Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 3, 2015

10

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 3, 2015 


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?

SCIENCE FOR 

SOCIAL SURVIVAL

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

Who would love to be part of your life? Meet 
Timmy! 

 Timmy is a 4-year-old Maltese-terrier mix, 
weighing about 11 pounds. He is a sweet boy who 
got a very rough start as a victim of severe neglect, 
if not outright abuse prior to his arrival at the 
shelter.

 When our Animal Control officer picked up 
Timmy as a stray, he was barely recognizable as a 
dog. His fur was matted and dirty, resembling a 
dirty mop, more than a living 
creature. His facial fur hung 
in dreadlocks that were so long 
he could barely eat without 
turning his head to the side so 
they would fall out of the way. 
His spirit was broken and 
depressed, and he was quite 
fearful, hiding under his cot 
when anyone approached his 
kennel. 

 Professional grooming 
was out of the question given 
Timmy’s fear of people, so 
he was shaved and trimmed 
while he was sedated for his 
neuter surgery. Once he was 
clipped and cleaned, a new 
dog emerged. While it still 
took Timmy some time to 
learn to trust people, he was 
clearly much happier without 
all those dirty mats in his fur.

 We have seen Timmy’s 
personality blossom, becoming friendly and more 
confident with people. He will greet you at the 
gate of his kennel with a smile and a wagging tail. 
He looks forward to going for walks, and is easy 
to manage on the leash, although he could use 
more practice and training to perfect that skill. 
Timmy also enjoys sitting in a lap for some pets 
and attention. Oh, and treats are always good, too!

 Timmy gets along well with his kennel mate, 
and seems to enjoy the company of other dogs, 
although he would rather not have to share his 
human attention with another dog. Given his 
neglected condition when he arrived at the shelter, 
it seems like Timmy did not get much positive 
attention in his life. It is understandable that he 
wants to enjoy all he can get now – he has a lot of 
time to make up in the love department.

 If there was ever a dog that deserved a safe, 
secure, loving home, that dog is Timmy. Life has 
not been kind to him, and yet he is able to move 
on and start over with a new 
fresh outlook along with his 
new haircut. Timmy has a 
lot of love to give to someone 
who can make sure he gets the 
happy home he is waiting for. 
Are you that special person? 
Come and meet Timmy in 
person to find out – he is 
eager to meet you.

 His adoption fee is 
$130 which includes his 
neuter surgery, a microchip, 
first vaccinations and a 
free wellness check-up at a 
participating veterinarian. 

 If you are interested in 
meeting Timmy or any of the 
other available animals at the 
shelter, visit the San Gabriel 
Valley Humane Society at 851 
E. Grand Ave., San Gabriel, 
Calif. 91776. We are open 
10:00am to 4:30pm Tuesday 
thru Sunday. For more information, call (626) 286-
1159. See our website at www.sgvhumane.org for 
information and photos of all our wonderful pets. 

 You are invited to join the San Gabriel ‘Strut 
Your Mutt’ dog walking team and the ‘Race for the 
Rescues’ team to raise funds for shelter animals. The 
Walk is Saturday, October 10th at Exposition Park 
and the Race is Saturday, October 24th at the Rose 
Bowl. Go to the shelter’s website at sgvhumane.org 
for more information and how to sign up! 

For me the study of life sciences has become increasingly 
more interesting as I get older. It could be related to 
the swift forward-motion of information technology 
allowing access to fascinating scientific facts that, just 
10 years ago would have required a trip to the library or 
a consultation with someone who “knew“. Or perhaps 
the social metamorphosis that is taking place in this 
age, apparently prompting people to gain a higher level 
of self importance, is driving me to gain a higher level 
of understanding about nature and science.

 I must admit, I always have been one to “go against 
the flow”. Whatever the reason, I feel more inspired 
than ever to recall what I learned in my high school and 
college biology classes, research the interesting facts 
that I do not recall, and apply that knowledge to my 
daily walk of life. I guess you could say it is my means 
of social survival, via science.

 I can’t think of anything more important than having 
a good understanding of who and what we are, where we 
came from, and how we can better relate to the creatures 
that surround us and the planet that sustains us. With 
so many radical changes occurring in our society over 
the past several decades, and amazing new technological 
concepts constantly appearing on the horizon, “simple” 
scientific truths such as the origin of life, the study of 
living organisms and how they thrive through symbiotic 
relationships, may seem to some like rather boring or 
mundane subjects to be pondered.

