FROM THE EDITOR
The dog days of summer are here and in Oklahoma, that can mean one of two things: you’re either miserable from the heat, or you’re making the most of the season with your family and friends and having as much fun as you can while it lasts.
The idea of the dog days of summer theme came to The Banner some time ago. It actually arrived to The Banner last year in the form of an orange kitten who happened to find his way to our doorstep.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: Charlie, how does a CAT lead you to think of DOGS?
We don’t discriminate here at The Banner. Each and every person on our staff is an animal person, and some of our staff even combat their allergies on a daily basis just so they can keep the furry fun going.
Almost eight years ago, The Banner staff decided to join the Stephens County Humane Society’s roster of Take Out Tuesday pals. Take Out Tuesday allows for dogs to escape the shelter for one afternoon each week and get a taste of what life is like on the outside of the kennel in hopes of keeping the animals’ morale high and making them more readily adoptable.
The Banner opens its doors to a shelter pup once a week, taking the chance to learn our furry four-legged friend. Once we have a good picture of the candidate, we then write up a column and do our best to help get that dog adopted.
Now, since we’ve been participating in the Take Out Tuesday program, we’ve noticed a shift in our staff’s mental health – usually for the better. While sometimes it can be a bit chaotic having a hyper dog run their zoomies out up and down the hallways of The Banner, most days the smiles brought to faces from our tail-wagging friends serves as a break for staff from the grind of the news business. And we all know that the news business can get pretty ugly sometimes.
Now, let’s circle back to that kitten. We already show our love for dogs and have for numerous years... but a cat in the office? That was something we had always joked about, but never went anywhere with... until this orange little ball of fluff showed up and came inside with Publisher Crystal Childer’s mother, Mrs. Lynn.
The poor little dude looked stressed. He was so scared of the traffic on Main Street that he curled up right in front of our door, just trying to put as much distance between himself and the highly trafficked street.
When he came inside, I think we all knew that we had hired a new member to staff. Still, we tried to get him adopted... but the love grew, and eventually he had a name: Scoop Pressley Banner. I don’t think I’ve ever met a news reporter with a name that awesome.
Scoop slowly became the boss. Our office was sprinkled with cat toys, cat trees started to appear, and nobody entered the door without first greeting Scoop.
Customers even began to recognize him, most of them entering and instead of stating their business first, would say, “Where’s that cat at today?” It was safe to say he became our mascot and subscribers began to fall in love with the Garfield look alike.
But the hustle and bustle of the newsroom can be a bit too much. Sure, Scoop helped us as we wrote up our own scoops of news, typing on our keyboards as he walked across them to make himself comfy on our desks. Many funny calls were made to IT because Scoop... well, let’s just say he knew how to do things to our computers most of us in the office didn’t. So, one year after his initial arrival date, Scoopy decided it was time to retire. He hung his news hat up, and returned to normal feline life. He visits staff occasionally, but has since made his home with me, my husband, Jason, our daughter,
PAWS AND CLAWS, STEPHENS COUNTY LOVES THEM ALL
Anja, and our dog, adopted from the Stephens County Humane Society, Kuma.
In January, another animal found its way to The Banner. His name was Tater Tot and he came to visit through the Take Out Tuesday program from Stephens County Humane Society.
Another happy tail here – our advertising executive, Jason Hodges, decided he would take the pup home. He is now known as Ted and is our cover model this edition.
This is all a long way of saying that our love for animals felt in our office extends through Stephens County and is extremely visible to those on the outside looking in.
For starters, we have one of the greatest animal nonprofits around – The Stephens County Humane Society. The staff and volunteers go above and beyond to help shelter animals put a new leash on life, and they do so in so many ways – through reading programs with kids, through relationships built with foster families, through the new cattery at the shelter, and through one of their biggest fundraisers of the year, the annual Bark in the Park event.
The love for animals surpasses the shelter though, and you can see that just by the animal celebrities we have in the area. Take Goose and Gunther, for example, at The Territory, or Pedro the Traveling Cat, owned by The Setters, who can be seen on Main Street. But that’s not all. Duncan is also home to an award winning canine trainer at Kanga U, located in Chisholm Mall.
One other business capitalized on the love for pets: Turd Burglars. There’s no job too dirty for this cleanup crew, and while the job may sound like a dump of a chore, the workers beg to differ because while they clean up, they also spend time with your furry friends – and who wouldn’t love a job where you can work with dogs every day?
So this one goes to the dogs – and the kitties too – and we’ll be looking for you Oct. 5 at Bark in the Park.
CHARLENE BELEW
MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS
EDITOR
CHARLENE BELEW
Charlene, also known in the community as Charlie, is the Managing Editor for The Duncan Banner and Duncan Magazine. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Cameron University, where she also held multiple positions with The Cameron Collegian, which ended with her serving as the Managing Editor in 2014-2015. Charlie has served two tenures with The Banner. Her first began in 2014 with an internship through Oklahoma Press Association and culminated in 2017 as News Editor. Her second began in 2018 when she returned as a staff writer and she resumed her editorship in 2020.
Although she has spent much of her life growing up in Lawton, Charlie has always felt a special call to the Duncan and Stephens County community. She adopted a dog from Stephens County Humane Society’s Take Out Tuesday program with The Banner in 2019 and also participates as a member of the Duncan Rotary Club. In 2021, Charlie led The Banner to the first Sequoyah Award from the Oklahoma Press Association since its last in 2012. She has taken home multiple awards for editorial writing and news writing, and most recently swept Oklahoma Press Association’s design competition for Semi- and TriWeekly publications. She had her first child, Anja, in January 2024.
TAMARA GREGOR
Born and raised in California, Tamara joined the staff at The Duncan Banner in March 2020.
As an award winning journalist, Tamara has placed for her feature stories and photography, as well as for her news and column writing over the past few years. Tamara previously gathered her experience by interning at the South Gibson Star Times in Fort Branch, Indiana, as well as working as the editor for her college newspaper, The Collegian in Oakland City, Indiana. Her experiences continued while writing and publishing a magazine, Evoke, with a group of friends in Turlock, California. With family local to Stephens County as well in the surrounding areas of Oklahoma, Tamara moved to Duncan from Stanislaus County, jumping right into community events as a reporter.
She loves to connect and engage with the community members to tell their heartfelt stories each day.
