BARK
Community Newsletter February 2008
Bandit’s Adoption & Rescue of K-9s
www.barkva.org
804-449-BARK
New Adoptions Stand at Virginia Center
Commons
Fundraising
News-Many Ways to Contribute!
BARK Adoption
Statistics for January 2008
Thank You Notes
Notes from the Farm: From
Matilda!
Doggone
Good Info: Jean Donaldson’s top 10 Dog Training Tips
Happy Tails.....Waggin’ Good News!
New ADOPTIONS
STAND at Virginia Center Commons!
We are pleased to announce a new adoption event at
Virginia Center Commons! We will be there from 12-3 p.m. every Saturday finding
homes for BARK dogs.
Virginia Center Commons Mall
10101 Brook Rd, Glen Allen, VA 23059
Fundraising
News Reminder~Many ways to contribute, please tell a friend!
BARK is an approved 501 c 3 charitable organization. Donations are
deductible for taxpayers who itemize other deductions such as mortgage interest
or medical expenses. In addition to cash donations, here are some additional
ways to contribute:
Charitable
Securities Account
BARK has opened a Charitable Securities account with
Wachovia Securities. This enables donors to transfer stocks, bonds and mutual
shares directly to BARK without selling them first. The major benefit of
this process is that it allows the donor to avoid paying
a capital gains tax on the appreciated asset and also allows them to take
a tax deduction of the full current market value of the security. This is a great way to help and save on
taxes (which we all would like to do)!
Employee
Giving Programs
Please check out your company’s Charitable Contribution Program. If BARK is not on their non-profit list, ask them to add us! Here are just a few possibilities:
Employee Volunteer Grants - Your employer
may provide a monetary grant to your 501(c) 3 choice if they have a set amount
of volunteer hours that you have provided to the non-profit group i.e.: 24 hours during a calendar year
will allow a donation of $100.00 to your non profit choice. The employer may have a maximum of
grants they will give on your behalf in a calendar year.
Matching Gifts
- Some Corporations may match your 501(c) 3 contribution. There may be a minimum contribution
i.e.: $25.00 deems a match, and a maximum that they will match to any one or
more organization in a calendar year.
In-Kind
Contributions - Some
Corporations may have a program where they will donate Furniture, computers, or
groups or departments can hold a drive for specific needs of a non profit
organization. (These items could
be contributed to BARK based on our “Wish List”.)
Shop
for a Cause
BARK merchandise such as apparel (for you and your
pet), housewares, bumper stickers and many other goodies are now available
online at www.cafepress.com/barkva. Check it out!
BARK Statistics for January 2008
ADOPTIONS
BARK is starting
off the year by beating last year’s total for January! We set our goal for 2008 at
600 adoptions and we are off to a great start!
|
Month |
Jan 2007 |
Jan 2008 |
|
Richmond |
32 |
39 |
|
Arlington |
22 |
8 |
|
OTHER |
0 |
12 |
|
TOTALS |
54 |
59 |
OTHER STATS
Here are some other
statistics for BARK activity in January 2008:
|
# of Dogs Taken in from Shelters |
73 (up from 46 last month) |
|
Returns (went to adoptive homes and were returned) |
5 (2 within 1 week, 3 beyond 1 week) |
|
# of Dogs in Foster Homes |
75 |
|
# of Dogs Adopted from Foster Homes |
29 |
|
# Completed HW treatment |
3 |
|
# Currently receiving HW treatment |
7 |
|
# In need of HW treatment* |
10 |
*Our goal is to treat all dogs that test positive for
heartworms within 90 days of their Intake to BARK. If you can foster a dog through heartworm treatment, we need
YOU! Please contact Debbie at foster@barkva.org for information on how to
help.
Volunteers NEEDED!
Fundraising
Program Manager - We are looking
for someone to spearhead our
fundraising
efforts in 2008. If you have any interest in this vital role, please contact
Thank You Notes
Special THANKS to all who
responded to our 2007 BARK Holiday Letter. Thanks to you, the BARK dogs
were blessed with over $5,000 of funding for their care and welfare in the
coming months. Whether you gave $1, $100, or even more – our BARK
orphans appreciate every penny and we promise to put the funds to good
use. We THANK YOU so much for your generosity.
THANKS, also, to MIKE WEBB
for working so hard to make all the kennels escape-proof.
THANKS to Dave Harris for
rebuilding one of the three picnic tables and tightening up the other two!
