PRECIOUS PETS

from Shawnee Life - October 2022

FINANCIAL FOCUS

Precious Pets Frigid Friends

by Georgie Damschroder

Maine coons and poodles are both renowned for their loving and goofy personalities and interesting hairdos, but other than that, don’t seem to have too much in common. After all, dogs are said to be the antithesis of cats. However, one thing you may notice about both of these pets is that they aren’t scared of laying on the cool kitchen tile or frolicking around in winter. This is because they both enjoy the cold, and are genetically designed to tolerate it. The curly coat of the poodle and thick pelt of the Maine coon help keep them cozy in low temperatures. However, one dog sledder, John Suter, may’ve pushed his luck with the poodle’s ability to stay warm. Suter believed that the dog was as strong and fast as other, more common sled dogs, like the malamute and husky. Soon after, he entered a team consisting entirely of poodles into the Iditarod, a grueling dogsled race across Alaska. Suter quickly realized why racing was left to the stockier dogs, ranking 38th out of 45 and inspiring a whole new rule restricting the entry of non-northern dogs to the race!

Two attempted sled dogs and their maine coon-mix brother live with the Waters family in the quiet neighborhood of Westfield Drive! Ebony is a nineyear-old standard poodle who was purchased from a breeder in Michigan, who lives with her maltipoo sister, five-year-old Ginger and thirteen-year-old maine coon brother Mr. Fluffy. Ginger was bought from a Wisconsin breeder, while Mr. Fluffy came into the family from Dot’s Pet Center, a local pet store.

Besides being the fluffiest and cuddliest members of the family, each of the three have their own favorite things to do. When you visit the Waters’ house, Ginger will greet you with puppy love and a sock, whilst Mr. Fluffy manages your car by laying on it and keeping any scandalous chipmunks from getting too close. Mr. Fluffy is an outside cat that runs the neighborhood. Last Thanksgiving he boldly visited a neighbor’s house through their cat door, was given a

bite to eat, and then sauntered back down the street. Ebony enjoys looking at the ducks and will often perch herself close to the river to watch them. When she’s not birdwatching, she’s defending the house from crime! Ebony once saved the family from a break-in by barking as loud as she could when an uninvited car pulled into the driveway late at night till she managed to wake someone. She was rewarded with lots of compliments, including from the police department, who wished she’d be on their team! However, stopping felons can get tiring! When that happens, Ebony is more than happy to curl up with Ginger on freshly washed clothes in the laundry room. Ebony, Ginger and Mr. Fluffy enjoy living with the busy Waters family. Randy and Nicole are transitioning to take over Only Believe, a Christian church in Botkins, after Nicole’s parents founded it 40 years ago. Alexis, their daughter, just produced her first album in Nashville, works as a photographer and also helps with the church. Their son, Lincoln, founded H20’s Pressure Washing, while their youngest child, Quinten recently decided he wants to be a firefighter and is a junior at Apollo. The family loves living on Westfield Drive because it truly is a community. They even have a group messaging system so if someone needs help with something, people are there to pitch in. Everyone waves to each other and the few young kids that live there run and play just like the old days. While none of the animals in this household may be fit to sled in Alaska, they certainly fit right into the loving home of the Waters family, who are sure to make many more memories with their frosty friends!