Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, October 20, 2018

7

BEST FRIENDS & MORE 

Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 20, 2018 


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

BEST FRIEND

CUDDLY CANINE 
PROVES PUP-
PROFILING 
PREPOSTEROUS


Memphis is a stunning 
one-year old Mastiff-
Shepherd mix boy with a 
beautiful and soft tan coat 
and black markings on 
his goofy puppy face. This 
75-pound pup was rescued 
by humane officers when 
he was found tied to a tree 
in a San Gabriel park with 
a collar embedded into his 
neck. Poor Memphis is 
recovering from this cruel 
experience and learning 
to trust others again but 
it is clear that he has a 
sweet, gentle, and playful 
personality. Despite this 
terrible experience, he remains a bouncy puppy 
disguised in the body of a big dog who wants to 
nothing more than love, treats, and tender pats. 
Memphis deserves to live his puppyhood and 
adult years with a family who truly loves him 
and will love and care 
for him through his 
golden years. There is no 
doubt this sweet survivor 
will make a wonderful 
companion! Feel free to 
call us at (626) 286-1159 
for more information. His 
adoption fee is $145 and 
includes neuter surgery, 
vaccinations, microchip 
and a free wellness 
exam at a participating 
veterinarian. 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 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

I don’t like the term “pitbull” at all. Typically, dogs 
people call pitbulls are actually American bulldogs 
or Staffordshire terrier mixes, originally bred and 
trained to perform a variety of tasks that made life 
safer and easier for farmers and homesteaders. The 
infamous pitbull moniker came later, when ignorant 
people began breeding and training them for a 
purpose that a dog was never meant for; fighting 
other dogs in a ‘pit‘.

 I remember when the outrageous onslaught of 
negative news came out about the breed. Headlines 
claimed such nonsense as “They are fierce and to be 
feared rather than revered“. I knew from the very start 
that any less-than-desirable behavior on the part of 
the animal had something to do with mistreatment 
on the part of the human. Anyone who fell for the 
media hype, which highlighted only the worst about 
the breed, was clearly mislead by the talking heads. 
Meanwhile, careless breeders continued to make 
more baby bulldogs in back yards and puppy mills.

 In 2007, several years after the breed-bashing, 
mud-slinging media emerged, the US federal 
government finally found it’s way to illegalizing dog 
fighting in this culturally-correct country of ours, 
but unfortunately there are still thoughtless thugs 
who think it is cool to train dogs to fight. Apparently 
they do it to bolster their pathetic public persona or, 
I suppose they do it for gambling.

 I have a hand full of bull mixes on my long list of 
canine clients, and I must say that they are among 
the most easy-going, sweet furry four-legged friends 
one could hope to spend time with. Not to mention 
they are absolutely gorgeous. If you look up the breed 
description on line you will find that they are known 
to be great with children, very loyal companions and 
tend to be protective of their masters. How much 
better can it get when you are seeking the perfect pet 
for your family?

 One excellent example of why it is all wrong to 
judge a dog by it’s “cover” came out in a January, 
2014 article on Huffingtonpost.com, entitled 
Dominic The Pitbull Cuddles and Comforts Animal 
Patients At Colorado Veterinary Clinic. It is a heart-
warming story about a precious pitbull puppy that 
showed his gratitude for having been rescued, 
by being an advocate for healing on behalf of the 
surgical patients at the Denkai Veterinary Clinic in 
Colorado.

 Dominic, a beautiful blue-eyed, silver-coated 
bull dog was only 6 months old when he was first 
found cuddling up to a post-surgical canine patient 
at the clinic where he frequently accompanies his 
new owner, Stephany Haswell on her daily shifts. 
Stephany is a vet technician at Denkai Veterinary 
Clinic, and initially volunteered to foster Dominic 
until he found a forever home. But as it turned 
out, Dominic found his way into Stephany’s heart 
when he showed his full canine colors by practicing 
amazing acts of random kindness in the recovery 
room at the clinic.

 After the first time Dominic cuddled a post-
surgical patient, the vet and staff decided to let him 
continue to help his fellow canines as they recovered 
from surgery. Remarkably, Dominic seemed to 
know exactly what each patient needed in order to 
gain strength and get back on their four feet. It didn’t 
take long for Stephany to realize that Dominic was a 
special dog with unique talents and that she could 
never consider letting him go to another owner.

