Above: Aileen Rice, Riverview friend Mary Johnson, and Marvin Haugen

Tipper is Riverview's 10 year-old black lab/border collie mix. He was given to us as a puppy from a former staff member, and despite one particularly trying puppy episode,* he's enjoyed a relatively laid back and posh lifestyle at Riverview. All hail to our "Canine King!"

If you've ever wondered what a "dog's life" is like at Riverview, look no further than the photo to the right. Here, Tipper graciously shares his couch with Riverview friend Lester Bisson. Do you think he was waiting for Lester to finish the sports or the opinion section?

When Tipper was around eight months old, he experienced an identity crisis one weekend. Fancying himself a beaver, he decided to make toothpicks from a variety of dining room and living room furniture. And boy, was he dedicated to this new life vocation! While we certainly appreciated his remarkable work ethic and the volume of wood shavings produced, the end product wasn't exactly to our liking. Tipper, however, is pretty perceptive. . . . and once he realized a lifetime of Polident might be in his future, he decided he might be more suited to a "dog's life," not a beaver's. Good boy.

Meet Kadie, our delightful, graceful, and beautiful feline princess. She has quite the background: Our activity director, Lou Janklow, rescued Kadie when she was a stray living outside Lou's home in a tree. After weeks of interactions, Kadie continued to stick around, and Lou called our local authorities and veterinarian to see if anyone had reported her missing. When no one claimed her, Lou decided that our residents would really appreciate this plucky survivor. Lou's niece named her "Kadie" - it most closely resembled "Kitty," as in, "Here, kitty, kitty." Once named and claimed, Kadie survived the indignity of being shaved - oh the matted fur! - and soon became the very regal girl we see today.

Did we mention, she's actually very patriotic? Seriously. When our residents sing patriotic songs, she runs towards the activity room and up to the front of the chorus. It may sound unbelievable, but as with all things, Kadie just defies expectation, and our residents dearly love her.

Meet Riverview's newest furry resident, Tommy. Pictured here with his special friend, Iva Erickson, Tommy has found a new (and warm) home after spending some time fending for himself in the frigid South Dakota winter. The Sioux Falls Humane Society found him as a stray, and with some serious TLC, he's adjusting splendidly to his new "forever home." As you can see, his beautiful green eyes and loving, laid-back "lap-cat-ittude" quickly won us over!

Kadie loves being in the midst of excitement and activity. When she's not visiting residents in their rooms, you'll often find her in the middle of our lobby, keeping watch down all three wings; she doesn't miss a thing! She also loves to sashay through the living and activity room during activities, events, and parties - she's a star.

Above: Aileen Rice and Helen Schoeneman share a moment with Grace and her newborn puppy

Above: Shiloh has his eyes on Ruby Moeller . . . and her ice cream!