Alameda High School junior Hannah Boles had no idea she was venturing into a stray-dog rescue when she spied a white and tan pitbull mix wandering aimlessly down Fernside Boulevard on April 19.
She asked her sister Catherine to stop their car so she could take to the street and persuade the anxious-eyed dog to come to her. Sure enough, Hannah’s gentle tones won the trust of the pooch. It came to Hannah, like a lost child seeking safe haven, and she sat herself next to the teen on a soft patch of lawn.
The California brown pelican is the smallest of nine pelican species worldwide, but remains easy to see and identify. They entertain us with amazing plunge dives from as high as 60 to 70 feet when foraging for fish. They use a 7-foot wingspan to soar barely above the water for much longer than what seems possible. Breeding season becomes clear when their gular pouch turns from dull brown to bright red and eyes turn from brownish to baby blue. Wonderful, indeed.
After 993 days, April has found her forever home. Why the now four-year-old boxer-Staffordshire mix took so long to find that perfect family was a mystery to everyone at Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS). She had always been a volunteer and staff favorite.
Like all the animals at FAAS, she received care and love including walks, medical attention, belly rubs and spa weekends with volunteers for breaks from the shelter. In spite of how much she was loved, as time marched on April was passed over by the thousands of visiting families.
Alamedans who love cats can do something to help their feline friends at the Island Cat Resources and Adoptions (ICRA) fundraiser auction this Saturday, June 8, from 7 to 10 p.m. The event is being held for the 25th year.
Enjoy refreshments, wine and beer tastings while benefiting local cats directly. Bid on local adventures, wine and beer tastings, jewelry, pet-themed items, art, wine lots and more in the auction or shop for crafts and play games to win wine.
Ospreys returned again this year to nest at Alameda Point’s Seaplane Lagoon. But midway through the rearing process, the female became the sole provider and protector of her three chicks, after the male became entangled in fishing line. Such osprey single parenting is unheard of. The nest on an old Navy light stand at the entrance to the Seaplane Lagoon is familiar to the ospreys, having raised young here before. The crown of sticks has become part of the fixture, decorated by the ospreys with “arts and crafts” bits of fabric and string.