After they are power washed and a water resistive treatment is applied, they’ll
be ready to be enjoyed by all.
Our transport vans and the
big truck that hauls the trailer to PetsMart each week now have new large
magnet signs bearing the BARK logo!
We are thankful for that as well!
Notes from the Farm: From Matilda!
It’s been a chilly January
here at the farm. Fortunately, I
have been blessed with a thick fur coat that keeps me warmer (and more
beautiful) than most. Unfortunately, my dear roommate Tom Petty was feeling
quite cold, so Uncle Bob moved him to an inside apartment. (With another woman,
no less!) Well, I was sitting in my condo feeling quite sorry for myself, when
in came this shaggy boy named Emerson.
This guy was pretty much the opposite of my clean cut Tom with his silly
hairdo and endless energy-- and he drove me crazy! Several long days later,
when everyone saw how unhappy I was, they took me inside so I could rejoin my
sweet hound dog! And although our
new apartment is smaller and our neighbors are much noisier, I am thrilled to
be living with my best friend Tom again.
Our faithful friend Bill has
been VERY busy this month. It seems like he comes to the farm almost every day
and is transforming the place right before our eyes. He has cleaned up the clutter, trimmed the trees, and even
fixed a picnic table! A couple of
weekends ago he met with our new friend Susie and a group of people called
“Hands-on Richmond.” These folks made so much noise we could hardly hear
ourselves bark. There were
chainsaws buzzing and wood chips flying everywhere! We watched for hours as they cut down trees and dug in the
dirt. The rumor going around the farm is that they are clearing a nature trail
just for us! They even built steps on the side of the hill, so that the
volunteers won’t go stumbling down into the bushes while we walk them. I hear
that they plan to extend our path so that it goes all the way around Uncle
Bob’s farm. I can only imagine how
much fun it will be for all of us (dogs and humans alike) when it’s finished!
I’m sure that Bill would love
to have more humans come and join in on this fun project.
In closing, I’d like to share
something with you that a wonderful woman named Gilda Radner once said:
"I think dogs are the
most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role
model for being alive.”
I sure hope to see you at the
farm soon. Your visits mean so
much to us!
With
Love,
Tilly
DUKE
really needs the help of BARK’s HOPE FUND
Duke is SUCH a sweet, young
boy that we just couldn’t let Duke be euthanized at a local shelter. To us, his life is representative of
the unfortunate lives of young hounds who do not get the opportunity to be a
family pet – even though their desire to be a beloved family member is
the same as all the labradors, shepherds, spaniels, and other dogs. We had the chance to change Duke’s life
– and we took it!
Duke was brought to a local pound by a citizen after he limped onto
their property on a few days before. Duke’s teeth are pearly white
– telling us that he’s a young boy - although his skin condition, hair
loss, ripped ears, scars and thin body leads us to believe he’s suffered from
long term neglect. Duke has been
to the doctor who told us he needs surgery. Right now, Duke is very weak and can barely walk on his three
good legs so we are trying to get his surgery completed as soon as he
gains a bit of weight and strength.
We know that with surgery and the Tender-Loving-Care of a BARK foster
home, Duke will make a full recovery and he can find a loving home where he
gets to play and be a YOUNG, pampered pet.
DUKE
If you would like
to help Duke become the vibrant boy he deserves to be, please make a donation
to the Hope Fund. 100% of your
donation will go directly towards Duke’s medical costs. Donating is easy – checks can be
made payable to BARK with HOPE FUND in the memo portion of the check &
mailed to BARK, PO Box 1682, Glen Allen, VA 23060. You also can go online to http://www.barkva.org/html/hope.htm
and make a secure
credit card donation to BARK, including HOPE FUND in your donation info.
If you are
interested in providing Duke with a foster home while he receives care, please
contact us at foster@barkva.org.
Jean Donaldson’s top 10
Dog Training Tips (www.sfspca.org)
These are great tips. Please pass these on to all!
1. Expect your dog to act like a dog. Don't take it
personally when he exhibits typical canine behavior. He's not being
"bad," he's just being a dog.
2. No more free lunch. "Dogs are happiest when they're exercising their
predator skills," she says. "Make them work for their food, like
stuffing it inside chew toys, hiding it round the house, or teaching them
tricks for food rewards."
3. Start off "tight" and slack off later, rather than letting him run
wild for the first few weeks and then clamping down when the behavior isn't so
cute anymore.
4. Don't wait for him to develop bad habits, like chewing the furniture or
urinating on the carpet, before you intervene. Assume this behavior is likely
to happen, and act preemptively to manage it before it develops.
