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Saturday early-evening notes: Movie cupcakes; cover dog
March 14, 2009 5:57 pm
|    Comments Off on Saturday early-evening notes: Movie cupcakes; cover dog
 |   Admiral Theater | Fun stuff to do | Pets | West Seattle Outdoor Movies

MOVIE CUPCAKES: No matter which of tonight’s big movies you are going to, you’ll see cupcakes. The ones at left were photographed by Lora Lewis of Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) as she gets ready for tonight’s Winter Indoors Movies on the Wall showing of the original “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (7 pm, West Seattle Christian Church activity center, free [cupcakes extra]); cupcakes also are in the works for the wedding celebration before the singalong “Mamma Mia!” at the Admiral Theater (7:30 pm, $8, cupcakes included).

MAKING OF A COVER DOG: We learned recently that one of West Seattle’s best-known canine cuties, Wendy Hughes-Jelen‘s Italian greyhound Sophia, would be appearing on a future cover for WS-based CityDog Magazine – and now (discovered via our Blogs page feed) Wendy has published the story of Sophia’s big day on her website. See Wendy’s story, photos and all, here (meantime, CityDog has promised to share a sneak peek at the cover when it gets close to hitting the stands).

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Followup: Pogo the missing Papillon — sighted?
March 13, 2009 1:51 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle news

17 days now have passed since we first brought you the story of Pogo, the Papillon who escaped from her North Delridge home. Betsy Hoffmeister and family have continued to search far and wide, and she e-mailed this update late Thursday night:

A woman called at 9:30 pm on Thursday, March 12, 2009 to report that she had seen a small white dog with long fur and dark markings hanging around S 124th St and 4th Ave S for most of the day. After seeing a sign up at Fred Meyer in Burien, the woman realized that the dog she saw might be Pogo. She called us and drove back. The dog was still there. She yelled “here Pogo” and the dog turned and looked at her. When she parked her car, she crunched the gravel which startled the dog. The dog ran from 124th in a southerly direction, through back yards. With this young woman, I spent 30 minutes tromping through people’s driveways yelling and whistling, shining my flashlight under cars, into carports, and into bushes. No sign of a dog. I would like to alert families living near Arbor Lake Park, or South of there, or thereabouts, that we are looking for our beloved Papillon and the reward is still waiting for the kind soul who finds her. If this dog was our Pogo, she is clearly running scared. If you see her – or any other stray pooch you are trying to coax – the advice I got from the canine specialist was to not run after a dog, but rather to sit down or crouch down, call the dog’s name, and let the dog come to you. Again, my number is 206 353 9334. I will be going back to the neighborhood (later today) to put hang tags on the doors of all the neighbors.

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Happening today: Farmers’ Market; produce co-op; get a pet
March 1, 2009 6:21 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   How to help | Pets | West Seattle Farmers' Market

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm today in The Junction, 44th/Alaska; you can see the newest “fresh sheet” here – with greens, prawns, and mutton, among the newer offerings.

DELRIDGE PRODUCE CO-OP INFO AT THE MARKET: Galena White‘s been working hard to find and organize volunteers to make the co-op dream happen, and today she’s planning a booth at the Farmers’ Market, so look for her there. She’s also set up a new online site for co-op-related communication; find it here, and if you’re on Facebook, be sure to friend her there too.

GOT ROOM IN YOUR HOME/HEART FOR ANOTHER PET? Bernadette Cassidy of The Wash Dog in Morgan Junction e-mailed (editor@westseattleblog.com) to share the news that the King County Animal Shelter will be there today, noon-4 pm, with adoptable dogs and cats. And if you adopt one, Bernadette’s got a bonus for you – a free self-serve wash.

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Happening today/tonight: Plants, pets, prosecutor, parks
February 26, 2009 5:31 am
|    Comments Off on Happening today/tonight: Plants, pets, prosecutor, parks
 |   Crime | Elliott Bay Water Taxi | Gardening | Pets

PLANT SALE: It’s happening at South Seattle Community College, 11 am – 3 pm. Nursery (North Lot entrance), promising “blowout prices.”

