Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, April 7, 2018

8

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 7, 2018 


HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

ARE WE LOVING OUR PETS 
TO DEATH?


Yogic Wisdom for 

Everyday Life

CHILD'S POSE

My husband and I love our dog and we’re happy when 
we know she is happy. We give her lots of love and 
attention, we take her out for a daily walk, we play 
with her around the house and yard and we make sure 
she gets to the vet for her annual check ups. It gives us 
much pleasure to know that our Molly is happy and 
healthy.

 Our pets give us so much in terms of entertainment, 
fur therapy and relentless love. I just want to give 
back to them at least as much as they give to us. I also 
believe it is my responsibility to be a good steward of 
God’s creatures, particularly those I invite into my life, 
whether it be my own pet or those whom my clients 
entrust me with.

 There is nothing at all wrong with wanting to please 
our pets, however I do wonder if it is possible to - 
well - kill them with kindness. By this I mean do we 
sometimes allow them to have more than they actually 
need? For example, we have a cookie jar in our home, 
decorated with dog bones all over the outside. It sits 
atop our kitchen counter. That’s where we keep all 
the canine cookies and other tasty treats for Molly to 
enjoy, now and then. The problem is, the times we are 
tempted to give her treats is more often NOW than 
THEN!

 Pet obesity in America is on the rise and has been 
for several years. Did you know that there is actually 
an organization focused specifically on researching 
the blight of pet obesity in America? The Association 
for Pet Obesity Prevention conducts an annual survey 
to analyze the percentage of pets that are considered 
clinically obese in America, and the most recent study 
showed that a whopping 54% of dogs and cats in the 
US are overweight.

 I’m sure most pet owners don’t intentionally fatten 
up their furry friends, and I totally understand how 
tempting it is to hand out goodies to our darling dogs 
and kitties when the notion arises, but let’s face it folks, 
food is not the only way to show our pets how much 
we love them. It’s time we start reigning it in when it 
comes to feeding our pets as a way of showing them 
our affection. In fact, it seems we are on the verge of 
loving our pets nearly to death.

 Animals are a lot like humans in terms of how 
obesity effects their health. The difference is, we 
humans are the ones in charge of what goes on the 
plate or in the bowl. Our pets have to rely on us to do 
the right thing by making healthy choices for their 
daily diet and regulating their rations.

 I realized how important it is to be careful in 
selecting the quality and quantity of food I feed my 
dog while reading an article in the waiting room at 
my vet’s office. The article compared the affects of 
certain foods on animals versus human beings. It 
listed cookies, cheese, hot dogs, hamburgers - items 
that one might be tempted to share with their pet 
during a casual summer meal. It showed the caloric 
equivalent for a dog eating those items compared 
to the human. The results were mind-boggling and 
devastating to the health of a dog or cat.

 For example, a chocolate chip cookie falls to the 
floor and gets gobbled up within seconds by your 
beloved beastly buddy, right? Well, if an average 
healthy human had eaten that cookie it would have 
rendered a reasonable amount of calories that could be 
easily burned. However, the caloric value and physical 
affect of a single cookie consumed by a canine, for him 
translates to the relative equivalent of eating an entire 
hamburger.

 The article also showed the compared caloric value 
of a one ounce chunk of cheddar cheese, which to the 
human is a bit much but not a real big deal. But to a dog 
that chunk of cheese becomes equivalent to the caloric 
value of 1 . hamburgers. For a cat, a single potato chip 
is equal to the calories of half a hamburger, and one 
cup of whole milk equals three entire burgers for your 
beloved feline friend.

 When we think about it this way, we begin to see 
how important it is to limit the types and amounts of 
foods we feed our pets. Their little bodies are simply 
not designed to process the variety and the amount 
of food we are accustomed to consuming. And if you 
don’t mind me saying, it wouldn’t hurt us to back off a 
bit on the binging ourselves!

 The “Treat Translator” article I read was meant 
to encourage us modern day animal lovers to resist 
feeding our pets fattening “people food“, which is 
definitely a valuable message, but we should also be 
careful about how much pet food we give them. Some 
animals are pretty good about not eating more than 
they need, while others will devour every bit you put 
out for them. It is up to us to control their daily caloric 
intake.

 In addition to a dog’s diet, exercise also plays a 
very important role in keeping him or her happy and 
healthy. It goes without saying that physical activity is 
essential, and dogs are not much different from us when 
it comes to maintaining our cardio-vascular systems 
and burning access calories. For this reason, a daily 
walk is very important for our canine companions.

 Another reason why it is important for a dog to get 
regular walks, is so they can sniff around outdoors. 
The dog’s olfactory system is a key stimulator for their 
mental and metabolic systems, so by allowing them to 
sniff about the neighborhood you are helping them 
“take care of business“. There are other factors involved 
with keeping your dog in good health, but a daily walk 
is definitely a major factor.

 We all like to think we are perfect pet owners, 
but let’s not forget that food should not be the way 
we show love and affection to our furry four-legged 
friends. We should focus more on giving them 
positive verbal reinforcement, grooming & massage 
therapy, loads of cuddling, daily walks & play time, 
and less on giving them treats, if we want them to live 
long, happy, healthy lives.

Child’s pose, or 
balasana, is one of 
the best poses in 
yoga. It’s a forward fold that stretches the lower back, 
improves digestion, and encourages withdrawal of the 
senses (Pratyahara). 

