Lose Somebody?

We interrupt this post to bring you today's stray dog report. This little guy followed Boz home but ran away when I tried to lure him into the yard with treats. We saw him again when we walked in a different part of the neighborhood. This time, with Boz as a lure, a couple of kids invited the little guy into their cat carrier, where he seemed calm and willing. No collar, no tags. Looks to be a male Chihuahua mix. He's on his way to the Pasadena Humane Society because those kids and their mom are heroes.

About, oh, ninety seconds after our Chihuahua friend was dispatched, Boz and I saw this beauty. I believe it's a female but can't be sure. S/he wouldn't let us near. No collar, no tags. I almost thought she was a coyote but on second look that was only because she was scruffy from being on the loose. I wish I could tell you where s/he's headed. Last seen in the vicinity of Mountain and El Molino.

A collar, tags and chip costs about $25 and very little heartache.

Good Souls

This is Boz. We're not sure of his history but after having lived with him for 7 1/2 years I can tell you it was probably something like this: he was loved and well treated. One day, someone left a gate open or a door unlatched. Boz got out and wandered. Dogs are like that. They're innocent creatures. They don't know it's dangerous out there. They just want a little adventure.

Boz (or whatever his name was then) didn't have a nametag and he didn't have a chip. He got lost. He got scared. Luckily, a good soul found him. Luckily, he ended up in a no-kill shelter. Lucky for him and lucky for us. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but we're madly in love with him.

A good soul put up signs in my neighborhood today:

I don't know this little guy's name. If you do, that's lucky for both of you. Please call the Humane Society at 626-792-7151 and claim him. Then get him chipped. Put a collar on him with your phone number on it. Then give him a kiss and be happy you're both so lucky.

Which brings me to Keera.

I wish I'd thought to post about Keera before, but the other dog's poster is what made me think of her. Keera's signs have been up in the hood for a few weeks. The part of the story I know is that her owner's home was broken into, and in the melee she ran out the door and disappeared. Rumor has it she was last seen in Altadena, but rumor is a part of the story I don't know. Have you seen her? I keep hoping someone found her and took her in.

Maybe Keera wasn't meant to get out. The point is, you never know. A collar with your phone number (a few bucks at the pet store) and a microchip (about $10-$15), are for your dog's safety.

Dogs are such good souls. I hope you know these two and have a chance to be a good soul for them.

Pawsadena Star News

There's a lot going on in dog news today.

photo by Skye Moorhead

Remember Skye Moorhead, my photographer friend? She found Jersey, this young, female pit bull mix, abandoned in one of the studios in her complex. Jersey is, according to Skye, "sweeter than both my dogs put together...she happily let me clean her ears and give her a bath...cooperative and a snuggy bug... Mellow, social and smart, she is a joy to have around."

Skye says "in another life" she'd keep Jersey in a heartbeat, but she's already got two dogs and one of them's not tolerating the pup.

You always have a chance to adopt a dog from the Pasadena Humane Society, or Boxer Rescue, or a shelter in your area (and you should!). Today, you can adopt a dog from Skye. Email Skyez@earthlink.net.

Update: 6/25: Jersey's been spayed now, which makes her even more attractive!

Update 6/26: Jersey found a home! Skye says: "...perfect match on both sides. I saw them off this morning with a light heart."

I wanted Jersey, but I'm reminded that our Boz is getting old. He has four (yes) strategically-placed beds which can be moved according to his needs. He eats regular, healthy meals. He has full health coverage (our checkbook), play dates, daily walks, love, kisses and constant assurance that he's a good boy.

Boz achieved royalty late in life. Before he came to us he lived for more than a year in a cage in a shelter, and before that he got by somehow on the streets. Before that, we don't know. Boz is an alpha dog in only one place: our (his) home.

All we do for Boz is nothing compared to what he does for us. Pets can decrease your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, for one thing. And after seven years, Boz still manages to bring delight into our lives every day. Dogs are extremely entertaining. We don't even have TV anymore.

Which is the long way of saying, if you're thinking of adopting a dog, contact Skye and go visit Jersey. She just might be the right pet for you.

In other dog news, here's a new blog to love: it's called My Life With Tommy. Susan Campisi's straightforward, delicious writing about her adventures with her rescued pit bull, Tommy, is just plain addictive. I haven't missed a post.

They're Lucky They're Cute

Today's photo was taken in the wee hours by my neighbor. He's been having to patch up his yard every morning since a couple of raccoons discovered something delicious under his grass. You can see a bit of their handiwork behind the trap.

Those cute little animals tore my neighbor's lawn to shreds, yet the yards on either side weren't affected. These guys liked one yard and one yard only. My neighbor called the Pasadena Humane Society and rented a humane trap. He also got tips from PHS experts, who thought the problem might have to do with the fact that he'd recently put down new sod. Apparently, raccoons love the grubs and insects that come with new sod. A raccoon invasion can also have to do with watering lawns at night, which a lot of people are doing now due to our drought watering restrictions.

