Mountain Views News          Saturday, May 30, 2015

9

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 30, 2015 


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?

GOLD 
GONE

Think Disco!! Disco is a good-
natured Corgi mix who came 
to the shelter as a stray with 
no identification. It is hard to 
imagine that no one is missing 
this sweet senior boy, but he has 
not been claimed. 

 Disco is a bit overweight at 
around 19 pounds, but he doesn’t 
let that bother him. You will 
find him waiting at the gate of 
his kennel with a smiling face 
and wagging tail, happy to have a 
visitor to greet. 

 In spite of his chunky size, 
Disco enjoys going for walks. He 
can easily climb up and down 
the steps to the kennels and has a 
medium energy level. He is happy 
to take a break to roll on the grass and get his 
back and belly rubbed. Disco also has shown an 
interest in fetching and playing with toys when he 
has the chance. He definitely does not show signs 
of old age.

 Disco has a calm temperament and a joyful 
spirit, and is friendly to both people and other 
dogs. He is currently sharing a kennel with 
another senior dog and the two of them get along 
quite well. 

 Disco is looking for a loving home to spend 
his golden years. His upbeat personality and 
mellow disposition would make 
him an excellent companion. 
Disco qualifies for our reduced 
fee ‘Senior for Senior’ discount 
program. Please come in to meet 
this special boy to see if he doesn’t 
win a place in your heart. 

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

 His adoption fee is $120 
and includes neuter surgery, 
vaccinations, microchip and a free wellness exam 
at a participating veterinarian. Feel free to call us 
at (626) 286-1159 for more information on Disco. 

 

 If you are interested in meeting Disco or any 
of the other wonderful pets at the shelter, visit 
the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society at 851 E. 
Grand Ave., San Gabriel, Calif., 91776, Tuesday 
through Sunday. For more information, call (626) 
286-1159. See our website at www.sgvhumane.org 
for information and photos of all our wonderful 
pets. 

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc


For as long as I live, I will never understand 
the concept of wanting to own a particular pet 
because it is the trendy thing to do. Although I 
may not be the best example of trend following, 
certainly not when it comes to the clothes I 
wear, the cell phone I own or the automobile I 
drive. But at least with regard to the latter, there 
are no lives at stake, when the frivolous trend 
inevitably goes out of style. Not so much in the 
case of 36 gorgeous golden retrievers that arrived 
at Hartselle-Jackson International Airport in 
Georgia, a few weeks ago.

 The pack of pups had been trying their best to 
survive in the streets and make-shift shelters in 
Instanbul for a long time. The trend of having a 
golden retriever as a pet started in Turkey 10 years 
ago, and during their short-lived hey day, they 
were revered as quite a social commodity among 
Turkish citizens who could afford such a luxury. 
The dogs were deemed as a status symbol to be 
flaunted and shown off to those not so fortunate. 
The cruelty all started when the trend ended, 
and the dogs were left in the streets to fare for 
themselves.

 Due to their sweet spirits and passive 
personalities, as you can well imagine the retrievers 
did not fare well in the streets of Istanbul. They had 
to beg and scrimp for food and try to find a place 
to sleep, hoping to survive alongside the other 50 
thousand stray dogs (in Istanbul alone!) they were 
up against. The numerous hard-core feral canines 
they had to contend with were not at all sweet, and 
would often attack them relentlessly, but because 
of how they were bred to behave, they would not 
fight back.

 I agree with Mahatma Ghandi, when he said, 
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress 
can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” 
And in this case, that quote definitely speaks 
volumes about the dogs’ previous owners in 
Istanbul; they treated those beautiful, sensitive 
animals like disposable objects that no longer 
served a purpose and therefore no longer deserved 
to be love or respected. But, before I go off too 
far into left field on how I really feel about people 
who are cruel to animals, I will shift my focus to 
those who went out of their way to make up for the 
dastardly deeds of the idiotic.

 Lauren Genkinger is founder and director of 
Adopt a Golden Retriever, an all-volunteer non-
profit dog rescue organization in Atlanta, Georgia. 
And she is also a real peach of a woman in my 
book. She is the one who led the effort to bring the 
dogs from Turkey to the US, and trust me it was 
no small task. In an interview with Jaye Watson 
of WXIA, a syndicated partner of 
NBC in Atlanta, Genkinger said, 
“This is the largest rescue of golden 
retrievers internationally, ever.”

