Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 20, 2016

9

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 20, 2016 


PACIFIED PINNIPED PUPS 
RETURN TO THE PACIFIC

The month of February begins an annual 4-6 week 
pupping season for northern elephant and pacific 
harbor seals, which means the volunteers and staff 
members at The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC) at 
Fort Bragg in Sausalito are busy at work watching out 
for newborns currently camping along the northern 
California coast. It also means the good folks at Marine 
Mammal Care Center (MMCC) at Fort MacArthur in 
San Pedro are busier than usual, taking in and tending 
to injured or ill seal pups being rescued and brought to 
their facility for emergency medical attention. There are 
various reasons why vulnerable baby seals have such a 
tough time surviving on California’s coast, not the least 
of which is the human harassment factor.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, along 
with other international marine mammal protection 
laws are intended to help protect endangered marine 
mammals including those found on the California coast 
which include California sea lions, northern elephant 
seals, harbor seals and northern fur seals. They are all 
remarkable sea-going creatures that play a major part in 
the balance of nature. However, in spite of the legislation 
that has been put into place on behalf of those precious 
pinnipeds (Classification order: Carnivora & sub-order: 
Pinnipedia), the struggle remains to protect them from 
inappropriate human interaction that could potentially 
render them extinct.

Too many people don’t recognize the importance of 
leaving wild creatures alone and letting nature take it‘s 
course. It has been said that no man is an island unto 
himself, and I can’t think of a more pertinent application 
for that phrase than to the human’s relationship with 
sea-dwelling beings. Skillful neglect is the public’s 
most appropriate approach to protecting the valuable, 
vulnerable life forms that live in the ocean. Yet for 
reasons beyond me, folks refuse to stay away and allow 
them to thrive in a natural way. As a result, it has become 
necessary for those who do understand the important 
role pinnipeds play on our planet, to be proactive in 
protecting them from those who don’t.

In similar fashion to what some consider to be a radical 
up-rising of self-appointed advocates for spaying & 
neutering and adopting versus shopping for domestic 
pets, marine mammal lovers have had to come to the 
plate to save the lives of injured mammals, and become 
what some call “radical” political reformers to make 
up for the behavior of the negligent and ignorant who 
continue to get in the way and cause harm.

Although The Marine Mammal Center and Marine 
Mammal Care Center are two separate entities, they are 
both authorized by the National Marine Fisheries Service 
to meet the same goal which is to rescue and treat injured 
or distressed marine mammals. Both TMMC & MMCC 
also have a mission to learn more about 
pinnipeds and share what they learn with 
others. They also network as necessary to 
cover the California coast from south of 
LA to north of the Bay Area.

Educating the public is a very important 
part of what both of these two entities 
do to protect the pinnipeds found in 
California‘s Pacific waters, and treating 
the wounded or sick that are admitted 
for medical attention is definitely on the 
top of the list, but equally if not more 
important among their programs is 
the scientific research they conduct in 
hopes of making a positive impact on 
pinniped populations in the long run. After all, the more 
we humans know about those mysterious sea-going 
creatures, the better are our chances to ensure their 
survival.

With a staff of 45 and about 1,100 volunteers, TMMC 
has succeeded in treating more than 18,000 federally 
protected marine mammals since they started their 
work in 1975. They take in about 1,300 patients per year, 
50% of which are returned to the wild. The other 50% 
are either too much at risk to be released and given to 
zoos or other certified, licensed facilities that qualify to 
care for them, or they die.

MMCC was founded in 1992 as a result of an agreement 
between Harcourt-Brace and the LA Unified School 
District. They are an active participant of the Oiled 
Wildlife Care Network, a statewide group of trained 
wild-life care providers, regulatory agencies and 
academic institutions focused on rescuing and treating 
marine mammals victimized by oil spills. Like TMMC, 
MMCC also has a state-of-the-art hospital where they 
treat hundreds of marine mammal patients a year, and 
like TMMC they conduct research studies to gather 
scientific data that will hopefully help protect future 
pinniped populations. They also work in conjunction 
with the Center for Marine Studies to help educate 
the public about the important role pinnipeds play in 
nature and the importance of leaving them be so they 
can thrive naturally.

