Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, November 12, 2016

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JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 12, 2016 


STRYDER desperately needs a home! 
Stryder, age 2, a sweet, friendly, male, 
had a horribly man-gled back leg due 
to someone likely setting out a leg 
trap and leaving him there for days 
(we have alerted the authorities in the 
area). He just had surgery to remove 
his leg, and is recovering nicely, but 
during which time we also learned he 
is FIV+. Technically, he is considered 
special needs, but in all actuality, he 
will be fine on 3 legs, is otherwise 
healthy and needs no meds. He just 
needs to be your only kitty, due to the 
FIV. We call him "Easy Stryder.” His foster home ends in 2 weeks, 
so this sweet boy is looking for his forever home, where he will be 
treasured and safe, all the rest of his life.

Lifeline for Pets is a small no-kill rescue. We show some cats most Sunday afternoons at Petsmart, 
3347 E. Foothill Blvd. in Pasadena, 12:30-3:30. Call to confirm: 626-797-1753.

Adoption fee is $100, which includes spay, microchip, exam & vaccine. Our cats are negative FELV/
FIV unless otherwise indicated. 

See more pictures, adoption info & application on our website, www.lifelineforpets.org. Sorry, we are 
not accepting cats at this time.

UPDATE: Austin Meowers has been returned and is again available.


A SECOND CHANCE 

FOR FREEDOM

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

A while back I was having coffee with a couple of friends and 
during the course of our conversation one of them shared with 
us a story ashe’d heard about a guy who helped rescue a very 
sick, critically injured American bald eagle. Through much 
effort and tender-loving-care he’d managed to bring the bird 
back to good health and has been giving her refuge ever since.

 The poor eagle was found nutritionally deprived to the 
point of near death, covered in lice with two broken wings. 
She was barely able to move, yet with remarkable resilience 
and strength, she was still holding on to dear life. The ravaged 
raptor’s rescuer, Jeff Guidry was strongly compelled to do 
everything he could to help that ill eagle recover, in spite of 
the dire condition she was in. Guidry’s compulsion to remain 
hopeful and devoted to the cause was driven by the look in 
that eagle’s eye when she looked at him as her condition and 
formulated a plan to give her a second chance.

 You see, even though the injured eagle’s frail body seemed 
ready to succumb, her desperate call for help clearly came 
through in her intense gaze. It was as if she was saying, “Please 
give me a second chance and I will be forever grateful to you, 
and perhaps I can pay you back some day.” These are my own 
words for what that beautiful bird might have been thinking. 
Guidry actually shared his own true account in his book, An 
Eagle Named Freedom: My True Story About a Remarkable 
Friendship, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2010.

 It was 1998 when Jeff Guidry first met the desperate, dieing 
juvenile eagle, whom he later named “Freedom“. Freedom 
had been brought in to the Sarvey Wildlife Care Center in 
Arlington, WA where Guidry volunteered and teamed up 
with the others to assist in saving her life. As it is so nicely put 
in the preface of his book, “From the moment Jeff Guidry 
saw the emaciated baby eagle with broken wings, his life was 
changed.” As a miracle might have it, the eaglet did indeed 
recover and Guidry became her forever devoted caretaker.

 By the time Guidry wrote his book, he was no stranger 
to miraculous recoveries. Not only had he born witness to 
the amazing recovery of his new found friend, Freedom, he 
also had a brush with death himself in the year 2000 when he 
was diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkins lymphoma. That 
is when it became clear that Freedom had a very important 
purpose to play out in Guidry’s life; not the least of which was 
that of giving back to him what he’d given her - hope for a 
second chance.

 Between chemotherapy treatments and countless doctor 
appointments, Guidry maintained a regular 
regimen of visiting Freedom at the Center, 
taking her out for walks and talking to her 
about what he was going through. He knew 
she could relate to his experience.

 Soon the two were inseparable 
companions, connecting with one another 
in a way that most friends don’t fully 
understand. They had each been granted 
a front-row-center seat that provided an 
all-too-close-up view of life’s potential final 
moments. Yet remarkably, they were both 
still alive! Both had been through a dark 
tunnel that would eventually lead back to the 
light of living, but not without much pain 
and suffering. And both knew what it meant to appreciate 
every breath they would take thereafter.

 As I read about Jeff and Freedom’s story, I began to wonder 
how I, myself might deal with such a challenge. Not only a 
challenge IN life, but a challenge OF life. Would I be so strong, 
as to not give up or give in? I believe that one can only be sure 
of their own reaction to such a situation if they are met with 
it, and so far I have been spared from such a traumatic life-
threatening ordeal.

