Author: Jennifer Vanderau

With the kids back to school, the events are starting to stack up, and of course now is the time when things get crazy at work. He’s starting to feel like he’s constantly running at about 78 rpm. When he told the kids this one day they looked at him like he was speaking another language and turned back to their iPods. The generation gap is real. He may have to dust off the old stereo one day and give his children a lesson on how a person should really listen to music. He just doesn’t know when he’ll be…

Looking for a new friend? The Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter is featuring these Pets of the Week. For more information, interested would-be pet parents may visit http://www.cvas-pets.org/ or call 717-263-5791. Juma was found running under an overpass of Interstate 81. He is one very lucky pup to have been picked up safe and sound without being hit by a car. Juma is a playful 9-month-old retriever who is still very much a puppy! He will need someone who understands the time and patience that goes into training a puppy. Juma would love to find out what a loving forever home…

I learned a new term today. It’s called refeeding syndrome, and it can happen to either humans or animals who are malnourished. Unfortunately, working at an animal shelter, we see animals come through our doors in need of all kinds of help, and this time, it’s a little terrier mix we named Jemma. She’s about 11 months old, and when we got her, she’d been found running around the area. She was severely underweight, and I mean severely. She was so bad off we had to be incredibly careful how much and when we fed her. Over the years working…

We are coming up on an event that is, quite literally, in my top three favorite things we do each year. The Puppy Paddle will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Chambersburg Aquatic Center. As you would expect, it’s the last time the pool will be opened and a great way to say goodbye to the summer and get ready for fall. The chlorine is drained from the pool and the pups get to take a dip. It is so much fun! I think part of my fascination lies in the fact that…

Looking for a new friend? The Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter is featuring these Pets of the Week. For more information, visit http://www.cvas-pets.org/ or call 717-263-5791. Olivia is a smart, fun-loving girl who will need a strong leader. She came into the shelter as a stray, and is likely a lab/terrier mix about a year old. Olivia knows sit, shake and sometimes down. She is an active, playful, sometimes stubborn girl. She is treat motivated and wants to please. She loves to go to the play yard and run! Olivia does jump when excited and will need someone who can work…

Okay, it’s official. I found the place I want to retire. I was scrolling social media the other day and came across the City of Cats, otherwise known as Istanbul, Turkey – and yes the song was stuck in my head the whole day. However, when I saw the photos, I just knew this place had my name all over it, and I had to do some research. It turns out that there is an incredibly large population of cats that roam the streets of Istanbul, and the people in the city just take care of them as a community.…

She’s tired. So incredibly tired. She’s reminded of a line from St. Elmo’s Fire – for all the fans of the ’80s brat pack movies – “I never thought I’d be so tired at 22.” She laughs, knowing she’s got a whole lot of decades on Demi Moore’s character, but she understands the sentiment just the same. Some days are tougher than others, but there are happy moments — times when she sees the beauty of life and the goodness that is out there. She notices when people are decent, and it gives her some hope for the future. She…

I was reminded recently of a story I read years ago about a male pitbull who refused to leave a female pit who had been hit by a car. The female had died in the collision with the car, but the male continued to lick at her face for hours. I know some human beings who would walk away from something like that, unable to handle the grief and the loss and the emotions, but the male pitbull stayed – I truly think he was mourning in his own way. It’s utterly amazing what the animal world can show us…

I can be pretty cynical from time to time, but I really am quite lucky in the grand scheme of things. I have a great family who loves to laugh. I have a house full of felines who keep me entertained on a daily basis. And one of the biggest reasons I’m lucky is that my office overlooks the dog park just behind our shelter at 5051 Letterkenny Road West in Chambersburg. I’m telling you, if you ever have one of those days where life is getting you down and you’re stressed, even if you don’t have a pup, stop…

Finding the barn was the best thing that ever happened to me. For years, I wandered the fields and streets and towns and when I first stumbled upon the big red barn, I hesitated. I’ve been around enough people to know that not all of them are friendly toward cats. I watched for a while from the perimeter and saw how nice the man was to his horses and his dogs and there were even some other cats already there. The decision was made for me when the storm hit. I hadn’t had a chance to see if I could…