IslandVibesIOP.com 21 details of their findings can be found elsewhere within the pages of this very periodical and on the website of our local municipality, for those of you interested in the DHEC study. For the purposes of my followers, let us remain focused on what can be done to combat this unacceptable level of waterway contamination. The good news is this – cleaner water is merely two steps away! Step one: pick up after your canine companion when he or she relieves him or herself. Step two: throw away the bag and its contents in a proper trash bin. Many such bins are located throughout our city along beach access paths, in parking lots, along the business corridor on Front Beach and beyond. When in doubt, simply use your own garbage can at your place of residence. Clean water for all creatures is well within our reach. Please be mindful and responsible caregivers of your pet and thereby your island and her waterways. Some pets quietly settle into a household, but Bowie has spent the last four years showing off his personality and charming everyone who crosses his path. This Persian cat may look like a delicate little prince, but behind the fluffy exterior is a playful, mischievous personality that keeps his family constantly entertained. When they met Bowie as a tiny kitten, he was only 2 months old, but it was instantly clear that he belonged with them. Now 4 years old, Bowie has grown into a confident and affectionate member of the family with a list of nicknames that seems endless. Ranging from Bobo to Bow-Master and everything in between, his government name is solely reserved for two situations: When the vet asks and when he causes trouble. Personality-wise, Bowie is equal parts sweet and theatrical. He adores attention and has a special talent for posing whenever a camera appears (I personally suggest Paw-mela Anderson as his new nickname for when he’s being photogenic). His family jokes that he knows exactly how cute he is, and he has no problem using that knowledge to his advantage. If he feels he is not receiving enough attention, he makes sure everyone knows by loudly announcing himself … repeatedly. Despite his glamorous appearance, Bowie has an adventurous streak. He loves the outdoors and takes every opportunity to dash outside the second the door opens. His curiosity also extends indoors and in one unforgettable moment, Bowie was perched on the table when his long, fluffy tail became tangled in a mini reindeer decoration. The moment he realized something was attached to him, he panicked and sprinted through the house, dragging the tiny reindeer behind him while crashing into everything along the way. Eventually, the decoration was freed, but the memory stuck. To this day, Bowie still gives that reindeer a cautiously wide berth when it appears during the holidays. A typical day in Bowie’s life begins with his self-appointed duty as alarm clock. When breakfast time arrives, he wakes his “designated feeder” by either sitting directly on their face or licking them until they surrender to kitchen duties. The rest of his day is spent searching for sunny spots around the house to lounge in, and conserving his energy until the door opens so he can attempt to dart outside to explore the world. On the evenings when his sneaky strategy for getting outdoors doesn't come to fruition, Bowie comes alive with a burst of energy, racing through the house with several rounds of zoomies and playfully terrorizing the other cats in his home. For Bowie’s family, the best part of having him around is his sweet, silly and endlessly lovable personality. Whether he is posing for photos, demanding breakfast or warily avoiding a certain festive reindeer, Bowie has a way of making everyday life a little more entertaining. TO BE FRANK Clean up your doggone waste Pet of the Month Take a bow, Bowie By Allyah Harrar PEOPLE & PETS -FRANK To be frank, generally speaking, I most assuredly try not to insert myself into community policies or procedural happenings or government issues. However, several concerned citizens have brought a rather unpleasant issue to the attention of yours truly and I feel it is my civic responsibility to help rectify this unpleasant happenstance before it gets any further out of control. Fortunately for me, my humans are well trained, polite even in the matter of cleaning up after I do my business. Not only do my obedient humans use biodegradable, unscented bags with which to pick up aforementioned business, but also, they dispose of said bags in a proper trash receptacle. You absolutely will not find my humans abandoning such waste in drainage ditches, paper lawn care bags, creek beds or along the side of the road. It is a matter I had previously taken for granted, but now that I am aware of the frequency with which some of our island residents and visitors alike dispose of canine waste, I am duty bound (no pun intended, dear reader, I am never crass) to offer my platform for the purposes of a unique public service announcement, hoping upon hope that one tiny voice can tip the scales forever in favor of cleanliness and environmental fortitude. It was brought to my attention by the Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) on our fair isle that animal waste, particularly that of the canine variety, is the primary contaminate of our water. I was flabbergasted to say the least to learn of this calamity. The
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