Best bites

Happy Monday!

My colleague, Eva Wasney, regularly writes a column in the Arts and Life section that highlights specialty dishes being served up at various Winnipeg restaurants.

It’s one of my favourite features to read — and to lay out — in the paper.

But Eva, who also writes a biweekly newsletter called Dish, turned her attention away from Tasting Notes last week and focused, instead, on pet-friendly foods.

“There’s an abundance of local entrepreneurs doling out all manner of novelty biscuits, diet-conscious snacks and immaculate tiered birthday cakes for furry customers,” Eva wrote in her article, which featured products she procured from four different pet treat purveyors in the city.

So, after recruiting a pair of willing test subjects — her own four-legged eating machine, Quinn, and my sometimes-finicky fellow, Oliver — Eva set out to nail down some of the city’s best bites.

In case you missed the fun feature, you can peruse it here.

But until then, I’ve included a few of the unpublished, never-before-seen images from Free Press photographer Mikaela Mackenzie, who showed nothing but extreme patience and professionalism during the photo shoot of Quinn and Oliver.

I think you’ll agree they’re far too fabulous to never be seen.

Eva Wasney's Quinn (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press)

Eva Wasney’s Quinn (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press)

Leesa's Oliver (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press)

Leesa’s Oliver (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press)

Quinn (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press)

Oliver (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press)

Have a great week!

Leesa Dahl

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Pet and animal news this week

Eva Wasney:

In for a treat

Paw-some time: dogs chow down on locally made goodies for canines Read More

The Canadian Press:

Stranded orca dies, now there’s an effort to save calf, B.C. marine group

ZABALLOS, BRITISH COLUMBIA - A British Columbia marine research group says a female killer whale died Saturday after being stranded in shallow water near the Village of Zeballos on the ... Read More

Steve Mcmorran, The Associated Press:

Endangered dolphins on course prevent racing at SailGP New Zealand in Christchurch

The presence of an endangered species of dolphins on the race course prevented sailing on the first day of the New Zealand leg of the SailGP series on Saturday. The race v... Read More

Sara Cline, The Associated Press:

Drought pinched Louisiana’s crawfish harvest, but mudbug fans are weathering the shortage

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — In Jeff Pohlmann's 39 years of selling crawfish in Louisiana he has never seen the industry face such an abysmal shortage of “mudbugs.” Driven by l... Read More

Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press:

Bird flu is decimating seal colonies. Scientists don’t know how to stop it

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Avian influenza is killing tens of thousands of seals and sea lions in different corners of the world, disrupting ecosystems and flummoxing scientists who don't s... Read More

The Associated Press:

A Tennessee fisherman reeled in a big one. It turned out to be an alligator

MAYNARDVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — A fisherman at a lake in northeast Tennessee caught a surprise at the end of his line when he pulled up a 3- to 4-foot long alligator. The ... Read More

Carolyn Thompson, The Associated Press:

A New York man’s pet alligator was seized after 30 years. Now, he wants Albert back

HAMBURG, N.Y. (AP) — The owner of an alligator recently seized by conservation officers in New York is fighting for its return, saying the reptile he named Albert and has shared a home with for more t... Read More

Michele McDougall:

Animal rights groups take aim at Winter Fair

BRANDON — Animal welfare groups have urged organizers to pull “mutton busting” from next week’s Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, arguing it causes needless suffering and may be illegal in Manitoba. Anim... Read More

Nicole Evatt, The Associated Press:

Natural wonders. Napoleon’s exile. A remote island in the South Atlantic is now easier to reach

JAMESTOWN, St. Helena (AP) — St. Helena, a small, craggy island in the South Atlantic Ocean, hasn't seen many tourists in the past for good reason: It's one of the most remote inhabited... Read More

The Associated Press:

Massachusetts moves to protect horseshoe crabs during spawning

BOSTON (AP) — Wildlife protection advocates are welcoming a decision by the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission to approve protections for horseshoe crabs during spawning... Read More

The Associated Press:

Mexico City residents help cops chase down a loose wolf

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Residents and schoolkids in Mexico City helped squads of police in a long-winded pursuit of a wolf loose in one of the city's neighborhoods, authorities said. ... Read More

Best bites

Pet and animal news this week

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