PET ADOPTIONS ON WHEELS: The big yellow MaxMobile is due back in West Seattle to offer mobile pet adoptions at Pet Pros in Westwood Village, noon-3 pm (more info here).

PROSECUTOR IN WEST SEATTLE: Got questions about what happens to criminals AFTER police arrest them? King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg is the scheduled guest at the South Delridge/White Center Community Safety Coalition at St. James Place tonight, 9421 18th SW (map), 6 pm (free dinner!).

PARK BRIEFINGS: The Seattle Parks Board hears a briefing on Seacrest dock improvements to facilitate year-round Elliott Bay Water Taxi service as well as briefing on possible changes to park operating hours, parks HQ downtown at 7 pm.

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The search for Pogo the missing Papillon: Latest from her family
February 25, 2009 11:52 am
|      24 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle news

Wanted to be sure you saw what Betsy Hoffmeister posted last night as a comment on the original WSB report about Pogo, her missing Papillon, who bolted after a bath last Friday night and has been the subject of an extraordinary search, which tracked her as far as High Point till the trail grew cold:

I went up to Westcrest Tuesday from 9:30-10:00 and 4:45-6:00 pm at West Crest Off Leash Dog Areas, looking at both the small and large dog areas. I talked to probably 60 people. None of them had seen her. They are all now looking. Volunteers have started to put up signs. Jeanette Fournier of the High Point Neighborhood Association was FABULOUS and spent 1/2 hour with me helping spread the word in the High Point Neighborhood.

I have filed a police report.

According to the Harry Oakes, Jr., of International K9 Search and Rescue Services, who tracked her with his amazing search dog Willow up to the High Point Library in the first place: “If the person who takes possession of your pet refuses or fails to file a found report, this constitutes, “Theft of personal property”. This is a crime. A police officer has the responsibility to take a crime report and investigate the crime.”

I believe that the two families who tried to help her on Friday and Saturday were well intentioned and wanted to do the right thing. For whatever reason they did not follow through. Whether it was just bad timing or what. I’m very disappointed but I believe they were doing their best.

The person who has her now cannot have made an effort to find out if she is a pet or not. If he had taken her to a vet, he would have found out that she is microchipped. Every vet in the area has her information. And, since the microchip company is now alerted that she is missing, if her chip is scanned, I will be alerted, even if she shows up in Cowlitz County or Tallahassee, Florida.

I am willing to give this person the benefit of the doubt that they are somehow taking good care of her and they sincerely think they are doing the right thing. I am willing to keep an open mind. But, at this point, my dog could be considered stolen property.

If you see her, here is what I would ask you to do. First, please call her name. It’s Pogo, as in Pogo stick. She may or may not respond. If she comes to you, pick her up. Call me right away. 206 353 9334. If you feel safe and comfortable talking to the person with her, please do so. If the person is confrontational, please do what you need to do to feel safe. But if you feel confident in doing so, here’s what I would do: please tell the person that you have reason to believe that this is a highly-sought missing dog and you would like to help him do the right thing to return the dog for the rightful reward. I will rush over there.

If things get confrontational, feel free to call 9-1-1. There is an open file on her, all of the officers in West and South Seattle are looking for her. If they’re not off doing something more important, someone may respond.

Most important is your personal safety, but, if you feel safe enough, please, I beg of everyone out there, do not let her get away again. I can’t stand much more of this.

Finally, I want to thank EVERYONE who has sent positive thoughts and wishes. I don’t have room in my space for negativity right now. Please tell absolutely everyone you know about Pogo.

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Pogo’s odyssey: A lost-dog search takes a wrenching turn
February 24, 2009 1:51 am
|      41 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | High Point | How to help | Pets | West Seattle news

The Hoffmeister family of North Delridge is searching for Pogo, their Papillon, so relentlessly and creatively, they’ve already traced her trail … to a new dead end.

Of all the pets we’ve posted to the Lost/Found section of the WSB Pets page, Pogo’s odyssey is the most agonizing one since the theft and recovery of Butch the Shiba Inu three weeks ago (original WSB report here; followup here).

