{"id":209,"date":"2019-02-20T15:02:14","date_gmt":"2019-02-20T23:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/?p=999939425"},"modified":"2019-02-20T15:02:14","modified_gmt":"2019-02-20T23:02:14","slug":"its-national-love-your-pet-day-but-isnt-that-every-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/pets\/its-national-love-your-pet-day-but-isnt-that-every-day","title":{"rendered":"It’s National Love Your Pet Day\u2014but isn’t that every day?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Feb. 20 became\u00a0National Love Your Pet Day<\/a> via the people who come up with an idea somewhere and throw darts at a huge, wall-size calendar to pick a random day for it. According to the various websites, you\u2019re supposed to spoil your pet more than you usually do.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s an eye roll for everyone of the subjects, human and animal, in this article. One guy\u2019s dog gets a birthday party complete with cake every year; another person\u2019s dog goes to the movies with her, still another regularly cooks steak for his parrot.<\/p>\n

The important thing to remember about loving a pet isn\u2019t how much you shower them with rhinestone tiaras and tell them they\u2019re princes and princesses but to provide for them and remember that they weren\u2019t put on the planet for our pleasure. We\u2019re their guardians. Do they show love in return? That\u2019s one of the things I asked these human companions in Long Beach.<\/p>\n

\"black
Jenna Lynn Schultz and Lucy. Photo courtesy of Jenna Lynn Schultz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jenna and her boyfriend, Brian, adopted Lucy from the Seal Beach Animal Care Center<\/a> when Jenna\u2019s old cat, Babylon, passed away. Lucy is presently recovering from Cryptococcus, a severe fungus infection, which she got when she accompanied Jenna into the backyard and sniffed at bird excrement or sumthin\u2019 rotten.<\/p>\n

Rather than euthanize the cat, Jenna and Brian decided that it was worth the struggle, both financially and timewise, to save her life. Why other than love would anyone nix the idea of putting an animal to sleep and opt instead to feed, medicate and hydrate her via an esophageal tube several times a day, apply a nebulizer treatment, take her to the vet once a week for intravenous treatments, and get a second job in order to help pay the vet bill, which totals thousands? (Note: <\/strong>There\u2019s a GoFundMe for Lucy here<\/a> if you want to help.)<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care if I have to work extra for Lucy because she\u2019s worth it to me,\u201d Schultz said.<\/p>\n

Schultz said that she and her boyfriend have a strong emotional bond with Lucy. Lucy and Brian carry on a running conversation, and Lucy showers Schultz with play bites<\/p>\n

\u201cShe bit my cheek last week\u2014it was adorable,\u201d Schultz said.<\/p>\n

\"Older
Dennis Anderson, Regina (aka Reggie) and Boomer. Photo by Kate Karp.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You haven\u2019t really earned your Local Badge, at least in the Belmont Shore area, unless you\u2019ve seen a shirtless Dennis Anderson stroll the streets or grab a taco with a huge Newfoundland dog at his side and a parrot usually on his shoulder. Boomer is Dennis\u2019 third Newfie, but he\u2019s had about 30 birds in the past\u2014he has three presently.<\/p>\n

In 2011, two of Dennis\u2019s parrots were stolen from his porch in broad daylight while Dennis was walking his dog. The birds are family, and Dennis\u2019 heart was broken. Today, no one\u2019s outside unless Dennis is there as well.<\/p>\n

Dennis cooks steak for both Boomer and the birds. Boomer gets plenty of exercise on his walks\u2014several miles daily with Dennis and sometimes accompanied by Reggie traveling on Dennis\u2019 shoulder. This tuckers Boomer out\u2014he usurps the bed and allows his human to share it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI call him Lord Boomer\u2014he runs the show,\u201d Dennis said.<\/p>\n

Reggie, a 47-year-old severe macaw, became part of the family a few years ago when Dennis accepted her from the neighbors. Reggie had been their son\u2019s parrot, and when he went away to college, the parents didn\u2019t want to put up with the noise. Dennis is fine with it\u2014that\u2019s what parrots do. Dennis makes sure that they walk off the steak by running around on his floor. They don\u2019t use a litter box, but they demonstrate their affection for their person in a catlike way by sitting on his lap in the house and in the yard as well. And Regina loves it when Dennis rubs her tummy and tickles that forbidding beak.<\/p>\n

\"White-haired
Ella Dean and Kitty. Photo by Kate Karp.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The prevailing wisdom about pets and senior citizens, particularly those living in independent- or assisted-living facilities, is that animals can alleviate loneliness and depression, help with socialization, get someone through the loss of a loved one, and reduce blood pressure and anxiety. Ella Dean lives in a cozy little unit in an independent-living facility with her cat, Kitty. Ella is no shut-in\u2014she volunteers at her facility in several capacities and performs vocal numbers both solo and with other residents. A Kansas native, her life is storied enough to write a rich biography, but this chapter is about how she rescued Kitty and how Kitty enriches her own life.<\/p>\n

