Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 24, 2015

10

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 24, 2015 


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?

THE SENSATIONAL, 

SILK-SPINNING SPIDER - 
FRIEND OR FOE?

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc


Who has it all? Good looks, personality and 
experience? Look no further!

 Honey is a beautiful West Highland terrier mix, 
about 11 years old, weighing 20 pounds. She has 
a lovely white coat of soft fur and is quite striking 
when she has had a bath and grooming session. 
Honey was found as a stray on the streets in 
Rosemead several weeks ago. She had a microchip, 
but the owner has not responded to a certified letter 
sent on Honey’s behalf, nor come to claim her. So 
Honey is now available for adoption.

 Honey is a very friendly girl who loves people. 
She will put her paws on your leg and ask for some 
attention – her favorite activity is receiving pets 
and cuddles, and she will even pass up treats in 
preference of some loving. Although Honey gets 
along just fine with her kennel mate, she makes it 
clear that she would rather be in the company of 
people.

 Honey is easy to harness and handle on the leash. 
She has a calm energy level, but is a good walker who 
seems much younger than her 11 years. She shows 
an interest in exploring and sniffing. She is happy 
to take a break and sit on the grass, just taking in the 
world around her, and of course, getting some pets 
and belly rubs. 

 It is obvious that Honey misses having the love 
and companionship of her own special person or 
family. She has so much affection to share, and is 
eagerly awaiting someone who will appreciate her 
faithful loyalty. It is a shame that such a lovely, 
beautiful dog finds herself homeless at this time 
of her life. Honey will touch your heart if you take 
the time to meet her, and will make your life richer 
if you can give her the home she deserves for her 
senior years. Honey qualifies for our ‘Senior for 
Senior’ discount adoption program.

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

 Her adoption fee is $130 which includes her 
spay 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 Honey. Check us out at 
sgvhumane.org for more information about shelter 
services and photos of all our wonderful adoptable 
pets. 

 Celebrate the season with our ‘Fall is for Felines’ 
promotion. All cats one year and older are available 
until October 31st for a $39 adoption fee. 

Throughout history, certain species of animals at 
various levels of the food chain have fallen prey 
to a rather unlikely predator. This predator does 
not live in the forest or in the depths of the ocean, 
where where we think of most wildlife survival 
attacks taking place. This predator is rarely ever 
pointed out in public and rarely claims the blame 
or admits to taking part in the primitive prey and 
attack process.

 The predator I am referring to is the incredible 
human being, and the attack is not restricted 
only to physical, but at times can be mental or 
even spiritual as well. The human’s tendency to 
spread negative rumors and promote long-term 
urban legends that cause irreparable damage 
to the reputation of another species is typically 
based on ignorance and fear. And the preferred 
prey can vary tremendously from one species to 
another.

 Unusual behavioral patterns or physical 
appearances of creatures extremely different from 
ourselves are often misunderstood, and rather 
than taking the time to learn more about those 
odd creatures to gain a better understanding of 
why they look or act the way they do, we humans 
often put them into a category that defines them 
as creepy or pesky and therefore, extinguishable.

 I find it ironic that so many living things on this 
earth that play a major role in the survival of all 
beings, including we humans, are those that we 
tend to fear the most. Of the many creatures that 
have fallen prey to the human’s presumptuous 
paranoia throughout history, the spider is most 
likely at the top of the list. I think that this is really 
quite unfortunate, because spiders play a very 
important role in the balance of our ecosystem.

 Spiders are among the approximately 
100,000 species that fall into the classification 
of Arachnids, mainly characterized by the fact 
that they have four pairs of legs and a body that 
is separated into two segments. There are about 
2,000 different species of spiders in the United 
States and although, with the exception of one 
family, all spiders do carry venom to subdue their 
prey, very few are likely to cause concern to the 
human being. More often than not, any cause of 
concern related to a spider bite is due to an allergic 
reaction.

 Only two species of spiders found in North 
America are known to pose a 
serious threat to the human; the 
black widow and the brown recluse. 
And even when a human does 
come across either of these two, the 
chances of being bitten are limited 
if proper precautions are taken. 
When you line up the facts, break 
it down and do the math it becomes 
clear that the risks spiders present 
are minimal, and arachnophobia 
becomes nothing more than a 
form of fruitless fear on the part 
of the human. What most people 
don’t realize is that the good things 
spiders do to help ensure the health and welfare 
of our existence far outweigh the risks they may 
present.

 All spiders produce silk, with which they weave 
their wonderful webs and this fascinates me 
beyond words. Some webs can be so large they 
cross the street from one tree or telephone pole to 
another. I saw a huge one recently during a walk 
in the canyon, and it was absolutely gorgeous - a 
real remarkable work of art! But, aesthetic beauty 
is not the purpose of the silken spider’s web. The 
main reason why the spectacular spider weaves 
its’ sticky, silky web is to catch insects and other 
small creatures to eat.

 This is the most important role that the spider 
plays in nature, and it has a direct positive impact 
on each and every one of us. If you annihilate 
every spider in your house and in your yard, you 
will likely find out (the hard way) just how valuable 
those eight legged creatures are to you. Indeed, 
you may find yourself calling the exterminator 
numerous times thereafter, because your home 
would most likely become infested with numerous 
tiny creatures that you had previously be unaware 
existed.

 The fact is spiders keep our local bug population 
under control in a way that no one else could, 
including a human in a uniform with a can of 
killing chemicals. So what would you rather 
have? A delicate, illusive, shy eight-legged being 
that is more afraid of you than you are of it, or 
an entourage of stinging, biting or just plain 
annoying insects invading your living space, 
inside and out? The answer comes easy for me. 
I prefer to keep my interesting, artistic spider 
friends around where I can benefit from their 
gorgeous works of silken art, and their veracious 
appetites for certain blood-thirsty creatures who 
would otherwise over-populate and make my life 
miserable.

 Isn’t is amazing how just a little information 
can do a mountain of good for the reputation of 
an historically misunderstood, feared creature? 
In tune with my typical “Happy Tails” theme, 
I encourage all my human friends to educate 
themselves better about all living things, 
particularly those that differ from us, and learn to 
appreciate the value of their existence. Learn, love 
and let live! 


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