And according to what Betsy Hoffmeister and family have discovered since Pogo disappeared Friday night, Pogo and Butch seem to have something in common …Read More

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A West Seattle story: “The dog with abundant good karma”
February 17, 2009 5:40 pm
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle people

That’s how WSB’er “Westseattledood” headlined her e-mail, which included the following amazing tale, and the photo shown above:

My dog and I came back into West Seattle this afternoon after enjoying a hike through Seward Park. We stopped at the 35th & Avalon 7-11 for a can of pop just as rush hour traffic was beginning at this infamously busy intersection. The entire parking lot was completely full, except for one slot on the east side of the parking lot. I pulled in and decided after a brief cost/benefit analysis, to the leave the back window down so the Big Dog, the dood, could continue to hang his head out the window and watch all the comings and goings while I dashed in. I was quite mindful of the sketchy characters congregating around the car, but decided to take the chance and pop in and out.

I was in the store for about one minute, as there were no other customers. As I walked past all the cars to the end of the building, I cleared the last big truck adjacent to mine, I saw my car was not where I left it. My stomach dropped out of me. And, I was worried that someone would steal the dog! Someone had stolen the car! I did not leave the keys in! My god, they were unbelievably quick! I looked around the parking lot and just as quickly, I heard a woman directly across Avalon to the south (where the new building is going in), screaming and waving her arms. She was standing by my car, which was now angled parked into the cyclone fence of the construction site.

I flew across the parking lot, waited for traffic on Avalon to slow and crossed to my car. Somehow the truck rolled all the way from the top of the lot down through the narrow driveway of the parking lot, across four lanes of rush hour traffic to roll to a gentle stop across the street. The dog, oblivious to any harm, remained stationed at the rear window, as can be seen in the photograph attached.

My dog and I are clearly surrounded by angels. The angels, of course, are assigned to my good dog. I am merely the beneficiary by association.

PS. And, of course, I’ll be getting a new parking brake immediately.

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West Seattle weekend scenes: Need sweet Valentine treats?
February 14, 2009 11:02 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | Pets | West Seattle businesses

From left, John, Kelly, and Lauren are the family who unleashed Muttley Crew Cuts on West Seattle – and as we mentioned earlier this morning, they’re having a bake sale today to raise money for the North Sound puppy-mill rescuees/rescuers. You can’t miss the bake-sale tent outside their shop on the west side of California south of Hanford (map) – that’s what caught our eye and led us to pull over for a quick photo on the way back to WSB HQ from another story. (Inside, 50 percent of the proceeds from today’s bath-only canine clients go to the same cause, and The Wash Dog in Morgan Junction is doing the same for self-serve dog washes.) They’re there till 7 (bake sale too, for as long as the ample supply of treats last!). ADDED 10 PM: Kelly e-mailed to say the bake sale alone brought in $1,000 today! And that doesn’t even include the 50% of “bath dog” proceeds they were planning to donate. She adds, “We had a wonderful day and thank everyone that came out and supported us. We will be here tomorrow starting at 10 am to groom cats; I will have the left-over goodies here if anyone wants to stop by and donate. Please no dogs tomorrow, it’s hard enough grooming cats :) We are all going home and going to bed!!!!”

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Happy Valentine’s Day, West Seattle! Today’s highlights
February 14, 2009 6:21 am
|    Comments Off on Happy Valentine’s Day, West Seattle! Today’s highlights
 |   How to help | Pets | WS beverages | WS culture/arts

HELP PUPPY-MILL RESCUEES BY GETTING YOUR DOG/S CLEAN: Self-serve dog washes at The Wash Dog and “bath-only dogs” at Muttley Crew Cuts both will send 50 percent of today’s proceeds to help the puppy-mill rescuees/rescuers in the North Sound. For The Wash Dog, hours are 8 am-7 pm; for Muttley Crew, hours are 9 am-7 pm, and you need to call for an appointment — 932-6888 — they’re having a bake sale with hot coffee and cocoa too.

HELP STUDENTS BY GETTING YOUR CAR CLEAN: 10 am-3 pm at West Seattle High School, student fundraiser car wash, suggested donation $10.

