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This gallery contains 12 photos.
Who doesn’t love a parade? Saturday, the dogs of Lakeside, a popular Muskegon neighborhood, celebrated “Spring into Lakeside” with a dog parade. Entrants registered at Sitting Pretty, a dog grooming salon on Lakeshore Drive. The free event was sponsored by … Continue reading
Finally, warm temperatures are ready to greet us in West Michigan, and it’s just in time for Saturday’s 12-hour adoption event and carnival at the Humane Society of West Michigan.
HSWM’s free annual event, which features games, events for kids and adoption specials, begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs until 10:30 p.m. Visitors can find great prices on animal adoptions, including $5 for cats older than six months and for small critters, and $25 for kittens from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
From 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., dogs can be adopted for just $45, while it’s “name your price” on cats, kittens and small critters. Other adoption specials will be worked into fun games, like “Guess the Weight of the Dog” and “Spin to Win with the Wheel of Savings.”
And while the goal is to get animals into forever homes, there also will be plenty of fun and educational opportunities. There are carnival games, an adoptable animals parade, “Rockin’ Rovers” and Zumba class.
At 4 p.m., the world’s tallest dog, Zeus, will be on hand to greet visitors. Zeus, a Great Dane from Plainwell, this fall was named the World’s Tallest Dog by the Guinness Book or Records. The gentle giant visited a kid’s camp at HSWM over Christmas break and was so popular, the staff is bringing him back for Saturday’s event.
At 7 p.m., former Army Captain Luis Carlos Montalván, who wrote the New York Times bestseller “Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him,” will talk about his book and his experiences. His best friend, and service dog, Tuesday, for whom the book is named, also will be on hand.
The evening with Montalvan requires tickets ($20) and copies of his book also will be available for purchase and signing. To order tickets, click here. .
Here’s a schedule of Saturday’s 12 hours of fun:
Adoption Specials:
When George Lewis passed away in Grand Rapids last Halloween, there was a small obituary in the local newspaper and online. It was a typical obit — it listed family members who preceded the 64-year-old in death as well as survivors.
George Lewis and his dog, Sheba.
It told readers the native of Port Washington, N.Y., was a veteran of US Navy, Vietnam Era. It gave the usual details of funeral services, and said he would be buried in Westbury, N.Y.
What Lewis’ obituary didn’t say was that he had a soft spot for animals, particularly dogs. It didn’t say that when he died, he would leave behind a $9,000 gift to help hundreds of animals in Kent County.
Lewis’ brother, Brett, contacted Kent County Animal Shelter program supervisor Carly Luttmann not long after George’s death. He explained that he had a donation he wanted to give to KCAS on behalf of his brother. But he wanted to make sure the gift would go to help animals. Luttmann assured him it would.
“When I found out how much the donation was, I was blown away,” Luttmann said. “It was a very generous donation, more than we generally get.”
Starting Monday, because of “George’s Fund” and a $9,956 grant from Michigan’s Animal Welfare Fund, KCAS will kick off a campaign that offers adoptions of dogs and cats at a reduced fee.
Dogs can be adopted from KCAS for just $50, plus the $12 licensing fee, and cats will be just $5. All animals will be spayed or neutered and up to date on all vaccines prior to adoption.
Mouse has been at Kent County Animal Shelter for two months and is available for adoption.
“I talked to Brett about how we used our grant from the Bissell Blocktail Party last year to offset the cost of adoptions and how much it helped us and the animals,” Luttmann said. KCAS was able to offer the same reduced adoption fees last fall during the ASPCA/Rachael Ray Challenge and ended up with hundreds of animals finding forever homes during the three-month challenge.
“I told him we could use the donation toward reducing the fees in the spring, when animal intake rises,” Luttmann said. “He said that sounded like a good way to use the money and that he’d be in touch in the spring. He called me back a couple weeks ago.”
Luttmann said she could hear Brett Lewis get a bit choked up over the telephone when she suggested the name “George’s Fund” for the donation and adoption drive.
