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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 9, 2015)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL September 9, 2015 7A COMMUNITY BRIEFS Bow Wow Puppy pet mill survivor W ho would know that we were inno- cently buying pets from pet stores, not realizing that they were a ‘cash crop’ from puppy mills — animals held prisoner, suffering in inhumane cages and conditions. Puppies and kittens bought from animals bred continuously to increase the fi nancial profi ts for her uncaring human captures are not healthy babies. Their mothers are often bred to death, or when no longer ‘profi table’ put into a vehicle, driven to parts unknown and pushed out. With no social or survival skills, their chances of surviving are nil. NEVER ‘buy’ a pet on-line and pick it up from a parking lot; you may be supporting puppy/kitten mills. Here is one traumatized survivor, Min- nie Pearl’s, story. For years, a puppy mill held her hostage. Her ‘home’ was a two by two-foot cage. Other trapped animals were ‘housed’ above and below her. When one animal relieved itself, all the animals below suffered the affects. Not fed a quality diet, mill pets are un- healthy, lose teeth and die early. They are not socialized, walked etc. Often a mill animal can’t walk normally; their muscles are never given the chance. Minnie appears much older than her real age; her teeth are gone, either from trying to bite her way out of the fi lthy cage, rotted from poor nutrition, or producing too many pups...or all three. Minnie Pearl did not drink water from a bowl; she’d never seen a bowl. Instead, imagine Karen and Mike’s horror at holding up a water bottle, for mice and gerbils, before their dog would drink! “The despicable mill operators were ar- rested,” said Karen. “The judge said, ‘You are forbidden to have any pets in our coun- ty.’ So what did they do after their one day in jail? They smirked at the judge, moved 30 minutes away, into the next county, and started up again. It’s sickening to know they acquired more animals and have restarted another furry concentration camp! I’d like to put disreputable breeders in a small cage to experience everything that goes with it. What they do is cruel. Pets have emotions and pain. Minnie Pearl is so sweet, we will do what is right for her, because she deserves it. Both my sons have passed so Mike and I consider our dogs our kids. At fi rst, Minnie could only eat soft foods and had to be hand-fed for three years. She had no idea how to potty outside because she had been limited to a cage. We took her out- side every three hours to prevent accidents — for a year. Everything scared her, includ- ing cats, rain and snow. Typical of a mill pet, she had no idea how to play, and from lack of exercise her legs are weak. When she attempts to play, it does our hearts good. She gives kisses and loves roll- ing on her back for tummy rubs. Bacon is her favorite food, and when she smells it she gets super excited. She is so smart. Some people can’t read or write, but she can spell! She understands when we spell to hide what we are saying from her. When asked if she wants water, food or to go out- side, her tail answers with enthusiasm. When Minnie was spayed, to avoid trau- matizing her, we would not allow her to be put in a cage. Instead we held her, then wait- ed during her surgery, and took her home to wake up. When we take Minnie into pet friendly stores, she’s dressed in her hat with a price tag, just like her namesake the American country comedian who wore the same kind of hat while paw-forming. Store managers approach us smiling and say ‘Hi’ and if we leave her home on warm days, the clerks are always asking after her. Recently Karen and Mike rescued Taz, a little brother for Mini, but who runs the show at Mike’s and Karen’s home these days? We had to wait until Minnie Pearl woke up on her own, so we could take the family photo - we were on Mini-minutes, but everyone un- derstood. Photo by Mary Ellen “Angel Scribe” Mike and Karen are the proud pet parents of puppy mill survivor Minnie Pearl and her new brother, Taz. TIPS “There is a vast difference between a TRUE and RESPONSIBLE breeder,” said Janetta Overholser, president of the Humane Society of Cottage Grove. “When you learn of a pet mill, report/expose them for the sake of the animals. Inform the police and humane so- ciety. We help our rescues with homeopathy (Rescue Remedy and Pet Calm) and hugs.” Avoiding pet mills Do not rely on Internet (often fake) pho- tos. Visit the place of your pet’s adoption. Res- cue groups/honest breeders welcome you. Never accept a shipped pet or meet at a random location (parking lot). Contact the breeder’s veterinarian. Visit dog shows and talk directly to breed- ers. Don’t buy a pet through a broker - go di- rectly to the breeder. Don’t send payment via Western Union/ money order. A ‘no refund’ policy is a puppy mill red fl ag! Get a written guarantee for the pet in case of illness/defect. Reputable breeders/rescue groups always take an animal back, regardless of reason. Adopt from a pet shelter. They want out of their cages too! Adopt your next pet from here! www.PetFinder.com City to host Historic Windows Restoration Workshop O n Saturday, Sept. 26, the public is invited to join historic preservation profession- als for a hands-on experiential workshop to learn about wood windows and how to fi x their common problems. This all-day class is meant to help any owner of wood windows identify prob- lems and make repairs while sav- ing historic materials and money and will be held from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Cottage Grove Mu- seum. It is open to anyone inter- ested in knowing how to repair historic windows. The workshop offers a chance to learn about safety, materials and methods to repair and main- tain the wood windows in your home from Chris Gustafson, the window restoration contractor re- sponsible for the ongoing restora- tion of the Cottage Grove Armory windows, and contractor/historic preservation specialist Brian Mc- Beth. This workshop is presented by the City of Cottage Grove Com- munity Development Department with the assistance of the Cottage Grove Museum staff and volun- teers. The workshop will be held at the Cottage Grove Museum at 207 N. H Street, and include hands-on repair of the windows on the front façade of the historic Vealy House. Advanced registration is re- quired. Cash or checks can be made out to the City of Cottage Grove