Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/748197
"A dog is not "almost human" and I know of no greater insult to the canine race than to describe it as such." ~ John Holmes Working Dogs BY MICHAEL CHATFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLI ULDALL 86 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 6 Boots B oots is quite probably the Monterey Peninsula's luckiest canine. A rescue dog, she was brought here from Taiwan, where she had a tough early life on the streets. She was scared of the world and covered in mange. Who should Boots meet? Dr. Alison Flynn, an associate at Pet Specialists of Monterey…and a board- certified veterinary dermatologist. It was a match made in heaven. "I had to adopt her," Dr. Flynn says. "She came up to me and sat on my lap, while growling at everyone else." Two and a half years later, Boots is a mellow and superbly healthy (both emotionally and physically) Taiwanese Mountain Dog. "She sits under my desk and gives everyone love," Dr. Flynn says. TANGO W hat dog wouldn't love coming to work every day in a shop that specializes in something as warm and cozy as fireplaces? But you won't find 11-month-old Tango curled up and snoozing in front of the hearth. No, this cute as a button Cava-Poo-Chon (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Bichon Frise mix, bred with a Miniature Poodle) is busy, busy, busy greeting customers and enticing them to play ball with him. "He makes us laugh a lot," says The Hearth Shop owner Vicki Warner. "When he comes in for the slide while catching a ball, it's hilarious. He definitely has a following. People come in just to see and say hello to Tango." 86 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 6