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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 2015)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL December 9, 2015 7A S URVEY Continued from page 1A Raining Meatballs? D ecember is miracle month for Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales! Here is your fi rst story to enjoy! “Meatball is a mystery,” said Debra. “He arrived with a valu- able lesson, ‘Be careful what you wish for, you may get it, right away, and it may come with some challenges!’ A year ago, on a Friday night, my hus- band, Adam, and I decided it was time for our Pit Bull, Elsa Mae, to have a little brother. Adam had always wanted an English bulldog. There are many good and loving animals in shelters that need homes. So we spent the weekend online, unsuccess- fully looking to rescue one. Monday morning, I arrived at work (out in the middle of the woods) and sitting on the porch was a fi lthy, tan and white, about three-year-old English bulldog! I bent down to pet him and the male dog rolled over on his back for me to rub his tummy. I told him he was a ‘little meatball’. My boss said the collarless dog had appeared that morn- ing and none of his staff or his neighbors recognized it. I said, ‘If he is here at the end of the day, I will take him to a vet and see if he has a micro chip.’ The whole day was sur- real because at the end of it the ‘surprise’ dog was still waiting on the porch, as if he knew he was mine and I just needed time to fi gure it out. After all, I had prayed him into my existence! We pulled into our driveway and I called to my husband, ‘Come and meet someone!’ I was anticipating seeing his face! What are the chances of a stray rare breed dog showing up after we had spent the weekend searching for — one in a mil- lion! That is what Meatball is — one in a million. Our veterinarian confi rmed that Meatball was chipped but NEVER registered. What good is a chip without ID to confi rm its origin? The vet sent a “found” bul- letin to other veterinarians. We posted the dog on Craigslist, shelters and a bulldog rescue. If someone was looking for him, we made it easy to fi nd him. After a few months, a friend saw a sign at a grocery store matching our little guy’s de- scription. Adam bravely phoned the number, left a message tell- ing them we had their dog and that he was loved. They never called. It was a great relief. We love Meatball. The thought of losing him was devastating. We had his microchip registered to us because we did not want to take a chance that he would dis- appear from our lives. Meatball had a nasty eye in- fection. Could the threat of his impending vet bills led to his abandonment? Or was he se- verely neglected? His past re- mains a mystery. In the meantime, Elsa and Meatball became inseparable, snuggling with each other. He loves his big sister and does The Cottage Grove Lions Club will be offering wonderful See’s products to benefit their sight & hearing projects in our community. Our sales trailer will be located in the Pinnocchio’s Pizza parking lot on Main Street. Our hours will be 10:00 A.M. until 6:00 P.M. through Christmas Eve. NOW ACCEPTING Credit & Debit Cards Shop early…..stock will be limited! If your business would like to place a large order, please contact Alan Payment of the Cottage Grove Lions Club at 767-8154. G U I D E R estaurant Thank You in advance for your support!!!!! Courtesy Photo Adam cuddles Elsa Mae, and Debra shows off Meatball as they explain their one-in-a-million chance of fi nding Meatball! It was as magical as if he’d been dropped out of the sky! whatever she does, just like any little brother. On walks, he speeds up to catch up with her and she slows down so he can. His big face wrinkles give him such a darn cute look, but they also caused him discomfort. His eyelashes rolled inward and scratched his eyeballs making them cloudy and infected. We also discovered the painful fact that his eyes don’t produce tears. We drop artifi cial tears into his eyes three times a day for his re- lief and comfort. I can’t believe that breeders continue breeding dogs that create this pain for puppies and a fi nancial struggle for their adopters. Three vets suggested that Meatball receive entropian sur- gery, a facelift where excess skin is removed from around his eyes so he can keep them open and his eye lashes turned out. Also suggested was having his nos- trils enlarged in hopes that