Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 2, 2016

10

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

To enjoy the playoffs with? 
Kramer is your guy! He is a 
3-year old Staffy-Shepherd-
Dane mix pooch who came 
to the shelter after being 
surrendered by his former 
owners when they moved 
to a place that doesn’t allow 
dogs. Despite the heartbreak 
of losing his family, Kramer 
has not lost his love for people, 
walks, sunbaths, gentle pats 
on the head, and soothing ear 
scratches.

 Kramer’s handsome looks 
are another striking part of 
him - because he is definitely a 100-pound traffic 
stopper! Weighing just a little over 100 pounds, 
he sports a black and white classic XL tuxedo coat 
that is perfectly paired with lengthy legs, a lean 
body, and floppy puppy-like ears. His sporty looks 
are, however, a bit deceiving because Kramer is 
actually a fan of long and steady walks rather than 
high-energy runs. After his walks, Kramer loves 
to sit on the grass next to a human companion and 
take in all the sun and vitamin D he can get.

 Kramer is friendly meeting new people, good 
on the leash and even quite the gentleman when it 
comes to sitting by the door waiting for his walkers 
to open the door for him. Kramer would do best 
as the only pet in the household. If you have room 
in your heart and home for this handsome big boy, 
Kramer is ready to be your loyal and loving best 
friend. After losing his home, Kramer certainly 
deserves a caring and forever family to call his 
own...just in time for the holidays!

 If you would like to give this 
handsome big boy a fairy tale 
ending for the holidays, please 
consider adopting Kramer and 
provide him with the forever 
loving home he so deserves! 

 His adoption fee is $145 
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 
Kramer. . If you are interested 
in meeting Kramer 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 from 10:30am to 
4:30pm. See our website at www.sgvhumane.org 
for information and photos of all our wonderful 
pets. 

 Shelter supporters are encouraged to visit the 
website to read the amazing story of Hoppy told 
by his rescuer in his blog. This three-legged 
Chihuahua now has a second chance for a happy 
life after a terrible accident left him alone and 
helpless trying to survive on the busy city streets. 

 2016 calendars are available at the shelter for a 
$10 donation. The photos were selected among 
hundreds submitted by shelter supporters. They 
make great holiday gifts for the animal lovers 
on your list! If you would like to order a 2016 
calendar on line, you can stop by the shelter or do 
so through PayPal. Go to the shelter website at 
sgvhumane.org for more information. 

ZOLA THE 

GENTLE GIANT


I never cease to be amazed by the 
endless variety of personalities I come 
across in my daily walk of life. Think 
about it…With every person you meet 
on the street, comes a totally unique 
personality! No two are exactly the 
same. In college I took every psychology 
class they had to offer because I enjoy 
studying human behavior. Maybe that’s 
why I tend to pay such close attention to 
people in public; the manner in which 
they express themselves, and the way 
they interact truly intrigues me. Perhaps one of my 
own personality traits is a strong drive to figure out 
what makes other people tick. 

 Many psychology professionals who started out 
studying humans, later turned their focus toward 
understanding the psychology of other species. 
Several have shared the results of their research in 
various articles and books and I must say those are 
among my most treasured readings. These days, more 
than ever, I endeavor to learn as much as I can about 
my canine companions. The more I understand why 
they do what they do, the better chance I have of 
connecting with them.

 Among my many four-footed friends, there is one 
pup who has had a particularly positive impact on 
me. Don’t get me wrong, I love them all, but the one 
who is the subject of this Happy Tail has captured my 
heart in a very special way. There is just something 
about Zola that can always make my day. She has such 
a big heart and a uniquely kind, calming spirit that she 
shares with me abundantly. If I am having a tough day, 
feeling tense or edgy when I arrive to take Zola out for 
a walk, I find myself completely at ease by the time I 
leave. Who doesn’t want to tap in on that temperate 
trait?

 Zola is a 110-pound, 7-year-old Great Pyrenees 
with a beautiful, thick, snow-white coat and big 
dark brown eyes highlighted with lush lashes and 
natural permanent black eye-liner. Indeed, she is 
a sight to see, but the thing I love most about Zola 
is that, in spite of her enormous stature she exudes 
total serenity to all whom she comes in contact with. 
No doubt about it, that gorgeous girl is the ultimate 
gentle giant! She is so big, most people who meet 
her say she looks like a bear. Given the potential 
damage she could do with those daunting teeth of 
hers, and with the way I’ve seen her move so swiftly 
when she plays, it says a lot about her 
sweet personality when she interacts so 
peacefully with other dogs and people 
while we are out and about.

 I don’t typically compare one of my 
canine companions to another, but I 
don’t mind comparing Zola to one of 
my own precious pets. My bloodhound, 
Tater (God rest her soul) was a major 
part of my life and I miss her dearly. She 
had a great sense of humor and showed 
me loads of love and affection. However, 
Tater could be very unpredictable when 
interacting with others. I did everything 
I could to teach her better manners. 
I wanted her to be more agreeable 
so she could socialize openly, but it 
simply wasn‘t meant to be. Just when 
I thought it was OK to allow her to get 
close to a stranger, she would often 
surprise us all with a sudden snap or 
growl. To this day, I don’t know why 
she behaved that way. I guess it was 
just part of her personality.

 So, in comparing Zola to 
Tater, there were several physical 
similarities. As far as size and weight 
are concerned, they were very much alike. Tater 
even had big brown eyes like Zola. However, all 
similarities ended when it came to social behavior. 
Zola is very predictable when we meet and greet 
others on the street. Whereas, Tater could not be 
trusted with a stranger, human or canine, without 
being closely monitored and tightly tethered. 
Although, interestingly enough, Tater was always 
gentle with cats and kittens. Who knows why, but 
one thing is for sure; It’s all about personality. Like 
we humans, canines are individuals, each possessing 
their own behavioral tendencies. The bottom line is, 
Zola seems to possess the inherent desire to calm the 
spirit of others, and that is a true blessing!

 I never have to worry about whether Zola will be 
aggressive with someone passing by. She approaches 
slowly and humbly, offering a soft floppy ear for a 
friendly pat. I’m sure if she sensed danger in a person, 
she would react appropriately by avoiding or warning 
them, which is a desirable trait in a dog. Most humans 
are not able to sense danger the way a canine can. But 
it’s equally important for a dog to be able to socialize 
comfortably in the absence of danger and Zola is the 
epitome of that personality type. She simply wants to 
love and be loved and that makes it fun for everyone 
to be around her. I attribute a lot of Zola’s sweet spirit 
to the love she gets from her human, Lisa Gamber, but 
her personality most definitely plays a big part in her 
kind heart.

 We all need to learn to focus more on finding the 
good in others and there is no better teacher than a 
gentle giant like Zola, who teaches us through her 
own example. She has taught me so much about the 
art of relaxing, socializing, enjoying the moment and 
stopping to smell the roses. Thank you, Miss Zola, 
you beautiful gentle giant, for just being yourself. I 
hope I can learn to be more like you some day.

 
Saturday, Feb 20th 8pm 
Saturday, Jun 4th 8pm 
Saturday, May 14th 8pm 
Saturday, Jan 9th 8pm 
Coming to Arcadia in 2016