Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, July 15, 2017

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS Mountain Views-News Saturday, July 15, 2017 
8JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS Mountain Views-News Saturday, July 15, 2017 
8
DON’T BE A 
BREED BIGOT! 

As much as I hate to admit it, there are times when I find 
being part of the human race rather disgusting. Now Iknow how negative that probably sounds, so I will do mybest to keep it uplifting and lighthearted while I conveywhat I believe to be a very important message in thisweek’s column. 

People do some ridiculous things. Human nature issuch that we think we know what we want, but in realitywe haven’t a clue. We don’t like hard work so we hire it 
done. Then we pay good money for a gym membershipwhere we can work hard just to look good. Ridiculous!
Then there are those who buy a home in an area they like,
only to tear the home down and build something thatwill add to the change that is making the area completelydifferent from what it was to start with. Stranger thanfiction. 

Sometimes I can laugh at the things people do, becausethe actions are harmless and quite humorous. But that’sonly some of the time. It’s when humans do things thathave a negative impact on animals that I become outragedand can no longer hold it in. Yes, that is when I feel theneed to speak out on the animals’ behalf.

The other day I was walking in town with two of myfavorite pups, Lula and Sailor. I was enjoying their companymore than usual because I don’t get to see them often, andit had been months. Lula and Sailor live in West LA and 
they come to stay here in town with their grand-people(their people’s parents) when their people travel. That iswhen I get to enjoy spending time with them.

So, we three were walking happily along Sierra MadreBlvd. minding our own business when a lady got out ofher car and, at break-neck speed jumped up onto thesidewalk in front of us as we approached a few yards away.
I thought that was odd, but it was nothing compared towhat she did next. As we drew closer to where she then 
stood (basically blocking the sidewalk) she made a snottyface and let out a rude growl-like sound under her breath.

I’m not making this up, I swear it really happened.
So the lady is standing there gawking, putting on whatI knew to be an air of fake fear and I said, “Hey, areyou okay?” She said nothing in reply, she just stood inour way and kept making that nasty face. It wasn’t untilher husband came and guided her into the restaurant,
pushing forward on her elbows that she finally broke thestance and allowed us to pass.

I thought how bizarre it was for that woman who waseither truly afraid or faked being fearful, to just standthere as if trying to intimidate us. If you are afraid ofdogs, wouldn’t it make more sense to just wait until wepass to get on the sidewalk, or run on into the restaurantswiftly to avoid us altogether? Instead she used her

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Happy Tails 
by Chris Leclerc 

the other dogs you see in our town. They love to play inthe hose and chase lizards, they adore getting belly rubs,
they can hardly wait until dinner, and they are on theirbest behavior when they meet and greet other dogs andhumans during our walks. In my mind they are perfectangels just doing what God created them to do…makingus humans happy.

But a lot of times people don’t get to see the sweet,
precious pup inside Lula and Sailor. You know why?
Because they are looking at the outside and don’t give Lulaand Sailor a chance to show their beautiful inner spirits.
You see, humans are inherently prejudice and the mediahas hyped-up so much negativity about the breed, thepoor bulldogs don’t stand a chance. Then the “sheaple”
who fall for the media hype - rather than thinking forthemselves - assume the worst and go around adding fuelto the fire by acting like idiots in public.

Do you know what’s most strange about the ‘fearof the pit-bull’ trend? It’s the fact that humans created 
the pit-bull. Indeed, humans are the ones who chose 
to domesticate the wolf to start with. They turned thewild dog into a virtual servant to do their bidding,
first to protect the homestead and later perform everyimaginable task known to mankind.

So let me get this straight…the human brought the wildanimal into the home, forced it to perform duties it wouldnever have performed on it‘s own, treated it horribly andwhen the dog responded according to it’s natural primitiveinstincts, the human blamed the dog. Go figure.

What would one expect a dog to do under thosecircumstances? Well, I’ll tell you what Lula and Sailorhave done. They have forgiven the foolish human forbeing selfish and cruel. They’ve chosen to be kind andloving. They give doggie kisses and bear hugs freely. Theymake a better life for the humans who rescued them. 
They are doing what God would have them do - forgiveand love unconditionally.

Being a breed bigot is no different than being prejudicetowards other human beings. It is the same thing, butworse. At least humans are able to understand what is 
behind the prejudice, albeit senseless. Dogs have noidea why people are afraid of them. They don’t evenknow humans are to blame for making them fearful anddefensive, if/when they behave badly. All they know isthey want to please the human.

If you are a breed bigot, then you are no more than aracist. Put your bias aside and give love a try. We are notall alike because of the way we look. We are all, humanor canine, individuals. Let’s start today with righting ourwrongs for the dogs, shall we? It’s never too late. LOVE,
LEARN and LET LIVE! 

lifelineforpets.org. Can’t adopt? Visit our website forour easy Sponsor A Kitty campaign.

GOOD NEWS: Isabelle has been adopted, 
and Leland & Nigella have an adoption pending 
together. 


THE JOY OF YOGA 
HEALTHY LIFESTYLES 
CHANGING NEEDS 
Part of our 

yoga practice 

is developing 

a quality of 

awareness about 

ourselves. 

