Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 2017)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL DECEMBER 20, 2017 7A Dog days of Summer: Looking beyond the end to a new start By Caitlyn May cmay@cgsentinel.com S ummer is as close to perfect as a dog can get. She has spent her 12 years in the offi ce of her owner, Eve Peirce, a counselor at South Lane Mental Health in Cottage Grove. She’s welcomed children of all stripes into the room with a wag of her tail and an offering of a toy. She engages with children who are nervous, lonely and frustrated, knowing when to play and when to lay in her bed, close by, a silent, steady support for instances that weigh a little more. Summer loves the kids, Peirce says. That’s why, even though it may be hard to watch Peirce with another dog, Summer doesn’t bat an eye. She’ll want the kids to have someone when she’s gone. During a routine check-up in April of this year, the vet discovered a tumor. There wasn’t much to be done. “It wasn’t in a good place to operate,” Peirce said. “Dogs with this type of tumor, the vet said, will usually last a few months. Summer’s gone eight.” It’s a little harder for Summer to get up now, her hind legs no longer young and sprite and while the tumor doesn’t seem to cause her pain, Peirce knows her time is coming. In August, Summer had a bad fall. The vet had warned that the dog would have a “catastrophic failure” one day and when Summer’s legs gave out after a bath, Peirce feared the worst. “I thought, this is the end,” she said. So, she searched the local animal shelters and began to research other facilities. She needed a patient, loving, smart, playful dog who could take direction, learn and be able to work with her every day. Also, one that didn’t shed. “There was a place in Bend and their dogs were $950. So, I called and told them what I needed and what kind of work I did,” she said. By the time Doodles and Poodles, owned by Marcia and David Shannon, called her back, Summer had perked up. But the Shannons had been so touched by the work Peirce and Summer did, that they offered to donate a puppy. “I thought by the time I got another dog, it would be after Summer was gone,” Peirce said. However, unable to pass the opportunity up, she traveled to Bend and met with the breeders. “I sat in the cage and this puppy toddled up to me,” she said. “This fat puppy toddled up and sat down and just looked at me. I looked in her eyes and asked her if she could be a therapy dog for me and she looked back me with this look that said, “'I’d sure try.'” It was Sally. She’s a Labrador/Poodle mix who will grow to be about 50 pounds. For now, she hangs out with Summer for a bit, licking at her ears and annoying her in the way a puppy does and training to fi ll in for her when the time comes. “With their parents’ permission, I’ve taken pictures of the kids with their friend Summer so they’ll have those and we’ve been talking for a few months how she’s getting old and has some health problems,” Peirce said of explaining Sum- mer’s inevitable absence. The children Peirce treats will also have the books she published about Summer to remember their friend by. “Summer fi nds a job” details Summer’s jour- ney to Peirce’s offi ce. Initially, she was intended to be a show dog but her back was too long. Next, she was trained to be a service dog but was a bit “too goofy.” “It shows kids that she tried to do these other things,” Peirce said. “It’s a ‘keep going’ story.” One day soon, Summer won’t be in the offi ce. She won’t trail out to the lobby, returning children to their parents and wandering to those still wait- ing—having a knack for fi nding the people who needed to talk to her that day. And while Peirce says it won’t be the same without Summer, she’s grateful for the time they’ve had. “If you take good care of your pets, they get old,” she said. “She’s been amazing. She knows she’s my girl.” PHOTO BY CAITLYN MAY/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Eve Peirce with Summer (L) and Sally (R). Above, Summer is pictured at home. Shop Local. Shop Cottage Grove this Holiday Season!!! We have what you want for Christmas! Top Quality Brands Slippers for men, women, and children Everything For Your Outdoor Needs! Eugene Saturday Market’s 2017 Handcrafted Gifts, Sold By Their Makers International Food Court Live Music Weekends: Nov. 18 - Dec. 17 + Dec. 22-24 10 AM - 6 PM • Lane Events Center, 13th & Jefferson More details at www.holidaymarket.org 541-686-8885 Shop local! Together we thrive! y Bring this coupon for Give a Gift Certificate! 15% off Books! from 12/13 to 12/24 MAKO 5-DRAWER DRESSERS 18 DIFFERENT COLORS SOLID WOOD $259 615 Main Street • Cottage Grove • 541-942-8711 homesteadcg.com 637 E. Main St. • (541) 942-6143 Kalapuya Books DONATE NOW! HEDGE TRIMMER STOCK#HS 45 Maximize your donation by donating to Cars for a Cause by Dec. 31st. We accept cars, trucks, RVs, boats & motorcycles CALL NOW! 35% off all Christmas Regular Priced Gift Merchandise Valid 12-20-17 to 12-24-17* 50% off all Christmas Regular Priced Gift Merchandise Valid 12-26-17 to 12-31-17* *Can not be applied to in-house accounts. 119 S. 6th Street • 541-942-0505 Special pricing: $299.95 (ends 11/26/17) •Helps those in need in Lane County • Charitable donation •We do all the paperwork St. Vincent de Paul 2315 Hwy. 101 • Florence • 541-997-8460
