Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, February 19, 2022

Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 19, 2022 

He’s Simply “SIMON” 

Happy Tails 

by Chris Leclerc 

IT’S A ‘GUESS THE BREED’ CONTEST! 

Last week I was sitting in front of Mary’s Market when along came a couple I’ve know in 
town for several years. They are such friendly folks, it was easy to get to know them back 
when they used to live around the corner from us, and after they bought a bigger house 
down the road to accommodate their growing family, I continued to see them out and about 
and happy to say we’ve maintained a cordial, neighborly friendship over the years. 

It’s always a pleasure to cross paths with this cute couple, whose names will need to remain 
anonymous, for now. Let’s just call them “Mom” and “Dad” since that’s how they’re known 
in their home. We struck up one of those “Hey, how are ya?” kind of conversations that we 
Sierra Madreans are so famous for, and I took the time to pet their adorable dog. I asked 
when they got the pup, and they proceeded to share the sweetest story of how it happened 
that she became such an important part of their lives. 

It was during a walk home from getting coffee in town one day in February, 2013 that dad 
noticed a puppy running around loose on Montecito Ave. The poor thing seemed lost but 
she was friendly enough. She kept approaching him, so he picked her up and started knocking 
on doors, trying to find out where she lived. There was no collar, so no ID. She was so 
vulnerable. He simply could not leave her wondering the streets by herself. 

He went house to house until one lady answered the door with the phone to her ear. She’d already 
called Pasadena Humane Society. Apparently the little dog had been roaming around 
the neighborhood on-and-off for a few days. He asked to speak to the person on the phone, 
and was told no one had reported a lost puppy that fit the description. He gave PHS his address 
as the location where she would be, as he’d already decided he was taking her home. 

The PHS person arrived at the house and performed the scan, but no chip was found which 
meant the poor pup had to go to the shelter for 7 days, to allow ample time for the owner 
to call in and pick her up - standard protocol in keeping with CA due-diligence law when 
one finds a lost dog. It was hard to let the puppy go, as you can imagine. But the PHS people 
promised the couple if the owner did not materialize, they would have 1st dibs at adopting 
her. So off the little girl went to the shelter. She’d already made such a huge impression on 
the couple and their kids, there was no way they would miss out on the opportunity to make 
her their own. 

And sure enough, that’s exactly what happened. After that “7-day stay” during which the 
family paid daily visits to see her, the precious pup finally got to go home with her new forever 
family where she has been loved, coddled and cared for ever since! The little cutie got 
off to a rough start, but she eventually embarked on a life beyond her wildest imagination 
and her family is over-the-moon to have her. I love pet adoption stories like this, don’t you? 

SO, let’s get down to the real focus of this week’s Happy Tail. 

Who wants to participate in a “GUESS THE BREED CONTEST”? All are welcome to join 
in on the fun. 

The lost pup in this story was about 6 mos. when she found her forever home, so she’s about 
9½ years now. The family has always wondered what breed(s) she is. In 2013, the idea of using 
DNA to determine a pet’s ancestry wasn’t so much a thing, but it’s practically the norm 
now and it’s exactly what the family decided to do. The kit was ordered, the sample submitted, 
and the results are in, but the envelope will not open until March 5th. 

NOW it is UP TO YOU to look 
closely at the photos, read the 
detailed description, and enter 
your guess as to what breed(s) 
you believe this darling dog is 
made up of. The participant 
who guesses closest to the actual 
scientific DNA lab report 
will win a real nice prize. It’s 
for real. No joke. READY? 
SET! GO! 

PHOTOS: 

Be sure to take a good look 
at the 3 included photos. For 
clearer copies, go to this week’s 
Mountain Views News on-line 
issue at: mtnviewsnews.com 
and click on the Just for Best 
Friends tab. 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 

She weighs about 26 lbs. and is 
approx. 24” long (top of head 

to butt) with 8-9” legs and an 8” 
tail that curls up on her back. She 
has soft, sort of fluffy hair. Tricolored; 
black & white, freckles 
on legs and nose, beige eyebrows 
& points. 

TEMPERAMENT: 

Absolutely the sweetest, most 
charming little pup you could ever 
hope to meet. Not an aggressive 
bone in her body.
Awesome with kids and grownups 
alike. Great with other dogs, 
too. 


CONTEST RULES: 

E-mail your “guess” entry to me: chris@
canyoncanine.com by no later thanWed., March 2, 6 PM.
I’ll confirm receipt of your e-mail within 
24 hours and add you to the list of 
contestants.

 The actual DNA/breed ID results will 

be announced in the March 5 issue of 

Mountain Views News. 

The winner will be awarded a $25 
Chewy.com gift certificate, compliments 
of Canyon Canine Dog Walking 

& Pet Sitting. GOOD LUCK GUESSING! 

Do you love the Siamese breed, with 
their stunning blue eyes? Or do you 
just want a big boy who loves the simple 
things in life--getting pet, napping, 
basking in a sunny window, 
but who also has a playful streak? 
Then Simon, age 6, is the cat for you! 
(Yes, this big boy is playful, per-haps 
catching up on the kittenhood that 
he never had, being abandoned at 
a very young age to the streets). He's very trusting of people and 
somewhat of a big baby! He is FIV+ but needs no meds, a condition 
easi-ly managed as long as he is kept indoors. Simon would make a 
wonder-ful pet for almost any adult or maybe with very gentle, older 
children. He should be an only pet. Seal Point Siamese cats have very 

dark, almost black, seal-brown points, with facial mask, ears, tail, paws, nose leather and paw pads 

all in the same dark brown color--spectacular! Just submit your application at Lifeline for Pets: www.

lifelineforpets.org/cat-adoption-application-revised.html where you can see more pictures of Simon 

and his video on our Adult Cats page. 