Pets are allowed in the facility, and Ella thinks that\u2019s a very good idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to have some creature to love\u2014someone who\u2019s glad to see you when you get home,\u201d Ella said.<\/p>\n

Several years ago, Ella and her husband, now deceased, had moved into another facility that allowed pets. Her husband was wheelchair bound, and because they could no longer travel, they decided that this was a good time to adopt a pet.<\/p>\n

\u201cI asked if someone nearby had a cat they no longer wanted,\u201d Ella said. \u201cThen, along comes this girl with a sack of dry cat food and a kitty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some stories of rescue are terribly said, and others are eyebrow raising. This was the latter\u2014the cat\u2019s owner said that she got blood clots in her legs from the cat sitting on her lap.<\/p>\n

The cat was already an older cat\u2014Ella estimates that she was 12 when they adopted her and likely 13 when they moved to their present location. She thinks she\u2019s about 16 now. As with people, senior cats have age-associated health issues, and Ella gets it and has no problem dealing with it. That\u2019s part of love as well\u2014Kitty has a few thyroid issues, which Ella and the vet is dealing with. Kitty also gets daily groomings with a brush glove, and loves the attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love it as much as Kitty does,\u201d Ella said.<\/p>\n

Kitty gets the requisite food and playthings, but the most important thing Ella feels that she\u2019s done for her is to have taken Kitty out of a situation where she wasn\u2019t wanted. Even if Ella doesn\u2019t know whether Kitty appreciates the love, it\u2019s obvious that she\u2019s one of the most contented, happy, friendly cats you can find. And any time a cat presents you with their belly, it\u2019s a compliment to you.<\/p>\n

\"three
Carol Rohr and Ellie (center), flanked by friends Nancy Strakowski, holding Charlie, and Gloria Breault. Photo by Kate Karp.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Carol Rohr lives on a boat in Alamitos Bay. When she decided she wanted a dog, she decided not to get her sea legs as a puppy mama but to adopt an adult dog.<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually met Charlie and decided that he was such a cool dog that I wanted one similar,\u201d Carol said.<\/p>\n

Carol found Ellie at Adopt and Shop<\/a> in the Lakewood Center Mall. The store houses animals pulled from local shelters and offers them for adoption in a pet-store-type atmosphere. Ellie was 6 years old, and after watching her socialize with the other dogs and walking her around, Carol found her perfect.<\/p>\n

Carol makes sure that Ellie is fed properly with organic grain-free food and treats. She monitors her meals and makes sure that she gets plenty of exercise. Ellie\u2019s also by her side constantly\u2014she\u2019s been registered as a service dog and goes to the movies, where she sits in Carol\u2019s lap and makes not a yip.<\/p>\n

She loves life on a boat and according to Carol is a life preserver.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spoil her\u2014I don\u2019t know whether I saved her or she saved me,\u201d Carol said, paraphrasing an oft-stuck bumper sticker.<\/p>\n\n

There are a whole lot of quotes coupling cats and books and also cats and bookstores. Sadly, there aren\u2019t that many bookstores anymore. Acres of Books did have a cat named Penny, but they\u2019ve been lost to us for years. Happily, Long Beach still has a viable independent bookstore, called Gatsby,<\/a> and even more happily, there\u2019s a cat inside. Her name\u2019s Ruby.<\/p>\n

Ruby is actually a career bookstore cat. About 15 years ago, she insinuated herself into a now-defunct new\/used bookstore on Lakewood and Carson when she was an upstart kitten. Sean Moor, Gatsby\u2019s owner, agreed to take Ruby in as a package deal when he opened Gatsby eight years ago, and she\u2019s been the resident bibliofeline there ever since.<\/p>\n

Sean estimates Ruby\u2019s age as 15. He shows her love by giving her plenty of food, lots of rest (which she\u2019d likely take anyway), and her own litter box in the employee restroom.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no shortage of love from either Sean or his clients, many of whom just come in to see Ruby.<\/p>\n

\u201cKids on their way to high school come in, plop down their backpacks, and talk to her,\u201d Sean said. Hope they buy books, too.<\/p>\n

Sean said that he acknowledges Ruby every time he passes her by, which goes a long way, he said, whether it\u2019s cats or people. Ruby, being a cat, has her own idea about returning love.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe can be finicky\u2014she rolls over for some or gives them the stink-eye,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

A bookstore is a fine place for a cat, and Gatsby is a books-only bookstore. No e-books here, and no kindle of kittens, either. Ruby\u2019s the sole cat, and that\u2019s how it\u2019s going to be.<\/p>\n

