Dog Blog - Western Front
I ran the dog blog on the Western Front's website, which is Western Washington University's student run newspaper. For the blog, I went out on campus and talked to people who had their dogs with them on campus. Each entry featured a different dog and its owner. I also took the photos for each entry. The blog was published bi-weekly.
Oct. 3, 2014 - Honey, Alvin and Brutus
As I walked through campus on the lookout for a dog and owner to feature this week in the blogosphere, I hit the jackpot with Heather Mueller and her three adorable pups Alvin, Honey and Brutus.
Honey, a Beagle mix, was a big softie who seemed to enjoy standing out in an open area of Red Square just hoping to get some pats from the many students walking by.
Alvin, the big, floppy eared fella and his brother Brutus, with the pointed ears are both Dobermans, which is a breed typically known as “vicious,” also happened to besome of the friendliest dogs I’d ever met.
Mueller is also training Alvin to be her and her husband Richard’s service dog, she said.
“My husband and I are both [veterans] and he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Mueller said. “Alvin kind of assists him in blocking people if he’s overwhelmed with there being too many people.”
Unfortunately, Alvin had to go through a surgery to aspirate his lungs and also has an autoimmune and allergy disorder that requires him to be on a long-term steroid as well as allergy medication, Mueller said.
Thankfully, Alvin has a GoFundMe page to help Mueller and her husband cover the costs to keep Alvin on his expensive monthly medication, she said. The page has raised over $500 so far.
Mueller, who has classes three days of the week, said she enjoys bringing her dogs to campus on the days she doesn’t have class because it’s great socialization and great for the breed, since a lot of people may not know what a Doberman is or think that they’re all vicious.
It was apparent that Alvin was a mama’s boy, as he stood and sat between her legs the majority of the time we were talking. Nonetheless, he remained completely open to anyone petting him even though it was only his second time being out since being sick, Mueller said.
Another source of motivation to bring the pups on campus came when Mueller saw someone post on Yik Yak that they were looking for a dog to pet.
“I’m on [Yik Yak] and people are like ‘I need a dog to pet’ and I’m like, ‘everyone’s depressed, I’m bringing the dogs to campus tomorrow!’”
Alvin, Brutus and Honey were three happy, loving and all around great dogs, so if you see two goofy Dobermans hanging out with a cute little chubby Beagle, don’t hesitate to say hi and give them some puppy love!
You can donate and share Alvin’s GoFundMe page here: http://www.gofundme.com/emefes.
Honey, a Beagle mix, was a big softie who seemed to enjoy standing out in an open area of Red Square just hoping to get some pats from the many students walking by.
Alvin, the big, floppy eared fella and his brother Brutus, with the pointed ears are both Dobermans, which is a breed typically known as “vicious,” also happened to besome of the friendliest dogs I’d ever met.
Mueller is also training Alvin to be her and her husband Richard’s service dog, she said.
“My husband and I are both [veterans] and he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Mueller said. “Alvin kind of assists him in blocking people if he’s overwhelmed with there being too many people.”
Unfortunately, Alvin had to go through a surgery to aspirate his lungs and also has an autoimmune and allergy disorder that requires him to be on a long-term steroid as well as allergy medication, Mueller said.
Thankfully, Alvin has a GoFundMe page to help Mueller and her husband cover the costs to keep Alvin on his expensive monthly medication, she said. The page has raised over $500 so far.
Mueller, who has classes three days of the week, said she enjoys bringing her dogs to campus on the days she doesn’t have class because it’s great socialization and great for the breed, since a lot of people may not know what a Doberman is or think that they’re all vicious.
It was apparent that Alvin was a mama’s boy, as he stood and sat between her legs the majority of the time we were talking. Nonetheless, he remained completely open to anyone petting him even though it was only his second time being out since being sick, Mueller said.
Another source of motivation to bring the pups on campus came when Mueller saw someone post on Yik Yak that they were looking for a dog to pet.
“I’m on [Yik Yak] and people are like ‘I need a dog to pet’ and I’m like, ‘everyone’s depressed, I’m bringing the dogs to campus tomorrow!’”
Alvin, Brutus and Honey were three happy, loving and all around great dogs, so if you see two goofy Dobermans hanging out with a cute little chubby Beagle, don’t hesitate to say hi and give them some puppy love!
You can donate and share Alvin’s GoFundMe page here: http://www.gofundme.com/emefes.
Oct. 16, 2014 - Silo
A person’s dog is often one of his or her best friends. Sometimes, though, a dog is also a partner. Silo, a black Labrador, is Gloria Rodriguez’s partner.
Silo is a professional guide dog and has been with Rodriguez for three months now.
“I love her… She’s really great. I really don’t deserve her, ‘cause she’s so awesome,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said Silo loves playing tug during playtime, but surprisingly isn’t a big fan of balls. The two also enjoy playing in Rodriguez’s dorm in Fairhaven, either in her room or in the lounge, she said.
