March 2009 - Spot Magazine

Touching lives daily

DELTA SOCIETY

Proving the power of animals LOCAL HEROES

Zadok and Julie A DOC AND HER DOG

“My ears, his eyes” EVERYTHING PET IN THE NORTHWEST! NORTHWEST ! • MARCH 2009

Banners Blood Bank would like to thank the following blood donors whose dedication makes saving canine lives possible.

Canine Ginger Moose & Quincy AJ Doogle Remi Swarly Kodiak Eli Willy Echo Sandy Luke & Oliver Henry & Blaze Shiva & Miranda Cooper Chloe

Breed (Labrador) (Goldens) (Golden) (Labrador) (Labrador) (Viszla) (American staffordshire) (Handsome mix breed) (Standard poodle) (German shepherd) (Labrador) (Labradors) (Rottweiler & Beauceron) (Greyhounds) (Labrador) (Labrador)

Owner Craig Angie Sheri Sandy Kyle Jessie Brenda Sue Deborah Brett Vicki Chris Jenny Michelle Cayla Cody

# of Donations 9 donations 4 & 7 donations 5 donations 5 donations 9 donations 6 donations 5 donations 14 donations 6 donations 6 donations 7 donations 12 & 8 donations 10 & 6 donations 10 & 7 donations 3 donations 1 donation

In loving memory of: Willow (Greyhound)

and

Dudley (Labrador)

We are always in search of new canine blood donors, please call Gina Schluckebier, associate director, Banners Blood Bank @ 541-726-1100 for more information.

18 Training the one who’ll serve you Meet the first graduating class of All is Pawsible Service Dog School. The two-year program is rigorous, the benefits lifelong.

16 Delta Society Making lives better in ways great and small Pet Partners teams work in hospitals, nursing homes, rehab centers, psychiatric units and schools, providing inspiration, compassion and joy — to some who may have lost hope, others who are sick or isolated, and still others who just need a friend.

12 The making of a detector dog The nose knows, but learning how to use it makes all the difference. Vernonia’s Interim Police Chief Sergeant Michael Kay calls Randy Hare’s school for substance detector dogs “the best training I ever went through in my life.”

8 A doc and her dog “My ears, his eyes” Once Cajun entered Dr. Janice Justice’s life, the isolation she had felt since going deaf wasn’t quite so suffocating.

20 Local Heroes Zadok & Julie These Pet Partners from Damascus have touched countless lives, in hospitals, and in the aftermath of horrific campus shootings. Zadok recently received the AKC ACE Award for Canine Excellence, and the team was honored at the Rose City Dog Classic (the ceremony will air on Animal Planet April 11). Julie says, “I am constantly amazed that he seems to always know what each person needs from him, and his untiring willingness

11 Learning on the Spot The quick and easy on teaching a new trick. This month: Call Him and He Will Come

6

It’s the Luck of the Cat, not the Irish, that will bring you good fortune

22 Fetch - Is your baby built for service?

- Maximize your relationship Animal Communication workshop - Learn pet first aid — free - Help with basic training in Eugene - Boutiques Unleashed: the hautest March pet event - Petopia 4th anniversary celebration nnies on the brain?

Wonder Puppy school and supply opens in NW Portland - Caricatures by Sam happening March 21 - Blood Donor Toys Needed at Dove - Local petsitting pro earns national accreditation DOG TREATS celebrates e Joy of Dogs

appreciated healing presence.”

It’s time!

Cast your vote for your favorite individual or business in 40 petrelated categories.

Vote today! @ www.SpotMagazine.net

Here Kitty, Kitty!

28 SPOT MAGAZINE

| MARCH 2009

3

Jennifer McCammon Publisher w/ Broadway, Scout & Peach Publisher@SpotMagazine.net

VOL. 4 • NO. 8 March 2009

Lancea LaPorte Art Director w/ Molly Spot@LaPorte-Design.com

Our Mission Companion and working animals are important, beloved members of the family. Spot Magazine is the one-stop resource for information, ideas, and events of interest to these animals and their people.

Our Policies

Contributing Writers Joan Callander Jennifer DuMond-Biglan Jake Faris Vonnie Harris Toni Jacobson Nat Weinham

Advertising Janet Wheeland Account Executive Portland Westside w/ Elvis Janet@SpotMagazine.net

503.887.5921

Krista Snook

Contributing Photographer Lancea LaPorte

Account Executive Willamette Valley w/ Ru Krista@SpotMagazine.net

541.743.5929

Brenda Veldink Account Executive Portland Eastside & Washington w/ Rebel & Indie Brenda@SpotMagazine.net

360.921.6031

Administration Vonnie Harris Events / Distribution / Writer w/ Jake Vonnie@SpotMagazine.net

360.903.4174

Name: Zadok Breed: Akita Age: 7 Territory: Damascus People: Julie Burk & Grandma Stephanie Turn Ons: Tug of war, bear wrestling his mama and “thinking toys” Turn Offs: Baths - bathtime is doom and gloom time Photo by Julie Burk. Taken May 2008 at the Eugene Fire Acadmey during crisis response training.

4 SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

Marnie McCammon Eugene/Springfield Office w/ grandpuppy Roxy

Spot Magazine welcomes opinions and letters to the editor. To be considered for publication, letters should be signed and include the writer’s full name, address, and daytime telephone (for internal use only). Spot reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Mail to: Spot Magazine PO Box 16667 Portland OR 97292; Fax to: 503.261.8945; email to: publisher@spotmagazine.net.

Opinions and ideas expressed by writers and/or advertisers herein are not necessarily endorsed by, or necessarily reflect, the opinions of Spot Magazine or Living Out Loud, Inc.

Subscription Rates: 1 year $15; 2 years $25

Spot Magazine PO Box 16667 Portland, OR 97292 Voice 503.261.1162 Fax 503.261.8945 Published monthly. Distributed from Vancouver to Eugene/Springfield & Sandy to Forest Grove. All rights reserved. Reproduction (whole or part) without permission prohibited.

© 2009 Living Out Loud Inc www.SpotMagazine.net

Marnie@SpotMagazine.net 541.741.1242

Nat Weinham Writer w/ Hazel Nat@SpotMagazine.net

Jake Faris Writer w/ Buddy Jake@SpotMagazine.net

Jantzen Beach

Heroes

My

long and hard to develop skills ranging from sniffing contraband to sniffing out human life three floors below ground in the rubble of a collapsed building.

Then there are those who seem innately gifted. Those who, out of the blue, perform a heroic rescue no one could’ve imagined.

This month we meet many service animals and their people. While Jennifer McCammon the scenarios are diverse, there’s with Broadway a common thread that leads to this singular, powerful point: animals are he tales of animal heroics making a huge difference in the lives are legion, not to mention of people in many situations — people breathtaking and heart- laid low by disease or injury, youngswelling. Some of these life-saving, sters struggling to read, people striving tall building-leaping creatures trained to navigate this crazy world without the benefit of sight or hearing. They’re also hard at work in the more attenany ceiling angel could look down and see tion-getting situthe woman facing left ations: acting as clutching pillows to her middle counselors and comforters in the twisted lumps of bedding aftermath of horcovering here but not there rific events like like a storm of cloth waves shootings and as life-seeking mis-

T

The Kindness of Dogs

a small puddle of drool forms just below her lips as a rasping snore plays night music

siles in the mire left by natural (and unnatural) disasters, A trainer friend of Spot’s is planning to train some of her dogs in cancer cell detection.

That’s a story you’ll learn as it develops. I couldn’t resist mentioning it here, as it’s just one more gleaming pearl in the string of jewels that is our local tribe of “everyday” animal heroes.

The people living, loving, training and working with these animals are of course heroes as well. Their stories begin with conviction, sensitivity and commitment, moving into long hours (sometimes years) of hard work, culminating with the actual jobs they’ve toiled so long and hard prepare for: rescue, service, therapy and more. And while that time and effort is a huge labor of love, what they ultimately offer is even bigger: the willingness to travel, perform often grueling work, and give their time, skill and hearts to those who need them most.

I hope you enjoy this issue. As usual, as the making of it came

to a close I felt privileged — not only to know and work with these people and their animals, but to get to play a role in celebrating and making known their amazing contributions and incredible hearts and guts. My greatest hope is that, like me, all who learn these stories experience that magical thing that happens in the “presence” of greatness: we are inspired to do a little more, however small, ourselves.

That can mean supporting the organizations sending these heroes out into the world. Even something as small as donating a new toy makes a difference.

(DoveLewis’ toybox for their Blood Donor Heroes is low on supply, check it out pg 28.)

Big or small, we can all make a difference. And the funny thing is, what we get back is usually so much more than what we gave.

Yours in everything pet,

the dog stretches right, in repose so sublime he could be dead, or only waiting for one clarion call to guide gracefully to the hunt his silky silhouette seems to float over those lumps, those waves with only a dream-induced twitch now and then these two lie rump to rump, spine to spine the woman taking comfort from the gentle pressure hoping he is also reassured for only last night she spoke to him in baby talk coaxing him to stay with her, forsake his favorite outside lair the kindness of dogs humbles even heaven

Pamela Kelley “Pamela and her husband Tom have raised, owned and adore Belgian Sheep Dogs. Their boy Zuban is 8 yrs old.”

— Submitted by Pam and Tom’s friend, Maureen Baker, a Portland Spot supporter and subscriber. Maureen sent us Pam’s poem, and requested a subscription for these friends, who reside in Hugo, just north of Grants Pass.

To the editor: I just returned from a visit to Willakenzie Animal Clinic in Eugene. While waiting I picked up “Spot” to occupy my anxious mind. I want to share with you how inspiring it was to read your piece [What a View! Jan. ‘09]. Yes, your thoughts resonate with all that I see right now in this time we are in. In a moment of vulnerability your words are a reminder for me of what I am blessed with and more importantly to me right now, what I have to share.

I had a rough time of it for a day or two as Liesl, my 11-month-old German Shepherd,

had a rocky recovery from Salmon poisoning. Today I can thankfully report she has made it and is returned to her sweet and energetic self. I appreciate many of the little things that I took for granted after coming so close to losing my girl. Life looks different! And oh, sooo.... good.

Kind Regards, Hans Eugene Ore. SPOT MAGAZINE

| MARCH 2009

5

It’s the Luck of the Cat, not the Irish, that will bring you good fortune Kathy Covey • Spot Magazine

W

ith cash flow drying up for many of us, we can all use a little luck this month. Perhaps kissing the Blarney Stone, finding a 4-leaf clover, or drinking green beer to entice the luck of the Irish is your plan. I suggest a different route to good fortune; one that could be sitting in your lap right now.

We all know ancient Egyptians revered cats. Inscriptions found on ancient tombs tell us that “the cat gives us life, happiness, and health . . . .”

That alone should cause us all to pause, and then adopt a shelter cat to improve our lives.

Consider how much luck a cat will beckon your way.

The notion that cats are lucky may be new to many. Thought of as an unlucky scourge to be eradicated during the dark ages in Europe, cats were set apart as a symbol of luck in Asia. One Japanese legend tells of a wealthy lord taking shelter during a storm under a tree near a temple.

Looking up from his resting spot, he noticed the priest’s cat beckoning to him. He rose and followed the cat. This was lucky because his sheltering tree was struck by lightening immediately thereafter.

This is one of the many Japanese legends of Maneki Neko, the beckoning cat, which has become the symbol of wealth and good fortune, and of course, luck.

We’ve all seen these colorful cat statues with waving paws at our favorite Asian restaurant, nail salon or market. These are not just trinkets. Oh no! These statues have a powerful significance and hold quite a fascinating place in cat folklore relating to luck.

