wading pool to retrieve a fun 
toy! 

Midnight’s dream is to be loved and live out his life with 
a best friend or family who are active and like to have 
fun like he does. A home with a big yard to run and play 
in would be ideal. And if there is another dog or two 
to hang out and play with, he would love that! Are you 
or someone you know the one he is looking for? If so, 
please come to the shelter to meet him! He is waiting 
there for you.

 

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 Midnight, 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. Feel free to call 
us at (626) 286-1159 for more information on Midnight. 

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

Join us as we celebrate our 90th anniversary on September 
27th with an Open House Block Party. Since 1924, the 
shelter has been serving the San Gabriel Valley and all 
past adopters are invited to bring their dogs and walk 
in our alumni parade. From noon to 5pm, there will 
be carnival games, food trucks, and vendors as well as 
doggie tattoos and games.

A local friend of mine recently told me about an 
incident that occurred a week or two ago while she 
was out walking with her dog in town. She and her 
small pup (a darling, dainty mystery-breed rescue 
dog) were pleasantly padding along the path when 
another person suddenly emerged from around the 
corner with a dog on-leash and started walking 
up the hill towards them. As the two duo-teams 
drew closer, they quickly closed the space gap 
between, and my friend realized that the other dog 
was looking more and more excited, and possibly 
getting agitated at the sight of her own dog swiftly 
coming into close proximity.

 In an effort to prevent a less-than-friendly 
confrontation between the two dogs, my friend 
decided to take the proverbial path of least 
resistance by detouring down and around a car that 
was parked on the side of the road, in hopes that the 
other ‘dog team’ would get the message and pass on 
by peacefully without incident.

 As it turned out, the other dog walker apparently 
did not get the message, and instead of moving 
along, she turned her dog toward where they were 
and moved in the same direction, as if she was 
hoping for an impromptu meet and greet right there 
in the street! Fortunately for all involved, there was 
no traffic at the time, so my friend was able to walk 
her dog across the street before a would-be potential 
tussle could ensue.

 When I heard this story, my first thought was, 
“It would have been so easy to neutralize the stress 
apparently caused by two people and their dogs 
passing on the street, if there could have been just 
a bit of clear, kind communication.“ My second 
thought had more to do with wishing dog walkers, 
in general would practice better etiquette while they 
are out and about with their pets in public.

 In my humble opinion, the approaching dog 
walker in that case should have paid way more 
attention to the body language displayed by my 
friend who was already headed down the street 
before she turned that way. If she had been more 
aware, she may have also been more sensitive to the 
space that may have been needed between them, 
while passing by and could have acted accordingly.

 Perhaps she felt the need to stand her ground and 
exercise her right to walk her dog wherever she 
wished, regardless of the circumstances. I’m not 
sure about her, but I personally prefer to keep things 
as simple and sane as possible when I am walking 
dogs in public. It is a simple task, to avoid a negative 
confrontation between two leashed dogs, if you are 
aware of your surroundings. And, it can’t hurt to 
speak…you know, use the voice as a mechanism 
for communication? This may sound silly to some, 
in this new age of constant texting and messaging, 
but to me it is nothing more than simple common 
sense.

 Then there was another acquaintance of mine 
who recently reminded me of how much she wishes 
people would be better about cleaning up after their 
pets while they are wandering out and about, and I 
happen to agree with her 100%. I’ve stepped in more 
than my fair share of felonious forgotten stools, and 
I’ve even gone to the trouble of picking up putrid 
poops left behind by others, but now I’m all done 
with that. Anyone with the brain power enough to 
own and (hopefully) care for a domestic pet should 
know there is a law against leaving their four-legged 
furry friend‘s feces sitting like a land-mine on the 
sidewalk or on a neighbor’s lawn. Maybe the dog 
poop pickup code needs to be more consistently 
enforced to achieve desired results. At least it might 
generate a bit of extra revenue for the city.

 One very interesting comment I heard recently 
voiced by a non-pet-owner is that he cannot stand it 
when people walking their dogs will allow uninvited 
contact between himself and the beast they have on 
leash. Well, being the avid animal lover that I am, 
I find it hard to imagine resisting contact with a 
friendly furry four-legger that may happen across my 
path, but I do try my best to understand the minds 
of people who prefer not to keep close company with 
canines and I recognize and respect their right to 
dine on the sidewalks of our town, without being 
forced to interact with other peoples’ pets.

 The collective comments I have mentioned above 
are what drove me to write this article and remind 
locals in Sierra Madre to use proper etiquette while 
sharing the road, trail or sidewalk with other people 
and their pets in public. Please use your common 
sense in communicating with your fellow animal 
lovers. Be aware of the laws and rules that pertain 
to owning a pet and taking them out for a leisurely 
walk. Let your dog teach you a few lessons for a 
change! Based on my experience, the animals seem 
to be able to work these things out pretty swiftly and 
smoothly, if given the opportunity in the absence of 
human intervention.

 I believe that social skills are not necessarily 
inherent with one‘s lifestyle. I think the learning 
process begins with early childhood teaching 
and influence followed by life-long training and 
practice. As pet owners and dog walkers, let’s all 
do our best to be aware of the responsibilities that 
come with the privileges we enjoy. Show respect to 
others, and do your best to prevent unwanted insult 
or injury. And as always, above all, love and let live!

WEEK: 

 
90th Anniversary 
Community 
Celebration 
September 27th 2014 
Noon – 5 pm 
851 E. Grand Ave, San Gabriel 
(626) 286-1159 
Pet Products, 
Entertainment, 
Food Trucks! 
Freebies & Fun for 
all ages – including 
an Alumni 
Parade! 
I’m an 
alumni, in 
fact, I’m a 
celebrikitty!