Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 30, 2016

9

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 30, 2016 


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

UNCONDITIONAL CARE 
FOR CATS & CANINES

To enjoy the Super Bowl with? Meet Reno. He 
is a sweet 9-year-old Lhasa Apso mix, weighing 
a little over 21 lbs. He was picked up as a stray 
in San Gabriel, thin, matted, dirty, and needing 
dental work. Our clinic staff has cleaned him 
up and given him some medical attention, and if 
he is with us long enough, we hope to get him a 
professional grooming session to show off what a 
handsome dog he is.

 

Reno is a calm, quiet boy who 
looks like he has been through a 
lot. He spends most of his time in 
the kennel curled up on his bed, 
just taking in the sights, sounds, 
and smells of the shelter. He 
may have spent some time on the 
street, and needs to recover his 
strength and energy gradually.

Volunteers have been spending 
time with Reno, getting to know 
him, and letting him know he is 
safe and loved. At first he was a 
bit timid, but He is now relaxing 
and enjoys receiving pets and 
attention. Reno appears to have 
an easy-going temperament, and 
seems to like the other dogs he has met at the 
shelter. 

Reno is very easy to harness, and is excited to go 
for a walk. Volunteers report he enjoys being 
outside and is great on the leash, walking with 
a happy, prancing gait. He is quite interested 
when treats are offered. Since he came to us in 
an underweight condition, he is probably trying to 
catch up on some of his nourishment.

Reno is a lovely dog with a mellow personality, and 
would make a wonderful companion to someone 
with a quiet home. He needs some extra love 
and attention to make him realize he is safe and 
secure. He has much love to give in return, and 
the rewards to his new family would be priceless. 
Please come in to meet Reno and get to know him. 
You will find him charming. Reno qualifies for 
our ‘Senior For Senior’ discount adoption fee.

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

His adoption fee is $130 
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 Reno. 

If you are interested in meeting 
Reno 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. 

2016 calendars are available at the shelter for a 
$10 donation. The photos were selected among 
hundreds submitted by shelter supporters. If 
you would like to order a 2016 calendar, you can 
stop by the shelter or do so through PayPal. Go 
to the shelter website at sgvhumane.org for more 
information. 

Check out Shelter Bowl I on the shelter’s website, 
Instagram and Facebook pages. The top two 
teams of the CFC (Canine/Feline Conference) 
compete for the very first time. Vote for your 
favorite players and team to determine the winner 
of the coveted ‘Shelter Drinking Bowl Trophy’.

Nothing touches my heart in a more positive 
way than the random kindness of those who are 
willing to nurture the needs of homeless pets, 
particularly when it involves elderly or ill animals 
that require special attention. Providing constant 
& consistent convalescent care to those cats and 
canines who may be considered “less-desirable“ 
or “less-adoptable” is an admirable act of 
compassion and a true labor of love. I must admit 
that at times I can get a bit down on humans who 
apparently do not care much about the health and 
welfare of animals, (as any reader who follows my 
column well knows), but fortunately (for both the 
reader and myself) this week’s “Happy Tail” is on 
the up!

 The happy side of this animal tale can be 
attributed to a fabulous network of heroic helpful 
human beings whom I happened to come in 
contact with this past week. They are people 
who dedicate their time, energy and resources to 
making the lives of numerous needy, four-legged 
furry friends comfortable and worth living for the 
entire duration of their existence. I am talking 
about a remarkable group of down-to-earth, hard-
working animal-loving individuals who joined 
together as a team with the common interest of 
helping homeless animals live a fulfilling life and 
helping them find permanent homes.

 Founded in 1992, “C.A.R.E.” is a non-profit 
animal welfare organization that maintains a 
cage-free, no-kill sanctuary for orphaned animals 
regardless of health status, age or adoptability. 
They are well known for their willingness to rescue 
at-risk special needs pets who may otherwise be 
abandoned or euthanized. 

 C.A.R.E. is actually an acronym for “Cat and 
Canine Referral and Education”, which is the full 
title of this awesome organization. The name tells 
it all with regard to their mission, and they truly 
do live up to their name.

 Although there are numerous other animal 
shelter facilities throughout Southern California, 
most are funded by state or local government 
agencies and are managed and 
manned by employees who may 
or may not have the kind of heart-
felt compassion for animals as the 
volunteers at a non-profit facility 
have. I am sure that most shelters for 
homeless pets do their best to place 
the animals they receive in proper 
homes, and I’d like to think they 
employ humane practices in working 
with the animals while they are in 
their care. However, unfortunately 
the majority of the government 
funded animal shelter are run on a bare-bones 
budget, and are forced to maintain a policy of 
euthanasia as a means of population and cost 
control.

 This never happens at C.A.R.E. because they 
make it their mission to love and nurture each and 
every animal for the rest of their life, regardless of 
age, health or adoptability. Of course the people at 
C.A.R.E. recognize that there are times when an 
elderly or ill animal must be euthanized as an act of 
compassion, because prolonging their life in pain 
and suffering would be inhumane. But they never 
put an animal to sleep simply because they could 
not find a home for it within a given period of time.

 Many of the animals nurtured by the loving 
folks at C.A.R.E. require daily medications and/
or special living conditions. Many have diseases 
that must be treated, some have suffered physical 
abuse or psychological trauma, some have lost 
limbs and many of the elderly have age-related 
problems that must be tended to with patience 
and tender-loving-care.

 Remarkably, this organization’s facility 
maintains and cares for an average population 
of somewhere between 150 to 200 animals at any 
given time. Many of the animals they house are 
considered to be un-adoptable, while others hold 
more hope for finding a permanent home with 
loving, responsible owners. Either way, they are 
all welcome to stay as long as it takes, even if it 
means living out the rest of their life being loved 
and nurtured at the C.A.R.E. sanctuary.

 For more information about C.A.R.E., and to 
find out how you can help support their efforts 
or adopt a pet of your own, visit their website at: 
www.care4pets.org. You’ll see a very informative 
video about their beautiful animal sanctuary 
located in Antelope Valley, and meet several of 
the precious pets who live there. If you’re like 
me, after getting to know this organization and 
seeing all the great things they do, you will want 
to support such a worthy cause. Love, CARE 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