Wednesday, September 15, 1993 - North Shore News - 54

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DOLLARS AND SENSE

WE HAVE just taken
delivery. of a four-legged
baby. No, the supermarket
tabloids won’t be interested.
Our baby is Sprog (the
Dog), an eight-week-old
Jack Russell terrier.

While my wife Mandy had dogs
when she grew up in Australia,
-P’ve never had a pet.
~. You really should havea
dog,” said son Matt, 22, as he
moved out even more of his _.
possessions during his iatest brief

‘visit home.
“‘She’ll be good company, I'll
- donate some of my old stuffed
animals as toys for the dag so you
won’t have to buy any.’’

That argument did have a cer-
tain appeal, and 1 admit the house
has been very quiet with Matt
gone.

We called in dog beiavior ex-
pert Ann Jackson, of West Van-
couver, for a pre-puppy consulta-
tion,

An hour and pages of notes
later (‘‘Never let her see you clean’
“up her ‘accidents’ in the house;’?:

“Put coat hangers on the sofa if
the dog sneaks up there when

” you’re away;’” “Anything you
allow becomes a duty to the dog;’’

“Don’t repeat commands, the dog. -

will edit you out’’), I began to re-
alize what Mandy meant when she
had said, ‘‘It wil} be a lot of
work.”’

f hasten to assure you even in
this (ad)venture I’m. practising
what 1 preach:

. 3 Econamy. Sprog drinks tap
‘water and eats only a cup of dried
dog food a day.

**And usually not too much
goes wrong with this type of ter-
rier,” said West Vancouver
veterinarian Dr. George Foukal.

Low maintenance, few repairs
— what else do you need?

@ Yield. I forget about low
financial returns —- and all other

concerns — when Sprog, tail wag-
ging furiously, wriggles and licks
out her love arid excitement. at
seeing me.

She's great company any time.
Happiness is indeed a warm puppy

w 23 Yrs. Experience NO

on your lap or stomach.

And al] these are guaranteed,
tax-free benefits.
Portability. Her ‘‘puppy
palace’ should just fit under the
seat when we tly, so she can travel
as personal baggage at no extra
cost.
@ Diversification. Watk a puppy
and meet the world. Almost
everybody turns to look and inuny
Strangers stop to talk.

One 15-year-old girl sat down
in the middle of a crosswalk to
cuddle Sprog.
@ Recyclability. She’s energy-effi-
cient. Much of what goes in one
end comes out the other.

That should help cut fertilizer
costs in the garden.
8 Tax deductibility. }’m still
working on this one. |

“Tf you use a dog in your
business — like a guard dog —
you may deduct all operating ex-

EIGHT-WEEK-OLD Sprog is the
newest addition to the Grenby
household.

penses and you also get a 100%
writeoif on the cost of buying the
animal; you aren’t restricted to
only depreciation as with most

’ other business assets,"' said Maria

Bender, public affairs officer with
Revenue Canada, Taxation.

Trouble is, ‘‘guard dog’’ Sprog
will never weigh more than about
five kilograms and will stand only
30 centimetres tall.

But perhaps a tax auditor would
be satisfied if 1 got a bass ampli-
fier and echo chamber te boost
her barking; and spotlights on the
ground to throw a large shadow.

Sprog has quickly taken us back
to Matt’s baby days.

We get up between five and six
every rnorning, hoping to empty
her outside before she does the
job inside.

We exercise and run her hard so
she’ll take a sleep break and give
us a rest, too.

She complains bitterly if te‘c
alone -- unless diverted by some-
thing she shouldn’t be chewing.
After one particularly harrowing
day of puppy stress, Mandy ask-
ed: *‘Do you think we could get a
nanny?”

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But then | re-read an article |
wrote when Matt was nine —
“Invest the time and effort to
enjoy your children while you
can.’’

In it, | reminded myself and
others, ‘“They’ll be grown up and
gone all too soon.”

Matt has indeed gone; now
we're grateful to have another
chance “for a romp, a run ora
quiet moment,"’ and to be loved
and needed by a small bundle of
life — even if this one docs have
very sharp teeth and a cold, wet
nose.

ONLY

me 886

1993 EXCEL CX

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Grand Opening Prices on Ail Models
anil

Mike Grenby is a North
Shore-based columnist and in-
dependent financial adviser who
works with individuals; he will
answer your questions as space
allows -— write to him c/o The
North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale
Ave., North Vancouver ¥V7M 2H4,

NOTICE TO MOTORISTS |
PORTEAU BLUFFS ROCK SCALING PROJECT
SEA-TO-SKY HIGHWAY 99

The Ministry of Transportation and Highways advises that there will be 20 minute
delays and two and a half hour closures on the Sea-to-Sky Highway 99 at Porteau

Bluffs, 25 km north of Horseshoe Bay, until Friday, October 8, 1993, The delays
_and closures are needed for rock scaling work and will be in effect as follows:

DELAYS AND CLOSURES
Monday to Thursday
12:30 AM - 3:00 AM (2 & 1/2 Hour Closure)
3:36 AM - 5:30 AM (2 Hour Ciosure)
9:00 AM - 1:30 PM (20 Minute Defays)
1:30 PM - 4:00 PM (2 & 1/2 Hour Closure)
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM (20 Minute Delays)
9:30 PM - 12:00 AM (2 & 1/2 Hour Closures)
Friday
12:30 AM - 3:00 AM (2 & 1/2 Hour Closure)
2:30 Al - 5:36 AM (2 Hour Closure}
9:00 Am - 12:30 PH (20 Minute Delays)

Note: There will be no scheduled closures or delays for rock scaling’ work on
Friday afternoons, statutory holidays or weekends.

Delays and closures for work between Tuesday; October 12 and
Friday, November 26 will be advertised in advance

For further information, please contact the 24-hour road report at 525-4997
(Greater Vancouver); 938-4997 (Whistler); 858-4997 (Abbotsford); 371-4997
(Kamloops); 860-4997 (Kelowna); 490-4997 (Penticton); 558-4997 (Vernon); 380-
4997 (Victoria); *4997 (BC Cellular & Cantel). In all other communities, please call
1-800-663-4997,

Province of
British Columbia

Ministry of Transportation
and Highways

Res

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