animals

Joshua Finn says he always wanted a blond female running partner and he wound up with Charlotte, a young golden retriever full of energy.

They run together a lot, as much as six miles on a weekend run.

"If she sees me grab my headphones and leash, she goes nuts," Finn said.

On one of his runs, Finn, who also runs in 5Ks, said he thought, "wouldn't it be cool to run in a 5K with dogs."

He shared his idea with Adrienne Penders and she, well, ran with it.

Penders, owner of Matted Mutts and involved with rescues and Volunteers for Animals for more than 15 years, has spent dozens of hours and thousands of dollars of her own money to bring together the "Mutt Strut," a 5K walk in the Genesee County Park & Forest at 9 a.m. on Sunday, April 19. (She also was helped by her boyfriend Jonathan Wright, who helped promotional material, including building the promotional website).

To bring the event together, there was insurance to secure, waivers to sign, release forms, and other paperwork and numerous meetings involved in getting approval from county officials.

All in the name of creating a family-friendly, and dog-friendly event where people can enjoy a relaxing walk in one of Genesee County's most scenic areas.

Since it's the first-ever large-scale dog walk/run event in the park, park officials wanted to keep it manageable so it's limited to 100 participants.

"We want it to be a success not only for the dogs but for the park so we can keep doing it year after year after year," Penders said.

To help with the success, dog trainer Tori Ganino, owner of Calling All Dogs, will be on hand to help spot dogs that might be not be suitable for the event. The event is for dogs who are comfortable around other dogs and children.

"Obviously, everybody thinks their dog is wonderful but sometimes you get into a close encounter with 50 dogs and 100 kids running around dogs, some dogs might act a little differently, so she’s there basically to either explain to somebody how to control their dog or advise that the dog shouldn't attend the event because it’s not going to be safe," Penders said.

Dogs and their handlers can sign up at mattedmutts.com/muttstrut/. Registration is $30 per person or $80 for a family of four. All proceeds benefit Volunteers for Animals.

The canines get a doggie gift bag and there will be food for participants afterward.

Photo: Joshua Finn, Charlotte, Adrienne Penders, and Pablo.

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Who knows what Stone has been up to for the past five weeks or so (we reported him missing Sept. 30) but over the weekend Stone returned home on his own. Owner Kathleen Dixson said he sure was tired when he got home but was happy to be back where he belongs.

There's been enough talk about the deer problem in Batavia, Councilman John Canale said during Tuesday's Batavia City Council meeting after a local resident said he's been chased by a buck in his own yard during public comments.

"Forming another committee isn't going to do anything," Canale said. "We've done this before. We form a committee and the committee studies the issue and makes a recommendation and then there's no action."

It's time for action, he said.

Councilman Paul Viele's suggestion: A controlled kill. It's time, he said, to start thinning the herds that encroach on the city.

Russell Nephew, a Bank Street resident, said there's a large herd that hangs out at that end of town, in the farm fields between Genesee Community College and the city line and enter on residential property, destroying landscaping and leaving their droppings in local yards, and perhaps carrying tics that are a danger to dogs and humans.

"Those things are disheartening and I’ve put up with them but now I’ve got chased through my backyard by a deer," Nephew said. "It reared up and I got away from it luckily. A couple of days later, my 70-year-old neighbor got ran into her apartment from a parking lot. At any one time, there can be from six to 10 deer that run through there."

A resident from Avon spoke up during the council discussion and said that in Avon they've instituted a bait-and-shoot program that has rules, is regulated, and is helping reduce the herd size.

Council President Eugene Jankowski pointed out that any deer killed would have the meat from the animal donated to a food pantry in the region to help feed low-income residents.

He also blamed the growing herd sizes on fewer hunters in New York. He said more people are giving up hunting as a protest against New York's increasingly restrictive gun laws.

While council members seemed to favor some culling effort, no specific plan was approved at Tuesday's meeting.

I spotted this caterpillar inching over the asphalt of our driveway so I grabbed my macro lens to try and make a picture of him (or her).

Stone isn't at home where he belongs and his owner, Kathleen, is worried about his whereabouts.

Stone's home is on Elmwood Avenue, by Kibbe Park. He's been missing since Sunday afternoon.

The feline is all gray, with green eyes, very friendly, and he loves to hide and play. He's 4 years old but is not an outdoor cat.

If anyone has seen him or has any information about him, please contact Kathleen at (585) 409-8099.

Tracy Zakes found this friendly lost chap up by the U.S. Gypsum Co. plant in Oakfield during the rainstorm today. Tracy took him home and dried him off and is keeping him safe.