JASON HODGES
A Comanche resident since the age of 10, Jason graduated from Comanche High School in 1991. His wife, Jennifer, followed a year behind, and the family has strong roots in the area. They have raised three daughters here, each of whom graduated from Comanche. They also have grandchildren attending school there. Jason began his career with The Banner in 2016 as a freelance photographer. Later, he accepted a full-time position in the advertising department, but he still enjoys taking photos, both for The Banner and his personal business, Hodges Photography. Jason loves his connection to the community he has now working at The Banner. He currently serves as the Comanche Chamber of Commmerce’s Vice President and can be contacted for photography work on Facebook at Hodges Photography.
Duncan Magazine’s goal is to create a publication local to Stephens County that’s fun to read and view and created entirely by the hands of people you know. Here are the creators who use their time and talent to tell your stories.
LINDA PROVOST
Linda worked for The Duncan Banner for more than seven years. She covered schools, city governments and feature stories. Provost was known by her colorful hair and was called “The Unicorn of Duncan.”
Linda graduated from Oklahoma City University with a degree in Mass Communication and an emphasis on Print Media and minors in Religion and German (though she doesn’t remember much German anymore). While at The Banner, Linda was lead reporter, interim editor and magazine manager. She has won several Oklahoma Press Association awards, including first place for columns three years in row.
Linda retired from news in 2019 and found while you can take the gal from the newsroom, the newsroom stays with you. As a result, she regularly freelances for The Banner but is a stay at home cat mom to Tuxedo Mask and Tabooli Jane and takes care of her husband, Zuriel.
SUSAN PROVOST
Susan started as a freelancer for the magazine in 2019 and in 2021 she joined The Banner full time in classifieds. She enjoys spending time with animals and has always been tender-hearted. She has been blessed by the Feline Distribution System a number of times over the years and is known as both a cat and baby whisperer. Susan recently dabbled in column writing with a short series during April for Autism Awareness Month. Bringing her own perspective as a late-identified autistic woman as well as bringing the stories of other autists to the page. She recently married in October and honeymooned, camping at Duncan lakes and enjoyed visiting local museums on the couple’s trips into town. She can often be spotted around Main Street, collecting interesting and pretty bits of broken glass or tricking her fingerboards off various objects in the alleys.
Hearts for Paws
Stephens County Humane Society staff, volunteers help animals put a new leash on life
For many organizations, the heart behind the scenes comes from the dedicated volunteers who serve day in and day out. This rings true for the Stephens County Humane Society who enlists the help of over 100 volunteers throughout the year.
While some are fosters or come
daily, weekly or monthly, their purpose remains the same — to make dogs and cats adoptable to a new home and family life.
Nancy Richardson, volunteer and foster coordinator, said the volunteers span across multiple areas – from working in the kennels and the cattery, to events, Take Out
Tuesday and fosters.
Richardson said they have at least 50 animals in foster homes at the humane society.
“We run anywhere from 200-300 hours a month, excluding fosters, in volunteer hours,” Richardson said.
That’s nearly 2,500 to 3,600 hours a year in volunteer hours. The
STORY AND PHOTOS BY TAMARA GREGOR
DENISE SIMMS HAS WORKED AS VOLUNTEER AND FOSTER WITH THE STEPHENS COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY FOR AT LEAST EIGHT YEARS. SIMMS CURRENTLY FOSTERS AND TRAINS A MIXED BREED PUPPY, JAKE.
requirements are minimal to volunteer or foster at the shelter – be 16 years old to volunteer and 18 years old to foster.
If you choose the volunteer path, it comes with a dress code — closed-toe shoes, long pants and a volunteer shirt.
For fosters, whether it’s for a dog or a cat, staff will ask how long you’ve lived in your home, if you have the ability and the room for the shelter pet to stay, if there are other pets in the home and if are they up-to-date on shots.
After working with the volunteers and fosters for nearly four years, Richardson loves seeing the pride they take in helping out at the shelter.
“Volunteers and fosters are probably the underrated heroes of any 501c3 business,” she said. “They do it because they love the animals, they do it because they have a passion, they do it because they want to help.”
For the fosters, Richardson said they have some who go above and beyond everyday with the animals.
Denise Simms, 62, said she’s worked as a volunteer with the Stephens County Humane Society for at least eight years.
Aside from volunteering, Simms fosters a little puppy, Jake. She works to teach Jake commands, such as sit, shake, lay down, turn around and more.
Simms said she utilizes a bell in the training to teach Jake to ring the bell to go outside or before a trick for a treat.
For Simms, it’s about
changing the life of the animal when it comes to fostering dogs. Her goal is to make them good companion dogs.
Fostering, in Simms’ opinion, allows for more one-on-one time with the dogs. Still, patience is key with training.
Simms said many dogs don’t know what a crate is when they come to the shelter, so she helps teach crate training and housebreaking with a doggy door.
As expected, she said a lot of the dogs are food motivated and treats help tremendously while training.
While volunteering at the shelter, Simms will take the dogs for walks outside and sometimes just hang out with them. But Simms also helps in other capacities for the humane society and will work at adoption events at pet stores and other businesses.
“I come down here early Saturday morning and we bathe dogs,” she said. “We try to find little bows and little pretty things to put on them and take them.”
After getting the dogs ready, Simms said they load the dogs in the van and take them to the onsite adoption event. Several volunteers help with these adoption events.
At the location, volunteers with use a “puppy play pen” set up, which helps get them in front of people and more likely adopted since people can interact with the animals.
Paul Hlavaty, 77, began volunteering with the humane society around nine months ago.
STEPHENS COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY STAFF, BRANDON FAULK, KENNEL MANAGER, AND JAMES HARTSOCK, SHELTER MANAGER, WORK TO STOCK SHELVES WITH DOG FOOD AND SUPPLIES. STAFF WORK WITH VOLUNTEERS DAILY TO HELP INTRODUCE ANIMALS TO THEIR FOREVER HOMES.
STEPHENS COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY’S OFFICE MANAGER COURTNEY MYRMEL WELCOMES IN GUESTS TO THE SHELTER.
MCKENZIE, A 1-YEAR-OLD PIT BULL TERRIER, IS AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE ADOPTION AT STEPHENS COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY.
After getting used to the flow with the shelter animals, primarily the dogs, Hlavaty said he now too aims for training to help adoption rates.
One of the ways Hlavaty works with the dogs is to take them outside and let them burn off some energy by running around, but before he takes them outside he works on leash training inside where it’s a little cooler.
Hlavaty said he works with the dogs for about 15 to 20 minutes on the leash and then takes them outside, one at a time.
“Not only are they getting some training on the leash, but they’re also getting some social time with these other animals,” he said. “A lot of times when people come to adopt a dog, the first thing they ask is ‘do they get along with other dogs?’”
Hlavaty said he picks four to five dogs to work with throughout the day.
