96
| SUNRAYS JUNE 2014
ONLINE:
SCTXCA.ORG
T
here is one club that is not exclusive
to Sun City Texas residents—a
club that also welcomes their hairy,
sometimes slobbery, friendly four-legged
family members. The Sun City Texas Pet
Club is for pet lovers alike who share a
common interest in animals and animal
welfare.
As what President Tom Olsen said is
foremost a pet social club, the Pet Club
has grown to incorporate core values of
community, service, training, and, most
importantly, fun. The club meets a few
times a year for social gatherings, meet-
ings with pet- or animal-related speakers,
and parties. They also help sponsor the
Blessing of the Animals each year with
Judy and BobWorth—this year scheduled
for October 4 (stay tuned to the
Sun Rays
For Furry
Friends
and Their
Humans
By Maggi Jones
PHOTO BY SHERRY MCRAE
for more details!).
The club also works closely with the Emer-
gency Management Committee on Pet
Evacuation procedures and can provide
help with a lost or found pet in Sun City
Texas. They also aim to help new residents
or new pet owners by providing informa-
tion about area resources, such as emer-
gency veterinary care.
Over the last few years, the club has be-
gun offering residents and their pets a
chance to become trained therapy dog
teams, visiting hospitals, memory care
facilities and rehabilitative centers. Resi-
dents and their dogs can also be trained
for the Reading Education Assistance Dog
program, or R.E.A.D., which trains teams
for special reading-oriented gatherings
with children at schools and libraries.
For members with puppies, or dogs who
still act like puppies, the club provides
AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) classes
throughout the year. This class teaches
dogs (and owners) how to accept a friendly
stranger, walk with a loose lead, sit and
stay, walk through a crowd, and more.
Note: Canine Good Citizenship is a pre-
requisite for therapy dog training.
A popular club in Sun City Texas, the Pet
Club is comprised of more than 320mem-
bers—who may or may not have pets;
members are not required to own a pet,
only to have a love for animals. Member-
ship is $12 annually. For more informa-
tion about the club, training schedules,
or questions, email TomOlsen, President,
at
or see page
104 in the Chartered Clubs section.
The Pet Club – Caring and Community-Oriented
