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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...
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 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...
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...
WOOFSTOCK Cover Dog Contest Winner: “MINKER THE STINKER” The little Dog Who Leads His Family on Big Adventures
Story by Emily Dieckman, Photos Provided by Candice Eaton & Erika Plante Erika Plante was devastated when her Pitbull, Lucian, passed away in October 2019. She’d had him for 10 years, and he’d always reminded her of that quote from The Titanic, about how he’d...
Tucson’s Foster Heroes: Tucson’s Foster Caregivers Share Their Experiences And The Impact They Have On The Community
Story by Rebecca West, Photos Courtesy of Julia Ewer, Oana Stratman and Alex Byler “Saving an animal’s life or making a difference for them is an amazing feeling and such a fulfilling experience!” Each year thousands of pets are surrendered or picked up as strays in...
The Daily Dilemma of the Homeless & Their Pets
Story by Rebecca West Ask any number of people their views on the homeless population with pets, and you’re likely to get a mix of responses. A lot feel bad for the animal and feel it’s unfair of the owner or irresponsible to keep them under the circumstances. But...
Precious Time Dogs Steps Up For Pups in Need
HOPE Animal Shelter launches an initiative to provide a bridge for at-risk dogs to their forever homes. Story by Emily Dieckman, Photos courtesy of HOPE Animal Shelter Stacy Van Dyke is a board member at HOPE Animal Shelter who has also been volunteering with the...
Tech Sqt. Josh Reid, Military Dog Trainer at Davis-Monthan AFB, Shares His Role as MWD Kennel Master and the History That Goes with it
Story by Rebecca West, Photos by Candice Eaton When you sit back and think about it, animals have played a significant role in military campaigns for thousands of years. Horses and dogs, in particular, have marched across continents with their masters and handlers as...
And The Cover Dog Winner Is! Lord Mojo Filthwad Von Sheddington II aka “Mojo”
Story by Emily Dieckman Big ones, small ones, some the size of your head. Some in sunglasses, hats, Halloween costumes, or halfway through eating a cup of whipped cream. Competition was fierce for the 2021 Tucson Dog Holiday Cover Dog Contest, in which readers...
Wild Horse Haven Rescue: A Man And His Wild Horses Changes The Lives Of Those With PTSD
Story by Rebecca West, Photos by Duane Whitmer Many people don’t realize the extent to which horses and other animals end up needing refuge, just like house pets. These four-legged creatures suffer similar fates as the countless dogs and cats that find themselves...
A Tribute To John Gilbert: The Founder Of Tucson Rescue Now Leaves Legacy of Hope For Senior Dogs
Story by Colleen Keefe Ask anyone who knew him. John Gilbert just couldn’t sit still. So, after retiring from more than 60 years in the shoe business, when John decided to become a volunteer dog walker, no one was surprised. “I’m not a retire kind of guy. I can’t even...
Soldier’s Best Friend, Helping Veterans Live Better Lives with the Support of Furry Friend
Story by Rebecca West and Photos by Candice Eaton Soldier’s Best Friend is an incredible program here in Arizona designed to give service members improved wellbeing and quality of life through relationships with service animals. The group behind the program is...
Growing Number of Pets in Tucson with Valley Fever, but Help is on the Way!
Story by Rebecca West, Photos by Dr. Lisa Schubitz and Danae Nash Coughing, fever, weight loss, lack of appetite; worrisome symptoms that are all cause for alarm when exhibited by loved ones, including family pets. If you recognize these clinical signs of illness in...
Arizonans adopt tort-ally awesome pets through the state’s Desert Tortoise Adoption Program.
Story by Emily Dieckman, Photos courtesy of Courtney Sheldon Courtney Sheldon had always wanted a pet tortoise. When she was 9 years old, her family would help take care of a dog kennel when the owner was away. She spent her time at the pond out back, playing with the...
From the Director’s Desk: Pima Animal Care Center
Story and photos by Monica Dangler, Interim Director It’s been quite a year and it seems like we may be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for COVID-19! Fingers crossed. However, at PACC and shelters across the country we are just beginning to see the long-term...
Pet Partners, Improving Human Health
Story by Rebecca West and Photos courtesy of Pet Partners of Southern Arizona Gentle eyes, a loving gaze, and a soft nudge. Antics that bring laughter and uplift spirits. Companionship and loyalty like no other. Animals bring joy and comfort to hundreds of millions of...
Kids and Animals: Rowan and Archer’s Animal Kingdom
Story by Bella Wexler, Photos Courtesy of Melody Albright It’s hard to find a kid who doesn’t care deeply about their pets. In the Hawkins’ house, Archer and Rowan prove that their love for animals isn’t even limited by how many they can count. When asked how many...