Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 15, 2014

8

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 15, 2014


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND??

TULA’S TALE

A Sweet Surrogate Mother Who Did 

What She ‘Otter’

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

Looking For A Best Friend??

 Meet the charming Lenny! He is 
a friendly dog who gets along well 
with his kennel mate and likes the 
company of other dogs. He enjoys 
going for walks, has calm energy 
and is easy to manage on leash. 
He loves exploring and sniffing 
around the park getting to know 
the neighborhood. Lenny likes 
people, but he is not demanding 
for attention. Eager to please and 
wearing a snappy red tie, he happily 
posed in front of the fireplace for his 
holiday photo this week. 

 He is adaptable in new situations 
and is a perfect gentleman. Lenny is a sweet boy 
who is looking for a loving home to call his own. 
He is a Chihuahua/Dachshund mix, 7 years young 
with lots of love and companionship to share. 

 He qualifies for our ‘Senior For Senior’ reduced 
fee adoption discount. What better way to 
celebrate ‘National Adopt a Senior Pet Month’ 
than by bringing Lenny into your life! Older 
pets make wonderful family members. They 
are easy to train, fit in quickly and 
don’t require the time and attention 
a young animal demands. Their 
exercise requirements are less and 
they are quick to form a lasting bond 
with their adopters. 

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

 His adoption fee is $120 which includes his 
neuter 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 Lenny. 

 

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


Before the mid-1700’s, when Russian poachers went 
about their mishap mission of killing sea otters for the 
sole purpose of selling their pelts at market, countless 
numbers of the furry floating mammals thrived on the 
continental shores from Japan to Alaska. Sadly, that 
foolish, greed-driven killing spree left behind only a 
handful, barely hanging on to dear life on the northern 
Pacific coast of California.

 In 1911, a school of about 50 sea otters was discovered 
in the waters of Bixby Creek near the Big Sur area. It was 
then that this amazing mammal gained it’s recognition 
and status as an endangered species, and federal funds 
were made available for qualified projects to assist in 
encouraging the species to proliferate and re-gain it’s 
remarkable role in nature’s marine-life food chain. 
Thanks to the hard work of dedicated researchers who’ve 
participated in the recovery of the sea otter since it’s 
endangered status was granted, there are about 2,800 
of them living along the central California coast today. 
Still a sparse number, compared to how many there were 
before the big kill occurred.

 One might ask, “How important could the sea otter’s 
part in nature possibly be?” The otter’s position is utterly 
paramount, in terms of maintaining a healthy balance of 
nearly all creature populations in the ocean. Just about 
every form of life in the sea depends on kelp to survive. 
Then you have the sea urchin, who 
eats more than it‘s fair share of kelp, 
and has grown disproportionately in 
population without interruption, for 
over two centuries. And so it is that 
the urchin has become known as the 
kelp-hog of the ocean, leaving very 
little to sustain the other creatures 
who also need that food to survive.

 Most sea-going animals do not 
like to eat urchins, so there are few 
predators stalking and taking them 
out, adding even more fuel to the 
fire of the kelp-hog’s population 
explosion. But, guess what? Sea otters 
love to eat sea urchins, so if there 
are plenty of otters in the sea, they 
will keep the urchin population in 
check. In the absence of the otter, caused by the Russian 
poaching trade, the urchin has thrived uncontrollably, 
creating the potential demise of most other sea-going 
species.

 So now you know why the sea otter plays such an 
important role in the whole scheme of things for oceanic 
life forms, which is also why humans should not take 
it upon themselves to kill off any of the creatures that 
God created. The fact is, no amount of money can ever 
buy back nature’s balance and, indeed we will all pay the 
price for what was taken away, at the end of the day.

 Thanks to people who’ve been willing to share 
their intellect and understanding about nature to help 
mitigate the imbalance caused by the foolish mistakes 
of the ignorant and greedy, the sea otter has been given 
a second chance. Karl Maher, Coordinator of the Sea 
Otter Research & Conservation Program at Monterrey 
Bay Aquarium is one of those people. He and his team 
of research scientists and volunteers have dedicated their 
lives to rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing hundreds 
of otters found orphaned, in distress or injured along 
California‘s coast.

 During the early days of the otter rehabilitation 
program, care-takers who spent time with the 
rescued pups, swimming with them and coddling 
them, did not wear uniform gear that is now being 
used to prevent intensive bonds between themselves 
and the animals, inadvertently minimizing the pups’ 
chances for survival. Through trial and experience, 
the researchers came to realize that wearing a thick 
rubber coat and a shielded helmet would help create 
a necessary barrier for bonding. Now, when a pup is 
rescued, care-takers are required to don a suit and 
helmet much like the ones used to handle patients 
with communicable diseases. In this way, they have 
prevented themselves from becoming too attached to 
the pups, while at the same time giving them a much 
better chance for survival upon release.

 Even more important than the use of camouflage-like 
coats and masks, was the employment of a surrogate 
mother to teach the otter pups the skills they need to 
survive in the wild. Interestingly, otters are able to learn 
remarkable skills that they are not born with. Innately, 
a baby otter comes from the womb with little or no 
ability to do much of anything other than breath or cry. 
Much like a human baby, an otter pup left to it’s own 
devices will simply lie there, or in this case, float on the 
surface of the water. Clearly, this is no way for a young 
otter to make it‘s way in the sea, with so many predators 
swimming about. 