“We’re estimating George’s Fund will cover the balance of the adoption fees for at least 150 animals,” Luttmann said. “Our goal is to encourage people looking for a pet to think about adoption first, before going to an alternate source. And we’re trying to make sure the animals in Kent County are vaccinated and spayed or neutered right off the bat.”
The reduced fees will be in place until the fund runs out, Luttmann said.
We’ve all wished our pets could talk to us. Well, sometimes they can. I became convinced of that last week after an incident involving my dad’s recently adopted Jack Russell terrier, Otto.
Otto, back at our house the day after surgery.
I talked Dad into adopting Otto, an adorable 10-year-old, from the Muskegon Humane Society. Dad already has a 12-year-old JRT, so he knows the breed. He wouldn’t have to go through usual trials and tribulations of raising a puppy: biting, chewing, “accidents.”
And Otto needed saving. He had been pulled from one of the few shelters in Michigan that still uses a gas chamber to euthanize dogs. He was rescued the day before he was scheduled to meet this horrible fate.
Otto also needed extensive dental work. We knew that going into the adoption, so I scheduled an appointment with Dr. James Moore at Harborfront Hospital for Animals in Spring Lake, who specializes in oral procedures for pets.
Otto’s surgery went well. Dr. Moore’s work included extracting several bad teeth, saving Otto’s one remaining canine tooth, reparation to areas of his gums and roots and, well, too much more to go into detail (since I can’t pronounce half of the words anyway). Dr. Moore himself was amazed that little Otto lived in such pain for so long.
We said our thank-yous and goodbyes, and Dad brought Otto home. All was well in Otto’s (and Dad’s world) until last week, when Dad left for his annual 10-day “trout camp.” No one brings rods, and no one fishes, but the trip is a good excuse for Dad and his friends to get together and camp up north. I had agreed to watch Otto at our home, since adopting him was my idea. Pup, his other JRT, was headed to my cousin’s house.
Otto met Gabbana Huffington during his first visit to Harborfront, when he required oral surgery.
The morning after Dad left, Otto appeared quite sad and a bit nervous. I was sure he was just missing Dad, who is retired and spends almost every second with his dogs.
Otto told me differently. He had an “accident” on our hardwood floors, just seconds after coming in from outside to do his business. When I went to clean it up, I noticed blood in the stool. I called Dr. Moore’s office, since it was nearby and they knew Otto’s brief medical history (there were no previous records, since Otto had been picked up as a stray).
They got me in within an hour and ran the stool sample to start eliminating what it might be. No intestinal parasites or typical problems related to blood in the stool appeared. Temperature was normal, heart and lungs sounded fine. But when Dr. Moore examined him further, pressing gently on areas of his body, it was clear Otto was in pain in the lower areas of his belly.
Dr. Moore instructed me to leave Otto … this would take X-rays and time. When he called an hour later, he said X-rays revealed a mass, likely on the spleen. He hoped it was the spleen, he said, because it’s an organ dogs really don’t need. If it was the liver or kidneys, we’d be in bigger trouble. Either way, surgery was required.
Dr. James Moore and his greyhound, Gabbi, at home.
(Patti Eddington photo)
Dad couldn’t be reached. He’s 75 years old, doesn’t have — or want — a cell phone, and doesn’t know how to use a computer. He trusts me to make the right decisions whenever I’m watching his dog or home. I, of course, told Dr. Moore to do whatever was necessary.
Otto, it turns out, had all sorts of issues. He was anemic. His red blood cell count was very low, his gums were beyond pale. He needed blood, pronto. Without it, he wouldn’t survive.
As fate would have it, Dr. Moore and his wife, Patti Eddington, happen to own a rescued greyhound, Gabbana Huffington, who hangs out at Harborfront every day. Greyhounds, I learned, are universal blood donors. That’s not why Dr. Moore and his wife got her, but I’m incredibly thankful they did.