Maneki Nekos with a raised left paw invite customers in to shop; a raised right paw invites good fortune. And the higher the paw, the greater the power. The color of the statue also has meaning. The most popular is a tri-color cat, much like a calico, because the most lucky, and perhaps rarest, of cats is a tri-color male. A white Maneki Neko symbolizes purity; black is a talisman against evil; red wards off evil spirits and illness; gold invites money; and pink attracts love.

When I look intently at a Maneki Neko, I see a kitty cat washing behind an ear, a gesture my cats do often. The correlation I draw is that every one of us has our own living Maneki Neko to bring us luck, good fortune, and maybe even more customers to the shops fortunate to have a resident cat. While neither of my cats is gold (hence no overt invitations of money coming my way), the luck of the cat may be just what we need.

Now, go give your good luck charm a hug and may your fortune be excellent.

Kathy is PR Manager for the Cat Adoption Team (a very lucky place indeed) and writer for the Cat’s Meow Blog on Oregonlive.com. She’s also worked for the Humane Society of the United States and the Oregon Humane Society. Kathy and her hubby live with two ‘adopted from a shelter’ cats (or luck charms) – Mack and Clio. Shown here with Lil’ Rat.

6 SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

The Jantzen Beach

Pet Festival Saturday March 21, 2009 10 am to 5 pm Jantzen Beach Supercenter

Rescue Groups Adoptable Dogs Pet Parade Raffle Prizes Free Movie Screening Fun Unique Pet Items Educational Presentations

Well behaved spayed or neutered pets may attend the Jantzen Beach Pet Festival with a responsible guardian.

Pet Festival attendees are encouraged to bring donations of pet food.

Adoption Agencies• Doggie Daycare Retailers• Groomers• Veterinarians Pet Food Companies• Rescue Organizations• Breed Clubs Pet Boarding• Trainers Pet Insurance• Pet Themed Arts & Crafts• Pet Friendly Hotels & Resturants.

SERVICE ANIMALS

Dogs for the Deaf

My Ears

His Eyes

Jake Faris • Spot Magazine

I

Dogs for the Deaf finds service dog candidates in shelters, trains them, and then places them with humans who need their help. www.dogsforthedeaf.org

8 SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

n 1993 Janice Justice, D.C., was a professor at Western States Chiropractic College in Portland when a sudden and irreversible reaction to antibiotics took her hearing. “[The] deafness was profound and overnight,” Dr. Justice says. “Pretty much from that point, I was thrown into this world of deafness with no skill or connection.”

With no way to communicate her lessons to her class her deafness took more than just her hearing. Justice left her position at WSCC and moved into a basement apartment while she learned to sign and, as she puts it, “fight my way back to life.”

Cajun’s life started with a fight, too, but it was a fight to stay alive. The bright-eyed red merle Cattle Dog/Pointer mix was picked up by animal control at the Josephine County Fairgrounds in Grants Pass, Ore. Cajun’s stay at the shelter wasn’t going well. In a timely visit — for both Cajun and Justice — Dogs for the Deaf (DFD) toured the shelter in search of a medium-sized dog with a quick mind. They found Cajun.

Three months after meeting, Justice and Cajun ran into her old boss at WSCC. “He said, ‘You look fine to me,’” says Justice. Soon she was back at her old job.

There was still the occasional bump.

Though they train for a vast array of different environments, DFD can’t foresee every situOnce Cajun ation and a colentered Justice’s lege classroom is something they life the isolation hadn’t prepared she had felt Cajun for. There since going deaf are two parts to the alert process. wasn’t quite so The first is that suffocating. the dog hears something and “tells” his human team member. The human must complete the process by reacting — like going to the door or picking up the phone. If the process isn’t

“Blindness cuts you off from things; deafness cuts you off from people.”

— Helen Keller Located in Central Point, near Medford, Ore., DFD finds service dog candidates in shelters, trains them, and then places them with humans who need their help. Before Cajun could join Justice, she had to go through DFD’s human training program. Once Cajun entered Justice’s life the isolation she had felt since going deaf wasn’t quite so suffocating. “[The] biggest effect on my rejoining life was receiving Cajun,” says the doctor.

Justice moved out of the basement and back into her house. Then, with a little encouragement, began giving presentations at DFD events. “[Cajun] just pulled me out of my shell,” she says.

completed the dog starts to figure that it’s not that important. Remember, these are smart dogs.

The problem in this case was, once in the classroom, Cajun would alert Justice every time a student came to the door. Justice would then have to open the door. “It did stop tardiness,” she says with a smile. It was toward the end of the quarter when Justice learned from her students that Cajun often whined through the entire lecture. She was stunned by her students’ patience and stumped over what was worrying him. The trainers at DFD had an answer. Cajun was hearing her voice but didn’t understand her

[DFD] did so much more than just supply me with a dog.”

SERVICE ANIMALS

“The service dogs take so much of your fear away,

Dogs for the Deaf

After 13 years as a team, Cajun and Justice are facing their toughest test yet: retinal degeneration.

Diagnosed five years ago, Cajun is now completely blind.

It’s a beautiful thing.

Find out what it feels like for the two of you to be totally pampered. Join us for a cup of Starbucks® coffee and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and we’ll give you a tour of our beautiful pet hospital.

809 SE Powell 503.232.3105 www.rosecityvet.com

R O S E C I T Y V E T E R I N A RY H O S P I TA L

Janice Justice, D.C. and Cajun commands, which he found frustrating. DFD’s recommendation was that Justice read to him at home — and it worked.

Thanks in great part to Cajun, Justice eventually opened her own chiropractic practice, a stone’s throw from the Wilsonville Target. “The service dogs take so much of your fear away,” says Justice. “[DFD] did so much more than just supply me with a dog.”

They probably didn’t know it at the time, but DFD supplied Justice with a little adventure, thanks to Cajun’s continued next pg SPOT MAGAZINE

| MARCH 2009

9

SERVICE ANIMALS

Dogs for the Deaf

continued from previous page

unique howl, which mimics singing. His “singing” led them to a contest that culminated with a trip to New York City. While in New York the two visited Good Morning America and, after Justice fielded some curious questions from the crew, they found themselves featured on the show.

Cajun’s singing and Dr. Justice’s gratitude toward Dogs for the Deaf led to a written collaboration with a deaf friend, Darlene Toole, called Cajun’s Song. The book, written for children,

explains what Cajun’s jobs are and how he’s able to help Dr. Justice. It even covers their brief taste of fame in New York. With a percentage of the profits going directly to DFD, Justice says “[The book] is in its second printing” with a hint of pride and a smile.

After 13 years as a team, Cajun and Justice are facing their toughest test yet: retinal degeneration. Diagnosed five years ago, Cajun is now completely blind. “This isn’t a sad thing for us . . . it’s just a different challenge,” says Justice. At home he is her ears and she is his eyes. She uses vocal commands, like “up” and “down” for steps and “freeze” for waiting in a particular spot for her to return.

“Our goal is to pamper him senseless in his retirement,” says Justice, who is committed to giving back all the gifts he’s given her. “You can’t imagine the kind of love and support you feel having this companion,” she says. Yet with Cajun’s blindness, she feels there’s more she can do.

She specifically asked me to solicit advice from anyone in the vast Spot community with pet mobility experience. Please send constructive comments to justice@aol.com.

Jake Faris is a freelance writer who’s worn many different hats, including a hardhat and the 8-point hat of a police officer.

Jake and his wife Charity live with their two cats and four dogs in Beaverton. The whole pack moved to Portland from Wenatchee, WA three years ago. Now a dedicated Oregonian, Jake finds new reasons to love his adopted state every day.

Contact him at jake@spotmagazine.net

Handmade, pet-related items needed for new boutique.

Send links or photos to: DS@LAPORTE-DESIGN.COM

10 SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

Learning On The Spot Jennifer DuMond Biglan, CPDT • Spot Magazine

You love them like family.

So feed them like family.TM

Call Him & He Will Come Goal: To teach your dog to come.

Training Tools: • Your dog • A variety of high value training rewards With your dog on or off leash (in a safe, enclosed environment) toss a training reward on the ground a few feet away from you for your dog to chase and eat. When your dog is almost finished eating the treat, say come. As soon as he starts to turn his head to look at you, praise and reward him close by your side so he has to come all the way back to you to get his reward. Repeat.

BLUE Buffalo can be found at:

Training Tips

ALBANY PET SUPPLY ALBANY OR (541) 967-9355

1. Start by tossing treats only a few feet away, but gradually build up to 5, then 10, then 15 feet away. Eventually you’ll be throwing the treat as far as you can.

EXCLUSIVE PET FOOD INC. FAIRVIEW OR (503) 491-1111 PETOPIA NATURAL PET SUPPLY MILWAUKIE OR (503) 607-0111 BEAUTY FOR THE BEAST PORTLAND OR (503) 288-5280

2. Toss only one treat away, but always give more than one when he gets back to you.

Sometimes give two, three, four, or even five treats when he gets to you.

PORTLAND PET SUPPLY PORTLAND OR (503) 233-3866 WIGGLES & WAGS PORTLAND OR (503) 977-1775

3. If your dog is not coming right away, raise the value of the treat you are giving when he comes back to you. For example, you might toss a piece of dry dog food away, but give him chicken when he comes back.

SOUTH SALEM PET SUPPLY SALEM OR (503) 585-0553 GROOMINDALES OF SISTERS SISTERS OR (541) 549-8836 EVERYTHING IN THE ARK VANCOUVER WA (360) 535-4118

4. Play this game as a fun way to exercise your dog in the house when it’s raining outside.

BEASTIE BOUTIQUE VANCOUVER WA (360) 574-6400 K9 CONVERSATION VANCOUVER WA (360) 910-6411

Jennifer Biglan is a certified pet dog trainer and owner of Dog & Cat, LLC Training & Behavior Modification services in Eugene, OR. She is the proud owner of two dogs and three cats and provides private training, behavior consultations and group classes. If you have questions, contact Jennifer at 541.686.6768, or jen@dogandcat.org. Or visit her Web site at www.dogandcat.org.

WESTERN WORLD LONGVIEW WA (360) 636-1107

$

3 Off

Present this ad to any retailer listed above for $3 off any Blue Buffalo product.

SPOT MAGAZINE

| MARCH 2009

11

SERVICE ANIMALS

Detector Dogs

The making of a detector dog — it’s all in the nose Nat Weinham • Spot Magazine

I

narcotics detection dog, to go ahead and relieve himself before they got down to business. But for Kruger, business always comes first.

“He was in the trees when he caught drift of an odor,” says Kay, “and the next thing you know, he’s weaving through the parked cars — rows and rows of them — until he finds the one.”

The windows were rolled up and the doors were closed. The people inside were at first amused to see a dog circling their car, but when Kruger, clad in his Police issue vest and collar, leapt onto the hood, barked, and pressed his nose against the windshield, they knew the jig was up.

“They were smoking methamphetamines,” Kay explains. “Kruger The NW Pet & Companion Fair recognized that smell from across the parking lot.”

Despite the many smells wafting on an afternoon like that — from cigarettes and perfume to gasoline and meats sizzling on the grill — Kruger lasered in on one of the specific SHOW GUIDE odors he’d been trained 2009 to detect. Witnessing To Advertise call: such skill and accuracy JANET M WHEELAND makes you wonder: how Portland West in the world does a dog 503.887.5921 • janet@spotmagazine.net BRENDA VELDINK train for that?

Call your Washington/Portland East For over eight years 360.921.6031 •brenda@spotmagazine.net Spot Account KRISTA SNOOK Kay has worked with Exec today!

Willamette Valley/Portland Rural drug dogs and dual-pur541.743.5929 •krista@spotmagazine.net pose dogs — working dogs trained in multiple skills like detection and t was the kind of warm September afternoon that Fridays were made for. Cars filled the grassy field outside the Columbia Meadows Amphitheater in St. Helens, Ore, turning the makeshift parking lot into a maze of chrome bumpers, hard dirt, and dried grass. As concertgoers navigated through the lot to the gates of Rockfest, Kruger hopped out of the patrol car and watched his handler, Vernonia’s Interim Police Chief Sergeant Michael Kay, for direction.

