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.
Lester Nider, a doctor in adult medicine at Monroe Clinic, spends a lot of time walking with his best friends - Luna, a 7-year-old catahoula leopard dog-beagle-blue heeler mix, and Lola, an 11-year-old border collie mix.
Nider got Luna from a rescue organization in Arkansas after finding her online and then got Lola from a rescue in Madison so that Luna would have a companion.
While Lola kept her shelter-given name, Luna's name was originally Bubbles, which Nider didn't want to have to call out, so she was given the name Luna instead. When Luna first came to live with Nider, she was timid and scared so the name Luna became short for lunatic, he joked.
- Marissa Weiher
Describe your dogs' personalities.
We've never had anything but rescue dogs. When we first got Lola, she was really timid and scared of everything. Now she loves everybody. She ate a pound of raw bacon once when she wasn't supposed to. She's naughty for her (Nider's wife, Leslie) but not for me. Not too long after we brought her home for the first time, I got sick with leukemia and she would always be with me. I walked her every day, and now she's my buddy. She's got a good nose, too. She's really attached to me.
Lola, she's a little more active. We got her to be a companion for Luna. They didn't get along at first but now they get along OK. She's very bossy and is bossy at the dog park. Lola tries to run Luna's life. Lola is better-mannered and smart.
What do you like to do together?
We like our walks. Neither are very playful dogs. ... This past summer we would walk most days and come to the Square after dinner and get ice cream. We like to make it to the Farmers Market. They're big there; everyone wants to come and pet them.
What has it been like having them in your life?
Well, they're certainly my friends. They're not quite children replacements, but they're good companions. You always get a good reception when you get home.
Nider got Luna from a rescue organization in Arkansas after finding her online and then got Lola from a rescue in Madison so that Luna would have a companion.
While Lola kept her shelter-given name, Luna's name was originally Bubbles, which Nider didn't want to have to call out, so she was given the name Luna instead. When Luna first came to live with Nider, she was timid and scared so the name Luna became short for lunatic, he joked.
- Marissa Weiher
Describe your dogs' personalities.
We've never had anything but rescue dogs. When we first got Lola, she was really timid and scared of everything. Now she loves everybody. She ate a pound of raw bacon once when she wasn't supposed to. She's naughty for her (Nider's wife, Leslie) but not for me. Not too long after we brought her home for the first time, I got sick with leukemia and she would always be with me. I walked her every day, and now she's my buddy. She's got a good nose, too. She's really attached to me.
Lola, she's a little more active. We got her to be a companion for Luna. They didn't get along at first but now they get along OK. She's very bossy and is bossy at the dog park. Lola tries to run Luna's life. Lola is better-mannered and smart.
What do you like to do together?
We like our walks. Neither are very playful dogs. ... This past summer we would walk most days and come to the Square after dinner and get ice cream. We like to make it to the Farmers Market. They're big there; everyone wants to come and pet them.
What has it been like having them in your life?
Well, they're certainly my friends. They're not quite children replacements, but they're good companions. You always get a good reception when you get home.