Pets of the Week

After a brief hiatus, Pets of the Week is back with two especially playful animals. Jambalaya is an eager, excited and lively German Shorthair Pointer Mix looking for a good home. He is one and a half years old, and knows basic commands. At six months old, Arnold still embodies the personality of a curious kitten. He is an adorable Domestic Short Hair, and is quite affectionate towards people. After being adopted, however, he would prefer to be an only cat.

Pets of the Week

This week, Pets of the Week include the mild mannered Charleen, a german shepherd, who is estimated to be about five years old. Charlee is was dropped off at the Humane Society in late December and has become one of the staff’s favorites due to her warm personality and gentle ways.  Our cat pick this week is the beautiful Savannah, who is two years old, is quite affectionate and eager for a new home.

For more information, please contact the Kent County Humane Society

Please send information about Lost or Found Pets to Petwatch@chestertownspy.com

Pets of the Week

We have two very charismatic pets before the holidays. First, we have “Cleopatra”, an incredibly sweet year old Doberman Pinschers/Labrador Retriever mix that was brought in off the street. She did not show any signs of the mean streak that her breed is reputable for, and when it was time for her to go back into her cage, she jumped up as if to give the photographer a hug. So sweet!

“Jodi” showed up in the humane society’s emergency drop room back in August. She is one year old, and is not a huge fan of other cats, but she is fine with dogs. Very affectionate, and how can you say no to those glowing eyes!

For more information, please contact the Kent County Humane Society

Please send information about Lost or Found Pets to Petwatch@chestertownspy.com

Pet Departures: Hannah Wheelan (1992-2009)

Hannah Wheelan died of natural causes at the age of 16 at her home this morning. She was born in Middleburg, Va., in 1992, and subsequently lived in Boulder, Co., Seattle, San Francisco, Berkeley, and Point Reyes Station, Ca., before retiring to Chestertown in March 2009. In the last year of her life, she worked part-time at the Chestertown Spy as night editor, while continuing her research on the benefits of the twenty-hour nap. She was a very good cat.

Bless your Pets

Christ Church will be holding a “Blessing of the animals” service on Saturday, Oct. 10th. For More information, call 410-778-0911

Pet Watch: Dog Tales

One reason for a dog-loving luddite to embrace the new technology of ipods and itunes is the excellent “Selected Shorts” program this week, Best Friends: Dog Tales, coming from Public Radio International. Actors take to the stage to read short stories with canine themes, including ”Sleeping with Dogs on a King Size Bed,” by Abigail Thomas, ”The Dog of the Marriage,” by Amy Hempel, and ”Heart of a Champion,” by T.C. Boyle.  Give it a go at National Public Radio .

Missing Cat

“Princess” is missing! If found, please call Charter Farms at 410-648-5867 or 410-708-5561. There is a Reward.

Please send information about Lost or Found Animals to: Petwatch@chestertownspy.com

Mid-Atlantic Boarder Collie Rescue Open House

On June 27th from 10 to 4 pm, the Mid-Atlantic Boarder Collie Rescue(MABCR) will be having a “Spring” Open House.  All are welcome, and alumni are encouraged to attend.  This event started out as a rescue reunion, and has morphed into a multi-purpose event.  The farm will be open all day for visitors for a full day of events including:

• A pot-luck Lunch
• Basic and Advanced Agility Clinics.  The first session will begin at 9 am for beginners.  The MABCR trainers offer a fun and relaxed introduction to agility training.  The second session will begin at 1 pm, and is for the more advanced students.  Cost for either session is $60, all proceeds go to MABCR to help support their dogs.
• Dr. David Hinman will be running a Microchipping clinic.  Cost is $25, which includes insertion and registration of the chip which is monitored by 24 PetWatch.
• The MABCR store will be open throughout the day.

People, child and animal-friendly dogs are always welcome.  For More information about this event and adoptable dogs, please visit the MACBR website.  You can also email Sarah Ruckelshaus, the executive director of MABCR, at slr@mabcr.org.

MABCR Obedience Classes

A class for dogs and their humans.

To the dogs: Join us and learn everything you need to know to be a great, well-behaved and fun companion to your human. We’ll learn the basics like sit and stay, but also how to walk on a loose leash (so your human will take you more places), greet other dogs and humans nicely (so you can make more friends), come when we’re called (a necessary and valuable skill), leave things we shouldn’t have (but want badly; don’t worry we’ll get other even greater things!), and more. Plus we’ll experiment with trick training and teach your human how to play fun dog games like agility!

To the humans: Want a well-behaved companion who is easy and fun to spend time with? In this class, we’ll concentrate on learning all the skills dogs and humans need to live happily together, from commands like sit, stay, down, and come, to a host of useful ones you’ll wonder what you did without. We’ll also learn loose-leash walking, greeting humans and dogs, and will practice skills that will make it easy to take your dog anywhere. And, yes, we’ll learn about trick training and dog games that can help keep your best buddy happy and tired!

This is an on-going training class. The initial commitment is 8 weeks, followed by shorter commitments, depending on what you and your dog need. We are offering a weeknight and Saturday morning class to help satisfy everyone’s schedule!

Barbara Ellis has owned and trained dogs for nearly 30 years. While she has done standard obedience training, she prefers teaching good dog manners and concentrates on developing a happy, working bond with her dogs. Her goal is having dogs that can be well mannered and comfortable in a wide variety of situations. She has trained dogs using clicker and other positive methods. She has also trained, but not competed in, agility. Barbara uses daily games to keep her dogs happy, well-exercised, and balanced. In addition, she has owned, trained, and worked with certified therapy dogs. She currently owns four dogs: two Border Collies, one Border Collie/Corgi mix, and a Papillion.

Gayle Folger, the class assistant, has owned dogs for about 50 years.  She has taken several of her own dogs through obedience training, and has worked with dogs in basic manners both in the lab rescue foster program and as a dog walker for the Humane Society of Kent County.  Gayle also runs a pet sitting business and has walked a lot of dogs. Like Barbara, she trains her dogs so she can enjoy going places with them. Gayle currently owns two dogs, both Labs.

Proceeds from this class are to benefit Mid-Atlantic Border Collie Rescue. Classes to be help at Victory Farm on Route 20 in Chestertown.

For more information, please contact Sarah Ruckelshaus at SLR@mabcr.org or Barbara Ellis at BWE@fast.net