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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 2018)
6A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL FEBRUARY 21, 2018 Bill's buttons pop for his dog There is no question about it, Bill loves Buttons -- the dog that is. Button, so named for her cute heart shaped button-nose, is a 12-year-old white Boxer with one blue eye and one brown eye. Of- ten white dogs are deaf but not this canine. She is no ordinary dog! She understands English, verbally woof- chats, and sings. Yes sings! Button's, not Bill's, claim to fame is singing along to "Love Me Tender" and the "Star Spangled Banner". With a treat waiting for the paw-fessional singer on the arm of a chair, the music is cued; and once it begins Button listens carefully, tilts her head sideways and tries to hit the notes. It is amazing to witness her concentration. She woofs to notes, some high, some low and can make it through the Star Spangled Banner unlike most All American Dogs! Then she gently reaches up and takes her treat off the chair's arm. The family lives at the end of a long private driveway and no one comes down it without Button on patrol. She barks, alerting Bill, who is confi ned to a wheelchair, to all humans approaching. She announces strangers, but once you have been cleared by her pet parents, you are welcome with a big Boxer smile and her white cropped tail wagging as fast as a blender. Bill and Merna splurged and bought their senior dog a large comfortable bed, but Button's surprised them both by paw-furing to sleep on the hard fl oor instead! The couple believes in early education for dogs. "It is a lot of work training a puppy," said Bill, "but it paid off. Button never once had an accident in the house because 'I was trained' from the dog classes to watch for the 'I need to go potty' que the puppy was giv- ing me. I believe dogs should not be punished or hit. That is cruel. They don't like receiving it any more than we do. When you take your pet to obedience classes you learn to speak their language and can easily teach them not to jump up on people and furniture etc.. Training early is the key." Button is an intelligent spirit who has given herself important jobs to do. She guards the property, snooper-vises Merna's gar- dening, then lays down next to her human so she won't get lonely. Button is undeniably devoted to Bill. Their bond is enviable. "Now that I am retired, my dog's companionship means the world to me," said Bill. "She is a loyal friend who also inspires me. She takes my mind off my own problems by giving me someone to care for. I respect when she is hungry and feed her before the rest of the family. Merna and I know that our dog is an intelligent being with worries and emotions so we are always kind to her. The older Button gets the more valuable she becomes to us, and we have grown so close that I can read into her eyes and her body language. I understand when she conveys that she has to go outside and when she is hungry." Dogs give us a life time of memories. They are amazing, inspira- tional friends and givers of compassion and love. We are lucky that canines are here on the planet to love and spoil us. TIPS Do animals, shelters and neighborhoods a favor by neutering/ spaying your pets. Shelters are overwhelmed with cats and dogs from babies to seniors. Only we can help prevent the euthanasia of so many. Think of the staff at shelters. It is easier for you to alter your pets than it is for the staff to arrive at work only to euthanize adorable kittens and puppies. Keep your pets out of a shelter and in a loving home. Make fu- ture pet plans in case you are suddenly admitted to a hospital or are no longer here. Unbelievable! Pentobarbital found in pet food. Dozens of pet food recalls! Is your pet ill? Double check the FDA's webpage (www.FDA.gov) for information. Merna and Bill are proud of their singing dog Button. Tell us your fun/amazing/crazing pet tips and 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 Armory readies for paint, exterior work By Caitlyn May cmay@cgsentinel.com The city of Cottage Grove doesn’t quite have the mon- ey to re-paint the armory but city manager Richard Mey- ers wants to make sure that when it does, they’re ready. Crews have been working on the building to determine what method of removal and paint product would best serve the building which has been at the forefront of the city’s infrastructure projects. “The tighter we can make the bid, the better price we can get,” Meyers said, noting that if the city can deter- mine how best to remove the paint and what product will serve as the best re- placement, companies can offer an ac- curate price for the repairs rather than a ballpark estimate. The paint is the latest project for the building that city offi cials hope to use as a community center when it’s com- pleted. Since purchasing the building, the city has opened it for community rentals and events including the annual Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Com- merce banquet honoring local busi- nesses and residents. And while crews have been work- ing to fi x patches on the exterior of the building and secure a more accurate bid to remove the two layers of paint on the exterior, funds for the project are still lacking. “We could paint tomorrow if we had the money,” Meyers said. Fundraising efforts continue with de- velopment director for the armory res- toration effort, Christina Lund visiting donors last week to hand out Valentine gifts. The exterior painting project is ex- pected to take place this summer and will follow work already completed on the building's exterior stairs and lead removal from the building's main drill hall as well a window replacements that were completed in mid-2017. For more information on fundraising efforts, visit cottagegrove.org. Come Celebrate! R ECYCLE ! R EUSE ! A Fond Farewell A Warm Welcome Thursday, February 22, 3–6 pm E R O T S R E R E S TORE H OURS T HURSDAY , F RIDAY & S ATURDAY 10 AM -4 PM at the First Presbyterian Church 216 South Third Street, Cottage Grove Help us bid a fond farewell to our long-time leader, Tom Wheeler Extend a warm welcome to our new executive director, Damien Sands Drop off your old paint for recycling at our ReStore location during business hours Preserve our earth Keep items out of the landfi lls Donate to the ReStore Habitat Offi ce and ReStore 2155 Getty Circle ~ Unit #1 in the Cottage Grove Industrial Park South on Hwy 99 past the High School Call 541.767.0358 for more information Email info@habitatcg.org