5. Supply your dog with acceptable outlets for his doggy behavior, rather than
punishing it.
6. Don't lay guilt trips on your dog. "Dogs are neither moral nor
immoral," she says. "They're amoral, meaning that they respond to
what they understand to be the consequences of their behavior. So manipulate
those consequences."
7. Get involved in organized dog sports or informal activities, such as
agility, Flyball racing, tug-of-war, fetch, or a fun game of hide-and-seek.
8. Provide a wide variety of social interactions every day. "What's the
worst punishment a person can get in prison?" says Donaldson.
"Solitary confinement. Dogs are social animals, too."
9. If you have a puppy, handle him endlessly. And make it as pleasant an
experience as possible, so he'll associate being handled with good
feelings.
10. Enroll in a good training course.
Happy
Tails.....Waggin’ Good News!
We adopted Piglet
a couple of years ago. She's doing great and we [have since adopted] a friend for
her named Kai (pronounced like rye...she was already named). They are best
friends. People ask if they're from they same litter all of the time because
they get along so well. Kai is a pit mix...a little skiddish, especially of new
sounds, but she's really blossoming. She mothers Piglet by licking over her
eyes and ears. She's about the same age as Piglet. We wanted to get a smaller
dog as a friend for Piglet, but Kai was so sweet and gentle that I had to make
a date for Piglet to meet her. Piglet whined whenever we had to leave Kai...It
was love at first sniff. Piglet
sleeps on pillows and under a blanket. She loves to snuggle. She knows sit,
shake, lay down, go lay down, go get your bone. She really likes to play now:
tug of war, fetch, hide and go seek (she'll sit while I hide her toy then go
sniff it out on command) and she loves to chew her Nylabone. She stills loves a
car ride and hiking....and still hates cats unfortunately. Below is the picture
from our Christmas card this year.
My husband is convinced that Piglet's ears
grow a little each year! -
Melissa W.
Heidi is coming
along fine. I think she is finally able to be herself. We all love her, she
enjoys the large back yard. She is treated like a queen, she also barks now.
She is sleeping now, she just ate. . . . Thanks for checking in. – Steve
T.
Thanks for checking in on Zippy, now Spot. Spot has settled in
well. We all love him, especially our lab, Angel. She has never been
happier! As you can see from the pictures, the kids didn't take longer
than 1/2 a second to fall in love with Spot.
He and Angel are inseparable. He has the perfect
temperament for this family and we are so happy to have him. I believe
our family is now complete! Thanks for finding him for us! -
Sandy B.
Kelsey is doing
great. She is a great addition to our family and Charlee (our other dog) loves
her.- Carrie M.
Toffee has
settled in very well and has made herself very much at home. She is so
smart and so affectionate – she just can’t get enough pets and belly
rubs. Her spaying incision became inflamed but the vet has her on a
2-week regimen of antibiotics which is working very well – the vet
suspects she is allergic to the internal sutures but she is coming along
nicely. We start obedience classes Feb 7. . . . thanks for checking
in! Harlean O.
Henley received a name change after about
two days to Baby. It's what we call each other in
our home and seemed right. We've discovered that she knows alot of
tricks. The girls just took her out to play ball. And she is no longer having
accidents in the house. We had to figure out how to read her and she is a very
quiet active dog, however when she needs to go outside she gives a yelp. It's
kind of cute, she's not in pain, she just wants to go out. She'll be sitting on
the couch with the girls while they play their DS and she'll get up and look at
them and yelp! . . . .Life is a better place with her, the girls now have more
responsibility and the TV is not on at all now that she is in our home, they
truly enjoy her company. Thank You for what you do, it's a shame that she
almost lost her life.- Susan J.