FREE STRAWBERRY WHITE MOCHA: Go to Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) and mention you heard about the free drink at West Seattle Blog – they’re open 7 am-7 pm.

FREE EXERCISE: 9 am at Youngstown Arts Center, the NiaDivas (WSB sponsors) invite you to start Valentine’s Day by doing something good for your heart (and the rest of you) – in a free “Welcome to Nia” introductory class.

FREE MUSIC: Check the West Seattle Weekend Lineup for all the places you can enjoy free music today and tonight – one late add, Henta and Marias performing 3-5 this afternoon at Pearls on Delridge.

Those are just a few of today’s biggies — the full list is here.

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Update on West Seattle help for 590+ “puppy mill” rescuees
February 7, 2009 10:09 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | Pets | West Seattle news

West Seattle’s generosity is helping the North Sound “puppy mill” rescuees in a big way. Here’s the latest update from Teri Ensley of West Seattle-based Furry Faces Foundation, including how you can still help:

Thanks to our West Seattle Community, four big loads of donated items have been taken to Everett Animal Shelter, S.P.O.T. and N.O.A.H, with another load going up this weekend. Both The Wash Dog and Muttley Crew Cuts have road-tripped it up to Everett Animal Shelter and N.O.A.H. to bathe, groom and love up the dogs.

Photo above is from the Muttley Crew Cuts crew’s trip up; Kelly Rothenbuhler explains: “Lacey and I left here after filling up the truck to the brim with all the donations, we stopped at the Feed Bag on Capitol hill and picked up some food that they donated. We arrived at NOAH and checked in and were told to pull up front and drop off the donations. As I pulled up they came running out and said they didn’t realize we had so much stuff-thanks West Seattle!! We then pulled around to the garage/storage area and unloaded all the stuff. We then got the tour of the place and were told what suite needed grooming. We took the dogs one by one into the grooming area and bathed and did what haircuts were needed. One little Yorkie really stood out-his name is Champ. He was about 2 years old and had an old spinal injury so he had a hard time standing. He was so sweet and loved all the attention and care he was getting. One dog actually fell over when I was bathing her because she was leaning against my hand enjoying the rubs and leaned too far. We will be going back up on Monday the 9th to help with more grooming and just giving out loves.”

If you would still like to donate, here are the requested items from the involved shelters and rescue groups. We are keeping a log of all the donations and will report out the GRAND TOTALS in the near future.

Items Most Needed:
• Wee Wee pads
• Towels, fleece blankets and dog beds with removable covers
• Small squeaky toys
• Small metal dog food bowls
• Monetary Donations for medical expenses and special needs

Items Still Needed:

• High Quality canned and dry dog food – preferred types are Pinnacle, Canidae, Natural Balance or Nutro Ultra lamb/rice, small bites
• Grooming tools and dog toys
• Freshly washed blankets, towels, beds and crate pads-all sizes
• Dishes—stainless steel preferable (for sanitation reasons)
• Laundry detergent and bleach
• Paper towels
• Monetary donations for veterinary care
• Heavy duty garbage bags (black leaf bags)
• Scrubbie sponges (dishwashing size)
• Exercise Pens (wire, collapsible)
• Xsmall dog collars and leashes

The following West Seattle businesses are still accepting the above donations, and cash donations:

Admiral District:
Mud Bay; 2611 Calif. Ave SW
Muttley Crew Cuts Co; 3707 California Ave SW

Alaska Junction:
Hotwire Online Coffeehouse; 4410 Calif. Ave SW
Petco: 4732 California Avenue SW

Alki: All the Best Pet Care; 2820 Alki Ave SW

Morgan Junction:
Pet Elements; 6701 California Ave SW
The Wash Dog; 6400 California Ave SW
Stella Ruffington’s, 7003 California SW

Westwood Village: Pet Pros; 9033 25th Ave SW

Lastly, F3 has received many emails asking which shelters and rescue groups are actually caring for the dogs. Some folks would like to donate money directly and want to ensure that the group they are donating to are truly involved.

