Bandit’s Adoption & Rescue of K-9s
www.barkva.org
804-449-BARK
Click on the links to view the sections
July 2007 Adoptions...Doggedly
pursuing our adoption goals!
Foster Parents –
We ALWAYS Need ‘Em
BARK Receives
PetSmart’s Increased Adoption Rewards
Sit, Stay – or Lie
Down on the Couch
What Kind of Dog Are You?
Happy Tails. . . Some
Waggin' Good Reports!
July 2007 Adoptions...Doggedly pursuing our adoption
goals!
We are now at 381 total
adoptions for 2007. If we
complete 44 adoptions each month until the end of the year, we will make our
goal of 600 adoptions in 2007.
|
Month |
July 2006 |
July 2007 |
|
Richmond |
40 |
39 |
|
Arlington |
2 |
13 |
|
OTHER |
0 |
13 |
|
TOTALS |
42 |
65 |
Foster Parents – We ALWAYS Need ‘Em
Foster Parents Needed –
Puppies & Adults
- Puppies (4-8 week commitment)
- Healthy Adults (ongoing)
- Adults Undergoing Heartworm Treatment (4-8 weeks)
Please consider the
chance to help a dog make a healthy start at a new life. They really really
need your help. BARK can
assist with supplying a crate if you don’t have one. Last year BARK adopted close to 500 orphaned dogs to new
families. Our foster parents are crucial to the rescue process for the dogs. Fostering
a dog is one of the most rewarding ways to get involved in rescue. There is nothing more rewarding than
hearing from the family that adopted your foster dog and knowing how LOVED
& spoiled s/he is – and how grateful the family is that you stepped
in and helped this dog they now call their own.
BARK has many different
kinds, sizes, and ages of dogs waiting for foster homes. If you are interested
in becoming a foster parent, please contact foster@barkva.org or
go on line to our Volunteer page and submit an on line foster parent inquiry http://www.barkva.org/html/form_foster.htm.
Kennel Volunteers Needed
Linda Lane, Program Manager for the BARK Kennels requests the following
help at the Kennel – if you can help, please call Linda at 804-883-7740:
·
Someone
to help check the BARKline for inquiries about volunteering. Training will be provided.
·
Someone
who could help tidy up the Kennel and outside play areas (no kennel-cleaning,
just help keep the overall environment a little more tidy). This could be
done any time during the week – there is no set schedule.
·
Someone
to launder the linens used during adoptions.
BARK Receives PetSmart’s Increased Adoption Rewards
Thanks to the efforts of
Nancy LeBlanc, Bev Jacob and Kathie Ferrette-Boutin, BARK successfully
qualified for increased Adoption Rewards at the $15 level, tripling our previous level of rewards. The criteria for this
increased level was our demonstration of an effective sterilization program and
implementation of a post-adoption follow-up program.
BARK is very proud of
the strong programs we provide to the animals in our community. Our
program to sterilize all animals prior to adoption helps with pet overpopulation. Our proactive post-adoption
communication program with our adopters helps those families celebrate a
life-long relationship with our dogs. These programs can be time
consuming, but this investment is incredibly worthwhile. The
increase in the Adoption Rewards by PetSmart recognizes our extra
efforts.
So, THANK YOU to
everyone from the kennel volunteers who feed and care for the dogs, to Nancy
for coordinating the medical and spay/neuter program, to the Adoption Team for
finding dogs great homes and completing those PetSmart forms -- and lastly
thanks to Bev for her efforts with the post adoption follow up.
We all love to hear those happy tails! And thanks to Kathie for
putting all our efforts into words so that PetSmart could see how much work we
all are doing for the dogs!
Our thanks go out to
every BARK volunteer. Each and
every one of us should celebrate these successes with pride. EVERYONE is a part of the rescue &
adoption process of our orphaned dogs.
Some volunteers are more behind the scenes than others but each person
is vital to the continuing success of BARK. So if you volunteer for BARK or donate to BARK, or
adopted a BARK dog, or encouraged someone to adopt a BARK dog, take a moment to
pat yourself on the back!!!!