“My last five dogs – only Barrett is left,” he said. “Everybody else got adopted. It’s a program that really works and it really makes these dogs more adoptable.”
Since he’s retired, Hlavaty said he’s happy to help out at the humane society. He used to fly, but those days have since passed.
“I was looking for something to do and I just came down here and started volunteering,” he said.
While they play, the dogs can get in and out of little kiddie wading pools and splash around. Several of the little pools were donated, which makes hot summer months cooler, and maybe more fun, for the dogs.
Hlavaty said it’s good for the dogs to step outside the kennel and interact with other dogs and play.
“I’ve seen dogs that have gone on a sleepover, gotten away from here and then come back and you can almost see the anxiety in their face,” he said. “I’m trying to work all that out.”
The sleepover he’s talking about is when a pup goes home with a family for a night or two so they can learn the dog a bit and test what it would be like for the animal in their home.
To help with that anxiety, Hlavaty
THEM FOR THEIR FOREVER HOMES.
spends about four to six weeks on training. Watching the hard work pay off with an adoption is satisfying for him.
Hearing the success stories when the family checks back in with the humane society is the cherry on top,
especially when the family gushes about how much they love their pup and how well behaved they are.
“That is very, very satisfying,” he said.
SCHS Executive Director Kelly Nelson said they appreciate the
PAUL HLAVATY BEGAN VOLUNTEERING WITH THE HUMANE SOCIETY AROUND NINE MONTHS AGO. HLAVATY WORKS WITH THE DOGS TO HELP PREPARE
community adopting these shelter pets, because the more they can adopt out, the more they can bring inside.
She also said the society can always use help in the form of volunteers or fosters.
“The more fosters we have, the more animals we can bring in,” Nelson said, noting fostering is a great way to help make a difference in these animal lives. “If you can’t adopt, it’s a great way to help the animals and spend some time with them.”
Nelson said she doesn’t know what she would do without their volunteers and fosters.
The volunteer workload comes in many forms — fostering, fundraisers and general shelter help like dishes, laundry, kennel cleanup or walking dogs.
“There’s a way for every single person to volunteer with us,” she said. “We’re happy to find that niché.”
Richardson said volunteers can help out anytime they are available, as it’s not a daily commitment.
“It’s helping something bigger than yourself when you can volunteer,” Richardson said.
For more information about volunteering or becoming a foster, visit https://www. stephenscountyshelter.com/volunteer.html and go to the volunteer page to apply to be a humane society volunteer.
Once an application is received, Richardson will reach out with further details to schedule orientation and training, as well as an invitation to a private Facebook page for more updates.
SEVERAL DAYCARE STUDENTS JOINED THE STEPHENS COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY TO READ TO THE LOCAL SHELTER PETS ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON AS PART OF THE SUMMER READING BUDDIES PROGRAM. KIDS WERE ABLE TO BRUSH UP ON THEIR LITERACY SKILLS, AS WELL AS PROVIDE A LITTLE EXTRA ATTENTION TO THE SHELTER PETS.
A ‘paw’-sitive experience
Reading Buddy program helps kids, shelter animals
Reading is a complex skill that can be difficult to learn. Living in a kennel in a shelter waiting for adoption is a difficult experience.
When you put the two difficulties together, you surprisingly make the situations slightly easier to work through.
That’s the goal for the Stephens County Humane Society and its Reading Buddies Summer Program.
The idea, sparked by SCHS fundraising chair Patti Whitaker, takes new readers into the shelter where they read to an audience of the most nonjudgmental listeners possible — the dogs.
The dogs, on the other paw, get the interaction they desperately need to help them make it through another day in the shelter and hopefully a day closer to their adoption into a forever home.
Executive Director Kelly Nelson said the program brings some of the county’s youngest and newest readers to the humane society once a week for a few weeks during the summer, and for one hour they get to sit and visit and read to some of the shelter pups — and kitties, too.
Kiddos bring in their books, blankets, towels, pillows and booster seats and get comfy either in the cattery with the felines or in the kennel area with the dogs. If readers are visiting the pups, the dog stays inside the kennel and the reader remains on the outside, for safety. But that doesn’t mean treats can’t be shared.
“The whole purpose was to get kids to come and read to our animals and give time for our animals to work with the kids,” Nelson said. “Our animals are nonjudgmental listeners.”
The benefits of the program are invaluable: kids gain strong reading skills and confidence in their ability to read out loud, while shelter animals get experience with kids and the compassion they have to offer.
STORY BY TAMARA GREGOR AND CHARLENE BELEW PHOTOS BY TAMARA GREGOR
For those kids who struggle to read, enjoy reading or trying to become a better reader, Nelson said the Reading Program is a great place to start.
Parents stay with their children for the reading session, and volunteers also supervise. The session includes kiddos showing off all the pictures in their books to the animals, too.
The interaction between the shelter pets and the kids brings smiles to every face in the shelter on reading afternoons.
“The animals will come in and they will instantly calm down for the kids to read to them,” Nelson said. “It’s a great way to give the dogs some enrichment — and the cats — and a way for them to connect with animals without having to be hands on.”
Denise Pliss, volunteer, helps with the reading program and watches as the animals and kids interact.
“The kids are not all readers, but they can tell stories with the pictures,” Pliss said. “The kids that are readers do read to the dogs and give treats.”
Alisa Johnson, mother to Whitley Johnson, a first grade student, said the reading program can also provide kids with a sense of responsibility and accountability.
“It helps them kind of keep focused on what’s important,” Alisa said. She and Whitley love visiting the Stephens County Humane Society, and brag about its cleanliness and how staff and volunteers are friendly and helpful.
While at home, Alisa said her daughter reads to their kittens and chickens. She said it’s good to encourage the kids to read to animals because they get to see and interact with the animal.
“Once they see that animal interact with them and realize how lonely and needy that little thing was — it makes her read books she never would have,” Johnson said.
Each child who came through the shelter doors to read to a shelter pet this summer took home a certificate for a snow cone.
For more information about SCHS, to find animals available for adoption or to donate to the nonprofit, visit http:// stephenscountyshelter.com/.
The SCHS is located at 714 MLK Blvd. in Duncan.
(ABOVE) A DAYCARE STUDENT FEEDS TREATS TO PUPPIES WHILE SHE READS A BOOK DURING THE SUMMER READING BUDDIES PROGRAM.
(BELOW) A STUDENT PLAYS WITH THE SHELTER CATS AT THE STEPHENS COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY.
