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Thursday, January 5, 2012 – Daily News 5A FEATURES Petty parents prompt parental panic Dear Annie: Last Janu- ary, a couple moved to our town, and their two daugh- ters began attending school with my 11-year-old daugh- ter. The older girl is the same age as mine, and they became friends. Throughout the summer, the girls played at our house and theirs, but recently, some things have begun to disturb me. Three months ago, the girls' father appar- ently told the mother to get a job. When she didn't, he cut off their cellphone service. When that didn't convince her to find employ- ment, he cut off their landline, the cable and their Internet service. The girls said he told their mother he wasn't going to pay for any of these things, and that if she wanted them, she'd better pay for them herself. So far, the mother hasn't attempted to look for work. I've had both girls over to my house as much as possible so they can use the computer to play games and watch our TV. Last weekend, both girls began crying, saying their father wouldn't give their mother any money for Christmas, and that he plans to cut off the elec- tricity at the end of the week. The mother told him that if he did that, she would leave — without the girls. dren, but don't know either of the parents very well. I've considered going to their home and telling them Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar what this conflict is doing to their children, but I'm not sure what to say. Is this something to call Child Pro- tective Services about? My heart is breaking to see these two darling little girls scared and crying all the time. — Distraught Neighbor Dear Distraught: Kids can live without cable and Internet access, but shutting off the electricity and watching their mother walk out is something else entire- ly. Of course, unless you knock on their door, you will have no idea what is really going on. Please do not go alone. If the situation is as bad as it seems, anything could happen and you should indeed call the authorities. You also can dis- cuss it with the school counselor, who should be aware of the stu- dents' home situation. Dear Annie: My son will be graduating in June. His microwave oven needed replacing, so my Dad offered to purchase the microwave, adding, ''That's your graduation present.'' When my brother needed a new tire, Dad bought it, saying, ''That's your birthday present,'' even I feel terribly sorry for these chil- though his birthday was not for another six months. When I needed auto repair work in August, Dad said, ''That's your Christmas pre- sent.'' He keeps a tally of his gifts and shows up at birthday parties and Christmas gatherings empty-hand- ed, and then reminds you, very pub- licly, of what he did for you. We appreciate his generosity, but these gift consolidations feel more like business transactions with no con- nection to the occasion. Are we missing something? — Not Ungrateful Dear Not: Dad has a finite amount to spend on gifts. When he sees that you need something, he wants to help, but doesn't have the means or desire to then purchase an additional gift for your special occasions. He reminds you at the parties because he worries you won't remember that he already gave you something. It's a harmless quirk, but if you'd prefer a birthday gift, simply refuse his offers to repair your car. Dear Annie: Thank you for pointing out to ''Mad Mom of the Bride'' that gifts might still be arriving at a later date. When I married, I received few gifts before the actual wedding, except from those who lived out of town and couldn't attend. The rest were brought to the reception or arrived weeks after. — Just My Two Cents Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. New life for 29 wolf dogs LOS ANGELES (MCT) — Chained to posts on a half-acre lot, the 29 wolf dogs languished for years behind stockade fencing at a roadside attrac- tion near Anchorage. The wolf hybrids were unable to touch one anoth- er except when they were bred through chain-link fences. Several had sore backs and legs because they had never been able to move more than a few yards at a time. The animals were seized by Alaskan authorities as evidence in an ongoing criminal investigation and scheduled for destruction before the Lockwood Val- ley Animal Rescue Center intervened. The center had the wolf dogs spayed and neutered, then transported by plane and truck to its sanctuary in the Los Padres National Forest, about 90 miles north of Los Ange- les. They arrived at the 20- acre sanctuary Dec. 12 and will live the rest of their lives unchained, in sprawl- ing enclosures and net- works of wire holding pens. Striding toward a pen shaded by scrub oaks and pine trees, Lori Lindner, co-founder and president of the nonprofit sanctuary, introduced visitors last week to members of her new "packs": a black female with dark honey- colored eyes featured in Sean Penn's 2007 film, "Into the Wild," and a large male that fathered seven of the rescued wolf dogs. Lindner, 46, recalled with a sigh arriving at the Wolf Country USA attrac- tion in Anchorage earlier in the month to begin prepar- ing the animals for the long trip to California. "It was heartbreaking to see so many of these ani- mals on chains," she said. "Wolf dogs are products of human vanity and machis- mo." The trouble is that cross- ing wolves, which have been bred by nature for millions of years to be wild, with dogs, which The North State's premier supplier of stoves STOVE JUNCTION The Over 25 years of experience EPA approved stoves are EXEMPT from no burn days! Did you know... Tues-Sat 9am-5pm Closed Sunday & Monday 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff www.thestovejunction.com 530-528-2221 Fax 530-528-2229 COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. We perform dealer recommened 30K, 60K, 90K SERVICES AT LOWER PRICES Smog Check starting at $ (most cars and pick-ups) 2595 + cert. Pass or FREE retest 527-9841 • 195 S. Main St. est animals on the planet," said Shuster, 82. "They do better on chains. That way they don't fight, and people can pet them." Money to take the wolf dogs to the sanctuary came from a $5,000 donation from the Humane Society and a "very, very large donation" from Bob Bark- er, who hosted the TV game show "The Price is Right" for 35 years, Sim- mons said. Because of their histo- ries, size, strength and often unstable tempera- ments, the wolf dogs need lots of care. The nonprofit International Fund for Ani- mal Welfare donated $43,000 to construct nine new enclosures with 10- foot-high fencing. MCT photo Matthew Simmons get a nip on his goatee from one of his wolf hybrids, December 22, 2011, at his Lockwood Animal Rescue Center in Lockwood Valley. have been genetically manipulated for thousands