Ralph was feeling lost without his companion Sue Stone so when she took a trip to Boston, he ran off from his pet sitter in Pavilion and now is really lost.

He's a rescue and skittish around people.  If you see him, call 585-356-4089, and someone will come right over.

Animal Control also knows he's missing.

UPDATE 4:29 p.m.: The owner has learned that Ralph was struck by a car on Route 20 and has passed away.

I was told that training a cat was demanding  

Our cats had us trained in two days!

Our lives changed when we adopted our kittens from the Volunteers for Animals of Batavia Animal Shelter. Our Clyde and Missy became our children; we refer to them as our babies.   We look forward to coming home to see them when they greet us at the door.

When we first got them, we bought all the supplies to protect our furniture and the special tape to keep them off the dining room table and counters. That lasted about a week; they now have two climbing houses, one in our dining room and the other in our sun parlor. Our home also has cat cozies on chairs, fireplace hearth, and coffee tables. We also heated their window cozy. They both love to lie in our bathroom sink.

Although our house has been known for our cameras on the outside of our property, we also have cameras inside our basement to check when and how much they poop. 

You can also find one on our kitchen counter to record when and how much they have eaten.

Back in the day, you could buy a goldfish or a painted turtle at JJ Newberry Department Store. In talking to my baby boomer friends about their pets, they said they had pet chickens, birds, snakes, white mice, rats, rabbits, and toads, besides the favorites, cats, and dogs. Of course, an exotic pet back then was a raccoon or crow, or you could order a pet monkey through the mail.

This story captured my attention. A baseball league called the PONY League (Pennsylvania, Ontario, and New York) played in Batavia and had a raffle at one of their games in the 60s. An actual pony was given away. I can’t imagine going home and telling my mom what I won at the baseball game!   Readers, is there any truth to that story?

As an elementary teacher, I greatly advocated for a classroom pet—many great stories of our years with guinea pigs and hamsters are still remembered today.

I remember Neptune’s Garden Pet Shop on Liberty Street and Pet Mart on East Main Street, a favorite of mine. Today there is Country Max and Petco on Veterans Memorial Drive. These two stores have everything you need for your pets and a place to adopt a new family member. 

Please share the stories of your pets. For example, we tell our friends our cats own our house, and they allow us to live there. 

The Genesee County Health Department is seeking information about the location of a dog and its owner(s) following a dog bite incident on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 4:30 p.m. The incident occurred on the corner of St Marks Street and North Street in the Village of Le Roy.

The dog was described as a brown, pit bull/boxer mix. The owner was walking their dog on a leash, and the victim was walking toward the owner. As the victim was walking past the dog, the dog jumped up and bit the victim's left, upper arm. After the incident, the owner proceeded toward Church Street.

It is important to locate the dog to determine whether or not it is current on its rabies vaccination. If the health status is not identified, post-exposure rabies shots will be offered to the victim.   

If you have information about the location of the dog and its owner(s), please contact the Genesee County Health Department at (585) 344-2580 ext. 5555.

"Brad Pitt" can finally move into a new forever home after his former owners accepted plea deals in County Court today that include them surrendering ownership of the dog, who was found abandoned and feces-covered in an apartment in May.

"Brad Pitt" is the name given to the male pit bull after he was brought into the shelter. His female companion was in such poor health after being abandoned in Apt. 60, 337 Bank St., Batavia, that she had to be euthanized.

The two dogs had apparently been bred and then left in cages without food in the apartment by  Andrew A. Searight, 35, and Jerrtonia A. Scarbrough, 24.  By the time they were discovered, they were both near death.

Under terms of the plea agreement offered by District Attorney Kevin Finnell, Searight and Scarbrough entered guilty pleas to two counts of cruelty to animals under Ag and Markets Law in exchange for a one-year term of interim probation.  They must abide by all the terms of probation and perform 150 hours of community service.

If they successfully complete the program, they can return to court in December and plead guilty to misdemeanor charges, at which time they can be sentenced again to either a term of probation or up to a year in jail on each charge.

Legally, they cannot be prevented from ever owning animals again, but under the terms of the agreement, they will not be allowed to own animals while under the court's supervision.

Finnell said he thought Searight should be required to serve his community service in an animal shelter so that he might better understand the trauma to animals when they're mistreated, but he said he understood that shelters might be reluctant to take him on as a volunteer given his conviction.  

Judge Melissa Lightcap Cianfrini concurred but said whatever community service Searight takes on, he is to inform her and get her approval before proceeding.

She said she personally wanted to closely monitor his probation and community service.

Searight and Scarbrough came into court together with an infant in a carrier.  They now live in Niagara County, and their terms of probation will be supervised by Niagara County's probation department, but their community service will be monitored by Genesee Justice.