\"Woman
Marcia Harris and Laurene. Photo by Kate Karp.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Can a working dog be considered a pet? Local author and teacher Marcia Harris has had a few of them, but Laurene is special. Marcia, whom you may have seen portraying Fanny Bixby Spencer at the annual Historical Cemetery Tour at Sunnyside Cemetery, has diabetes and has severe vision problems. Laurene is her latest medical-alert dog and is a graduate of Early-Alert Canines, in Concord, California, and Marcia said that she saved her life the first night she had her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to sleep at 11 at the hotel in Concord, and Laurene was with me,\u201d she said. \u201cAt 2 a.m. she was on top of the bed and on top of me. She sensed myblood-sugar level. I wouldn\u2019t be here now talking to you if she hadn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marcia said that Laurene has saved her life several times since, but that\u2019s her job. However, there\u2019s something special about Laurene that has touched Marcia.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe stares with concerned, caring eyes\u2014she gives me a paw, and if I don\u2019t respond, she licks my face,\u201d Marcia said. \u201cAnd when she\u2019s off her jacket, she\u2019s my pal. She walks me to my book-club meeting and we do everything in the community together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The affection between the two can\u2019t be divided into what Marcia does for Laurene and how Laurene gives it back to Marcia. It\u2019s a continuous flow. Marcia said that Laurene\u2019s only \u201cproblem\u201d is that she doesn\u2019t have an off-button. When she gets excited, Laurene gets excited. They work it all off by dancing together.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have more of a relationship than any dog I\u2019ve ever raised,\u201d Marcia said. \u201cI can\u2019t remember saying \u2018I love you\u2019 to any other dog.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Woman
Laura Gutierrez and Frida. Photo by Kate Karp.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Socializing your pet with other dogs, as long as your dog is friendly enough, is one way to love them. Long Beach houses 10 dog parks<\/a>, including one dog beach; I met Laura Gutierrez in one of them, watching her boisterous black lab, Frida, bump butts and frolic with the other canines. Laura said that she brings Frida to the park quite a bit because they both enjoy it. She also takes her for walks\u2014exercise is important.<\/p>\n

Frida\u2019s just a year old and still is at the puppy stage, but she\u2019s current on all her vaccines. That\u2019s important in itself, but if your dog\u2019s a social pup, as Frida is, a curious nose is subject to picking up a bug. You don\u2019t know if the other dogs are thus protected.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t bother asking how Frida shows her love\u2014it was right there. Laura was home base for Frida every time she wanted to tell her about a new friend or just find her person to make sure she was still there.<\/p>\n

\"Young
Dharrel Kabiling and Coconut. Photo courtesy of Dharrel Kabiling.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dharrel Kabiling has dealt with plenty\u2014homelessness, the death of his beloved mother, getting back on his feet. You need a friend for all that, and he has one: a Chihuahua mix named Coconut.<\/p>\n

Coconut, a regular at Beacon for Him Ministries where her human helps out to give back, joined up with Dharrel when she was a puppy. He\u2019d gotten her from his cousin. She\u2019s been fixed and vaccinated because \u201cI don\u2019t want her to catch any bad diseases\u2014and no puppies! She\u2019s <\/em>my baby!\u201d<\/p>\n

Coconut enjoys outings with Dharrel, especially to the dog beach. Dharrel said that she’s a snuggler and always wants to be by his side. They have a place to stay now, and I asked Dharrel if he worried about losing it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d he said. \u201cShe\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that he will be as well, but notice who came first.<\/p>\n

\"Young
Kieara Carroll, Jelly and Darius. Photo courtesy of Kieara Carroll<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Is that a picture or what? Kieara Carroll, pictured here with a flopped-out Jelly, actually has two rabbits. She and her boyfriend, Ryan, have a completely rabbit-proofed apartment\u2014no wires for them to chew up\u2014with pens for the bunnies, litter boxes for their leavings, and a protected bunny patio outside.<\/p>\n

Darius, named for Kieara\u2019s boss, was their first rabbit. Kieara and Ryan adopted Jelly when they learned that to be completely happy, most rabbits need a bunny buddy, preferably of the opposite sex. (And spayed\/neutered, of course\u2014I don\u2019t know how the gender makes a difference, but hey.) They obtained Jelly from a rescue.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bunnies show their love with lots of head nudges to be pet and flopping next to us in the couch,\u201d Kieara said. \u201cJelly loves to follow me around the house as I am doing things\u2014she\u2019s like a little shadow.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re one big hoppy family.<\/p>\n