Trees bordered one edge of the parking lot. Sgt. Kay told Kruger, a seven-yearold Czech German Shepard trained as a

GET IN THE GUIDE!

12 SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

tracking, patrol work and search-and-rescue.

He’s experienced most of the training methods and philosophies available, and says he never saw it done right until he attended the Randy Hare school for substance detector dogs.

“It was the best training I ever went through in my life,” says Kay. “Randy’s philosophy works with all dogs that like to play with a tennis ball on a string.”

With financial help from the American Council on Criminal Justice Training, a nonprofit whose goal is to “provide education and training for the enhancement of the public’s safety,” Kay was able to bring Hare to Vernonia for a three-week training course.

Hare is a former police canine handler now operating Alpha K9 out of Jackson, Mississippi. His training method has been so successful that he’s almost constantly traveling the country teaching.

The training leverages a dog’s desire to play tug with a tennis ball on a string, and since not all dogs enjoy playing this way, this is the

It’s like they’ve got a bigger, faster computer up there processing and cataloguing odors. That, and their snouts are designed to draw-in, filter, and capture millions of scent molecules. first step in evaluating whether or not a candidate will make a good detector dog.

Through specially-designed training boxes, dogs like Kruger learn to associate a target odor with a reward. Kruger is trained to identify four of the most common drugs: methamphetamine, cocaine, heroine and marijuana. His reward for pegging his target odors is the ball on a string, with which he loves to play. However, the reward is withheld until Kruger performs the “final response,” such as scratching, barking, poking his nose, or biting at the source of the odor. A particular final response established through training lets Kay know that Kruger is certain and not merely behaving excitedly.

The training conditions the dog to ignore distractions, even other tennis balls, by establishing that

only identifying the target odor is rewarded with playtime.

Hare’s eight-step process involves (1) Selecting a good detector dog prospect; (2) Teaching the Target Odor-Reward association; (3) Conditioning the Final Response; (4) Teaching the dog to divert his attention from Reward to Target Odor; (5) Establishing a cue for Search Behavior; (6) Teaching the “Oral-Detection Response”; (7) Extending the search; (8) Teaching the dog to ignore distracters.

A common duty for drug dogs like Kruger is performing drug sweeps at area high schools. On a cold and windy morning at Rainier High School, Kruger and Kay presented a demonstration for school faculty.

“We let them hide the drug,” says Kay. “We didn’t know where it was.

I cued the dog, you know, showed him the ball that tells him it’s time to go to work, and off he went. The hallway was probably a hundred yards long. He takes off up one side of the hallway and down the other, right back to the odor. He signaled and I get there with the ball to reward him.”

Kay smiles as he tells the story, clearly enjoying the memory.

“Kruger takes the ball, bite bite bite, and then he drops it and he’s off to another locker.” Kay’s smile grows as he pantomimes scratching the air once in front of him. “Scratch.

Kruger found more.”

Extraordinary things are happening at Multnomah County Animal Services!!

Want to help the animals in your community?

continued next pg

Top Dog log on to www.SpotMagazine.net 2009

cast your vote today SPOT MAGAZINE

| MARCH 2009

13

SERVICE ANIMALS

Detector Dogs

So how do they do it?

How are dogs able to smell with such accuracy? I asked Doctor Valli Parthasarathy, PhD, DVM, who works in general practice, and is trained in animal behavior, at the Columbia Veterinary Center in Vancouver, Washington.

“The reason they can smell so well is because they’re developed for it,” Parthasarathy says with a smile. She adds, more specifically, that smells are made up of different molecules. These are inhaled

through the nose and get caught in the mucus membrane, which is full of receptors, which send signals to the brain.

Sounds simple. But why are dogs so much better at scent detection than humans?

Partly, explains Parthasarathy, because the section of the dog’s brain that processes that information, the olfactory bulb, is proportionately much bigger than ours. So it’s like they’ve got a bigger, faster computer up there

processing and cataloguing odors.

That, and their snouts are designed to draw-in, filter, and capture millions of scent molecules.

The dog’s nose is designed to warm and moisten the air, causing it to become heavier, allowing the molecules to collide with the mucus membrane. “Longer-nose breeds are going to have better smelling capabilities than shorternose breeds,” says Parthasarathy.

“It has to do with the number of receptors in their nose.”

A human has roughly 5 million scent receptors. A German Shepherd has roughly 255 million. The receptors are in the mucus membrane, a tissue that expands to create even more surface area as the dog sniffs. This allows them to employ extra receptors to capture and process scent molecules.

Parthasarathy says, “There’s some evidence that as they’re sniffing, certain airways open and close a little differently than when they’re just breathing. There’s a lot of surface area in there, and a lot of expansion when they sniff.”

So Kruger is better at collecting scent information, because his nose has something like five

Leader of the Pack Dog Behavioral/Obedience Training in the comfort of your home.

• One on One Personalized Training.

• Specializing in Behavioral issues and Basic Obedience.

• 10 years experience.

• Serving Columbia/Washington County. www.lotporegon.com 503-556-4022 Make an investment that will last a lifetime!

Next Month in SPOT....

Promoting good alignment and flexibilty at all ages

14 SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

SPRING HIKING & TRAIL SAFETY

To Advertise call: Janet M Wheeland, Portland West 503.887.5921 • janet@spotmagazine.net Brenda Veldink, Washington/Portland East 360.921.6031 •brenda@spotmagazine.net Krista Snook, Willamette Valley/Portland Rural 541.743.5929 •krista@spotmagazine.net

thousand percent more capacity than yours, and he’s better at processing scent information because a larger proportion of his brain is dedicated to cataloguing and accessing scent memory.

Which helps explain how he recognized the methamphetamine scent from across a rock-and-roll concert parking lot, outdoors and with competing odors, chased after the scent and, using the discipline learned in training, signaled to his partner that, “Hey! This is where it’s coming from!”

“And the cool thing about this training,” Kay says about the Hare method, “is that it doesn’t teach the dog to be destructive. My first dog, Gina, was an active alert dog. We were constantly paying for paint jobs, because she would sit there and tear and tear with her paws.

That was her reward. That was the game for her. Not a tennis ball or a towel or Kong; it was scratching. She was tearing stuff up. With Randy’s method, Kruger knows the reward’s coming when he’s performed his final response.”

Nat Weinham is a graduate student at Portland State University in the Master’s program for fiction. He lives in Portland with his wife Katie and their blind tuxedo cat, Hazel, a brave little exploerer.

Contact him at nat@spotmagazine.net

ATTENTION: Clackamas, Greater S.E. Portland

Doggie Dilemma Pet Care A pet owner’s dream DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT US!!!

Offering a wide range of services, please Visit our Web site for a complete list

http://doggiedilemma.mypets.ws or call 503-502-7312, 503-502-2879 Accredited, Bonded and Insured While your at work, on vacation Doggie Dilemma will come to your home while away so your pets can enjoy the comforts of home feeling happy, healthy and stress free. Daycare & Over night stays also available.

SPOT MAGAZINE

| MARCH 2009

15

Delta Society

SERVICE ANIMALS

make life better — in ways great & small Vonnie Harris • Spot Magazine

B

etter than any medicine a doctor could prescribe. That’s how I feel about my pets, and I am not alone. Pet owners around the world can attest to how their dog, cat, bird, horse, rabbit, ferret, guinea pig, even pot-bellied pig can make them feel better — both emotionally and physically.

For over 30 years, Delta Society, a nonprofit whose mission is “Improving human health and comfort through interaction with service and therapy animals,” has worked to prove to the medical community what so many of us already know: our animals are good for us.

The organization was founded in 1977 in Portland, Ore. by members of both the human health and veterinarian communities who observed that while animals were improving people’s lives, no credible research documented the important impact animals were making. Delta Foundation, later changed to Delta Society, was initially formed to fund this important research. Today the international nonprofit is a model for connecting animals and humans to improve lives in many different ways. “Animals can and do play an important part in our lives,” says Bill McCulloch, DVM, one of the co-founders of Delta Society.

Today, a number of studies have been completed, demonstrating that animals can lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, increase social and verbal interactions, simply stimulate those “feel-good” endorphins, and much more.

Delta envisions a world in which people are healthier and happier because companion, therapy and service animals share their everyday lives. The organization pursues this vision through three core initiatives.

ADVANCING KNOWLEDGE “Many people, including doctors and veterinarians, still don’t realize the true power of the human-animal bond,” says Jennifer Moody, development coordinator for Delta Society in the Portland area. Delta Society continues its work to change that, connecting with professionals, students, media and the community to increase awareness of the positive impact animals have on human health and development.

While its methods are sometimes incredibly simple, the outcomes can be profound.

Such was the case when Jenn Boswell and Drumm, her 97-pound Borzoi, arrived at the hospital for a routine day of service. They were asked to visit the Heart Transplant ICU

16 SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

by a group of doctors who were skeptical of the benefit the service duo might provide a patient.

The humans donned booties and applied skin sanitizer — to themselves and to all 97 pounds of Drumm. Once inside the unit, Drumm inched forward to the room of a little girl as if gravitating to the patient who most needed a visit that day. With Boswell’s permission, he approached the little girl and laid his head on her knees, where there were no lines or tubes. The girl slowly reached out and started rubbing his head, though she barely had the strength to do so. Drumm nuzzled closer, making it easier for her to pet him.

Drumm and Boswell stayed for about 10 minutes while the doctors monitored the little girl’s vital signs. Her heart rate and blood pressure were dropping to normal, as was her breathing. Also, the pain that had been visible on her face when the group arrived had been replaced by a smile. As the visitors turned to leave, the girl grabbed Boswell’s arm and asked if they could come back. “It’s not so scary when a big dog is here,” she said. “He makes the pain go away.” Some in the group were moved to tears, others were speechless. One thing was clear: this little girl had proven the healing power of a hound, and had made believers out of these doctors.

SERVICE ANIMALS

Delta Society

A number of studies demonstrate that animals can lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, increase social and verbal interactions, stimulate those “feel-good” endorphins, and more.

EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS Among the most devastating experiences that can touch a life is dealing with the realities of a severely disabling condition. It was 1995, and Mike Lingenfelter was ready for his life to be over. After two serious heart attacks and unstable angina he was forced to abandon a successful career. He couldn’t work, travel, or even leave his home un-chaperoned.

Lingenfelter’s life had changed dramatically, and thoughts of suicide were frequent.

Things began to change for the better, however, when Lingenfelter finally followed his doctor’s advice and welcomed a dog into his home.

Dakota (“Cody”), a Golden Retriever, brought therapeutic magic into Lingenfelter’s life, lifting his spirits and helping him re-engage with life.

Then the real magic started to happen.

Cody possesses abilities yet to be explained by medicine or science: he alerts Lingenfelter when an angina attack is about to occur.

As Lingenfelter’s service dog, envisions a world in Cody has saved his life on which people are several occasions. Because healthier and happier his disability isn’t readily apparbecause companion, ent, Lingenfelter is frequently questioned about accessibility therapy and service for his service dog. As a result, animals share their Lingenfelter has made it his miseveryday lives. sion to make sure others can go about their business without constantly being challenged about being accompanied by their service animals.

There are over 130,000 people with a disability in the Portland area alone. Anyone in need of a service animal or who is dealing with obstacles to taking their service animal to work or other establishment may find help through Delta Society.

About 4,000 people are assisted annually with much-needed information through Delta’s National Service Dog Center. The center provides information on what service animals are, on obtaining the best service animal for a specific need, finding trainers and equipment, and accessing laws crafted to protect the rights of people and their service animals.

DELTA SOCIETY

24/7 bulldog support.

Providing care when your veterinarian can’t be there.

