san diego pets magazine, february 2013

H BdD 5 HEY! STUFF TO DO

4 FEBRUARY 2013 | www.sandiegopetsmagazine.com

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

OF THE BEST KIND

H BdD 5INSIDE THIS ISSUE

5www.sandiegopetsmagazine.com | FEBRUARY 2013

PUBLISHER/EDITORCasey Dean

COVER PHOTODana Gambill

Wagz Pet Photography(858) 442-6112

www.wagzpetphotography.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSMark Carlson

Nichole MacDowellArden Moore

Martin Jones Westlin

GUEST WRITERSMark CarlsonArden Moore

Stefanie Schwartz, DVMVictoria Stilwell

ARTIST PROFILERachel Bellinsky

www.rachelbellinsky.com

CARTOONISTBarbara Fuscsick

Puppy Paws Productionswww.puppypawsproductions.com

ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Casey Dean(619) 573-5615

[email protected]

San Diego Pets Magazine is pub-lished by Dean Publishing, Inc. P.O.Box 601081, San Diego, Ca 92160-1081. No part of this publication maybe duplicated or reprinted without

express consent from the publisher. Editors reserve theright to edit all content. Submissions are welcome, andmay be edited for content and clarity. Please forward allunsolicited material to the editor. Views and opinionsexpressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher.The publisher reserves the right to approve or acceptadvertising orders and content. All contents are copyrighted2013. All rights reserved.

San Diego Pets MagazineP.O. BOX 601081San Diego, Ca 92160-1081(619) 573-5615SANDIEGOPETSMAGAZINE.COM

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A LOOK INTO THE HELLEN WOODWARD ANIMAL CENTER’S POPULAR PROGRAM. SEE PAGE 18

Henry and Tink: A Remarkable Romance

The special kinship between a three-leggedcat named Henry and atwo-legged Dachshundnamed Tink. See page 16

If You Love Something...The story of a how a littlefurry miracle found its wayinto the perfect home(twice). See page 21

A Fight for the FerretsA La Mesa man taking hisfight for legalizing ferrets topeople in high placesthrough a petition driveaimed at reversing currentsanctions. See page 23

TRAIN YOURDOG POSITIVLEY!Guest Column byRenowed Dog TrainerVictoria Stilwell.

See page 9

H BdD 5 COVER STORY


B y A R D E N M O O R E | S A N D I E G O P E T S

Blazing theTrail forAnimalWelfareDr. Gary Weitzman knew that landing the top job at the San Diego Humane Society andSPCA would be no easy feat. He sported a strong resume as a veterinarian and presidentof the Washington Animal Rescue League in the nation’s capitol, but knew competitionfor this coveted position would be intense.

Naturally, he was jubilant when the board selected him,but then he faced an even greater challenge: drivingcross country for seven days in his packed Land Rover

with his big rescued dogs, a pit bull named Betty Crocker anda German Shepherd named Jake.

“Let me just say it was a very l-o-n-g drive,” he laughs now.“Betty is an incredibly even-tempered dog whose life revolvesaround giving people back-end wiggles. Jake is my problemson. I say that with affection. He is anxious, pushy and incred-ibly vocal. We’ve worked with many trainers and behavioristsand I really love this dog, but again, he can be quite the barkyback-seat driver, especially on a very long drive.”

Dr. Weitzman officially began his duties as president andchief executive officer on May 14, 2012 and immediatelystarted steering this 132-year-old organization forward withhis innovative ideas and ability to create community collaboration.

This is not a man who spends a lot of time looking in the rearview mirror of past accomplishments or setbacks. He cruisedinto San Diego County with a can-do drive that leaders in thepet community have noticed and applauded.

“In the first six months of his tenure, we have witnessed theSan Diego Humane Society ascend to even a higher level witha number of new and innovative programs that will benefitanimals and our community,” notes Robert Cartin, DVM,

Dr. Gary Weitzman with his two rescuedogs, Jake and Betty Crocker.

Photo by Dana Gambill, Wagz Pet Photography.

H BdD 5COVER STORY


veterinarian and owner of the Mission Animal and Bird Hos-pital in Oceanside. “The wonderful work done by Dr. Gary andthe SDHS has greatly strengthened the human-animal bond inSan Diego and continues to make our region among the mostpet friendly in the nation.”

Dr. Cartin was among those in attendance at the inauguralCompanion Circle Reception event held at the North Campusin Oceanside last fall where Dr. Weitzman outlined an ambitiouscampaign he dubbed Getting To Zero.

Among the key tasks set for 2013:SAVING EVERY ADOPTABLE ANIMAL. Acknowledging that shelters

across the country harbor large numbers of pit bulls, SDHS or-ganized a month-long education outreach program for thisbreed that culminated in a bully beauty contest in San Diegoand Oceanside. The fun event educated the public about thismisunderstood breed and doubled the number of pit bulladoptions from the previous year. In addition, a new hospitaland surgical suite opened in June 2012 at the shelter on AirportRoad in Oceanside to provide medical care for adoptable ani-mals. SDHS recently opened a satellite adoption center at thePetco store in El Cajon.IMPROVING LIFE FOR SHELTER KITTENS AND CATS. Last year, cats and

small animals were transferred from the North Campus to beout of sight and sound of shelter dogs and placed inside the newnearby Airport Road building, creating a more peaceful envi-ronment for them. Staff expanded the Paws to Success KittenNursery program at the North and Central campuses as well.

SEE SAN DIEGO HUMANE SOCIETY, Page 8

Jake Betty

Gary Weitzman, DVM (right) has compiled a most impressive record ofaccomplishments during more than 20 years of experience as an animalwelfare professional, veterinarian, and community advocate.

PUTTING A LID ON PET OVERPOPULATION.This fiscal year, the shelterexpects to provide 5,000 free or low-cost spay/neuter proce-dures in mobile surgical units and on site to address the seriousplight of animal homelessness in this county . “We are makingspaying and neutering accessible and affordable throughout thecounty,” he says. BEING A TEAM PLAYER FOR THE SAKE OF COMPANION ANIMALS. Dr.

Weitzman says his agency will step up its efforts with the SanDiego Animal Welfare Coalition. “One common tragedy in theanimal welfare world is to throw stones at others,” he says. “Ourcentral philosophy is to push for greater collaboration with othergroups and agencies because we’re not in this alone.”CRACKING DOWN ON ANIMAL CRUELTY AND CAMPAIGNING TO STOP THE

SALE OF PETS IN STORES. “Pet stores who are selling puppies andkittens are simply supporting puppy mills,” he says. “It muststop. It’s primitive and medieval and contributes to animal cru-elty.” Last year, the SDHS and SPCA’s humane law enforcementdepartment responded to 1,845 cases of neglect, abuse or re-quest for assistance. The team also seized 117 animals from apet store and was able to eventually find suitable homes forthese neglected animals.

“The wonderful work done by Dr. Garyand the SDHS has greatly strengthenedthe human-animal bond in San Diegoand continues to make our region amongthe most pet friendly in the nation.”

— Robert Cartin, DVM

H BdD 5 COVER STORY


PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP. The plan is to expandthe shelter’s community education programs and stage moreevents beyond the annual fun walk, telethon and Fur Ball gala.Project KEPPT (Keeping Every Person and Pet Together) pro-vides a vaccination clinic, pet food bank, licensing, micro-chipping, behavior and training advice, pet-friendly housingreferrals and other useful services to low-income pet ownerswho qualify..

