I AM MARCO.

About Marco

Marco Polo — DOB December 25, 2019 (6 years old; turns 7 on Christmas)

Breed: Bichon Bolognese

Vaccinations current

Veterinarian

Dr. Linda Colburn at Companion Animal Clinic

Clinic address

7332 Pioneertown Rd, Yucca Valley, CA 92284

Clinic phone

(760) 228-1474

Hours

Mon–Fri, 7:00 am – 5:00 pm

Dr. Colburn cell
(emergencies ONLY)

(914) 202-5709

After-hours emergencies (clinic closed): call VEG in Palm Desert — open 24/7.

Only call Dr. Colburn's cell if it's a true emergency and neither the clinic nor the two Palm Desert options can help. You will have to pay back with expensive wine.

Food

Small - medium amounts are best. Feed morning and evening; if he seems very hungry, a midday meal is fine.

His usual bowl is a blend:

• his kibble (the base)
• a small amount of dried liver or other topping treat
• one other topper — cheese, chicken, or similar

If pushed, he'll eat plain kibble on its own — so don't stress if a topper runs out. No need to mix anything wet with the dry food. Kibble stays dry; toppers go in as their own bits.

Walks Etc.

Minimum 2 pees daily: first thing in the morning and around sunset.

Ideal if also mid-day, but that might require him going somewhere or going for a walk. He signals clearly if he needs to go urgently by shaking.

The Dog Park!

Marco's favorite outing.

Address

8490 Warren Vista Ave, Yucca Valley, CA 92284

Map

Open in Google Maps · Open in Apple Maps

Best time

About 1 hour before sundown — that's when the locals show up. Check today's Yucca Valley sunset time. Late September, sunset falls around 6:30 pm, so aim for ~5:30 pm.

Regulars know Marco and will look out for him, they'll help if anything comes up.

Supplies — Petco Yucca Valley

Closest pet store.

Address

58713 Twentynine Palms Hwy, Yucca Valley, CA 92284

Phone

(760) 228-2173

Store page

stores.petco.com

Emergency Contacts

Three friends from Essig Park — all live in Yucca Valley, all know Marco, any of them can take him in or come help if something goes sideways.

• Myra Kennedy (310) 991-2206

  The “mayor” of the dog park — knows everything, also runs a dog day care and does watch Marco.

• Tara (“Tara Dog Park”) (949) 466-1834

  Dog park regular, hike buddy, happy to watch marco.

• Alice Williams (909) 569-5607

  Dog park regular, she's the one who fostered Ziggy.

Call in this order.. Any of them can also take Marco overnight or longer in a real bind.

Boarding

Marco can board at Barkingham Pet Hotel California (a.k.a. Barkingham Palace) in Palm Desert — only with prior arrangement.

Location

73650 Dinah Shore Dr, Palm Desert, CA 92211

Phone

(760) 699-8328

Website

pethotelcalifornia.com

Call first to confirm availability and ask for their pickup and drop-off times — the windows are very narrow.

Food: Barkingham prefers his meals separated into individual small plastic bags. If that's not feasible, don't worry — send his food along and they'll portion it themselves.