If this guy is your pal, call Tracy at (585) 507-6054.

The Sheriff's Office is investigating the strange case of bags full of dead animals being left in a cornfield near the intersection of Merriman Road and Cook Road in the Town of Byron.

With little information to go on, the Sheriff's Office is asking the public's assistance to help investigators determine where the animals came from and why the remains wound up where they did.

Deputies responded Friday after receiving a call about the garbage bags in the field. Deputies located several bags filled with dead animals, including pigs, two small calves, along with other animals.

It's not clear how the animals died.

Animal Control officers along with investigators from Lollypop Farm Humane Society in Monroe County and Orleans County Dog Control are assisting in the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at (585) 343-5000.

Raelene and RoseMary Christian found this three-legged dog, apparently lost, on Williams Street in Batavia this evening.

Raelene can be reached at (585) 330-8869

UPDATE: Raelene informs us the owners had called police this morning and are picking up the dog.

Le Roy PD has received two reports today of a "strange acting" raccoon in the Village.

The first incident was on North Street and a resident said the raccoon attacked somebody.

The second incident was on Erie Street and the caller tried to keep an eye on it but it disappeared into the weeds before a patrol arrived.

The police ask if you see the raccoon, keep your distance, call 9-1-1 and then try to keep an eye on it until a patrol arrives.

Sam managed to get his doggie door unlocked and then wandered off.

At about 4:15 p.m., Saturday, a man was seen trying to get him from the side of the road near a neighbor's house, according to a witness who contacted Debbie Douglas, and so that couple stopped to help him. The man said he was going to check with the farm down the road to see if the dog belonged there and if not, he would take the dog to the shelter.  

Debbie has contacted the animal shelters in Genesee and Wyoming counties and Sam is at neither shelter.

The man who picked up Sam is described as older, with a thin build, gray hair, tattoos on both arms and driving a red Chrysler Pacifica. The witnesses are almost certain that he has a gray beard also. 

"We just really want to find him," Debbie said. "We appreciate that someone cared enough to pick him up and is taking care of him."

If you can assist in getting Sam home, call Debbie Douglas at (585) 356-0820 or Tom Douglas at (585) 356-0824. I am attaching photos.

UPDATE 10:18 p.m.: Sam is home safe. A couple from Medina had him and returned him.

Mark Barie and his team from Lor-Rob Farms in East Bethany were repeat winners at the Genesee County Fair yesterday in the six-horse draft competition.

Mike and Kayleigh Meyers recently moved to Darien Center so their husky, Kiya ("Ki-ya"), is unfamiliar with the area.

Tonight, about 8 o'clock, Kiya managed to get out of the house.

Kayleigh said she and Mike were inside feeding their baby and the door must have been open a crack.

"Most likely, she went after an animal," Kayleigh said.

Kiya is friendly and food motivated so if you see her, try calling her by her name and bribing her with food, Kayleigh recommends.

The Meyers live in the area of Country Cottage and My Saloon, around Harper Road and Route 20.  

If found, call or text Kayleigh at (585) 813-4385.

UPDATE Sunday: Kiya came home on her own early this morning.

Pledges from Volunteers for Animals and animal lovers in the community have led to at least a $2,000 reward being offered for the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for tossing an eight-week-old kitten from the window of a red car on Route 98 near West Saile Drive on Saturday night.

The kitten had to be euthanized because of its extensive injuries. 

The Sheriff's Office announced the award this evening.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at (585) 343-5000.

A big brown horse is in the intersection on Clipnock Road, heading east on Clipknock.

A deputy is dispatched.

UPDATE 1:11 p.m.: The deputy can disregard. The owner has retrieved the horse.

Jason Smith spotted this piebald deer on Route 63 in Oakfield and sent in this photo.

An injured skunk is reported in the driveway at 248 Liberty St., Batavia. An animal control officer is responding.

Noah Toal submitted this photo today of a piebald deer in Oakfield, across from The Oak Grill and Cafe.

For the first time, we spotted a deer in our backyard at about 11 a.m., eating some birdseed that had fallen to the ground (at least it wasn't my roses). We live on the Southside, just off Jackson Street.

Rebecca LeFevre, a Bank Street resident, spotted this fawn in her backyard last night and shared the pictures with us.

CSX has called dispatchers to report horses near the tracks at Wilkinson Road, Batavia.

A dispatcher has contacted several residents in the area who are known to have horses and the ones contacted say their horses are safe.

A trooper has been dispatched to another residence where dispatchers have been unable to make contact.