“We walk everywhere [and] I’m discovering some of the paths to the Arboretum,” Rodriguez said.
Silo is also a special-named dog, which means she was named after a person or an organization as a form of appreciation from the Guiding Eyes for the Blind dog school where she was trained.
The organization Silo was named after is called MediaSilo—a database and development company—that put together the whole database for the canine development center, which documents all of the dogs, their ages, weights and current residence.
“It took hundreds of man-hours, which is really costly, but they did it for free,” Rodriguez said. “It saved the school like $100,000 and to show their gratitude, they named Silo after the company.”
Silo was obedient and professional, but after asking permission from Rodriguez, I bent down to pet her and she hopped up to lick my nose, showcasing her happy and loving nature, which, I’m sure, makes her the perfect partner and friend.
Silo is a professional guide dog and has been with Rodriguez for three months now.
“I love her… She’s really great. I really don’t deserve her, ‘cause she’s so awesome,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said Silo loves playing tug during playtime, but surprisingly isn’t a big fan of balls. The two also enjoy playing in Rodriguez’s dorm in Fairhaven, either in her room or in the lounge, she said.
“We walk everywhere [and] I’m discovering some of the paths to the Arboretum,” Rodriguez said.
Silo is also a special-named dog, which means she was named after a person or an organization as a form of appreciation from the Guiding Eyes for the Blind dog school where she was trained.
The organization Silo was named after is called MediaSilo—a database and development company—that put together the whole database for the canine development center, which documents all of the dogs, their ages, weights and current residence.
“It took hundreds of man-hours, which is really costly, but they did it for free,” Rodriguez said. “It saved the school like $100,000 and to show their gratitude, they named Silo after the company.”
Silo was obedient and professional, but after asking permission from Rodriguez, I bent down to pet her and she hopped up to lick my nose, showcasing her happy and loving nature, which, I’m sure, makes her the perfect partner and friend.
Oct. 31, 2014 - Sebastian
This week’s campus dog is almost-five-year-old Sebastian, a black and white Papillon who’s as lovable as he is loving.
Sebastian’s owner, Jennipher Schafer, rescued Sebastian in South Florida, before she moved to Bellingham to attend Western, she said. A friend of Schafer’s found Sebastian wandering a graveyard while driving home from a late night movie marathon Schafer had hosted when Sebastian was only about 6 months old.
“He was totally emaciated, covered in fleas and had dreadlocks on his fur,” Schafer said.
Schafer checked to see if anyone had been looking for Sebastian, but he had no collar or tags, and although she found out that he was micro-chipped, the chip had never been activated, she said.
The vet who examined Sebastian told Schafer that since Sebastian was in such poor condition that his previous owner must not have been taking care of him, she said.
After getting Sebastian healthy, Schafer noticed he started to be able to warn her before she would have seizures, so he’s now a best friend and a service dog that accompanies Schafer everywhere.
When I went up to Sebastian he was instantly comfortable and nuzzled my knee so I would pet him right away.
“He’s a lover,” Schafer said. “He loves to be pet, sit in your lap and just be pampered.”
Although Sebastian isn’t much into playing, he does like to jump in the piles of leaves that form in Bellingham, which isn’t really something he got to do in Florida, Schafer said.
Sebastian is an adorable pup with a big heart that won over Schafer and is sure to win you over if you ever get the chance to meet him.
Sebastian’s owner, Jennipher Schafer, rescued Sebastian in South Florida, before she moved to Bellingham to attend Western, she said. A friend of Schafer’s found Sebastian wandering a graveyard while driving home from a late night movie marathon Schafer had hosted when Sebastian was only about 6 months old.
“He was totally emaciated, covered in fleas and had dreadlocks on his fur,” Schafer said.
Schafer checked to see if anyone had been looking for Sebastian, but he had no collar or tags, and although she found out that he was micro-chipped, the chip had never been activated, she said.
The vet who examined Sebastian told Schafer that since Sebastian was in such poor condition that his previous owner must not have been taking care of him, she said.
After getting Sebastian healthy, Schafer noticed he started to be able to warn her before she would have seizures, so he’s now a best friend and a service dog that accompanies Schafer everywhere.
When I went up to Sebastian he was instantly comfortable and nuzzled my knee so I would pet him right away.
“He’s a lover,” Schafer said. “He loves to be pet, sit in your lap and just be pampered.”
Although Sebastian isn’t much into playing, he does like to jump in the piles of leaves that form in Bellingham, which isn’t really something he got to do in Florida, Schafer said.
Sebastian is an adorable pup with a big heart that won over Schafer and is sure to win you over if you ever get the chance to meet him.
