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Who to believe? Do you think it was little jumping Reggie or “The big guy” Elmo?
Creativity on Fire
Who to believe? Do you think it was little jumping Reggie or “The big guy” Elmo?
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click un-mute button thing in lower right corner to add soundDogs have dozens of traits we love, although only a madman could love the sound of dog that won’t stop barking.
My dog Phoebe was not nearly in the incessant barking category, but she did have a flair for belting out a series of random barks at random moments, usually serene random moments during which a loud bark would make your head explode. In addition to shattering your skull, her random bark-fests have resulted in dropped dishes, ruined phone calls and nearly gave one of my friends a heart attack as a raucous ruff pierced through the cool morning air.
Using a bark correction collar had always been in the back of my mind, yet it stayed in the back. It’s not like neighbors were complaining or calling the police. Nor did Phoebe have a high-pitched, yippy bark that always sounds like a Yorkie being skinned. I just didn’t really have the $100 to shell out for the dinky electronic contraption that typically comes in the most hideous colors.
My guy agreed to pay half. I no longer had an excuse. We ambled on over to Pet Smart. [Read more…] about In praise of the bark control static correction device – just don’t call it a shock collar
Dog thefts are always sickening, but the English bulldog reportedly stolen Aug. 30 from the Mountain Vista Mobile Home Park is even more heartbreaking.
The dog, named Winston, is owned by Richard A. Gomez, who is currently serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. Winston was under the care of Richard’s mother, Rose Rangel, when the dog disappeared from the mobile home park, 4545 S. Mission Road.
“She’s overwhelmed with her adult daughter and grandchildren including newborn living with her and daily demands of work,” Rose’s coworker and dog lover Kate Hensman writes in an e-mail. “It only took a minute or two but Winston is gone. Don’t know if this is another sad story with no happy ending….”
Mix in more heartbreak with the fact that Winston, a 2-year-old neutered male, suffers from a chronic respiratory condition known as “foggy lungs” and needs regular medication. He also has folds beneath his eyes that need constant cleaning and attention and a slight ear infection.
If you have him, that’s a lot of work – and a lot of cash to take him to the vet. Why not just take him home?
Those who can, please keep an eye out for Winston and call Rose immediately upon sighting him.
Rose at home: (520) 449-0794
Rose at work: (520) 514-2704 ext. 275 (ask for Rose Rangel)
Please pass the word around to get Winston back home.
Thanks!
ryn.
Crawling away to hide is not an option – at least not for Tucsonan Rodney F. White. He refuses to give up even though his house burned down and he lost much of what he owned. Even though the fire killed his best friend Gracie.
Gracie was a dog, but no ordinary pooch. She was one of those special animals filled with enough spirit and love to even make a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s become playful and lucid when Gracie came to visit.
White, a lifelong photographer and longtime Mesquite Valley Growers employee, got the phone call Sunday morning while he was at work. He was told the cozy home he’s been renting for the past 11 years was on fire with a heat so intense that it blew out all the windows. “It’s bad,” the property manager told him over the phone.
“What about Gracie?” Rodney asked.
“It’s bad,” the manager repeated.
When he rushed back to the midtown abode, the place was still smoldering. Gracie’s body was wrapped in one of his work shirts and placed beneath a mesquite tree. Rodney pulled out the camera he had on him and began to take photos of the fiery wreckage.
“People are looking at me with my camera,” he said. “I told them it was my house and this is what I do.” He’s been hooked on photography since he received a camera for Christmas when he was about 9. The new camera he just bought was destroyed in the fire, as was the original camera that kicked off his passion some 50 years hence.
All of his electronics melted from the heat, but he’s hoping he can salvage his computer’s hard drive to retrieve the photos he recently took for a friend’s wedding. And the hundreds of photos of Gracie.
[Read more…] about RIP Gracie: When ugly things happen to beautiful Tucsonans (and their dog)
Dogs have a keen sense of humor, so it only makes sense they would be governed by a set of laws that are equally humorous, albeit in an ironic and twisted way.
Loosely based on Murphy’s Law for the human universe that tells us anything that can go wrong undoubtedly will, Murphy’s laws for dogs share the same clear-cut philosophy. As with any set of laws, some of the Murphy laws for dogs are broad enough to cover canines across the globe while others have regional variations that stick close to Tucson – literally. Such as the jumping cholla law.
No matter how small or carefully hidden a cactus patch may be, if one exists, the dog will find it. He will not find this aforementioned patch while sniffing softly and treading lightly, either. Said cactus patch will be found while he bolts off to chase a rabbit. The rabbit, of course, is familiar with the patch and hops merrily through the little non-needled nooks and crannies along a tiny, meandering path. The dog, of course, comes back with stickers in his tongue. The said cactus patch will be jumping cholla. The vet will inevitably be closed.
[Read more…] about Murphy’s laws for dogs: Guide for animal lovers in Tucson and beyond