I asked the Post staff if any one of them would like their pet feature, and the fur flew, along with a few scales, on the thread replies. Three of them railed with \u201cMine\u2019s unique!\u201d \u201cMine\u2019s cuter!\u201d \u201cMine inhaled his entire birthday cake and didn\u2019t whoops it up on the carpet!\u201d So I posted them all.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Small
Valerie Osier and Jones. Photo courtesy of Valerie Osier.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Valerie takes great videos and says she “reports stuff.” She has a little tabby-patched cat named Jones, whose former owners committed one of the several sins of lousy pet ownership when they dumped him at the apartment complex where they used to live.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would always stop and pet him, and he would follow me when I would go do my laundry,\u201d Valerie said. \u201cHe started trying to run into our apartment when we left the front\u00a0door open. We decided we were going to TNR him at the very least. We let him in, gave him flea treatment, got him fixed and his shots. We just ended up failing at the \u2018Release\u2019 part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Valerie thinks that Jones is about 2 or 3. He got his name from her sister-in-law, who was talking about a band with the word Jones <\/em>in it when the cat ran up. The name stuck like the proverbial dryer sheet. Valerie and her husband do spoil Jones\u2014they feed him well, coax him into backflips with wand toys, rub his chin and scratch him behind the ears, and cuddle him whether he wants to or doesn\u2019t. Valerie said that he\u2019s the most curious cat she\u2019s ever met\u2014he opens closet doors because he feels like it and performs gravity-defying leaps to startle the crows on the skylight.<\/p>\n

Love reigns at the Osier household, except where the dog\u2019s concerned.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s a jerk to the dog and will hide behind the counter and pop out just to scare her,\u201d Valerie said.<\/p>\n

\"Two
Mango, next to Jason Ruiz’ feets wearing his Mango-print socks. If that ain’t love… Photo courtesy of Jason Ruiz
<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jason Ruiz has the enviable job of attending City Council meetings and engaging with locally sourced political issues. He and his fianc\u00e9e, Kristina, deserve a good dog. They have one\u2014her name\u2019s Mango. She deserves them, too.<\/p>\n

Mango struck Jason\u2019s fancy on the Long Beach shelter\u2019s adoptable dogs page<\/a>. She was 11 months old and looked like a pure pittie to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause we had just bought a house, we finally had the space to have an animal,\u201d Jason said.<\/p>\n

Ah, Jasons of the universe, where art thou? We need you in great numbers.<\/p>\n

Mango wasn\u2019t her original name, but Jason decided to choose it as her name when he remembered a trip to Cuba a few years back and the locals calling Kristina \u201cmango,\u201d which is slang for \u201chot\u201d or \u201csexy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKristina did protest that she didn’t want a sexy dog, but she was too beautiful and sweet not to be a Mango [Note: Jason may be referring to both fianc\u00e9e and dog, of course],\u201d Jason said. \u201cBesides, I\u2019ve always felt that dogs should have two-syllable names for conciseness.\u201d [Another note: This is what it\u2019s like working with reporters.]<\/p>\n

Jason agrees that you don\u2019t need a special calendar day to love your pet\u2014they show it every day. If they know that they\u2019ll be home after dark, they leave the light on for her and make sure that jazz, instrumental hip-hop or some other type of soothing music is playing so she’s not sitting in a silent house all day. She gets birthday celebrations, she gets patties with no salt from In-N-Out every time they go there, she has a bed in every room, is the \u201csole beneficiary of the AC during the summer,\u201d and has a wardrobe of stylish bandanas<\/p>\n

\"Young
Stephanie and Austin. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Rivera.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stephanie writes about Long Beach proper, improper and everything in between. Austin is her lucky little lizard whom she adopted from a friend who went away to college and could no longer care for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever having had a reptile before, I learned from my boyfriend how to show love,\u201d said Stephanie, whose partner has had experience with bearded dragons. \u201cWe gently pet Austin\u2019s sides and top of his head. We most definitely cuddle! It helps that he loves\u2014and has to be in\u2014warm spots, so he enjoys resting on my chest or snuggling right next to me if I\u2019m lying down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephanie said that she\u2019s seen a lot of \u201cbeardie\u201d Instagrams popping up, so she feels that they\u2019re at least trending. She\u2019s seen them on leashes as well\u2014she likes to \u201cwalk\u201d Austin in a pouch on her jacket.<\/p>\n

Does Austin return the affection?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to think the affection is mutual, especially when I have him resting on my chest or shoulders and he snuggles near my ears,\u201d she said. \u201cAt first I\u2019d think he was going for my neck to bite, but I\u2019ve stopped flinching now! He just wants someone or something warm to sleep next to!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

According to the various websites, you\u2019re supposed to spoil your pet more than you usually do.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":65738,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[156],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pets","tag-national-love-your-pet-day","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=209"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8968,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209\/revisions\/8968"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=209"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=209"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}