 However, I also believe that when a person - a human or an 
eagle - is willing to give their all to survive, they are transformed 
into a stronger creature with much deeper potential for 
thought, reflection, appreciation and compassion. And so it 
seems that is indeed what happened to Jeff and his wonderful 
winged friend, Freedom.

 As it turned out, Freedom would never fly again, or at least 
not in the way she understood flying before her demise. Even 
though her broken bones and fragile body healed amazingly 
well, the damage that had been done was such that she would 
never be able to join the others of her species in soaring above 
the clouds, as she had when she was young. But the one lesson 
learned by both Freedom and Jeff through their brush with 
death is that flying or soaring are terms that can be applied to 
more than just the physical act as we know it.

 Without spoiling the entire story written in Guidry’s book, 
I will say that in many ways both he and Freedom fly every 
single day of their lives! They soar above those of us who 
have never had to come to the crossroad of whether we will 
be strong enough to overcome rather than succumb to death, 
and I can’t help wondering if they could have done it without 
each other’s loving strength and relentless support.

 I don’t have a great summary with which to end this Happy 
Tail, and in fact I don’t think I am qualified to offer such 
wisdom, since the experience was not my own. I can only offer 
up what I have drawn from the story that those two amazing 
individuals have shared with us.

 I find this story to be one of the most inspiring accounts 
of what can happen when a dieing person is encouraged by 
another, to live and not give in. Miracles do happen, I believe. 
And when miracles happen, positive changes are played 
forward. I’d like to say thank you to Freedom and Jeff Guidry 
for playing it forward to this humble human who can only 
imagine the wisdom of truly loving and appreciating life the 
way you two do now. Love and let live.


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?


Praline is a 3 year old American 
Staffordshire terrier mix who is 
just cute as a button and as sweet 
as her name suggests. Praline has 
as a gorgeous brindle coat, lovely 
floppy ears, and a mocha button nose 
wrapped up in her petite and girly 
figure. Weighing about 55 pounds, 
this petite girl is great on the walks as 
she stays next to her walkers and wags 
her tail along the way. She arrived 
to the shelter after being found 
wandering the streets of Rosemead 
and although she was initially shy, 
she is now her true playful loving 
self. In fact, she is now an expert at 
doing the “play-with-me-bow” and of course at 
receiving gentle belly rubs. She also does not mind 
being dipped in small pools as long she is able to 
spring in and out of it splashing water all around. 

 After being without a home for some time, 
Praline is looking to explore and experience all 
the goodness of being a beloved family member 
in a home with her very own warm bed, toys, and 
treats. If you are that family that could show her 
how beautiful like can be, please 
stop by and meet our sweet Praline! 
Her adoption fee is $145, which 
includes neuter 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 Valentino. ID#23583. She 
currently resides at the San Gabriel 
Valley Humane Society located at 
851 E. Grand Avenue in San Gabriel 
which is located off San Gabriel Blvd, 
north of Mission and south of Las 
Tunas Drive. To arrange a ‘Meet 
and Greet’ with Praline, please stop 
by any time from 10:30am to 4:30pm Tuesday 
through Sunday.Website:www.sgvhumane.org. 

 Go to smile.amazon.com and find the San 
Gabriel Valley Humane Society and every time 
you buy something 0.5% will be donated to the 
shelter! It’s easy to do and helps the shelter with 
every purchase you make! Let your friends know 
about this simple way to make a difference!


PET OF THE WEEK: BOSS: ANIMAL ID #A5006881


Boss (Animal ID# A5006881) is a friendly 2-year-
old white male Miniature Poodle who came to 
the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center as a stray 
from Baldwin Park on October 28th. Weighing 18 
pounds, Boss is a fun-loving dog who loves to be 
out and about with his human. Boss shows definite 
signs of being housebroken and walks respectably 
on leash. This sweetie pie was hit by a car, but he is 
healing well and the stitches in one of his rear legs 
should come out soon. He is cooped up in a small 
cage in the medical facility at the shelter right now, 
so he’s not getting enough attention, but he certainly 
deserves it! Volunteers have discovered that he is 
quite resistant to being put back in his kennel so 
he may need some additional acclimation to crates, 
which is usually easy to accomplish with rewards. 
Boss has the makings of a great indoor pet for any 
adult household. Boss would make a great pet for 
anyone. Go and meet him today! To watch a video 
of Boss, please visit the following link: https://youtu.
be/PQBXfYeCBUk

 If you are interested in Boss, please contact his 
volunteer UHA adoption coordinator, Kristin, at 626-
393-6258 or kristin@hope4animals.org.

www.mountainviewsnews.com

 Walter Cailleteau, DVM Free Exam!
927 N. Michillinda Ave. For New Clients 
Pasadena, CA 91107 Bring this coupon to save! 
(626) 351-8863
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