Gabbi gave her blood, and Otto stabilized. Dr. Moore was able to remove the spleen, which was twice its normal size because of the massive tumor on it. I still don’t know whether the tumor is cancerous or benign, but I’m not concerned with that right now. The spleen, and the tumor, are gone.
Had he not been brought in that morning, Otto’s spleen would have ruptured by the end of the day and he would have died from internal bleeding, Dr. Moore said. Had Gabbi not donated her blood, Otto wouldn’t have made it through surgery.
When Gabbi’s not being a heroine, she’s a couch potato.
(Patti Eddington photo)
Otto is recovering at our home now, three days removed from surgery, and doing incredibly well. He clearly is in some pain from the surgery and whines a bit, but his color is great (his gums are nice and pink) and he prances around the yard as if nothing happened.
Dad will be shocked and amazed at the ordeal his little dog went through. By the time he returns from camp, Otto should be mostly recovered and have his stitches removed. Finally, little Otto can live out his years (hopefully he has a lot left) the way he should — in a loving home on 10 acres of woods, running and exploring things like a true terrier.
And, in my book, Dr. Moore and his beautiful greyhound Gabbi are heroes. I’m convinced that had they not done what they did, little Otto wouldn’t be sitting on the couch next to me right now. I am forever indebted to them.
And had Otto not “spoken” to me by doing his business in our dining room instead of outside, Thursday surely would have been a very dark day. Sometimes, instead of scolding, we just need to listen and pay attention.
It appears that once again the voices of Michigan voters won’t be heard. Remember the whole Right to Work legislation that was pushed through and signed by Gov. Snyder faster than you can say Escanaba? Recall that $1 million appropriation attached to the bills, ensuring there would be no statewide referendum on the matter?
The latest wolf population figures in the U.P. went from 687 to 658.
Well, it’s happening again. This time, the protection of wolves in Michigan is at stake. Despite more than 250,000 signatures gathered by state residents to get a referendum on the ballot in November 2014 to repeal a bill that adds wolves to the list of game species, a bill introduced in the state senate may undo the efforts of citizens fighting to protect wildlife.
Jill Fritz, Michigan state director for the Humane Society of the United States, sent me a fact sheet of what Senate Bill 288 means.
SB 288, introduced by Sen. Tom Casperson (R-38, Escanaba), allows the Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC), in addition to the legislature, to add animals to the list of game species (animals that can be hunted), Fritz’s explanation said. If the NRC makes such a designation, Michigan voters would be unable to reverse that decision because it is an act of a regulatory body and not the legislature. Sen. Casperson also included a $1 million appropriation in SB 288 for game and fish management. State law prohibits appropriations bills from being overturned by a voter referendum.
“The problem with SB 288 and the actions of the NRC is that they cannot be undone by voters,” Fritz told me. “We are working as hard as we can to get legislators to vote no. Despite the appalling lack of basic understanding of wolves, including their population, and behavior, and committee testimony that was overwhelmingly in opposition to it, the bill passed easily through the Senate Natural Resources, Environment, and Great Lakes Committee and will go to the Senate floor. While we hope that reason will prevail and that the Senate will reject SB 288, if they do not it will go to a House committee and eventually the House floor.”
Fritz said she’s holding out hope that, ultimately, legislators will have the good sense to listen to Michigan’s citizens and not allow the NRC to designate animals as game species.
In late March, a coalition of Michigan citizens, conservationists, Native American tribes, scientists and animal welfare interests turned in more than 253,000 signatures from Michigan voters to place Public Act 520, listing wolves as a game species, to a referendum vote. SB 288, introduced just two weeks after the submission of the signatures, would basically render those signatures useless.
“It’s a slap in the face to the many Michigan volunteers who stood out in the cold winter weather and spent their time collecting these signatures,” Fritz said. “It says their voices don’t count.”
Allowing wolves to be hunted as game species simply doesn’t make sense. Wolves just last year came off the protected list, and their population in the Upper Peninsula actually has dropped, from 687 to the most recent count of 658. Leading wolf scientists predicted that after decades of protection the state’s wolf population would stabilize on its own, which appears to be the case.
