BARK
Community Newsletter January 2008
Bandit’s Adoption & Rescue of K-9s
www.barkva.org
804-449-BARK
Happy New Year!!!
2007 Adoptions – AMAZING News to
Report!
BARK Statistics from December 2007
Welcome Some New PR BARK Volunteers
Thank You Notes
Fundraising
News-May Ways to Contribute!
Help Raise Funds for BARK’s
Spay/Neuter Clinic
Notes from the Farm: From
Matilda!
Doggone Good Info: Doggy Green Bean
Diet
Happy Tails.....Waggin’ Good News!
On New Year’s day,
did you resolve to help those who cannot help themselves? If you want to make a huge difference
in the life of an orphaned pet, we would love to have you! Being a volunteer
for B.A.R.K. is very rewarding. Becoming a volunteer is an experience you
will most certainly not regret. The orphaned dogs at BARK need all kinds of
humans. Becoming a foster parent is
a great way to help….and you are always needed! Contact foster@barkva.org
for more information.
If you do not have the right lifestyle or
schedule to foster a dog…. please consider helping at weekend BARK adoption
outings (contact terri@barkva.org) or
perhaps consider visiting the BARK kennel to walk, play or help clean &
feed the dogs (contact Linda billlindaphoto@mindspring.com).
Any and every
type of help is welcomed. B.A.R.K.
is a great organization and the dogs are so appreciative! There are plenty of opportunities! Commitments range from weekly to
monthly or whenever you can! More
information on volunteering can be found at www.barkva.org
(just click VOLUNTEER on the left side of the page).
2007
Adoptions – AMAZING News to Report!
Last January,
BARK set a goal of 600 adoptions for 2007. We met that goal – AND THEN
SOME!! Congratulations to EVERYONE
for their hard work!
Here are our
numbers for the year, totaling 709 for 2007!
|
Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
June |
Jul |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Richmond |
32 |
37 |
44 |
36 |
37 |
33 |
39 |
44 |
32 |
53 |
43 |
53 |
|
Arlington |
22 |
11 |
9 |
0 |
18 |
31 |
13 |
13 |
17 |
14 |
2 |
19 |
|
OTHER |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
13 |
11 |
12 |
3 |
12 |
18 |
|
TOTALS |
54 |
48 |
53 |
36 |
55 |
70 |
65 |
68 |
61 |
70 |
57 |
90 |
These numbers
include:
- 49 more adoptions in November & December 2007
than the same months in 2006!
- 669 dogs transferred from public euthanizing
shelters!
BARK Statistics from December 2007
|
STATS |
December 2007 |
|
#
of Dogs Taken in from Shelters |
46 |
|
Returns
(went
to adoptive homes and were returned) |
13 |
|
# of Dogs in Foster Homes |
64 |
|
# of Dogs Adopted from Foster Homes
|
44 |
|
# Completed HW treatment |
5 |
|
# Currently receiving HW treatment |
8 |
|
# In need of HW treatment |
9 |
Welcome
Some New PR BARK Volunteers
We are pleased to announce
some changes in the PR area of BARK.
As of January, Robin Sponaugle and Heather Valentine will be teaming up
to create this monthly newsletter.
Those with news items for the monthly newsletter should send them to robin@sponaugle.net.
We are also happy
to welcome Brian Sponaugle as our Website Coordinator. Brian will be communicating any requested
changes to our website to Kelly, our Web Designer. If you have an upcoming event to add to the Home Page of www.barkva.org, or suggestions for changes to
the text on the site, please contact Brian at brian@sponaugle.net.
Because of their
help, Kathie is grateful to be able to devote more time to BARK’s Re-homing
Assistance Program and also getting some BARK fundraising Microchip Clinics up
and running. Stay tuned for more
updates to this very worthy and critical step in our future.
WANTED: Rehoming Hotline Responder
A volunteer is needed to help
check the BARK Re-homing hotline and respond to individuals who inquire about
surrendering a dog or helping an abandoned dog they have found. This volunteer return calls and refer
people to BARK’s Re-homing program information that is online so they can learn
about what they can do to help the needy animal. This is a very important step in the progress we make as an
organization and we appreciate any and all help with this new program. Please contact Kathie@barkva.org for more information.
WANTED: Fundraising Program Manger
BARK would like to extend it
warmest thanks to Carmen Reed and Kelly Brooks for their wonderful fund raising
efforts in 2007. Unfortunately for BARK, Carmen will be relocating to the St.