This awareness spans from the present momentand the grand scale of what we know about ourpersonality, our health and our time of life. Throughcultivating awareness and being conscious in life,
we gather information, knowledge and wisdom.
Ideally, in yoga we would have a practice that’s goingto support us in the best way possible. We want tolive life to the fullest and experience happiness, joyand fulfillment. Knowing where we are and whatwe need at any given time is key! This is where therubber meets in road in living yoga. It’s our job inpractice to adjust to our ever-changing needs. This isa daily realization. Practicing from what we need andnot from where we think we should be. The hard partis the continual need to re-assess. Where am I now? 
How do I feel? What do I have going on in my life?

We cannot exist on yesterday’s accomplishments 
or revelations. Yes, certain inspirations linger 
and sustain us for a while. But, for the most part, 


I went to a concert last Tuesday

with a group of women I have

known for over twenty years,

and this was our first time 

socializing. My friends weregood company, but I was most excited to see theartists. 

We saw LA Phil’s opening of the summer seasonat the Hollywood Bowl which seats 17,500 people.
The orchestra is composed of 80 classically trainedmusicians; it is a highly competitive field, and theseplayers are considered the best of the best. We saw 
the brilliant Gustavo Dudamel conduct the orchestra 
and a group of amazing dancers Misty Copeland,
Marcelo Gomes, Sergei Polunin, and Natalia 
Osipova. I felt so fortunate to see beautiful ballet 
under the night sky. It was magical.
I thought about the many challenges each personmust have faced to make it to the stage that night,
and I was thankful. Each one of them had to face 
their fears and other obstacles to become an artist 
recognized as the best. Because they showed up forthemselves, they made our lives better Tuesday night.

A concert experience is enhanced because of thepresence of the audience. We showed up too! We 
bought the tickets, navigated through Los Angelestraffic, hiked the hill and found our seats. As an 
audience, we collectively prepared to receive a greatshow! That anticipation creates an energy and fuelfor the performers. Researchers learned that live 
performances in front of an audience are superior tothose in a studio without the benefit of viewers. 

Artists, entrepreneurs, and activists are importantmembers of our communities because they pushthemselves and challenge themselves to excellence.
They try even if the odds are not in their favor andthey inspire us. 

our needs physically, mentally/emotionally and 
spiritually change. You’ve probably discovered this 
when something you used to love doesn’t have 
the same effect anymore. Maybe it’s a practice or 
a meditation or specific community. You get the 
point. 

There’s a learning opportunity coming our way.
Always, I find this challenging with the feeling thatI think I should be further along than I am. Or “Ishould know this by now”. This applies to advancedyogic practice or plain old life performance.

The solution is in assessing where we are now, andthen creating a practice that supports that place. It’shonoring and accepting. So, going forward –assessyour needs daily, weekly and monthly. Ask howyourself, how am I doing physically, mentally, andspiritually? Incorporate your ambitions and goals,
what can you do nurture what you want in yourlife? Last point – very important – look for pointsof resistance and “rightness” – ask yourself – is thisreally true for me? 

Namaste and see you in class.
Keely TottenE-RYT 500 @ Yoga Madre, www.yogamadre.com 

THE MISSING PAGE 
Real Life Tips from LIfe's Instruction Manual 
They provide an example of over coming obstacles.

They remind us to step outside of our comfort 
zone. 

They teach us to treat every day as an opportunityto excel. 

We are put on this earth to LIVE! What are youdoing to be the very best expression of yourself?
What are you doing to express your creativity? Are 
you afraid to produce something because it mightnot be very good? That’s okay, make it and put itout into the world anyway. That’s how you will feelbetter and how your work will get better. When we 
push ourselves to do something new we make thingsbetter not only for ourselves but for our neighbors 
too. 

If you are an artist, make sure you are creatingand sharing your work so that you can grow, and wecan experience it. If you have a business idea takesteps to get your idea out, we can’t know if your ideawill work without testing it in the marketplace. If 
you have an idea for a need not being met, don’t say,
“someone ought to do something about...” You are 
that someone and that’s your assignment! Make yourwork, share your ideas, organize around the issuethat concerns you.

I believe we have an obligation to live our best lives,
and when we don’t, we are cheating ourselves andthe world. Don’t die with your creative gifts trappedinside of you. We only have this moment. Go out 
and grab your best life, the time is now! 

Lori A. Harris is a lawyer and success coach thathelps women who want to live their very best lives now.
You can learn more about her at www.LoriAHarris. 
com and download her app the Gratitude Train; find itfree in Google Play and the App Store. 

weirdly condescending manner to sayway more than she could ever have saidusing words.
Okay, so I said I thought it wasstrange, and it was, but the truth is Iknew why that woman acted the wayshe did. You see, Lula and Sailor are 
of the pit-bull persuasion. They arelarge dogs with large jowls, but moreimportantly they have large hearts.
They have more loving spirits than youcould ever expect to find in a canine.
And they were absolutely clueless as towhy that woman acted the way she did.
Lula and Sailor are just like any of 
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