Charlie is going to be a very happy boy.
No, not the sweet pup Charlie that's featured on the front page of today's edition. I'm talking about my sweet pup Charlie, a scruffy little 4-year-old terrier mix who joined my family's little menagerie a few years ago. (I know, it's a lot of Charlies to keep track of - apparently, Charlie is the third most popular name for a boy dog, according to dogtime.com. Who knew?)
My Charlie was a rescue, so we'll never know all the details of his previous life - just that he was apparently abandoned by the side of an interstate highway. (Just as there's a special place for kind-hearted people like Sherri Fiduccia who love and care for special needs animals like her Charlie, there's also a not-so-special place for cold-hearted people who would abandon an animal like my Charlie. But I digress.) Charlie's home now, and that's all that really matters.
It turns out my Charlie is an excellent walking companion. He stands just about a foot off the ground, but what he lacks in stature, he makes up for in energy and enthusiasm. He trots along with me, too polite to mention that what he really wants is to run, run farther and faster than I possibly could - even with my much longer legs.
As much as we enjoy each other's company, I know I'm holding him back and dragging him down. I am a middle-aged Mom-anchor to Charlie.
His three feline sisters aren't much help. One straight up denies Charlie's existence - she walks past him as if he wasn't there. (She also denies climate change is a thing because the temperature in our family room remains relatively consistent year-round. Again, I digress.) Another one has a genuine fondness for Charlie; they sleep near each other and touch noses now and again. But at 12, this OG is not much interested in roughhousing. The third will occasionally launch a surprise attack from the rear flank that results in a welcome game of tag. But being a cat, these games are played by her rules and on her time schedule - Charlie is merely her pawn.
Charlie also has his three human sisters for company: They play tug-of-war with his rope toy and practice his tricks but mostly just snuggle on the sofa.
Charlie craves the attention, for sure. But once in awhile, when he sighs and drops his head to his paws and looks up at me with those sorrowful eyes, I imagine he's telling me he wants to get out, have some fun and just be a dog.
That's why we dog lovers were excited to see Monroe's Common Council gave final approval earlier this week to a dog park in the north industrial park, just north of Wisconsin 11/81.
The idea for a dog park came up several times during a series of meetings last year to develop ideas for the city's comprehensive plan. More and more communities are including dog parks and allowing dogs in portions of their municipal parks for some off-leash exercise and social time. It makes for happy dogs, which in turn makes for happy residents.
And like most successful projects, it took a couple of people to take the lead on the project. Thanks go to Alderman Jeff Newcomer and residents Ryan Ziltner and Katherine Frey for spearheading the project.
Donations have been coming in, and with Colony Brands kicking in a generous $20,000 of the total $50,000 price tag, the park is nearing reality. A final fundraising drive includes letters going out to residents in their water bills in hopes of having the park open by summer.
It only makes sense that Monroe would offer a dog park: We, as a society, are nuts about our pets. Estimates vary, but most figures indicate almost 40 percent of American households include a dog. And even more have a cat. (Or multiple cats.)
Building off how much we love our pets, the Monroe Times is launching a new feature in next Thursday's edition. Called "Best Friends," it's a quick look at a local resident and his or her pet(s). We're having fun talking to people about their animals and their relationship to their pet. We hope you'll also have fun being part of this addition to our pages - both by reading it and being featured.
To volunteer yourself or nominate someone else to be featured for "Best Friends," email Shari Rampenthal, assistant editor, at srampenthal@themonroetimes.com.
Until then, we'll be daydreaming of warmer weather and green grass for frolicking at the dog park.
I can see Charlie's tail wagging already.
- Mary Jane Grenzow is editor of the Monroe Times. She can reached at editor@themonroetimes.com. Her column appears on Saturdays.
No, not the sweet pup Charlie that's featured on the front page of today's edition. I'm talking about my sweet pup Charlie, a scruffy little 4-year-old terrier mix who joined my family's little menagerie a few years ago. (I know, it's a lot of Charlies to keep track of - apparently, Charlie is the third most popular name for a boy dog, according to dogtime.com. Who knew?)
My Charlie was a rescue, so we'll never know all the details of his previous life - just that he was apparently abandoned by the side of an interstate highway. (Just as there's a special place for kind-hearted people like Sherri Fiduccia who love and care for special needs animals like her Charlie, there's also a not-so-special place for cold-hearted people who would abandon an animal like my Charlie. But I digress.) Charlie's home now, and that's all that really matters.
It turns out my Charlie is an excellent walking companion. He stands just about a foot off the ground, but what he lacks in stature, he makes up for in energy and enthusiasm. He trots along with me, too polite to mention that what he really wants is to run, run farther and faster than I possibly could - even with my much longer legs.
As much as we enjoy each other's company, I know I'm holding him back and dragging him down. I am a middle-aged Mom-anchor to Charlie.
His three feline sisters aren't much help. One straight up denies Charlie's existence - she walks past him as if he wasn't there. (She also denies climate change is a thing because the temperature in our family room remains relatively consistent year-round. Again, I digress.) Another one has a genuine fondness for Charlie; they sleep near each other and touch noses now and again. But at 12, this OG is not much interested in roughhousing. The third will occasionally launch a surprise attack from the rear flank that results in a welcome game of tag. But being a cat, these games are played by her rules and on her time schedule - Charlie is merely her pawn.
Charlie also has his three human sisters for company: They play tug-of-war with his rope toy and practice his tricks but mostly just snuggle on the sofa.
Charlie craves the attention, for sure. But once in awhile, when he sighs and drops his head to his paws and looks up at me with those sorrowful eyes, I imagine he's telling me he wants to get out, have some fun and just be a dog.
That's why we dog lovers were excited to see Monroe's Common Council gave final approval earlier this week to a dog park in the north industrial park, just north of Wisconsin 11/81.
The idea for a dog park came up several times during a series of meetings last year to develop ideas for the city's comprehensive plan. More and more communities are including dog parks and allowing dogs in portions of their municipal parks for some off-leash exercise and social time. It makes for happy dogs, which in turn makes for happy residents.
And like most successful projects, it took a couple of people to take the lead on the project. Thanks go to Alderman Jeff Newcomer and residents Ryan Ziltner and Katherine Frey for spearheading the project.
Donations have been coming in, and with Colony Brands kicking in a generous $20,000 of the total $50,000 price tag, the park is nearing reality. A final fundraising drive includes letters going out to residents in their water bills in hopes of having the park open by summer.
It only makes sense that Monroe would offer a dog park: We, as a society, are nuts about our pets. Estimates vary, but most figures indicate almost 40 percent of American households include a dog. And even more have a cat. (Or multiple cats.)
Building off how much we love our pets, the Monroe Times is launching a new feature in next Thursday's edition. Called "Best Friends," it's a quick look at a local resident and his or her pet(s). We're having fun talking to people about their animals and their relationship to their pet. We hope you'll also have fun being part of this addition to our pages - both by reading it and being featured.
To volunteer yourself or nominate someone else to be featured for "Best Friends," email Shari Rampenthal, assistant editor, at srampenthal@themonroetimes.com.
Until then, we'll be daydreaming of warmer weather and green grass for frolicking at the dog park.
I can see Charlie's tail wagging already.
- Mary Jane Grenzow is editor of the Monroe Times. She can reached at editor@themonroetimes.com. Her column appears on Saturdays.