 An American living in Istanbul 
had contacted Genkinger and 
reported seeing golden retrievers 
everywhere, running in the 
streets and filling up the shelters 
throughout the city. Immediately, 
Genkinger kicked into action. 
She contacted the appropriate 
authorities in Istanbul and began 
the painstaking process of filling 
out requisite forms and making 
travel arrangements to rescue the abandoned dogs.

 Each of the 36 rescued retrievers required their 
own personal passport complete with a photo and 
detailed physical description. After a long and, 
most likely shocking flight across the ocean, the 
dogs were quarantined, tested and vaccinated 
before they could join the general population. 
There were many other steps that had to be taken 
in the process of the rescue mission, but Genkinger 
and her team of volunteers were not discouraged. 
They came to the plate and did what it took to get 
the job done!

 In partnership with Adopt a Golden Retriever, 
The Pet Lodge in Alpharetta, Georgia opened their 
doors to the dogs for safe keeping during their 
transition into a new country and new culture. 
Remarkably, considering all they have been 
through, the precious pups (ranging from ages 6 
months to 10 years) are still wagging their tails and 
wiggling their torsos in gestures of request for a 
hug or pat on the head. Doctor Michael Davis, who 
is heading up the trio of veterinarians providing 
care for the animals said, “These guys are craving 
human attention and affection. It looks like we are 
going to be dealing with a lot of ear infections and 
skin infections.”

 In a video posted on the USA Today website, 
the rescued dogs are shown writhing with 
joy over the love they are receiving from the 
wonderful folks at the Lodge. There are 20 boys 
and 16 girls, although one of the vets said the 
2-year olds look more like they are 8 years old, 
due to the rough life they were forced to lead 
until now. While they have yet to learn English 
commands, they are very receptive of human 
interaction, in spite of having been neglected by 
the ones who bred them and gave them the false 
hope of a forever loving home, before discarding 
them like trash.

 Among we mortal beings on this earth, there 
is nothing like the love that can be shared with 
a precious pup, I am convinced. They are more 
forgiving and more affectionate than any human 
will ever hope to be. I believe God created the dog 
as a gift to mankind. But, as is true with many 
gifts, it comes with a responsibility. The human’s 
responsibility is to be a steward and companion 
to the dogs we are blessed with, not to exploit or 
abuse them. Those who break that rule will pay 
dearly one day, I have no doubt. Meanwhile, they 
will loose here on earth as well. Due to their selfish 
ignorance, in this case, they will miss out on the 
amazing and unique loving relationship that can 
be shared with a gorgeous golden retriever. For 
them, the gold is gone. 


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 CHICO: ANIMAL ID #A4070761

Are you looking for a sweet and 
soulful companion? Look no further 
at meet Chica (A4070761)! Chica is 
a deliciously darling 9-year-old tan 
spayed female Chihuahua mix who 
came to the Baldwin Park Animal Care 
Center as an owner surrender on May 
22nd for no known reason. Weighing 
7 . lbs, Chica is a mellow and minute 
lady who makes for a perfect lap fixture 
or piece of arm candy! Chica arrived 
at the shelter wearing a darling, diva-
esque collar: pink and bejeweled with 
rhinestones. Not only do we think 
Chica looks ravishing in this collar, 
but we also think that it tells her tale: 
Most likely, she was a much-loved 
and cared-for pet whose owner either 
died or was no longer able to care 
for her (as so often unfortunately happens). The 
good thing is that Chica is an experienced family 
pet—gentle, even-keeled, and with a real go-with-
you-anywhere attitude! Not only is Chica a great 
human companion, but she also gets along quite 
well with other dogs; she has kennel mates here at 
the shelter, so we expect that she would do well in a 
household with canine siblings. Chica is a fantastic 
girl who will make a terrific indoor pet for her new 
forever home. She will blend well into just about 
any household around, and she would be a great 
pick for a first-time pet parent since she is so easy 
to care for. To see a video of Chica, please visit: 
https://youtu.be/pW5akKQOHTk

To meet Chica in person, please see her at the 
Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton, 
Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-430-2378 
or 626-962-3577). She is currently available now. 
For any inquiries about Chica, please reference her 
animal ID number: A4070761. 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 Chica or the adoption process, 
please 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/.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com