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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...
The Leader of the Pack Speaks
Dearest readers, As we head into summer, I am so happy to see things opening up in our world with most of us finding a new normal in our daily lives. It has been a very rough year and a half for everyone, and it feels good to see things moving in a forward motion...
Pet Health: Aquamation – An Environmentally Friendly Alternative to Flame Cremation or Burial
Story and photos by Dr. Kellie Barrett, Kindred Spirits Pet Services Unfortunately, all pets eventually pass away and families are faced with the decision of what to do with their beloved companion’s body. Until recently, pet owners have been limited to burying their...
Training: Summer Fun For Your Dog! How to Burn Energy On Hot Day
Story and photos by Jeremy Brown, The Complete Canine One challenge we all experience during the summer is how to burn enough energy as the temperature rises. Walks are spread out further between and many canines become destructive as they’re bored and have pent up...
Flying High!
Story and photos by Nancy Schuessler Several times a year, Al Johnson boards his blue and white Cessna airplane and flies from Marana Regional Airport to Deming, New Mexico and back. His cargo? A homeless dog. His mission? To help it find a family. “It starts with a...
Southern Arizona Animal Food Bank: A Lifeline During Hard Times
Story by Bonnie Craig Photos Courtesy of Donna DeConcini As we are all aware, the Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on lives worldwide. In addition to direct health repercussions, people are facing financial struggles on an astronomical...
WOOFstock Cover Dog Contest Winners 2021
Story by Rebecca West Photos courtesy of dog parents Another year has passed and another WOOFstock cover dog photo contest has taken place. This year, our three winners couldn’t look any less alike, but together they share some amazingly...
Urgent Plea from Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue
Story by Judy Warnock Photos by Mary Ducharme We are looking for a very special home for our boy Dawson! Dawson is like a flower bud. He will blossom in due time, but you cannot force it. You have to have patience, and when it happens, you...
The Benefits of Dogs for kids
The bond between canines and humans is well established. Dogs are our best buds, faithful companions, and loyal protectors. They bring us joy, make us laugh, and ease our sorrows. They’re even responsible for the increased longevity of us upright bipeds and recognized...
Finding Gobi: The Story of How a Runner and a Stray Dog Brought the World Together
Story by Bella Wexler - Photos Courtesy of Finding Gobi The sand dunes Dion tread in Northern China’s Gobi Desert were barely wide enough to accommodate his own two feet, let alone the four paws that trailed behind him. It didn’t help that the scruffy little dog to...
Welcome, Zelda!
Story and photos by Emily Dieckman After years of writing for the Tucson Dog, staff writer gets dog of her own, and finds joy and connection during the pandemic. My boyfriend and I have been talking about getting a dog since before we moved in together 3.5 years ago....
Dylan Capshaw: A Journey to Improve the Animal/Human Condition
Story by Rebecca West Photos by Jason McCoy For much of the U.S., watching an impending storm raging through the South or barreling up the Eastern Seaboard is a dissociative experience. There’s a certain amount of head-shaking as to why people...
Holiday Cover Dog Contest Winners
Story by Rebeca West Here they are, the fabulous winners of our 2nd Annual Holiday Cover Dog Contest! This year’s participation level was phenomenal, with 50 contestants entered, and we couldn’t have been more excited with the amazing turnout and fantastic images...
Online Learning’s Newest Additions
Story by Bella Wexler Any student or teacher who started classes again this Fall would agree, school looks quite different than it has in the past. With so many districts using some form of online learning, we’ve gotten used to our bedrooms becoming our classrooms....