Best Friends
Best Friends is a weekly feature designed to highlight a local resident and his or her pets. To suggest someone for the series, contact Shari Rampenthal, assistant editor, at srampenthal@themonroetimes.com.
Art Bartsch, owner of the Monroe Super 8 and retired vice president of food operations at Colony Brands where he worked for 27 years, has a best friend, Stella, a 7-year-old yellow Lab, who is also his trusted guide.
Bartsch got Stella from a trainer who had been training dogs since the Vietnam War. Bartsch said the trainer considered Stella to be one of the top three most intelligent dogs he had worked with.
Stella is trained to guide Bartsch, who is legally blind. Stella helps Bartsch navigate through buildings and cross streets and can even help him locate an elevator in a building.
- Marissa Weiher
Describe Stella's personality.
Her and I are one, that's for sure. She's playful, but most people, when they see her when she's functioning (as a guide dog when she has her harness on) she's a different dog. If I let her she'll run around. She loves chasing balls. She'll do that until she drops. She's very cerebral. She tries to figure out what you're thinking. I've experienced it with her when she tries to figure out what I'm thinking so she can lead me. If I don't have a leash on her sometimes she'll get 20 yards ahead of me and then she'll catch herself and wait for me. She loves to shop. When we go down the aisles at a store she looks back and forth like she's literally shopping. We always end up by the dog food or dog toys for some reason if I let her lead.
What do you and Stella like to do together?
We like taking walks together. We have a place in Door County so when we go there we go on walks and she doesn't have to have her leash on her. She is an awesome dog. It's hard to put her halter on here (at Super 8) because people don't want to leave her alone. When she's got it on she's taught to just pay attention to me. She definitely has more friends than I do. Someone will drive by and say 'Hi Stella' and I'm just the guy next to her with a leash in his hand. When we go to the clinic at least 8 to 10 people will tell her hi. She's just a great dog around people; she's always looking for that next person to say hi to. She also likes walking on the treadmill in the fitness room (at Super 8) about three times a week.
What has been the best part of having Stella in your life?
She's the ultimate companion. Her life is around my life. If I'm happy, she's happy. If I'm sad, she's trying to make me happy. She's a very important part of my life. I know I won't have her forever, but I don't think about that; I just focus on now. I think if anyone could see her in action and how great dogs can be, everyone would want a dog.
Bartsch got Stella from a trainer who had been training dogs since the Vietnam War. Bartsch said the trainer considered Stella to be one of the top three most intelligent dogs he had worked with.
Stella is trained to guide Bartsch, who is legally blind. Stella helps Bartsch navigate through buildings and cross streets and can even help him locate an elevator in a building.
- Marissa Weiher
Describe Stella's personality.
Her and I are one, that's for sure. She's playful, but most people, when they see her when she's functioning (as a guide dog when she has her harness on) she's a different dog. If I let her she'll run around. She loves chasing balls. She'll do that until she drops. She's very cerebral. She tries to figure out what you're thinking. I've experienced it with her when she tries to figure out what I'm thinking so she can lead me. If I don't have a leash on her sometimes she'll get 20 yards ahead of me and then she'll catch herself and wait for me. She loves to shop. When we go down the aisles at a store she looks back and forth like she's literally shopping. We always end up by the dog food or dog toys for some reason if I let her lead.
What do you and Stella like to do together?
We like taking walks together. We have a place in Door County so when we go there we go on walks and she doesn't have to have her leash on her. She is an awesome dog. It's hard to put her halter on here (at Super 8) because people don't want to leave her alone. When she's got it on she's taught to just pay attention to me. She definitely has more friends than I do. Someone will drive by and say 'Hi Stella' and I'm just the guy next to her with a leash in his hand. When we go to the clinic at least 8 to 10 people will tell her hi. She's just a great dog around people; she's always looking for that next person to say hi to. She also likes walking on the treadmill in the fitness room (at Super 8) about three times a week.
What has been the best part of having Stella in your life?
She's the ultimate companion. Her life is around my life. If I'm happy, she's happy. If I'm sad, she's trying to make me happy. She's a very important part of my life. I know I won't have her forever, but I don't think about that; I just focus on now. I think if anyone could see her in action and how great dogs can be, everyone would want a dog.