There are various reasons why marine mammals find 
themselves in need of medical attention, but according 
to Jim Oswald at TMMC the majority of the seals and sea 
lions taken in and treated at their facility are admitted 
due to malnutrition or entanglement, and as sad as it 
may sound, many are also admitted with prop injuries 
or gunshot wounds.

To find out how you can support the Marine Mammal 
Care Center in San Pedro, visit their website at 
marinemammalcare.org or call 310-548-5677. For 
more information about The Marine Mammal Center 
in Sausalito and their Adopt-a-Seal program, visit their 
website at marinemammalcenter.org or call 415-289-
SEAL (415-289-7325). Both MMCC & TMMC invite 
the public to visit and tour their facilities, so you might 
consider adding that to your list of weekend getaway 
vacations! If you do decide to pay a visit, please call first 
to make arrangements.

LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

To Cherish? Look no further. This 2 year old 
Chihuahua mix named Cherish came to the 
shelter as a stray with no identification, and has 
gone unclaimed. She weighs about 10 pounds, 
and is just the right size to fit in a lap. She has a 
short coat of white with tan highlights, very easy to 
care for with minimal grooming needed. Cherish 
has lovely big brown eyes that will melt your heart.

 Cherish seemed a bit shy and confused when 
she first arrived in the kennels, unsure of the new 
people and other dogs that were now part of her 
daily life. Her kennel mate, Feather, seemed to 
provide some stability for Cherish, and within 
a few days, she started to relax and warm up. 
Although she is still a little timid with new 
people, she becomes comfortable much more 
quickly than she did at first. She now comes to 
the front of the kennel to say hello when people 
pass by.

 Cherish is easy to harness and she walks well on 
the leash. She has a playful side to her personality, 
which comes out as she spends more time with 
other dogs and people. And it doesn’t take her 
long to look for a lap to cuddle in where she can 
receive some loving attention. 

 Cherish is looking for a forever home where 
she can feel secure and loved as a member of the 
family. This sweet girl’s personality will blossom 
once she knows she is cherished, and she will live 
up to her name. Why don’t you come in to meet 
Cherish and make her your best friend? 

 Her adoption fee is $130 and includes spay 
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 Cherish. 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 Cherish, please stop by any time from 
10:30am to 4:30pm Tuesday thru Sunday. 

 If you are interested in meeting Cherish, 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 on line, you 
can stop by the shelter or do so through PayPal. 
Go to the shelter website at sgvhumane.org for 
more information.


PET OF THE WEEK: GIZMO: ANIMAL ID #A4918679

Lookin’ for love? Look no further and meet 
Gizmo (A4918679)! Gizmo is a loving and playful 
2-year-old black-and-white male Affenpinscher 
mix who was found as a stray on February 9th 
and brought to the Baldwin Park Animal Care 
Center. Weighing 8 lbs, Gizmo is a uniquely 
adorable boy who looks like a little Ewok. He 
walks okay on leash, shows 
signs of being housebroken, 
and gets along with other 
dogs--both big and small. He 
is ready to meet his forever 
family and learn his puppy 
training basics. There is 
one thing he doesn’t need 
training in, though: dancing. 
Gizmo knows how to stand 
on his hind legs and do a 
little something like a hula 
dance for attention! Gizmo is 
a sweet, cute, and entertaining boy who will be 
the greatest new addition to any household. To 
see a video of Gizmo, please visit the following 
link: https://youtu.be/WCOCtJ0C0u0

 To meet Gizmo in person, please see him at the 
Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton, 
Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-962-3577). 
He is currently available now. For any inquiries 
about Gizmo, please reference his animal ID 
number: A4918679. 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 
Gizmo 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, 
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/.


ARROYO CANYON 
WESTERN RIDING LESSONS 
at 
Encanto Equestrian Center 
3737 Encanto Parkway Duarte, CA. 
Youth—Adult 
Beginners through Intermediate 
Horsemanship 101 Classes 
Summer Camps 
For rates and availability please call Julie Unamuno at 
626-278-9450 or 
Email her at: arroyocanyonriders@gmail.com 
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