 This is where Tula’s tale comes into the story. Tula 
was rescued with her newborn pup, but her baby did not 
make it, so the rescue team decided to try matching her 
up with another pup who needed a mother to teach him 
the survival skills he would need upon release. Well, I’ll 
tell you what, Tula took to the task like a trooper! It was as 
if she was born to be a surrogate mother to the orphaned 
babes at the aquarium. Not only did she perform her 
duty as a surrogate herself, but she also taught other 
mothers how to do the job properly!

 The idea of using a surrogate otter mom to teach 
orphaned pups basically revolutionized the MO of the 
rescue program. Without Tula and the student moms 
she taught during her lifetime, the otter rescue and 
rehabilitation program may not have succeeded as well 
as it has, and the population of otters on the northern 
central coast of California would not have grown to 
where it is today. I’d say Tula set a great example for 
all of us, not only the members of her own species, but 
for humans as well. I wonder what this world would 
be like with more Tulas teaching and mentoring those 
who need guidance and assistance in learning the skills 
of life! Thank you, Tula, for being willing to do what it 
took to help re-establish nature’s balance in the sea and 
in turn, on dry land, because we all depend on a healthy 
ocean to live a healthy life on earth.


DogWalking & Sitting ServicesSierraMadre, Californiawww.canyoncanine.comchris@canyoncanine.comChris LeclercCanyonCanine626-355-8333 626-533-9536CCConCaCanyonCanineCanineeeieCCChris LeclercChris Leclercae,
chris@canyoncanine.com.canyoncanine.comwwwnCaSierraMadrare, CaliforCaalking&SonDogWWalking & Sitting ServicesonCa626-355-8333 62onCayeclercinnia6-533-95362eclerccanine.comanine.comani,CaliforirnanineSittingServiceseaninee
PET OF THE WEEK Buddee: Animal ID #A1678487


Meet Buddee a charismatic and 
composed white Terrier mix who 
loves to please! Buddee (A1678487) 
is a beautiful heart-warming 
14-year-old Terrier who was left 
at the Baldwin Park Animal Care 
Center on November 4th because 
his pervious owner felt Buddee 
was “too old”. Weighing only 13, 
Buddee is an adorable and sweet 
older dog with a lot of love for life 
still bubbling inside of him. Buddee 
enjoys short walks and taking naps 
in your lap! He is full of love and kisses and always has 
a smile on his face. He also absolutely loves people and 
other animals who are willing to respect his age. It is 
important to note Buddee does have a heart murmur 
a condition that is easily controlled with inexpensive 
medicine, however this won’t get in the way of him 
being a perfect indoor pet/ addition to your family. 
Buddee is the perfect puppy lover we know he will make 
a super indoor pet for an individual or family living in 
a private home, he will do wonderfully with elders or 
children old enough to respect his itty bitty size. To 
watch a video of Buddee please visit 
the following link: http://youtu.
be/yYbZbJKAiC4

 To meet Buddee 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 
available now. For any inquiries 
about Buddee, please reference his 
animal ID number: A1678487. 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 Winston 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/.

A NEW DOG…AND SCAMMERS’ OLD TRICKS

By Lisa Lake 

Consumer Education Specialist, Federal Trade 
Commission 

 Lots of people feel the urge to cuddle and care for a 
puppy – especially one that doesn’t have a home and 
needs all the TLC an animal lover can give. But if you 
see an online ad for a dog, or any pet, be warned: that 
pooch’s pic may just be a trick to steal your money.

 Scam artists have bilked animal lovers by posting 
ads with pictures of puppies and other pets. The ads 
often include a compelling story about why the puppy is 
available, and details about his or her lovable personality. 
The ads may request a reasonable payment for the pet, 
say $300, or they may claim the pet is available to a good 
home for free – if you pay for shipping.

 If you pay, you’ll get additional requests for money 
for things like vet bills, crating, shipping, or inspection 
costs. But when it’s all said and spent, Lassie never 
comes home – because she wasn’t really for sale in the 
first place.

 Here are a few tips to keep you from getting dogged 
by scammers selling phantom pets:

 Don’t use a money transfer service. The surest sign 
of a scam is when someone insists you use a money 
transfer service – like Western Union or MoneyGram – 
as the only form of payment for a pet. Money transfers 
are like sending cash; once you send it, you can’t get it 
back. Cash reload packs – like GreenDot MoneyPak, 
Vanilla Reload or Reloadit – come with the same risks. 

 Do your research. Ask for detailed information about 
the person selling the pet. What is the person’s full 
name, phone number and mailing address? What turns 
up if you search online for the seller’s name or phone 
number with the word “scam” or “complaint”? 

 Try doing a reverse image search of the photo to see 
if it appears in older ads. To do this, right click on the 
photo and select “copy image location,” “copy image 
address,” or go to “properties” to copy the image’s 
location on the internet. Paste the link into a search 
engine and select the option that allows you to search 
by image. If the same picture shows up in an older 
listing, it’s probably a scam. Sometimes, the photos are 
from social media sites or old listings; the scammer 
simply re-posts them with a new, bogus online 
classified ad. But keep in mind: even if you don’t find 
anything wrong it doesn’t mean that everything’s 
alright. 

 Consider adoption from a local animal shelter. Pets 
of all types are in shelters across the U.S. waiting for 
loving homes. Many can be adopted for a small fee.

 If a pretending pooch peddler pilfers money from 
your pockets, file a complaint with the FTC. If you 
transferred money for to a scammer for a pet that never 
appeared, let the money transfer company know, too.