Louis area as her employer is relocating a great many positions currently in
Richmond. We wish her great success and hope she will "stay tuned"
for the exciting new things occurring at BARK. With that said, we are looking
for someone to spearhead our fundraising efforts in 2008. If you have any
interest in this vital role, please contact diane@barkva.org.
Thank You Notes
Many thanks to Miss Emily
Moore for nominating BARK to be the beneficiary of the Outreach Program at
Collegiate School. Because of the students’ generosity, BARK received a carload
of biscuits, canned food, brooms, and a lovely garland to hang for
the holidays, collars, leashes and toys. Even more they want to help out again
in the spring! Many thanks, also, to program sponsor Barbara Beachly, we all
thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
We would also like to thank Cherie Madison for being such a dependable
volunteer. She is doing the laundry for us, which is a task unto
itself. We know. We used to do it!! Please leave all dirties
in the tub on the front slab marked "Dirty Linens" for Cherie to pick
up.
Thanks to Connie for the new
bulletin board at the shelter that contains photos and a list of adopted dogs.
It sure puts our hard work into perspective.
Also, with a very special thanks to all who answered our SOS for additional
volunteers at the farm over the holidays. Along with the few regular
volunteers still around for during the holidays, they saw to it that the dogs'
kennels were cleaned and the dogs were fed, watered and loved. We could not
have done it without you. Any time you want to come back (hint!), you will be
welcomed with open arms. Thank you
so much again!
Important note for anyone who goes to the farm (not only volunteers): Everyone
who passes through the gate must have a signed waiver on file or must sign one
before doing anything at the kennel. Please contact any of the senior
volunteers to obtain a waiver.
Fundraising
News- Many Ways to Contribute
BARK is an approved 501 c 3
charitable organization, which means donations are deductible for taxpayers who
itemize other deductions such as mortgage interest or medical expenses. In
addition to cash donations, there are some additional ways to contribute that are
described below.
Charitable Securities Account
In
December BARK, 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)!
Matching Funds
Many
employers in the Richmond area offer matching gifts for donations their
employees make to charitable organizations. Some also offer grants for
volunteerism. Please check with your employer to see if you can help BARK take
advantage of their generosity.
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!
Help
Raise Funds for BARK’s Spay/Neuter Clinic
BARK’s plans for 2008 include
opening a low cost spay/neuter clinic at the Tillack’s Hanover farm. We are
submitting a PetSmart Charities grant request to cover the cost of medical
equipment and supplies; however, we will need extra funds to cover operating
costs until revenue from procedures make the clinic self sustaining. An
anonymous donor has pledged an unrestricted donation of $1 for every $1 of
newly raised money for that purpose, up to a total of $15,000! Details of
the matching fund will be forth coming as soon as the PetSmart grant is
confirmed.
Notes from the Farm: From Matilda!
Happy New Year to all of my
BARK friends!
I heard that over 600 of my
fellow orphans found their forever homes this past year. I am keeping my toes crossed that 2008
will be MY lucky year!
We had a great Christmas here
at the farm. Our dear friend Linda
L. brought us the most beautiful tree, and I overheard her saying how nice it
was that Colesville Nursery
GAVE it to us. We all thought the tree looked perfect, but one sunny Saturday,
four little girl scouts came and started putting shiny stuff all over it. Then
those dear little girls and their “leader” walked around the farm and gave us
each a biscuit! Once the sun went down, we could see that the tree actually
glowed in the dark. As the days went by, we watched as all kinds of people came
to the farm and put giant boxes of bones underneath it. So here’s this
beautiful tree just waiting for us, and the humans won’t even let us get close
enough to smell it! Imagine that! How frustrating it was for the boy dogs-
every time they tried to USE the tree, they’d be pulled away! Even though the tree just sat there day
after day, it seemed to make the humans a little happier just to look at it…
Last week I overheard Linda
and Sue talking about adding even more trees to our farm. Seems those good folks at Colesville
are going to give us some trees to plant in our playpens. They would be a wonderful
addition to our bare outdoor runs that don’t get any shade. Even though it’s real comfortable out
there right now, some of those areas get scorching hot in the summer. They said someone needs to dig big
holes out there, so all of us dogs have been digging away. We’re so happy to help with the cause!
For the entire month of
December, the poop scoopers were walking around with cookie crumbs all over
themselves. That thoughtful Linda had been busy in her kitchen, preparing
goodies for her fellow volunteers.