 It is no news to me that dogs make great therapy 
agents for us humans. Not only do they give 
beyond expectation as pets, but they are willing 
participants in countless programs that allow them 
to be kind catalysts for cure. I am particularly 
pleased that Dominic, a “pitbull” chose to defy the 
kind of dog we humans may have mistaken him 
for; unworthy of trust or love. On the contrary, 
Dominic and countless other dogs like him are 
examples of why we humans need to refrain from 
breed profiling.

 I encourage my fellow animal lovers to unite in an 
effort to defend dogs of all breeds against wrongful 
profiling, bashing or banning. Do your part to 
facilitate the therapeutic purposes of your pets and 
try to learn from Dominic‘s example that it is wrong 
to judge a dog by it’s cover. After all, that potentially-
profiled pup might just be the one who comes along 
to help heal you some day. Let’s all try to be more 
like Dominic; randomly kind and nurturing to even 
a stranger in need. Love and let live.


BELOVED “JUNGLE BOOK” 
CHARACTER & SISTER


Meet MOWGLI & 
SAMARA, age 7 
months. Mowgli is 
the all black male 
and Samara is his 
sweet faced sister. 
Mowgli is a huge 
cuddler & loverboy, 
while Samara is a bit more cautious and very elegant. 
Samara’s coat has the ticking like an abyssinian. They 
are currently being housed at Whiskers to Tails, and 
you may call for a meet & greet, 626-795-4134. See 
more pictures of them, their videos, and adoption 
info at http://www.lifelineforpets.org/young-cats.
html. Come and adopt both to get our “Twofur” 
discount! They will come spayed/neutered, current 
on vaccines, and microchipped.

 Good News: LARKIN & CHELSEA have been 
adopted!


THE WORLD AROUND US


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges

CREATURES OF HALLOWEEN

IS IT A FRAGRANCE OR A STENCH? 

[Nyerges is an educator, and 
author of “How to Survive 
Anywhere” and other books. 
He can be reached at www.
SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.]

 

I recall Hallowe’en night 
as a child, and it seemed as if everyone from the 
neighborhood and school was out on the streets as we 
tried to figure out who was who underneath the mostly 
home-made costumes. As a child, Hallowe’en was a 
unique holiday where we went outdoors all dressed-up. 
It was full of mystery, adventure, and fun. Boy have 
things changed!

 Back in the old days, people put food outside their 
doors because they believed the spirits of the dead were 
around and about on Hallowe’en night, and the food 
was an offering to the dead so they would not bother 
the living. Eventually, children, acting as the proxies of 
the spirits, would dress up and go collect the food from 
the neighbors, usually sweet foods. That is what “trick 
or treating” in the fun and social sense was all about, 
and that tradition is still practiced here and there 
today. However, the focus has shifted from enjoyable 
local community activities to business-driven events 
where people pay to have someone scare you to death 
with blood, gore, dark spirits, zombies, and fear – all of 
which does not reflect the true meaning of Hallowe’en. 

 Hallowe’en has slowly turned into fright night where 
adults and children dress up in odd, scary, and bizarre 
costumes, many of which are inspired by popular 
movies and television shows. An unfortunate effect 
of what Hallowe’en has become is that many of our 
amazing animals are portrayed very negatively in 
movies and television during Hallowe’en, and are now 
regarded with fear, horror, and disgust. In fact, these 
animals are remarkable, and not so spooky at all.

 As the move towards “fright night” and “adult 
activity” on Hallowe’en has increased, many parents 
find very few options for a family activity that is 
fun, safe, family-oriented, and not fear-inducing for 
children. But there are pockets of sanity in the world of 
fear-based activities.

 For example, Eaton Canyon Nature Center is 
offering its “Creatures of Halloween” event on Saturday, 
October 27 from 5 to 9 p.m. ($5 a person, free if you 
wear an Eaton Canyon shirt; family discount available). 
This event will feature many live animal exhibits and 
presentations. There will be fun games, arts and crafts, 
and learning activities provided by several nature 
education groups, including Pasadena Sierra Club, 
Pasadena Audubon, California Native Plant Society, 
and Southwest Herpatology Society. There will also 
be a special book signing by Diane Lang. Lang is the 
author of children’s nature books, including “Vulture 
Verses,” “Daytime Nighttime,” and “Fur, Feather, Fin 
– All of Us Are Kin.” Lang’s books show the unique 
value that bats, spiders, vultures, snakes, and others 
play in our local ecology, and that they should not be 
feared. The goal of this event is to educate the public 
about our amazing animals and facilitate a positive 
experience that will reduce fear and wrong perceptions 
of these animals at this program.

 In addition, there will be childrens’ costume 
contests, raffles, and a family photo booth.