You should see Samson now! He has put on some weight and his coat is glossy
and shiny and so soft! He's beautiful, and we love him. He's a quirky dog,
preferring to spend time alone, and he "talks" when he wants
something. I sure wish I knew what he was saying! . . . Samson loves walks and
car rides. Unfortunately, we had to put a barrier in the van because for some
reason, he thinks he is a "lap dog" during car rides and it was
getting dangerous as he wanted to rest on the right leg and would frequently slide
down to the foot while said foot was on the gas or break pedal. He does not
like the barrier and can work himself into amazingly tight places to escape
that, too. His affinity towards escaping scares me. He gets along well with my other dog, a 14 1/2 year old
Golden. . . . All in all, we do love him and he has a good life. - Judi, Greg,
Lovey, & Samson Harrod
Jeffrey
has turned out to be the perfect dog for us, though just by being 'dog' he is
plenty wonderful. He jogs with me every morning (only about 2 miles, but still
a good start to the day) and already has learned how to pace me quite well,
refraining bravely from pulling me into squirrel territory. He still has some
learning to do about cars... he wants to bark at them and run after them, but
we are coming along. Later
he enjoys multiple outings with myself or my wife Karen, to play ball (he
particularly loves either squeaky balls or an old basketball) in our new
invisible-fenced yard, which he is still learning about. Housebreaking is
handled, it seems - from early on. . . . He has many admirers here in our lazy
little neighborhood... not the least of which are our 4 grandkids in Culpeper,
who now regularly request sleep-overs with Jeff (formerly hard to arrange
despite our efforts!). Many thanks
for this precious addition to our family, and regards from all of us! Yours, Kirb M.
Lona (renamed Myra) is doing great! She is such a
good dog and she is growing FAST! It seems like every other day we have to
resize her collar. I am soooo happy that I ended up with Myra! Myra is the
happiest puppy; she loves every person and dog that she meets! Yesterday, I
took her to my parent’s farm. They have 4 dogs: a German Sheppard, a golden
retriever, a Siberian husky, and a great dane puppy. So she was able to play
and run around all day. Then I took her over my friend’s house who has a beagle
(He is her boyfriend!). Myra likes to play with him because he is her size. She
is actually sleeping in her bed right now because she played so hard yesterday!
Myra is such a special puppy! Every time my boyfriend and I take her to
Petsmart, she becomes the star of the show! . . . Thank you for
making Lona, this wonderful puppy, a part of
my life! I could never imagine my life without her! Sincerely - Melissa S.
Elsie
is doing great. She's housetrained, she doesn't need a crate anymore,
she's eating well and absolutely loves being outside. I don't ever leave
her outside, though, because she has to be on a leash with me if she's
outside. She's come a long way, but has a long way to go in her fear of
men/socialization with people. I'm working hard to not comfort her if
she's irrationally scared but it's hard. Usually I just try to say her
name firmly and say it's okay and give her a quick touch.
She loves being with me, and I love that too but I
want her to be okay with other people, too. Given her history, I know
this may take awhile. Surprisingly, there has been absolutely no drama
with our cat. He just stares her down to show he's boss. He's a little
friskier with me, which is probably a little jealousy. She had
her first vet visit week before last and all was well. I'm putting a
solution in her ear for wax buildup about twice a week. I got her 1st 6
months of Heartgard and first dose of Frontline. . . . Thanks for inquiring
about her. My husband is trying to win her over and reading up on dealing
with timid dogs, which is very sweet. I feed her Iam's food and I cut up
larger treats she was given by my friends into small pieces for treats. Thanks
again, Julie
Spike
has fit right in and very much apart of our family, the minute he walked in the
door everyone has made over him. My husband and 2 sons have really helped
out with him and giving him lots of attention. I did take him to visit
the vet last Thursday for a routine check and he has had a cough, they gave him
a antibiotic and he seems to be doing much better and very happy. Thanks
again for checking on him. If you come across any more small dogs my
sister and friend are looking for one, please let me know. Thanks Again - Connie
S.
Gillian is now Camilla. And she's
super sweet and gets along great with Annabelle our Chihuahua. There is a pool
going on at the vet's to see what she is. My roommate works at Gayton Animal
Hospital and we had her DNA tested. I'll let you know what she turns out to be.
. .
We also call her Tumbleweed because she is still so
clumsy. Thanks again! - Susan S.
Frisco (now Cooper) is doing
wonderful. He is a VERY sweet dog and has adjusted very well to our
busy family schedule. He spends his days with my husband either at home
or traveling around the state of VA...he already been to the beach and has
visited several parks throughout the Richmond area. - Debbie V.
JR
is doing just great at his new home! Actually,
when we got him we realized that he didn't know his name. So we actually
make the decision to give him a new name, Pete, a little easier to say!
He loves his big back yard and trying his best to play with our cats (though
they'll have nothing to do with him). We just moved to a new house with a
french bulldog and a baby mastiff next door, which he loves. I will
definitely send pictures as soon as we unpack our camera! Thanks
so much for checking in, and tell all of JR's buddies he said hi! -Erin K.