Though I never actually saw it, Candi told me there was a table full of
Christmas treats right across from her room! She said that even though she
stared longingly at the giant boxes of cookies, no one would share them with
her. Once, I saw Bev zoom past my
condo while eating four of them at once- claiming that was her lunch. No wonder that girl stays so tiny!
One of my favorite humans is
a guy named Raymond. He has
become a regular around here, and seems to be a real big help to his fellow scoopers.
Just the other day he loaded his car up with a bunch of trash and drove
away! I hope Uncle Bob doesn’t
mind too much- I always thought that going to the dump was Bob’s favorite thing
to do on his day off. It’s pretty
cool when the humans pitch in to help keep this place looking tidy.
There are two more new people
hanging around the farm, named Amy and Kathi. They seem to enjoy walking and playing with us more than
anything, and always come with the most beautiful leather leashes! Well, last Saturday they made a big
fuss over a new resident- a Pit Bull named Tyson, (who is extremely
handsome). They said they were
“temperament testing” him, whatever that means they grabbed his paws and rubbed
his back. They opened his mouth
and pulled his tail. They even gave him CANNED food, and then took it away from
him! After that, they introduced him to several new girlfriends, and just
watched to see which one he liked the best. I tried to get their attention, because I really
wanted to meet him, but they only chose the prissy girls. I guess it’s for the best, as Tom would
have been really jealous. After a while, they decided that Tyson was a pretty
nice guy with fairly good manners, but they still think he should have a
private room. Some dogs have all the
luck!
I’m getting writer’s paw, so
I think I’ll close for this month with a quote from someone named “Unknown”:
“He is your friend, your
partner, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his
heart. You owe it to him to be
worthy of such devotion.”
As always, we look forward to
seeing you at the farm. Your visits mean so much to us!
Love,
Tilly
Doggy
Weight Loss – Green Bean Diet
Did your pooch put on some
holiday pounds? Most pet-owners
find that their pets add a couple pounds over the holiday season. A great (and safe) way to get your
pooch slimmed down by swimsuit time is the Green Bean Diet. Sandy, spoiled pet to a BARK volunteer,
once weighed in at a very UN-healthy 105!
Special Diet Dogfoods were tried – and although they may have
worked a little, they were expensive and left the poor girl with some horrible
gas! After changing veterinarians
due to relocation, Sandy’s owners were advised to STOP spending money on diet
dogfood and try GREEN BEANS.
Hmmmm. . . . . .
The recipe is EASY –
simply substitute ½ of your dog’s kibble with green beans. Sandy likes the cut green beans that
are found in the freezer section at the grocery store – usually in bulk
for big savings too! (Do not use
canned green beans, as they may have salt that is not good for doggies). Sandy’s owners simply defrost
& warm the proper portion of green beans & mix it in with ½ her typical
kibble portion. Sandy’s a yellow
lab, so she’s no picky eater and cleans her plate every time. Pooches with more discerning tastes may
need the help of some plain lowfat yogurt, or a little boiled chicken broth
mixed in to help them get started.
The Happy Ending for Sandy is
that she now maintains a HEALTHY 65 pounds of body weight (she lost 40
pounds…that’s equal to a whole dog!).
The stress of the extra weight on her hips is NO MORE and she feels
great. During the holidays she
gets spoiled with treats and some dog-friendly leftovers….so every January
she’s back to the BEANS for a month, which does the trick!
If your doggie has a couple
pounds to lose, give the Green Bean Diet a try. Less weight on his/her hips will be much more comfortable in
the long run!
Happy
Tails.....Waggin’ Good News!
We saved the best for last.
Here are post adoption updates from some of the lucky pooches who found forever
homes last year. Thanks to all the
volunteers to make these miracles happen!
We adopted Pogo from
BARK in May and she is doing well. We are very happy to have her.
She gets along with everybody here at our little horse farm and . . . she even made friend with 2 young deer
who showed up behind our house one morning. When Pogo first saw them, she
barked a few times. The deer were just curious and came closer and
closer, just checking her out. I took probably 30 pictures before Pogo decided
to run in the woods behind the house. I couldn't believe my eyes when the
deer followed her. About 1 minute later Pogo came back to the house,
followed by her new friends.... Enjoy! - Karin H.