Dr. Weitzman acknowledges his must-do agenda is ambi-tious, but seems to thrive when faced with seemingly insur-mountable challenges. His drive to make this planet a betterplace for pets first surfaced as a child growing up in Natick,Massachusetts, a small town just outside of Boston. As the old-est of three brothers, he desperately wanted his parents to geta family dog.

“I think I’ve wanted a dog since birth, but they said no,” herecalls. So, I got even by filling up our home with birds, ger-bils, guinea pigs, and rabbits. I think at one time I had a colonyof 35 gerbils. When I was nearly 17, my parents finally con-

SAN DIEGO HUMANE SOCIETYCONTINUED FROM Page 7

DR. GARY WEITZMAN, DVM, hosts a weekly radio program ‘The Animal House’ airing on KPBS 89.5.The program offers expert advice on all pet-related questions, and aims to deepen human understandingof animals and explain the powerful bonds between humans and animals.

You can submit your pet questions to: [email protected] or via the listener phone-in number at(877)610-3647. Tune in to KPBS 89.5 FM every Saturday at 5 a.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. to hear the show live!

sented and we adopted Cocoa, a Shepherd mix from a localshelter. As my mother and I were walking out the door to theshelter, my father said, ‘Don’t come back with a dog,’ but whenwe came home with Cocoa, he fell in love with her within 20seconds.”

Despite the fact that both his parents were chemists, Dr.Weitzman knew by grade school that he wanted to become aveterinarian. He earned his degree at the prestigious Tufts Uni-versity and added a master’s degree in public health from Har-vard and Boston universities.

Although he was raised on the East Coast, he did operate aveterinary clinic in Burlingame, Calif. and says he has felt rightat home from day 1 since taking on the duties at the SDHS andSPCA.

“I lived in the Bay Area of California for 10 years before tak-ing the Washington, D.C. job and fell in love with this state,” hesays. “I knew I wanted to get back to California, but I wantedto go to a shelter I respected. I seriously think that this is thebest animal shelter in the United States. It is 132 years old andthere is still a lot that can be done. The fact that they could stillneed me, is a relief.”

And, how has his dogs, Betty Crocker and Jake adjusted toliving the California dream?

“We love going to Dog Beach in Ocean Beach,” he says. “Imay be biased, but Betty is the sweetest living creature I know.She’s the poster girl for what dogs should be as companion an-imals. As for my boy, Jake, well, he’s so much better in SanDiego than when he was on the East Coast. He’s calmer andbecoming a true southern Californian.”

H BdD 5GUEST COLUMN


Has anyone ever told you that if your dog goes through anopen door ahead of you it’s a sign that he’s asserting hisdominance? Or if a dog walks in front of you or pulls on aleash he is doing so because he wants to be pack leader?What about lying on a sofa, sleeping in your bed, or growl-

ing at you as you take his bone away? Are these really all signs of an in-tense struggle between man and dog over status in the household? Is

everything dogs think, feel, and do the result of an unmitigated de-sire to dominate us and everything else in their quest to become

top dog?Concepts like these have been pounded into our public con-sciousness for decades, leading people to believe that any

type of misbehavior by their dogs is a byproduct of an in-nate, instinctive desire to be dominant over everything

and everyone—especially humans. This assumptionforms the foundation of traditional dog training ideol-ogy, despite advances in modern behavioral sciencethat prove unequivocally that such so-called “domi-nance theory” is virtually useless in terms of under-standing canine behavior. Indeed, most of theinformation still available to the general publiccontinues to promote and endorse solutions to adominance problem that doesn’t really exist—atleast not in the way some might think it does.

I don’t understand how anyone can justify theuse of pain and intimidation such as hitting,kicking, jerking, scruffing, restraining, poking orusing electric shock, to train dogs when there isa mountain of evidence demonstrating howdamaging and dangerous these techniques are.There are many other methods that are muchmore effective, safer and humane to use.

Punitive techniques rely on suppression ofSEE STILWELL, Page 10

Renowed Dog Trainer Victoria Sti lwell :

TRAIN YOUR DOG POSITIVELY!

behavior, rather than working tochange it – there is a big difference.Let’s say your dog is aggressive on theleash to other dogs walking by. Thedominance trainer would very likelyuse one or more of the above tech-niques to punish the dog, with no con-cern as to why the dog is aggressing. Ifthe punishment is severe enough, thedog is likely to stop aggressing atthat moment but is more likely toaggress again when another dog isencountered.

Positive trainers work completelydifferently. To begin with, we want toknow why the dog is aggressing andthen we can adopt a unique training

plan to curb the dog’s need to aggress(the root of most aggression is fear). Wehelp owners change the way their dogfeels so that he no longer feels the needto aggress, and we understand thatpunishing a dog for aggressing onlyserves to make the dog more insecureand the aggressive behavior worse. Westart by teaching the dog an action orbehavior that is incompatible withlunging, such as playing with a toy, sit-ting and staying, walking to heel, orutilizing a ‘go find’ it game with food,to name but a few. Once the dog learnsthese skills, another dog is introduced.When that dog approaches, the new setof skills is put into action. Not only isour dog doing something fun when theother is walking past but now just thesight of other dogs brings on the game,food or toys, thereby building up apositive association. Teaching newskills to the former lunger not onlygives him something else to do butalso helps him to feel differently aboutapproaching dogs because now goodthings happen to him. This is just oneexample of the way positive reinforce-ment works and shows how safe andeffective this method can be.

The dominance epidemic is thegreatest tragedy in dog training todayand is one of the reasons why I wrotemy third book, ‘Train Your Dog Posi-tively.’ The main goal of the book is toprovide user-friendly, science-basedinformation about how to most effec-tively teach your dog by harnessingthe power of positive training to createbalanced relationships based onmutual trust, respect and love ratherthan pain, fear & intimidation.

H BdD 5 GUEST COLUMN


STILWELLCONTINUED FROM Page 9

Train Your Dog Positively is available onlineat Amazon.com or on Victoria’s website,http://positively.com.


1. REGULAR GROOMING IS A MUST. It’s helpful to keep your dog in a routinewhen it comes to coat and nail care. Make sure that dogs are brought inregularly to keep the upkeep to a minimum, and that puppies arebrought in early so that a trip to the groomer is not so traumatic, saysSteven Land, head groomer at City Dog in downtown San Diego.

2. YOU CAN PREP YOUR DOG FOR THE GROOMING EXPERIENCE. There areseveral things you can do to familiarize your pet with what will happenat the groomer’s. First, get your dog used to being touched. Regularlytouching your dog on its feet and near its mouth and eyes will make thejob easier for your groomer, according to Adriana Vigil, groomer at CampRun-a-Mutt in Point Loma.

You can also mimic the sounds your pet will encounter at the groomer byusing your electric toothbrush near your dog. That way he or she won’tbe frightened by the buzz of the clippers and other equipment, says Vigil.

