FIND YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND !

These are just a few of the many faces in our care that are patiently waiting for their forever families to find them. We know there’s a match out there for all of them. And for all the rest of their friends at the shelter and in foster homes that aren’t pictured here on these pages. Maybe one has been waiting all this time to rescue YOU... Adopt a shelter pet today!

At Homeward Animal Shelter, our mission is: “Rescue. Shelter. Protect. Rehome.” We provide a second chance at happiness to lost, abandoned, and owner-surrendered animals; and educate the community on the proper, loving, and kind treatment of animals.

Homeward Animal Shelter is committed to preventing animal overpopulation and spays/ neuters all animals 6 months or older before adoption. Since its inception in 1966, Homeward Animal Shelter has placed nearly 41,000 animals in lifelong homes. •

MARSHALL LEO

Male | 13 years old

Buff & White DSH

Diabetic

“I’m not just a cat, I’m a master cuddler. Seeking a human who’s ready to unwind and snuggle up with me after a long day.”

ELANA

Female

8 ½ years old

Torbie & White DSH

Diabetic

Male 1 year old Husky Mix

“I’m a playful pup with a lot to say. Seeking a human who’s ready to engage in endless conversations and adventures with me.”

“I’m not just a cat, I’m a queen. Looking for a human who’s ready to bow down and serve me (or at least give me a good belly rub).”

Concrete

Male | 2 years old

Grey & White DSH

FIV+

“I’m not just a cat, I’m a connoisseur of the finer things in life: sunlight, soft blankets, and a good chin scratch.”

Female | 4 years old

Rhodesian Ridgeback & Lab Mix

“I may not have the best manners, but I can learn. And in the meantime, I promise to make up for it with lots of love, loyalty, and snuggles.”

Male | 3 years old

“I’m not just a cat, I’m a professional lap warmer. Seeking a human with a cozy spot on the couch (and an endless supply of chin scratches).”

Male | 3 ½ years old

Great Dane

“Looking for a human who can appreciate my unique blend of energy and laziness. Bonus points if you have a big backyard for me to run around in.”

Female | 2 years old

Cinnamon Tabby & White

“I may look like a lap-cat, but I’m actually a worldclass athlete when it comes to chasing laser pointers.”

“I’m not just a dog, I’m a walking sunshine machine. Seeking a human who’s ready to bask in the glow of my endless love and tail wags.”

Female 4 years old Pit Bull Terrier

For information on adopting, volunteering or to make a donation, visit: homewardonline.org

WILL CHANGE YOURS!

Did you hear about the meteorologist marathon? The losers got precipitation trophies.

Crickets. Zero response from Max Mueller, KVRR’s Chief Meteorologist. Not even a single eyebrow raise. And that’s fine. It wasn’t even my joke. But the lack of chuckles led me to think ol’ Maxy Mu (coworkers: you’re welcome) had yet to master the Midwestern art form of self-deprecation.

How wrong I was. As you’ll see in a minute, Mueller delivered the best, most self-aware one-liner I’ve ever heard during an interview. Yeah, I did not see it coming. See if you can spot it.

Back to the beginning... Walking into Drekker’s newlyopened Brewhalla — Fargo’s best answer to “Hey, what should we do tonight?” — Mueller looked to be the Goldilocks of local meteorology. Shorter than Too Tall.

Higher than Wheeler. Not too Green. Working Sundays through Thursday, it was his Saturday and to throw people off, he wore a Nikon backpack and pretended to be a cameraman.

As it turns out, meteorologists have other interests, and Mueller’s is photography. It’s actually the reason he got into the weather business in the first place. After showing off his outrageously nice camera to the Urban Toad crew, it was time to answer some questions.

Where did your weather passion come from?

It’s kind of funny. When I was a kid, I was terrified of storms. I was always freaking out when the sirens were going off. But I always had a love of cameras when I was growing up, so I got into capturing lightning and storms and started teaching myself about thunderstorms... basically turned into a storm chaser.

How long have you been at KVRR?

I started interning there in 2018… went on air in April 2018. Left in 2020 for Idaho and came back in October of 2022.

What in the world made you think living in Idaho was a good idea?

The real answer was they were the only place to offer me a job! If I knew we were in for this kind of winter coming back, I might have put it off a little bit. The scenery out there, the mountains, there was no shortage of things to look at out there. In the end, I kind of missed Fargo and wanted to come back.

Teach me something surprising about the weather. So there is a type of cloud mammatus. If you see cloud cover with little bumps underneath, pillow-looking things, those are mammatus. They were named after breasts. The guy who named them looked up there and saw boobs. And so… mammatus.

How hard is it not to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day? It is unfortunate, because I do have a plethora of green stuff from UND. I will usually take a kelly green UND hoodie on air with me and say this is why I can’t wear green on air.

Why no props? No pizzazz?

I’m not Carrot Top! I am a big movie nerd, so what I’ve done before is if it’s kind of a boring forecast, especially in summer, I try to incorporate movie titles to describe the weather. You know… Some Like It Hot. Eternal Sunshine. Hot Fuzz. Any time I can get a Twister reference there I go for it.

Do you have a meteorological hero? Is it Phil Connors? It is not Phil Connors. I remember watching that as a kid, and I didn’t realize that he was even a weatherman! As a kid, I was obsessed with learning about how everything worked at a news station, so I would know all the names of the anchors and meteorologists.

What’s the ultimate achievement for a meteorologist? I got interested in weather through thunderstorms and tornadoes, and those are one of the more dangerous things that people can deal with. If there’s a dangerous tornado heading for a populated area when I’m on air, I want to do so in a way that people will listen and follow the directions and hopefully save lives. That’s definitely one of the most important things.

What is the hardest part of your job?

Predicting the weather.

[Mic drop! Dead.]

Do you think it’s somewhat disqualifying for a meteorologist to choose to live in a place like Fargo? You still get four seasons every year. You still get spring, summer, fall and… yeah, winter. So I love the seasonality here. I always tell people if you can get through winters, the summers are so great. You still deal with mosquitos, but I think the summers around here are perfect.

What’s the most interesting part of your job people would be surprised by?

When you’re doing the weather on air, there is no script. You’re just given an amount of time. When you’re organizing the graphics you’re going to use, you’re formulating in your head what you’re going to say about this and how it’ll transition into the next one. But no actual script.

What’s the worst on-air gaffe you’ve ever made?

A couple of years ago, right before I came back from a commercial, some saliva went down the wrong pipe. So we came back on air and I just started coughing. During commercial breaks, anchors will be talking back and forth nonstop, so one time an anchor turned to me and said, “Don’t laugh!” right before we went back on air… I made it a few words before I broke.

What does the Good Life mean to you?

For me, the good life is pretty simple. When I'm at some ridiculously beautiful location for a sunrise or sunset, or watching a thunderstorm start to develop in the middle of nowhere, or under the stars at night and hopefully getting some good pictures along the way. •