Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 30, 2014

8

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 30, 2014 

LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?


GUESS WHO’S 
COMING FOR 
DINNER?


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

Looking for a best friend to share 
the end of summer with? So is 
Milo! 

Milo is a very lovable and adorable white fluffy, 
curly haired terrier mix boy with light creamy 
brown patches and a cute under bite when he 
smiles and looks up at you. He is still a very 
young chap, approximately a year old, weighs 
17 pounds and looking for his best friend(s) to 
spend and enjoy the rest of his life with. 

 Milo is a very friendly, affectionate, playful, 
happy go-lucky guy with a lot of personality! He 
loves people, playfully and lovingly interacting 
with them, and always greets them with a big 
smile and wagging tail. He also loves their 
attention, pets, cuddles and belly rubs. 

Milo is also friendly and very social with other 
dogs. He enjoys their company on walks, 
running, chasing, and playing with them and 
toys in yards.

 During his walks with us, we found him to have average energy and to be a great companion on a 
walk. He enjoys his walks, sometimes galloping happily, and sometimes taking his time exploring and 
strolling along. But his favorite part of the walk is when he can lie and stretch out on the grass under 
a shady tree and snuggle close to you. 

 

Little Milo is a very lovable boy and has a way of easily capturing your heart and making you smile. He 
is going to be a great companion and addition to a person, couple or family with children! 

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 Milo, 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 Milo. 

 

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, blessing of the 
animals, art walk, and vendors as well as doggie tattoos and games.

 As an avid animal rights advocate and 
dedicated pet owner and lover, I spend a lot of 
my time reading about and researching current 
issues and affairs that are related to the humane 
treatment of animals. As part of my endeavor to 
stay informed on what’s happening regarding 
animals in today’s society, I am an enlisted 
recipient of several organizations’ periodic 
e-mail notifications, which does actually help 
keep me up-to-date and aware. Among my 
favorite non-profit organizations to whom I 
subscribe is a group called Social Compassion 
In Legislation (SCIL).

 SCIL has become a favorite of mine, because 
they go above and beyond in doing whatever 
what it takes to make legal changes on behalf 
of domestic animals in America. They send 
me periodic e-mails, with initiatives or issues 
that need to be addressed, and I do my part to 
participate. Last week I received an e-mail from 
SCIL proclaiming the victory of a bill that was 
signed into law by governor Jerry Brown. The 
message included links to mainstream media 
reports that covered the epic breakthrough, 
one of which was an interview with SCIL’s Judie 
Mancuso and Jane Velez-Mitchell on HLN.

 In case I have not made it obvious enough in 
previous articles, let me just say that I am one 
who likes to cut to the chase. It’s a personality 
trait I sometimes wish I had not inherited, most 
likely from my mother. But, when it comes to 
accomplishing something truly important 
in life, I think it is imperative that one states 
their mind clearly and concisely, so as not to be 
misunderstood. We can chit chat casually with 
friends, about what we don’t like in our society. 
We can complain for hours about things we 
don‘t agree with, but until we are ready to take 
action toward change, we might as well shut up 
and accept things as they are.

 The idea of complaining while doing nothing 
to make a change for the better reminds me of 
a verse I was taught in Sunday school as a kid. 
It goes something like this; ”Though I speak 
with the tongues of men and angels and have 
not charity, I am become as sounding brass or 
a tinkling cymbal” ~ I Corinthians 13:1. The 
point being, you can jib jab all you want, but 
until you are ready to get off your butt and get 
your hands dirty to fix the problem, your voice 
carries no meaning.

 That is why I revere and respect the good 
work being done at SCIL, whose mission is 
to reduce pet population through legislation. 
President Judie Mancuso and her dedicated 
team of animal advocates have proven that they 
are willing to take whatever action is necessary 
to complete the mission at hand. I have been 
on the bandwagon with SCIL on many issues 
they’ve share with me over the years, and rather 
than becoming frustrated at the end of the day, 
which can easily happen when it comes to 
such efforts, I have found myself inspired and 
hopeful for positive change.

 This past week, during our state assembly’s 
final session for the year 2014, Governor Jerry 
Brown kindly signed Assembly Bill 1965 into 
legislation, making it much easier for pet-owners 
in California to include their dogs when they go 
out for a bite to eat or have a quick drink in town. 
Passage of the initiative was a long time coming 
after a challenging row-to-how, but thanks to 
the help of Assemblymember Mariko Yamada, 
Social Compassion In Legislation’s President 
Judie Mancuso and the others at SCIL, along 
with numerous other animal rights advocates in 
California, victory was indeed achieved.

 The newly signed bill allows food 
establishments in California to invite patrons 
and their canine companions to dine freely 
together in an outdoor setting legally, as long 
as the restaurant meets the standards set forth. 
This may not seem like big news to we locals 
in Sierra Madre, since we’ve been enjoying 
the privilege of dining with our dogs on the 
sidewalk for as long as we can remember, but a 
lot has changed in recent years for other cities 
in California, and for some, this is huge news!

 I once wrote an article entitled Two Steps 
Forward, One Step Back for this column. 
There’s no need for me to step back and re-
share the subject of that article now, but the 
same concept applies for this week‘s column. 
I’ll just say that many of us totally understand 
the nature of the relationship between we 
humans and the canines, while others simply 
do not. Some have gained a slightly better 
understanding in recent years, but still would 
never allow their own rights to be “infringed“ 
by the presence of a dog at dinner. 

