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Casper The American Farm Bureau’s “Farm Dog of the Year”
Story by Rebecca West, Images provided by John Wierwille In case you missed it, it was one of the wildest, most intense stories of the year in the world of canines. A stout-hearted Great Pyrenees named Casper determinedly fought with a pack of coyotes while guarding...
Woofstock Cover Dog Contest Winner Koko The Cover Girl!
Story by Bonnie Craig Happy spring, Tucson dogs and your humans! The birds are singing and our allergies are kicking into high gear, but never fear, because It’s time to celebrate our latest local celebrity. Everyone put your paws together for the stunning Miss...
Meet the First Ever Parvo Treatment
Story by Melissa Barrow Photos provided by The Fix Project of Long Beach, CA On May 2nd, 2023, Elanco Animal Health announced the release of their new Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody (CPMA) treatment — exciting and hopeful news for dogs and dog lovers...
Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue is 25 this year!
Story by Melissa Barrow, Photos provided by DLRR It’s a celebration year for this Phoenix-based organization; they started in October of 1999, so they will celebrate their 25th year in October of 2024! The whole mission of this group revolves around their love for...
No Rhyme or Reason: PACC’s 5 Longest Stay Dogs Need Forever Homes Today!
Story by: Rebecca West Photographs by: Candice Eaton Oftentimes, when it comes to shelter dogs, there is no rhyme or reason as to why some seem to get adopted relatively quickly, as opposed to others who can languish for months and even years before finding homes....
Women of Rescue: Getting Things Done Final Part III
Story by Rebecca West If you’re just joining us, this is the third and final installment of our 2023 Women of Rescue series, where we have been highlighting as many of the inspiring females here in Arizona — particularly in Pima County — who have dedicated much of...
Introducing Cover Dog, Daisy Sonora and Friends!!
Story by Bonnie Craig Congratulations Tucsonans, Autumn is here! After surviving the hottest summer on record, we can finally dig out our down jackets and wool sweaters for those chilly 80 degree days. More congratulations are in order though, as it is time to...
Pima Animal Care Center Celebrates Life-Saving Milestone and Looks to Future
Story by Kayleigh Murdock, PhD Public Information Officer - Pima Animal Care Center We’re celebrating here at PACC! We recently received recognition from national organization Best Friends Animal Society for “achieving no-kill status during calendar year 2022 by...
The Story of Nic and Bennett — Who rescued who?
Story by Melissa Barrow “Not all disabilities are visible” declares a patch sewn to the vest of Bennett, the service dog of Nic Everhart. Nic and Bennett — a familiar sight around greater Tucson — are a striking, unusual pair: Nic is an Army veteran with noncombat...
Dog Gone — How Far Back Does the History of Pet Cemeteries Date?
Story by Rebecca West A couple of issues back, we wrote about the incredible true story concerning the far-reaching journey of the Rainbow Bridge poem and one writer’s quest to track down the person who penned the touching ode. That was Tucson resident Dr. Paul...
Spay, Neuter, and the Cover Dog!
Story by Bonnie Craig, Photos Courtesy of Candice Eaton and Chawntel Hunt As Tucson’s heat rages on, so does the stream of animals pouring into local shelters, so many this time of year being puppies and kittens. Some come in with their terrified and desperate...
Women of Rescue: Getting Things Done Part II
Story by Rebecca West If you picked up a copy of our July/August issue you already know that we are highlighting the amazing women working in rescue here in southern Arizona and the remarkable things they’ve accomplished over the decades. That work takes many, many...
Outdoor Adventures with Your Dog
Story and Photos Provided by Patricia Cook One of the best things in life is sharing an adventure with your dog. Tucson, with its wonderful weather, tempts people and their pooches outside. With a little planning, and an eye on the temperature, you and your dog can...
Women of Rescue: Getting Things Done, Part I
Story by Rebecca West If you had to take a wild guess, who would you imagine is behind the vast majority of rescue and shelter operations? We’re talking about from the founding of all the way down to the volunteers. The answer, of course, is women, and that’s because...
Sol Dog Lodge — Training Dogs and People for Life
Story by Melissa Barrow, photos courtesy of Sol Dog Lodge The Tucson Dog gives lots of space to the rescue community, appealing in every issue for fosters and adopters. The rescue slogan is ‘find them a forever home’ but the story doesn’t end when an animal walks in...
The Tucson Wildlife Center: A Priceless Gem in the Sonoran Desert
Story by Rebecca West, Images by Tucson Wildlife Center There was a time not so long ago when Tucson was teeming with wildlife centers. In fact, up until recently there were 12 of them, but now the area is down to just one — and thank your lucky stars, we still have...
Local Artist Diana Madaras: A Life Devoted to Art and Animal Welfare
Written by Rebecca West, Images courtesy of Diana Madaras One of Tucson’s most notable artists, her work captures the imagination and draws the viewer into familiar scenes witnessed through a richer, more vibrant lens, one that’s punctuated by deep jewel tones. Even...
The History of the “Rainbow Bridge”: Unraveling the Mystery
Written by Rebecca West, Photos courtesy of Edna Clyne-Rekhy Recently, one of our readers brought to our attention the unraveling of the mystery of the Rainbow Bridge, a touching poem about animal heaven and meeting up together again with beloved pets when our own...
Acupuncture, A Sought-Out Alternative Therapy Now More Than Ever
Story by Alison Martin, Founder of Animal Soul Connection When it comes to our pets, there is likely nothing we wouldn’t do to keep them from experiencing pain or discomfort. Many pet owners are looking for alternative methods for their pets and acupuncture tends to...
