Northern Dancer
There are some athletes so well known that, fan or not, you can place the name without thinking. Gordie Howe, Muhammed Ali, Michael Jordan, Northern Dancer. 50 years ago, the…
The Princesses Louise
Is Princess Louise Park in Sussex NB named for a British Royal or a horse? I’ve heard both answers. The person was daughter of Queen Victoria and patron of the…
Make-up Trade
Revlon tests products on animals, Facebook says. Huh? I thought Revlon was one of the few major mainstream make-up companies that did not do animal testing. On-line searching turned up…
Jack 1998-2008
Five years ago today at 2:15 pm ET, my beautiful German Shepherd Jack died. We had his vet euthanize him before his body did it by itself. It was getting…
Santa Bunny
The cosmetics sections of stores have beautiful Christmas displays. Toiletries, creams and bath oils are lovely and easy gifts to give almost anyone. You can do it in one stop…
Hens movin’ on up
Hens movin' again. That’s what happens when you’ve got wheels on your coop, you get itchy claws. There have been some awfully cold days and nights the past couple weeks.…
Happy Hallowe’en
Mouse batteries dead in my usual computer, and not a new battery in the house. But luckily I have pets in costumes pics on my laptop. As if there aren't…
The Cluck Sisters
The girls are moved in! Sunday evening they were put in their new coop. They’d waited in the back of a truck and, by that time, were pretty much pointing…
Have Chicken – Will Travel
Some hens need a home. So the first construction project at the house? A chicken coop. It’s just big enough for five or six chickens and their furnishings and for…
Dressage Top Hat
A requirement for safety helmets to be worn by riders in all equestrian shows is a good idea and, by and large, the helmets look ok. But dressage needs something…
Tale of Two Dog Parks
I don’t know if St. Thomas dog people and City Hall are still battling about weeds in the dog park. Please God, I hope not! Of all the issues that…
New Charity Cat Project
The Charity Cat project, under the umbrella of the STDOA, began due to cats who turned dog people into cat people. It started last summer with, literally, a cardboard box…
Schmeichel, the Greatest Dane
The name Schmeichel is well-known to two groups of people, soccer fans and Coronation Street fans. Peter Schmeichel is a great Danish goalkeeper who played for Manchester United. It was…
Elgin County Dog Show
The Elgin County Kennel Club wants to come home to Elgin for its annual dog show. It would be nice to have it here in St. Thomas. I’d probably go…
Island Dogs
On our recent trip to PEI, we stopped to get our bearings in Gateway Village at Borden-Carleton, just off the bridge. Walking around, saw a pet store with an open…
Luanne Demers, Founding President
It was with much sorrow that we learned of the passing of a lovely woman – our friend and founder of STDOA Luanne Demers. Luanne died of cancer, too young,…
Hickstead
Canadian athletics and the world of show jumping lost a superstar last Sunday. The great Hickstead died during competition in Verona, Italy November 6th at age 15. His big heart…
Sussex NB Dog Park
In Sussex, New Brunswick, when the first snow of the season hit. Beautiful weather the past few days, then bam – rain, snow and high winds. Not as bad as…
Elsie 1997-2011
Elsie Rose died yesterday, Sept. 1st, peacefully with her family beside her. She is buried at Sandy Ridge Pet Cemetery in Eden. She is mourned. This was written last Sunday.…
Pawlooza: Rescue me!
Pawlooza last Saturday in London Ont was great. So many people and dogs! Other than a bit of a walk-around, I hardly saw anything of it other than our St.…
Show Jumper
Coming up fast to the fence, feeling the muscles gather beneath you, crouching low over the horse’s neck, then springboarding into the air. Sailing over the rail, touching down on…
Dear Cat Dumper
To the person who dumped a grey tiger and white male neutered cat at Waterworks Parks on or before July 4, 2011: He’s doing well, considering. He misses you and…
Waterworks Cat
I’d planned to write something about this past week’s national birthdays but I’ve been busy – dealing with someone else’s problem, I think. We have a new cat, found in…
In Memoriam: Mya
Last night a friend called. She and her husband had to put their lovely young dog to sleep. Mya, a beautiful Doberman Pinscher. On Saturday, she was ill and her…
Circus Cirque
We went to see Cirque du Soleil at London's John Labatt Centre recently. The show, Quidam, was fabulous. Also the first circus I’ve been to at the JLC with no…
El perro de la playa
The Costa Rica beach dog - or el perro de la playa - a short story In the morning, when Helen opened her cabaña door, the dog was standing beside…
Coronation Street: A (cat) star is born!
Wednesday we saw the new title sequence, done in honour of the show’s 50th anniversary and the move to high-definition. There’s a new cat, a new rendition of the theme…
A Dog’s “Night before Christmas”
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes…
Dog blankets, beds & coats needed! (Dec. 8/10)
All Breed Canine Rescue needs beds for foster dogs. If you have washable dog beds, fluffy blankets or towels to give them would you please contact allbreedcaninerescue@sympatico.ca. ABCR is being…
Click Fatigue
Every day I gave .6 bowl of kibble to shelter animals and 10 pieces of kibble to other shelter dogs and 10 pieces to cats. I had 2 foster dogs…
Commodity Dogs
Dogs and cats have always been a part of my life - an important part. Most of them, from my childhood and adulthood, have just come along and stayed. An…
Secretariat: The Movie (2010)
The thing that annoyed me most about the movie Secretariat was that the horses playing him were not in the credits. In particular, the one who played him in close-ups…
Horse: Free to a good home
A few years ago, I got involved in finding a home for two Standardbred ex-racehorses whose owner had died. Neither were broke for saddle, they were getting up in years…