How much snow is too much snow?

Happy Monday!

Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder

Where it's so white as snow

Privately divided by a world so undecided

And there's nowhere to go

In between the cover of another perfect wonder

And it's so white as snow

In one of my all-time favourite songs by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, lead singer Anthony Kiedis isn’t exactly waxing poetic about the white stuff that falls from the sky.

No, the ditty about life’s repeated failures is more about the difficulty many of us face in getting rid of our old ways of thinking.

Still, for me, Snow (Hey Oh) has been an uplifting diversion during the onslaught of snow days, which, no one will argue, we’ve all seen a lot of lately.

In fact, Free Press reporter Cody Sellar wrote that systematic snowstorms have dealt us more than double the amount of snow this winter compared to the same time last year.

And that adds up to about 132 centimetres, which also happens to be about three times the height of my sweet, scruffy Lhasa apso cross and more than six times higher than my silkie-haired Yorkie.

Both pooches, however, love the snow. And despite the ever-growing snow piles they’ve adjusted well to early morning walks and romps at the dog park.

Guapo and Oliver. (SUPPLIED)

And in the backyard, where the two of them spend a lot of time, they’ve created what looks like a frozen obstacle course but without the troublesome hurdles.

The trodden snowy path that my dogs have inadvertently designed winds its way from the back porch and runs along the front of the gazebo, twisting and turning until it hits the neighbours fence. It picks up again somewhere along the back fence and ends abruptly at the other neighbour’s fence on the west side of the yard.

My colleague’s black Labrador cross has also turned his backyard winter play space into what David Fuller refers to as a dog-scale hamster enclosure.

Dash on the playhouse rooftop. (SUPPLIED)

“The snow pile is almost six feet high,” David says of the frozen accumulation in his West Broadway backyard. “And since we hollowed it out, he can get through to the playhouse deck as well.”

Now, that’s something to sing about!

How are your pooches coping with the snowfall?

Send me an email and let’s talk snow dogs!

Have a great week!

Leesa Dahl

This week in pet news

New documentary hopes to bring plight of North Atlantic right whale to wider audience

There has been no shortage of media coverage of the plight of the endangered North Atlantic right whale, but documentary filmmaker Nadine Pequeneza felt there was still something missing in the fight to save the species.

"You can't really appreciate something unless you at least see it and get to know it," Pequeneza said this week ahead of the theatrical opening of her latest film, “Last of the Right Whales."

Read more about it here.

Advertisement

The documentary, opening in Canadian theatres on Feb. 20 to coincide with World Whale Day, shows the efforts to protect and restore the population of the dwindling whale species. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Last of the Right Whales)

Raccoon falls through ceiling into packed LSU dining hall

A raccoon fell through the ceiling into a packed dining hall at Louisiana State University as students screamed and a cook tried to catch it in a basket. Freshman Danielle Gipson told The Reveille student newspaper that everyone was standing up and looking around for a raccoon when she went into the 459 Dining Hall for dinner Wednesday.  

"I went and still got my food because I thought that it was fake," she said. "The raccoon then ran underneath my table and I immediately got on top of the chair.”

Read more about it here.

Channing Tatum and Magic Mike partner’s mutt mission

For Channing Tatum, it was a treat to make his directorial debut with the heartfelt Dog. Tatum stars in the comedy-drama as a U.S. army ranger tasked with driving an unruly-but-misunderstood military canine from Washington to Arizona. 

He and co-director Reid Carolin set out to make a movie highlighting the impact that a dog’s unconditional love can have on a person. Read more about it here.

Channing Tatum. (Hilary Bronwyn Gayle / MGM Pictures)

Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre hosting February fundraisers

A Manitoba wildlife haven is inviting individuals to help it achieve a fundraising goal this month. According to a recent news release, the Île-des-Chênes-based Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre has set itself a goal of raising $20,000 during February.

Any proceeds made from two virtual fundraisers will be matched — dollar for dollar — by Winnipeg businessman and philanthropist Bob Williams. Read more about it here.

Zoé Nakata, the executive director of the Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre, is pictured here with a feathered friend. The centre is preparing to hold two fundraisers this February. (SUPPLIED)

Pets of the week

Zoey and Moka

Zoey and her new friend Moka are bouble trouble!

— Marianne Spitula

Hunter

Hunter spending a nice Sunday afternoon watching NBA basketball.

— Hugh Tibbs

Looking for a home

Ozz is an 11-year-old Shepherd cross who came into the care of Manitoba Underdog Rescue when he had some health issues, but now he is ready to start looking for the perfect home.

He is a little older, but that comes with perks. He is already house-trained and his leash manners are pretty good, though he can get a little over-zealous at times. He's not a fan of the kennel but he is super trustworthy when left loose!

Read more about Ozz here.

Ozz is available for adoption through Manitoba Underdogs Rescue. (Sightlines Photography)