 Because it is such a useful pose, it’s important to 
know how to get comfortable in it. To begin, come 
onto all fours -- hands and knees. Inhale deeply and, 
as you exhale, lie your forearms down as you bring 
your bum back toward your heels. Your chest moves 
on top of thighs. This action requires deep flexion in 
the hips, knee flexion, and plantar flexion of the ankle 
and foot. It’s common for the upper back to be tight and 
rounded. Arms can stay outstretched in front or you 
can bring them alongside your body, resting on the top 
of the forearms and flipping the palms face up. Ideally, 
the forehead is resting on the floor. It is meant to be 
relaxing. To assist with comfort in this pose, here are a 
few modifications that can make ALL the difference: 

 1. If your seat does not rest comfortably on your 
heels, place a folded blanket on the tops of your calves 
as an extra cushion between backs of thighs and calves. 

 2. To provide more space and comfort for the belly, 
bring big toes together in the back and spread the knees 
wide. 

 3. If your forehead does not rest completely on 
the floor, place a blanket or block underneath your 
forehead in an effort raise the floor up to meet your 
head. 

 4. Try a variation. An alternate to the classic forward 
fold is reverse child’s pose—apanasana, or knees to 
chest. Come to lie on your back and simply bring knees 
to chest. Hug the arms around the knees. You still get 
all the great benefits of the pose: improved digestion, 
grounding, and nice, safe stretch for the lower back. 

 5. Supported child’s pose is lovely. Place a bolster 
underneath the chest and belly. Come to sit on your 
heels and lay your chest onto the bolster. Look left and 
rest on the right side of your face, after several breaths, 
change sides. 

 Enjoy child’s pose as a restful, calming forward 
fold. It’s a pose of letting go, surrender, and conscious 
resting. It’s the GO-TO for resting in a yoga class. 
Breathe steadily and freely in whatever modification 
you choose. Make sure to find comfort and what works 
for your individual body.

 Contact me to learn more “go-to” yoga poses to 
decompress and find relaxation: keely@keelytotten.
com. 

Namaste,

Keely Totten, E-RYT 500, 

Yoga & Meditation Teacher

BEST FRIEND

Dotts is a 2-year-old Staffordshire 
terrier mix girl with a striking black 
and white speckled coat, black 
bouncy ears, beautiful brown eyes, 
and the cutest girly whiskers a pup 
can have! This petite 2-year-old 
girl only weighs about 40 pounds 
and is the perfect size for cuddling. 
Dotts is healthy, and is making the 
most out of her stay at the shelter. 
She does well on her walks, loves 
to play fetch and tug-a-war and 
most of all she loves to spend time 
with people. This dazzling young 
puppy deserves a loving and forever 
home that can give her a second 
chance at the puppyhood she is meant to have. If 
you are that special person or family that is ready 
to welcome Dotts into your family, 
please come meet her and prepare 
to fall head over heels in love with 
her! Her adoption fee is $145 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. 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’, please stop by any 
time from 10:30am to 4:30pm Tuesday through 
Sunday.Website:www.sgvhumane.org.


Lori A. Harris

THE MISSING PAGE

Real Life Tips from LIfe's Instruction Manual

SPEAK THE TRUTH WITH LOVE

What would it take for you to speak the truth with love? 
As one of the 7 billion people living on this planet, we are 
forced to interact with each other. Our day to day interactions 
could be minefields; we can never know what another 
person is thinking or feeling. As a result, we judge people 
by their actions. Sometimes an incident will occur, and we 
have an immediate reaction. Most often that reaction is not 
caused by the event, but rather our perception of it and the 
meaning we've attached to it.

Our minds receive and interpret data so quickly. Sometimes 
we make these judgments with limited, inaccurate 
information and it can lead to conflict. There are times 
when a situation escalates so rapidly that harm is inflicted 
unintentionally. What to do?

Sometimes the person jumping to conclusions is you 
and other times you will be the person that's misunderstood. 
This is the time to reach for your pause button. Take 
a breath. Stop and reflect on the moment. Think, "is it possible 
to see the situation a different way?" What would it 
look like to offer the benefit of the doubt? If you assumed 
the best about the other person, what would that look like?

Gather your thoughts and reflect on what you want to 
communicate? Is this person a service provider that is assisting 
you? How can you describe your requirements with 
respect? Is there someone else that 
might help you? Do you need to 
have this conversation right now?

When it's someone that you 
love the stakes are higher. Stop and 
reflect on the purpose of your communication, and you 
could stake that purpose to your loved one. You could set 
the stage by stating your intention. "The reason for my call 
is ... fill in the blank." If you want to request some corrective 
action, you might try the sandwich method. Remind the 
person of something good that they do well. Then advise 
them of the improvement you seek. Then end on a positive 
note.

It is essential that we learn how to have a difficult conversation. 
When we don't, contrary emotions fester, and 
relationships are destroyed. We need to learn how to communicate 
our needs whether it is with a waiter, repair person 
or our beloved. We need to speak the truth with love 
because it will help us to feel better.

Lori Harris is a lawyer and coach. She's hosting a webinar 
April 24th, 2020, to learn more signup for her newsletter at 
www.LoriAHarris.com


SHY & GENTLE BOY NEEDS NEW FOSTER 

HOME OR ADOPTION: 


Meet SCOUT, 
born 2010. This 
handsome, sleek 
boy has been in 
a foster home for 
several months, 
but the senior 
resident kitty just 
won’t accept him. 
Scout has been 
passed up for 
adoption through 
no fault of his 
own. He just needs confidence and love. Please view 
his videos and share. If you can open your heart and 
home to this sweetheart, let us know. 

 Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_
continue=5&v=ggIKMJ_zYO0 and Video 2: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-tPfeSDo70 These 
videos are from before he went into foster.

 There’s no fee to foster and we provide vet care if 
needed. Adoption fee is $100, which includes neuter, 
microchip, exam & vaccines. See more pictures, 
adoption info & application on our website, www.
lifelineforpets.org, Call or text 626-676-9505 or email 
us at info@lifelineforpets.org for more information.

 
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