Smith: The worst of all days to be a dog

A friend and fellow dog lover plans to lead her sweet Shiloh to the car early Friday evening and take him for a long, quiet ride.

Nice idea. Shiloh is one of many dogs terrified by the booms, bangs and shrieks of fireworks on Independence Day. Every year, frightened and agitated dogs run off after escaping over, under or through fences, or through screens.

“It’s a busy night,” said Sandra Lupien of Sonoma County Animal Services. “And it’s a busy day the next day.”

Terrible things can happen when a frightened dog takes off through the streets or countryside. Lupien and Linda van Teslaar, who worked for years for the Humane Society before switching to Western Farm Center, plead that we keep our dogs and cats indoors and, if possible, stay with them.

Both suggest it can help to play music or a movie to muffle the pyrotechnics. You might also consider asking your vet about a tranquilizer.

Or hop in the car with your buddy, put some soothing cruise tunes on the radio and hit the road. You know the dog, if he could, would do the same sort of thing for you if you were scared.

SO UNCOOL, DUDE: Amid the good vibes at last weekend’s High Times marijuana fest at our “Smoke-Free” Sonoma County Fairgrounds, somebody stole a piece of glass-tube art from the booth of the Headroom Smoke Shop of Willits.

This wasn’t just any smoking tube, says the shop’s Todd Weatherhead. The “Grape Ape” tube is a unique piece created by Puntington Wigwag and worth perhaps $25,000.

Of course, Weatherhead has posted a reward. This rip-off, he said, is “kind of like stealing the Mona Lisa of the glass world.”

SORRY FOR THE SLEEP you’ve lost wondering if local Padres fan Jimmy Michels was the only person from hereabout to be in the stands for both of Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum’s no-hitters against San Diego.

Oddly, 1991 Healdsburg High alum Sierra Blair witnessed both historic games, too.

She was bleary last Wednesday, having arrived home about midnight the previous night from an extended work-play trek to New Zealand and Thailand. But when she fielded a last-minute invitation to that day’s game from fellow Healdsburg High grad and San Diego resident Kathleen Amtower, Blair rallied and went. With Lincecum’s no-hitter, she was glad she did.

And last July 13, Blair was visiting Amtower in San Diego. Amtower had to work that night and Blair decided on an 11th-hour whim to go alone to the game at Petco Park. So it was sheer, star-kissed serendipity that put her at both no-hitters.

On the other good-fortune spectrum is John Bribiescas.

The retired Santa Rosa High mega-teacher and co-founder of Schools Plus had tickets to last Wednesday’s game at AT&T, but “things came up and I couldn’t go.” He kicks himself.

Bribiescas had no shot at being in San Diego for Lincecum’s first no-hitter, last summer. But in July of ’09, he held tickets to a Giants-Padres game in SF and decided to pass.

“I was tired and it was Jonathon Sanchez pitching,” he said. Don’t you know, that was the night the lefty pitched the first Giants no-hitter in 33 years, the first ever at AT&T.

So twice, for no good reason, Bribiescas missed the making of Giants history. About now, don’t be surprised to see him heading off to AT&T even on days when he knows full there is no game

Chris Smith is at 521-5211 and chris.smith@pressdemocrat.com.