125
Laune Morton and
her receptionist, Hank
Continued from
Page 24
vating for useful infor
mation— tips for house
breaking, new menu ideas
and the latest info on ch
toy technology.
“O ne of the things I w<
newspaper to be is as congenial as dogs are
in the park,” M orton says. (Clearly, she isn’t
referring to my 12-pound terror, who herds
herding dogs round and round at our favorite
park.) “W e’re trying to create a sense of com
munity among dog people, to be an open
forum and facilitate comm unication,” she
adds.
“W e’re working our way through the serv
ices and facilities in the area,” Morton says,
explaining one regular feature will be “Meet
the Trainer.” O ther stories will cover fly hall
teams, how to pick the right puppy, taking
Phideaux skiing and whether your Bichon
needs insurance. A nd a Web site is up and
woofing where each issue will be archived.
But the paper won’t he all bark and no
bite. Morton plans to tackle the messy issue of
public off-leash areas. Her premise is that
because 35 percent of taxpayers own dogs,
either 35 percent of all parks ought to have
dog running areas or else 35 percent of each
park’s area should be so equipped.
offices and anywhere dogs and their peo
ple congregate.
“Fans of the paper who live near
Gabriel Park requested a distribution box
be placed near there,” Morton says, clear
ly thrilled. “The response has been
tremendous— 10 to 12 calls and e-mails a
day. We’ve even had requests for subscrip
tions,” she exclaims, amazed at how quickly
her paper has been fetched.
Morton has good reason to be proud. The
first two issues are a fun mix of hard-nosed
news and wet, sloppy kisses.
But starting a successful business is not as
easy as she makes it sound. “1 think lesbians
have to be more independent,” she admits.
“We have to accept that no one else is going
to support us.”
She does, however, have the full emotional
support of her partner. And what brought
Morton to Portland 13 years ago? “Same old
story— a woman— Marcia,” she laughs.
So it’s a good thing Hank has a new
assignment. “1 used to say I used my dog for
reconnaissance,” M orton admits, laughing
at what is still a surefire way to meet other
lesbians. ■ m
She’s also going to discuss animal shelters
and no-kill policies. “Do we think animals are
disposable?” she asks.
Dog Nose News seems to be off to a good
Subarus
start— 16,500 copies of the first issue were
printed, an astounding beginning for an
untried commodity. Morton has had great suc
cess placing her paper in pet stores, vets’
is not above using her dog,
Rose, for her alluring qualities. She is the Enter
tainment Editor of Just O u t and can be reached
at oriana@justout.com.
ORIANA GREEN
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