AUBURN — It took some coaxing, and more than a few treats, but Brynnlee finally decided that Santa Claus wasn’t such a bad guy. Flanked by the human members of her family, the 9-month-old German shepherd cautiously sniffed Santa’s outstretched hand. Inched forward cautiously. Sniffed again. Then lightly licked Santa’s nose. “Who’s a good girl?” […]
Animal Tales
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Animal Tales: Crime scenes, cadaver dogs and an author’s quest for a story
Until she started writing true crime mysteries, Kate Flora didn’t appreciate the work it took to train a dog to find a dead body. Or all the work that dogs could do. Suddenly rescue dogs, police dogs and cadaver dogs seemed to be everywhere. “I see dogs differently,” said Flora, 65, former Maine assistant […]
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Animal Tales: An alpaca life
GRAY — Although they were longtime animals lovers, John and Carol Furman barely knew what an alpaca was when they they stepped inside a New Gloucester alpaca show in 2009. They just thought the show sounded fun. They came away alpaca converts. Today, the couple owns Roberto, Domingo, Dania, Elizabeth and Max. They have 39 […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Animal Tales: Students run pet food pantry
Katrina Dailey, transitions coordinator for the Margaret Murphy Center, came up with the idea for the pet pantry after hearing about a pet food charity program in Augusta. The Lewiston-Auburn center already had a relationship with the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society — some students liked to volunteer there — so she approached shelter leaders about […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, The Franklin Journal
Arson investigator who works like a dog
YARMOUTH — Nose down, tailing wagging, it took Shasta less than two minutes to find the few drops of gasoline hidden in the old burned-out building. Behind the staircase. Next to the beat-up sofa. She hit on each spot twice — sitting, then nosing at the ground when senior fire investigator Danny Young insisted, “Show […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Animal Tales: Water world at Argo
LEWISTON — It has all the elements of a good soap opera: Intrigue. Murder. Memorable characters. The fact those characters are tropical fish doesn’t put off anyone. “There’s a lot of action. You know what? Everybody likes the action,” said Jason Levesque, CEO of Argo Marketing. “Everybody comes in here and they watch the fish.” […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, The Franklin Journal
Animal Tales: Cooking for canines
AUBURN — After thousands of dogs got sick and hundreds more died from eating recalled dog treats, Shasta Moschetto worried about what her dogs were eating. So she turned on her oven and started baking. “I wanted to make a treat that I knew myself was healthy and what was in it,” she said. She didn’t want […]
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Animal Tales: Magician’s real trick is managing the chaos around a bunny
LEWISTON — The children started clamoring as soon as “Amazing Lou” stepped onto the stage at the Lewiston Armory one afternoon this spring. “I want the bunny!” one said. It didn’t matter whether his magic trick involved a hat or a paper bag. “Is there a bunny in there?” one asked. More than 100 children […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Animal Tales: Hair to help fur
LEWISTON — Facial hair advocates, rap music and Greater Androscoggin Humane Society in Lewiston don’t typically go together. But for one night this month, they will. On April 25, the Maine Facial Hair Club, a Portland-based group dedicated to “promoting positive facial hair awareness through community involvement,” will host Rap for Pets, a one-night event […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, The Franklin Journal
Animal Tales: Where dogs stay (and play)
HEBRON — In the backyard, Sophie kept sticking her face in the snow. Maria McDonald brushed the ice off her muzzle, but the Labradoodle plunged right back in, head down, face buried up to her fuzzy ears. Nearby, golden retriever Cedar wrestled with black Lab Bromley, pinned him to the ground, let him up at […]