Unfortunately your primary care veterinarian cannot always be there when you need her. That’s why NWVS opened an east-side, 24/7, critical care and emergency service. NWVS has been partnering with local primary care veterinarians since 1991. So, should your pet ever have an emergency health issue, call VCA Northwest Veterinary Specialists.

24/7 Emergency Service & Critical Care Internal Medicine • Oncology Ophthalmology • Neurology • Surgery

503-656-3999 www.northwestvetspecialists.com

16756 SE 82nd Drive • Clackamas, OR 97015 •

continued pg 25 SPOT MAGAZINE

| MARCH 2009

17

SERVICE ANIMALS

All is Pawsible

As

Life

Happens

Young organization teaches people to train their own service dogs Jake Faris • Spot Magazine

O

n January 31 I was lucky enough to be in a Clackamas Town Center meeting room where the first class of service dogs — and their trainers — graduated from the new All is Pawsible Service Dog School. The ceremony marked the end of a two-year journey for each human/dog team, and the beginning of what will hopefully become an established gem in Portland’s canine community.

Mary Lou Cook began All is Pawsible (AIP) to equip people to train their own service dogs to meet their personal needs. It reminds me of that old saying about giving someone a fish versus teaching them how to fish.

Cook, who previously worked at Leashes for Living near Phoenix, AZ, knows firsthand how greatly the demand for trained service dogs outpaces supply. When she found there was enough local interMary Lou Cook est she started an organization to began All is Pawsible train humans to train their own service dogs. to equip people It was the students, as Cook to train their own will tell you, who came up with the service dogs to meet school’s name, “All is Pawsible.” their personal needs.

Cook envisioned the program as It reminds me of that a way to give back the gift that her old saying about own service dog, Kicho, has been giving someone a to her life. “Kicho is my kindness,” Cook, “so I’ve found four fish versus teaching says people to pay it forward to.” It’s them how to fish. taken each team at least two years to graduate. They’ve struggled with their dogs through puppy, teenage and mature adulthood, all with the goal of completing the school’s “final.”

Before graduating, each team had to pass the AKC Canine Good Citizens Test (CGC), the Assistance Dog International Public Access Test, and perform three service dog skills, such as retrievals and alerts. The final test is more of a “senior project” where the human team member comes up with a unique skill to teach the canine team member.

18 SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

For those of you who weren’t there, allow me to present AIP’s first graduating class. Mary Lou Mathis graduated with her black Standard Poodle, Bailey. Jerri and Gary Kauffman graduated with their Yorkie/ Papillon mix, Tippi. Then

there was Meghan Pankey and her Mijo, a Great Dane mix. Finally, Jacquelynn and Tammy Straub graduated with a black Standard Poodle named Phaethon.

As part of the ceremony, the grads shared their stories, often bringing the rapt audience to both tears and smiles. Most speeches included profound thanks to the canine team members.

Mary Lou Mathis, who suffers from several medical issues, including sudden drops in blood pressure, thanked Bailey for the ability to now “Do things I never thought I would have done.” Bailey is now able to alert her before she passes out, and if she does fall he’s able to solicit help. As Mathis says, “So if I’m unable to control things I will at least be safe when I do pass out.”

Sometimes the greatest benefit provided by a service dog is an intangible one. “Sometimes when you have a disability,” says Mathis, “you have to stay on alert so much that going out isn’t fun anymore. Bailey allows me to have fun again.”

Jerri Kauffman, like the majority of the graduating class and many in the audience, spoke eloquently in sign language. While praising Tippi, her lap-sized love and traveling companion, she described two occasions when Tippi alerted her to approaching emergency service vehicles. Initially this wasn’t part of their training, and Kauffman praised Tippi’s quick thinking.

Such quick thinking nicely illus-

SERVICE ANIMALS

Cook weighed Mijo’s abilities and Pankey and Glimpse’s struggles in training him and decided to make an exception and let them join her first AIP class even though it was already into its second year. Finding Cook and the AIP program was a huge relief. “Before, I had no idea what I was doing,” says Pankey.

“With All is Pawsible we found more than a mentor . . . [we had] an entire group to encourage, share, create and learn with,” said Glimpse during the graduation ceremony. The dogs were learning from each other as well. Pankey says, “He’d watch every skill” during class and then try to perform them later at home.

All is Pawsible

trates a principle Cook calls “As life happens.” People who train their own service dogs do so “As life happens,” and thus are able to seize opportunities, like Tippi noticing and alerting Kauffman to approaching sirens.

You could say the third team, Meghan Pankey and Mijo, understood the principles of “As life happens” before they ever met Cook.

Mijo was originally adopted from the Multnomah County Animal Shelter

by Melody Glimpse, who hadn’t met Meghan Pankey yet and hadn’t considered training Mijo as a service dog. She learned from shelter workers that at three months of age, Mijo had been seized during a raid on a homeless camp. Glimpse originally thought he would make a good hiking partner and that they might eventually compete in AKC Rally competitions.

Glimpse and Pankey became friends while working at Chestnut Lane Assisted Living in Gresham. “We just started hanging out,” says Glimpse.

This included a lot of time together with Mijo. When they realized they both wanted to go back and finish their degrees at “Sometimes when you Western Oregon University they have a disability decided to save you have to stay on alert money by splitting so much that going out the rent. isn’t fun anymore.

It was after Pankey moved in that “life happened.” Glimpse says, “Mijo knew immediately that something was — Mary Lou Mathis different about Meghan.” Service dogs are famously smart, and Mijo realized that Pankey didn’t respond to the same sounds that Glimpse did. This willingness to alert Pankey to sounds changed the focus of Mijo’s training. “I decided to do the service training for Meghan,” said Glimpse. She makes it sound simple, but it was a decision that changed all three of their lives.

Not knowing where to turn, they began training Mijo the hard way: by trial and error. It was a frustrating time for the trio. While they could get Mijo to alert to someone at the door when Glimpse was gone, he would refuse when she was home. It also led to some comical situations. One day while Pankey was home alone, Mijo kept “telling” her someone was at the door. When she checked, though, no one was there. It wasn’t until Glimpse came home that they realized a smoke detector was signaling a low battery.

Pankey sums it up with sparkling humor. “If only [Mijo] could have sat on the ceiling, I would have understood,” adding this simple and profound truth: “Dogs don’t lie.”

As life happens, Pankey, Glimpse and Mijo met Cook at last year’s Northwest Pet & Companion Fair. The trio had gone for the service dog presentation and because Mijo was finally ready to take his CGC. Cook happened to be running both the presentation and the CGC test, which she says Mijo passed “with flying colors.”

continued pg 26

Bailey allows me to have fun again.”

How We Can Help • 24 hour emergency service, our phones are always answered • A Place for Viewing and Saying Goodbye • We Provide "A Place to Go" for families mourning their loss • Four State of the Art crematories • Guaranteed Private Cremation • Unique Cremation Urns • Granite Monuments and Engraved River Rock • A vast selection of Pet Loss books and literature 8976 SW Tualatin Sherwood Road Tualatin, OR 97062 Phone (503) 885-2211 www.DignifiedPetServices.com SPOT MAGAZINE

| MARCH 2009

19

Heroes

SERVICE ANIMALS

Tireless work of

Damascus Pet Partners touching countless lives Vonnie Harris • Spot Magazine

O

Julie Burk and Zadok at Northern Illinois University

The handlers and dogs that make up these teams are a special breed, and the training to equip them to respond to and cope with the rigors of disaster is no less extraordinary.

20 SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

n a cold February afternoon a little over a year ago, devastation reigned at a school in DeKalb, Illinois, and the lives of many were forever altered. February 14, 2008 was the day the campus of Northern Illinois University came under fire in a shooting spree that left six dead and 18 injured.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, healing support in the form of an extraordinarily unruffled pack of four-legged therapists reported for duty.

Julie Burk of Damascus, Ore. and her Akita, Zadok, were among several teams certified with National Animal Assisted Crisis Response deployed to provide psychological support and emotional comfort to NIU students and faculty. Their “orders” were to locate anyone who wanted to talk to a good listener, who might like someone they could pet and cry with — someone who would respond with kisses and a steady gaze. During their week-long stay in DeKalb, the dogs provided comfort and an outlet in ways human counselors could not.

“In the presence of a dog, it’s easier to talk about what you are feeling inside,” says Burk.

Burk knew she would work in therapy long before she actually did. Years ago, while enrolled in the EATM (Exotic Animal Training and Management Program) in Moorpark, Calif., she had taken Banjo, a Blue & Gold Macaw, to a care center.

Together they visited a man whose face was severely disfigured by a large mass.

Banjo was doing his routine when the man smiled and started to laugh. He ended up asking many questions about Banjo. When Burk turned to leave, several nurses standing behind her were all crying. They told her the gentleman had not talked for six months, let alone

laughed. “Wow,” she said, recalling the moment. “I learned that day what one bird could do.”

From puppyhood, Burk’s goal for Zadok — whose name comes from the Bible and means righteous in Hebrew — was therapy work. The confidencebuilding and socialization provided by competitive obedience and agility work helped groom him for his future. “I socialized the fur off of him,” she says, suggesting that anyone interested in therapy work with his or her animal do the same. Among the many activities Burk and Zadok did in order to “expose Zadok to everything” was running the Hood to Coast race.

Zadok received his Therapy Dog Certification from Delta Society, Dove Lewis and PAAWS (People and Animals Who Serve). Working in a

Julie and Zadok meet Goofy

SERVICE ANIMALS

me, saying, ‘what a difference you have made.’”

Burk says the whole experience at Virginia Tech was remarkable, and that Zadok clearly demonstrated he was perfect for the job.

“I am constantly amazed that he seems to always know what each person needs from him,” she says, adding, “and his untiring willingness to give his much appreciated healing presence.”

An adorable, floppy-eared 7-yearold Akita, Zadok is known for his laser lips (world’s fastest kisser), which he doled out generously in the days he and Burk walked the Northern Illinois campus. Burk The man kneeled estimates that 200 before him, put his to 300 people petted Zadok each day during head onto Zadok’s, their week-long stay. and sunk his hands These included what into his fur. Then he Burk calls “drive-bys” — when people passtold him about the ing by would run their eight students he had hands along his body, to curly tail. Add lost and what a loss it head that up to a week at was to the world. each campus and you have a lot of petting, kisses and hugs.

“Zadok usually sleeps single deadliest shooting on or off campus by a single gunman in U.S. for two days after getting home,” history, this nightmare left 32 dead says Burk. and many more wounded. While Zadok and Cody (his sweet Dalattending a related memorial, matian friend and teammate) were Burk says, “A gentleman walked called “the boys,” then “the home up and asked if it was okay, point- boys,” and finally “the Homies” at ing to Zadok. I said yes. The man NIU, says Burk. “This was a great kneeled before him, put his head honor.” onto Zadok’s, and sunk his hands The quiet magic these dogs into his fur. Then he told him about performed was a brand of unconthe eight students he had lost and ditional love and safety that allowed what a loss it was to the world.” traumatized students and faculty Burk continued, “I actually to process their pain in a way took two steps farther away. The that perhaps nothing else could. moment belonged to Zadok. He The campus community was so knew just what this man needed. appreciative they asked the dogs He sat there ever so still, listening to return on the anniversary of to his every word. Eventually, the the shootings. “We look forward professor stood, patted Zadok’s head, looked at me and thanked

Heroes

hospital setting in 2006 confirmed that Zadok loved the work. That’s when Burk decided she and Zadok would take on the arduous training to become certified as a National Animal Assisted Crisis Response Team. The handlers and dogs that make up these teams are a special breed, and the training to equip them to respond to and cope with the rigors of disaster is no less extraordinary.