3. YOU MUST BRUSH YOUR DOG BETWEEN GROOMING APPOINTMENTS.“You’d be surprised how many people don’t,” says Vigil.

It’s also important to make sure you’re using the right brush, saysStephanie Carroll from Camp Diggity Dogs in downtown San Diego.There are brushes specifically designed for the undercoat, the overcoator to demat. Ask your groomer for suggestions.

Ms. Michelle, owner at Bow Wow Beauty Shoppe in Hillcrest, suggestsbrushing at least three times per week. “Watch TV and give your dog hisor her favorite treat afterwards. This is great bonding time, and your furrybaby will actually look forward to it,” she says.

4. YOU SHOULD NEVER IGNORE YOUR DOG’S NAILS. No matter how often youschedule a grooming appointment, get your dog’s nails trimmed fre-quently or trim them yourself. Long nails can cause joint damage, accord-ing to Vigil. Donna Walker at South Bark Dog Wash in San Diego says thatuntrimmed nails can curl and grow right into the skin, especially dew claws.

5. YOU CAN WASH YOUR DOG BETWEEN APPOINTMENTS. Washing yourdog frequently will not dry out his or her skin if you use the propershampoo, says Walker. The San Diego lifestyle can cause a dog to needfrequent washes. In fact, washing your dog at a self serve dog wash inbetween grooming will often give your groomer an easier time and mayeven cost less on the trip to the groomer’s, says Carroll.

If you plan on bathing your dog between grooming appointments, dry himor her completely. According to Land, a dog with long or curly hair has anundercoat that can mat up like a cotton ball if not dried completely. Thismakes the groomer’s job that much harder and the dog’s experience worse.

6. BUT WATCH THE BATH TEMPERATURE AND USE DOG SHAMPOO. Washingyour dog in water that is too hot is a no-no. According to Carroll, a dog’sbody temperature is higher than a human’s, which makes a hot bath veryuncomfortable; she adds that hot water will also dry a dog’s skin out. Theideal temperature is 82 degrees.

Carroll also warns against using human shampoo. A dog’s skin has a dif-ferent pH than that of a human. It is also five times thinner than humanskin, which makes it more susceptible to skin issues.

7. DO A THOROUGH CHECK OF YOUR DOG’S FEET AND EARS. According toKelly Tomke, owner of Salty Dawg Salon & Boutique in East Village, debrissuch as foxtails, dirt, sticks and gum can be easily missed between toesor in ears, especially in dogs with curly, long hair. This debris can causediscomfort for your dog, but can also cause sores and even infections ifleft unattended.

8. FEED YOUR PET THE GOOD STUFF. A good skin and coat for a dog startswith good nutrition, says Walker. Pay attention to the food you’re feedingyour pet and choose brands that have quality, balanced ingredients.

Check out our online directory for a comprehensive list of dog groomers andgrooming facilities in your area. www.sandiegopetsmagazine.com

Top Eight ThingsYour Groomer WantsYou to Know By Nichole MacDowell

SAN DIEGO PETS

These top tips from the experts will help you keep your dog well cared for and pampered, and make the grooming process easier for everyone.

Dear Dr. Schwartz,My 15 year old Malti-Poo died just be-

fore the holidays and I was heartbrokenas you can imagine. My family felt sosorry for me that they decided to buy meanother dog for Christmas. They chose alittle dog from a shelter who looks like aPoodle crossed with a Dachshund; Iguess that makes her a Poo-Weenie ormaybe a Weiner-Poo? Anyway, I’m hav-ing a hard time bonding with this littleone, even though she really is verysweet. Any thoughts?

Thanks for your help,Maggie

Dear Maggie,The holidays are emotionally charged

enough without having to deal with the

loss of someone who was so close to youfor so long. It can be very distressing towatch someone you love grieve over apet, and some will try to distract youfrom your grief with a new pet. Theproblem is that the grieving process is anessential and normal part of recovering.It can be blunted or suppressed, but itwill re-emerge at some point later onwhen it might be harder to deal with.Emotionally, you weren’t ready for anew pet, but there she is.

There may be another reason that youhaven’t felt as drawn to your new friend.Pets who are given as gifts, a commonpractice at holiday time, may not be asappreciated as pets who are chosen bythe pet parent. The motivation to investemotionally and financially in gifted petsis just not the same; unfortunately, thepets are the ones who are affected most.

Give yourself time to recover from theholidays and don’t push away yourgrief. At the same time, don’t make com-parisons between your pets. Each one ofthem is a special gift that will find aunique place in your heart; just givethem and yourself the chance.

Dear Dr. Schwartz,We just got a new cat. Chantal is about

five years old and we got her from afriend who’s child developed a cat allergy.

We’ve had her confined to the spare bed-room for about two weeks. Our own catBradley is a laid back boy of about 8years. We used to have another cat whodied about a year ago. When should weintroduce them?

Thanks, 2Cats4U

Dear 2Cats4U,Bradley lived happily with another cat

and he has a fundamentally social naturebecause of it. Introducing a female intoyour home might be less threatening tohis sense of territory and status than an-other male might have, although somefemales can be more macha than anymale cat.

In this case, Chantal was raised as asolitary pet and might have a hardertime adapting. Still, there is something tobe said for the ‘magic’ in any new rela-tionship, and so their compatibility is noteasily predicted.

Two weeks of confinement is notenough for the introduction of adult cats,particularly when both may have rustysocial skills. It’s always better to takethings too slowly than too fast; once abad first impression is made it is muchharder to undo. Continue Chantal’s con-finement for another two weeks. Then lether start to explore her new home when

FEBRUARY 2013 | www.sandiegopetsmagazine.com12

Behavior Bytes

Stefanie Schwartz, DVM, MSc, DACVBVeterinary Behavior [email protected]

Time is Key in NewBeginnings

H BdD 5BEHAVIOR BYTES


Dr. Stefanie Schwartzis a board certifiedveterinary behavioristbased in SouthernCalifornia. She seespatients at CaliforniaVeterinary Specialistsin Carlsbad and at TheVeterinary NeurologyCenter in Tustin, CA.

For more information, please call (949) 342-6644 or visit http://petbehavior.org/.

Bradley is confined to some other con-fined space. He certainly knows she’saround and will get to know her ‘re-motely’. By the time you allow them tosee each other in about six to eightweeks, they should both be settling in.Supervise them carefully for the first fewweeks, allowing just a few minutes of vi-sual contact before returning Chantal toher safe room.

For more details of how to systemati-cally introduce your new pets, pleasevisit the Quickfix Handout page atwww.petbehavior.org


ARTIST PROFILERACHEL BELLINSKY

I am a photographer andgraphic designer here in SanDiego. I take my camera withme every day when I walk mydog, Cooper, and in my neigh-borhood, the animals reignsupreme. They’re everywhere,and they make great photo-graphic subjects. Tails from theFishbowl started with one ortwo window shots, first anorange tabby, then some kindof terrier mutt, sitting behindglass. Suddenly I was seeinganimals in windows all overthe place, and the collectionkept growing. I shot any andevery animal I came acrosswho happened to be sitting ina window. They reminded offish, each behind glass in theirown little “bowl”. When yousee so many of these scenestogether, it starts to tell a “tale”about our relationship with theanimals we share our homeswith.