The wolf population is not exploding, and current laws already provide rights to farmers and dog owners to shoot and kill wolves attacking their pets or livestock. So why make killing them a sport?
A Department of Natural Resources proposal regarding the hunt set a quota of 43 wolves, down from its original proposal of 47 because of the estimated decrease in the wolf population. Does the DNR, the NRC or the state legislature see the purchase of licenses to kill 43 wolves for recreation as a money-maker for Michigan?
Remember back in 2006, when Michigan voters overwhelmingly said no to the hunting of mourning doves? All 83 counties voted against a ballot measure that would have allowed for sport hunting of mourning doves. Well, SB 288 would give the NRC the power to reverse that decision as well and include mourning doves as game species.
I’m not sure of the reasoning behind SB 288. But I do know that I’m against it. Not only am I anti-wolf hunting in our state, the bigger picture is even more disturbing. Using end-around tactics to get laws in place, and adding appropriations to ensure it never reaches voters, takes away our right, as citizens, to have our voices heard and our votes counted on the issue.
If you feel the same, contact your legislators and tell them so. Perhaps inundating them with phone calls, letters and emails will have an effect. Because clearly, something needs to be done.
Had a great time at Bow-Wows & Brews, a big fundraiser for C-SNIP, on Thursday night. The food was great, beer was flowing (although I don’t drink and didn’t partake, I was told by many the microbrews were tasty) and the “Heads or Tails” game to win prizes went over quite well.
There were a ton of silent auction items and several people took advantage of pet portraits shot by Grumpy Pups Pet Photography‘s Jennifer Waters. While we didn’t bring our dogs to the event, there were a TON of dogs at the DeltaPlex. In fact, we “borrowed” Shelley Irwin’s Jack Russell terrier, Petie, for a portrait and kept an eye on him while the WGVU Morning Show host helped to emcee the event.
But the best part of the evening, aside from raising funds for such a worthwhile cause, was seeing representatives from many of the other west Michigan non-profit organizations on hand to support C-SNIP.
Aside from the many staff and volunteers from C-SNIP, it was wonderful to visit with Trudy Ender and Jennifer Self-Aulgur of the Humane Society of West Michigan, Carly Luttmann, program supervisor of the Kent County Animal Shelter, and Cathy Bissell, whose Bissell Pet Foundation helps shelter animals nationwide.
Laurel Pruski, who is co-chair with Cathy Bissell for June’s Blocktail Party, was working the silent auction tables. She also is in charge of Mackenzie’s Bark at the Bob event on April 18.
Many other Grand Rapids organizations were on hand as well. It warmed my heart to see the collaboration of these organizations, who all are vying for fundraising dollars. Rather than thinking only of their own organizations, they banded together to support one another and, most importantly, to support the cause of helping prevent pet overpopulation and finding homes for shelter pets.
Next up on the big event calendar is HSWM’s Paws, Claws & Corks on March 25. For information or to purchase tickets, check out the HSWM website. It’s my hope the various non-profits will continue to offer support to each other. After all, united we stand. Right?
It’s a bittersweet day for anyone who has been involved in C-SNIP. It happens to be the last day of work for Pat Schoen, the organization’s executive director the past seven years.
C-SNIP co-founder Pam Olsen, left, and outgoing Executive Director Pat Schoen at the 2011 Bow-Wows & Brews event. (C-SNIP photo)
Schoen took over in 2006, when C-SNIP, the Community Spay and Neuter Initiative Partnership in West Michigan, moved from a mobile unit to its current building at 1675 Viewpond SE in Kentwood. The building was donated by Lois Levy and allowed C-SNIP to perform many more surgeries, including those on dogs.
About the time the doors to the new building opened, Schoen had taken early retirement from her previous job. She had planned to perhaps work part-time somewhere. But Pam Olsen, Betsy Pullen and Sue Carl, founders who founded C-SNIP in 2001, had other plans. Before she knew it, Schoen was in place as C-SNIP’s director and charged with taking the organization to the next level.
