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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Posted February 05, 2025in People & Pets
At an auction sale site, two puppies were found huddled together, abandoned in an old chicken coop. The puppies were taken to a foster organization, Oh My Dog Rescue (OMD). OMD is a foster-based organization that saves abandoned or surrendered dogs, giving them a second chance at life. The foster
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Posted January 01, 2025in People & Pets
An abandoned nest of baby bunnies. An injured squirrel on the side of a road. These are the subjects of some of the calls Melinda Austin fields from members of the public who are seeking advice on how to take care of these animals. Austin is a wildlife rehabilitator for
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