GAINING TRUST ONE PAW AT A TIME: KANGA U INVESTS IN CANINE SUCCESS
STORY BY TAMARA GREGOR | PHOTOS SUBMITTED
KANGA U DOG TRAINING AND DROP-IN CARE LAUNCHED IN JULY 2021 AND REACHED SUPERIOR STATUS IN JULY 2022. BROOKE CHRISTENSEN OPENED THE TRAINING STUDIO IN AUGUST 2022. THE TRAINING STUDIO SERVES OVER 150 CANINE CLIENTS AND BOASTS MANY GRADUATES.
“I could not be happier that Duncan is the home of Kanga U Dog Training and Drop-in Care,” Brooke Christiansen said after working to build stronger bonds between dogs and their owners for the past three years.
Since launching Kanga U in July 2021, Christensen, owner and operator, reached superior status with her local dog training program in July 2022 and opened the training studio the very next month.
Christensen said it’s been an unbelievable journey.
“It is only getting stronger,” she said.
The inspiration for the dog training and drop-in care business came after a 2019 dog rescue in Nassau, Bahamas which brought Christiansen’s dog, Kanga, to her home.
In Nassau, a litter was pulled out of a trash compactor, taken to a local refuge and then flown to Clearwater, Florida.
Christiansen said Kanga was a tiny, eight week old pup who showed up with several additional Pot Cake Dogs.
“Pot Cake Dogs are the name given to the Bahama street dogs,” she said. “When villagers would cook in wrought iron pots, the rice and bean residue on the bottom would turn into a cake like texture, hence, Pot Cakes.”
Christiansen said there are close to 5,000 homeless Pot Cake Dogs in Nassau.
When Christiansen first moved to Stephens County, she said she didn’t fully understand how much she would love the community.
While her immediate family lived in Duncan, Christiansen said her grandparents, as well as an aunt, reside in Comanche.
She said she’s spent many years visiting family, but it was in 2021 she
called this place home.
“We have amazing community members, and I am only scratching the surface of meeting them all,” she said. “I have been welcomed with open arms and supported in ways I wasn’t expecting over the last three years.”
When she first launched Kanga U’s training program, she was new to the community and the services offered were new as well.
While she didn’t know what to expect, she eventually gained a positive reputation with reviews to match.
“The mission was to offer affordable, positive dog training with the hopes of reducing the number of pets surrendered to local rescues,” Christiansen said.
She works diligently to provide affordable services and to be available with supporting pet parents, and she’s also become a resource for the Stephens County Humane Society.
“Nothing makes me happier than to receive a text or email from Nancy or Kelly [Stephens County Humane Society] seeking information to help a pet in the rescue’s care,” she said. “This is a wonderful partnership, working to help a dog that was let down by someone else.”
The partnership with the Stephens County Humane Society prompted Kanga’s Shelter Buddies — launched in June 2024 as an online community for rescues and foster parents – to help assist more rescue animals by using social media.
Christiansen said this is a community where foster parents work with each other to help the dogs overcome challenges with things like jumping, crate training, generalized anxiety and more.
With over 150 canine clients, Christiansen said she’s blessed to help so many dogs.
“The Wall of Honor on the studio walls is overflowing,” she said. That includes more than 50 four-to-six week group training graduated classes, three Canine Good Citizen graduates, “and growing,” she said.
Kanga U offers its training inhome, in the studio and virtually.
The three-prong delivery and the tenacity of Brooke in the last three years has led the training school to
Some advice from the Kanga U trainer herself
SUMMER IS HERE AND HOPEFULLY THIS INCLUDES FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY! HERE ARE SOME TIPS FROM LOCAL DOG TRAINER, BROOKE CHRISTENSEN, OWNER OF KANGA U DOG TRAINING, TO KEEP YOU AND YOUR FURRY FRIENDS HAPPY AND SAFE ALL SUMMER LONG!
Schedule your pets for a check-up. As the weather heats up, so do pesky parasites that can cause your pets illness. Staying current on heartworm, flea and tick prevention year-round is advised, but a must have for the warmer summer months! Schedule a check-up to ensure you have everything you need now, so you are not “chasing your tail” when uninvited guests arrive.
Ensure your pets have access to fresh water.
Just like us, when the weather heats up, the need for hydration increases. No one likes to drink stale, hot, dirty water. Ensure that your pets have fresh water at a minimum of two times a day.
Plan outside activities around the heat.
Avoid taking your pets out
into the extreme heat times of the day to avoid overheating for you and them. Try to enjoy the cooler hours of dawn and dusk. If you feel your pet may be experiencing signs of heat exhaustion, contact your DVM immediately.
Check the pavement. Paw pad burns are one of many summer injuries for pets. Place the back of your hand to the pavement. If you cannot
“I say it often but never enough: I am truly blessed by the trust I have been given by our community for not only their pet’s care, but their entire family’s care.”
BROOKE CHRISTENSEN, KANGA U FOUNDER
numerous awards, achievements and goals.
Awards and honors earned include the LuxLife Pet Product & Services Award and the Most Dedicated Rescue Specialist for Oklahoma in 2022. In 2023, the training program took home Dog Rescue Specialist of the Year, and this year they received Best Dog Training & Drop-in Care Center.
But the list of achievements for Kanga U is long and is crested with the title of Most Trusted Dog Training Businesswomen of the Year in Oklahoma.
With over a decade of hands-on animal experience, Christiansen’s education background includes veterinary work, pet hospitality, dog daycare, boarding, grooming, rescue and rehabilitation.
After completing CATCH Trainers Academy, Christiansen now serves as Mentor Trainer for future graduates. She’s also a certified dog bite educator, a member of the Pet Professional Guild and an evaluator for the AKC Canine Good Citizen test.
The dog bite educator certification is near to her heart, because it allows Christiansen to work with schools and help educate kids from kindergarten through fifth grade about dogs and staying safe through the interactive “Be a Tree” program.
She said bites “don’t come out of nowhere” and through the program, she can offer insight to not only children, but also to parents about
BROOKE CHRISTENSEN FOUNDER OF KANGA U, WORKS TO TRAIN DOGS. HER COMPANY HAS TAKEN HOME MANY AWARDS AND HER TRAINING STUDIO NOW SERVES OVER 150 CANINE CLIENTS. CHRISTENSEN SAID SHE FEELS BLESSED TO RECEIVE THIS RECOGNITION.
animal safety.
Christiansen’s newest achievement is her Kanga U curriculum: Therapy Dog Training.
“The Kanga U Daily Planner published in May 2024,” Christiansen said. “With the help of photo submissions, a 6-month planner was created.”
The idea for the planner came about because Christiansen couldn’t find a planner she wanted to use.
“I’m a little old school,” she said. “Since I could not find one I liked, I made one.”
