Charlie Brown had Snoopy, Dorothy had Toto, Calvin had Hobbes and, judging from all the submissions REFLECTIONS Magazine received, members have their own furry companions. It should
be no surprise that in Washington, pets outnumber children—it seems there are pet-centered businesses around every
corner. Dogs, in particular, are so popular, that Brandie Ahlgren founded CityDog, a quarterly magazine that focuses on dogs in the Northwest. The publication focuses on practical dog-related topics, of which there is no limit. “I get ideas from readers, from freelance writers—it’s simply things I’m interested in learning about,” Brandie says. Since the magazine launched in June 2005, Brandie has noticed an increased awareness of the importance of nutrition and training for dogs. “Dogs are happier if they have a balanced life,” she says. Because there are more dogs in an urban environment, she’s also
seen demand
for services increase. Non-pet businesses seem to be catching on, too. Many hotels allow pets to stay and coffee shops supply a water bowl for dogs waiting
for their owners. Brandie says CityDog also recently had
a story about dog-friendly weekend getaways to the Washington wine country.
With dogs more accepted at vacation spots and hotels, Club members Duke and Kathy Coonrad take their Tibetan terrier, Bugsy, along when they can. Kathy says Bugsy knows how to behave in a hotel, and has proper elevator and lobby manners. The pair have had pets for years, and Kathy says, “Once you’ve had pets your whole life, it’s really difficult to be without one.” Bugsy has proven to be a great companion, with Kathy and Duke agreeing he’s always good for a laugh. Duke says they once took Bugsy to a dog park to let him run, and sat
on a bench to watch. Instead of joining the other dogs, Bugsy found Duke and Kathy and sat between them on the bench, watching the other dogs.
Melinda and J enjoy
hiking with their two dogs
Olivia, a Norfolk terrier,
and Karma.
“He’s a source of joy, a source of entertainment. He makes us laugh every day,” says Kathy. more photos of Bugsy Members’ pets are doing more than just giving love
to their families. There are a number of dogs who, along with their owners, donate their time to giving sick people something to smile about. Melinda DeBruler and Alison Hill are two such women, who with their dogs Karma and Abby, respectively, visit Overlake Hospital weekly.
Alison and Abby in
their Delta Society badge
photo. Abby has her own
scarf and badge to wear
in the hospital.
Melinda’s Rottweiler, Karma, visits mental health and rehabilitation patients, and loves visiting people. “I feel like we’re touching a lot of lives in a positive way. I love it. I could do it every day,” says Melinda. more photos of Karma and Olivia Like Karma and Melinda, Alison and her Bernese mountain dog, Abby, were certified through Delta Society to visit patients in the hospital. Alison says certification required about two months of training in addition to regular obedience classes. Alison was also required to take
a written test, and she and Abby took an on-site test with an evaluator and judge. Delta Society pets have to be recertified every two years. “The patients are so appreciative,” Alison says. “They don’t expect to see a dog in the hospital. It really pulls them away from focusing on why they’re in the hospital.” Alison says Abby starts getting excited on the way to the hospital, and enjoys every visit. Alison and her husband have another Bernese mountain dog, Boone, who she says will get certified once he gets a little older. “Patients would just absolutely love both of these two together, coming in.” more photos of Abby
On the following pages, see photos of members’ pets and read stories about why these animals are so loved.
Jeanie Johnstone had two friends in college with guide dogs, and she thought raising the puppies to help others was something she might enjoy doing. Then, just over four years ago, the time was right. Jeanie found Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit that trains Labradors and golden retrievers to be companion dogs for people with all disabilities except blindness. After a home interview with someone from the Santa Rosa, Calif.-based organization, a puppy was quickly placed in Jeanie’s home. “I got Moxie,” she says. CCI breeds all the dogs and places them in homes throughout the country.
Moxie in her CCI outfit, before she was released
from the program.
Jeanie says puppy raisers get puppies at around eight weeks old and they work to teach the puppies around 30 commands and socialize the dogs. The puppies are then sent back to Santa Rosa for advanced training when they are 16 to 18 months old. Advanced training is six months of turning the 30 basic commands into more complicated tasks. Over time, the dogs learn things like picking up keys or even credit cards off floors for their owners, opening doors, turning on light switches and more.