It wasn’t long after completing the certification process that Burk and Zadok were deployed to the scene of the shootings at Virginia Tech in April 2007. The

continued pg 26

“I am constantly amazed that he seems to always know what each person needs from him, and his untiring willingness to give his much appreciated healing presence.”

30845 SW Lukas Road Hillsboro, OR 97123 Ph: 503-628-2169 Fax: 503-628-4251 Open daily 7:30am - 7:30pm

• Large indoor/outdoor covered runs with heated floors • Activity Packages Available • Separate, Quiet Cattery • Unscheduled Tours Invited Members of Pet Care Services Association

www.laurelacreskennels.com

Top Dog log on to www.SpotMagazine.net 2009

cast your vote today SPOT MAGAZINE

| MARCH 2009

21

Is your baby built for service?

Have you ever thought your dog or cat, bunny or bird would make a great therapy pet? Sharing your special gifts with others is the best work there is! Everyone’s invited to learn about volunteering with their pet and hear firsthand stories about how pets and their handlers are changing lives in a free informational event with Delta Society Sunday March 1, 1-2pm, at Howl at the Moon in Vancouver. Detail/Registration howl-at-the-moon.com.

Maximize your relationship The folks at DoveLewis say animals speak to us, and they’re presenting a workshop to help loving pet owners learn petspeak. Here are a few questions to be examined: Does a dog yawn really mean he’s tired? What does it mean when he won’t look you in the eye? The answers to these and other related questions will help unlock some of the mysteries and help you better understand and communicate with your precious companion.

Led by Heather Toland, MAEE, CVT and DoveLewis Animal Assisted Therapy & Education Director, the free community workshop will be held Monday March 2, 6:30-8pm, at 1945 NW Pettygrove in Portland.

For details or to RSVP, visit dovelewis.org.

Learn pet first aid — free Knowing the basics of pet first aid means always being prepared in an emergency.

DoveLewis makes it easy, with a free workshop, geared for the general public, Thursday March 5, 6:30-8:30pm, at 1945 NW Pettygrove in Portland.

The workshop is taught by DoveLewis staff, known and loved for their competence and compassion. Donations welcome; please leave pets at home. Details/Register dovelewis.org.

Help with basic training in Eugene Everyone loves playing with a new puppy or taking a happy dog for a stroll, but housetraining? Teaching commands? There’s a lot to learn, for both dog and owner, and Certified Dog Trainer Nancy Yamin, owner of Mutts Better (muttsbetter.com), is working to help make it easy and less stressful. Nancy will be on the scene at Greenhill Humane Society March 7, 2-4pm, to chat and answer questions on basic obedience and behavior modification.

Everyone’s welcome to tap into Yamin’s expertise and experience to help solve everyday issues concerning dogs and puppies. Free; details green-hill.org.

Nancy will also host a postadoption class at Greenhill March 15, 2-3:30pm. The class will cover topics like teaching good house manners and developing a happy, wellbehaved companion. Please leave pets at home. Admission is a suggested $5 donation.

Details/RSVP (required) 541.689.1503 ext. 116.

Help Petopia celebrate Petopia Natural Pet Supplies is hosting a 4th anniversary celebration Saturday March 14, noon-5, at the shop at 16101 SE McLoughlin Blvd.

22 SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

in Milwaukie. Festivities will include samples and coupons from manufacturer reps, $5 nail trims for dogs and cats, in-house trainers on hand to chat and answer questions, pet adoptions, “lots of free stuff and gift certificates,” and a good time. Details 503.607.0111.

Bunnies on the brain?

It happens this time of year.

Easter is April 12, which gets some folks thinking about adding a rabbit to the family.

Rabbit Advocates, a group devoted to the welfare of domestic rabbits, will hold its monthly adoption outreach Saturday March 14, noon-3, at Western Pet Supply, 6908 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy. in Beaverton. The advocates chat and answer questions, and even provide nail trims and light grooming for pets visiting with their people (donation appreciated; please bring clean bath towels and, if possible, grooming tools). All adoptables

are spayed and neutered. This month’s theme is Easter Bunnies: Look Before You Hop. Which brings up an important point: anyone considering adopting a bunny should be very clear on the nature of the commitment: rabbits are not always child-friendly, are sometimes called high-maintenance pets, and, like ANY adoptable animal, need a loving, lifelong commitment. Details adoptarabbit.org or 503.617.1625.

The grand opening will feature supply vendors, snacks for people and pups, and trained dogs to meet and greet.

Wonder Puppy will also be launching its brand products, including the Park-it Pal Tether and Park-it Pal Crate Mat, Training Tails, Learning Leash, Wonder Pouch, and the Wonder line, including the Wonder Leash, Collar and Harness.

Wonder Puppy owner Casey Newton is a nationally Certified Pet Dog Trainer by the APDT, and certified at “Primary Level TAGteach” Hautest thing on the pet event calendar

by TAGteach It was the hit of last year’s pet event season, and Boutiques International. She Unleashed — Fashion for Both Ends of the Leash, DoveLewis’ is also an official annual human/canine fashion event showcasing Portland’s top Canine Good Citizen boutiques and designers for both people and dogs, hits the evaluator. As the runway Friday March 13 at 6:30 at the Wonder Ballroom, 128 founder of Wonder NE Russell in Portland. Doors open at 6:30, the fashion show Puppy, LLC (formerly takes the stage at 8, and Another Cynthia performs at 9:30.

Portland Paws), The hautest looks in canine and human couture are what it’s Newton heads the all about, with human/canine celebrity models decked out in Professional Dog fashions strutting, wiggling and wagging down the runway. In Trainers Program addition to celebrities, also modeling will be DoveLewis blood at Wonder Puppy, donor dogs, therapy animals and former patients. Last year a educating aspiring surprise, mystery model was revealed at the last minute — Rojo trainers and the Dove therapy llama. This year’s mystery guest is still under assistants in the use wraps! of gentle, reliable All guests will enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and hosted beer, training techniques. wine and signature cocktail. Proceeds benefit the DoveLewis Pet She also develops Loss Support Program. Launched in 1986 by the same certified Wonder Puppy’s grief counselor who runs it today, the program offers five, “Wonder Gear” free drop-in group therapy sessions for grieving pet owners. training products, Program director Enid Traisman, MSW, is also author of Pet and enjoys working Remembrance Journal, available online at dovelewis.org. with autism service dogs and their families. To learn Small center a big help to more, visit wonder-puppy.com.

new puppy owners Wonder Puppy, a new one-stop shop for “everything puppy,” is celebrating its grand opening and open house Saturday March 14, 2-6pm, at 1500 NW 18th Ave #117 in Portland.

Specializing in pups to age 2, Wonder Puppy boasts a holistic puppy school and supply store, offering every ingredient puppy parents need to raise a good dog — all in a safe, supportive learning environment. Staff are also happy to help prospective pet parents decide if, when and what kind of a puppy is best suited to their household and lifestyle, get prepared with basic puppy care and training products appropriate to their unique situation, and learn and grow together as a team.

The best art is the kind you treasure And treasures are just what pet caricature artist Sam Arneson delivers.

He’ll be at the easel Saturday March 21, 11am-5pm, at Howl at the Moon in Vancouver. Sam’s caricatures make wonderful gifts. Check out his work at howl-at-the-moon.com. Cost is $20+tax/pet or person. Visit the website to reserve space now; his schedule fills quickly.

PAWS PAWS for for aa

CAUSE CAUSE Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals First Annual - Live & Silent Auction

Please SAVE THE DATE to join OFOSA in a special event to raise money and awareness for homeless animals:

PAWS for a CAUSE Silent & Live Auction Date: Saturday March 28, 2009 Location: Estates Sales Unlimited 6585 NW Cornelius Pass Rd. Hillsboro, OR 97214 Hours: 5pm - 10pm Food & Drinks to be Served *To donate auction items please contact Mary Margaret at mmdavid1@ hotmail.com

SPECIFIC DETAILS 5pm Doors Open Start Bidding on Silent Auction Preview Live Auction Items Famous “Wall of Wine” from area vineyards 7pm Blue Section of Silent Auction Closes 7:30pm Yellow Section of Silent Auction Closes Live auction Starts 8:30pm Live Auction Ends Start Winners Check Out 10pm Door Closes

Blood Donor toys needed Volunteer blood donor dogs (our heroes!) who work at DoveLewis get to pick out a toy at the end of their sessions continued next page

SPOT MAGAZINE

| MARCH 2009

23

of donating life-saving blood.

The supply of toys has grown meager, and the folks at Dove are asking for help in filling the toybox. Appropriate toys

for blood donors are new toys made for large dogs (donors must be at least 55 lbs.). To donate, or to organize a toy drive, contact Abby Crouch at

an Accredited Pet Sitter by Pet Sitters International (PSI), the progressive and world’s largest association for professional pet sitters. PSI has over 8,000 members in all 50 states, most

“Professional pet sitting is one of the fastest-growing small business fields in America,” says Sathrum.

“Becoming a PSI Accredited Pet Sitter will demonstrate

A photographic journey celebrating the Joy of Dogs “Dog Treats” is coming to Camas, Wash., and we’re not talking crunchy nibbles.

Local pet photographer Kirsten Muskat is exhibiting a collection of colorful & bright images of man’s best friend, a “collection of soulful, highly expressive images that will be a real treat for dog lovers,” she says. Muskat says the images portray a wide selection, from portraits, to dogs in motion, as well as a feature of shelter dogs, and rescues that have found forever homes.

Muskat prefers to photograph dogs outdoors in natural settings, with natural light and candid behavior. “To me this is dogs at their best,” she says.

Muskat arrived in the U.S. from Germany in 1981, a few days before her 21st birthday. She was “adopted by my first dog” while traveling in the Northwest, “a mostly Australian Shepherd mutt named Stats, who decided I needed rescuing from a dog-less existence. This heralded the beginning of my canine love affair that now spans more than a quarter of a century.”

“During the past year I have been working with the local shelters in Vancouver and Washougal,” says Muskat, “covering many events & fundraisers and doing weekly photo shoots for the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society. It has been a real eye-opener to see the constant flow of dogs in need coming through the shelters’ doors. A percentage of the proceeds from the exhibit will be donated to the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society.

“Dog Treats” opens Mar. 6 at 5pm at the Second Story Gallery in the Camas Public Library, and will run through Mar. 31. Details kirstenkuskat@gooddogphoto.com or www.gooddogphoto.com.

971.255.5918. Also, if you have or know a dog who’s a good candidate to be a blood donor, please check it out!

Giving the gift of life is the most rewarding work there is. Details dovelewis.org.

make your voice heard and win cool prizes! www.spotmagazine.net

24 SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

Local petsitting pro earns national accreditation Margaret Sathrum, pet sitter and owner of Doggie Dilemma Pet Sitters in Milwaukie, has earned the distinction of being

Canadian provinces and 11 other countries.

To earn accreditation, a pet sitter must conform to PSI guidelines and demonstrate proficiency and professionalism in business skills and practices.

The curriculum covers the care of various species of companion animals, pet health and nutrition, business and office procedures, and additional pet care services commonly offered by pet sitters.

The requirements ensure the highest pet care competency.

to local pet owners that I am dedicated to being my professional best and committed to the highest industry standards. Pet sitting is a service business with a difference — I want to offer my customers the best quality service possible and take care of their pets as if they were my own.”

Contact Sathrum or Doggie Dilemma at 503.502.7312, or visit doggiedilemma.mypets.ws.

continued from page 17

HEALING PEOPLE Specially-trained volunteers (and their equally specially-trained pets) lovingly share the healing power of their pets. In doing so, these dedicated people provide inspiration, compassion and joy to those in need — some who may have lost hope, others who are sick or isolated, and still others who just need a friend. Delta Society’s Pet Partners teams help improve the health and well-being of people in hospitals, nursing homes, rehab centers, psychiatric units and schools.

