Bodega Bay Birthday ... My Big 13

by winecountrydog Tilin Corgi

My 13th birthday! Lots of pawtying fur two weeks, from mid-November till the end of the month. An extra-long barkday pawty covers all my pawsible birthdates.

Nobuddy knows my real birthdate, only that I was rescued as my six-week-old puppyself at New Year's 1998.

My favorite pawty event was a trip to Bodega Bay on the Sonoma Coast. Furbro Jack and mum did keep me company.

We did run on the beautiful long beach and then watch the sun set.

A little contempawlation of Nature was in order. ...

I noticed that the tide kept coming in and trying to get us. Howl does it doo that? BOL!

Furbro Jack was feeling pawsitively peaceful in the sunset glow.

When we got back to the doghausmobile after sundown, I was feeling arfully peaceful. Wot a swell Bodega Bay birthday!

Paw-note: Thanx woofs to mum fur keeping me going strong fur my 13 years! As only mum and myself doo know, we have had to get me thru some arfully ruff times.

Occidental Teresa and Feral Tom

"Teresa Tudury channels Ethel Merman," said Ani Siamese as we listened to Ms. Tudury's song "Goodbye Philadelphia." What a singer, say I! "Who could ask for anything more?" quipped my Ani, an erudite young rescue kitty (photo below).

What Ani wants is to meet the tomcat whom Teresa Tudury sings about. Tom and Teresa live in Occidental — in west Sonoma County, northern California. Charming Tom never comes inside. He just hangs out, appearing as if he'd like some loving. But, nope, Tom has his feral ways.

Tom isn't totally feral, though. Feral cats run when they see us, and have to be trapped to take them to the vet or relocate them. Nice organizations exist to humanely trap and then release feral cats after spay/neuter. Adult feral cats are often returned to their old habitat; many would have a hard time living with humans. But a lot of feral kittens get placed in permanent homes.

People who do trap-neuter work are needed to help reduce the feral cat population and give cats a better quality of life. There are more than 60 million feral cats in the U.S. — a staggering number. The homeless U.S. cat population is close to being as large as the population of U.S. dogs with homes, which is 70-some million!

West Sonoma County has a special non-profit group called Kitty Committee. "Head cat" is Laura Comyns. Dog-ma first talked to Ms. Comyns when the group was getting ready for an annual rescue of feral beach kittens on the Sonoma coast.

Kitty Committee volunteers not only find homes for feral kitties, but they also network and act as liaisons with rescue and foster groups, people who find feral cats, local veterinarians, the Humane Society, and organizations like Forgotten Felines that do spay/neuter. Paw-leeze visit Kitty Committee's website to learn more and to support this small group of people with big hearts.

Forgotten Felines of Sonoma County helps feral cats in the county and beyond. This nonprofit org has about 200 volunteers, and the endorsement of animal control agencies. They spay/neuter feral cats; manage feral colonies; remove colony cats who are adoptable; provide food assistance to people caring for colonies; and educate the public about feral issues.

Forgotten Felines practices what's called TTVAR-M feral cat control: "Trap, Test, Vaccinate, Alter, Return and Maintain." At the Forgotten Felines website, you will find feral cats you can adopt and a lot of info!

Tippi Hedren at Bodega Bay

I got back to Bodega Bay — the first I've been on the Sonoma Coast since my back surgery. I couldn't jump or run fast. I sniffed. Cool sea air. Other animals. Seafood smells coming from the Tides Wharf restaurants. Pelicans belly-cans. The wharf is a five-star sniffin' dogstination.

I love the ocean. The photo below is of me on a favorite beach just north of Bodega Bay.


I love having my head stroked by Tippi Hedren at Bodega Bay. The photo below is of the actress being nice to Bullseye, the Target mascot dog, at an American Film Institute 40th anniversary event. She was nice to me, too.


Ms. Hedren was at Tides Wharf on July 4th signing photos and talking to humans. She comes often to this famous film location where Alfred Hitchock made the 1963 classic The Birds. Tippi Hedren is the movie's star. She's also Melanie Griffith's mother and "den mother" to many animals.