Everett Animal Shelter
SPOT
NOAH
Skagit Humane Society
Old Dog Haven
Seattle Humane Society

Also, events are coming up including the Cathy Sorbo/Rod Long comedy show at the Admiral Theater at 9:30 pm next Friday (read more here), with proceeds benefiting this effort, and Valentine’s weekend events at Muttley Crew Cuts (details TBA) and The Wash Dog (donating half of self-serve dog wash proceeds to Everett Animal Shelter).

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Happy reunion, after Southwest Precinct got someone’s goat
February 3, 2009 7:48 pm
|      23 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

That’s Southwest Precinct Officer Kathleen Graves sharing in the happy reunion that ended a minidrama that played out earlier this evening: We got e-mail and text messages from Officer Bruce Wind that Officer Graves had found that goat at 32nd and Elmgrove (map), and perhaps we could get the word out fast enough for the owner to claim the goat before Animal Control arrived. So we posted a note in the WSB Forums and sent it out via Twitter and Facebook. Someone who saw one of those posts called the goat’s owner, and she retrieved it from the precinct, where it had been hanging out in a holding cell:

As one of the e-mails received captioned that photo, “It’s gotta go real baaa-aa-aad” … and gone it has … gone home. Gotta love a happy ending now and then.

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Good times + good works: 3 more ways to help while having fun
February 3, 2009 4:38 pm
|    Comments Off on Good times + good works: 3 more ways to help while having fun
 |   Admiral Theater | Environment | Fun stuff to do | How to help | Pets | West Seattle news | WS & Sports

HIAWATHA PANCAKE BREAKFAST: This Sunday morning, chow down while beefing up the coffers of Hiawatha-based programs: It’s the 21st annual Pancake Breakfast at Hiawatha Community Center, raising money for youth basketball programs: All-you-can-eat pancakes, with side dishes including ham, sausages, bagels and fruit, PLUS coffee/juice, free for kids 4 and younger, $4 for 5-12 and 65-up, $5 for ages 13-up, 8 am-noon Sunday at Hiawatha.

ANTI-VALENTINE COMEDY SHOW TO BENEFIT PUPPY-MILL RESCUEES: The Cathy Sorbo/Rod Long show at the Admiral Theater on February 13th is now not just a benefit for West Seattle-based Furry Faces Foundation – it’s going to benefit the North Sound dogs rescued from suspected “puppy mills,” and you’re asked to bring donations along these lines. Tickets are available online.

NATURE CONSORTIUM’S FIRST-EVER BENEFIT BRUNCH: The Youngstown Arts Center-based organization that quietly works to restore West Seattle forest land is having its first Benefit Brunch, 11 am March 14th, at the Youngstown theater. As the Nature Consortium pitch puts it, “This is a free hour-long brunch for people to come and learn more about our organization. Yes, it is a fundraiser, too. You will be asked to consider making a contribution. There is no minimum and no maximum gift requested. Nature Consortium staff, volunteers, and program participants will produce an inspirational program.” RSVP to Lisa Corbin, lisa@naturec.org or call (206) 923-0853.

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Remembering Thomas, with a plea to slow down (and a thank-you)
February 3, 2009 2:28 am
|      41 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle news

As West Seattle grapples with the grief and shock over the first murder in years to happen in an open, public place, many have suggested it’s time to step up the simple act of “looking out for each other.” In that vein, we got this note from Stephen, about Thomas the cat (photo left), and what he’s asking people to do:

Today (Monday) between 4-6 pm our youngest cat was hit by a car, directly in front of our house. My wife and I live on 26th near Dakota (map). Since we moved here we have noticed cars driving up and down the street at a very inappropriate speed. The houses around this area have pets and young children. It would be nice if you could post this to let people know that accidents DO happen, but something like could have easily been avoided by driving a slower speed. Thank you to whomever was kind enough to move him off the street and onto the sidewalk. The attached picture is Thomas, 05/05/04- 02/02/09.