The Pet Partners program is a cost-efficient and effective way to help patients experience less pain, faster healing, increased confidence, and motivation to exercise. An indirect benefit is the stress-busting breaks the Pet Partners teams provide hospital staff and patients’ families. There are teams in all 50 states and 13 countries, with over 130 teams in the Portland area alone.

Save the Date

Delta Society’s Pet Effect!

April 29 • Noon-1pm FREE fundraising luncheon at the World Forestry Center.

Meet others with a common passion.

The tales from these teams are the stuff movies are made of.

Take a look.

Dick & Margaret Rutledge’s two Chihuahuas, ANALI (4) and GIGI (5), put smiles on the faces of patients in the Alzheimer’s unit at St. Mary’s Academy in Beaverton. “They actually change the old men’s temperaments.” says Richard Rutledge. “The dogs don’t mind if they’re grumpy,” adds his wife, Margaret. And the Chihuahuas love the work. They get very excited and vocal as they approach the facility each week.

“Touch is so important for these people,” says Katharine Harding, discussing the brief but powerful visits to health facilities she makes with KARISTO, her two-year-old King Charles Spaniel/Miniature Poodle (who resembles the cutest stuffed animal you ever saw). Harding and Karisto visit hospitals and retirement homes and read with children at libraries in Oregon’s coastal communities. “It’s gratifying to have people open up around Karisto,” says Harding. Some, she says, reminisce about animals in their past, while others discover “a sense of purpose.”

Susan Moore and BONNIE, her 11-year-old Border Collie, have been volunteering with Delta Society for five years. They visit pediatric units, the Tigard Library, and started a reading program at Fir Grove Elementary School in Beaverton.

“Bonnie lies on her back with her legs in the air and waits for the kids to start reading,” says Moore. Kids who have struggled with reading begin to enjoy it with Bonnie in the mix, and their reading improves.

“She doesn’t judge or correct,” says Moore.

The program is beneficial in other ways as well.

Moore says about children with behavioral issues or problems at home: “Reading to Bonnie gives them a break from everything . . . sometimes they stop reading and just talk to her.” About the time Bonnie turned two, Moore realized how great she was with people, particularly children. That was when she registered her as a Pet Partner. Moore loves sharing Bonnie with others and seeing the smiles she puts on peoples’ faces.

PET PARTNERS teams provide Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA), such as Read to the Dogs programs, therapy and comfort visits, as well as Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), which involves matching an animal with a particular person or medical condition.

Becoming a Pet Partners team involves rigorous evaluations which must be repeated every two years. “I am so grateful for the high standards that Delta Society sets,” says Harding. “They not only evaluate the dog, but the handler as well.” A great deal of work and attention goes into the demeanor and aptitude of both the animal and the “human end of the leash.” Training includes how to effectively engage with different populations, how to be ever-vigilant, and how to recognize stress in the pet and the people being visited.

Presentations about Delta Society and becoming a Pet Partners team are offered regularly. In the Portland area, “discovery sessions” are held at Providence and St. Vincent Medical Centers, and at Howl At The Moon. For dates, upcoming sessions in the Eugene/Springfield or surrounding areas, or more general info, contact JenniferM@DeltaSociety.org or 503.387.5138, or visit deltasociety.org .

Vonnie Harris is a freelance writer, and operator of BowWows & Meows Pet Services of SW WA. She and her brood, Jake and Jessie, both yellow Labs, and parrots Pedro (Yellow-Nape Amazon) and Lorali (African Grey) reside in Vancouver. Vonnie also is “the face of Spot” at many Portland-area pet-related events. Contact her at vonnie@spotmagazine.net.

SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

25

As

Happens continued from pg 19

BOARDING / DAYCARE Cooper Mountain Kennels . 6 Laurel Acres Kennels . . . . 21

PET FOOD / SUPPLIES Bi-Mart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Blue Buffalo . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Snowfire Farm — distributor of healthy pet foods . . . 15 Solid Gold NW Holistic Products for Pets . . . . . 10

BEHAVIOR SPECIALISTS Leader of the Pack . . . . . 14

PET PORTRAITS PC Pierce . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

CREMATION / MEMORIALS Dignified Pet Services . . . 19

PET SITTING Doggie Dilemma . . . . . . . 15

EVENTS Jantzen Beach Pet Festival . 7 NW Pet & Companion Fair. 29 Paws for a Cause-OFOSA. . 23

PHOTOGRAPHY Good Dog Photo . . . . . . . . 9

ADOPTION / RESCUE Multnomah County Animal Services . . . . . . 13

GIFTS / FASHION / SPECIALTY Bi-Mart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Wags of Eugene . . . . . . . 17 GROOMING - EUG/SPNG Grooming Dales . . . . . . . . 27 HEALTH & WELLNESS Animal Allergy & Ear Clinic of Oregon . . . . . . 10 Back on Track . . . . . . . . . 13 Molly’s Pals Animal Chiro 14 Unsinkable Dogs . . . . . . . 17 HOTELS Ester Lee Motel . . . . . . . . 17 ORGANIZATIONS Banner’s Blood Bank . . . . . 2 Dogs for the Deaf . . . . . . 30

26 SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

In addition to opportunity, “As life happens” also brings the occasional curveball. Recent worrisome developments in Pankey’s health include migraines and sudden shifts in equilibrium. With no initial encouragement, Mijo has learned to identify the warning signs long before an event.

As Pankey puts it, “There are things he’s just kind of taught himself.” He’ll help her balance and, if he senses the onset of a migraine, he’ll literally cross her path and stop her — in the middle of a grocery excursion if need be. It’s hard to argue with a Great Dane.

Phaethon — an incredibly graceful black Standard Poodle — is Jacquelynn Straub’s assistance partner. Phaethon means “shining,” which may seem an odd name for a black dog. That is until you see Jacquelynn’s face light up when describing how she and her mom,

Jake Faris is a freelance writer who’s worn many different hats, including a hardhat and the 8-point hat of a police officer.

Jake and his wife Charity live with their two cats and four dogs in Beaverton. The whole pack moved to Portland from Wenatchee, WA three years ago. Now a dedicated Oregonian, Jake finds new reasons to love his adopted state every day.

Contact him at jake@spotmagazine.net

PRODUCTS Pet Portraiture . . . . . . . . . 27 Photo Articulations . . . . . . . 2 Wags of Eugene . . . . . . . 17 SERVICE ANIMALS Dogs for the Deaf . . . . . . 30 SOCIAL / PET NETWORKING pdxdog.com . . . . . . . . . . . 28 TRAINING Leader of the Pack . . . . . 14 VETERINARIANS / VET HOSPITALS Animal Allergy & Ear Clinic of Oregon . . . . . . 10 Best Friends Vet . . . . . . . 13 Good Neighbor Vet . . . . . 15 Molly’s Pals Animal Chiro 14 Rose City Vet Hospital . . . . 9 VACATION RENTALS Ester Lee Motel . . . . . . . . 17 Idyllic Beach House . . . . . . 9

Tammy, trained Phaethon to take off Straub’s socks — and even better — put clothes in the laundry. That’s a skill anybody would love their dog to perfect!

Even with the impressive list of skills the students and dogs have added to their resumes, the most common praise spoken at the graduation ceremony was the community that Mary Lou Cook created when she formed All is Pawsible. Pankey described the class as a “wonderful support system.” Cook’s take? “Folks like this make it all worthwhile.”

After receiving their diplomas and a handshake from Cook (and in Tippi’s case, getting a hand switching the tassel on her mortar board to the “graduated” side), the grads departed, ready to start the next chapter in their lives. As they left, students in the second AIP class looked on, perhaps glimpsing a year into the future when they will graduate — equipped with the skills this wonderful community provides.

Zadok

continued from pg 21

to seeing them this year,” says Burk. “Zadok will remember them. He never forgets people he has loved.”

In addition to crisis response, Burk and Zadok contribute much here at home in the Northwest. Zadok has comforted many people in hospitals, prisons and children’s facilities. The two are also steadfast fundraisers for Akita Rescue.

Burk and Zadok also recently received the AKC ACE Award for Canine Excellence and were honored at the Rose City Dog Classic. Tune in to Animal Planet April 11, and you can see their coverage of the event.

Burk feels most dogs have a “higher awareness.” She says, “It takes observance from owners . . . know your dog, what drives him or her.” She says she feels like a rock star and a million bucks after their therapy visits — even if she was in a rotten mood or stressed out before the visit. “I find this to be the most rewarding thing I can do. Zadok is an incredible gift and I get to share him with so many people.”

Vonnie Harris is a freelance writer, and operator of BowWows & Meows Pet Services of SW WA. She and her brood, Jake and Jessie, both yellow Labs, and parrots Pedro (Yellow-Nape Amazon) and Lorali (African Grey) reside in Vancouver. Vonnie also is “the face of Spot” at many Portland-area pet-related events. Contact her at vonnie@spotmagazine.net.

ADOPTION COMPANIONS FOR LIFE 300 cats & kittens looking for forever home, altered, tested, vaccinated, microchipped, indoor, ready to love. Adoption fee $85-$125.

M-F: 11-7, Sa-Su 10-6. Cat Adoption Team 503.925.8903 www.catadoptionteam.org Volunteers welcome. Fosters needed.

DOG GROOMING EUG/SPRINGFIELD

Grooming-Dales (Dee) 28 West Q St. #F Springfield (541) 726-PETS (7387) With 30 Years of Quality Care

BOARDING $25/DAY AJ’S K9 KAMP Visit the photo page on www.ajsk9kamp.com. Day care & overnight home care. Canines under 30 lbs. Nr the airport.

15 yrs exp. Licensed. Insured. 7am - 8pm 503-252-7652.

CRAFTERS WANTED LOCAL CRAFTERS WANTED Handmade, pet-related items needed for new boutique. Favor given to crafters that use “green” materials. Send links or photos to: DS@laporte-design.com

“WE HAVE A WARM HEART FOR A COLD NOSE” LEXIDOG AT 5TH STREET PUBLIC MARKET Features Experienced grooming by Jessica Plante — Let Jess pamper your pup from nose to toes! Call 541-343-5394 for an appointment.

FOSTER CARE

DAYCARE See AJ’s K9 Kamp under Boarding THE BED & BISCUIT ON SUNNYSIDE Daycare and overnight stays in my home for dogs over 30# Special needs, meds OK! Lisa 503-658-5737 FOREST PARK BED & BISCUIT Dog daycare, overnights & basic grooming while you wait or play. Private setting in NW PDX, close to Montgomery Park. Call Linda for details 503-768-9932 or 971-570-3646.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME The Dog Manor for fun and friendly Doggie Daycare! Your best friend’s home away from home.

503-309-0372 M-F 7-6:30 North Portland

FOSTER PARENTS NEEDED If you would like to be a volunteer foster parent for Other Mothers Animal Rescue, please call 503.452.0465 to request an application. We need dedicated animal lovers to care for pregnant dogs or cats and/or their litters until they can be adopted into permanent homes.Please check us out at www.othermothers.org, Then call if you can help these precious puppies or kittens. This is a great way to get to cuddle the baby critters without committing to more than 6 or 8 weeks. Other Mothers needs you!

971.321.6858.

HEALTH/WELLNESS ORGANIC WHEAT-FREE DOG TREAT RECIPES Send $3 & an SASE to Mrs. Paws at 8056 E Mill Plain Blvd. Vancouver WA 98664.

WALLACE PARK ANIMAL ACUPUNCTURE Complementary integrative pet care for a variety of health concerns. 20 yrs of experience and instructor to veterinarians. On the dog park in NW Portland. Dr.T. McCormick, LAc 503-810-0755

6x $25

12x $20

3 lines of text, 45 characters per line Additional lines $1 per line per month *These rates apply only to text ads, not display ads

Contact P.C. Pierce at 503-641-4585 oysterbasco@yahoo.com www.myspace.com/oysterbascoart

PET SITTING

GROOMER WANTED T-Sat, Exp, detail oriented, neat and friendly.