Emma
(Pretty Girl) is doing very well. She is still timid indoors (she
tends to stay near her crate in the mud room at all times), but she is
venturing out more. Tonight she actually went into our daughter's room and even
into the middle of the living room (looking for me). She is eating OK, but I
think she should eat more. The longer we have had her, the more she has eaten. She loves to be outside. She is quite
playful when outside (especially when my daughter or I am outside with her). If
I did not know better, I would say she was a puppy. She is quite smart. We have
a wireless invisible fence. Last week I took her out once to teach her the
boundary. She got shocked once. She will not go near that place anymore and
whenever she hears her collar beep, she goes toward the house. I am quite
confident she will not stray too far (which is a good thing). . . . thanks!! - Dave
Mikey is adjusting well. He has started to play
and run. We thought we would be a more sedentary household. But actually we
have adjusted. Mikey gets to get out 3-5 times a day, depending on the weather.
He as a new coat to keep him warm. By next month we will start some extra
training for him at PetSmart. He has discovered kitchen counters and our wooden
molding as a "chew" toy. - Mikey sends his love.- Maketa
Yip,
now called Westbrook or Wes for short (my husband is a die hard
Philadelphia Eagles fan and Brian Westbrook is their star running back) is
doing great. He is a real lover. When we meet someone walking their
dog Wes is more interested in the person than the dog. Never met a lap he
didn't like. He particularly likes my 14 yr old son Spencer’s lap when he
is wearing his flannel night pants. He adapted really well. First
night woke up at 5am after that its been 730-830am. He catches on really
quick and is eager to please. People always comment on how handsome he
is. He was obviously well cared for by his foster parents. He was
pretty much house trained when we got him at 13 weeks. He's a bit
frisky with our youngest daughter Madison who is 6, but it really seems that
he sees her as the puppy of the group and wants to play as he would with
one of his siblings. . . He's
a big boy - at 15 wks he was almost 26 lbs.! Thank you for a special boy!
-Amy
Cooper
is adjusting nicely to our family. I've forgotten how much youngsters like to
chew. I've purchased a new pair of shoes and some
"unmentionables". His biggest problem is stealing food off the
kitchen counter if left unattended. He's a work in progress and
bringing us a lot of happiness. Our other dog is adjusting nicely too but, does
remind him at times that she is the alpha dog! - Lynn
Sam is
doing so well. He is still learning but all in all he has learned a lot in the
time we have had him. He sits on command (most of the time), never for the kids
, hahahaha. We have a routine and he knows it and we do our best to stick
to it. Once in a while he messes up and we are learning his behavior when he
does. He loves shoes and dirty clothes. So “toodles” to Sam who is
teaching everyone to hit their hampers! I couldn’t teach that for anything!
He has gotten loose a few times, we have managed to catch him but now he
seems to look at us like why aren’t you holding on and he hangs close when he
gets off. We found a harness that was similar to the one you told us about and
the kids always use that. He has his favorite toys and we are teaching him to
chew them and not our shoes. We are going to take the Saturday class at
PetsMart to learn more. We talked with Craig, the trainer at our PetsMart the
other day for half an hour and he was a wonderful wealth of information. I was
most amazed by him telling me that dogs live in the moment. The kids have done well with him,
although after the first two days of getting up an hour early to walk him, they
chose sleeping on the third and every day after. So he is my morning routine
and Todd’s evening routine, which fits perfectly because I am an AM person and
he is a PM person. So we are all happy and enjoy him very much. Thank you so
much for adding to our family. I knew he was the perfect dog and he has
definitely turned out to be just that! Much love and appreciation - Dana, Todd
and the kids
If you have adopted a BARK dog
and have a Happy Tail or any other contribution
for this newsletter, please
forward it to robin@sponaugle.net .
ANYTIME IS A GOOD
TIME TO DONATE TO BARK!
BARK
- Bandit’s Adoption & Rescue of K-9’s www.barkva.org 804-449-BARK (2275)
100% of
your tax-deductible donation will go directly to spay/neuter operations,
medical treatments, and daily care & feeding costs for the DOGS at the
Ashland farm and in BARK foster homes.
Please mail your donation to the address below. Every penny makes a difference in the
life of a BARK dog.
Please
accept my donation in the amount of:
$25
$50 $75 $100 $125 Other $___
Gift in
HONOR of: __________________________________
Gift in
MEMORY of: _________________________________
Name &
Address:
________________________________________
BARK PO Box
1682 Glen
Allen VA 23060
info@barkva.org
804-449-BARK(2275)