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Update: Butch the Shiba Inu is returned to his family
February 2, 2009 6:39 pm
|      33 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle news

Just got word from Mary and Ray Eldridge that Butch the dog, who they believe was stolen from outside the High Point Library, is back home safe – after turning up at a veterinarian’s office in Bothell. They say they’re getting the story secondhand so not sure how much to believe, but in short, Butch reportedly was taken to Beacon Hill after being stolen, rescued from the alleged thieves by a security guard who in turn took him to a public facility where a worker cared for him and got him checked out at the Bothell vet – who scanned him and found the microchip with ownership information. They add, “We are lucky. And we’ve learned a hard lesson. Thank you to everyone who was busy keeping an eye open for Butch! It’s good to know that the bad guys aren’t the only ones at work out there.”

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Update on West Seattle help for North Sound puppy-mill rescuees
February 1, 2009 10:07 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | Pets | West Seattle news

The Everett Animal Shelter is one of the places that’s taking care of some of the hundreds of dogs rescued from suspected “puppy mill” operations in the North Sound, and in addition to donations collected in West Seattle and elsewhere, the rescuees there are getting hands-on care from local volunteers. At right, groomer Jennifer from The Wash Dog in Morgan Junction posed with a shelter worker during a visit a few days ago. Wash Dog owner Bernadette Cassidy says, “For legal and ‘property rights’ reasons, we can’t share photos of the dogs themselves but there were heart-tugging stories to be seen. Thank goodness they are out of their previous situation. We had the opportunity to fill two shifts on their volunteer schedule. Four Pekinese with skin problems got shaved and bathed, a Lab and a Doberman who had shared a crate in which neither one could stand upright got full baths – along with nail trims and ear hygiene.” They also took along items from a donation box at Pet Elements in Morgan Junction, but Bernadette adds, “Although these supplies are very much appreciated, what they need most are cash donations to pay for the mounting Veterinary bills. In order to help out that, the Wash Dog will be donating half of all Self-Serve proceeds on Feb 14th, Valentine’s Day, to the Everett Animal Shelter.” Meantime, West Seattle-based Furry Faces Foundation is also continuing to work with WS businesses to collect donated items and was planning another trip this weekend; Teri Ensley from F3 tells us the folks from Muttley Crew Cuts are planning to head north tomorrow for dog bathing and grooming, and bringing along another load of donated items. You can still help out by donating (same info Teri provided earlier this week):

1. Lots and lots of toys for small to sm/med sized dogs
2. Lots of wee wee pads/puppy training pads
3. Bedding—beds, blankets, towels, etc.

Here are the businesses where you can drop off items:

Admiral District:
Mud Bay; 2611 Calif. Ave SW (dog food & supplies only)
Muttley Crew Cuts Co; 3707 Calif. Ave SW

Alaska Junction:
Hotwire Online Coffeehouse; 4410 Calif. Ave SW (dog food & supplies only)
Petco: 4732 Calif. Ave SW

Alki: All the Best Pet Care; 2820 Alki Ave SW

Morgan Junction:
Pet Elements; 6701 Calif. Ave SW
The Wash Dog; 6400 Calif. Ave SW
Stella Ruffington’s, 7003 California SW

Westwood Village: Pet Pros; 9033 25th Ave SW

If you’d like to inquire about offering some other kind of help, you can reach Teri at furryfaces@hotmail.com – thanks!

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From the WSB “More” page: 2 CL sightings
February 1, 2009 4:41 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle online

From the WSB More page (which automatically posts the latest West Seattle mentions from citywide/regional media, followed by the latest West Seattle mentions on CL): First, a Leschi rental ad headlined ESCAPE WEST SEATTLE and raising the spectre of looming traffic doom – might be misplaced given that the tunnel proposal could keep The Viaduct open during construction. Second, a reported dog attack in Lincoln Park (thanks to Diane for the tip) – we’ve sent a note with a followup question.