More THANK YOUs are DUE
Thanks to Sue Rosenberg, and anyone who might have helped her, for
working so hard to make the new exercise pens more escape proof for the
kids. Sue extended the wire so that the dogs cannot jump over the fence
and it has helped tremendously. Sue is also working diligently on
organizing and training groups of folks who will be official walkers/exercisers
so that all the dog-kids get several opportunities to run and stretch those
legs. We still need to watch out
for the little guys who want to dig, squeeze & escape from below the fence
and gate – but the new improvements make things MUCH easier!
We'd like to extend our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all of those
who offered to help the old golden retriever, "Old Bob", who was
rescued from a ditch on the side of Farrington Road and brought in to the VRCC
for emergency care. He was in
pretty bad shape and extremely neglected. After the request for
help went out for Old Bob, the responses were overwhelming. Many offered
to foster him for his last few days, weeks or months in order to give him love
and a quality of life. Others sent donation to help pay for his medical
bills. In the end, a Golden Retriever Rescue group stepped forward and
took him in. Kim Rix from Yorktown has a hospice for ailing and aging
golden retrievers and she took Old Bob in. He spent his final days relaxing and getting all the love he
may have missed over the years.
Old Bob passed away quietly while Kim held him in her arms. He left this world with dignity and
knowing he was loved. Old Bob has
been cremated and his ashes will be scattered with those of other beloved dogs.
Out THANKS go out to all of you who came forward to help Old Bob in any way you
can. He was a sweet and gentle
dog. In such a short period of
time he left a huge impression on the hearts of all those involved. If
dogs don't get to go to heaven, then those of us at BARK want to go where they
go.
Sit, Stay – or Lie Down on the Couch
Trainer or behaviorist,
which does your dog need? If you
want your dog to sit, stay, etc. or let him/her spend some fun socialization
time with other dogs – a training class may be just what you need. You can learn how to teach your dog to
understand commands and also give him/her some fun time around other dogs
(something almost ALL dogs just love!).
A training class may also be good if you have young children – as
they can learn how to give a command to the dog as well. Training classes are
available from a wide variety of sources, from PetSmart to private training
companies.
If, on the other hand,
your dog has a behavioral issue – like lunging and barking aggressively
at other dogs, growling when you try to go near the food bowl or a favorite
toy, hiding in corners or looking fearful all the time – then you need
someone who has studied dog behavior and can serve as a Doggy Therapist. Behavioral assistance is a bit harder
to find. It also can be more
expensive because a good behaviorist usually only needs to come out once or
twice and gives you a lot of ‘homework’ to do (versus a trainer were repetition
is required to teach new tricks, etc).
Some trainers have also studied behavior, so if you are working with a
trainer but may need a behaviorist, you can ask him/her about their background
with behavior modification. Of
course, you can also contact Aunt Amy, K-9 Coach at auntamysdogs@cs.com. Amy studied
with a dog behaviorist for 4 years and has worked with behavioral issues like
dominance aggression, fear aggression and timidity or nervousness and shyness.
Whichever you choose,
also make sure that you have good chemistry with whoever you & your dog are
working with.
We are sharing the following article Dogs, Cats And Other People: Pet Stores
And Puppy Mills by Matthew Margolis to provide education to the
public. Please feel free to share
this information with others. The
more we know, the sooner we can put an end to puppy mills.
Dogs, Cats And Other People: Pet Stores And Puppy Mills
"A concentration
camp for dogs." "A slave-trade for dogs." "A tragic waste
of life that goes beyond my comprehension." "I'm shocked at people's
ability to be so cruel."
These are comments from first-hand accounts of the Buckeye Dog Auction at the
Amish
Flea Market in Millersburg, Ohio. Turns out, the Amish have some dirty laundry
that needs airing.
Millersburg is in Holmes County, deep in the heart of Amish land. If you visit www.amishofholmescountyohio.com, you'll find photographs of pastoral settings and quaint
schoolhouses, as well as links to quilt shops, buggy and carriage builders, and
a calendar of events for the year -- none of which mention the Buckeye Dog
Auction.
The auction sells dogs to "breeders." Holmes County has a human
population of 39,000, and it sells an average of 470 kennel licenses each year.