It took about two years tocomplete the book, as I waslearning how to shoot andseeing the patterns in my im-mediate environment. Thereare a ton of things around hereyou could make a collectionout of – old cars, stray cats,flowers. I realized after a hand-ful of “pets in the window”shots that there was a book inthere. I’m still actively shootingsimilar scenes for a possiblesecond edition.

A portion of the proceedsfrom the book will go to theHumane Society. If my bookcould save a few animals thatway, it would make me veryhappy.

Thanks!Rachel

MEET THE ARTIST: New works by Rachel Bellinsky will be featured Saturday, March 2 at 7 p.m. at the3RD SPACE, 4610 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92116. More information about this event at http://3rdspace.co/


"Tails from the Fishbowl" is a collection of animal portraits taken by Rachel Bellinsky while walking her dog,Cooper, through their Southern California neighborhood. This 72-page book features colorful, charmingimages of a world where every pet has a room with a view. A portion of the proceeds from this book will bedonated to the Humane Society. Copies of the book can be purchased at www.rachelbellinsky.com.


Arden Moore, ACCBC, ADCBCPet trend, behavior and safety [email protected]

In honor of Valentine’s Day, can youidentify famous “romantic” couplesin the world of animals? Here are

ones that come to mind. First, there’sthe spaghetti-sharing doggy duet ofLady and The Tramp in that famousDisney flick. And don’t forget aboutthat patient frog named Kermit who fi-nally won over the flamboyant MissPiggy in the Muppet movies.

But we have a real-life example righthere in San Diego. Let me tell you of thespecial kinship between a three-leggedcat named Henry and a two-leggedDachshund named Tink. Together, theyonly have five legs, but their tale is ofhope, inspiration and resiliency. Henry,a tiger-striped tabby, survived an injuryas a kitten that required his left frontpaw to be amputated at the shoulder.Tink was born minus front legs as a re-sult of puppy mill over breeding.

Undaunted by their physical limita-tions, Henry has become a cat celebritywith his own website (www.henrys-world.org). Named the ASPCA Cat ofthe Year in 2010, he has been featuredin books, classroom activity work-sheets, educational puppets and even amotivational song aimed at children ofall ages and people facing some of life’stoughest challenges. And he is quite ca-pable of effortlessly soaring from thefloor and landing lightly on a counter-top.

The upbeat Tink quickly learned tobounce on her chest to move at a sur-prisingly fast pace before being fittedwith a customized cart than enables her

to wheel around with ease. You shouldsee her cornering prowess.

The pair met a few years ago andhave been fast friends ever since. Theycuddle, play chase and enjoy hide-and-seek. So much for that “fight like catsand dogs” adage.

Their story is captured – and capti-vating – in new, beautifully illustratedbook called, Henry and Tink: A Re-markable Romance. The Love Story ofA Three-Legged Cat and a Two-LeggedDog. Chronicling this unlikely friend-ship is Henry’s pet parent, Cathy Con-heim, of La Jolla with an assist from herwriting partner, BJ Gallagher, of LosAngeles.

Recently, I invited Conheim, a long-time psychotherapist, to be a specialguest on my Oh Behave Show on PetLife Radio to share some of the “kibble

for thought” that Henry and Tink con-vey in the pages of their book. To tunein, please go to www.petliferadio.com/behave.html and scroll to her specificepisode.

Among the life lesson they teach us:• Everyone is special in his or her own way.• Love comes when you least expect it.• Hard things happen.• Open your hearts and minds to new things.• Play the hand (or paw) you’re dealt in life.

“Their love story is about acceptanceand not seeing differences in others asbeing good or bad,” says Conheim, wholightheartedly describes her official roleas cat scribe.

Conheim has distributed thousandsof copies of this book and other Henry-

H BdD 5FOUR LEGGED LIFE


Founder of Four LeggedLife.com and creator ofNational Dog Party Day,Arden Moore is an ani-mal behavior consultant,best-selling author, pro-fessional speaker andcertified pet first aidinstructor. Tune into her

Oh Behave! Show on Pet Life Radio and enroll inher pet first aid classes to earn certification. Formore information, please visit www.four-leggedlife.com, www.petfirst aid4u.com andwww.petliferadio.com/behave.html.

themed books in English and Spanishto children coping with poverty, dis-ease and adjusting to disabilities inthemselves or their military parentswho have returned injured from war.She is making available the books atcost to any non-profit organization andhas donated copies to schools.

And, in celebration of Valentine’sDay, she is giving away autographedcopies of the Henry and Tink book tofive lucky readers of this column whoemail me ([email protected])with the subject header: Henry andTink.

“We are not book sellers; we are heal-ers and educators wanting to make adifference,” says Conheim. “Animalslike Henry and Tink are great teachersbecause they are fully present beings.They don’t seem to dwell on the past.They simply move on.”

Genuine love comes in many shapes– just ask a special three-legged cat anda two-legged dog.

All three books can be picked up atBurns Drugs in La Jolla


Once in a while in life we en-counter what is euphemisti-cally called a “Win-win

situation.” They’re rare, but they doexist. The Helen Woodward AnimalCenter’s Pet Encounter Therapy (PET)program has become the epitome ofWin-Win for everyone involved; volun-teers, seniors, health care professionals,sick and injured children, veterans,nursing and assisted living facilities andeven animals.

Quite a list, but it’s all true.For over thirty years PET has brought

suitable animals to nursing homes, hos-pitals and care facilities in upper SanDiego County. Dogs, rabbits, guineapigs, reptiles and one particularly pre-cocious Cockatoo, have, through theirwonderful gift of unconditional loveand affection brought smiles to thefaces of thousands of people of all ageswho have found little to smile about intheir lives.

“PET started in the 1980s,” said RobinCohen, a San Diego native and man-ager of the program. “At first it wasn’tvery well received, as a lot of health carepeople thought dogs were dirty anddidn’t really provide any therapeutic

value. But one skilled nursing facilitydid try it out and they found that ani-mals could reach out to sick, injured,mentally ill and depressed patients bet-ter than humans.’

Cohen, a warm-hearted and spiritedwoman with a degree in cultural an-thropology started working at HelenWoodward exactly 21 years ago. “Iwent right out of college,” she said. “Ifell in love with this place and neverlooked back.”

Cohen is the only HWAC employeein the PET program. “We have about 65volunteers,” she said. “About half havetheir own dogs, which we take to vari-ous facilities in San Diego and the restwork with smaller animals, the rabbits,

guinea pigs and so on.”Asked about how much of the county

the PET program covers, she explained,“It’s actually based on how long the an-imals can comfortably ride in a vehicle.About half an hour is best. We go downinto the city, east as far as La Mesa, upto Escondido, and west to Oceanside.It’s a big rectangle. When I first startedwe did about 17 visits a month, but nowwe do more than forty.”

“It’s really grown, and we work withchildren, psychiatric clients, peoplewith Alzheimer’s, active duty military,women dealing with high-risk preg-nancy, anywhere that people need thatlove, and can’t have it in their lives be-cause they are physically or emotion-

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

OF THE BEST KIND

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

OF THE BEST KINDB y M A R K C A R L S O N | S A N D I E G O P E T S

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ally unable to care for an animal, we tryto provide that for them.”

Cohen related some of the encoun-ters. “At one local skilled nursing facil-ity, a 90-year old woman who had novisitors and didn’t communicate withstaff or anyone. But when we came inwith the dogs, she brightened, reachedover the bed rail and petted the dogs allthe time we were there. She only hadeyes for the dogs.”