During her seven years there, C-SNIP has performed 75,773 spay/neuter surgeries on dogs and cats. All told, C-SNIP has “fixed” some 96,000 pets since its inception in 2001. Many pet owners couldn’t afford the surgery at their veterinarian, and C-SNIP has never turned away an owner for inability to pay for the procedure.
“I think that’s what I’m most proud of,” Schoen told me Thursday morning, her last day at work. “Through grants donations, we have been able to subsidize surgeries. We have never, ever, turned anyone away for lack of finances.”
Her swan song, so to speak, will be next week’s Bow-Wows & Brews event at DeltaPlex Arena in Grand Rapids. The event, from 6:30-10 p.m. on March 7 (that’s a Thursday), features sample microbrews, heavy Hors d’oeuvres (both vegan and traditional), silent and live auctions, raffle prizes and photos of your dog by Grumpy Pups Pet Photography‘s Jennifer Waters.
Bow-Wows & Brews is all about, food, beer, fun, dogs and a good cause. What’s not to love?
(C-SNIP photo)
Dogs are welcome, and encouraged to come with their owners. Tickets are $40 per person (with $28 tax deductible) or $75 for two ($51 tax deductible) and can be purchased through the C-SNIP website. (I purchased ours this morning and was amazed at how simple it was … it took me less than a minute!).
I checked out the list of items available in silent and live auctions, and a fun new event, “Heads of Tails.” It’s more like a game, and the last person standing wins a fabulous prize, including an iPad, certificates to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. The 50-plus silent auction items include lift tickets to Boyne Mountain, a weekend spa getaway and a kid’s birthday party for 10 at the Humane Society of West Michigan. Live auction bidding includes — get this — a trip to Chicago’s Wrigley Field worth $1,400.
If you’re a pet lover in West Michigan, I encourage you to attend Bow-Wows & Brews and help support the wonderful work C-SNIP and Pat Schoen have come to represent. Their efforts have prevented unwanted litters of puppies and kittens and have made a difference in our community.
“We have brought awareness to the absolute necessity to spay and neuter our pets by offering affordable services to people who otherwise could not afford it,” Schoen said. “We are seeing a reduction in our area of dogs, specifically, at the animal shelter and humane society.
“Cats still remain a big effort. The cat population continues to explode because of the ability of them to have several litters per year.”
Schoen and the C-SNIP staff have come up with various programs and specials throughout the years, including “Beat the Heat” with reduced fees for cats and kittens, and “Primp Your Pit,” which last summer offered reduced fees for those who brought their pit bull or pit bull mixes in for spay/neuter surgery.
C-SNIP is able to offer such specials and affordable surgeries thanks to grants from various organizations, notably the Bissell Pet Foundation and PetSmart Charities, and with the money it makes at its annual fundraising events, like Bow-Wows & Brews, Antiques Road Show and the C-SNIP Classic golf outing.
And while we’ll be saying good-bye to Pat at this year’s Bow-Wows & Brews (although she has “volunteered” for the golf outing committee), we also will be saying hello to C-SNIP’s new executive director, Kara Eagle. Eagle, a native of Grand Rapids, has nine years experience in non-profit administration, including five in animal rescue. She served a year on the board of directors at C-SNIP.
“I’m absolutely delighted with Kara,” Schoen said. “She is going to be able to take this organization further and she has the same passion and same approach. She’s very friendly and is very good working with people. She believes in the mission and we consider ourselves lucky. She already has a head start (from serving on the board).
“Because Kara is taking over, I have no problem walking away and don’t have to worry. The only think I have to worry about now is me.”
Traveling to New York City for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was a dream come true.
A Komondor has a little fun with its handler during Tuesday night’s Group judging at Madison Square Garden. (Mary Ullmer photo)
We certainly got our exercise since the breed judging for this year’s show was moved to Pier 92/94, a few miles from Madison Square Garden. Yes, we took the subway, but it was still quite a walk, not to mention all the walking at the Pier and the Garden!
