Pet Photo Contest Winners
Congrats to the furry, fluffy and adorable winners of our photo contest, and thank you to all who entered! Most Attitude: First Place: Lucy Second Place: Bella Third Place: Mrs. Foxy Continue reading
Pets Archive
Portland’s Pussycat Paradise
An afternoon at Portland’s Purringtons Cat Lounge, the Northwest’s first cat cafe
Cats are winning. As I write this, my cat, Elsie, slinks around my legs, looking up at me, knowingly. Cats have always known they were winners; it just took society, with a helpful boop from the internet, some time to catch up. Dogs, however, in all their earnest, loyal, slopping glory, have long ruled the hearts of the majority, from “man’s best friend” to Old Yeller. For millennia, dogs have stood by as our companions, our families, our heroes. Continue reading
Bring on the Dancing Horses
Dressage riders embrace grace and athleticism
Inevitably when I come home from a horse show and my friends ask me how I fared, my response starts off with, “Well, my dressage score sucked.” Or I tell them, “I swear that judge hates my horse.” (It’s more probable my high-strung horse Cairo hates dressage, a sport of athleticism and endless patience. She sorely lacks the latter.) Continue reading
Bird Brains
The wild world of pigeon breeding
With cooped birds all around me, I wasn’t prepared when pigeon enthusiast Rod Workman quickly encouraged his two doves to jump from his hands to my shoulder and arm. But there they sat, one with a single wing stretched out lazily, soaking up the sun as it perched on my shoulder. Continue reading
Mistake of the Mystique
Wolf-dog hybrids make challenging pets
“You are unique. You want a unique pet. Everyone has German shepherd or Lab puppies for sale but that’s not You. You are amazing and You want a amazing pet. You want people to stop You wherever you go to ask about your animal.” Continue reading
Walk This Way
Local animal lovers take the career path less traveled
After spending 30 stressful years working as a computer technician, Steve Walker found himself in his early sixties and looking for a career change that would facilitate both his retirement and his golfing hobby. Walker chose dog walking. A year and a half later and Walker’s “Top Dog” offers dog walking, pet sitting, vacation visits, pet transportation and errand running. The business has grown to the point that he occasionally turns down jobs to retain his partial retirement. Continue reading
Lost
Douglas Beauchamp captures the poetry in missing pet fliers
While strolling around Eugene, if you look closely enough among the concert posters, job postings, graffiti and other ephemera tacked to poles, you may notice the heartache and hidden poetry of missing pet notices. Continue reading
Animal House
An afternoon with artist Jud Turner and his pet family
Standing in Jud Turner’s kitchen, a gaggle of cats gobbling snacks at our feet, we hear a faint ting-a-ling coming from the basement. “I think he just rang his bell,” Turner says, straining to hear. “He has a bell that he rings when he wants to go outside or wants to know what’s up.” Turner disappears down the stairs. “What’s up, piggy?” I hear him say. He’s answered with some contented snorting. Continue reading
Hot, Hairy Kitties
There’s more than one way to shave a cat
A week of 90-degree days is enough to make anyone break out short sleeves, but we hairless humans have it easy. Imagine, if you will, a world where the only escape from scorching summer temperatures is a full-body shave. This reality exists, and your cat lives it every time the heat bears down. Thankfully, Beth Swanzy, owner of Amazon Park Professional Pet Grooming, has your kitty’s back, and she makes the job look easy. Continue reading
Eugene Weekly’s 2013 Pet Contest Winners
Cutest Winner – Olive & Louie 2nd place – Nugget 3rd place – Hazel the Horsedog Best Dressed Winner – Jessi Continue reading