The love dogs can bring is to be ex-pected but PET also uses a beautifulUmbrella Cockatoo named Harriet. Atforty years of age with lovely whiteplumage and a feather crest that wouldmake Louis XVI jealous, Harriet hasfound a special place in the hearts of herhuman friends.

At a skilled nursing facility Cohen,carrying Harriet, found a group of sen-iors in wheelchairs. “I went around thegroup, letting them meet Harriet andtelling them about her. Then onewoman, who hadn’t shown me any in-terest, reached out to pet the bird. Soonshe was smiling and laughing. Anotherwoman leaned close to me and said ‘I’venever seen her smile or laugh before.Thank you for doing that for her.’ Thatwas one of my best visits to that facility,”Cohen said with evident emotion.

“Harriet is wonderful with people

sisted Therapy only means dogs. Butsome people have allergies or fear sowe began looking at other species thatwould love the work as much as we do.We try to have a variety so we can findthe perfect fit. If not a dog, then maybea rabbit or guinea pig will work.”

One mother with an autistic daugh-ter wanted to see if an animal wouldhelp her daughter when no other ther-apy had succeeded. The daughtershowed no sign of recognition orawareness when the PET team arrived.Cohen had recently read about awoman who worked with autistic chil-dren using Llamas. “Children rub theirbare feet on the llama’s fur. I suggestedwe try it with her daughter,” she said.“So we placed her feet on the dog’sback. After a few moments she startedmoving her feet through his soft fur.Then she looked at me. Her parentssaid she never made eye contact withanyone.” The girl then petted a rabbitand a miniature horse, which she thenhugged, and finally, another dog. “Thenshe placed her hand on my cheek. Herfather told me that was how she said‘Thank you.’”

PET is free to all non-profit organiza-tions. For profit facilities are charged anegligible fee. “We just ask for gasmoney, so to speak.”

HWAC President Mike Arms hadthis to say: “It is clear that our missionis all about people helping animals andanimals helping people. The lives thatthe animals touch through this programexemplify the unconditional love theyhave for humans.”

PET is one of the most successful atHWAC. Cohen has helped to spreadthe word to other cities and hopes itwill catch on. It’s well worth lookinginto and supporting, as all ‘Win-win’situations are.

who have paralysis. You can’t lift a 70pound Golden Retriever to someone’scheek. Since she’s so light she stands ontheir chest and rubs her head and crestunder their chin. She makes a clickingsound. That’s her way of purring. She isso delightful and loving and intimate, itreally is a high for the people we visit.”

“On one visit Harriet and her handlerwere walking down a hallway. A nursecalled them and asked for a specialvisit. One of her clients had become al-most completely paralyzed in an acci-dent and was terribly depressed andunresponsive. The nurse thought Har-riet would cheer him up. When theyreached his bed his eyes lit up and hestarted to laugh at Harriet’s antics. Sheloves the attention and really hams itup. Then we placed her on his chestnext to his cheek so he could feel her.He started to cry, slowly rubbing hisface and tears onto her soft feathers.She whispered little noises into his ear,”Cohen smiled. “They had quite a con-versation. That beautiful bird was ableto bring him a moment of joy and al-lowed him to release his emotions. Sheunderstood and was his friend.”

Harriet’s diet is often a topic formirth. “Guess what her favorite foodis?” Cohen asks. “Spaghetti! I guess thatmakes her a Pastatoo,” she giggled.

Active duty military, young men andwomen with PTSD sometimes will in-teract better with animals, and trustthem. Animals don’t judge, they won’task questions. They accept people forwhat they are. Dogs are great for this.They don’t care where you came fromor what you did, they just say, ‘Hi, okay,pet me!’ Harriet loves soldiers,” shelaughed.

Asked about other animals, Cohenexplained, “People assume Animal As-

Mark Carlson visits the Hellen WoodwardAnimal Center. Photo by Jane Carlson

H BdD 5 PET THERAPY


You will hear sounds of laughtercoming from the Toby WellsAnimal & Nature Room at The

Arc of San Diego’s Sulpizio FamilyCenter. Throughout the week adultswith disabilities attending the DayProgram are given the opportunity tointeract with their three guinea pigs:Butterscotch, Oreo, and Sullivan.

These cherished piggies bring morethan just joy to their caregivers; theyalso provide a therapeutic relationshipto approximately 125 people at theCenter who have disabilities such asDown syndrome, cerebral palsy, andautism.

Seeing, touching, and hearing theguinea pigs provides a unique sen-sory experience for Day Programparticipants. Not only do these furryfriends provide stimulation for themind, but they touch the heartstringsas well. In addition to the therapeutic

aspect of having these squeaky compan-ions, participants also learn importantskills such as caring for, feeding, andcleaning up after their pets.

Program participants even tend araised garden at the Sulpizio FamilyCenter where they grow their ownorganic vegetables to feed the cuddlycavies.

“Having the guinea pigs greatlyenriches the lives of the people weserve. I have witnessed major sensoryimprovements because of the specialbond our program participants sharewith these pets,” says Melanie McCoy,

Area Director of Sulpizio Family Center.The Arc of San Diego is one of the

largest, most comprehensive serviceproviders for people with disabilities inSan Diego County, serving over 2,500children and adults with disabilitiessuch as mental retardation, autism,cerebral palsy, and Down syndromeeach year. For more information on TheArc of San Diego, please visitwww.arc-sd.com. Join The Arc of SanDiego’s social media community onFacebook at www.facebook.com/TheArc-SanDiego and follow them on Twitter@TheArcSanDiego.

Wee Companions Bridging The Arc

H BdD 5THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG


Some readers may remember theold 1970s phrase ‘If you lovesomething set it free; if it comes

back it’s yours, if not it was never yoursto begin with.’

Sometimes, without any forethoughtor planning on our part, things have away of working out for the better. Andall it takes is to do the right thing.

This story is about a neighbor of mine,Crystal Rienick, a high school literatureteacher who works in Valley Center.Crystal and her husband Jameson havea perky, active 8-year old MiniaturePinscher named Pippin. Crystal, alovely, ebullient and free-spiritedwoman who loves all animals consid-ered getting a second dog as a com-panion for Pippin.

About two weeks before Christmas,she was driving home from work, pass-ing through Escondido, when she saw aChihuahua running loose on the street.Being a dog lover, she acted immedi-ately to rescue the frightened dog.

“So, of course,’ she said, “I flipped aU-turn and spent fifteen minutes tryingto coax him over to grab him. He hadno tags, and when I took him to our vet,they found no chip. I took him homeand he immediately began to sniff andpee on everything I owned. I couldoverlook this, however, due to theamazing fact that he and Pippin hit itoff instantly.”

Crystal brought the Chihuahua overto meet us, that is, Jane, myself, and ourYellow Labradors Musket and Saffron.She said in a grave voice, “We have aproblem.” She put the dog in myhands. “Okay,” I replied, knowing ofCrystal’s sense of humor, “but what’sthis ‘we’ stuff?”

She explained about finding thedog on the street and intended to tryand find its owner, but it was obvious

she was already smitten with the littlecanine.