Incredible! If I were running a
dog auction, it's where I'd want to be. To top it off, many of these are
"high-volume" breeders. In other words,
they're not responsible breeders. They're puppy mills.
Puppy mills are not nice places. What they are is big business.
The pet industry in the United States is a $37 billion industry. Puppy mills
are places that breed puppies solely for profit, often in filthy, overcrowded,
anti-social and inhumane conditions. They also register their litters when
possible, because people pay big bucks for a "pedigreed"
purebred. And no, registration isn't free.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is "the nation's largest and only
significant not-for-profit dog registry and sanctioning body," as defined
by current AKC Chairman Ronald Menaker. Theirs is a powerful lobby that has
fought both for and against proposed legislation attempting to ban or at least tighten
the reins on this cruel and unnecessary practice. You can read the AKC's
position on current and past proposed legislation by clicking on the
"legislative alerts" tab on their home page: www.akc.org.
Statistics reveal that as many as 98 percent of pet-store pups come from puppy
mills or "brokers" acting as middlemen. Pet stores, in turn, slap an
exorbitant price tag on these dogs. After all, they're pedigreed.
This pedigree looks impressive and offers a semblance of security to the buyer.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, "Registration papers
do nothing to ensure that an individual puppy (or his or her parents) is
healthy or free of genetic defects, or that they were raised in a humane and
sanitary environment." Many
times, the pet-store pup is far from healthy. Often, the buyer ends up saddled
with unforeseen medical expenses and deep-rooted behavioral problems. Rarely
does the pet store compensate for these.
Think puppy mills just
breed puppies? Think again.
Puppy mills breed
disease and genetic defects. They bring up dogs that are forced to endure
unspeakable circumstances; many of which never know a better life.
We buy that cute puppy
in the pet store window, but our pup's mom likely lives in squalor and has
never felt cool, wet grass against the pads of her paws, or the soft warmth of
a blanket wrapped around her at night, or the joy of chasing a squirrel up a
tree. In fact, your pup's mom has probably never seen the outside of her wire
cage.
She was most likely bred
at far too young an age, and may have possibly never been to the vet. No
treats, no toys, no exercise, no love, she is physically and emotionally
malnourished. But as long as she keeps breeding and her puppies keep selling,
she'll continue on in this way. This will be the only life she knows, until her
body just can't take any more. Only then will she find peace.
So before you buy, ask
yourself: Am I sentencing my puppy's mom to a life no living, feeling creature
should ever know? And how much of mom is going home with me?
With legislation tied up
in big business and politics, the only way to effectively shut down puppy mills
is to dry up demand. This means buying your next dog from your local shelter or
rescue group. This means asking your family and friends to do the same. This
means educating ourselves as to the distinction between responsible and
irresponsible dog breeders. This means understanding the effects of our choices
as both consumers and animal lovers.
So before you buy, ask
yourself: What does my dollar really mean?
Woof!
Return to Top
What Kind of Dog Are You?
Have you ever wondered
if you were a dog what breed or breeds you’d be? Take a couple of minutes to complete the 10 questions at www.gone2thedogs.com and the website
will ‘calculate’ what breed shares your personality and characteristics.
The site is based on a
computer game called SUKA which was built in 1975 by Russian scientist Mikhail
Volkonsky and now housed in a London museum.
Enjoy!
Doggone Good Humor
"I wonder what goes through his mind when he sees us peeing
in his water bowl."
Penny Ward Moser
Happy Tails. . . Some Waggin' Good
Reports!
Sark (AKA Thomas) is doing
really well in every way. He is coming out of his shell and becoming a big-time
player. I take him to work with me everyday, he is a clinic favorite. He has
started his Search & Rescue training last week and is doing pretty well.
