Animals

At my kid's recent preschool graduation, she climbed on a box, accepted a ribbon-wrapped diploma and fielded a hard question from her pre-K teacher: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" "Pet store owner," she replied. After the ceremony, I told her that it was OK with me if she owned a pet store, as long as it's Petco. She's 5 and, as usual, she had no idea what I was talking about. Good age, as they say. I want to support my kid's dreams. But I also want her to earn enough money to support me, just in case this newspaper thing goes the way of the newspaper.

Jennifer Kho COSTA MESA -- Nacho Ayalo Campos and John Vurnis strolled through Centennial Farm on Christmas afternoon, listening to the caroling of the sheep, pigs, chickens and cows. They pet the animals, discussed the merits of the vegetable garden and sampled the feast of kumquats, cherries and other fruits growing at the farm. "It's beautiful here," Campos said. "It's nice. I like it." Campos and Vurnis, both of Costa Mesa, are two of a few residents who spent part of their Christmas at the farm at the Orange County Fairgrounds.

Fred was one of many stray pets who wander around in search of a kind heart and a bite to eat. Nobody knew exactly where he came from, but luckily for Fred he met Laguna Niguel resident Jane Cressall. She is the founder of Critters In Need Pet Rescue, and on Sunday she found a new home for the 18-month-old beagle after having him for two weeks. "For every dog who gets a home, another ends up in a shelter," said Critters In Need volunteer Lisa Tipton. "One of the biggest ways to help rescue is to foster a dog. No matter how many dogs we place, we can't fix the problem until we learn to spay and neuter our pets."

SUE DOYLE NEWPORT BEACH -- It was four years ago, when coyotes killed her two cats, that DiAnna Pfaff-Martin's passion to save other animals began. She fueled the sadness about her cats' deaths into founding the Community Animal Network, which finds loving homes for spayed and neutered animals. On weekends, the Newport Beach resident stands among cages of kittens outside Russo's Pets at Fashion Island, hoping to find good homes for them. About 70 felines and four dogs are waiting in line and sell for between $75 and $150.

Stray animals in Costa Mesa will be taken to the Orange County Humane Society shelter if the City Council votes to approve the recommendations in a staff report released Friday, but council opinions may be swayed by more than a dozen complaints the city has recently received about the Huntington Beach facility. Many of the complaints claim that the facility is too small to house the roughly 1,800 animals Costa Mesa animal control picks up each year, and that the animals are kept in poor conditions.

Alligators in the Laguna Lakes? Well, maybe not, although we did have a hippopotamus once. African clawed frogs, certainly. And while alligators have a certain thrill factor, the frogs have arguably had more impact on the local lake ecology. Laguna is no stranger to abandoned animals. The network of interior canyons and our surrounding open space attract a regular stream of people intent on liberating -- that is, dumping -- unwanted pets. Most seem to think that urban animals can just take up an independent lifestyle in the wild with no problems.

The Orange County Fairgrounds, which crawled with farm animals last week during the Southern California wildfires, still had a menagerie of nearly three dozen Tuesday, but officials said they expected the grounds to empty by the weekend. Janie Walker, the supervisor of the animals and leader of a dedicated volunteer team, said the herd had dwindled from more than 100 animals last week to 35 Tuesday morning. In the days after the wildfires began, the fairgrounds, which served as an animal evacuation site, sheltered horses, cows, donkeys, goats, geese and others.

There was a snake in the auditorium Monday ? and a tarantula and a desert tortoise and a chinchilla, among several other critters. Bonnie McQuisten, who works for the Orange County Department of Education, held up a ball python longer than her arm and explained to about 20 youths how he can smell to the left and right with his tongue, swallow animals three times as large as his head, and slither out of a room at a moment?s notice. ?Ever been bit by a snake on the job?? one boy asked.

Animals ranging from dogs and cats to birds and rabbits were available for adoption at the Sheltering Fur, Feathers and Flippers event Saturday at Peninsula Park. More than 100 animals from the Newport Beach Animal Shelter and Orange County Rescue Groups were looking for new homes at the park on Saturday. The event was sponsored by Paws of the Planet, a Newport Beach-based nonprofit that promotes animal welfare. For more information about the group, visit www.pawsoftheplanet.

