Pet Tales

‘Every occupied kennel at the San Luis Obispo County Animal Shelter holds an untold story on how the animals arrived here. Many, like Gracie, were obviously loved pets. In Gracie’s case, someone trained her so she knows her basic commands and has good house manners. They also developed in her a passionate love of people.

Tyler McKibben is starting a North County Dachshund Club and asked me to share some details about the group.

‘I’ve never seen a tuxedo cat with markings like Lilly — striking white whiskers, framing an all black face except for an up-arrow between her eyes and two opposing spots on her lips, giving her an almost jack-o’-lantern smile.

Seven years ago, I adopted my cat Boo and her sister Sky from the animal shelter. Sky was a very social, friendly little cat, and Boo was afraid of everything and everyone and was always hiding. One day Sky went missing and Boo was all alone.

‘For many people, finding a place to live is a challenge. This is especially true for would-be renters who own pets.

Nan Madding of Paso Robles sent me this story about her dog Bella:

‘Elizabeth is a proper cat with proper cat sensibilities — she loves to be petted, would like nothing better than to fall asleep on some person’s lap and would find sharing a bed with a caring person just her cup of tea.

I am happy to report that several of the animal shelter pets featured in this column have found new, loving homes.

‘Sometimes dogs get overlooked at the shelter, and Kirby’s one such dog. With so many different sizes, colors and temperaments of dogs, a guy can fall through the cracks — even if he’s young, likes kids and plays well with other dogs. We know this is true about Kirby because he was in Camp Paws.

About a month ago my friend Paul noticed a large lump on his dog, Cisco’s, back leg. He kept an eye on it and noticed how much Cisco was licking it and that it was growing. Cisco needed a checkup, so it was off to the vet.