For the next few days, while onChristmas break she fell under the newdog’s charm. “I posted ‘Found Chi-huahua’ signs the next morning in thearea where I’d found him, but when Iheard nothing after two days I decidedto take him to the Escondido HumaneSociety because if I didn't take him rightaway I was going to keep him forever.“I had already fallen in love with him

and had named him Pickle.”“I learned I could pay the adoption

fee up front and if the owners didn'tclaim him, he would be ours; neutered,micro chipped and vaccinated.”

Yet fate intervened. “Pickle was withme on the way to the shelter. As I wascrossing Citrus Avenue my phone rang.‘Hello?’ It was a little girl who said shesaw my signs and believed I had her

SEE PICKLE, Page 22

If You Love Something, Set It FreeB y M A R K C A R L S O N | S A N D I E G O P E T S

A Little Furry Miracle Comes Home


BUSINESS LISTINGSList your Business, call (619) 573-5615

Four Legged LifePet event speaker Arden MooreDog/cat behavior consultsHost dog parties • (760) 433-3480www.fourleggedlife.com

County of San Diego Department of Animal Services(619) 767-2675 • www.sddac.com

Dog Beach Dog WashDo-It-Yourself•Service•Accessories4933 Voltaire St., San Diego, CA 92107(619) 523-1700 http://www.dogwash.com

California Veterinary Specialists 2310 Faraday Ave., Carlsbad, CA 92008,(760) 431-2273 • 7 days 24 hrs.www.CaliforniaVeterinarySpecialists.com

Kittycare La JollaProfessional Pet SittersExperience with Special Needs AnimalsCertified Pet First Aid & CPR(858) 352-6988 • [email protected]

dog, whose name was Spikey.”The girl described Pickle in perfect

detail. When Crystal said the nameSpikey he responded and she felt a lit-tle chill in her heart. “‘Where do youlive?’ I asked her. Citrus Avenue, shetold me. Almost within sight of theshelter, Crystal turned around anddrove to Citrus where she foundSpikey’s little owner waiting withopen arms. The little dog was ecstaticto see her.

“She thanked me and I made myretreat before the tears started.”

That might have been the end of it,but Crystal had been bitten hard bylittle Pickle’s tiny beating heart. “Ibegan my quest for a second dog.Pippin and Pickle got along so well. Hewas so damned snuggly and affection-ate. I wanted that, too. I began obsessingon Petfinder and the local shelter sitesuntil I knew all the dogs by sight. Igravitated to Min Pins and Chihuahuamixes trying to recreate the compati-bility with Pippin combined with thesnuggliness for me.”

Christmas was approaching and sheknew time was short. Once she andJameson were back at work acclimatinga new dog to the house would bealmost impossible. She wanted to behome to help smooth the way.

Three possible dogs were located atthat same Escondido Humane Societyshelter she had intended to take Pickle.

“On Christmas Eve I broke outmy laptop to show my family thepictures.”

Crystal, not one to leave any stoneunturned, scrolled down the page tosee if there had been any postings sinceshe’d last looked a week before.

“And what to my wandering eye didappear, than Pickle himself! It was him,I knew it instantly. Same markings,same colors. But now his name wasMr. Moose.”

“The shelter was closed on Christ-mas Day so I had to wait until the26th.” Unable to sleep, Crystal worriedif the little Chihuahua would still bethere when the shelter re-opened.

“We packed up Pippin and off wewent. The place was packed, and as wewaited we told our story to other hope-ful pet adopters. People were stunnedand excited for us. Finally we went outto the interaction yard. And there hewas. Pickle, without a doubt! He wasvery underweight, but he knew meright away. The shelter staff told me hehad been left there just three days afterI had returned him to his ‘family.’”

It didn’t take long for the new poochto feel at home. Crystal told me a fewdays later, “He has peed 23 times, onlyonce in the house, eaten too much, andhas been sleeping wrapped in blanketson my lap for hours.”

Crystal did the right thing andthe miracle came back home to livewith her.

PICKLECONTINUED FROM Page 21

MARK CARLSON, 51lives in San Diego with hiswife Jane and his Guidedog Musket. A docent atthe San Diego Air & SpaceMuseum and aviation his-torian, Mark writes forseveral national aviationmagazines. He is a fea-tured speaker for manylocal adult education pro-

grams. His first book, ‘Confessions of a GuideDog – The Blonde Leading the Blind’ is a hu-morous memoir about the adventures of lifewith Musket. It is available online at Ama-zon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and iUni-verse.com. You can reach Mark and Musketthrough www.musketmania.com.

SD House Rabbit Society(858) 356-4286www.SanDiegoRabbits.org

Puptown Doggy Daycare205 16th Street.San Diego, CA 92101(619) 234-5278 www.puptown.net

Project WildlifeWildlife Rehabilitation and Education887 1/2 Sherman Street, SD, CA 92110Wildlife Information Line 619-225-9453www.projectwildlife.org

The Total Dog, Swim & Gym3060 Industry St., Ste. 108Oceanside, CA • 760-721-1DOG (1364)www.mytotaldog.com

Pet First Aid 4 UDog and cat 1st aid, CPR classesHands-on training. Earn certificate.Throughout S.D. • (760) 433-3480www.petfirstaid4u.com

Leash Your FitnessFitness class for you and your DOG.Classes / events throughtout San Diego.619-822-3296http://www.LeashYourFitness.com


Pat Wright admits he was in thewrong when he mixed it up with stateFish and Game Commission inspectorswho tried to seize one of his pet ferrets.It’s illegal to keep ferrets in California(Hawaii, too), and Wright could havespent as long as six months in a countyslammer, forking over as much as$1,000 in fines on top of it. He figures hegot off easy, then, with his 17 days in stiron a misdemeanor brandishing charge.

But for Wright, who owns three fer-rets, it’s the principle of the thing. TheLa Mesa resident insists that the cur-rent crop of laws creates an undeserv-ing criminal class, and he’s ready totake his fight to people in high placesthrough a petition drive aimed at re-versing the sanctions. Ferrets makeperfectly fine pets, Wright asserts—butmore than that, they’re central figuresin a silly battle that diminishes respectfor the law.

Fish and Game outlaws keeping of theferret, a member of the weasel family,amid claims that the animal would mul-

tiply if let out in the wild, thus becom-ing feral and possibly threaten nativewildlife. The restrictions, first imposed in1933, cite problems in New Zealand,where ferrets prey on open land and areconsidered pests.

“I don’t think that’s the reason theyprohibit them,” Wright said. “It’spurely politics. It’s a power play on thepart of the Fish and Game Commission,who have no empathy with pet ownersbecause they’re interested in huntingand fishing. The big struggle within theFish and Game Commission is betweenthe environmentalists and the huntinglobby. Neither of them are too keen onferrets, for very different reasons.

“Another reason is that, in California,unless you’re a special interest, you re-ally don’t get a seat at the table.”

In 2004, former Gov. ArnoldSchwarzenegger (whose 1990 movieKindergarten Cop had a ferret as a co-star) vetoed a ferret amnesty bill de-spite advocates’ efforts four yearsbefore. The matter hasn’t come under

discussion on the state level since. Thestate’s ferret pet population couldtotal as many as 1 million.