 As for me, I have a burning desire to understand 
how my existence fits into the “big picture” on this 
magnificent planet and I hope to learn more about how 
I can have a positive impact. My perspective as an adult 
differs greatly from that of when I was a young child. 
Then I harbored frightful fears of the wild animals that 
lived in the woods behind my house, and I did my best 
to avoid contact with the creepy crawling insects and 
spiders that lived in the bushes and the basement.

 Now I view every living thing as an interesting and 
very important component 
of this universe. A universe 
that requires mutual 
appreciation and respect to 
maintain a healthy balance. 
It all boils down to the fact 
that I am an integral part of 
an immense living organism, 
and my actions and behavior 
do make a difference.

 When I choose to view 
life from this perspective, 
I find myself free of those 
childhood fears. Those fears 
are replaced with curiosity 
and a craving to learn more about the big picture. 
Another result of my perspective adjustment is a 
realization that regardless of what we humans like to 
think in terms of property ownership, and our personal 
“rights” on this earth, the bottom line is we are here for 
a very short time and earth simply cannot be owned. 
We can borrow it for a while and we can mark our 
territory as other animals do, but we will never really 
own any part of this great globe.

 What we need to be doing is appreciating every single 
drop of water and every element of dirt we “camp” on. 
We must be careful to tend to it like a garden that we 
depend on to feed us. It is rather unfortunate that we 
have been spoiled by having a grocery store just down 
the street where we can choose from a numerous 
plethora of edible products, without a single thought 
as to where they came from or who did the hard work 
to produce them. Our main concern is to have fuel 
for our vehicles so we can get from point A to point B 
within moments. It has become so easy to forget that 
we are most definitely dependant on the earth, and the 
resources are limited.

 By learning more about the living organisms that 
surround me, I have inherently become more aware of 
my responsibility as a steward to take good care and 
to not exploit the treasures that earth has to offer. No 
one is an island unto himself. I believe in creation, and 
I believe that God gave the human a very tall order of 
obedience to respect the earth and the animals who 
share it with us. This is no small command, and I take 
it very seriously. All living things were made by Him, 
and we humans have a tendency to forget that we are 
responsible for our position in the system. So, before 
I come down from my “soap box”, I will end with 
a reminder for all of us to be aware and keep good 
thoughts about our surroundings. Learn to appreciate 
all life forms as an integral part of ourselves. Love and 
let live!


PET OF THE WEEK: ACE: ANIMAL ID #A4880707

Check out his smile! Ace (A4880707) is a 
winning 1-year-old tan-and-white neutered male 
Chihuahua and Dachshund (“Chiweenie”) mix 
puppy who came to the Baldwin Park Animal Care 
Center as an owner surrender on September 23rd 
with Frankie [A4880704], Basket [A4880708], 
Sidnee [A4880709], Brandy [A4880712], Russell 
[A4880713], Dude [A4880715], Tiara [A4880718], 
Veronica [A4880720], Boss 
[A4880724], and Maurice 
[A4880725]. Weighing 
11 lbs, Ace is a sweet boy 
with bright eyes and a 
great grin. Not only is Ace 
a great piece of arm candy, 
but he also loves to explore 
when down and walking 
around! Ace arrived at the 
shelter with 10 other dogs 
(9 siblings and a mama, we 
believe). His owner was an 
elderly woman who, sadly, 
became very ill and was no 
longer able to care for her 
pack. Ace absolutely adores 
spending time with his brothers and sisters (it 
definitely puts a pep in his little step!). Because 
he loves the company of other pups so much, we 
think Ace will make an especially great indoor 
pet for a household with other canine siblings. In 
any case, he will be a fabulous best buddy (both 
during activity time and cuddle time) for just 
about any family around. We can tell he’s eager to 
get back in the groove of a warm and loving home 
again! To watch a video of Ace, please visit the 
following link: https://youtu.be/cXthwuHJNDo

 To meet Ace or any of his family members that 
are also in need of homes, please see them at the 
Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton, 
Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-962-3577). 
Ace is currently available 
now. For any inquiries 
about Ace, please reference 
his animal ID number: 
A4880707. 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 
Ace 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 through its Shelter Support Program, 
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/.


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