Mr. Valenta Turned 94

On his 94th birthday, Joe Valenta ties his shoes in preparation for a walk with his dog Buddy. Setting out from his home, Valenta and Buddy walk a little over a mile through his Midland neighborhood, four times a day. After his wife of 68 and-a-half years, Denise, passed away in January, Valenta's son, Robert, suggested to get a dog to keep him company. After initially disagreeing, he said, Valenta saw a lost-and-found notice listing a Shih Tzu. He placed a call to notify him if a claim was not made and saw the notice appear again several times. After the dog was relocated to a humane society in Brighton, Valenta and Robert took the trip and brought home Buddy.