If your favorite canine or feline companion turned up missing over the July 4 holiday, please come to the Council Bluffs Animal Shelter, 2821 S. 15th St.; and you may find them wondering why it took so long for you to come and retrieve them!

Klondike Annie is multi-talented - she can walk, talk and flirt - all at the same time! She's a little 3½-year-old feline who looks very stunning in her little short black and white coat. Annie has a black face with a white blaze that starts at her nose and comes to a point in between her bright green eyes. Super short black fur covers her head and ears. Her back, sides and tail are also covered in short black fur. Annie has a white blaze on her chest and a white streak on her tummy. Annie was found in the area of South 16th Street and 16th Avenue.

Parchese definitely doesn't realize that he's not a puppy. This active little fellow jumps on the kennel door when he sees you, and he gets even more excited when you take him out of his kennel! He's a little 8- to 10-year-old terrier mix who's already been neutered. Parchese's all dressed up in a cute little, somewhat shaggy, suit of white and gray. White fur covers his face and head and he has a gray smudge mark running between his eyes. His back, sides and tail are gray - with a little white tip on the end of his tail. He has a white neck, chest and tummy. Shaggy gray fur covers his shoulders and hips and also the top part of his legs. Parchese was found in the area of North 21st Street and Westside Drive.

Georgina was originally adopted from the Nebraska Humane Society. For some reason, she ended up at our shelter as a stray. This lovely young lady has already been spayed and has a microchip. Georgina is a 2-year-old sweetie who was very interested in the water bottles on top of the cat kennels. She's attired in a brown tabby suit with white for accent. Georgina has white around her nose and a white streak that runs up between her eyes. Tiger stripes cover her cheeks, the outside edges of her eyes and the top of her head. Her back and sides are covered in horizontal and vertical stripes and she has "ringed" tail. She has a white neck, chest and tummy with tiger striped legs and white feet.

Wabasha would make a great family dog. She's a 2-year-old Labrador and Hound mix with a good personality. Short black fur circles her mouth and covers the area under her black nose. She has a reddish brown face and floppy ears. Her back, sides and constantly moving tail are covered in short reddish brown fur. She has white under her neck and on her chest. Wabasha was wearing a white flea collar when she was found in the 900 block of 16th Avenue.

The "Siamese Cat Song" can once again be heard coming from the large cat room at the shelter. Camuti is singing it her high soprano voice. She's a 2-year-old cream-colored Siamese with lilac lynx points. She has light cream around her mouth and stripes on her cheeks and around her bright blue eyes. Her ears are a solid lilac with stripes on the top of her head. Camuti's back and sides are a light cream color with streaks of lilac on her hips. Lilac lynx rings circle her tail. Soft cream covers her neck, chest and tummy and she has lilac lynx stripes on her legs and feet. Camuti was wearing a lavender and white flea color when she was discovered in the 3000 block of Sixth Avenue.

Shakopee hopes that someone out there is looking for a cute little puppy. This little guy is a 3-month-old Sharpei mix in a short little black and tan coat. He has a black face with black ears that stick straight out to the side. Shakopee's back, sides and tail are covered in short black fur. He has a tan neck, chest and tummy. Shakopee was found scampering about in the area of South 19th Street and Eighth Avenue.

Support Our Local Animal Shelter would like to thank our newest kennel sponsors - the Woodmen of the World Home Office Associates, 1 kennel (dog). An engraved plaque with your name, or your company's name, will remain on the kennel for one year.

Our current sponsors include; the Gombert Family Foundation, 2 kennels (dogs); Janella Matter, 1 kennel (dog); Dr. Barb Lee and Dr. Jody Strohbehn, 2 kennels (1 cat and 1 dog); Council Bluffs Jaycees, 2 kennels (1 cat and 1 dog); Tami and Rick VanSant - Doll Distributing, 1 kennel (dog); Wal-Mart, 2 kennels (1 cat and 1 dog); and Centris Credit Union, 1 kennel (dog); H. H. "Red" and Ruth Nelson, 4 kennels (2 cats and 2 dogs); Janella Matter, 1 kennel (cat).

If you're interested in sponsoring a kennel at the shelter to help with the care of our animals, please contact any SOLAS member.

Check out our Web site at solas.networku.net for all of our upcoming events.

You can also see photos of all of the animals available for adoption at the shelter on our Web site or you can click on the link to petfinder.com.

If you are interested in making a tax-deductible donation to SOLAS to help us pay for vaccinations and medical care for the shelter animals, please call us at 256-2287, e-mail us at solas@cox.net or mail a donation to SOLAS, 1204 N. 28th St., Council Bluffs, IA 51501-0751. All donations are very much appreciated.

Please remember that responsible pet owners always have their pets spayed or neutered. This not only makes for a happier and healthy pet, but it also helps reduce the number of pets that are put to death each year at humane societies and animal shelters, including the Council Bluffs Animal Shelter. Your actions can help reduce this number and save many lives each year.

-Mary Jones is president of SOLAS