33 - Sunday, March 25, 1990 ~ North Shore News

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Dog days for Unc

e Len

GOLDER RETIRES FROM THE SPCA BUT WILL STILL HOST TV SHOW

AFTER 15 years with the North Vancouver SPCA, ‘Uncle’ Len Golder is hanging up his dog leash.

But the 66-year-old Golder, who recently retired from his job as an inspector with the SPCA, will con- tinue to host the popular That Dog and Cat Show on Shaw Cable 4.

As an inspector, Golder’s job was to go out and assist injured animals ‘‘of any description,’ picking up stray dogs and in- vestigating public complaints about animal facilities.

And while the bark of most of the canines Golder encountered was worse than the bite, he admits the reverse was true for a small percentage of the dogs he dealt with.

Golder recalls when he was call- ed out to pick up an injured dog. He assessed the situation and con- cluded that the job would be a piece of cake.

“*! thought the dog was hit,’’ he said. ‘‘l approached him and I figured he was in such a state that he couldn’t get me. I was never so wrong. |! didn’t exercise enough caution. He was fast on the draw and he bit me."*

And then there was the time Golder used good old-fashioned wickery to nab a not-too-friendly dog on East 18th Street in North Vancouver.

“It was like an opera when I got there. The police had the road blocked off and there were people standing on their porches waiting for the show to begin. | went up to acop — who was sitting in his car with the window rolled up — and he pointed out where the dog was...on a veranda,’’ said Golder.

“Ef approached the dog but | couldn’t get him on a catch-pole (a

CR LIA ARS ESE ema <A oar senna ee eee

By SURJ RATTAN News Reporter

pole with a loop at the end). He was too smart, he kept ducking his head. So I had to go back to the car, and when I turaed my back on him he came after me and knocked me down,"’ said Golder.

That’ 5 when Golder decided he

4 few y years ago Shaw Cable said they were going to put the show on a regular format. I said: ‘Put it on any kind of mat you like. aad

would have to out-smart the dog. He called back to the SPCA and had someone bring out a can of dog food.

Golder, with catch-pole and dog food can in hand, put the can of dog food in the centre of the cat- ch-pole’s loop and when the dog approached the apparatus and dug in for a feast, Golder had collared his canine.

Golder has been doing Shaw Cable’s That Dog and Cat Show for the last !4 years and said he can still remember the very first show.

“PT was extolling the virtues of this dog and I gave him a big build-up. When | was finished with him, I handed him off to a girl to take away and when he (dog) got off camera, you heard this big growling sound. | looked back at the camera and said: ‘Oh ya, by the way, he bites.’”’

When the show first started it was called Give Me Shelter, and it was only aired when the cable company didn’t have any other programs available, said Golder.

He added that the show’s popu- larity continued to grow and when viewers did not see the show, they would phone the cable office and ask ‘‘when is that dog and cat show"' going to be on.

“They didn’t know the name of it. They just kept calling it that dog and cat show, and that’s how it got its new name,”” said Golder, who is the first to admit he is in the dark when it comes to the technical side of show business.

“A few years ago they (Shaw Cable) said they were going to put the show on a regular format. I said: ‘Put it on any kind of a mat you like’; those were fancy words tome.”

Out of all the dogs and cats he has featured in the 14 years of the show, Golder said one particular dog stands out.

“There was this little dog and I was extolling the virtues of him. 1 was kneeling down next to him and he lifted his leg and began leaking all over me. We kept that in,”” said Golder.

He added that That Dog and Cat Show is directly responsible for the adoption of several dogs.

“That show has saved a lot of dogs.”’

Golder, who has two cats, and until recently had two dogs, says that dogs are indeed man’s best friend.

“I’ve always had two dogs because they’re great fun. Wat- ching them is better than watching television. They’re just like kids.”’

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NEWS photo Terry Peters DOG AND Cat Show host ‘Uncle’ Len Golder says watching dogs is

more fun than watching televsion.

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