Last week I reflected on what the Santa Ana Army Air Base was like 70 years ago. The base was open from 1942 to 1946. Covering an area of more than 1,300 acres, it occupied a fifth of today's Costa Mesa. The column specifically mentioned two, two-story barracks buildings — leftovers from the base — that were used by Orange Coast College when it opened in 1948. They were converted into student dorms, one for male athletes and the other for male nonathletes. The dorms were in service for a dozen years, and were torn down in 1960.

The Costa Mesa City Council will consider Tuesday whether to outsource five city services, more than a year since the wheels were first set in motion amid furious protests from city workers and local activists. City staff are recommending Costa Mesa outsource its jail services and street sweeping but keep its animal control, building inspections and video production in-house. Staff recommend that the city contract with G4S Secure Solutions, a worldwide company owned by Danish security firm Group 4 Falck.

DEAR READERS: You're not the only ones who ask me questions. Here are some queries from students in the sixth grade of our religious school. Tell your kids to write to me and I'll answer them, too, one of these days. — Rabbi Gellman Question: What's your idea of a perfect person? — Lauren Fogel Answer: The prophet Micah asked God the same question and God told him that all you need to do to be perfect is: 1) Do the right thing; 2) Be nice to everyone; 3) Don't brag about what you've done.

Animal advocates are calling on the Orange County Fair Board to end elephant rides at the fair. Elephant experts, veterinarians and animal rights groups have written letters expressing their concerns, and they plan to testify at Thursday's meeting of the Agricultural Assn. Board of Directors. "At a time when we are fighting to save highly endangered Asian elephants from extinction, offering them for rides sends the wrong message about how we treat our planet's rare and vanishing species," wrote Bob Barker, a longtime advocate and former host of the television game show "The Price Is Right.

Irvine Animal Care Center representatives will go door-to-door this month to check if residents' animals are properly licensed and vaccinated, according to a news release. Representatives will be able to assist residents in initiating or updating a license. City ordinances require dogs to be licensed annually and those older than 4 months must be vaccinated for rabies. "Licensing your dog is an important component of responsible pet ownership," Ron Edwards, Irvine Animal Care Center administrator, said in a prepared statement.

Steven Spielberg's "War Horse" is shaping up to be a big hit for DreamWorks. The film tugs on our heartstrings by highlighting the love between a man, Albert, and his horse, Joey — a love so deep that Albert joins the service to get his horse back after it is sold to the cavalry. But "War Horse" does much more. It reminds us of the role these majestic animals have played in the history of war. Horses were first used in warfare 5,000 years ago, and the cavalry was a cornerstone of warfare during World War I, the war featured in "War Horse.

Super Bowl week is a convention of Americana. It has transcended the narrow genre of football to become a gathering place for corporate, media, entertainment and political figures who will descend on Indianapolis this week. The general rule is that if you have suspicions that a celebrity is in front of you then it is definitely that person. Major corporations rent out hotels for their executives and other employees. Massive amounts of commerce takes place. And then there are the parties.

George Miller is no stranger to first-class animated films featuring talking animals. He directed the revered classic "Babe," which was nominated for Best Picture. He also directed the first "Happy Feet" movie, replacing talking pigs, dogs and sheep from "Babe" with talking penguins to great comic success. "Happy Feet Two" continues the penguin's progress with awesome animation. The special effects are riveting to watch for kids and parents alike. This time around, the whole penguin nation gets trapped when climate warming creates an icy prison for them in the Antarctic wilderness.

An equestrian rescued a man and his dogs from a coyote Tuesday morning near the Back Bay. Brian Clarkson, 37, said he was jogging about 8 a.m. with his two Yorkie mixes on a trail near University Drive and Irvine Avenue when a man on a horse spotted a coyote running toward them. Clarkson said the coyote "seemed hungry and desperate. " The rider yelled at the coyote, which was only momentarily deterred, according to Clarkson. Clarkson added that the animal continued to follow him and his dogs, but stayed by some bushes across the street.

COSTA MESA - Regardless of whether Omaima Aree Nelson - who ate parts of her husband's body after killing him at their Costa Mesa apartment - is granted parole after 20 years in prison Wednesday, she shouldn't be allowed to eat meat of any kind again, according to a prominent animal rights group. In a letter sent to the warden at Chowchilla State Prison women's facility Tuesday, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals requested that Nelson be switched to a vegan diet if she remains incarcerated - or if she's released.