Nov. 14, 2014 - Tilden
This week’s campus dog is Tilden, a yellow Labrador retriever who belongs to Western Washington University student Anna Pieri.
Tilden was originally part of the Guide Dogs for the Blind program, but he didn’t pass his test to be certified, Pieri said.
“He was too interested in the squirrels and the trees and everything, so he was considered a career-change dog,” Pieri said.
Pieri has been training Tilden for his new job for the past year, and the pair has been together at Western for the past two years, she said.
Tilden, who’s now about five, was originally a family dog and has been with Pieri’s family since he was a 1-year-old puppy.
“He’s just my little companion,” Pieri said. “He loves being on campus and seeing everyone. He has a lot of friends, a lot of people know him.”
Pieri transferred to Western from UC-Irvine in California when she was a sophomore. She is majoring in marine biology.
Tilden lives with Pieri and her six roommates, and he’s the “king of the palace,” and gets a lot of attention, Pieri said.
Tilden was quiet and easygoing when we met, but as soon as he saw another dog heading his way, his ears perked up, his tail wagged, and he was ready to say hello without hesitation.
He seems like a fun-loving pup with a real curiosity and love for interaction.
Tilden was originally part of the Guide Dogs for the Blind program, but he didn’t pass his test to be certified, Pieri said.
“He was too interested in the squirrels and the trees and everything, so he was considered a career-change dog,” Pieri said.
Pieri has been training Tilden for his new job for the past year, and the pair has been together at Western for the past two years, she said.
Tilden, who’s now about five, was originally a family dog and has been with Pieri’s family since he was a 1-year-old puppy.
“He’s just my little companion,” Pieri said. “He loves being on campus and seeing everyone. He has a lot of friends, a lot of people know him.”
Pieri transferred to Western from UC-Irvine in California when she was a sophomore. She is majoring in marine biology.
Tilden lives with Pieri and her six roommates, and he’s the “king of the palace,” and gets a lot of attention, Pieri said.
Tilden was quiet and easygoing when we met, but as soon as he saw another dog heading his way, his ears perked up, his tail wagged, and he was ready to say hello without hesitation.
He seems like a fun-loving pup with a real curiosity and love for interaction.
With dead week upon us, many students are overwhelmed with studying, finishing assignments, making holiday travel arrangements and more.
Luckily for stressed students, the Canines on Campus program brings therapy dogs like Lukas, a 9-year-old long coat German Shepherd, to provide some comfort and relief.
Lukas’s owner is Pamelia Maxwell, who trained Lukas since he was a puppy to be a search and rescue and tracking dog, she said. Lukas worked with a search and rescue program based in Whatcom County called Summit to Sound, Maxwell said.
“He wasn’t good at search and rescue for this kind of country, since it’s more like the woods,” Maxwell said. “He’s kind of big and clumsy, but he could smell them out if he could get through [the area].”
Lukas retired from search and rescue about five years ago, Maxwell said.
Aside from spending time at Western, Lukas also visits Island View Elementary School in Anacortes, Washington as part of a reading program called Tales for Tails, where the kids read to him, Maxwell said.
“I think he likes the energy from young people and kids,” Maxwell said.
A puppy at heart, Lukas still loves to play fetch and will chase anything you throw, Maxwell said.
Tuesday, Dec. 2 was Lukas’s first day at Western, and all the students seemed to fall in love as soon as they laid eyes on him and his big smile.
Lukas and Maxwell will be in Wilson Library during finals week on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
If you need a study break, stop by and give Lukas a scratch under his chin, his favorite spot to be pet!
Luckily for stressed students, the Canines on Campus program brings therapy dogs like Lukas, a 9-year-old long coat German Shepherd, to provide some comfort and relief.
Lukas’s owner is Pamelia Maxwell, who trained Lukas since he was a puppy to be a search and rescue and tracking dog, she said. Lukas worked with a search and rescue program based in Whatcom County called Summit to Sound, Maxwell said.
“He wasn’t good at search and rescue for this kind of country, since it’s more like the woods,” Maxwell said. “He’s kind of big and clumsy, but he could smell them out if he could get through [the area].”
Lukas retired from search and rescue about five years ago, Maxwell said.
Aside from spending time at Western, Lukas also visits Island View Elementary School in Anacortes, Washington as part of a reading program called Tales for Tails, where the kids read to him, Maxwell said.
“I think he likes the energy from young people and kids,” Maxwell said.
A puppy at heart, Lukas still loves to play fetch and will chase anything you throw, Maxwell said.
Tuesday, Dec. 2 was Lukas’s first day at Western, and all the students seemed to fall in love as soon as they laid eyes on him and his big smile.
Lukas and Maxwell will be in Wilson Library during finals week on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
If you need a study break, stop by and give Lukas a scratch under his chin, his favorite spot to be pet!