Unfortunately for me he is more food motivated than toy right now so we are
using chicken as his reward for "finding" people. He LOVES it. I, on
the other hand hope one day he will take the toy instead, chicken is messy, but
I am glad he is happy to work for something so I won't get picky. Last Saturday he joined my distractions
class on a field trip to a horse farm. He was such a good boy around the other
animals, I was very impressed. Plus he wasn't overly interested in them which
is good for Search & Rescue, it wouldn't do to have him running
off into the woods chasing deer or bunnies. . . .Thanks again for letting
him join my life. Wendy
We wanted to give Layla (formerly Shelia) some
time to settle in before we responded, since she was such a shy girl when we
got her. First, thanks to Pam
and Matt for the great job they do in fostering dogs. It's an
awesome sacrifice they make and it helps so much having a sense of the
personality and temperament of the dog. Layla is doing great in our home. She has fit in well
with our other 2 BARK dogs, Lexus and Madeline. They
immediately established her place in the pack by pinning her on her back
and she took it in stride. She has started barking at strangers,
thanks to their example, and has really come out of her shell. We have a wildlife feeder as well as 2
bird feeders in our backyard, so Lexus has taught her how to chase squirrels as
well as showed her his favorite places to nap in the shade. Layla and
Madeline are best pals and Layla follows her sister around; they love to
play in the water when our sprinklers are running! We can't say enough about the joy and love that our 3
four-legged kids from BARK have brought us. Each one has their own
personality and preferences and we love them all. I hope those who read
the website will know what a great organization BARK is and the wonderful
work you do to find homes for all of these sweet dogs. -- Julie and Larry
A.
Trish is fine and FYI we
changed her name to Zoey. She does come to Zoey
as long as she doesn't think she is in trouble. LOL She and Max get along just great. She definitely still has a
lot of puppy left in her. I don't think my 16 yr old has any socks left that
she hasn't got a hold of. ha ha! She has been very timid but I think we are
working that out of her and she is coming to trust us. She is slowly learning
the rules of the house. We do still have to keep her crated when we are not at
home. . . . But I am sure she will have the run of the house in no time. We are growing to love each other and
my son is crazy about her. She has found a good home, so no need to worry about
her any more. I would also like to
thank you for all your help, I admire the fact that you donate so much of
yourself to the rescuing and care of all the helpless pup's in the
community.
My highest respect and best regards, - Fame L.
Just wanted to let you know Kosmo is doing great!! We
have fun and he’s a blast to watch he is a year old this month. Kosmo loves to
play ball and we didn't have to teach him to retrieve the ball and he brings
right back and drops it -- he’s a natural. He is also smart and cute as
can be. Thanks -- Craig L.
Tux
is
doing great and he is such a big boy now. Yes, he weighs about 85 pounds. He is
healthy and sweet and so loving. We love having him and what can I say? He is
our first baby. However, Tux is about to have a brother, less than two weeks,
God willing. My husband and I are expecting our first baby and we look forward
to increasing the size of our family very soon. I cannot wait for Tux to see
the baby for I know he is going to love him very much. But I am sure it will be
a huge adjustment to all of us. I have no doubt we will be fine. . .
He is such a sweet dog and I am not being biased --He really is. My
husband and I love him so much and I am sure you know that feeling. It’s so
easy to get attached to an animal and honestly, I could not picture our lives
without him. We are planning another beach trip in September and we are looking
forward to take him back to the ocean and the sand. He is going to love
it. . . . Thank you again for Tux.
He is such a blessing. - Vaida
Nala (aka "Annie") is doing
great.... she thinks she is a big dog now and she is at the Chesapeake
Bay right now at our other home. She is afraid of the water but
absolutely loves the sand. We are crazy about her!!!!!!! - Roy
We love Tucker
to
death and like I said he really seems to be fitting in great with the other
dogs. I'll also get some pictures of Tucker at daycare so you can see him
with is friends. Ha ha – Stacy K.
We are doing extremely
well!! Spree (now,
"Berber") and Bennett are best buddies and love to romp in the yard
and go swimming in our wetlands. Best, Essra K.
It didn't take long for Karl
to demonstrate his
eagerness to help around the house. He found he could clean up
after supper any and all food left on the range and clean the pots and dishes
until they sparkled. He also took out the trash, but that wasn't a good
thing and we made it clear that trash diving wasn't acceptable. Karl
enjoys bed time. He noticed the old Dalmatian can sleep on the bed next
to Ginny and it wasn't too long until he was jumping in bed with us.