 This event provides an opportunity for families 
to have a gentler way to commemorate Hallowe’en, 
something that is not demonic, bloody, scary, sexy, 
and something that is affordable. This is a great way 
for your family to spend quality time and make special 
memories.

 Eaton Canyon Nature Center is located at 1750 N. 
Altadena Drive in Pasadena. Also see www.ecnca.
org or call (626) 398-5420 for more information.

This past week I had to go to 
the mall. I know, I should 
know better, but I thought I 
could sneak in, get what I 
needed and sneak out again. So much for my 
thoughts.

 I wanted to purchase several tie chains for my 
neckties and searched every jewelry store and 
nobody had them. Finally, I ordered three online, 
which would be shipped free, (which always gets 
my attention) to the nearest store, which happened 
to be in the mall.

 I do not like the mall and choose not to go 
there if I can help it. When in the mall, I am 
usually very nervous and get confused and do 
not know which way I am going. Once I get in, I 
am not quite sure how to get out again. 
Everything seems to be contrived to confuse a 
person like myself.

 Looking down at the ground while walking I 
became rather confused and I happen to turn into 
an open door.

 My mall savvy is not sophisticated in the least. 
The door I turned into happened to be for the store 
Victoria’s Secret. I do not know who Victoria is, I 
did not know what the store was all about, but 
when I got in the store, I discovered Victoria’s 
Secret much to my great embarrassment.

 That is exactly the reason I do not like going into 
the malls. They have places like this that a 
gentleman, such as Yours Truly, should never 
enter.

I am not sure how I got out of that store, all I can 
remember was a great deal of hilarious laughter 
thrown in my direction from inside. I just hope 
they did not recognize me. They probably did not, 
because I had all my clothes on.

 It has been a long time since that incident and 
now I had to go and pick up my order. I put 
together a plan to sneak in very quietly, pick up my 
order and tiptoe out as quietly as I came in.

 You know what they say about well-laid plans! 
Whether mine was well laid or not, it blew up in 
my face.

 I did slip into the mall and found the store where 
my order was. I picked them up and quietly turned 
around and started for the door. How I got turned 
around is any man’s guess. Actually, I think I 
turned around too many times. For the next 15 
minutes, I tried to find the way I came in so I could 
go out.

 The trouble started when I hesitated. I stopped 
to try to get my bearings and in stopping a young 
woman approached me.

 “How do you do today, sir,” she said most 
cheerfully.

 I nodded and tried to get away as graciously as 
possible.

 She would have none of it. “And how do you 
smell today, sir?”

 Had I been in my right sense of mind, I would 
have told her I smelled with my nose. Being in a 
confused state of affairs, I had no quick come back 
for her. It was then that she introduced me to her 
product.

 I must confess I am not up-to-date with all of 
the body lotions and perfumes that are available 
today. I shave in the morning, splash some 
aftershave on my face, rub some deodorant under 
my armpits and that is as far as I go.

 This young woman took me for a potential 
customer of her body lotions and ointments and 
perfumes. I suppose many people are concerned 
with how they smell. I am not one of them.

 My basic philosophy along this line is simply, if 
I cannot stand my own smell, I take a shower. I 
know when it is time to take a shower when I can 
smell myself.

 She wanted to introduce me to some body 
lotions and ointments and perfumes that would 
make me smell alluring to anybody I met during 
the day.

 Personally, I do not have a “Bucket List” but if I 
did, this would not be one of the items on it.

 Trying to be polite, I informed the young woman 
I was late for an appointment and needed to get on 
right away.

 “Oh,” she said very cheerfully, “this will not take 
long at all.”

 With that said, and before I could process what 
she said, she began rubbing my face with body 
ointment or lotion of some sort. I froze and for a 
few moments, I could not even move. Even the 
little grey cells upstairs were shocked into a rare 
state of stillness.

 “Now, you smell wonderful.”

 It was at that time I retired with honor my 
gentlemanly manners and started running as fast 
as I could run without drawing too much attention 
to myself.

 I smelled that “fragrance” for three days in spite 
of the fact that I took 17 showers in the meantime.

Sometimes our focus is always on the outside. I 
like what Jesus said, “Woe unto you, scribes and 
Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside 
of the cup and of the platter, but within they are 
full of extortion and excess” (Matthew 23:25).

 It does not matter how good I smell on the 
outside if there is stench on the inside. I want to 
focus on my inside and make it as fresh as possible. 
That is the fragrance God smells.

 Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of 
God Fellowship, PO Box 831313, Ocala, FL 34483. 
He lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, 
in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 1-866-552-2543 
or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. His web site 
is www.jamessnyderministries.com.

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