Christiansen said each of the months feature safety tips, training
tips or monthly pet holiday information. She noted the 2025-26 12-month planner is in the beginning states in addition to a 12-month wall calendar.
“I say it often but never enough: I am truly blessed by the trust I have been given by our community for not only their pet’s care, but their entire family’s care,” she said.
Kangu U is located inside Chisholm Mall in Suite 9.
For more information on Kanga U Dog Training and Drop-in Care, email Kanga Udogtraining@gmail. com or visit www.facebook.com/ Kanga Udogtraining.
DM
leave your hand there comfortably for five seconds, do not expect your pets paw pads to be safe from burns.
DO NOT leave your pets in the car.
Even if it is for a minute or less, your car heats up rapidly and your pets can quickly become overheated suffering a heat stroke and death. If you see a pet left unattended in a car, call 911 and remain with the vehicle until help arrives.
DO NOT leave your pets unattended around water.
Some dog breeds LOVE the water and love to swim, but as with all things, accidents can happen and quickly. Ensure that you always have eyes on your pets when you are around water. You can purchase doggy life vests for extra protection!
Update pet identifications. Ensure your pets have up to date contact information on their collars via tags or are wearing an imprinted collar with contact information. If you live in a rural area, investing in a GPS tracker that can be worn comfortably on your pet’s collar may assist faster recovery, in addition to a microchip with current contact information.
Refill any needed medications early.
Some pets require medications and/or specialized foods. Most veterinary practices are closed for holidays. Plan ahead and refill any needed items at least a week before holidays arrive.
Schedule boarding and drop-in care early. If you are planning to travel,
schedule your pet’s stay as early as you can. Boarding and drop-in care services fill up quickly.
Create a safe place during gatherings.
The summer months are a great time to gather with friends and family. While we all want to include our pets in our gatherings, this is a prime time for a door or gate to be left open, creating an opportunity for pets to become lost, especially if they have noise aversion during fireworks. Create a safe, quite place for your pets to be tucked away to help decrease the opportunity for becoming lost.
Keep a watch on the grill.
Summer gatherings typically come with food. With the increase of bones, spices and overall fatty foods lying around, be mindful of busy nose and quick grab and goes from our very food motivated pups!
August: Make DOG-ust The Best Ever! Happy Birthday Shelter Pets!
Not knowing a dog (or cats) birthday won’t stop you from celebrating. Some pet parents will celebrate their adoption or “Gotcha Day” as their annual birthday, but for those pets still waiting for a home of their own, North Shore Animal League America created DOGust in 2008. On Aug. 1, every year, we celebrate the lives of amazing shelter pets everywhere. Celebrate DOGust by:
•Volunteering at your local animal rescue.
•Sharing your local animal rescue’s social media posts.
•Purchasing some needed items from their wish lists.
•Sponsoring the adoption fee of a pet waiting for a home.
•Taking the shelter staff lunch or
a snack to show your support.
Celebrate National Dog Day.
National Dog Day is only one of many days to make it all about our favorite four-legged family members. Today (and everyday) be sure to celebrate the unconditional love that our dogs give to us. A few ways to celebrate:
•Go for an extra walk.
•Cook some homemade dog treats.
•Read a book to your dog.
•Enroll in a training class together.
Back to school month.
As the kids get ready to return to school, don’t forget that our favorite furry friends are going to be making back to school adjustments too. Some dogs take to change very quickly, while others struggle with small variations to their daily routines. Spending an extra 10-minutes engaged in a game of fetch, an activity toy or snuffle mat can make a big difference in your dog’s anxiety while their twolegged family members return to school.
Kanga U Dog Training serves Stephens County and SW Oklahoma offering both in-home and in-studio private and group training. Virtual Services allow Kanga U to assist pets nationwide. The Kanga U Dog Training Studio is located inside Chisholm Mall.
To learn more about training, or to stay current on pet safety education, visit Kanga U Dog Training online or like and follow Kanga U Dog Training on Facebook.
Owner and Operator, Brooke Christensen, is a CATCH Trainers Academy Graduate and Mentor Trainer, a member of the Pet Professional Guild, Certified Dog Bite Prevention Educator, an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and a three-time award recipient from LUX Life’s Pets Services Awards for her work and understanding of rescue pets. DM
A PA(I)R FOR THE COURSE
Goose and Gunther got your six – or fore
STORY AND PHOTOS BY LINDA PROVOST
The tranquil greens and stunning views from The Territory Golf club can sometimes be host to a duo of tail waggers who tend to cause a commotion. Not in a bad way — as the only two K9 members, they get a lot of the attention from the members and guests.
Goose is a chocolate lab mix, whose human, Austin Peters, is the general
manager and head “pro” for The Territory (many golf courses have a professional PGA athlete on staff).
It’s a bit special to see a dog like Goose at a golf course but sometimes it just works with the right four legged friend.
Peters is a long time lab and hunting dog owner who grew up with dogs his whole life. And how we get to Goose – well first comes
Maverick. And yes, the “Top Gun” theme is deliberate.
“My last dog was a black lab named Maverick — I got him in college and he made it all the way until 12 or 13 years,” he said. “I’ve always been an avid hunter, marksman and dog trainer. I like my dogs to be very well behaved. Maverick, my original black lab, was almost ‘master trained.’
LEFT TO RIGHT: GOOSE PETERS, AUSTIN PETERS, GUNTHER HANNA AND ASHLEY HANNA AT THE TERRITORY GOLF COURSE AND CLUB. AUSTIN IS THE COURSE MANGER AND PRO AND ASHLEY IS THE FOUNT OF HOUSE MANAGER FOR PRAIRIE HOUSE COURSE RESTAURANT. GOOSE AND GUNTHER ARE THE ONLY DOGS ALLOWED AT THE CLUB AND GET ALL THE ATTENTION WHEN THEY VISIT.
“So that’s all hand [signals] and whistle trained, I could send him on the line, whistle and he’d stop and look at me and I could tell him what direction to go,” Peters said.
When first starting his career, Austin let Mav stay with his “grandparents” where he got spoiled. However, the golf course in California would soon need “all paws on the ground.”
“They had a really bad, ‘mud hen’ problem – they are like little black ducks,” he said. “We had them by the thousands. We had a lot of water on the property and the birds were just eating the grass down to the dirt. Ruining the golf course.”
After trying different ways to rid the ducks, Peters thought maybe Maverick could help.
“I did a big road trip back to Iowa to him … and picked him up and came back out and basically went to work. It was his job to keep the course free of birds,” Peters said. “He would literally catch them — he was so good he’d get 10 or 12 every time we’d go out.”