That’s why Wright, 54, founded Fer-rets Anonymous and sued the Fish andGame Commission over the issue in alosing cause. These days, he cites a 2010Cal State, Sacramento environmentalimpact report that refutes the commis-sion’s findings and maintains a signa-ture drive to legalize ferrets in the state.He needs 25,000 supporters by Feb. 5 inorder to catch the White House’s atten-tion (President Obama’s staff has prom-ised to review issues for whichadvocates can garner 25,000 signaturesin 30 days). As of Jan. 16, he said, he hasless than one-tenth that number.

But pressing ahead is the key, andWright has pledged to do so throughlegal channels should the petition drivefall short.

For more information on the effort,please visit legalizeferrets.org.

La Mesa man ferrets out informationamid signature drive to overturn law

B y M A R T I N J O N E S W E S T L I N | S A N D I E G O P E T S

H BdD 5 COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE


Emergency HospitalsBONITA/CHULA VISTAPet Emergency & SpecialtyCenter of South County (619) 591-4802885 Canarios Court, #108, Chula Vista, CA 91910 www.PESCSanDiego.com

CARLSBADCalifornia Veterinary Specialists(760) 431-2273 2310 Faraday Ave., Carlsbad, CA 92008, 7 days 24 hrs.www.CaliforniaVeterinarySpecialists.com

ENCINITASVCA North Coast Veterinary & Emergency (760) 632-1072 414 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas, CA 92024, www.VCANorthCoast.com

ESCONDIDOAnimal Urgent Care of Escondido (760) 738-9600 2430-A S. Escondido Blvd., Escondido, CA 92025, 7 Days 24 hrs. www.AUC.US.com

KEARNY MESA/CLAIREMONTAnimal ER of San Diego (858) 569-06005610 Kearny Mesa Road, San Diego, CA 92111 M-F 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. Sat. Sun. 24 hrs.

LA MESAPet Emergency & Specialty Center (619) 462-4800 5232 Jackson Drive #105, La Mesa, CA 91942, 7 Days 24 hrs.www.PESCSanDiego.com

MISSION VALLEYVCA Emergency Animal Hospital & Referral Center (619) 299-24002317 Hotel Circle South, San Diego, CA 921087 Days 24 hrs.www.VCAEmergency.com

MURRIETACalifornia Veterinary Specialists(951) 600-9803 25100 Hancock Ave. #116, Murrieta, CA 92562, 7days 24 hrs.www.CaliforniaVeterinarySpecialists.com

POWAYAnimal Emergency Clinic (858) 748-738712775 Poway Road, Poway, CA 92064 M-F 6 p.m. to8 a.m. Sat. Sun. 24 hrs.www.AnimalEmergencySD.com

SAN MARCOSVeterinary Specialty Hospital(760) 466-0600 2055 Montiel Road, Suite 104, San Marcos, CA 92069www.vshsd.com

SORRENTO VALLEYVeterinary Specialty Hospital(858) 875-750010435 Sorrento Valley Road., San Diego, CA 92121 7Days 24 hrs.www.VSHSD.com

Animal Shelters & Humane SocietiesACCEPT STRAYS & HAVE ADOPTIONBAY PARK/MISSION VALLEYCounty Animal Services5480 Gaines St., CA 92110 (619) 767-2675www.sddac.com Hours: Tues-Sat 9:30am to 5:30pm

BONITACounty Animal Services5821 Sweetwater Road, CA 91902 (619) 767-2675www.sddac.com Hours: Tues-Sat 9:30am to 5:30pm

CAMP PENDLETONCamp Pendleton Animal Shelter4th St. Area 25 Bldg. 25132 CA 92054 (760) 725-8120

CARLSBADCounty Animal Services2481 Palomar Airport Road, CA 92011 619) 767-2675www.sddac.com Hours: Tues-Sat 9:30am to 5:30pm

CHULA VISTACity of Chula Vista Animal Shelter 130 Beyer Way, CA 91911 (619) 691-5123www.cvacf.org Hours: Sun & Mon Closed, Tue-Fri 9:30am-5pm Sat. 9:30am-4pm

CORONADOAnimal Care Facility1395 First Street, Coronado, CA 92118 (619) 522-7371Hours: 7 days 9am-4:30pm

EL CAJONCity of El Cajon Animal Shelter 1275 N. Marshall Ave., CA 92020 (619) 441-1580Hours: Tues-Sat 10am to 5:30pm

ESCONDIDOEscondido Humane Society 3450 E. Valley Parkway, CA 92027 (760) 888-2275 www.EscondidoHumaneSociety.comHours: 7 days 10am to 5pm

OCEANSIDESan Diego Humane Society-North (For dogs)2905 San Luis Rey Road, CA 92058 (619) 299-7012www.SDHumane.org Hours: 7 days 10am-4pm

San Diego Humane Society-North (For cats )572 Airport Road, CA 92058 (619) 299-7012www.SDHumane.org Hours: 7 days 10am-4pm

ACCEPT OWNER RELINQUISHED ANIMALSBAY PARK/MISSION VALLEYSan Diego Humane Society-San Diego Campus5500 Gaines Street, CA 92110 (619) 299-7012 www.SDHumane.org Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-6pm Sat-Sun 11am-5pmEL CAJONFriends of Cats15587 Olde Highway 80, CA, 92021 (619) 561-0361www.FriendsofCats.org Hours: Tues-Sun 10am to 4pm

ENCINITASRancho Coastal Humane Society389 Requeza Street, CA 92024 (760) 753-6413 www.sdpets.orgHours: 11am -5pm every day except Tues. 11:30am-5pm

RANCHO SANTA FEHelen Woodward Animal Center 6461 El Apajo Road, CA 92067 (858) 756-4117 www.AnimalCenter.org Hours: 7 days 11am to 6pmSPRING VALLEYNational Cat Protection Society9031 Birch Street, CA 91977 (619) 469-8771www.NatCat.org Hours: Tue.-Sat. Noon to 5pm

A Passion For Paws (Akita Rescue)(818) 925-4827www.AP assionForPaws.orgBaja Dog Rescue(619) 407-9372www.bajadogrescue.org The Barking Lot(619) 796-2253www.thebarkinglot.netCat Adoption Service(760) 550-2287www.sdcats.orgChihuahua Rescue of San Diegowww.ChihuahuaRescueofSanDiego.comForgotten Paws Animal Rescuewww.forgottenpaws.orgGerman Shorthaired Pointer Rescuewww.GSP-Rescue.orgGreyhound Connectionwww.GreyhoundConnection.orgIndependent Therapy Dogs, Inc.https://sites.google.com/site/idtdinc/It’s The Pits (Specializing in the Bully Breeds)(858) 484-0985Last Chance at Life All Breed Animal Rescue(760) 433-3763 x224 (Schedule an appointment)www.lastchanceatlife.orgList Srv 4 Therapy Dog [email protected] Arms Rescue(760) 470-7643www.openarmsrescue.orgOperation Greyhound(619) 588-6611www.OperationGreyhound.comPaws of Coronado(619) 522-7371www.PawsOfCoronado.orgPit Bull Rescue of San Diego(858) 693-7331www.PitBullRescueSanDiego.comRescue House(760) 591-1211www.rescuehouse.orgSan Diego House Rabbit Society(858) 356-4286www.SanDiegoRabbits.orgSan Diego Spaniel Rescue(619) 922-0545www.sdsr.orgSan Diego Turtle & Tortoise Society(619) 593-2123www.SDTurtle.orgSecond Chance Dog Rescue(619) 721-DOGS (3647)http://secondchancedogrescue.orgUpward Dog Rescue(858) 345-24-34www.upwarddogrescue.orgWestie Rescue of California(619) 579-6395www.WestieRescueCA.comWee Companions(619) 934-6007http://WeeCompanions.org

Rescue & Adoption

H BdD 5PET PRESS


A Good Samaritan found Nana afterthe 3-year old Border Terrier had beenattacked by an animal, presumably acoyote. Suffering from wounds on herneck and side, Nana required urgentmedical care. After the San Diego Hu-mane Society’s medical staff providedemergency treatment for her bitewounds, as well as multiple surgicalprocedures, the sweet dog was finallyable to begin the slow process of healing,both physically and emotionally. De-spite all that she had been through,Nana’s ability to give and receive lovehad not been injured.