Pet of the Week

 Two-year-old Sergeant is New adopters will receive a 
an intelligent, active dog complimentary health-andwho 
loves playing games! wellness exam from VCA 
Sergeant is a big fan of puzzles Animal Hospitals, as well 

– everything from treats in as a goody bag filled with 
egg cartons, to snuffle mats, information about how to care 
to searching for hidden hot for your pet. 
dogs around the room. This View photos of adoptable 
smart pup will do best in a pets and schedule an 
home where he has lots of adoption appointment 
enrichment and games to keep at pasadenahumane.org. 
him busy. When Sergeant Adoptions are by appointment 
isn’t solving puzzles, he loves only, and new adoption 
getting attention from his appointments are available 
favorite people and getting every Sunday and Wednesday 
lots of pets! at 10:00 a.m. 
The adoption fee for dogs is Pets may not be available 
$150. All dog adoptions include for adoption and cannot be 
spay or neuter, microchip, and held for potential adopters by 
age-appropriate vaccines. phone calls or email. 


CHRISTOPHER Nyerges


IN QUEST OF A HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE

[www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com] 

After spending long hours cleaning the contents of a dark, moldy, and neglected 
garage, and after filling more than two large dumpsters with material that 
could only be trashed, we decided to do the right thing and take the old paints 
and solvents and unworking electronics to a proper hazardous waste site. 

After the long weekend of cleaning, I searched on-line for places near my home 

where I could take our several boxes of hazardous waste for disposal. On-line, I 
found that there were many places in the greater Los Angeles County area where I could take such 
waste, some of which would cost me a fee. I examined all the free sites close to my home and the 
most reasonable site was adjacent to the L.A. River, on Glendale’s west edge. Hours of operation 
were only Saturdays and Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

I studied the map until I felt I would have no trouble finding it, but I would have to wait for the 
following weekend since 3 o’clock was now fast approaching. 

I told a friend that I was going there to drop off some old paint and stuff, and she told me that she 
goes there often to drop things off, and that it was right off the freeway, easy-peasy! OK, good, I 
thought. 

On the following Sunday, I awoke early and loaded my car with 5 boxes of materials to drop off, 
materials I was glad to have out of my yard. It was Valentine’s Day so when I turned on the radio, 
I was not surprised to hear someone interviewing a “matchmaker.” They were talking about what 
it takes for a marriage to be successful.

 I wanted to arrive as close to 9 a.m. as possible so I could get rid of the waste and get on to my 
regular Sunday morning activity. The freeway seemed particular slow, and quiet, and all went 
well. I was on my way south on the 5 freeway, and found exit 142, and took the exit which segued 
into Colorado Street. So far so good. Colorado, and the numbers didn’t match the number of 
the waste facility, and I drove another block and I knew something was wrong, but I continued to 
listen to the “matchmaker,” saying that the biggest flaw in the thinking about relationships is that 
there should be a “spark.” The spark is irrelevant, she said, and it isn’t necessary for a quality long 
term relationship. But because young couples don’t realize that, they never get together because 
they didn’t feel a “spark” at their first meeting. 

I drove around the block, and up and down San Fernando Road, with the voice of the matchmaker 
the only thing that was keeping me from getting angry. Where was the hazardous waste 
site hiding? I backtracked, and drove south on Pacific, all the way to Los Feliz, where I knew I was 
impossibly far from the site, but I drove through the Atwater district, and got a view of how the 
place had been so built up since my last drive through that area. The matchmaker happily talked 
on about the elements of a good relationship – all the things that young couples in love should be 
thinking about, but don’t. 

I came to the 5 freeway, and I decided I would try again to find the site. I would be furious and 
humiliated if I had to drive home with my boxes of paint and solvent and other electronic junk, 
with the only benefit of my roundabout drive being the lessons from the matchmaker. 

This time I was driving north on the 5 freeway, eager to get to the Colorado exit, and then as I 
exited, I noted a named street that was not noted on Google maps. It was just a short street that 
took me from, drumroll, from Colorado to Colorado. Colorado Street to Colorado Blvd., an important 
distinction that I had not noted. I took this street, looked both ways and immediately saw 
the hazardous waste site. With relief, I drove down the long empty road, and finally, following the 
traffic cones, came to a small bustle of activity. 

A woman came up to my car and asked me my zip code and what I had to deposit, making sure 
I had no needles! Then I drove up further and men in white hazardous waste suits insisted I stay 
in my car as they efficiently rummaged through the back hatch and removed all my unwanted 
material. After a quick “thank you,” I was on my way. I was happy and relieved to be rid of the 
dangerous materials, and even though I had an unintended tour of this portion of Glendale, with 
radio commentary on what actually makes a good relationship. 

I got to my Sunday morning meeting on-time, and learned that there were at least two, maybe 
three, men named Valentinus from which Saint Valentines Day was derived. I learned that one 
of them, who was not selected as a Catholic Bishop, chose to defy the Roman emperor Claudius’ 
order against marrying soldiers. Claudius believed that single men made better warriors, but 
Valentinus, the Gnostic, felt that marriage was a God-given right. I learned that morning that 
Valentinus was jailed and eventually beheaded for his defiance, an gruesome historical point that 
seems lost in the flurry of the romantic atmosphere of the day. 

In a rather odd convergence of feelings that morning, I felt bad for Valentinus, but relieved that at 
last I’d discarded our garage’s hazardous wastes. 

FAN MAIL FOR MR. NYERGES: 

It was such a pleasant reading of your "Childhood's End" in 
the newspaper. I really enjoyed it! It reminded me of Peter 
Pan's feast with children - the magic of imagination. 

Yingchao Xiao, Sierra Madre. 

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