Posted December 03, 2025in People & Pets
Jennifer Schmit has been a dog-lover her whole life. Fortunately, it didn’t take much to convince her cat-loving boyfriend, Sam, to share in her love of dogs. Today, the now married couple has three dogs. “I had cats, but I liked the idea of a dog. Cody (Jennifer’s dog) was
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Posted November 05, 2025in People & Pets
Lorelle Jones, a dog owner “her whole life,” became president of the Des Moines Obedience Training Club two years ago. This year, the DMOTC celebrates 75 years in existence. Her journey in the DMOTC began with her first new puppy in 1997. The breeder suggested Jones take the dog
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Posted October 01, 2025in People & Pets
Sylvie, a miniature goldendoodle, looked longingly into my eyes as she jumped up to sit on my lap during our People and Pets interview. Since I couldn’t pet her and take notes, she settled in by my feet instead. Owner Megan Fjetland says Sylvie is charming and likable. “She loves
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Posted September 03, 2025in People & Pets
With more than 300 breeds of dogs, pet owners have many options to choose a just-right furry friend. Yet, dog temperaments vary, and, sometimes, a dog breed gets a bad reputation, often due to owner mishandling and other factors. The Doberman Pinscher Club in Des Moines was established to promote
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Posted August 06, 2025in People & Pets
For 100 years, the Des Moines Kennel Club has hosted dog shows in the Des Mones metro. This year’s event features a celebrity dog, Bing, along with approximately 1,000 other dogs representing 150 breeds. The DMKC show is open to the public and free to attend. The show takes place
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Posted July 02, 2025in People & Pets
Two of Sarah Ohms’ pets seemed to appear randomly, right at the moment when she wasn’t looking to adopt a pet. Caydence, a redbone coonhound, came into her life seven years ago. Ohms was volunteering at the Animal Lifeline when a litter of six puppies needed homes. With two remaining
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Posted June 04, 2025in People & Pets
One might imagine greyhounds, known for their speed, want to race day in and day out. Yet Dylan and Catherine Lyons discovered, in the case of their greyhounds, it is not true. After they adopted their greyhounds, Buddy and Han, Dylan thought he would be a runner when he took
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Posted April 30, 2025in People & Pets
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is a common quote — and one that Jan Marks says applies to discarded clothing that can help dogs in need. Marks, of Windsor Heights, is currently the Iowa lead for the nonprofit Pupcycled, which was started in California by two high school
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Posted April 02, 2025in People & Pets
Whether he is transferring abandoned shelter dogs on airplanes, taking his dog, Jake, to college to help students de-stress, or simply allowing school kids to cuddle with a pet, it is all about the dogs. Jay Newell, a dog lover his entire life (he even took two dogs on his
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Posted March 05, 2025in People & Pets
Reptiles. Most people cringe or back off when encountering a slithering snake, a prehistoric-looking lizard or any other sticky-toed reptile. Other folks keep these animals as pets but find they can no longer care for the reptiles. That’s where Cam and Cole Reiman come in. They established Spock’s Sanctuary, a
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