Topic: Pets

Animal rescue: New pure bred pinscher now part of the family

By Beth Robinson | August 23, 2008 |

My family adopted a rescued puppy and named her Sophie. I found her on petfinder.com, which has pets from local humane societies and shelters. My dog came from Jack’s Place which is about 50 miles North of Clarksville in White Plains, KY.

I haven’t had a dog in a long time. She is already part of the family. It only took two minutes for her to know she is lower in the pecking order than our 10-year-old cat Rose, but they’re starting to get along.

Someone abandoned or ‘dropped’ Sophie out in the country, despite her being a pure bred miniature pinscher. Most dogs left this way die from starvation. Bob and Christine operate Jack’s Place and are at their maximum capacity with adoptable dogs and cats. If you have room in your home and heart and would like a dog or cat, try petfinder.com before you purchase a pet. Ninety percent of pets taken to animal shelters are euthanized; there are just too many of them.

The kindest thing you can do for all dogs and cats is to have yours spayed or neutered. According to the Clarksville Humane Society, Clarksville kills over 90 animals a week because of over-population.

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‘Old Dogs’ can teach us new tricks

By Rev. Charles Moreland | May 7, 2008 |

Is it in the U.S. Constitution that “old dogs can’t learn new tricks?” Such platitudes were part of our upbringing, but this is one is particularly misleading. My experience with an old dog is teaching me.

Cassie, our healthy 15-year-old Pug, is a supportive companion and she is challenging this ancient and trite platitude. Cassie, even though she has exceeded the age expectancy for her breed, is either an exception or the disproving of the trite saying.

Cassie, in the human equivalent of 105 years of age, is more mentally active than ever. Even in her senior years she is demonstrating an alertness, a “brain receptiveness” to new tricks, many of which are beneficial to the household. She is more effective than ever in communicating her needs to us with a bark, or by sitting in front of us and staring us in the eyes. For 14 years, she never barked except when visitors arrived at our door. Now she barks like clockwork at 10 p.m. or 2 a.m., whenever she need to go out and relieve herself. At this stage, she may have a gland problem that pushes her to more frequent needs to relieve her kidneys. Just like many of us senior citizens. «Read the rest of this article»

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Animal care: A joy and a responsibility

By Rev. Charles Moreland | December 9, 2007 |

What do I, an “immigrant” from St. Louis, appreciate about Clarksville? As the song says, “Let me count the ways…”

On my list of top activities in this city are the Roxy Theatre, Loaves and Fishes, AARP, movie theaters, APSU and last but not least, the Clarksville Athletic Club. They ignite a passion for this community and give the momentum for purposeful living.

But beyond these organizations serving humans, I appreciate the compassion of this community, especially as shown in the care of our pets; we have a kinship and empathy for animals. By our measure of intelligence, they may come up short, but animals have their own wonderful endowments. They deserve our appreciation and respect.

In Missouri, our dogs and cats were more utilitarian than just pets. In the Ozarks our dogs were commonly chained in the back yard until it was squirrel or rabbit hunting season and our cats were assigned to the barn as mouse catchers. Thankfully, our improved understanding and broadened compassion now includes animals. Our perspective of these living beings is part of a changing pattern for community and society in general. «Read the rest of this article»

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