Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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Everyone is invited to attend an Audubon field trip on Saturday, Aug. 26, at the Nature Park in Golden Hills. Come walk the trails in the west part of the park; identifying birds, viewing raptor nests, and learning about birds of prey as you watch a demonstration given by local falconers. Meet in the Burger King parking lot on Tehachapi Blvd. at 8 a.m., or come directly to Golden Hills and park on Fairway Drive. The walk starts promptly at 8:30 and concludes at noon. Please wear closed-toed...
At the Aug. 2 Greater Tehachapi Economic Development Council meeting, Zack Skow of Marley's Mutts Dog Rescue announced that the organization has purchased a 20 acre ranch in Cummings Valley with the hopes of turning it into a base for his rescue operations. The next step is for Skow to secure a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) from the Kern County Planning Commission. Once that is done, he is ready to roll and he hopes to be operational in about six months. To manage the ranch, he has hired Robbie...
You know the feeling when you start to do something, then you start over, and over, and over? Well, that is the way this article has gone. I had an idea, then Charlottesville happened and everything I thought I wanted to write went by the wayside. I wanted to rail against the hatred, the intolerance, the violence. I wanted to hit the streets and protest for peace. Instead, I sat and watched the animals and I found peace. The thing about animals is, they have no agenda. (Well, maybe carrots....
B.T. writes, "I'm trying to train my dog to do basic commands like sit and lay down, and at first he was doing great. But now, no matter how many cookies I give him, he seems distracted and won't listen, much less do what I ask. Please help!" Dear B.T., Food can work wonders in motivating your dog, and getting him interested in learning new things. However, food is an extrinsic motivator of behavior; and the ultimate goal of positive reinforcement training is to build a dog's intrinsic drive to...
L.J. from Stallion Springs, writes, "What are some signs of aggression in dogs? How can I diagnose my dog's behavior as aggressive?" Dear L.J., Thanks for your question! First, a disclaimer: While I am an experienced trainer, and deal with my own dog's issues that include reactive (and at times aggressive) behavior, I do not specialize in aggression cases professionally. I suggest that anyone who feels their dog might be exhibiting aggressive behavior seek help from an experienced, credentialed...
Friday, July 14, was National Cow Day. This made me think of a story. Here goes. Did I ever tell you about the time George and I were volunteering at Wildlife Waystation in the mountains north of Los Angeles? The Montrose Mountain Search and Rescue Team had signed up and brought three RN's with them, all Rescue Wives. I was asked by the sexy blonde French owner Martine Collete to go out in the cow pasture to the storage shed there and pick up some burlap bags for her. Well, as I approached the...
Here is lovely Melissa Billingsley from Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) with her amazing service pup "Hiltie" during their visit to the beautiful BeeKay Theater. Hiltie's job? "Hearing Dog" for Melissa. After Hiltie was 'puppy raised' by volunteer Paul Sandberg, she was then trained as a hearing dog by CCI. Hiltie, and all of CCI's pups are custom trained for the special needs of those individuals who will receive these beautiful dogs. In Hiltie's case, she is Melissa's right hand gal...
Nina R. of Tehachapi writes, "My dog Jackson, a Jack Russell terrier mix, follows me everywhere; he might as well be my shadow. He can't even be in the backyard by himself without scratching on the door to come back in. How do I resolve this problem?" Dear Nina, Because we love our dogs so much, we want to keep them close to us. It feels good to know they need us; and, of course, there's nothing sweeter than snuggling up with our furry buddies on a cool Sunday morning. However, if we fail to...
From June to September, Souza Family Vineyard hosts the Dog Days of Summer. Once a month people and their furry friends come out and show their support to a nonprofit organization which helps dogs (and cats). Souza then donates a portion of the wine sale proceeds to the organization. The Dog Days for 2017 are June 23: Guide Dogs of America, July 21: Save Tehachapi's Orphaned Pets, August 25: Have a Heart Humane Society, and September 8: Canine Companions for Independence. Dinner is available...
Kern County's only Disaster Stress Relief Dog died on Sunday, May 7. Sir Duke, 9, died after serving in countless loving capacities during his lifetime in Tehachapi. He will be remembered for his service at the West Ranch Fire in Aug. 2010. He was immediately stationed with the command staff, staying by the side of the commanding officer. This was the man assigned to make life and death decisions about when and where to place firefighters. The stress was tremendous, and the officer benefited by...
M.B. writes, “My dog constantly wants to lick my hands and face! I don’t mind some kisses, but once she starts licking, she doesn’t know when to stop. Correcting her only seems to make it worse. Can you help?” Dear M.B., thank you for your question. First and foremost, if your dog is exhibiting any kind of abnormal behavior that has arisen out of the blue, or is atypical, I always suggest first ruling out any potential underlying medical cause. In other words, before you address the behavio...
Alexander the Great said, "I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well." While undoubtedly he was referring to a human father and his biological progeny, and/or he meant father in terms of God relative to His creations, I feel the interpretation of human being as teacher to canine student applies as well. In a sense, Humanity is the "higher power" whose genetic experiment is responsible for over 400 distinguishable domestic dog breeds. While we are not biological par...
I walk the ranch every morning and every night just to check and make sure all is well with the critters. It is a peaceful time and I enjoy the quiet time to just visit with my friends the animals. This morning baby rabbits were scampering everywhere and it reminded me that it is that time of the year: The time when little ones are everywhere and I start getting phone calls, and this year is shaping up to be busier than usual based on the abundance of forage as a result of the rains. At...
