OkcPets Magazine May 2021

4 OKC Pets • May/June 2021 W elcome to our May/June issue! While it may be late spring, it’s still the season of new beginnings, and we are happy to tell you about a few new establishments for the pet community. The first of which is Solo’s Park and Pub (a restaurant, bar and dog park combo) that recently opened in Chisholm Creek. What a great idea, and we hope to see many more such combinations throughout the country for our dogs and dog peo- ple. Read all about this new location on page 28. We can’t wait to visit! Secondly, located in the heart of Midwest City is a new state-of-the-art Animal Services Center—the city’s first new, upgraded facility in 30 years. Strategically placing this resource in the midst of the city, instead of on the fringes, is just one of the many ways it will make a positive impact on the community and Midwest City pets. The builders made use of reclaimed lumber from the area, and the building is ecologically friendly, bordering the dog park and Soldier Creek Trail. Speaking of “reclaimed,” the OKC Zoo is repurposing its “zoo poo” and selling it as an animal fertilizer product. Its Brown Gold Premium comes straight from the source—the elephants and other hoofed animals’ poo. OKC Zoo Poo is avail- able for purchase at the Zoo’s Guest Services office, located in the Entry Plaza. Two sizes are currently available: a small bag for $3.99 and a large bag with a reusable tote bag and a packet of pollinator seeds for $14.99. Kudos to the OKC Zoo for coming up with this creative idea to help both the animals and the envi- ronment. Stewie’s story on page 8, written by his mom Nancy Gallimore, gripped and jarred me emotionally. I can feel the pain of Nancy’s loss, and this story will stay in my mind for a long, long time. Stewie seemed to be the epitome of sweetness, and the fact that he passed so young is simply heartbreaking. Such as it goes in the animal world, but you never get used to the idea of losing a fur baby. It’s a reminder to cherish the time we have with them. The article on cats and autism by our newest writer Emma Davis is a terrifically interesting read; don’t miss this one. I didn’t know too much about this subject, so I’m grateful to include it for anyone interested or affected by autism. And a big welcome to Emma. We look forward to more articles from this new writer! Thanks for picking up this latest copy of OKC Pets, and a huge thank you to the advertisers inside who make this happen. All the best, Marilyn, and Elmer (who turned 13 on April 3!) FROM THE PUBLISHER Elmer OKC Pets Volume 8, Number 3 PUBLISHER Marilyn King 405.397.4310 mking@okcpetsmagazine.com EDITOR Anna Holton-Dean 830.837.1662 anna.holton@gmail.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Amanda Watkins WEB MANAGER/AD SALES Steve Kirkpatrick 405.397.2740 steve@okcpetsmagazine.com ADVERTISING SALES Marilyn King 405.397.4310 mking@okcpetsmagazine.com Steve Kirkpatrick 405.397.2740 steve@okcpetsmagazine.com Michael Bell (405) 439-8741 michael.okcpetsmag@gmail.com Rosalie Childs 918.630.5775 rfchilds@me.com Rowena Mills 918.274.9251 hrmills444@yahoo.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Michael Bell Heide Brandes Travis Brorsen Emma Davis Kim Doner David Gallant Nancy Gallimore Kevin Hegerberg Anna Holton-Dean Kyle Panter 405-397-4310 www.okcpetsmagazine.com P.O. Box 14128 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74159-1128 ©2021 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express written consent of the publisher. ON THE COVER This Golden Retriever is ready to get out and about after suffering the pandemic shutdown!