If you have a problem, check the PHS Wildlife Services page and click on Help With Opossum, Raccoons and Skunks for a .pdf full of useful information.

My neighbor is a nice guy, but he was frustrated after a few days of patching. The title of this post is a direct quote.

Update: The neighbors have caught a second raccoon. There are at least two more. It looks like a single group, not a continuing invasion, so they will catch and remove them all once then (hopefully) it'll be done. The family has named the first two Rocky and Rita.

Wiggle Waggle Walk

Here's an action-packed sporting event involving three happy dogs who don't have a care in the world, thanks to owners who love and care for them. That's Sprocket on the left, Jerry in the middle and Boz on the right. John and I adopted Boz a little over six years ago and he's been enhancing our lives ever since. He doesn't have much of a tail to waggle, but he finds myriad other ways to show his appreciation.

Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA's annual Wiggle Waggle Walk is coming up on Sunday, September 27th at Brookside Park. There you can join with animal lovers from miles around and raise funds to help the more than 11,000 animals (of all types) that the PHS cares for every year. The walk is schedule for 9am to 2pm.

The Pasadena Humane Society is a broad organization helping all kinds of animals. They even have Wildlife Services. I suspect the Station Fire has created a stronger need for those services now than ever before.

The Wiggle Waggle Walk is a fun way to support all of PHS's services, including animal adoptions, education programs, wildlife services and more. I'm sure it'll be an action-packed event that will help more animals live their lives without a care in the world, thanks to the people at Pasadena Humane Society who care so deeply for them.

Little Guy's Adventure

Boz and I found this little guy out gallivanting on Los Robles Boulevard. Literally. A nice little guy. Cute, too. His name? Hard to tell--no nametag, no phone number. He did have a Pasadena dog license, but the city license is only a 4-digit number. It didn't tell me much, and it was after hours. City offices were closed.

I can't leave an innocent dog hanging out in traffic if he'll come to me, and Little Guy came. He was well-mannered, clean and well-fed. He hadn't strayed far from home. My neighbor Brenden had a few minutes to drive over and bring me a leash. (Thank you for being a hero, Brenden!) Little Guy, Boz and I walked up and down knocking on doors for a while but no one recognized LG.

By the time we got to my house, Little Guy wasn't having fun anymore. He was scared. I tied him on the porch and gave him some water, leaving the door open while I fed Boz his dinner inside. Then I sat with my laptop to see if I could save myself a trip to the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA. If I couldn't, that was Little Guy's next stop.

Luckily, the PHS & SPCA was able to tell me where LG lived based on his Pasadena city license number. Luckily for the dog, that is. For me, let me just put it this way: my feet wouldn't hurt so much and I'd be a lot less irritated if Little Guy had been wearing a tag with his name and phone number on it. You can order them online from the Humane Society for $6.95. How hard can that be?

Anything else you want to know about pets, check out the Humane Society's great website. They've got all kinds of services: behavior classes, volunteer opportunities, books, and free and/or cheap spaying, neutering and microchipping. Do it! All of it! For the love and safety of your pet! For the goodwill of your neighbors!

On the website they also have photos and videos of beautiful, sweet, wonderful animals just waiting for you to take them home. With a nametag.

When you get them there, please make sure the fence is secure.

Nice Dog Digs

I've gotta be honest here, I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking at. But I think this could be the cleanest dog kennel ever.

I took this picture while exploring behind the Pasadena Humane Society in Edmondson Alley, which runs north to south paralleling Raymond Avenue.

Pasadena's Humane Society gets high marks for professionalism, cleanliness, high adoption rates and healthy, happy animals. Even knowing that I was surprised at how clean these cages looked when I peeked through a grating in the alley. What surprised me even more was how quiet it was. The cages must have been empty. Maybe they take the animals out when they clean the cages. I don't know, which is why I'm not sure what this is a picture of. If it's part of the Humane Society, wouldn't you think it would be packed? I'm under the impression they don't have a lot of extra space.

Whatever it is, it's clean. And the American flags and hanging ferns are a nice, decorative touch.

Update, 10:00pm: a couple of people mentioned they'd like to see this shot in black & white. It was nice of you to ask! Here it is below, with a little tweak to the contrast:

I Am Curious (Yellow)

In comments on a November post called Old Paint, Trish mentioned Edmondson Alley near the Pasadena Humane Society. She said there had once been " interesting painted walls back there that I am sure are gone now too."

Trish, the paint is gone but the walls are still interesting.

Commenters send me to all kinds of places. You may have sent me an email ages ago and thought I had forgotten. I haven't. I have a long list and a short schedule and I mean to get everywhere. I don't know if I'll manage it, but Pasadena has many corners and I'm still loving every minute I spend photographing them.

Thanks for your suggestions. They send me to discoveries.