Searight admitted in court that he abandoned the dogs and failed to provide proper sustenance and care, leading to the death of one of the dogs.  He agreed to pay restitution for the medical care and shelter of the male dog.

Photo: File photo of "Brad Pitt" by Howard Owens.

A Great Dane enjoyed the sunshine through a sunroof Saturday while stopping at Main and Jefferson in Batavia.

Photo submitted by Lynn Bezon.

Cassandra Elmore may be in the hospital, acording to a friend who called court about four hours before Elmore's case was to be called, but City Court Judge Thomas Burns had no proof that the claim was true, so he issued a warrant for her arrest.

Elmore's court time was at 1:30 p.m., and there were several other cases then as well. Burns finally called her case at 2:40 p.m., and she was not in court. Her friend was informed that the court would require proof of Elmore's admission to a hospital -- a call an email or a fax from the hospital.  The court received no proof of the claim prior to her case being called.

According to police reports, Elmore showed up at veterinarian offices on May 21, May 25, and June 21 with Oddey unconscious.  

Investigators believe Oddey consumed cocaine on two of those occasions and either cocaine or another narcotic on the third.

Elmore, 30, a resident of River Street, Batavia, faces three counts of injuring an animal under New York Ag and Markets Law Section 353.

Previously:

• Woman charged after dog treated repeatedly for narcotics overdose
• Vet told police Oddey was showing signs of drug intoxication during emergency visit
• Elmore asks for time to hire attorney while Oddey waits at shelter

A pair of apparently former Batavia residents facing felony animal cruelty charges failed to appear in City Court today for arraignment, prompting Judge Durin Rogers to issue arrest warrants for both defendants.

Both Andrew A. Searight, 35, and Jerrtonia A. Scarbrough, 24, are charged with felony aggravated cruelty to animals.

They are accused of abandoning two pitbulls in apartment 60 at 337 Bank St., Batavia. The two animals were found malnourished and covered in feces in their cages inside the apartment on May 10, according to witness statements.

Both defendants were scheduled to appear earlier in June and both called the court to report that they had COVID-19. They were ordered to appear today and provide proof of positive COVID tests.

Rogers noted that both were clearly aware of the order to appear today for arraignment, and they both demonstrated with their prior calls that they knew how to reach the court if they couldn't make their appearance. 

During his remarks, Rogers referred to Searight as a former Batavia resident. He made no mention of where the defendants might be living now.

One of the two Pitbulls found in the apartment was, according to court documents, in such bad shape that she had to be euthanized.  The other dog is recovering at Genesee County Animal Shelter. He is not yet available for adoption because the owners have yet to relinquish ownership.

Rogers asked the assistant district attorney if the dog was still at the shelter, expressing concern the dog might still be with the owners while the case is pending. The ADA said she believed the dog is at the shelter.

Previously: One of two Pitbulls found abandoned in apartment in good health while mate had to be put down

Photo: File Photo of "Brad Pitt" (the name given to the dog by Animal Shelter volunteers).

Talia enjoyed her visit to Harrington's Produce on Clinton Street Road in Batavia today.

Photo submitted by Paul Nichiporuk

Press release:

Spring is here, which means more people and dogs will be on the street — increasing the chances of dog attacks on postal carriers.

To ensure the safety of our delivery personnel, the Postal Service is asking Buffalo dog owners to keep their animals secured when deliveries are being made. For local Postal Service officials and mail carriers, one bite is one too many and new tools continue to be unleashed that can help reduce dog attacks in the area.  

The Postal Service offers the following safety tips for dog owners:

• When a carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door. Dogs have been known to burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to attack visitors.
• Parents should remind children and other family members not to take mail directly from carriers in the presence of the family pet. The dog may view the carrier handing mail to a family member as a threatening gesture.
• If a carrier feels threatened by a dog, or if a dog is loose or unleashed, the owner may be asked to pick up mail at a Post Office or other facility until the carrier is assured the pet has been restrained. If the dog is roaming the neighborhood, the pet owner’s neighbors also may be asked to pick up their mail at the area’s Post Office.

The Postal Service has a short video on dog bite prevention available on its YouTube site, USPS TV.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations.

Photo by Howard Owens: Taken four or five years ago of Rocky and a postal warning card accidentally left by a substitute carrier in the mailbox of an Owens residence neighbor warning carriers about Rocky.  It reads, "If second door is open Don't Deliver" and "2 dogs, 1 crazy."  ("Crazy is underlined three times.)  Rocky was crazy but he wasn't vicious, though he did get a charge out of barking at mail carriers wherever he might see them. Rocky passed away on July 31.

Nimitz is much missed in the Clark household after the one-eyed feline went missing recently.

Danielle Clark is offering a return for his return.

The grey and white kitty was last seen on Tracy Avenue in Batavia.

If you see Nimitz or know where he is, Clark can be reached at (585) 409-9833 or email bring.Nimitz.home@gmail.com