Easter Egg Hunt For Your Pup
Story by Meganne Carpenter Scout Camp Bow Wow, Tucson East This year Easter will be on April 9th, and we wanted to share a fun way to celebrate Easter with your pup by offering them an at-home enrichment Easter Egg Hunt! This is a version of a scavenger hunt and can...
The New Cross-Culture 501c3 Rescuing Wheelchair Dogs
Story By Melissa Barrow Kim Kelly has always been into helping animals. She found Tucson’s rescue community after returning from post-doctorate work. It was their social media alerts that acquainted her with the plight of abandoned special needs dogs in Mexico. Deeply...
Is Your Pet Packing On The Pounds?
Story by Alison Martin, Animal Soul Connection Did you know that 52% of dogs and 58% of cats are overweight or obese? Did you know that pet obesity is totally preventable? Did you also know that most pet parents don’t even know their cat or dog is overweight? Take a...
The Amazing Bond Between Humans and Animals is Evidenced in Animal Therapy in Arizona
Story by Rebecca West There’s archaeological evidence dogs were the first animals domesticated by humans between 20,000 and 30,000 years ago. This is far earlier than the domestication of donkeys, horses, and ruminant animals. We initially started bringing animals...
The Great Veterinary Shortage of 2022. How Does it Affect You and Your Pet?
Story by Scottie McGowan, Powered by Rescue A Golden of Arizona CVID-19 wreaked havoc on human lives throughout the world. Life, as we knew it, found a new norm by changing and improvising everyday life, some to our dismay. The impact on the already struggling...
And The Cover Dog Winner Is… Scruffy!
Story by Bonnie Craig Here we are again. We’ve made it through another blistering summer into the relatively less blistering respite of Autumn. Dogs can trot happily down the streets without cooking their paws. They can enjoy a nice sunbath without immediately...
Gabriel’s Angels, a Heaven-Sent Nonprofit Helping Kids Be Their Best Selves
Story by Rebecca West, Photos by Gabriel’s Angels Sometimes all it takes is a pair of soft brown eyes and the gentle nudge of a warm muzzle nuzzling you to drain you of stress and ease your apprehension. If you’re a dog lover, you get it. It’s that power to instantly...
Longest Stays: The Dogs of DeGrazia
Story and Photos by Colleen Keefe Nestled at the base of the Catalina foothills, sits the DeGrazia Gallery of the Sun Museum. The ten-acre site is adorned with a rotation of more than 20,000 of Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia’s work, a gift shop, chapel, home of the late artist...
University of Arizona’s College of Veterinary Medicine is a Boon to Not Only Students and Oro Valley, but Pet Parents in General
Story by Rebecca West, Images courtesy of UACVM Two years ago, U of A’s long-awaited veterinary school finally opened its campus doors in Oro Valley to students for fall 2020 classes. It’s said that the program garnered as many as 518 applications and interviewed 244...
Equine Voices, a Labor of Love
Story by Rebecca West, Photos courtesy of Equine Voices Back in 2004, Karen Pomroy set about creating a safe haven for horses and wild burros in need of refuge. Now, more than 18 years later, she’s finally realizing the whole of that dream with the completion of a new...
The Impact of Adoption: 4 Stories That Will Touch Your Heart
Story by Rebecca West “I have found that when you are deeply troubled there are things you get from the silent, devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source.” Attributed to the late-great Doris Day, Hollywood actress and passionate animal...
Summertime Safety!
Story & Photo Provided by Jeremy Brown, The Complete Canine Summertime is a difficult time as a pet owner in the Sonoran Desert, and there are many things we should consider as responsible pack leaders. HEAT PRECAUTIONS: It is obvious that we have extreme heat in...
How to Become a Kitten Season Superhero: Fostering with PACC at a Critical Time
Story and Photos by Bonnie Craig, Kitten Flow Chart Courtesy of PACC In most US cities, May is a mild and pleasant spring month, but here in Tucson, the summer heat is already turning up, and with it comes kitten season. This is a time when a massive influx of...
Animal Advocate’s “Street Angels Animal Rescues” Helping Dogs in Mexico Live Better Lives
Story by Rebecca West, Photos provided by Lorna Grant-Aguilar Lorna Grant-Aguilar has fond memories of Saturday mornings when her mother would lovingly line up all of the family’s small pets for her to sit and play with. They ranged from a rabbit to guinea pigs, a...
Meteorologist Erin Christiansen A Force Of Nature for Animal Advocacy
Story by Rebecca West Smart, warm, and funny. You’ve seen her at the weather desk or standing in front of a glowing map outlining heavy rains over the Catalinas or a dust storm barreling across town. As the most widely recognized meteorologist in Tucson, she’s likely...
Southwest Oasis Labrador Rescue, a Hub of Hope for Labs in the Borderlands
Here in Tucson we have an abundance of incredible animal rescues run by so many caring people, and one thing anyone involved with animal rescue knows is that networking is absolutely crucial to getting the animals what they need, where and when they need it. These...
Scientists Believe Dogs Are Using Earth’s North-South Magnetic Fields as an Internal Compass to Navigate, Similar to Migratory Species
Story by Rebecca West We’ve all heard the stories. Pets finding their way cross-country, inexplicably showing up thousands of miles away years later. They’re usually lost before or during a move. Sometimes they’ve been left behind to live with friends or family and...