Please call Liana Mon-Fri 503-291-0010

BOWWOWS & MEOWS PET SERVICES Need a pet-sitter who will love your pets as much as she loves her own? BowWows & Meows Pet Services . . . Because It’s All About Them! We also love birds! Serving West Vancouver & Jantzen Beach areas. Pet-sitting and Mid-Day Potty Breaks. 360.903.4174

WRITERS Spot is growing! We are always considering talented writers. The budget is humble but growing. The readership is passionate and the standard is high. If interested, please send letter of intro (especially your areas of interest/expertise in pets), along with two samples to: publisher@spotmagazine.net.

No phone calls please.

HOUSE & PET SITTERS DEPENDABLE RETIRED COUPLE We do overnight and vacation house and pet sitting. Dogs, cats, horses, whatever! Responsible with great references. 503-537-9719 or 503-679-5613 KRITTER KARE OF PORTLAND Daily dog walks. Vacation pet sitting. “Overnites” & house sitting services. Caring for domestics & exotics in the tri-county area since 1994. Licensed, bonded, insured.

Refs. 503-252-0599, 503-940-7761.

LISA & FRIENDS PET SITTING Quality pet care in a comfortable home environment at great prices. In-home visits also available. All pets welcome. Refs. 503490-3762 FURRY DUTY IN HOME CARE Boarding/Daily Walking. Contact Char 503.829.7181 or jcpalmer@molalla.net or MiriamatFurryDuty@yahoo.com or 503-807-4578

PET TRAVEL FOR THE TRAVELING DOGS WITH FAMILIES Otto Step! Completely portable platform step for loading and unloading Fido. Insert into any 2” trailer hitch receiver, load and stow after use. Visit www.OttoStep.com or call 888-311-OTTO (6886).

TRAINING

Classified Ad Rates: 3x $33

Dog portraiture in colored pencil. Celebrate your friend or commemorate a past companion!

HELP WANTED

WHAT IS YOUR PET DOING ALL DAY? Chewing, Digging, Barking Bored and Missing You. Call A LUCKY DOG. 1-800GO-LUCKY

1x $40

PET PORTRAITS

Spot is growing! We are always looking for talented, passionate pet people to include in the Spot family! Do you have a good idea? Do you have an interesting story? We want to hear from you! Please send letter of intro (especially your areas of interest/expertise in pets) to: publisher@spotmagazine.net.

HAPPY PALS DOG TRAINING Have fun w/your dog teaching manners and/or earning titles in obed, rally, conf, or tracking.

Judges from several orgs. Private lessons, your home or our facilities. Call Loanne or Roger 503-359-9297.

SPOT MAGAZINE

| MARCH 2009

27

MARCH • 2009

1 sunday Noon — The Cat Food Bank, providing cat food for cat owners in need, is open ‘til 2:30 at CAT’s shelter, 14175 SW Galbreath Dr. in Sherwood. In February, 1,050 lbs. of cat food was distributed.

1pm — Explore Volunteering with Your Pet at Howl at the Moon in Vancouver. Delta Society hosts a free informational session for those considering becoming a Pet Partners Team. Details deltasociety.org. Free.

1pm — PDX Danes play today at Ross Park in Vancouver.

1pm — Sunday Social at Club K-9 in North Portland. Admission $5/dog; RSVP to 503.289.7472.

3pm —Yappy Hour at LexiDog Boutique & Social Club at 5th Street Public Market in Eugene.

Bring your canine companion and make new friends while enjoying award-winning wines from LaVelle Winery ‘til 5.

2 monday 6:30pm — Maximize your relationship. Free workshop at

and the toybox is getting low!

Needed: new toys for large dogs (donors must be at least 55 lbs.).

To donate, or organize a toy drive, call Abby at 971.255.5918.

DoveLewis in Portland. Details in Fetch or dovelewis.org.

3 tuesday 5:30pm — Basic Manners Dog Training Class at Oregon Humane Society in Portland. Fun, positive and flexible schedule-wise. Learn at your own pace and move up

a level when you’re ready. Free Intro class required; offered March 3, 14, 17 & 28. Manners classes offered weekly at various days/ times. Details 503.802.6711 or oregonhumane.org/pet_training.

5 thursday Noon — Pet Loss Support at DoveLewis NW. 6pm — Pet Loss Support at Willamette Humane Society in Salem. The folks at WHS understand how hard it is to lose a pet, and can offer advice and support to get you through this difficult time. Pet loss support sessions are offered first Thursdays each month.

Details willamettehumane.org or 503.585.5900.

6:30pm — Free Pet First Aid Workshop at DoveLewis in Portland. Registration required; details in Fetch or dovelewis.org.

6 friday • Good Dog Photo presents “DOG TREATS,” a special exhibit at the Second Story Gallery in Camas.

Featuring images of over 30 dogs, the exhibit focuses on the joy dogs bring into our daily lives and

28 SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

the need for adoption. Kirsten Muscat worked closely with local shelters to create a special feature on rescued shelter dogs.

Details GoodDogPhoto.com.

7:30pm — Singles Mixer at Club K-9 in North Portland. A new Friday-night indoor park for single dog moms & dads and their pups to play & mingle.

Admission $10; RSVP to 503.289.7472.

7 saturday • Puppy Kindergarten at Willamette Humane Society in Salem. Get your puppy off to a great start. Pups learn basic manners and skills, how to socialize and play with other puppies, and build confidence for lifelong learning. For puppies 6 months or younger. Go to www.willamettehumane.org to register or for details. Offered every Saturday.

8:30am — March for Mutts to support AniMeals ‘til noon at No. Clackamas Park, Milwaukie.

Highlights: Look Alike Contest, Agility & K9 Cop Demos, Stupid Dog Tricks, Flyball, March for Mutts & Prizes, Vendors, Kids &

Dogs Areas & more. Details parks@ co.clackamas.or.us.

10am — Good Neighbor Vet Clinic at Coastal Farm & Ranch in Eugene every Saturday 10-11:30. Low-cost exams, microchipping & testing for heartworm, feline HIV and leukemia. GNV also educates customers on zoonotic disease & the importance of heartworm and flea/tick prevention. Details goodneighborvet.com.

10am — Pet Nutrition & News with Chip Sammons on KKPZ, 1330 AM radio. Chip

Noon — Adopt a cat this weekend. CAT counselors are on-site at local PetsMart stores ‘til 4. PetsMarts are located at Cascade Station, in Clackamas, Hillsboro, Tanasbourne, Tigard, Tualatin, Wilsonville and Washington Square.

Noon — Saturday Show & Tell ‘til 4 at Animal Aid, 5335 SW 42nd Ave (south of Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy). Weekday visiting hours 11-4.

Details 503.292.6628 or animalaidpdx.org.

12:30pm — Problem Pooch class led by a certified pet trainer at Oregon Humane Society. Great for those entering or considering pet parenthood or who are feeling frustrated with their four-legged friend. Free; no need to RSVP. Please leave pets at home. Details oregonhumane.org.

1pm — PDX Danes Walkabout in downtown Portland. Leashed activity to benefit those with older or less sociable dogs. Meet near Saturday Market.

2pm — Help with basic training in Eugene.

Certified Dog Trainer Nancy Yamin, owner of Mutts Better (muttsbetter.com), is available to chat ‘til 4 at Greenhill. Details in Fetch or green-hill.org.

8 sunday

Sisters Bridget and Mary with their dog Nala at last year’s March for Mutts. helps you help your pets live long, healthy, happy lives.

10am — West Coast Captive Breeders Expo and Eugene Reptile Show & Sale at the Red Lion Inn in Eugene ‘til 5. Admission $5; kids under 8 free.

11am — Adoption Outreach with Marion County Dog Shelter at Woodburn Petsense ‘til 4. Come meet some sweet, adoptable dogs.

11am — Volunteer/Foster Care Orientation at Greenhill Humane Society in Eugene.

Learn about the exciting opportunities to work with the Greenhill staff and animals.

Volunteers are needed as dog walkers, kennel cleaners, cattery workers and office help. Man hours filled by volunteers free up staff and funds to benefit the animals. The Foster Care segment covers why animals are placed in foster care and whether this fun and rewarding program might be right for you and your family. Details green-hill.org. RSVP (required) to 541.689.1503.

9am — Pro-Bone-O Vet Clinic at St. Vincent dePaul at its Lindholm Service Center in Eugene ‘til 1. Pro-Bone-O serves pets of people who are homeless. Services include vaccines, well-pet check-ups, treatment of minor illnesses, diseases & wounds, food & supplies. Details proboneo.org.

1pm — Sunday Social at Club K-9 in North Portland. Admission $5/dog; RSVP to 503.289.7472.

1pm — PDX Danes play today at Gabriel Park in Portland.

1pm — Memorial Art Community Workshop with DoveLewis at 1945 NW Pettygrove, Families Welcome 1-2:30, adults (ages 16 & up) 3-4:30. Enid Traisman, MSW facilitates workshops offered the 2nd Sunday of every month, each with an opportunity to create something unique to take home. Free; RSVP required. dovelewis.org/giftshop.

12 thursday 9am — Pet Loss Support at DoveLewis NW. Details dovelewis.org.

3

Big Activities Under One Roof

PET ADOPTION Over 225 Adopted in 2008 Visit with 30+ Rescue and Shelter Groups Learn how you can help

PET RETAIL MALL Pet Products Pet Services Meet Pet Experts Enjoy Show Specials and Product Samples

PET SOCIAL Enjoy time with your Companion Show off your Pet Dress up your Pet Pictures with your Pet Check their Speed

And much more.

Please check our web site www.petfairs.com For updates on Activities and workshops schedules

April 18th & 19th Sat 9:30 am to 6 pm Sun 10 am to 5 pm Portland Expo Center, Hall E Adults $7.00 Seniors(62) and Kids 6-18 $5.00 Family Pass $20.00 Well Manner Pet admission: One can of Pet Food or $1.00 All Pet Food donated to the AniMeals on Wheels program.

13 friday 6:30pm — Boutiques Unleashed: Fashion for Both Ends of the Leash, DoveLewis’ annual human/canine fashion event at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland. Details in Fetch or dovelewis.org.

SPOT MAGAZINE

| MARCH 2009

29

7:30pm — Singles Mixer at Club K-9 in North Portland. A new Friday-night indoor park for single dog moms & dads and their pups to play & mingle. Admission $10; RSVP to 503.289.7472.

14 saturday • Puppy Kindergarten at Willamette Humane Society in Salem. Visit willamettehumane.org to register or for details.

9am — McKenzie River Cat Club Cat Show (domestics can enter) at the Lane County Convention Center. McKenzie River Cat Club’s Golden Anniversary All breed Championship, Veteran and HHP Show. Entries limited to 225; registration closes Mar. 9. Show runs 9-5 today, 10-4 tomorrow.

Details catshows.us/mckenzieriver/ 09flyer.pdf.

9am — Run with the Dogs at Lake Oswego Petco. Red Lizard Running Club takes MCAS shelter dogs for a run, then holds an adoption outreach 10-noon.

Details 503.988.6254.

10am — Pet Nutrition & News with Chip Sammons on KKPZ, 1330 AM radio. Chip helps you help

your pets live long, healthy, happy lives.

11am — Adoption Outreach with Marion County Dog Shelter at Salem PetsMart ‘til 4. Come meet some sweet, adoptable dogs.

Noon — 4th Anniversary Celebration at Petopia Natural Pet Supplies, 16101 SE McLoughlin in Milwaukie ‘til 5.

Samples & coupons, $5 nail trims, friendly trainers, adoptables & more. Details 503.607.0111.

Noon — Adopt a cat this weekend.

CAT counselors are on-site at local PetsMart stores ‘til 4.

