Bakersfield Life

Dogs forever change our lives

By: Annie Stephens

    They’re cute, cuddly and man’s best friend.

Pets.

And no matter how big or small, each holds a special place in our lives. Having an animal not only gives us our own personal companion, but it also gives us something to look forward to every day. It doesn’t take much to ignite an everlasting bond.  

That relationship can run so deep, that there is no way to prepare for the worst.  

A constant companion 

 Kerry Ryan, owner of Action Sports, and his black Labrador, Suki, seem to be practically attached at the hip. When Ryan first came across Suki, she belonged to one of his employees. But tensions ran high between the employee’s other dogs and Suki. That’s when Ryan decided to take Suki into his home.

Suki is a fixture at Action Sports. Having Suki come to work with him every day is just as much a highlight as any other activity, he said.

“She is just as excited to come to the store. All my employees love her and also the customers,” Ryan said.

But perhaps what is most important to Ryan is the love Suki gives to his daughter, Dylan. Every morning Suki goes into Dylan’s room and wakes her with kisses. 

“Dylan wakes up happy every day. I love the fact that she’s (Suki) just a great companion to my daughter,” Ryan said.
 

Opening your heart again when a pets dies 

The relationship between Kenny Reed, owner of Guthrie’s Alley Cat, and his four-legged companion, Cheeks, a slick-coat border collie, didn’t come easily. After Reed lost his first dog, Haggis, to cancer, he wasn’t exactly ready to let another dog into his life.

“When we brought this dog home I really had no interest. I was so devastated by the death of Haggis, I still cried for a year anytime we tried to talk about him,” Reed said.

Unknowingly, Cheeks had already started a bond shortly after arriving at Reed’s home, only four days after the death of Haggis.

“Like every pet, they will work their way into your heart regardless of the circumstances. The thing that makes every man’s pet special to them is the bond that you create with that dog,” Reed said.

Like Haggis, Cheeks travels almost everywhere with Reed. Although Haggis and Cheeks were completely opposite dogs, they have one thing in common: Their owner has an everlasting love for them that cannot be broken.

“The beauty is, unlike with people, animals are the epitome of unconditional love,” Reed said.

 A home for the unwanted 

Unlike the average family, Bonnie Bartell puts her efforts into more than just a few pets. Bartell currently owns an animal sanctuary, known as Wishing Well Ranch, where dozens of different animals can be found. The ranch is currently home to numerous animals including horses, wolves, dogs and cats.

Many of the animals have been abandoned or injured before being adopted by Bartell.

One of Bartell’s beloved pets is named Kiki Something-Special, a rescued poodle. When Bartell first took Kiki in they had to go through extensive training to control her bad temper. 

“She was just awful – bad temperament and just nasty,”  Bartell said.

Since then Kiki has received her Canine Good Citizen’s Award and can be touched by almost anybody.
 

A helping paw or four 

Ann Hamilton, veterinary medical director for Affordable Pet Hospital, is the proud owner of a Labradoodle named Dory. This extremely loving dog was rightfully named after the friendly fish in Disney-Pixar’s “Finding Nemo.”

Dory found her permanent home with Hamilton after constantly escaping from all her previous homes.

And like any other family member, Dory helps around the house.

Every morning Dory wakes Hamilton’s two nieces with dog kisses. She then goes outside and safely leads Hamilton’s older dog back into the house. Dory is currently learning which toys are hers and how to pick them up after playing with them.

Dory also accompanies Hamilton to work. According to Hamilton, Dory is a great client greeter and is always there to cheer up kids who may have just received bad news about their pet.

As a veterinarian, Hamilton believes when a dog is welcomed in a home, it should always be treated like family. She also believes it is important to not abandon animals because of mistakes the dog made.

“We chose a dog that’s friendly and outgoing and I think that those are things we have to educate our clients with,” Hamilton said.
 

A retirement companion 

After years of service and work within the community, it’s not uncommon for many to want to relax upon retiring. And a dog can make a great companion.  

Retired endodontist Bob Smith and his 11-year-old Airedale, Chloe, enjoy daily long walks and beautiful scenery. When Chloe is not keeping watch of her backyard, she can be found with Smith on the bike paths of Southwest Bakersfield that run alongside the river.

“She is full of energy even in her adult years. She loves going on long walks. It keeps her energy level attenuated,” Smith said.

Because Smith adopted Chloe as an adult, her personality and traits were already instilled. Although there are things you cannot change, she is still a very social, obedient and loving dog, Smith said.
 

An unexpected addition to the family 

Sometimes life happens and some very unexpected pets come into our lives.

Antonia Valpredo, owner of Italian restaurant Luigi’s, is also the owner of an Airedale named Maggie. When her second Airedale died, Valpredo was in a hurry to get another. She found an available Airedale in Pennsylvania, and flew there to pick up the 8-week-old puppy.

What Valpredo didn’t expect was that she was going to be an owner of another dog. It began with a minor car accident at Luigi’s. The injured woman had a small puppy with her but could not take it to the hospital.

After emergency personnel on the scene said they would be taking the puppy to the pound, Valpredo insisted on keeping the dog and have the injured woman come back for the puppy.

“Three days went by, so I finally called her. She (the initial owner) said: ‘I didn’t really want the puppy. My boyfriend got it for me,’” Valpredo said.

Just like that, Valpredo became the new owner of a small dog, whose breed is still a mystery.

Valpredo’s young granddaughter helped name the newest addition by calling her Princess Belle after Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.”  
 

Fur babies

 The relationship between Brian and Tracy Kiser and their two Labradors is unique.

Their first dog, Isabella, a chocolate Lab, was purchased at a fundraiser by Tracy, and about two years ago Brian gave Tracy a white Lab named Chloe for Christmas.

Isabella, who is 8 years old, always has a happy-go-lucky personality and wants nothing more than to lounge around home all day. Chloe on the other hand has a special liking for tennis balls and can often be seen holding two tennis balls in her mouth at once.

But these two dogs fill an important space in the Kiser’s hearts and lives.

“We don’t have kids, so these are our kids. That’s why they’re really important to us. Just about whatever we do they do with us,” said Brian, a rotational equipment specialist.

Besides going from to the coast and traveling, the two dogs often hang out at Tracy’s business, H. Walker’s Men’s Clothing Co. According to Brian, there have been many customers that come in just to see the friendly Labs.

 Keeping a family together 

When someone purchases a dog from a litter it’s not every day that the person is looking for more than one dog. It is a rare opportunity for puppies of the same litter to have the chance to grow up together.

This was the case with David Cohn, a senior managing partner at Chain Cohn and Stiles Law Firm, and wife, Debby, who have two very outgoing sister Labradors. David initially found Modena, who is also known as “Mo,” when his daughter was looking for a specific looking dog after her previous dog died. After finding a Labrador puppy litter online they traveled to Halsey Canyon to pick one out. A few weeks later David decided to go back to the same litter and brought Mo’s sister Maya into the family.

The two pups have gone on many adventures including snowshoeing in Shirley Meadows and a nine-mile hike in Mammoth while wearing their doggy hiking shoes called Muttlucks.

What makes these sister dogs so special to David and Debby are their continuous, extremely happy personalities.

“They’re just always happy to see us. They never have a bad day, and they just want to be with you 24/7,” David said.