At any time during advanced training, the dogs can be released. “Because the dogs are going to serve the disabled people, they have to be very specific about their behaviors,” says Jeanie. She didn’t realize when they received their first dog that this could happen, and during Moxie’s advanced training, she was released. Puppy raisers get first choice of whether to keep the dog as a family pet, and Jeanie and her husband decided to keep Moxie.
Moxie, the larger dog, is now the Johnstones’ family pet. Hermione, the smaller dog, is still in training in hope that she’ll one day be a companion dog.
Hermione is the family’s current CCI dog, who is quickly approaching her own advanced training. If she graduates, she will be placed with a family in need of a companion dog. Jeanie says there is an average two-year waiting period before a family can get a dog. Recipients pay $100 to go to Santa Rosa for training, which they get back in vouchers for dog food and other supplies. CCI matches client profiles with dog profiles, and each recipient gets three dogs to choose from. The dogs are free for recipients. more photos of Moxie and Hermione Jeanie is the president of the Puget Sound Chapter of CCI, and says this area is great because there are a number of companies, and even some schools, that allow puppy raisers to bring the dogs to work. The Puget Sound Chapter is holding a fund-raising auction on March 31 at the Redmond Town Center Marriott. Jeanie enjoys the auction because it allows puppy raisers to meet each other and meet some dog recipients. “It’s a really nice community of people from all walks
of life that do this. It’s really been much more than I’d ever anticipated.” For more information about CCI and their dogs, visit www.cciseattle.org or www.caninecompanions.org.
The Boileau family has five pets in their household: Montana, an Old English sheepdog; Puddles, a poodle; Bataille, a Shitzu-poo; Charlotte, a white cat; and Diego, a black and white cat. “They are the best because they make our family complete,” says Cathye. Pictured are Cathye and Kevin’s children Jordan and
Hannah with Bataille and Puddles. more photos of Puddles and Bataille
Meow is Dayle Ellison’s 5-year-old cat. Dayle says Meow loves to be held. Snowflake, Dayle’s
13-year-old cat, has two
different colored eyes.
She likes to join in
whenever Dayle plays the piano, climbing up on
the keys. more photos of Meow and Snowflake
Bella is the beloved 6-year-old Airedale terrier that belongs to Joan, Steve, Katie and Jack Savarad. They say,
“The greatest thing about Bella is she immediately improves your blood pressure at the end of a hectic day.” more photos of Bella
Emily and Olivia are two sisters owned by Lynne Simons. Lynne says the pair are complete opposites but “are a constant source of amusement
and affection.” She adds the cats growl when they hear people
approaching the house, but greet the
family after a day apart. more photos of Emily and Olivia
Duke is the 11-year-old Westie owned by the Mills family. Susan says Duke is a very gentle soul who has the ability to calm down people and other dogs. Susan credits his mellow behavior to the large amount of training she did with Duke, as she says Westies can be high-strung. Duke even took classes to be able to visit children with terminal cancer. more photos of Duke
Gracie is the Ficca family’s 2-year-old English springer spaniel. Tracy says Gracie is extremely gentle and loves to be cuddled.
Pictured below are Claire and Daniel Ficca with Gracie. more photos of Gracie
Dr. Michael Steiner owns Anton, an Entlebucher mountain dog. Michael says Anton is a great companion for all the hiking Michael likes to do, and is also incredibly intelligent. Besides mastering walking on narrow logs, Anton will rise onto his hind legs to see over the edges of things, showing intelligence and curiosity. “He thinks,”
Michael says. more photos of Anton
Holly Grant calls her cat Sam very unique--besides wearing costumes like this dinosaur outfit,
Sam also enjoys playing with dogs. more photos of Sam
Bailey is Gregg and Pat Jordshaugen’s 8-year-old
Cavalier King Charles spaniel. “He loves walking around
our neighborhood, greeting people with a happy face.
Our neighbors all know Bailey by name even when
they don’t know us.”
Janni Trenary owns Bud the boxer and Fenway the Boston terrier. Janni says Fenway, although she’s the smaller dog, is the boss of the house. Bud is a “big, gentle giant.” Janni describes him as a
tiny dog in a huge body, and says Bud wants to be a lapdog. more photos of Bud and Fenway
Daisy Mae, the Ray’s 3-year-old dog, is “exceptionally skilled at using her front paws as tools,”
says Carol. Daisy will sneak into the kitchen and grab any food she can reach.
Daisy has even managed to eat an entire loaf of bread. more photos of Daisy Mae