Being surrounded by thousands of dogs and so many people who are passionate about dogs was priceless. And getting a couple of writing assignments for Stellafly‘s social media site topped it off.
The first of two stories I did for Stellafly was on judge Jay Richardson, who was selected for Group judging of the terriers!
To see the story and wonderful photos by Terry Johnston, click here.
Thanks to Laura Caprara for the assignment!
NEW YORK — I’ll admit it: I’m a terrier person. I love that they’re relatively small, feisty, funny, cute as the dickens and think the world revolves around them. When I learned the Russell terrier was joining the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this year, I was thrilled. It’s THE breed I had to see here.
A Russell terrier, Billie Jean, in the benching area before taking the ring. (Mary Ullmer photo)
I got my wish during Tuesday’s benching at Pier 92/94. Most of the terrier breeds, whose group is judged Tuesday night, were housed at Pier 92, and I was in terrier heaven. I got to meet several Russell terriers, and learned a great deal about them.
If you’re confused about the differences between a Jack Russell terrier, a Parson Russell terrier and a Russell terrier, well, there’s good reason. They basically are the same dog.
The main difference between the Parson Russell and Russell terrier is size. The Russells are quite a bit smaller, standing between 10 and 12 inches tall. The Parson Russell, ideally, is 13 to 14 inches at the highest point of the shoulder blade. Acceptable coats are smooth, broken or rough (think “scruffy”).
What about the Jack Russell, you ask? Again, it basically is the same dog. The main difference: Jack Russell terriers are registered with the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America (JRTCA) while Russell terriers and Parson Russells are American Kennel Club (AKC) registered. JRTCA members cannot be registered until they are at least a year old. AKC dogs are registered at birth.
There’s a reason the Parson Russell terrier looks a lot like a Russell terrier … but size matters. (Mary Ullmer photo)
JRTCA is more forgiving when it comes to breed standards for the Jack Russells. Or, rather, there is more variety within the breed. Where Russell terriers and Parson Russells are distinguished by their size, the Jack Russell can range from 10 to 15 inches at the withers. Think about Milo in “The Mask,” and Skip in “My Dog Skip.” Two different looking dogs, yet the same breed.
In the AKC world, such distinctions or varieties are considered different breeds. It’s why there’s a Standard, Miniature and Toy poodle — all poodles, yet different breeds. Or a smooth coated, longhaired and wirehaired Dachshund. Same dog, except for the coat, yet considered different breeds.
The JRTCA considers its registered dogs the “real” Jack Russell terrier. There no doubt is some animosity between the JRTCA and AKC over the distinctions and, certainly, the claim to the name “Jack Russell.” There’s a reason AKC doesn’t call its dogs Jacks … that name is reserved for the JRTCA dogs.
Quite frankly, I don’t care for the politics or bickering. I’m the proud owner of a purebred Jack Russell terrier, although he’s not registered. And after meeting the Russell terrier, I have no doubt we’ll own one of them in the future as well. Because when it comes right down to it, they’re all silly little dogs who just happen to have stolen my heart.
Mary Ullmer is a pets blogger and editor of Dogs Unleashed, a lifestyle magazine for dog lovers distributed in west Michigan. Contact her at mail@pressunleashed.com or follow her on Twitter: @pressunleashed
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Day 1 at Pier 92/94 benching. Photos by Mary Ullmer
Cardigan Welsh Corgi GCH Telltail Like A Rolling Stone, aka “Mick,” is more than happy to pose for the camera.
A Pomeranian rests in the arms of its handler on their way back to the benching area.
An Afghan Hound gets the full treatment on the grooming table before heading to the ring.
Winston the Beagle even had postcards printed for fans with his photo and the words “I Met Winston.”
The day wasn’t even half over, but this Norwegian Buhund (meaning “farm dog”) was wiped out.
The English Bulldog is another fan favorite, for obvious reasons.