Larry Ottoviani officially lost his job after seven years with the 7Up Bottling Company for doing the one thing that helped him counteract the anxiety in his personal life. That one thing was feeding hungry cats. “I love cats and don’t like to see them go hungry,” Ottoviania said. “When I’m feeding cats I can forget everything else for awhile.” Ottoviani had been warned several times by his supervisor not to feed the cats. The official termination notice dated Jan. 4, 2012, stated that Ottoviani violated his “last chance agreement not to feed the cats on company time and/or company property.” While Ottoviani does not deny feeding cats, he denied doing so during company time and on comp

Light up Midtown – the second annual event designed to bring holiday cheer to Midtown storefronts – crowned a winner on Dec. 14. Tres Chic Boutique, a dress store on J Street, claimed first prize for the second consecutive year. The runner-up was French Cuff Consignment, a secondhand store also on J Street, and third place was awarded to Cheap Thrills Costumes and Party Clothes, a vintage clothing and costume shop on L Street. Fifty participants competed in the contest to create “the most whimsical storefront,” which is three fewer than last year, said Heather Philpott, events and communications manager with the Midtown Business Association. For winning, Tres Chic Boutique has $1000 in

This eight-year-old Jack Russell Terrier mix is both sweet and friendly. He is fairly typical of his breed in that he is very smart, confident and independent, but he’s also a big lover! Positive reinforcement training would help him focus his energy and learn even more commands than he already knows. Mr. Smokey would do best in a somewhat active home with experienced adult owners (older kids and other dogs ok). He is eligible for our Senior for Senior Program in which adoption fees are waived for adopters who are at least sixty-years-old and adopting animals over the age of five.   *Join us on Black Friday and during the weekend for some very special adoption deals! All black (and mostly

On Saturday, November 19, the Sacramento Cat Hospital will host its third annual pet food drive, benefiting Titanic's Pantry (the Sacramento Pet Food Bank). All donations of cat and dog food, canned or dry, will help feed hungry animals throughout Sacramento. The pet food drive will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Sacramento Cat Hospital, 4115 Manzanita Avenue in Carmichael. In addition to pet food, donations of leashes, collars, cat litter, bedding, and other pet supplies are welcome. "If a family is having a tough time paying the bills or feeding their children, they may not be able to feed their pet," said Dr. Billie Bensen Martin, owner of the Sacramento Cat Hospital. "Thi

On Saturday, November 13, the Sacramento Cat Hospital is hosting its second annual pet food drive, benefiting Loaves & Fishes and Titanic's Pantry (the Sacramento Pet Food Bank). All donations of cat and dog food, canned or dry, will make a difference for a hungry animal. Pet food drive hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Sacramento Cat Hospital, 4115 Manzanita Avenue in Carmichael. "Providing enough pet food to meet the need is an ongoing challenge for shelters, charitable organizations, and animal rescue groups," said Dr. Billie Bensen Martin, owner of the Sacramento Cat Hospital. "This large-scale pet food drive is an effective way for our community to help animals in need all ove

It’s not often that bruises and beat-downs have anything positive associated with them. But that’s exactly what will take place Aug. 28 at the seventh annual “Battle of the Badges” charity boxing fundraiser. Police officers, correctional officers, and firefighters from throughout Northern California will step into the ring at Memorial Auditorium to duke it out all in the name of a good cause. The event was founded in 2003 by correctional officers Israel Montes Jr. and Yvonne Vasquez of California State Prison-Sacramento before a third officer, Pablo Vasquez, joined the team. Vasquez passed away in 2007. The annual tradition began as a small-scale event held at the Boys & Girls Club in

Stretch those legs and flex those paws for the 17th annual Sacramento SPCA Doggy Dash June 5 in William Land Park. Approximately 4,000 people and their canine companions are expected to attend, and will gather in the Village Green Area of the park. Festivities begin at 8 a.m. and will continue until 1 p.m. Participants may register with or without a dog. The SPCA hopes to raise $250,000 through Doggy Dash. "This is our largest fundraiser of the year," SPCA public relations director Lesley Kirrene said in an e-mail. "All funds raised go to help us care for the more than 12,000 homeless animals that will come to the SPCA this year alone. We have had such a terrific response to the event i

 A miniature schnauzer named Maddie stole the heart of PeopleSoft founder David Duffield and his wife, Cheryl, before the dog died in 1997. Duffield made a promise to Maddie that should they ever become well off, their top priority would be to contribute money to animal causes to repay the love Maddie gave them. To keep their promise, the Duffields started Maddie's Fund. It has set a goal of a 100 percent no-kill nation by 2015 by increasing the live release rate, or percentage of animals leaving a shelter alive, and promoting community involvement. The nation's shelters kill 3.7 million dogs and cats, annually. That number must drop to 700,000 to reach the no-kill national goal, accordi

"You are super cute," said Lesley Kirrene, as she walks past bright-eyed animals waiting for homes. "Once the animals are on the adoption floor we have made a commitment to them that we will find them homes," said Kirrene, director of public relations for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The shelter is keeping its promise. Cage after cage proudly displays the blue sign reading "On hold," which means the animal is waiting to be picked up and brought home. The lucky dogs for the day were Dorris, Roscoe, Rockie, Dot, Brindle, Fred, Conan, Bob and Kasey, who wagged their tails excitedly, knowing that they were about to go home. The shelter is not considered a "no-kill"

Peace, love and adoption were in the air Saturday night at the SPCA Raining Cats and Dogs gala. The 1960's themed silent and live auction benefiting the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals brought nearly 1,000 people to the Convention Center, according to Steve Potter, director of development "We had a wonderful turnout," he said. "Even in the economic downturn, animal welfare still pulls on people's heart strings." A live performance of "Hair" was visible on four stages among auction items as well as on the main stage along with the live music were two continuous slideshows of adoptable animals. A puppy named Ears was a crowd favorite, as indicated by the "awwwwws." "This

Jas is a giant puppy dog. He is my roommate's dog, and Antonio's biggest nuisance. He has the sweetest disposition and would never hurt a fly on purpose. He is enormous, energetic and clumsy, so accidents do happen. My roommate, Jenna, adopted Jas when he was 5 months old from the Sacramento SPCA. He had been neglected by his prior owners, and as a result was starved for attention and had some behavioral problems. A stipulation for adopting a puppy like Jas is to participate in mandatory training through the SPCA's training courses. Jas was awarded "Most Improved" in his beginners class. Jenna told me that when he first came home, Jas was very rambunctious and a bit whiny. As soon as he

There is a pet overpopulation crisis right here in Sacramento. The area’s three major shelters will take in more than 37,000 animals this year alone, and there simply aren’t enough homes for all of them. But this tragedy facing our community does have a solution. Spay/neuter is the key to reducing the number of unwanted animals entering area shelters. The Sacramento SPCA responded to this critical need when we opened our new spay and neuter clinic in May 2007. Through our clinic, the only high-volume spay and neuter clinic in the region, we will alter 12,000 animals in 2008 – saving countless lives. Our clinic is at the heart of what we stand for at the Sacramento SPCA. The Sacramento S

When my roommate came home with Antonio he was just a little ball of fur about the size of a tennis ball. She had been driving down Longview Drive when she noticed that the orange center line was moving. She slowed and saw that a tiny orange kitten was walking along the paint. She threw on her hazards, jumped out and scooped him up to take home. Antonio was only about 3 weeks old, and she got him just in time. He was covered in burrs, hungry, thirsty and confused. His eyes were still that clear-blue of a newborn. We gave him water and a bath before we went out to the pet store in search of kitten milk and a dropper to feed him. We did an online search before we went to find out what the