Staff Newspaper Columns

Ken White’s Column

What’s In a Name

Our little Lola, the world’s best dog (my column, my rules) never meets anyone who is not her instant best friend, and most of those best friends burst into a spontaneous “Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets…” upon learning her name. And that, in turn, quite frequently...

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The First Dog

Love or hate him, among those traits which make Donald Trump unique is that he is the first president in a century to live without a dog in the White House. This realization made me turn to the “dog quotient” of those now attempting to take Mr. Trump’s place in...

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Summertime Blues

Summer has just begun but weather doesn’t pay close attention to the calendar, especially not here in the Bay Area. Let’s talk hot weather and pets! Prior to coming to PHS/SPCA I spent 7 years at Arizona Humane Society, so when I hear people complain about the heat I...

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Why Dogs Circle

For months now, our little Lola (the world’s most adorable puppy) (my column, my rules) has been entertaining us with super-excited mad dashes around furniture, racing from room to backyard to room, wearing a big ear-to-ear grin as she banks the turns, typically...

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4th of July

Admitting my dislike of this coming weekend’s holiday is not a political statement. Nope. It is entirely a pro-animal statement based on the obvious fact that this is going to be a lousy weekend for animals in America. Sure, I’m a child of the 1960s: I don’t think of...

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Bumping and Blinking

Whenever I write about dogs, someone accuses me of dismissing cats. Whenever I write about cats, I get accused of ignoring dogs. Folks, it’s hard to cover both animals in 350 words, much less the rest of the species we care about. But to appease the critics, let’s...

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Licking

My dad, a man of many “unique” theories, would on occasion tell me that the reason dogs lick is because they need salt. This announcement, as I recall, always came out of the blue, relevant to nothing, and ignored the fact that we did not have a dog. Since you’re not...

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Unexpected

Last column noted 9,400,000 reptiles are pets in U.S. households. Here are some other unexpected numbers. The most popular pet? Fish! Close to 160 million individual finny friends swim in 14.5 million homes, and the aquarium industry is worth $300 million per year....

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Snakes on the Brain

To avoid being accused of speciesism, let’s follow last two weeks’ “why dogs dig” and “are cats social?” columns with one about our legless friends. Why would anyone want to live with snakes?, a question I get asked with surprising frequency, often by adolescent boys’...

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Are Cats Social?

In the common clichés, dogs are fawning creatures needing constant social interaction while cats are independent and aloof. The most generous thing one can say about both characterizations is that they are gross generalizations not supported when one observes many...

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Why Dogs Dig

Why do dogs dig? Great question but we can’t go to the source: the dogs aren’t talking. On the other hand, our species won’t stop talking, which means we’re left with many self-proclaimed experts’ theories. One popular theory, dogs lacking certain key minerals in...

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Poisonous Plants

From Sheila C.: “I received, as a present, an Amaryllis.  As an indoor cat owner, I always check on plants and I was pretty sure I was right.  Yes, there it was, number 3 on my list of poisonous plants to cats.” While eating or even just chewing on any plant may...

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S-E-X

Two weeks ago, our topic was eating too much. Last week, we covered the all-time sleep champions of the animal world. You should have seen this coming because after gluttony and sloth it’s only logical that this week we talk about sex. Weird animal sex. No worries,...

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Do Sheep Count Sheep?

Humans spend a lot of time talking about sleep -- or, more accurately, talking about how poorly we sleep. How many hours you got (or didn’t) last night. The latest thing in herbal-infused sleep masks and organic fabric blackout shades. How to de-funk your CPAC...

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Big Boned Beasts

I prefer terms like big boned, Rubenesque, or zaftig, but a recent New York Times article was far more direct: “Humans are not the only residents of the United States who are getting fatter every year. So, unsurprisingly, are our furry friends – the dogs and cats that...

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Critter Corner

Memorable shelter stories from 2021

Dear Critter Corner: Do you have any fun shelter animal stories to share from this past year? Are there any stories that stand out as particularly memorable? Working at a shelter requires a sense of humor, and there have been plenty of quirky animals that have passed...

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Dog refusing to walk

Dear Critter Corner: We adopted a new pup a few months ago, I have noticed while on walks he will sometimes put the brakes on and refuse to walk.  It seems to have gotten worse and he is refusing to walk more often.  Are there any tips you can give me to help me be...

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Teaching dog “leave it”

Dear Critter Corner: We just adopted a new puppy and I am worried about him getting into our holiday decorations around the house.  Are there any tips you can give me to help this holiday be less stressful for all? This is a great time to work on teaching your pup a...

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Are bones safe for my dog?

Dear Critter Corner: My family recently just got a new pup in time for the holidays and we are very excited! Is it okay to give my dog a turkey drumstick? What kind of bones are okay for dogs to chew? Dogs and bones are a timeless pairing and chewing on them can be...

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Preparing excited dog for guests

Dear Critter Corner: We will be having guests over for the holidays and they are bringing their new pup with them.  Do you have any suggestions for introducing our pup to our guests’ pup?   There are a few things you can do to help make the introduction and visit...

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Best dog breeds for apartment living

Dear Critter Corner: I am looking to get a dog but live in a crowded apartment complex and have heard to stay away from large dogs. Do you have any recommendations on what breed of dog to adopt? There are many decisions to consider when adopting a dog and renting a...

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Keeping dog away from kitchen counters

Dear Critter Corner: Our pup recently discovered that he is tall enough to reach the counter and unfortunately has been rewarded a few times by stealing food.  I am concerned with the holidays around the corner and the food that will be out when guests are around. ...

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Dog’s first Halloween

Dear Critter Corner: This will be our pup’s first Halloween; do you have any suggestions on how to help prepare so that we have a safe and stress-free Halloween? There are several things we can look at to make sure the night goes well for all involved.  Here are a few...

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Black cats are good luck

Dear Critter Corner: I have adopted a couple of black kittens that are adorable, but some of my friends sincerely think they are going to bring me bad luck. They have brought me nothing but happiness. Why are people suspicious of black cats? When it comes to black...

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