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Seen at the Pet Expo: Fuchsia Femmes

Regina and Priscilla

Regina (l) and Priscilla (r) waited in line Saturday to strut their colors at the Everything Pet Expo.

Under fluorescent lights reminiscent of an industrial animal farm, last weekend’s Everything Pet Expo nonetheless hummed with celebration. On display were died pom-poms, blurry terriers obstacle-coursing over astroturf pitches, prisoner-trained service dogs, and unsung heroes of several species. I interviewed a few handfuls of organizations that help humans and other animals assist each other through life’s trials.

Over the coming months I’ll be posting more photos, as I profile the most innovative and interesting of these groups. Stay tuned, to read what strokes of hardship and luck can befall unwanted foals, banned pitbulls, wheelchair-bound adults, retired racedogs, disabled children, and feral cats in the Tri-State area.

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Sourcing the crowd: your input requested on Cincinnati’s meat-reduction initiative

A new and terribly cutting-edge phase of this blog begins tonight, whereby. . . I will share the fruits of my reporting with you as I spot and gather them–before they have become steaming, fully-baked articles.

I am not usually enthusiastic about the information superhighway’s perpetual expansion, but there is an element of journalism’s “new media revolution” that thrills me, and that is crowd-sourcing.

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Former show dog lends her ear to young readers

Kid 1 looks at a doggy book with StellaYesterday afternoon at downtown’s Main library, Jan McCollain, 51, volunteered the calm demeanor and ruffly ears of her dog Stella, 8, to kids in need of reading practice. In Stella’s youth, said McCollain, she was a prize-winner among Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, a breed known for its sociability and eagerness to please.

Across the country and beyond, therapy dogs (whose imperturbability has been certified), visit young readers in libraries and schools.

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Who wants hunting in Mariemont, and why?

Last week the Village of Mariemont’s council agreed on a plan to redesign the bow hunting program that began illegally last fall and was quickly suspended. But facts are vague and opinions divided, on why the program began without input from the town council or the public, and whether it should be revived.

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Homeless women say “Yes, We Can!” on Inauguration Day

Jessica, a mother of seven, forfeited her lunch yesterday to stay by a television as noon marked the start of President Obama’s first term. While Yo-yo Ma’s rising cello melody evoked the words to “Simple Gifts” Jessica covered her wet face with two wiry hands. “Those were tears of joy,” the 49 year-old said.

Until the lunch buzzer sounded at The Drop Inn Center, a shelter working “to empower people to move from homelessness to housing” in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, the windowless TV lounge for female residents rang out with responses to the inauguration. About eight women–most of them African American mothers and grandmothers–followed the ceremony with curiosity, wonder, shouts of agreement, and an attentiveness that bespoke ownership. Each of their votes helped Obama win Ohio.

Ethel, 51, watches the post-inaugural coverage

Ethel, 51, watches post-inaugural television coverage

Roberta, 37, along with Jessica, not only voted for Obama but also helped fellow shelter residents find rides to polls on Election Day. Their voices rose while describing the empowerment they carried away from the election. Obama had moved Roberta to vote for the first time in many years, and she understood his victory in the same way he often represents it: “It’s not about him, it’s about what we’re going to do.” What will that be?

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