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Suspected pet-theft alert: Shiba Inu missing
January 30, 2009 3:17 pm
|      28 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle news

At left, that’s Butch the Shiba Inu, for whom Ray and Mary Eldridge are frantically searching right now. They e-mailed to say, “We believe someone stole our dog, a black and tan Shiba Inu … from in front of the West Seattle Library this afternoon. He looks like a miniature Malamute, weighs about 22 lbs. He has a microchip in him, and tags with our phone number. Please be on the lookout for him and call us if you see him. Our number is 206-914-1290.” They say they’re reporting it to police as well. UPDATE: They clarify, this happened outside the High Point library.

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Furry fame: Cohen’s CityDog Magazine cover hits the stands
January 28, 2009 10:48 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle news

Last fall, we reported on CityDog Magazine‘s Cover Dog vote – then in November, word that West Seattle’s own Cohen, a former shelter pup who found his “forever home” with Ray Clemens, was the winner. Now, CityDog founder and West Seattle resident Brandie Ahlgren has e-mailed to let us know that the issue with Cohen’s cover (shown above) is on the stands.

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West Seattle generosity update: Donations for puppy mill rescuees
January 27, 2009 1:38 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | Pets | West Seattle news

That photo is courtesy Teri Ensley of Furry Faces Foundation, who first asked us last week to let you know (original report here) that West Seattle businesses are collecting donations for the hundreds of dogs rescued from “puppy mill” operations in the North Sound. Last night, Teri and others took a pile of donated items up to two of the organizations that are helping care for the rescued dogs, and she reports:

Both shelters are so grateful for everyone’s generous donations. They have enough food for now (but will not turn any down)–and what they are in desperate need for are the following:

1. Lots and lots of toys for small to sm/med sized dogs
2. Lots of wee wee pads/puppy training pads
3. Bedding—beds, blankets, towels, etc.

Here are the businesses where you can drop off items:

Admiral District:
Mud Bay; 2611 Calif. Ave SW (dog food & supplies only)
Muttley Crew Cuts Co; 3707 Calif. Ave SW

Alaska Junction:
Hotwire Online Coffeehouse; 4410 Calif. Ave SW (dog food & supplies only)

Petco: 4732 Calif. Ave SW

Alki: All the Best Pet Care; 2820 Alki Ave SW

Morgan Junction:
Pet Elements; 6701 Calif. Ave SW
The Wash Dog; 6400 Calif. Ave SW
(added late Tuesday afternoon) Stella Ruffington’s, 7003 California SW

Westwood Village: Pet Pros; 9033 25th Ave SW

Teri says any other businesses interested in participating — and anyone who can help make future deliveries of donated items — is welcome to e-mail her at furryfaces@hotmail.com. Also, she says Muttley Crew Cuts staffers are heading north next Monday “to volunteer their grooming skills with some of the dogs,” and at least one other business owner is trying to help with grooming too. Teri also shared a link to this article about the whistleblower who touched off the investigation that led to the dogs’ rescue.

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Leash, or else: Expensive enforcement at Hamilton Viewpoint
January 27, 2009 10:02 am
|      99 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle news

Just out of the WSB inbox, from Terry:

I was ticketed for $162.00 for having my dogs off a leash at Hamilton Viewpoint Park (map) this AM. I and many other West Seattle residents have been taking our dogs there for years. We all seem to use the hilly south end of the park as not to disturb anyone. I have never experienced people leaving dog waste there, and often leave with a handful of broken beer bottle glass and trash from the night before. In any case, the animal control explained dogs can’t be off a leash in a public park in Seattle. The only signs in the park ask for dogs to be kept out of the flower beds.

Not word yet if underage drinking parties are still “a go.”

The only official “off-leash area” in West Seattle is at Westcrest Park (map).

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West Seattle pet alert: Watch where your dog’s drinking
January 23, 2009 4:14 pm
|      17 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | Pets | Safety | West Seattle news

That’s Metro in happier times; he’s sick right now, according to his human companion Abby, who wanted to share this info with other local dogs and their people:

Our dog Metro has just been diagnosed with Giardia. While
we cannot be certain where he picked it up, we were recently at the Westcrest dog park (Sun. 1/11, Sat. 1/17 and Sun. 1/18) – his most favorite place in the world.