PetsMarts are located at Cascade Station, in Clackamas, Hillsboro, Tanasbourne, Tigard, Tualatin, Wilsonville and Washington Square.

Noon — Looking for Some Bunny to Love? One is looking for you!

Meet them, and their wonderful Advocates, at Western Pet Supply in Beaverton ‘til 3. The Advocates’ events are fun, informative — even beautifying! They’ll clip your bunny’s nails too. (Donations appreciated, and please bring clean towels and grooming tools if possible.) Details adoptarabbit.org.

Noon — Saturday Show & Tell ‘til 4 at Animal Aid in Portland. Details 503.292.6628 or animalaidpdx.org.

12:30pm — Finicky Feline class led by a certified pet trainer at Oregon Humane Society. Great for those entering or considering pet parenthood or who are feeling frustrated with their four-legged friend. Free; no need to RSVP. Please leave pets at home. Details oregonhumane.org.

2pm — Wonder Puppy, the new one-stop shop for “everything puppy” in Portland, is celebrating its grand opening ‘til 6. Vendors, snacks & more. Details in Fetch or wonder-puppy.com.

4:30pm — Rolling for Rover and Romeo at Skate World at Gateway Loop ‘til 8:30 to benefit Lane County Animal Services. Proceeds support medical treatment and vaccinations for animals in the LCAS shelter and foster care.

Last year was a blast, and raised $5,000 for much-needed medical treatments. For tickets/info call 541.682.3013. Admission $5/ person, $15/family. Under 5 free.

15 sunday 1pm — Sunday Social at Club K-9 in North Portland. Admission $5/dog; RSVP to 503.289.7472.

1pm — PDX Danes rendezvous to play today at No. Clackamas Park.

2pm — Shy Dog class at Oregon Humane Society.

Learn training techniques to build your shy, scared or timid dog’s confidence and manners while accommodating his/her individual needs. Please leave pets home. Cost $45; RSVP to oregonhumane.org/pet_training.

16 monday 5pm — Volunteer/Foster Care Orientation at Greenhill Humane Society in Eugene. Learn about exciting opportunities to volunteer and/or be a foster. See March 7 at 11am for complete details, or visit green-hill.org. RSVP (required) to 541.689.1503.

7pm —Pet Loss Support at DoveLewis NW. Details dovelewis.org.

18 wednesday 30 SPOT MAGAZINE | MARCH 2009

11am — Adoption Outreach with Marion County Dog Shelter at

Petco on Lancaster ‘til 4. Come meet some sweet, adoptable dogs.

7pm —Pet Loss Support at DoveLewis SE. Details dovelewis.org.

19 thursday 7pm —Pet Loss Support at DoveLewis NW. Details dovelewis.org.

20 friday 7:30pm — Singles Mixer at Club K-9 in North Portland. A new Friday-night indoor park for single dog moms & dads and their pups to play & mingle.

Admission $10; RSVP to 503.289.7472.

21 saturday • Puppy Kindergarten at Willamette Humane Society in Salem. Visit willamettehumane.org to register or for details.

9am —Dog 101 at Willamette Humane Society in Salem.

Six-week class covering basic obedience skills and manners, providing the tools and knowledge to maintain your dog’s good behavior and improve your relationship.

Details willamettehumane.org or 503.585.5900.

10am — License Amnesty Event, including License amnesty / vaccination / information, at Marion County Dog Shelter, 3550 Aumsville Hwy SE in Salem.

10am — Pet Nutrition & News with Chip Sammons on KKPZ, 1330 AM radio. Chip helps you help your pets live long, healthy, happy lives.

11am — Adoption Outreach with Marion County Dog Shelter at Pet Etc. in West Salem ‘til 4.

11am — Pet Caricatures by Sam Arneson at Howl at the Moon in Vancouver ‘til 5. Reserve space now; Sam’s time books quickly.

Details howl-at-the-moon.com.

Noon — Adopt a cat this weekend. CAT counselors are on-site at local PetsMart stores ‘til 4. PetsMarts are located at Cascade Station, in Clackamas, Hillsboro, Tanasbourne,

Tigard, Tualatin, Wilsonville and Washington Square.

Noon — Saturday Show & Tell ‘til 4 at Animal Aid in Portland. Details 503.292.6628 or animalaidpdx.org.

1pm — Caring For Feral Cats & Trap/Neuter/Return Course at Greenhill Humane Society in Eugene. Randi Golub, the CatNurse, teaches how to care for and trap feral cats for spaying/neutering. Those who complete the course will have the opportunity to work with GHS’ Trap/Neuter/Return program on Sundays. Class runs 1-4; RSVP required. Call Ashlee Dixon 541.689.1503 ext. 116.

pooches and their people ‘til 8pm.

Tonight learn the latest about nutrition, wellness, and maintaining the health of your companion. Your pup can sample great treats from some of Oregon’s best natural dog food producers while you meet local veterinarians, wellness experts and sip a little vino. Details urbanwineworks.com.

10am — Pet Nutrition & News with Chip Sammons on KKPZ, 1330 AM radio. Chip helps you help your pets live long, healthy, happy lives.

Noon — Adopt a cat this weekend. CAT counselors are on-site at local PetsMart stores ‘til 4. PetsMarts are located at Cascade Station, in Clackamas, Hillsboro, Tanasbourne, Tigard, Tualatin, Wilsonville and Washington Square.

Noon — Saturday Show & Tell ‘til 4 at Animal Aid in Portland.

Details 503.292.6628 or animalaidpdx.org.

22 sunday 9am — Pro-Bone-O Vet Clinic at St. Vincent dePaul at its Lindholm Service Center in Eugene ‘til 1.

Pro-Bone-O serves pets of people who are homeless. Services include vaccines, well-pet checkups, treatment of minor illnesses, diseases & wounds, food & supplies. Details proboneo.org.

1pm — Sunday Social at Club K-9 in North Portland. Admission $5/dog; RSVP to 503.289.7472.

1pm — PDX Danes rendezvous today at Hazeldell Park.

2pm — Healthy Dog Series: Wellness & Prevention at Oregon Humane Society. Fun, new 90-minute workshop focused on injury prevention, exercising safely, fitness programs, healthy food choices, and harnesses and restraints. Also learn problemspotting movement assessment.

Please leave pets home. Free; RSVP to oregonhumane.org/ pet_training.

24 tuesday 8am — Whole Foods Community Support Day at the Pearl District store ‘til 10pm. 5% of the store’s net sales will be donated to the DoveLewis Unrestricted Fund today.

25 wednesday 6pm — Yappy Hour: Health & Wellness Night at Urban Wineworks in Portland’s Pearl District. A great social hour for

29 sunday

Nina (3) and Kim Loovis Ward making new friends at a recent Club K-9 Sunday Social event Photo by Lancea LaPorte

Noon — Adoption Outreach at Kiehl’s on NW 23rd in Portland. Adopt an MCAS dog and pick up some lotion at the same time. Details 503.988.6254.

1pm — Sunday Social at Club K-9 in North Portland.

Admission $5/dog; RSVP to 503.289.7472.

7pm — Laff Off at the Actors Cabaret of Eugene to benefit Greenhill. An annual comedy competition, Laff Off features up to 20 comedians vying to be named “Funniest Person in Eugene” by a panel of seven celebrity judges. All ticket proceeds support Greenhill Humane Society. Details/ Tickets 541.683.4368.

ALL MONTH LONG • March Cat Promotion at Greenhill Humane Society in Eugene. 50% off adoption fees for all Tabby and Tiger cats (excluding kittens) throughout March. Details green-hill.org.

CIRCLE THE DATE April 4 • 8th annual NW Regional Animal Assisted Therapy Conference at the Doubletree Lloyd Center in Portland.

Details dovelewis.org.

• Canine Breeders’ Symposium presented by the American Kennel Club and AKC Canine Health Foundation at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. Details akcchf.org.

27 friday Noon — Reservation Deadline for Animal Assisted Therapy & Education Conference happening April 4, 9am-4pm, at Doubletree Lloyd Center in Portland. Details dovelewis.org.

7:30pm — Singles Mixer at Club K-9 in North Portland. A new Friday-night indoor park for single dog moms & dads and their pups to play & mingle. Admission $10; RSVP to 503.289.7472.

28 saturday • Puppy Kindergarten at Willamette Humane Society in Salem. Visit willamettehumane.org to register or for details.

10am — Mountain Dog Meetup at Fernhill Park in Portland, near NE 42nd & Killingsworth.

Meetups happen the last Saturday of every month.

Details ldmiller@aracnet.com or 503.282.6706.

Mar 5, 2009: Ron Peterson on the passing of his father.

Mar 12, 2009: Gary Cobb, Central City Concern.

Mar 19, 2009: Ed Cavin on taking a gender neutral domestic violence workshop.

Mar 26, 2009: Sonja Harju with a monthly update on political and social issues.

1450 AM • kpsu.org

evenings/weekends • webcast 24/7 • huge diversity SPOT MAGAZINE

| MARCH 2009

31

9`$DXik `j Aljk I`^_k

]fi kXb`e^ ZXi\ f] pfli g\kËj e\\[j n`k_ ^i\Xk gi`Z\j fe Xcc k_\ \jj\ek`Xcj% PflËcc Ôe[ fm\i ) X`jc\j f] eXd\ YiXe[ ZXk ]ff[# [f^ ]ff[# ZXk c`kk\i# Z_\n kfpj# ki\Xkj# g\k Y\[j# ]ff[ [`j_\j# ZXii`\ij# ZXk ]ff[# [f^ ]ff[# n`c[ Y`i[ ]ff[ Xe[ ]\\[\ij# [fd\jk`Z Y`i[ kfpj Xe[ ]ff[# _Xdjk\i# ^l`e\X g`^# Xe[ d`Z\ ]ff[# [f^ Xe[ ZXk kfpj# iXYY`k Y\[[`e^# ]\\[\ij# Ôj_ ]ff[# nXk\i Zfe[`k`fe\i# c\Xj_\j# ZfccXij# j_Xdgff# m`kXd`ej# Õ\X Zfekifc# ^iffd`e^ `k\dj# Xe[ X n_fc\ cfk dfi\% C\k lj kXb\ ZXi\ f] pfli \m\ip[Xp g\k e\\[j ]fi c\jj .' JKFI<J EFN KF J<IM< PFL @E K?< EFIK?N<JK

4UJMM 0OMZ GPS B -JGFUJNF 'BNJMZ .FNCFSTIJQ

FI<>FE 8C98EP 8CF?8 8J?C8E; 98B<I :@KP 9<8M<IKFE 9<E; :FFJ 98P :FIM8CC@J ) :FKK8>< >IFM< :I<JN<CC K?< ;8CC<J ;8D8J:LJ

<L><E< + =CFI<E:< =FI<JK >IFM< >I8EKJ G8JJ >I<J?8D ?<ID@JKFE ?@CCJ9FIF ALE:K@FE :@KP BC8D8K? =8CCJ C8 >I8E;< C8 G@E< C<98EFE C@E:FCE :@KP

D8;I8J DZD@EEM@CC< D<;=FI; ) DFC8CC8 DFEDFLK? E<N9<I> EFIK? 9<E; FEK8I@F FI<>FE :@KP G<E;C<KFE GFIKC8E; * GI@E<M@CC< I<;DFE;

IFJ<9LI> J8C<D ) J8E;P JGI@E>=@<C; ) JK8PKFE JLK?<IC@E K@>8I; M<E<K8 N@EJKFE NFF;9LIE

:C8IBJKFE ;<<I G8IB <8JK N<E8K:?<< <CC<EJ9LI> FI:?8I;J JLEEPJ@;< M8E:FLM<I N8CC8 N8CC8 N8J?FL>8C P8B@D8 )

N8J?@E>KFE :?<E<P

@;8?F N<@J<I

NNN%9@D8IK%:FD