Somerville (and) dogs in the news
A follow up story in the Somerville Journal today, about Sister Stephen Marie and her dog, Lori, is the impetus for some catch-up blogging on Somerville dogs who have made the news recently.
Sister Stephen Marie is moving to a a nun's retirement home in Framingham after living at St. Benedict's convent in East Somerville since 1968. Last week, Journal readers learned that Lori, her six-year-old adopted dog and constant companion, is not welcome at the retirement home. According to the article, Sister Stephen Marie has no living family members. She has made arrangements for Lori to live with her groomer.
Another Somerville dog that has been featured in the Journal is Jake, the house mascot of the Somerville Home, a residential care facility that has served the community for more than 100 years. Recently, the Somerville Home celebrated Jake's fifteenth birthday—that's 105 in dog years! The golden retriever has been the resident pet therapist at the Somerville Home since an administrator rescued him from the pound 2-1/2 years ago.
Pet-assisted therapy is not the only way that Somerville dogs contribute in society: Molly walked in the AIDS Walk with her companion, Tom Santaniello: The team has raised $3,050 to help the AIDS Action Committee stop the HIV/AIDS epidemic through prevention, education and direct services to people living with HIV.
The Massachusetts State Police K-9 Unit has also made the local news a couple of times recently. On Memorial Day State Police used a canine unit to check the Cummings School for explosives: No bombs were found.
After a wild car chase through Somerville, police dogs were sent in to a swampy area next to train tracks in Everett after a suspect. "'Once the dogs went in, the guy was located in about 30 seconds,' said one officer involved in the chase."
Once the dogs located [the suspect], he was arrested on charges of assault and battery with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, failure to stop for police, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failure to stop at a stop sign, operating a vehicle with a revoked license and walking on railroad tracks.