Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 24, 2015

10

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 24, 2015


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND??

CONTINUAL, 
COMPASSIONATE 

CARE FOR LUCY


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

Looking For A Best Friend?? 
To enjoy the Super Bowl with? 
Goofy is a gorgeous Labrador 
retriever-German Shepherd mix, 
about 7-8 years old, weighing 
about 75 pounds. He came to the 
shelter as a stray from San Gabriel 
with no identification, and no one 
has come to claim him.

 Goofy has a soft, velvety black 
coat that shines when he is clean. 
He has beautiful caramel eyes 
that radiate his sweet nature.

 Goofy can be a little shy at 
first meeting, but he seems to like 
people, and enjoys getting pets 
and attention. He walks well on leash and has a 
calm, gentle energy that is easy to handle. He has a 
gentle mouth when taking treats.

 Goofy has been taken to off-site events, and he 
behaves very well in public. We have noticed that 
he seems to be drawn to other dogs in a friendly, 
interested way. He whines a bit when he sees 
another dog – small or large – so it seems he may 
have been in a situation where there were other dogs 
sharing his home at some time. 

 Goofy is looking for a comfortable, loving home 
to spend the rest of his life, and would surely be a 
loyal friend and companion 
to the right family. He would 
most likely do well with another 
dog in the home as well. Goofy 
qualifies for our “Senior for 
Senior” discount program. 

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

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

 His adoption fee is $135 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 Goofy. 

 

 See our website at www.sgvhumane.org for 
information and photos of all our available 
pets……… We have bunnies too!! 

It was a sad and somber day for Mike, his wife and 
their two children. They’d received the dreaded 
call that Mike’s mother of 78 years had suddenly 
passed away due to a cardiac arrest. Mike’s Mother 
had been fortunate enough to have lived a long, 
full life and had remained independent in her 
own apartment up until her last moment, and for 
that they were grateful, but they would miss her 
immensely. One family member who would feel the 
loss of Mike’s mother in a particularly unique way, 
was her precious dog, Lucy.

 After the family gathered to celebrate and 
memorialize Mrs. Smith’s life and lay her body 
to rest, the inevitable question arose; “What will 
happen to Lucy now that grandmother is gone?” 
Mike was very busy in his important corporate 
position, and when he wasn’t working, he and his 
wife traveled, so he decided having a pet just didn‘t 
fit into his lifestyle. Neither of Mike’s two children 
were willing to take the dog because they were 
simply too involved with their own lives, and did 
not have time to spare for a dog. They considered 
the option of taking Lucy to a shelter, but that pup 
had meant so much to grandmother, it was as if she 
had left a part of herself behind. The decision would 
be a tough one to make.

 When Mike went to see his mother’s lawyer 
to execute her will, he mentioned his concern 
about Lucy and asked if he knew of anyone who 
might take the dog in. The lawyer looked over his 
spectacles and said, “Apparently you haven’t been 
privy to the content of your mother’s will until 
today.” Somewhat perplexed, Mike said, “No, as a 
matter of fact it never came up. My mom was pretty 
healthy for her age. We had not anticipated such an 
untimely death for her.”

 The lawyer then told Mike, “You most definitely 
don’t have to concern yourself with the welfare of 
little Lucy now that your mother is no longer with 
us. Indeed, she made sure that cute little canine 
would be well taken care of for the rest of her life.” 
Mike had no idea what the lawyer was talking about. 
“How’s that?”, he asked, and the lawyer proceeded to 
explain.

 “It seems that your mother must have loved that 
dog very much. Enough, in fact, to have thought 
ahead about making provisions in case she died 
first and left Lucy behind. I guess your mom knew 
you would not be able to keep Lucy when she was 
gone, because she left quite a generous chunk of 
change specifically ear-marked for that lucky pup’s 
future. Lucy will be going to a plush pet retirement 
home, where she will be loved and 
compassionately cared-for until the 
day she, herself crosses the proverbial 
rainbow bridge!”