Sweet Nana (now named “Ayla”) wasadopted just in time for the holidays andshe’s finally enjoying the life she de-

serves with a new loving family..."We are so happy with our little

friend! She has instantly become a mem-ber of the family. We love her like shehas always been here and she seems tobe adjusting so well. We haven't had anyproblems or concerns thanks to all the

wonderful people who cared for herwhile she was with you. We can't thankeveryone enough for all the love andtime that was given to her. Can youplease tell everyone how happy she isand especially how happy we are withour new family. Thank you.”

About the San Diego Humane Society and SPCAThe San Diego Humane Society offers SanDiegans a wide range of programs and servicesthat strengthen the human-animal bond, pre-vent animal cruelty/neglect, provide medicalcare and educate the community on thehumane treatment of animals. More informa-tion can be found at: www.sdhumane.org.

Cardiff-by-the-Sea, a North County village south of Encinitas, isa case in point amid a land repurposing project that, to turn a

phrase, puts everything into place.It started with the nonprofit Scrumptious Schoolyards, which

local educators created in 2012 to promote outdoor-oriented inter-ests for students. The group started a food garden project at CardiffElementary School on a plot of land adjacent to a gated area fordogs. It became apparent that the layout defeated both purposes.Looming over the garden was a lone tree whose generous shadewould provide a welcome option for playful dogs. While across theway, the sun-drenched digs of the dog park would make better senseas a place to plant seeds.

That’s when Dirty Dogs, a local boutique pet supply chain, wentto work. With the help of parents and other locals and upwards of$20,000, it spearheaded a project that involved swapping out theland, resulting in an off-leash dog park whose 1,600 square feetsports an AstroTurf walkway, a new fence and sprinkler system and,of course, the tree.

Riley Bandy, Dirty Dogs marketing director, said the park has be-come more than a place for pets to congregate.

“It’s almost brought that community together,” he explained.“You go by that dog park in the morning, and there are all these peo-ple out there with their coffee, and their dogs are running. If fami-lies have kids, the other thing they have is dogs, and of course, weare a very family-focused business, so this was a great opportunity.

“One of the other things this project has done,” Bandy continued,“is show that there’s a need in the community for more fundraisingactivities. There are so many different organizations that are trying

to do things, and they don’t always have the funds to do them.” Accordingly, Dirty Dogs hosts a series of dog-wash funding ef-

forts in which group members themselves spruce up the animals,keeping the bulk of the money they raise for their causes. Recently,a group from Encinitas’ San Dieguito Academy raised $850 to go to-ward a spay and neuter campaign.

For its part, Dirty Dogs partially funded the dog park reclama-tion project with a sale of commemorative bricks.

Meanwhile, the garden peacefully co-exists with the park in asmall but important merger between local visionaries and a busi-ness interested in the same goal.

“The [dog park] project,” Bandy said, “was a great opportunity forus not just to get to know these really active community members butalso to establish ourselves as a business that’s interested in helping.”

— MARTIN JONES WESTLIN

Land swap benefits kids and dogs

HAPPILY EVER ADOPTED STORIES

Pets have a way of bringing families together,even when the family is an entire community.


CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

February is National Pet Dental Health MonthThursday, February 7, 2013Chihuahua Rescue EventDogTV is sponsoring a Chihuahua Res-cue event in conjunction with ChihuahuaRescue of S.D. from 6pm to 8pm at Sallyand Henry's Doghouse Bar and Grill.www.sallyandhenrysdoghouse.com/events

Saturday, February 9, 2013Valentine Photo ShootImages by Kara is offering an exclusivediscount for a professional Photo Shootwith Your Furry Friend on Feb. 9th from2pm-7pm at Sally and Henry’s Dog-house Bar and Grill.www.sallyandhenrysdoghouse.com/events

Sunday, February 10, 2013Puppy Love 5KHelen Woodward Animal Center’s 4thAnnual Puppy Love 5K Run/Walk is justaround the corner! Join us for this fun-filled, heart-healthy event.www.PuppyLove5k.Kintera.org

Tuesday, February 12, 2013Mardi Paws ParadeSupporting the Helen Woodward Animal

Center. Come celebrate the festive occa-sion with HWAC. Please visit the websitefor more information.www.animalcenter.org/MARDIGRAS

Tuesday, February 12, 2013Mardi Gras PartySally and Henry’s Doghouse Bar and Grillwill bring out the true meaning of cele-brating Mardi Gras from 5pm to 2am inthe comfort of their bar and grill, as wellas, their exterior dog patio and dog park.www.sallyandhenrysdoghouse.com/events

Thursday, February 14, 2013Speed Dating with yourFurry FriendOn Valentine’s starting at 7pm at Sallyand Henry’s Doghouse Bar and Grill of-fers an intimate atmosphere to havemore meaningful exchanges. Speeddaters and their pets will get to spendfive minutes with others to exchangepitches and see if the stars align. www.sallyandhenrysdoghouse.com/events

Saturday, February 23, 20135K Paw Walk in the GardenBenefiting Rancho Coastal Humane Soci-ety and the San Diego Botanic Garden.www.encinitas5kpupwalk.eventbrite.com

Saturday, February 23, 2013The Morris Cancer K9 WalkAll dog lovers are invited to walk withtheir dogs to celebrate the life of theircanine best friend or to walk in memoryof dogs that have lost their battle withcanine cancer. Join San Diego PetsMagazine at the expo area during thecelebration after the walk.www.MorrisAnimalFoundation.org/sandiegowalk

Saturday, February 23, 2013Doga YogaInstructor Stephanie Knox leads ses-sions from 10-11 a.m. weekly.www.sallyandhenrysdoghouse.com/events

Sunday, March 24, 2013Paws in the ParkJoin the Escondido Humane Society atKit Cason Park to celebrate the bondbetween people and their pets.www.escondidohumanesociety.org

April 5-7, 2013Reality RallyReality Rally is weekend of "Fun for Funds"for www.michellesplace.org, a breast can-cer resource center in Temecula.www.realityrally.com

H BdD 5MARKETPLACE


Be Your Pet’s Health Ally!

760-433-3480www.petfirstaid4u.com

Pet First Aid/CPR classes

san diego pets magazine, february 2013

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