The first clinic will be in conjunction with Kern County Animal Services and San Joaquin Veterinary Hospital, Marley's is offering a low-cost spay and neuter clinics in outlying areas of Kern County, eastern Kern County, Arvin, Lamont, Shafter and Taft. On Saturday, May 13, 2017 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Tehachapi Senior Center, 500 East F Street, Tehachapi, Calif. Marley's Mutts will be hosting a Mobile Spay & Neuter Clinic for dogs. $30 per dog, limit 2 dogs per household, includes surgery,...
The old cowboy, these are not words that you would use to describe Brad Lundberg. Yes, he spent most of his life in the saddle. Yes, he has trained many young cowboys to cut and sort and rope cattle. But at almost 77 years old, he is as sharp and vital as a man 30 years his junior. Brad started out on a farm in Lompoc where his dad was raising bean crops and cows, doing day labor and teaching his young son how to handle and care for horses. Brad still wakes up every day and goes down to his...
Do most of us look back at our experiences in middle school PE with fondness and pride? Or do we cringe, remembering all-too-painfully the emotional torture of being picked last for a team; or reliving the nearly-constant stitch in our sides from begrudgingly running that lonely, treacherous mile that seemed never to end? I, for one, associate that time in life with a kind of default state of adolescent discomfort. Body was awkward and changing; ego was fragile. Sense of self shaky at best, and...
On Saturday afternoon, April 8, Canine Creek was crowded with adults, kids and dogs as new owner, Kellie Dudivoir, celebrated the grand re-opening. Wanting to do something special at the event, Kellie organized a fundraiser through local donations to raffle a long list of baskets and other items to provide Mikayla Hart and her service dog Teddy with a harness that would keep the two stable when they walk together. Mikayla, who has had half of her brain removed, has no peripheral vision. Teddy...
EFBC's Feline Conservation Center will host the first of three Twilight Tours of 2017 on Saturday evening, April 29. Guests are invited to visit the center during evening hours to discover what wild cats actually do at night. For added enjoyment, guests can partake of tasty treats at the volunteer bake sale, have a barbeque meal provided by the Lancaster Rotary, or enter to win a variety of fun raffle items. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $20 per person (18 years+ adults only – no exceptio...
Saturdays at the ranch begin with total chaos. In addition to our regular chores, we go to special lengths to make sure everything is super clean so our visitors have a great time. We begin at 7:30 a.m. by making sure all the animals have clean water and that hoses are rolled up and out of the way. While the beet pulp is soaking, we begin the task of cleaning pens and pathways. Depending on what the wind has done, this can be easy, or challenging. By 9 a.m., most of the pens are ready and it is time to cut carrots, hang signs and feed all of ou...
Guest Speaker Karen Pestana will present her annual report on the Tehachapi bluebird nest box program at the Audubon-Tehachapi meeting, Tuesday, April 25, 2017, at 7 p.m. in the Golden Hills Elementary School Cafeteria, 20215 Park Road. For the last seventeen years Karen has coordinated the effort of many volunteers to maintain the nest boxes, monitor the birds' nesting progress, and report the findings to Cornell University Lab of Ornithology's NestWatch program. In addition to an update on...
Dogs thrive when their lives include a balance of predictability and spontaneity. I believe the same is true for us humans, which is reason #4,325 why we and dogs make great life partners. If your dog is anything like mine, he might wake you up at precisely 6 a.m., ready for breakfast. At 3 p.m., he might stand up abruptly out of a dead sleep, and gaze longingly at the closet door behind which hangs his leash, and your walking shoes. Each day when you grab your favorite mug, and the rich aroma...
Every year, we get to start over. We call it NEW Year. It is a chance for a fresh start. There is just something about that word, NEW. Maybe it is remembering getting NEW shoes when you were a kid getting ready to go back to school. They made you feel taller. You had more spring in your step. They made you feel NEW. Who hasn't been excited as an adult by a NEW car. The smell, the feel of the steering wheel in your hands, the thrill as it accelerates. NEW is good. And nobody does NEW like...
The American Cancer Society Bark For Life is a fundraising event honoring the life-long contributions of our Canine Caregivers. It presents an opportunity for people to be empowered through their canine companion partnerships and to contribute to cancer cures through the mission of the American Cancer Society. Come join us April 22, 2017 from 9 to 1 p.m. starting at Tehachapi Railroad Park. You can download registration forms and get more information at [email protected] or call Barb at...
First of all, I can hardly deal with how precious Fred's face is in this picture; the sweetness is almost too much to bear. Even better is what the image represents, which is a relaxed, calm, and happy working dog, chilling out and listening to a young friend read him a story at Marley's Mutts and Beale Library's bi-monthly Barks & Books session. Why is this so significant? Well, some of you have followed Fred since he was a wee pup; and watched as he went away to serve a child with autism for...
On Saturday evening, Feb. 25, 2017, the Exotic Feline Breeding Compound's Feline Conservation Center will be hosting "After Dark Red Light Tours at EFBC," a special opportunity for guests to visit the center and enjoy guided tours of its exhibit area felines under the cover of darkness. The first tour will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the event continues through the last tour at 8:30 p.m. As this a special event, admission is $10/ person (all ages) and parking is free. There will be no need for...
