May 19, 2006

Pet of the Month

A bevy of pets rule the roost at the Burchfiel house

By Diego Abeloos
Editor

Evergreen resident Joan Burchfiel has a soft spot in her heart for pets. And so, it would only seem natural that Burchfiel has a wide variety of animals running around her residence. In total, Burchfiel is the proud owner of two dogs, two chickens, a rabbit and a tortoise.

Big Bunny, one of Joan Burchfiel's six pets, was rescued by a neighbor who saw the rabbit crossing a busy road and feared for its' safety.

Truffle, a 14-year-old shitzu, is the elder statesman of the house, as far as pets go.

Rosie, the chicken, has plenty of company with fellow fowl Lilly at the Burchfiel home in Evergreen.

Burchfiel said she developed a love for animals growing up in Willow Glen, where, for some strange reason, stray cats, dogs and other pets seemed to always find her family. In return, those animals found a loving home.

“Animals found their way to our house,” said Burchfiel, who is a member of PETA. “We always rescued some kind of animal, including lizards, tortoises and a chicken. That’s how I first fell in love with chickens.”

Burchfiel’s dogs, Grace and Truffle, are perhaps the biggest odd couple of the house.

Grace is a 3-year-old boxer/lab mix, which Burchfiel adopted more than two years ago through the Nike Animal Rescue Foundation. Wanting a medium-sized dog, the Burchfiels quickly found out they got more than they bargained for in shy and sweet Grace.

“We just fell in love with her,” Burchfiel said of finding Grace at a NARF adoption faire with her husband, Bob, and her son, Patrick. “We thought she’d max out at about 50 or 60 pounds, but she’s now 100 pounds. She’s a big dog.”

Truffle on the other hand, is a tiny 14-year-old shitzu and is clearly the boss of the house, having been part of the family since she was a playful puppy.

“Now she’s old and warty,” Burchfiel said of Truffle, who loves to shred tissues and paper towels as a pastime. “In her younger years, she was very sweet and very energetic. Now, she sleeps a lot.”

While the pair gets along swimmingly, they also plot together for every dog’s favorite thing – treats. Burchfiel, a professed night owl, is fond of late night baths. Not wanting the dogs to make too much noise in her absence, she began coaxing both canines into the bathroom with treats, enabling her to keep an eye on them. Now, the pair hangs out in the bathroom nightly, waiting for treats and Burchfiel. At times, they’ll even tell her when it’s time for a bath.

“Grace will actually start to whine if it’s past 11 o’clock and I haven’t taken a bath,” Burchfiel said. “They’ll both follow me around.”

As for the rest of the animals, they are a collection of rescues Burchfiel has picked up over the years. The chickens, Rosie and Lilly, roam Burchfiel’s backyard daily and live a quiet, comfortable life.

At times, Rosie and Lilly can be found trolling the grounds with Burchfiel’s rabbit, simply called Big Bunny. The rabbit was a rescue brought to Burchfiel’s doorstep one night by a neighbor, who saw Big Bunny crossing a busy nearby road and feared for its safety. Big Bunny, although first harassed by the territorial chickens, is now a fast friend of Rosie and Lilly, as the three are often seen eating chicken feed together in the yard.

“The chickens used to nail him, but now they get along really well,” said Burchfiel of Big Bunny.

Burchfiel’s Russian tortoise, Boris, is a rescue from a local school classroom. Russian tortoises, native to areas such as Afghanistan, are actually considered endangered in some areas of the world, said Burchfiel. Like the rest of the animals, Boris has been living the good life since arriving at Burchfiel’s home a couple of years ago, munching on mounds of greens and finding ample shade from the sun in the yard.

Burchfiel said one of the best part about her pets is that they live together peacefully, always minding their own business in each other’s presence.

“I think it just takes sensitivity when you first bring an animal into an environment,” Burchfiel said, explaining why her pets get along so well. “You have to watch very carefully and you don’t let it be abused by the other animals, until they get to know each other. It just takes time.”

With their Pet of the Month entry, the Burchfiels have won a $20 gift certificate from Evergreen Pet Center, located at 1620 E. Capitol Expressway, in the Silver Creek Marketplace.