Spotlight on Paulette Mahurin

I’m really excited to have Paulette Mahurin as my guest today. I’m sure you’re going to enjoy hearing about her. Put your paws together and give her a warm Clowie’s Corner welcome!

Paulette with Terry, her husband

Clowie: I’m really pleased you could join me today, Paulette.

Paulette: First let me say a huge thank you, Clowie, for having me over to your great site, one of my favorites. And, to your great person, for doing the typing for you.

C: It’s my pleasure! My biped will appreciate that – I’m planning to campaign for a keyboard designed for paws! Would you like to tell us about yourself?

Paulette: I’m a Nurse Practitioner, specializing in Women’s Health with an unmitigated love and passion for all things dogs. My husband, Terry, and I have been involved in dog rescue (mainly rottweilers) for the past 28 years. We’ve been affiliated with several rescue groups and help how we can whenever we can. My recent endeavor is to donate profits from a recently published book to the first and only no-kill animal shelter, Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center, in Ventura County California where I live. There was an article in the Ventura County Star.

Tazzie, the beloved dog mentioned in the newspaper article, painted by Paulette

C: It’s wonderful to help homeless animals.

Paulette:  When I’m not involved with work or dog rescue, I love to write and do pro bono work, especially helping women with cancer who need a non-threatening friend with experience to help them in their sometime very scary journey.

C: It sounds as though you’re a very busy person.

Paulette: I’m just a simple down to earth 67-year-old woman who is grateful to be alive after a long, almost 15 year, bout with Lyme Disease (just at the tail end now, thankfully). Dogs are my passion and as long as there is a furry kid in my life I can’t imagine not being okay with whatever else may come my way.

C: I’m glad you’re almost recovered, that must have been difficult for you.

Eli, soon after he was rescued from a kill shelter

Paulette:  I’m married to a really great man, Terry, who’s my best friend. No joke. He’s a retired NASA attorney who now only  does pro bono work in the local court house self-help legal clinic to give back to the poor who can’t afford to see an attorney. We’ve been married for 28 years.

C: Congratulations! You’ve been together a long time. I’m guessing there are some dogs in your household now?

Paulette:  Our furry kids are Max ( a purebred rottie thrown into a kill shelter because he was born without a hind paw & the breeder couldn’t sell him) & Bella (a rottie sharpei mix found roaming the streets and also thrown into a kill shelter). They are both a little over 1 year and incredibly fun & loving kids. They are so bonded we have trouble keeping them separated which has recently been a little problem because Bella had eyelid surgery on both eyes from inverted lids scratching her corneas (apparently a problem with sharpei).

C: That sounds painful.

Paulette: She’s healing nicely but they kept looking for where the other was and sat facing each other on different sides of our french doors. We were pretty busy keeping them entertained till she had her stitches out. She was happily reunited with Max who continued to sleep on top of her. Unfortunately, she now has a problem with her leg and we need to separate them again! We have no other children just our furry kids but we’re from a large family of close cousins and wonderful friends who are like extended family.

Max and Bella

C: Poor Bella! I hope she recovers quickly. What is your favourite game?

Paulette: The very first answer that came to mind was hide and seek with Max & Bella. I go behind a door or get in the closet and whistle for them to find me. Their excitement…well all you dog lovers here know, that wagging tail is too irresistible.

C: Yes, a wagging tail always seems to make bipeds smile!

Paulette: As far as an actual game game I like Charades with fun people who like to get silly and have a good laugh.

C: That can be fun! Do you have a favourite book?

Paulette: There are so many books I’ve read and loved it’s really hard to pick one. Some of my all time favorites: The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham; The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (great dog book where the dog is the protagonist); A Kinship with all Life by J. Allen Boone (another great dog/animal book) to name a few.

C: Wow! There are one or two familiar ones there and some new ones for my reading list. Thank you very much for being my guest today.

If you’d like to hear more from Paulette you can find her at the following places:

• Her blog – The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap
• Twitter – @MahurinPaulette
• Facebook page – The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap

The proceeds from Paulette’s book benefit the Santa Paula Rescue Center. These links go directly to the book at:

• Amazon.com
• Amazon U.K.
• Goodreads
• Shelfari

See you next Wednesday!