 Mike must have appeared to be on 
the verge of fainting when he heard 
this news, because the lawyer quickly 
offered him a glass of water and asked 
if he needed to lie down on the couch 
for a bit. Mike kindly declined the 
offer, and regained his stature before 
taking a deep breath and saying, “Yep, 
that was my mom, always watching 
out for her pets. What else does the 
will provide for?. “Well, there are 
several personal possessions to be 
divided equally and civilly among the 
surviving family members, such as photos, furniture 
and miscellaneous household items, but she pretty 
much left her entire life savings to lucky Lucy!”

 On his way out of the lawyer’s office, Mike 
couldn’t help remembering a conversation he’d had 
with his mother a couple of years prior. She’d asked 
Mike if he would take care of Lucy and give her the 
love she so deserved, if anything should happen to 
her. Wanting to be honest with his mom, he’d told 
her that he’d try to find her a good home, but being 
so busy pursuing his career and traveling, he really 
couldn’t make time for a pet. He remembered how 
his mother accepted his response gracefully, and 
how he’d felt relieved that the conversation ended 
promptly with no guilt trip. He loved his mother, 
but he couldn‘t be bothered with a dog making 
a mess of his house and yard. He somehow felt 
justified in the excuses he gave as to why he could 
not be there for his mother’s best friend. My, how he 
regretted that now!

 Some things in life do and should matter more 
than others. We each have to decide on what our 
priorities are going to be. In Mike’s case, a little 
inconvenience was not worth accommodating his 
beloved mother’s relatively simple yet extremely 
important final request, and he paid handsomely for 
his selfishness. If Mike could have opened his heart 
and home to his mother’s favored four-legged furry 
friend, not only would he have benefited financially, 
but he would have also learned that giving a little 
of himself would result in his receiving a lot of 
unconditional love. His life would have change 
remarkably for the better!

 Pets are not burdens to be born, they are blessings 
to be embraced. People who do not understand, or 
don’t even care to understand the relationship that 
can be had with an animal, is missing out on an 
amazing facet of life. Folks are so involved with 
their own selves these days, they forget what it feels 
like to give a little, even to another human being, 
much less to a helpless animal. Thankfully, there are 
compassionate, caring retirement homes for pets 
left behind by those would could afford to provide 
such a luxury for their loved one. 

 I believe that God created animals for many 
good reasons, but among the most important 
is their ability to teach we humans how to love, 
unconditionally. I admonish all who are able, even 
if it means a shift in priorities, if you haven’t already, 
open up your heart and home to the unconditional 
love of a pet and I’ll bet life will take on a whole new 
meaning! As always, don’t forget to love and let live.


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


Aspen: Animal ID 
#A4790608


Meet a super sweet and snuggly little 
guy, Aspen (A4790608)! Aspen is an 
unforgettable 2-year-old black-and-brown 
male German Shepherd mix who was found 
in Walnut on January 9th and brought to the 
Baldwin Park Animal Care Center. Weighing 
22 lbs, Aspen is a uniquely gorgeous boy with 
a delightful disposition. Volunteers have all 
tried to settle on his best feature, but have 
found it nearly impossible. Is it his gorgeously 
colored coat? His seemingly feathered ears? 
His soft expression with its winning smile? 
His beautiful, bushy tail that is always on the 
wag? No one knows! This pup is as sweet as he is handsome, too. He has an even temperament that is 
both attentive and affectionate (especially when it comes to giving kisses). He also gets along happily 
with other dogs (from 9-lb puppies to 90-lb pitties) and shows signs of being housebroken. Aspen will 
make an astounding indoor pet for any active individual or family (who won’t get jealous when their 
dog gets more double-takes than they do at the beach)! To watch a video of Aspen, please visit the 
following link: http://youtu.be/hbJhddPtLlM

To meet Aspen 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 
Aspen, please reference his animal ID number: A4790608. 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 Aspen 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/.


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