of years to serve humans, creates a conflict of innate behaviors. As a result, they are often chained up or given away, turned loose or killed, or they escape and are shot or poisoned. In a 2{-acre enclosure dubbed "wolf mansion," Lindner's husband, Matthew Simmons, called out to six juvenile wolf dogs that were adjusting to a measure of freedom. "No more pain," said Simmons, 38. "They're get- ting along amazingly well, although there have been a few tussles in which one girl pushed another girl around. But overall, they honestly seem to under- stand that this is a better environment than where they came from." The Humane Society of the United States has taken a hard stand against wolf dogs as unpredictable, destructive and rarely train- able. At least 16 states ban them, and California and 20 other states have restric- tions on ownership. Alaska prohibits ownership of wolves or wolf dogs unless they are spayed or neutered, fitted with microchips and registered with state authorities. Lindner and Simmons were alerted by sanctuary accreditation officials that Wolf Country USA was under investigation, accused of illegal posses- sion of wolf dogs. The zoo- like attraction boasted "the largest wolf pack in Alas- ka" and charged $5 to walk along a path close enough to the animals to take snap- shots and, in certain cases, pet one. "We flew to Alaska and met with the assistant attor- ney general," Simmons said. "He told us that the state had no place to keep them, and if we didn't take them he was going to dis- patch state troopers to shoot them and toss them into a freezer until the court battle with Wolf Country USA was resolved." In a telephone interview, Werner Shuster, owner of Wolf Country USA, denied that the wolf dogs had been mistreated or that he had broken the law. "We raised them since they were pups, each one had 12 to 15 feet of space and they were the healthi- The sanctuary needs $3,000 a month for mainte- nance and about $350 a day for raw meat, day-old prod- ucts bought from local gro- cery stores at a discount. It is also negotiating the pur- chase of a nearby 180-acre property that would be devoted to dozens more rescued wolf dogs and wolves. "We need $250,000 for a down pay- ment on the property," Simmons said. To help reduce the costs of the operation, which already housed 20 rescued wolf dogs, the sanctuary launched Warriors and Wolves, a program designed to pair wolf dogs with combat veterans vol- unteering there to try to overcome physical injuries and lingering anxieties. Stanley McDonald, 48, who was diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder after he returned from the Gulf War and Operation Desert Storm, is among veterans who have become full-time volunteer ranch hands at the sanctu- ary. Stepping through the gate of an enclosure where three wolf dogs paced war- ily, McDonald said, "I see a lot of myself in these ani- mals. Like them, I was lost and troubled until I came here. Now, there's a lot of healing going on." K W I K K U T S Family Hair Salon $200 REGULAR HAIRCUT off with coupon Not good with other offers 1064 South Main St., Red Bluff • 529-3540 Reg. $13.95 Expires 1/31/12 1-800-488-9906 Appointments CALL Limited Work with your doctor on migraines DEAR DOC- TOR K: I'm plagued by fre- quent migraines. I take medications to treat the migraines once they've start- ed, but I'd rather prevent them in the first place. Any suggestions? sional migraine. And many people have frequent and severe migraines no matter how well they avoid triggers. DEAR READ- ER: Migraines can be debilitating. The severe, throbbing headaches are typically accompanied by nausea, vomiting or loss of appetite. Many migraine sufferers also develop blur- ry or distorted vision, or see pulsating lights or dark spots. Most migraines last from four to 12 hours, but they can last much longer. Migraines can be trig- gered by certain activities, foods or smells. Emotions or stress can trigger migraines, too. And women often find that migraines occur or worsen around their menstrual periods. Not all migraine headaches can be prevent- ed. But if you can identify your headache triggers and avoid them, this may help reduce how often you have migraines and how badly they hurt. Common migraine trig- gers include: — Caffeine (either using too much or cutting back on regular use). — Certain foods and drinks, including those that contain tyramine (aged cheeses and meats, fer- mented drinks); sulfites (preserved foods, wines); and monosodium gluta- mate (MSG), a common flavor enhancer. — Stress, or relief from stress. (Some people get their migraines when they are home relaxing after a stressful day or week). — Hormone levels (affected by menstrual cycles or hormone-con- taining medication such as birth control pills). — Lack of sleep. — Travel. — Changes in weather or altitude. — Overuse of pain medications. Even if you avoid all triggers, you'll probably still experience an occa- Dr. K by Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D. Some other things to look into include biofeed- back, yoga, acupuncture, mas- sage and regular exercise. One or more of these may help to prevent your migraines. I also recommend talk- ing to your doctor about preventive medications. These are prescription drugs taken every day to prevent migraines. Differ- ent medicines are used to treat migraine attacks when they come. Drugs to prevent migraine are all used more commonly to treat other conditions. They include beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), anti-seizure drugs, some drugs used for depression (in low doses), and the vit- amin riboflavin. You won't find this rec- ommendation from many authorities, but I have found low-dose aspirin to help in preventing migraines in some patients. This has not been proven in a large, random- ized study. And you should check with your doctor before starting aspirin, since it can have side effects. We have a lot more information on migraines in our book, "The Migraine Solution." You can find out more about it at my website. Don't be discouraged if you have to try multiple preventive medications before you and your doctor find the best one for you. Most migraine patients can find treatments that reduce how frequently they get attacks and how severe they are when they occur. Dr. Komaroff is a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School. Go to his website to send questions and get additional information: www.AskDoctorK.com. Oh Snap! The Daily News wants your photos: Cute kids, Adorable pets, Inspirational sights, Any shot you think readers would enjoy You might just see it in the Daily News Send pictures to editor@redbluffdailynews.com or drop off at 545 Diamond Ave. in Red Bluff. Include a caption. 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