Initially we tried to discourage him, but he has found a section of the bed
that doesn't bother the Dalmatian or either of us and he jumps into bed and
sleeps there. He has a keen sense of hearing, and alerts us to every
little noise. This can be bothersome at night when we are sound asleep and our
son comes home from work or a date. Karl is mellowing out now and he
realizes that sleep is a perfect demand on his skills. The German
Shepherd loves Karl, and he tries to discourage Karl from getting too friendly
with me. Karl doesn't seem to mind and he tolerates the Shepherd nipping
at his heels. The Shepherd is the guardian of the bedroom door and he makes
sure that Karl doesn't wander during the night. Ginny, Shoney (the Dalmatian), Spirit (the Shepherd),
and Karl enjoy sleeping in until 11 or 12 noon each day. Karl misses Ginny
when she goes for he walk but he has me or our son or the Shepherd to play with
and they go out into the yard and rough and tumble with each other. The
Dalmatian has restricted use of his hind legs and usually gets bowled over by
Karl. He still likes to go out and watch the other two play. He
used to be the young pup that chased the Rottweiler. Now the tables have
changed and he comes inside when the play gets too rough. I'll keep you
posted. – Matt
Rizzo is doing great! A wonderful addition to our family.
She is sitting next to me as I type this. I take her to work with me some days
and she seems to like it. Our children adore her (5 kids 13-6), they won't stop
touching her. She also has a playmate in Husker, my girlfriends husky/Shepard
mix, so she is getting plenty of exercise. She is already crate trained, but we
are still working on the potty training. . . . Thanks for writing. - Lance D.
S.
Pete is sitting on my computer chair all
the time right behind me. He is a joy to have. We go on a 1/2 mile
walk every day and he loves to dig holes and chase butterflies. I give
him a bath once a week because he gets so dirty playing out side. Thank
you for all the care you give to the animals that nobody else wants. I will
bring him to Pet Smart some Saturday or Sunday afternoon to visit. He
needs his claws clipped any way. Thanks, Patty N.
We adore Girley... renamed Chesapeake, "Chessie" for short! She lives with me, my
husband, and our three cats. Our smallest cat loves to wrestle with her
and run all over the house playing chase.
Right after we adopted her last December my husband starting getting up
early to take her for a walk. The walk turned into a run and they're now
logging about 25 miles a week. She's even helped him train for two
10Ks. Thank you all for letting
Chessie come into our lives!! -
Sue G.
Scruffy is doing very well, and has gotten pretty well
settled in. He's adopted our other dog Petey as his role model -- he follows
Petey around, and imitates what Petey does. The two of them get along great --
even better, in fact, than I had hoped. He's been great for Petey... after we
lost our other dog Bobby, Petey had become really neurotic. Now, he's back to
his old self again. Scruffy has some
trust issues, and he was nervous around us at first -- in particular, he was
afraid to come in doorways if you were standing near the door, and was nervous
about being petted. He's steadily relaxing around us, though, and now he will
take treats from our hands, hold still to have his leash put on, come up to be
petted, etc. There have only been
a couple of very minor problems. In particular, he's a complete scavenger (a
bottomless pit for food), and he has tried to raid the trash when we're not
looking. We've learned that you can't leave any food unattended, or Scruffy
will take great interest in it. He understands reprimands perfectly well,
however, and this hasn't been a serious problem. …Thanks again for all of your work with the dogs, and for
introducing us to Scruffy -- he's a good dog, who just needed another
chance. Thanks and best regards,
-- John D.
Zeus is great! Today when I got home
from work, the girls were excited and wanting me to see the
decorations they created for the living room. Zeus was right there with
them, very excited. He did a dance and lots of twirls. I get a
hug from him every night when I come home. He rarely barks (when the
doorbell rings or when he is out in the back yard and hears another dog
bark.) He really is a gentleman. . . . We are very, very pleased with
this guy. He fits in as if he has been with us since day one. -
Jennifer B.
Maggie is doing great (we already have a Lucy Dog in the
family, so we had to change her name...she doesn't seem to mind). We were
really worried for awhile because she was having a lot of tummy issues. .
. Dr. Zuccarro said to give her a
Pepcid in the AM for a week and keep up with the chicken (which I did).
We reintroduced dog food and she has been great for almost a month now.