After ridding the course of ducks, he was a bit of a mini celebrity and came to work with Peters everyday
“He was just such a good dog and laid down by the greens and everyone would see him and pet him. Maverick became the course mascot really quick, everyone loved him.”
This led to Maverick coming with Austin to many other jobs and getting the star treatment there, too.
But as with all journeys, the home stretch was near for Mav.
“After he got older, he slowed down and became more of a ‘shop dog’ — sleeping on the floor,” Peters smiled as he said. “At that point I started thinking ‘I definitely don’t want to be without a dog. So I want to get a dog now so Maverick can teach him.’”
Around that time a friend’s dog had a litter of, mostly, Lab puppies which is how Goose joined the family. Maverick and Goose got to spend a few years together — Goose got to learn how to be a good boy, getting used to new humans and more. When Maverick crossed the Rainbow Bridge for the final duck hunt, Mav passed
the care of Austin and his wife to Goose.
“Goose actually picked her!,” he groused. “I was looking at a yellow lab that I kinda liked and Goose is a chocolate lab but Goose was just loving on her completely.”
Having the two iconically named dogs work together seemed to work well.
“I think Maverick passed on his wisdom because Goose is a very well trained, happy puppy,” Peters said. “Me being able to bring him in public — you’ve got to trust it will be a good dog and not do anything bad. It’s a worry but… Goose never gives me any kind of worry. He’s a happy pup and loves everybody.”
Goose isn’t allowed on the greens and knows to stay off of them.
“Here at The Territory we don’t allow dogs, so you can’t bring your dog to come play with Goose,” he said. “Mainly because dog urine actually kills grass so if a dog goes on the green that can become an expensive issue. Even if there is a bird on the greens, Goose won’t go on it. He’ll lay down sometimes or circle the green until I notice.”
Making the training seem like play for young Goose was a major key to getting him into the habits his training would provide
“You gotta keep it fun with dogs,” Peters said. “If you get to the point where it’s a ‘work’ for them, they
GOOSE AND GUNTHER PLAY AT THE TERRITORY GOLF COURSE AND CLUB. THE TWO ENJOY EACH OTHER’S COMPANY WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
aren’t going to want to do it, just like humans.”
Goose really only “travels” with Peters on hunting trips. When out competing, Goose keeps an eye on home for him.
Goose even got some special renovations at home to make his favorite place, the backyard, even better.
“We have an open field behind our house, so I made the back fence fold down… about waist high so he can jump the fence after the frisbee,” Peters said. “He goes zero to 100, there’s no ‘medium’ speed with him. He is either all out or he’s sleeping.”
Soon some snorting was heard at the door and that could mean that Gunther, the English Bulldog had arrived. Dragging his mom Ashley Hanna, front of house manager for Prairie House course restaurant, in to see Goose.
Hanna, like Peters, seems to have a love for one breed of dog – just not as athletic as the other.
“When I was working at Back Porch, one of my co-workers said her brother was looking to re-home his dog,” she said. “We weren’t looking for a dog at all, but we were curious and asked her what kind of dog. She got out ‘English…’ and before she even said ‘Bulldog,’ I said ‘how much?’”
That love for the English Bulldog came from Frank, an unexpected love that drifted into her life.
“I had one a few years back … my friend passed and I took Frank,” she said. “I only had him for a year and half when he passed, as an older dog it was expected. You know Frank slept most of the time – he barely wanted to go on walks.”
But Gunther is much younger and very different from the distinguished Frank.
After settling into his new home, he became a bit of a social butterfly.
“He loves being around people,” Hanna said. “Seeing new faces, anybody who gives him a pet. He
is such a lover – we have cats also. He’ll see the cats in our laps and think he’s a lap dog or one of the cats. He snuggles and cuddles with us, he’s a big-ole lover. Him and one of the cats (Marvin) are best friends, they are always playing together and sleeping together.”
Hanna lives near Elgin and only brings Gunther to work on occasion; he does have a fan club at home though.
“Every time we walk in there (the brewery in Elgin) they always ask ‘Where’s Gunther?’” Hanna said.
After the humans did their part, we went outside to play and let Goose and Gunther catch up.
Goose showed off to his friend who lives too far away to see everyday and Gunther watched Goose sniff out the ball.
This pair of friends enjoyed their time patrolling the area and maybe even pretending to be F-14s with the zoomies they had.
GOOSE AND GUNTHER TAKE A BREATHER AFTER CHASING THE BALL AT THE TERRITORY GOLF COURSE AND CLUB.
The Cat, The Myth, The Legend
Meet Pedro, the famous Main Street feline
STORY AND PHOTOS BY SUSAN PROVOST
Have you seen a white cat, strutting about Main Street businesses and making his rounds? Then you’ve most likely met local celebri-cat, Pedro. Or, Pedro Que Setters, to give him his full “legal” name. He and his older brother, Leroy Jenkins Setters, are some of the animals of downtown Duncan.
As day and night are different, so are Pedro and Leroy: Pedro is a morning cat and white, Leroy is an evening feline decked in a magnificently fluffy black coat. They can often be spotted near their home during what many of us in the area call their “shift change.”
PEDRO, THE TRAVELING MAIN STREET CAT, BELONGS TO THE SETTERS.
Matt and Melody Setters adopted Leroy in April 2016, answering an ad for cats available for adoption. Pedro came about 18 months ago. He was working as pest control for friends of the Setters in a business under construction. He was one of two cats working while construction workers built the interior.
“That’s actually where he got his name,” Melody said. “The main two construction workers were Pedro and the other Jeff Que [also co-owner of QT’ea Boba in Duncan], so we put the two names together and that’s how we got ‘Pedro Que’ as his name.”
There was no air conditioning and they were working and trying to do their best to look out for him, but a cat under foot while building is difficult. They didn’t have someone there every day to feed and water him, so the friends let the Setters take him home.
“That’s when he decided he liked people a lot,” Melody said.
How much is “a lot?” Well, Pedro
loves the attention he gets on his rounds.
“[Businesses] keep treats for him, as do many places – that’s how you know he visits somewhere often enough,” Melody said. “They keep special treats for him.
“Sometimes I wonder, how much does he eat all day long? Everywhere he goes they have treats for him!”
When asked how long he’s been on the move and how the Setters learned of his exploits, “Seems like it’s been going on forever,” Melody said.
Veronica Hodgson’s Hodgson Voice Studio is a favorite haunt of his.
“He likes the music and the kids,” Melody said. “He’s often in there when they are practicing. I think he’s even been to a few of their shows. Not long ago they were doing ‘Cats’ and there is a picture of a girl dressed as a white cat and carrying Pedro. That’s probably where it really started.”
