LAUREL CANYON—Out for an early morning walk you see a mule deer. You move quietly not to spook the deer—even when the animal is munching on your beautiful roses.  Living in the hills comes with unexpected responsibilities, which include how we care for our animals.  For us it’s not just about the kitty, dog or domesticated bird.

Richard S. serves as our 21^st century switchboard operator.  He keeps us all in touch. Here are some of his important emails.

Mule Deer in Santa Monica Mountains.

“There is a raven making a lot of noise on Lookout…several of the neighbors were concerned, trying to figure out what to do. We finally got a hold of a bird rescue and apparently the big guy isn't sick at all, but actually a baby. The defining feature is that he has blue/grey eyes where adults have black. Anyway, this is apparently the process of ravens growing up…their parents push them out of the nest b/c it's too small of an area for them to move about and develop their muscles. She said he will probably be wandering around for the next couple of days, but this is normal.  She also mentioned that injured birds don't tend to make noise b/c they don't want to draw attention to themselves (makes sense). .. in case anyone else comes across him and thinks he's dying…he isn't…so don't call animal control! [sic]”

Or this email: “Neighbors:  Please see the mountain lion report below.  In addition, there have been sighting of lions around Franklin Canyon Park for some time.  The rangers are well aware.  These hills are their natural ranges.”

What did we do when there was a mange infected coyote prowling the hills?  Call for it to be euthanized?  Not our style. Instead we get a message from Richard.  Don’t panic if you see a guy carrying a rifle dressed in camouflage clothing stalking the back trails.  He’s trying to tranquilize a sick coyote so it can be rescued and put in rehab.  Sure enough, Rosie the coyote went to rehab. She’s now well and back with us.

See her story "Rosie the Coyote." Also, a local musician recorded a song telling her story to help fundraise for her vet bills. It is called "Coyote Girl (Rosie's Song)." 

Then there’s the email, “My bees have swarmed away from their hive.  Has anyone seen them?”  It turns out somebody did. A Master Beekeeper was hired who, by hand, captured the queen bee and her grooming worker bees. They’re back home.

Did I mention the neighbor with goats?  Just her luck, a neighbor’s dad grew up on a Kibbutz. He pitched in with goat care.  And you can’t forget the adopted dog that is always herding the goats off the street.  When the owner sent out a Help Wanted email through Richard seeking “goat sitters” she had no trouble finding willing applicants.

Richard is always busy collecting information and forwarding emails and pictures.  He gets us to focus on what’s really important.  He is a general marshaling assets. Someone always takes the lead and others pitch in to save our animals.  Maybe it’s because they’re not our indoor pets that we work just a little harder to protect and save them.

What can you say about a neighborhood that plants hummingbird and butterfly gardens?

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