he could breath better. Meatball had surgery and the top nose wrinkle was removed because it was pushing up on his eyes and down on his nose, closing off his nostrils so he couldn’t breathe and smell. The fi rst night after surgery I was concerned. It sounded like he wasn’t breathing right. We couldn’t hear his proverbial snoring. The surgery was such a success that he was breathing better than ever and his eyes now make tears! Meatball is a mama’s boy. No other creature has ever made me feel so appreciated. He loves his Poppa and sleeps on the bed between our heads. One of his most endearing qualities is that he appreciates everything - even the things he doesn’t like, such as baths and medicated eye drops. Yes, he squirms, huffs and puffs while he is experi- encing them, but as soon as it’s done he snuggles and loves. He fi ts perfectly into our fam- ily and we couldn’t imagine life without our little Meatball. His arrival was reminiscent of watching a miracle manifest. “Clearly Cottage Grove resi- dents are interested in having a healthier community,” said Tom Wheeler, executive director of South Lane Mental Health, a Be Your Best partner. “The survey is validation of what many of us in the social services and health sectors already know — that we have some critical issues that need to be addressed, includ- ing reducing drug and alcohol abuse and increasing opportuni- ties for better-paying and more meaningful jobs here in Cottage Grove.” The younger sample was less optimistic about Cottage Grove’s state of wellbeing com- pared to the older individuals polled. In the phone survey, 64 percent of respondents agreed with the statement “I think Cot- tage Grove is a healthy vibrant community” while less than half, 48 percent, of on-line/in-person survey respondents agreed with the statement. The majorities of both groups felt Cottage Grove should be- come a more healthy and vibrant community, but the younger people agreed more strongly with this sentiment. According to the survey re- port, Be Your Best aims to identi- fy how Cottage Grove describes a healthy, vibrant community, then determine what steps lo- cals are taking (or could take) to foster their own well-being. The survey represents a partnership between United Way of Lane County and a group composed of local stakeholders and agen- cies dedicated to local health. “Although the challenges that the sample identifi ed, like un- employment and lack of fam- ily-wage jobs, cannot be solved by Be Your Best Cottage Grove, there are many opportunities where Be Your Best Cottage Grove can help the community maintain their strong sense of civic pride and help the com- munity work together toward a common goal,” the report stat- ed. Everyone Can Ride to Local and Metro Destinations Providing Public, Accessible Transportation to the Region TIPS “More and more people are using natural and homeopathic vet care,” said Debra. “Meat- ball and his sister are on an all raw food diet that we learned about on Healing Paws Well- ness Center’s website. www. healingpawscenter.com 541.942.0456 Cottage Grove, OR 97424 www.southlanewheels.org Share your pet’s wild and crazy tales. angelscribe@msn.com “Follow” Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/ PetTipsandTales Adopt Loving Pets www.PetFinder.com Humane Society for Neuter/ Spay Assistance Program. (541) 942-2789 We Want Your News! The Cottage Grove Sentinel wants to be your source for all things Cottage Grove. But we need your help! If you’ve got a news tip, we’d be glad to hear about it: $ PUUBHF ( SPWF 4 FOUJOFM In person: 116 N. Sixth Street, Cottage Grove Email: cgnews@cgsentinel.com Office phone: 942-3325 Ask your sales representative about placing your restaurant ad here. DAILY BLOODY LUNCH MARY BAR & DINNER SIUNDAYS • 12-8PM S L A I C E SP NEW HAPPY HOUR FOOD MENU 3-7PM EL TAPATIO (541) 767-0457 Daily Specials 20% OFF for Active Military & Vets Tuesday Night is Senior Night 4pm-8pm Mexican Restaurant & Cantina Open Daily for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun-Thurs 6 a.m. - 10 a.m. Fri. & Sat. Mangiano’s Pizzeria Homemade Pizza ~ Lasagna ~ Spaghetti Everything made from scratch! TWO ONE TIME SALAD BARS & LARGE ONE TOPPING PIZZA $25.00 NEW MENU!! WE DELIVER! Starting at 5 p.m. Closed Sunday & Monday open Tue-Thur 11am-8pm Friday & Saturday 11am-9pm Salad Bar & Fun Lottery Room 2915 Row River Rd • 541-942-5432 1590 Gateway Blvd. • Cottage Grove • 541-942-7144