So NOW she has a great appetite for dog food (and we have started her on
treats!) She is an amazingly sweet
dog who loves to snuggle. My 3 year old son just adores her and she does
him. She has transitioned well in all other ways. She even found a family
of baby bunnies in our yard. She didn't hurt them ...but barked at them.
So we had to walk her in the front yard for about a week until the babies left
their hole. She has even had an "overnight" at my father's
house with Lucy the dog. She enjoys her extended family. She still cries
at the cat (who nows spends a lot of time under our bed) but we are working on
them to get along still. I am so glad she is a part of our family.
She is truly a sweet heart.
- Karen S.
Jackie is now named Chloe and our other little Jack
Russell, Spike, just LOVES her. We do too! We are working
on housebreaking as it is not consistent but it has been almost a week without
an accident, so we are getting there, and Chloe has also learned to sit when
asked to. She really wants to please. . . . I have told my friends we got Chloe for Spike
and that she is his dog - they think I am kidding, but I am not. Spike
really does love her. We now have two very contented and happy dogs -
both from BARK. Thank you for
checking in on us and for all the wonderful work you do! Sincerely, Sukie M.
Ajax the doggie is well. We had to take him to Brook
Rd. vet as he was having tummy issues. He is on meds now and is getting much
better. He is using his potty training pads but still is reluctant to go
outside and "do his business". He will get there....also, the vet
said he was 4 mos old...we thought he was 8-9 mos old. Oh well....we really
have a puppy now. Other than the normal puppy stuff (jumping, biting,
moving stuff around, getting into stuff) he is great. My older dog (14 years
old) is pretty laid back about the new dog; he just keeps to himself. The pup
wants to play; but the old guy wants no part of it. It's pretty funny to watch.
Thanks for the opportunity to
adopt such a special little guy. btw...we
changed his name. It is "Theodore Watson Wolford". Jennifer G.
Handsome, our little guy is doing really well! We have renamed
him, Riley.
We kept him in a green collar though! Riley loves people more than
anything and loves to give hugs and kisses. He loves playing in the grass
and playing fetch with his stuffed animals! He can do the commands:
Sit, Paw and Beg. We're working on Lay Down and Speak right now!
He's so much fun and we adore him! I think he feels the same about
us! . . Thanks again for
letting us bring him home!! - Jaime
Blossom (renamed Chaka) is doing so well adjusting to living with us. She is very healthy and has put on a little weight, in a good way. I was really surprised from the start that she is so well behaved in a home setting, considering how long she has been without her own family. She doesn't seem to have any "bad habits" like stealing food (even if you leave it on the coffee
table!) or chewing on our stuff. And the habits we are working on with her are just so cute, I sometimes think we should let her do it. She loves to wait until the wee hours of the morning when we are asleep and then climb into bed and curl up between us. She also learned that she gets a reward for giving up stolen socks, so now she steals them, runs off, and brings them back so she can get cuddled for being good. At first we tried to keep her from sitting on the couch, but I gave up on that a while ago, and now my fiance, Dave, wants to get a bigger couch so all three of us can lie down and cuddle together. I just can't tell you what a good, well-mannered dog she is, and so smart, too! She is all around one of the sweetest puppies I can imagine. After reading all kinds of positive training books that stress giving food rewards, it turns out she just isn't that interested in food - but she will sure work for some cuddling and playing! So far she can come when called (although not too reliably yet), sit, lie down, give "hugs" on command, and "give" toys and other items when asked. She has learned to (mostly) walk nicely on the leash. She loves her toys, especially a long plush snake toy, which she likes to throw in the air and shake around. Her very favorite, though, seems to be empty soda bottles, because they make a lot of noise on the wood floor and slide around a lot. Anyway, I can't tell you how good she is and all the cute things she does, but we definetly love her tons. I think she loves us too and feels like she is home now. She follows me around the house anywhere I go (bathroom included!), cuddles us constantly, and runs around the house in excitement when we come home. I am so glad that BARK was able to bring us together! Thank you so much, Signe R. and Chaka
If you have adopted a BARK dog
and have a Happy Tail or any other contribution
for this newsletter, please
forward it to kathie@barkva.org.