It is possible that my backyard or a puddle we encountered on a walk is the source of the offending parasite, but we wanted to remind the great folks at the dog park to be alert, especially to your puppy’s drinking sources. We’ll keep our puppy away from your dogs for a few weeks (much to his dismay). Just another important reason to clean up after the beasts we love and help prevent the spread of a yucky parasite to some unwitting and likely adorable dog. Happy walks–See you in a few weeks!

Abby also has posted this alert to the Westcrest Off-Leash Area mailing list, where one respondent has noted that the park’s water is off for the winter so “many dogs have been drinking from the drainage pipe next to the big tree.” Again, there’s no proof that Westcrest is where Metro got this parasite, but Abby wanted to suggest that dog owners be extra watchful. We’ll be checking with local health authorities to look for more information on how common this is and how best to take precautions.

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Furry Faces organizing West Seattle help for puppy-mill dogs
January 22, 2009 5:42 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | Pets | West Seattle news

That’s part of a poster you’ll see soon at local businesses, according to Teri Ensley of Furry Faces Foundation (F3), in a drive to help the hundreds of dogs rescued from “puppy mills” north of Seattle. Here’s what’s needed, and how you can help:

300+ Dogs and Puppies Seized From Three Puppy Mills

Furry Faces Foundation, [F3], and multiple West Seattle Businesses are teaming to collect donations of supplies to assist with the care of the dogs and puppies that have been seized from three puppy mills. It appears that these puppy mills are part of a puppy mill ring and F3 wouldn’t be surprised to see more seizures in the near future. Thank you for caring and helping these animals.

Everett Animal Shelter and Saving Pets One at A Time need help with the following supplies:

• Dog and puppy food – preferred types are Canidae, Natural Balance or Nutro Ultra lamb/rice, small bites
• Wee Wee pads
• Grooming tools and dog toys
• Freshly washed blankets, towels, beds and crate pads-all sizes
• Dishes—stainless steel preferable (for sanitation reasons)
• Liquid laundry detergent and bleach
• Paper towels
• Monetary donations for veterinary care

The following West Seattle businesses are accepting the above donations. Please check back frequently as more businesses will be added soon.

Admiral District: Mud Bay; 2611 Calif. Ave SW (dog food & supplies only)

The Junction:
Hotwire Online Coffeehouse; 4410 Calif. Ave SW (dog food & supplies only)
Petco: 4732 California Avenue SW

Alki: All the Best Pet Care; 2820 Alki Ave SW

Morgan Junction:
Pet Elements; 6701 California Ave SW
The Wash Dog; 6400 California Ave SW

Westwood Village: Pet Pros; 9033 25th Ave SW

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By request: New pix and info about Zack the three-legged cat
January 18, 2009 5:49 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

(Zack with Otto the dachshund – explained below)
After we shared the news Friday that donations had fully funded the care needed by Zack the stray cat – who turned up on Jane‘s doorstep and then turned out to be in dire need of costly care – some folks clamored for one more followup, with more details and photos. So Jane has obliged:

It has been two weeks since Zack had his surgery and he got his stitches out (Friday). It was really rough the first twelve days and we did not get much sleep. Zack had his worse moments from 11:00p.m. till around 5:00a.m. Zack is still on pain meds but he is doing great.

It is amazing how fast Zack became part of the family. Zack loves his roommate Maxine (who came to me 8 yrs ago a feral cat) and I was surprised to see how much Zack loves his cousins Otto (a Dachshund) and Sophia (a Chihuahua). Zack is bigger and the Alpha male. Zack loves it when Sophia and Otto run around him trying to play, then he puts his big paws out and they have a good time. Photos attached. Zack even alerted me before the dogs did that someone was at the door. It was so cute, he growled.

Again, thanks to everyone who has followed Zack’s story and supported Zack via the WSB and donated for his surgery. Oh, to those who asked, I was not looking for another dependent, Zack just happened my way and he needed love and care which I could not refuse. I did try to find Zack’s owners but if he did have one, they did not take care of him. Zack is a big love and he just loves cuddling up and hanging out with his new family.

Sincerely, Jane

Another photo of Zack – he’s on the carpet, Maxine‘s on the chair:

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