at $25 per person. Those interested can contact the Com- munity Development Department at (541) 942-3340 or Amanda Ferguson, City Planner, at plan- ner@cottagegrove.org for more information. The Humane Society of Cottage Grove is hosting its ninth Annual Bow Wow Around Town walk on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 10-11:30 a.m. Registration starts at 9:30, and the two-mile loop walk starts at 10 a.m. in Prospector Park, 913 S. River Rd in Cottage Grove. The walk ends with door prizes, refreshments and photos in Silk Creek Park. Cost is $10 per person or $15 per family and in- cludes doggies scarf, refreshments for people and dogs and door prizes. The walk is billed as a “great way to socialize your dog and meet other dog owners.” Registration forms can be downloaded at humanesocietycg.org Caregivers to meet The Caregiver Network of Cottage Grove is meeting Monday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1200 E. Quin- cy Ave. The speaker will be from South Lane County Fire and Rescue. A potluck lunch will follow so bring some- thing to share. Attendance is free. Storybook Theatre presents 'Mother Goose Tales' Local youth theater program the Storybook Theatre is introducing a series of short plays for kids ages 6-9 to perform live on stage. A Children’s Production of “Moth- er Goose Tales: The Three Little Pigs and Hansel and Gretel,” will be performed the Opal Center for Arts and Education in November. Classes will be held every Wednesday, beginning Sept. 16 and run for nine weeks. There will be additional re- hearsals scheduled before the November performances. Registration is now open and is essential to guarantee a spot. For “The Three Little Pigs” (ages 6-7) there will be Wednesday rehearsals from 2:30-3:30 p.m. “Hansel and Gretel (ages 8-9) will have Wednesday re- hearsals from 3:45-4:45. Performances will be Nov. 13,14, 20 and 21 at the Opal Center at 513 E Main Street, Cottage Grove. Kids Club “Kids Club” held during the school year serving South Lane School District children in grades one through fi ve will be held after school to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fri- day on regular school days. The club is held at Bohemia Elementary School; however, children can be bussed from other schools in the district to attend. There is supervised play, homework help and snacks provided. Cost for one child to attend is $60 per month with other siblings at $40 per month. Those interested in enrolling a child or more information can call 541-228-2847. Methodist meals Beginning in September, the Cottage Grove Unit- ed Methodist Church’s Monday night dinners will be served on the second and third Mondays of each month from 5-6:30 p.m. The cost is $5 for adults, and kids 12 and younger eat for free. The church is located at 334 Wash- ington St. Park passes available to area fourth-graders via federal initiative O The Academy for Character Education, a K-12 public charter school, has limited space for new students in the 2015-2016 school year. Through individual and small group instruction, ACE provides a challenging classical education with a focus on preparing all students for college. FOUR PILLARS OF ACE LEARNING: CHARACTER - HOME-LINKED - PERSONALIZED - CLASSICAL The Academy for Character Education, a K-12 public charter school, is accepting waiting list students for the 2015-2016 school year. P.O. Box 1652 Cottage Grove, OR 97424 Phone (541) 942-9707 Fax (541) 942-7884 www.ACEClassicalEd.org ACE Charter School admits students of any race, color, sex, religion, national and ethnic origin, age or disability to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to its students. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national and ethnic origin, age or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. n Sept. 1, President Obama, with the sup- port of the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation, announced the start of a new initiative Sept. 1 to give every child in the United States the chance to explore and learn about America’s great outdoors – the initiative will provide all fourth grade students and their families with free admission for a full year to more than 2,000 federally-managed sites nation- wide. Fourth graders can visit the “Get Your Pass” section of the Every Kid in a Park web- site at www.everykidinapark. gov and complete an activity to obtain and print a personal- ized voucher for unlimited use at federal lands and waters for one year. Passes are valid from Sept. 1, 2015 through Aug. 31, 2016. The paper voucher can be exchanged for a more durable interagency annual fourth grade pass at certain federal sites. The Every Kid in a Park website also provides information on tips for trip planning and how parents and educators can get involved. A primary goal of the Every Kid in a Park initiative is to bridge the growing disconnect between the next generation and the great outdoors, and to in- spire children to become future stewards of our nation’s natural and historic treasures. A variety of fun opportunities to get fourth graders outside are available at Portland District’s recreation areas around Oregon and southwest Washington. At Bonneville Lock and Dam, they can visit a kid-sized house to learn about energy effi ciency, view salmon and other fi sh through viewing windows and in fi sh ladders at two visitor cen- ters, or can hunt for geocaches hidden around the dam. At The Dalles Lock and Dam, they can tour the powerhouse to learn about hydropower opera- tions, participate in interactive displays in the visitor center or view bald eagles in January who use Westrick Park as a resting place during their winter migra- tion. In the Willamette Valley, the Row River trail winds along Cottage Grove Lake and offers kids of all ages a fun walk or bike ride year-round. In south- ern Oregon, at Lost Creek Lake or along the Rogue River, chil- dren can see an array of wildlife along hiking trails and learn about natural resources through fun water-based activities. Those seeking more information about these opportunities can visit http://go.usa.gov/3FM5e. $ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM Our Community Newspaper since 1889 Subscribe and $AVE Discount Smokes & Cigarettes BEST ! PRICES • Glass Pipes/Water Pipes • 5% off All Glassware (No Accessories) w/coupon • Cigarettes • Cigars • Emerald E-Cigarettes • Emerald E-Juice Mon-Fri 8am-10pm; Sat-Sun 9am-8pm 541-649-1284 178 Gateway Blvd Cottage Grove (Gateway Plaza)