Not long after being adopted, he ended up getting lost at Duncan Builders Supply. The store is located at 116 N. 7th St.
“When we first got him, he went all the way to Duncan Builders,” Melody said. “He was actually lost that day. They had to bring him back. I don’t think he goes that far anymore. But that was the first time we wondered ‘what the heck is he doing?’”
Other places he’s been spotted include R&S Drug, Refined Hair Salon, a survey company and chiropractor off Main and Freedom Biker Church.
“I’m pretty sure he goes to church over here,” says Melody. That has been confirmed and the cat has been seen walking in to Sunday services or their yearly Women’s Retreats.
“I know they’ve seen him at Duncan Power,” Melody said. “He’s been around!”
All this leads to what some refer to as “Pedro’s Big Adventure” — the time he was missing for several days. Nobody had seen him. He hadn’t come home. Worried, the Setters took to a Duncan Pets Facebook group and shared his picture and information, hoping to bring him back home. Pedro apparently hitchhiked all the way to Waterplant Road, northeast of town, by hopping in the bed of the truck to sun himself.
“Matt had posted on the lost pets group and that’s how we found him,” Melody said. “That was an ordeal, too! Because they had sighted him, but they had a bunch of dogs, so he was hiding. And he was living up in a tree and couldn’t be coaxed down. We ended up waiting a couple days.”
The ones that spotted him let the Setters know they had seen him at
their neighbor’s house.
It turned out to be someone the Setters knew. The Setters, Matt, Melody and son, went out to the house and walked around, calling to him.
“Sure enough, we weren’t even there five minutes and he came scurrying out. They didn’t even know they had him,” because he was hiding that well. But the sound of his peoples’ voices brought him out of his secret spot. “He has a bad habit of getting into pickups and sun himself. We think he hopped in the back of that guy’s truck to sun himself and next thing you know, he was on a ride.”
This adventure and extended time away from home led the Setters in getting his collar fitted with an Apple AirTag. His AirTag doesn’t keep historical data, but will show where he is. So, if ever he is “missing” they can pull up his tag and find him.
“Honestly, since we’ve gotten it, we really haven’t lost him,” Melody said. “But the tag will chirp when we are looking for him and it’s almost like he knows that means ‘get your butt home,’ because he often will show up five minutes later.
“My son always says, ‘why does everybody let him in?’ And I don’t know, it’s something about him and his face that always looks smiling and up-turned and little tail in the air.”
The Banner staff has had fun watching him chase birds in the alley. We have seen him half way up one of the utility poles and had a good laugh.
“One of them actually brought us a bird this morning. We don’t know for sure which one,” Melody said.
It could have been Pedro, who likes the “day shift” or his brother, Leroy, who prefers the “night shift.” The boys can often be spotted changing shifts around their home at dawn and dusk.
My personal experiences of Pedro include morning visits when I pull into the parking lot behind The Banner office. I often will listen to music and check my phone in my car before heading in and Pedro will often climb on, or in, my car. He has assisted me in the parking lot a number of times while I did repairs to my car as well. So, he’s becoming quite the meowchanic: he “helped” me replace my alternator and the water pump.
“Half the time he has a grease spot
on the back of his neck anyways,” Melody said. “I think he likes to get up under somebody’s vehicle.”
When the topic of the parking lot came up, Melody said “I always like when someone posts from the parking lot about a stray cat found downtown and almost instantly everybody in the comments reports to ‘leave him alone, he’s not lost’ and ‘that’s just Pedro!’” Leroy had been published before.
The Lawton Constitution ran an article about a Main Street area building that was 100 years old and its interesting and varied history. Leroy is mentioned in the lede and is even pictured, standing in a pool of light from a window. The article hangs in a frame on the office wall. The building in question had once been used as a brothel, so many chuckles were had about a cat wandering a former “cat
house.” Leroy is not as much of a “peopley” cat. Leroy doesn’t wander nearly as much as his brother, but it is possible to catch him in the 8th and Main area. If you ever see a magnificently fluffy black cat with piercing golden eyes, you’ve most likely met Leroy. He is most often spotted in the early mornings or near dusk.
Pedro’s travels have made him locally famous and Main Street folks love it. “He always talks to you,” Melody said. “If you say ‘hi’ he will say ‘hi’ back.” Which is an adorable little squeak of a meow. If you happen across him downtown one day, give him a pet. He never stays long at any one place – just long enough to make his rounds and leave a mark on the hearts of those he graces with his presence. DM
NO JOB TOO DIRTY
THE TURD BURGLARS ARE ON DUTY
In need of a little doggy cleanup?
Then waste no time because Turd Burglars is on duty.
Turd Burglars, a pet waste removal business, offers services throughout Comanche and Stephens counties.
The veteran-owned company does the dirty job so yards can be safer and cleaner for pets and their families.
Megan Riley, founder of Turd Burglars, LLC, said the company specializes in cleaning up dog waste from residential yards, parks and other outdoor spaces.
“We have grown to 100-plus clients,” Riley said, boasting the 100% satisfaction guaranteed policy.
STORY AND PHOTO BY TAMARA GREGOR
That policy guarantees “a thorough and efficient service, ensuring that all pet waste is removed and the equipment is disinfected, making it safe and enjoyable for pets and their owners.”
Riley said she moved to Duncan in May 2021 and discovered there wasn’t a pet waste removal service in town.
She said after living in a larger city and having, at the time, four dogs, she hired one of about seven pet waste removal companies the area had for her own use.
Riley said she researched the Duncan area and found there wasn’t
anyone around who offered this type of service within a 70-mile radius.
That’s when Riley launched the first steps to start the new business venture.
Initially, it was a challenge to get people to sign up for the service, but they quickly grew to 138 clients.
Just a year later, in July 2024 Turd Burglars services 165 clients a week with room to grow.
Since opening, Turd Burglars have scooped poop for a goose, mini pigs, horse stalls and more.
“We can do anything,” Riley said.
According to Riley, homeowners don’t need to be home for the service
and the dogs can be outside as well.
“We love the dogs,” she said, noting it is staff’s favorite part of the job.
According to Riley, after they scoop, they use sanitizer and deodorizer for the yard.
Once the Turd Burglars finish each job, they disinfect the equipment, so nothing is transported between yards.
The name “Turd Burglars” is featured prominently on the company truck with contact information.
Riley said when designing the business and the truck, she wanted it to be memorable for people who see the truck on the road, so they would remember who to call.
She said they utilize a software, which was created for the business, so when clients book the service, the software creates an algorithm for each route they take.
