Cheers to Bugs, a 100-pound boxer-mastiff mix, who works as a service dog for military veteran David Titley, of Hooker.

Bugs' hind leg was mutilated last month in a lawn mower accident and had to be surgically amputated. In spite of his loss, the 5-year-old dog is back at work, protecting and reassuring Titley, who continues his gradual recovery from post traumatic stress disorder.

During tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Titley faced several near-death experiences including explosions from roadside IEDs. Bugs is trained to do a variety of tasks to help Titley with his PTSD condition. Bugs checks corners, makes sure others don't approach Titley from behind, and wakes Titley at the first sign he's having a nightmare. Titley says Bugs has been a life-saver.

Now Bugs would say the same of Titley, if dogs could speak. When Bugs suffered his accident, Titley, a former combat nurse, performed trauma first aid and rushed Bugs to an emergency veterinary hospital nearby.

Veterinarian Keith Harvey said Titley's initial work saved his dog's life.

It would be hard to deny these two were made for each other.

Maybe it's just another example of what's wrong with Washington, but the British newspaper The Guardian revealed that President Barack Obama has been on 30 fundraising visits to wealthy donors since April. Obama's fundraising trips, as a second-term president not not facing re-election, are more than double the number of similar trips recorded by former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush during the same period in their second terms.The Guardian's investigation revealed that Obama has raised about $40 million since January and will contribute the money to Democrats as they try to defend their majority in the Senate and retake control of the House of Representatives.While every president travels for fund raisers with wealthy donors, Obama has set a record, logging 20,000 miles on Air Force One, which has cost taxpayers $6 million. Obama, like presidents before him, often makes a speech in whatever city his fundraising event is held, to make the trip look legitimate — to make it appear to be about more than money.Kathy Kiely of the Sunlight Foundation said, “Every president does it.” adding that the public speech is arranged only after the fundraising event is set.With all the problems being dealt with in Washington, from budget battles, Obamacare problems, negotiations to roll back sequestration, immigration and tax reform, it's hard to see how the president could spend so much time raising money.

Cheers and best wishes to violinist Tanya Satteson, who has been named the new concertmaster of the Butler County Symphony Orchestra.As concert master, Satteson leads the first violins and assists conductor Matthew Kraemer. If the symphony were a baseball club, she would be the team captain.A native of Winnepeg, Canada, and current resident of Cranberry Township, Satteson is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music where she was awarded a master's degree in violin performance and the Dean's Award for Academic Achievement.A member of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra for four seasons, Satteson was a member of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra for two seasons and also has worked with the Academy Chamber Orchestra in Pittsburgh for the past three years.She has attended numerous summer festivals and has appeared as a soloist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra, and the National Repertory Orchestra. She has won a number of competitions and was awarded a first place standing and scholarship at the national finals of the Canadian Music Competition three times.Satteson has served for the past six years as an early childhood music and violin faculty member at the Center for Young Musicians in Wexford.Butler County is fortunate to maintain its own symphony, and talented, accomplished musicians like Satteson are just one of many reasons we can be proud of our community.