Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 21, 2015

10

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 21, 2015


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND??

LOVE ‘EM & LEASH ‘EM

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

To share quality time with? Timo is a handsome, 
friendly American Staffordshire terrier mix, 
estimated to be about 4 years old, weighing around 
47 pounds. Timo has a sleek, short black coat with 
white highlights. His grooming requirements are 
quite simple – just an occasional bath and brushing 
will keep him looking and feeling his best.

 The first thing you will notice about Timo are his 
eyes – one sable brown and one ice blue. They give 
him a unique look all his own, and they are clear and 
alert as he takes in the world around him. He is an 
intelligent dog who likes to sniff and explore. Timo 
enjoys going for walks and has a medium energy 
level, is very easy to handle and is manageable on the 
leash.

 Timo has the energy to be a great hiking or 
running companion, but he can also enjoy some quiet 
relaxation time with his family. He is happy to take a 
break and lie on the grass next to his walking buddy, 
and is able to sit quietly after he rolls on the grass and 
does a belly crawl stretch.

 Timo would do best in a home where he has regular 
exercise and a large yard, and where he would be part 
of the family with a nice, soft bed near his people at 
night. Timo needs to get some training to live up to his 
potential to be a great pet, and to channel his energy 
appropriately. He wants to be a good dog, and with 
the right patience and guidance, he will be some lucky 
family’s forever best friend. Please come in to meet 
Timo – he is waiting for the right match – maybe it can 
be you?

 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 Timo, 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 Timo. 

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


As a youngster growing up in a rural setting in the 
deep south, I was lucky enough to have had lots of farm 
animals and domestic pets throughout my childhood. 
I remember enjoying the luxury of allowing my dogs 
to roam freely at will, knowing that they would most likely wander through the woods in our back 
yard, head off to the neighbor‘s house to play with their dogs and beg for left over scraps, then return 
home just in time for supper.

 That was indeed a luxury of freedom for both myself and my pets, and I imagine there are many 
Sierra Madre locals who have similar childhood memories of their own. Those were the days, weren’t 
they? With acres of undeveloped land surrounding us, ample space between our homes, and a heck of 
a lot less traffic passing through our neighborhoods, the risks were minimal for a pet with a nose for 
wanderlust and the desire to explore the great outdoors. It just seems natural, right? Well, unfortunately 
the open acreage and broad land gaps that used to exist between homes have shrunk dramatically in 
most parts of America over the years, and few & far between are the moments of silence without a 
vehicle passing swiftly by on the boulevards and streets that divide our properties.

 Lets face it folks, as residents in America, or at least most certainly in Los Angeles County, the days 
of “free-range” pet ownership are far-and-away long-gone. Not only is it extremely risky to allow a dog 
to run free these days, it is also against the law. Pet owners who live in Sierra Madre and other parts of 
LA County should now know better than to think it is OK to let their dogs roam off-leash.

 I learned my lesson several years ago, while living in Hermosa Beach with my dog, “Lady”. She was 
a friendly pup, so I was never concerned that she might hurt anyone, and at the time it never dawned 
on me that she herself could be hurt by roaming free. I lived 2 blocks from the beach, and I loved to 
let “Lady” go play on the sand during the off-season months when there was minimal traffic and there 
were few tourists in town. One day, I let Lady go and a cop stopped and cited me for having my dog off-
leash. The leash laws were new to me, so I was taken very much by surprise when I was told I had to take 
a day off work to appear in court and pay a fine. That was the last time I ever allowed my dog to roam 
free.

 Although I admit that it seemed ridiculous at the time, I have since learned to respect the leash laws, 
particularly in LA County (one of the most densely populated places in the entire US) and I guess I 
have become a self-appointed advocate for full compliance, mostly for the sake of the animals. While 
we would all love to think that our own dog is smarter than most; smart enough to stay out of the street 
and behave properly no matter what, it is simply an unsafe assumption that amounts to nothing less 
than negligence.

 A domestic dog is a creature driven more by instinct than taught intelligence or allegiance to it’s 
master, regardless of how much training he has received. In fact, the human’s delusion of owning the 
perfectly obedient dog is an excellent example of how, in some ways the dog is indeed smarter than the 
human being. No offense to those responsible owners who have taken the time to properly train and 
discipline their pets, it’s just that humans need to come to grips with the fact that a canine will do what 
comes naturally to itself, and much of the time the instinctual behavior of the canine is not in tune with 
the natural behavior of the human being.

 Even a well-trained, very obedient domestic dog harbors a tendency to chase a squirrel scrambling 
up a tree, a bird taking flight, or a cat meandering by on the opposite side of the road, and when he does 
see such playful prey within his proximity, his instincts are likely to override any obedience training 
he may have had, prompting him to cross the street and take chase after whatever it was that caught his 
attention.

 It only takes one time for a fast-moving vehicle to pass by the wrong place at the wrong time, to end the 
life of a beloved pet, so I say set your 
“pet pride” aside, and take proper 
precautions. The risks are simply 
not worth it, and it would be you, 
not your dog to be blamed if such 
a tragic accident should happen. A 
truly loving, caring pet owner will 
always protect their pet from harm, 
and that kind of unconditional love 
includes educating ones-self and 
forfeiting some of the freedoms 
that we would all love to enjoy, such 
as roaming off leash like we did in 
the good old days. If you love them, 
you will leash them!


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

Brooklyn: Animal ID #A4800300

 Meet Brooklyn, an adorable little pup that is eager 
to be your best friend! Brooklyn (A4800300) is a 
sweet and dreamy 10-month-old black-and-tan male 
Manchester Terrier and Pug mix puppy who was found 
in Azusa on February 13th with his brother, Denver 
[A4800306], and brought to the Baldwin Park Animal 
Care Center. Weighing 12 lbs, Brooklyn is an eager-to-
please pup who (most likely due to fright) is a bit shy 
and reserved in the shelter environment. When given 
human cuddles, though, he warms up and returns the 
love with puppy kisses. He also seems to gain confidence 
and open up more when in the company of other dogs. 
Although he is familiar with a leash, he doesn’t want to 
walk on it very much at the moment (preferring to be 
held in your arms and carried around). He strikes us as 
an attentive little sponge, though, so we expect he will 
do quite well learning leash skills in his puppy training. 
Brooklyn already shows signs of being housebroken 
and is obviously eager for human contact and affection. 
Since he is bonded with brother Denver, we would love 
to see them ditch the shelter and romp into the future 
together. In any case, we believe he will make one great 
indoor pet and family dog—perfect for activity and 
cuddle time alike. To watch a video of Brooklyn, visit 
the following link: http://youtu.be/rW_GabNxMnY

 To meet 
Brooklyn 
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 Brooklyn, please reference his animal 
ID number: A4800300. 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 
Brooklyn 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/.