I don’t see animal rights as a contender to 
my own. I actually view the interaction with 
animals as an opportunity to learn, and when 
it comes to domestic animals (made domestic 
by the hands of the human, as we all know), I 
feel a sense of obligation to accommodate their 
needs, even more than my own, at times.

 Some things in life are worth the effort 
necessary to obtain desired results. Some are 
not. There is no question in my mind that the 
efforts required to enhance respect for non-
human beings in our society is a worthwhile 
cause. I no longer care what others think of 
my mission. I do not care if people think I put 
too much time and effort into caring about the 
animals. I have only to answer to my Maker, 
and I believe my Maker is happy with the focus 
I have found in my fifties.

 I look forward to visiting our local food 
establishments in Sierra Madre more often, now 
that I know they have state legislative backup 
on having Tater and/or Molly dining along 
with me. I want to thank Judie Mancuso and 
her team and SCIL, Assemblymember Mariko 
Yamada, Governor Brown and everyone else 
who cared enough to pay attention to this 
important bit of legislation. Kudos to you all! 
Love and let live. 

IT’S COOL AT THE L.A. ZOO


Summer heat may linger, but IT’S COOL AT 
THE L.A. ZOO on Saturday, September 13 and 
Sunday, September 14, 2014, 10 am to 4 pm both 
days, during a weekend of engaging activities 
at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. 
Among the entertaining ways to “chill out” 
during these two September days are Cool Zones 
with misters and fans at locations throughout 
the Zoo, ice sculpture artists crafting animal 
masterpieces out of huge ice blocks, fire trucks 
and firefighters with demos and fire hose sprays, 
paper sun visors and paper fans that youngsters 
can customize with their favorite animal to keep 
shaded and cool all day, the popular Mobile 
Mural Lab for kids to paint on giant moveable 
canvases with Zoo residents as inspiration, and 
free samples of Chloe’s™ Soft Serve Fruit Pops 
available all day while supplies last. From 11 am 
to 1 pm both days, the Radio Disney Street team 
will cool things down even more with games, 
sing-alongs and contests.

 Animals get to be “cool” too with treats in the 
form of giant popsicles filled with their favorite 
foods. Lions are served “meatsicles,” orangutans 
enjoy “fruitsicles,” the black bear chomps on 
“fishsicles,” and elephants get “trashsicles,” 
which are giant blocks of frozen fruit and veggies 
prepared in special 33-gallon “trash” cans used 
only for this purpose. 

 It’s Cool at the L.A. Zoo is presented by 
the landmark Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical 
Gardens, which draws 1.6 million visitors each 
year and is home to a diverse collection of 1,100 
animals representing 250 different species, many 
of which are rare or endangered. Its lush grounds 
on 113 acres feature a botanical collection 
comprising over 800 different plant species 
with approximately 7,000 individual plants. 
Accredited by the Association of Zoos and 
Aquariums (AZA), whose members meet rigorous 
professional standards for animal welfare, the 
Zoo has achieved renown as an international 
leader in the preservation of endangered species 
and a conservation center for the care and study 
of wildlife. Among its most popular habitats are 
the LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, 
and Reptiles), Elephants of Asia, Campo Gorilla 
Reserve and Rainforest of the Americas. The 
private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo 
Association (GLAZA), which has supported the 
Zoo in partnership with the City of Los Angeles 
for more than five decades and provides funding 
for and operates seven essential Zoo departments, 
has 65,000 member households representing 
more than 240,000 adults and children. As 
evidence of the Zoo’s popularity, GLAZA 
attracts one of the largest membership bases of 
any cultural organization in Los Angeles. The 
Zoo’s location in Griffith Park at the junction of 
the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways 
ideally positions it as a convenient destination 
enjoyed by locals and vacationers of all ages who 
can visit every day of the year except Christmas 
Day. 

 It’s Cool at the L.A. Zoo activities are free 
with paid Zoo admission. Zoo admission is 
$19 for general admission (ages 13 to 61); $16 for 
seniors (ages 62+), and $14 for children (ages 2 
to 12). No ticket is required for children under 
2. Zoo admission for Greater Los Angeles Zoo 
Association members is free.

 

The Los Angeles Zoo is located in Griffith Park at 
the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State 
(5) freeways. 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 
90027. Free parking is available every day, and 
Preferred Parking ($6) is offered most weekends 
and holidays. For additional information, contact 
(323) 644-6042 or visit www.lazoo.org


Elephant Billy keeps cool at the Los Angeles 
Zoo PHOTO CREDIT: Tad Motoyama

PET OF THE WEEK: 

VINCENT PRICE Animal ID # A4747929

CHILL OUT DURING A HOT 
SEPTEMBER WEEKEND WITH 
ENGAGING ACTIVITIES AND 
TREATS FOR VISITORS AND 
ANIMALS AT IT’S COOL AT 
THE L.A. ZOO

Saturday, September 13

and Sunday, September 14, 2014

10 am to 4 pm

Los Angeles Zoo 

and Botanical Gardens

To meet Vincent Price in person, please see him 
at the Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. 
Elton, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-
430-2378 or 626-962-3577). 

He is currently available now. For any 
inquiries about Vincent Price, please 
reference his animal ID number: A4747929. 
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 Vincent Price 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/.