“It figures out the shortest way and the distance and fastest times,” she said.
According to Riley, the software allows them to send an “on the way” message, as well as a message to tell the client they are finished with the yard.
Clients can sign up for the “on the way” message when they sign up for the service on the website.
While it wasn’t an expected venture, Riley thoroughly enjoys the job.
“This is not something that I definitely ever thought I would be doing when I grew up, but I would not change it for the world,” she said. “I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.”
In addition to cleaning up yards, Turd Burglars’ involvement spans across the community in the form of making donations to the Stephens County Humane Society and Gabriel’s House. The business also helps provide pantry items and baby items and also chooses five kids to donate brand new school supplies and a backpack to each year.
Turd Burglars will set up at the annual Bark in the Park event hosted by the Stephens County Humane Society Oct. 5 in Fuqua Park.
Turd Burglars is dog and cat first aid/CPR trained in the event of an emergency.
Since the business debuted, Turd Burglars was voted #1 Pet Service and #2 Best New Business in The Duncan Banner’s 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Additionally, the pooper scooper business won the People’s Choice awards in Duncan for best pet service and runner up for best new business, and in CommunityVotes for the Lawton area, platinum in the lawn care and maintenance category and platinum in the junk removal category.
For more information about Turd Burglars, visit www.turdburgs.com, find them on Facebook, email pickup@turdburgs.com or call 580-715-0027. DM
A TAIL WAGGIN’ GOOD TIME BARK IN THE PARK TO RETURN IN 19TH YEAR
The dog days of summer will soon cool off, but if you’re an animal lover, there’s a special event this fall you won’t want to miss.
On Saturday, Oct. 5, Stephens County Humane Society’s biggest fundraiser of the year, the annual Bark in the Park, will return in its 19th year.
For the afternoon, Fuqua Park will go to the dogs and it’s always a tail waggin’ good time.
Patti Whitaker, Bark in the Park chairman, said all funds raised from the event go to care for the animals that come into the humane society.
The family-friendly event will bring pets and pet owners together for a day full of fun. The day will kickoff with the sixth annual wag walk and attractions throughout the day will include the crowd favorite
weenie dog races, a best trick contest, a pet costume contest and more.
For one day, Stephens County Humane Society alumni — and some still looking for their forever home — will come together in central Duncan to raise funds and fun with puppy yoga, wiener bobbing and multiple contests. The list of fun is quite extensive.
This year’s theme is “the road to my heart is paved with paw prints” and the goal is to raise public awareness and generate funds for the nonprofit organization. And it isn’t all about the dogs – there will be some feline activities, too, like picking who is this year’s cutest cat.
Additionally, this might be one of the best places to get your animal’s gear. Vendors are invited to show
STORY BY CHARLENE BELEW, PHOTOS BY THE BANNER STAFF
(ABOVE) A SNAPSHOT OF A PREVIOUS BEST TRICK CONTEST AND (BELOW) A FORMER COMPETITOR IN THE COSTUME CONTEST.
and sell products or wares “to a very involved and caring group of citizens” throughout the afternoon in the park.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available and range from t-shirt sponsors ($100) to other categories, like Top Dog Sponsor ($500), Leader of the Pack
Sponsor ($1,000) and Grand Champion Sponsor ($5,000). Additionally, shirts and caps with the logo this year will cost $12 and $20 each, respectively.
To be a vendor or a sponsor at this year’s Bark in the Park, call Patti Whitaker at 580-641-0667 or email her at planetpw@aol. com to get signed up.
IT ISN’T ALWAYS ABOUT THE DOGS – SOMETIMES EXOTIC ANIMALS, LIKE THE PARROT ABOVE, MAKE AN APPEARANCE AT THE
AS ALWAYS, REMEMBER – ADOPT, DON’T SHOP! STEPHENS COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY CAN FIND YOUR FURBABY TODAY.
GRAB YOUR PUP AND GET READY TO HEAD TO FUQUA PARK FOR THIS YEAR’S BARK IN THE PARK EVENT.
YEARLY BENEFIT EVENT.
FACES
DUNCAN LIGHTS UP WITH RED, WHITE AND BOOM
The City of Duncan put on its “Red, White and Boom” Fourth of July Independence Day Celebration July 3. The event featured inflatables, a concert with entertainment and fireworks.
Photos by Jason Hodges
FACES
CITY OF MARLOW PARADES INDEPENDENCE TRADITION
Marlow’s tradition of kicking off the morning of Fourth of July with a parade down Main Street continued this year. Following the parade, people flocked to Redbud Park, as per usual, where they spent the rest of the day with games, a car show, vendors, booths and more.
Photos by Jason Hodges
FACES
PARTY AT THE LAKE BRINGS FUN NIGHT TO COMANCHE
The Comanche Independence Fest celebrated Independence Day at Comanche Lake July 6. The event brought a host of vendors, music, games, face painting, water play and more for the community to enjoy. The fireworks show began at dusk and launched over the lake.
Photos by Jason Hodges
Photos by Jason Hodges
FACES
DUNCAN FIRE DEPT. HOSTS
DOG DAYS OF SUMMER
Duncan Fire Department kicked off the summer months by hosting its inaugural Dog Days of Summer event as a way for children to enjoy the park and play in the fire truck spray June 27. The event brought snow cones from Dandy Dan’s Shaved Ice and puppy playtime with the Stephens County Humane Society.
Photos by Tamara Gregor
Photos by Tamara Gregor
FACES
NICOLE NICHOLS CAR SHOW ZOOMS INTO DUNCAN
Community members came together for the fourth annual Nicole Nichols Legacy Auto Show on Saturday, March 16 at the Stephens County Fair and Expo Center. The benefit raised money for working adults who want to further their education in the medical field. The car show partnered with Hustlin’ Honeys Vendor Show.
Photos by Jason Hodges
Photos by Jason Hodges
FACES
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK DRAWS CROWD TO FUQUA
The comedic sound of Shakespeare’s words came to Fuqua Park in Duncan with the production of “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.” Duncan Little Theatre (DLT) performers brought the written words of Shakespeare to life on the outdoor stage through an abridged version of this comedic play.
Photos by Tamara Gregor
DUNCAN THROUGH A LENS
PARTING SHOT
TED IS ON LIFEGUARD DUTY IN THE POOL WITH JACKSON HODGES. TED, FORMERLY TATOR TOT, FOUND HIS FOREVER HOME WITH THE HODGES VIA ADOPTION FROM THE STEPHENS COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY A FEW MONTHS AGO.
PHOTO BY JASON HODGES
sister Baleigh, mother Dianna, and brother Bailor.