I sat down on the rug right next to Ms. Hedren at her Tides table. She and her assistant asked dog-ma about my surgery when they saw I'm missing fur on my back. You can't see me in the photo below 'cuz I'm behind the table.


My buddy Jack corgi squeezed in next to me at the table. Usually shy, he didn't want to leave Ms. Hedren's side once she started scratching his ears. He and I know this is the kind of scratching and stroking you get only from a real animal lover.

Years ago, Tippi Hedren started Shambala Preserve and Roar Foundation in southern California — not to make pets out of lions, tigers, leopards, cougars, and other exotic cats, but to protect them, to rescue them from mistreatment and neglect. Elephants too. Shambala is a true sanctuary, a place that doesn't breed, buy, sell, trade, or use animals commercially.

Ms. Hedren talks to the public about the problems of exotic pet ownership and advocates for legislation to protect big cats. She and dog-ma talked about the costs of caring for animals — a million dollars a year to care for the Shambala cats! — and the impawtance of spaying and neutering pets. These humans worry about how animals will fare in a tougher economy.

I'll wade into the political waters anytime with humans who want to limit private exotic animal ownership.

Dog-ma has BIG reasons for supporting Ms. Hedren and others who help with exotic animal rescue and accredited sanctuaries. She says, "Few individuals, no matter how well meaning or rich, succeed in providing a safe haven for wild or exotic animals. Individuals apparently have a hard enough time trying to take care of domestic animals, including farm animals. . . ."

Dog days in wine country

by winecountrydog

Are you a dog headed for wine country? . . . It's not easy in summer for a dog traveling in hot California, Oregon, and Washington wine country. Where are you gonna hang out and stay cool? Dog-friendly places? . . . In California, you can't go in restaurants or farmer's markets, and relatively few winery tasting rooms. There are few places that'll let you inside with your guardian/owner. Yet you could die from heat stroke waiting in the car.

I've got to admit that, if I were a tasting-room manager or gift buyer, I wouldn't want rowdy dogs wagging merchandise off the shelves. And as a winery patron, I wouldn't want to run into big rowdy dogs, especially in crowded tasting rooms.

So what's a friendly dog in wine country to do?

1) Get to googly pawing. Find dog-friendly tasting rooms, not just dog-friendly wineries — there's a difference. Ask wineries whether they have shady outdoor spots for us dogs. And look for other dogstinations — you know, dog events like Bark in the Park, Graton Day festival Pet Parade, and Healdsburg Dog House Halloween parade. Always make sure you've got your dog bytes right though: Contact wineries, inns, and events to confirm their dog policies!

2) Make a plan for how you're going to stay cool, which means all day long in summer. Don't worry about evenings; it cools off before sunset. You could get a professional dog walker, doggy daycare, or a dog spa visit along your travel route. (Consider a single-run kennel 'cuz you might get overwhelmed by strangers.) Tell your people to see about advance reservations and other requirements!

3) Pack everything you need to stay cool: your water bowl, plenty of water, your leash and outdoor tie-down, cooling bandana neck-scarf, cooling pet mats, Cool Vest, shade umbrella, and a stack of towels. Towels soaked in cold water and wrung out will help you and your people stay cool. Remember, too, to pack your food, treats, travel ID, toys, emergency contacts, vaccination records, and other regular stuff.

4) Get a good doggie seatbelt harness. I wear my Ruff Rider Roadie harness and wouldn't do car travel without it. Forget the dog crate! You'll suffocate inside that thing in the summertime here.

5) Tell your people to sit-stay flexible. Be prepared to change the itinerary on super-hot triple-digit days. We have only a few in a row, then it cools off again. On the hottest days, head for wineries and recreation spots in the cooler Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. (See WineRoad.com.)

6) If you get desperately hot on the wine road: Ask your driver-person to stop and buy bags of ice to arrange close to you — not directly on you! Even with ice and cooling mats, you cannot survive long alone in the car. If your people park in the sun instead of the shade, you're done for. You're taking a risk if you even try to stay in the car, so just don't let your people leave you there.

7) If your people have an emergency: Tell your guardian/owner to speak up, and go get the people at the winery or restaurant or wherever to let you go inside with them while they take care of the emergency!