The Buzz

Be a buddy and help Buddy: PEP Housing is hosting a spaghetti fund-raising dinner on Tuesday, Sept. 29 for Buddy, a 6-year-old border collie suffering from lymphoma.

His owner, Melinda Craft, is a kindergarten teacher at La Tercera Elementary School. She adopted Buddy three years ago, and since, the two have become inseparable. The summer of 2008 proved to be a challenge for Buddy, who injured his knee at the dog park and required costly surgery to fix it. After 16 weeks recovering, Buddy injured his opposite hind knee, causing an identical injury and requiring the same surgery. Just when things seemed to be going back to normal, Craft discovered a lump underneath Buddy’s neck the size of a tennis ball, which turned out to be lymphoma. Buddy is undergoing treatment, but the vet bills are mounting. “I am not one to ask for monetary help from people,” said Craft. “I wish I didn’t have to, but we simply cannot fight this battle on our own.” In an effort to help, several staff members at PEP Housing are hosting a spaghetti feed from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at PEP Housing, 955 Petaluma Blvd. South. Tickets are $10 general, $5 kids. Donations are being accepted and can be made directly to Buddy’s vet: Dr. Sharon Johnson, Washington Square Veterinary Clinic, 343 S. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, or call 778-1011. Donations may be made via the “Save My Buddy” page at www.myspace.com/487395769.

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Playing Taps: New to the Kentucky Street food-and-drink scene is Taps, a brewpub on the ground floor of the Hotel Petaluma. Owner Eric LaFranchi and his crew are offering 30 micro- and Belgian beers on tap, along with food like sausages, bratwurst, hot dogs, fries and grilled sandwiches. The place is in “soft-opening mode” now, but a grand opening is planned for Friday, Oct. 2. LaFranchi said he plans to heavily feature local microbrews, noting that “besides being in the middle of wine country, we’re in the middle of pretty awesome microbrew country, too.”

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Happy tail: The staff of the Petaluma animal shelter didn’t know the sad story of a missing cat would be resolved when it scanned a new feline tenant for a microchip a few weeks ago. The cat, named Curiosity, was given up by a woman who had cared for it for three years after the cat wandered into her life. However, the microchip revealed that before its life as Curiousity, the cat was named “Patches” and was owned by part-time Sausalito resident Mickey Allison. It turns out that three years ago, Allison lost Patches while moving to Sebastopol. The loss of her pet devastated Allison, shelter manager Jeff Charter said. The story has a happy ending — the shelter contacted Allison, who jumped on a plane from her Maryland home to be re-united with Patches. Noted Charter, “Our shelter supervisor, Kathy Sousa, is very thorough and always searches longer and harder than most for a microchip. And this is exactly why.”

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On the green for a good cause: Mentor Me Petaluma is gearing up for its third annual golf tournament beginning at 1 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Adobe Creek Golf Course, 1901 Frates Road. A buffet dinner will be served after the tournament, and there will be a raffle, contests and prizes. The cost is $125 per player and includes dinner. The cost for dinner only is $50. For details, visit www.mentormepetaluma.org.

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