I adopted Velvet and renamed her Akila, the intelligent one. We had a rocky
start at first as Akila and my resident German Shepherd did not get
along. I was determined to not give up on her though and it paid
off. Like magic one day they became inseparable and now can barely stand
to be out of each other’s site. We have been through . . . endless rolls of
paper towels and carpet cleaners, separation anxiety, and a true education on
the meaning of puppy proofing one’s house! That having been said, since
day one, I would not trade her for the world. I watch her sleeping on my
bed at night and realize that she is one of the greatest joys in my life. I
cannot imagine my life without her and her quirks. I sign her up for
Basic Obedience tonight as a stepping stone hopefully to getting her Canine
Good Citizen. She is a joy that should be shared and nothing makes me
happier than to see the smiles that her gorgeous self brings to faces.
Thank you again for adding such a delightful addition to my family, Banyan,
Akila and Mary G.
Sachem & Ivan are getting along really well so far. There's been a little bit
of posturing--a few times Sachem has grumbled and given him The Look, but Ivan
defers, turns away, and doesn't challenge, so any tension is quickly defused.
And they're both wagging the whole time. I've been giving them lots of
treats for playing nice. Ivan's been fine with our cat (who was puffed up all
day yesterday but today is just giving him the evil eye), and super with the
kids--gentle, patient and affectionate. I took Sachem & Ivan to the dog
park today and WOW can Ivan run--like a wolf in an Arctic nature film. And
you should've seen him casing the place and checking the perimeter for
breaks in the fence when we first got there! He played great with the
other dogs, sometimes chasing, sometimes being chased. I wondered if I'd have
trouble getting him back on the leash when it was time to go home, but
even though he kind of pretended to ignore me when he saw me with the leash in
my hand, he did go to the gate and wait for me, and let me snap on the leash
without any antics or even any hesitation. Both dogs are all tuckered out
and sleeping close to each other. He really fits in well so far. . . . we're crazy about him already and
he seems content and is settling in well. - Karen
Midnight, now Riley, is doing great. He listens very
well and gets along very well with everyone. He is great company to all of us
at our house. He has been doing very well with other dogs when he meets
them. My family got to meet him over thanksgiving and absolutley loved
him. They are looking very forward to seeing him again over Christmas.
Thank you for the follow up email and if would ever like to stop by the
house to see him you are more then welcome to. - Matthew
G.
Bunny (now Lilly) is adjusting well. We're still
introducing her to our cat Madison, but so far the process has gone well. She's
a good dog and has the potential to be a great dog with some formal training
which she starts next month. We were quite pleased that she was already crate
and house trained! She's quite the chewer and loves her rawhides and KONG.
She's also a paper stealer, so no bills or important papers near the edge of
the tables. She's warmed up to car rides and even though she can't quite jump
into the truck cab, she sure tries. She's done well with the visitors that have
come to meet her. Sarah &
Byron, Madison & Lilly B.
Tyler is doing very well. Very energetic
and friendly. I recently took pictures of him to show co-workers who
wanted to see him. . . . I may try to scan pictures from work to
show you. - Steve
Frasier/Blade is doing great!. When I was
there, they had said that he was Frasier but mentioned something about
Blade, too. When we got him home, he seemed to answer more to Blade than
Frasier, so after a democratic vote in our house, we decided to call him
"Blade". He is fitting in great. It took a week to
get into his potty schedule, but we no problems now and we can even leave him
out of the crate at night to sleep on his big, big pillow. He loves to
play fetch. My youngest son goes to Nascar Tech in North Carolina and
says that after Blade fetches his toy, he does a "victory" lap around
the furniture or yard and we all clap. My parents came to visit at
Thanksgiving from PA and fell in love with him too. Thanks so much, we
can't imagine life without him in it. - Nadine C.
Venus who is now named Boo (by my
grandaughter) is doing wonderful. She adjusted immediately and has truly
become my dog....she is so much about me it is almost scary sometimes... She
loves going for rides in the truck and loves to run...She plays often with my
son's dogs which helps burn some of that excessive energy that all the dogs
have. She has been routinely groomed every 5 weeks or so because her
nails are like weeds...they grow so fast and she likes to prance around after
as if to say look at me! She makes my day everyday. She has adopted
my granddaughter as well. She plays so good with the baby, they
will nap together, eat together play ball etc.....a true blessing....I
thank you very much for letting her become part of my family....thanks again -
Elaine N.
Abacus is doing fine and he is much
loved. It did not take him long to figure out when the kids come home
from school. When he hears their busses he goes to the window and waits
for them until he can see them and then he goes and greets them at the
door. It has become their ritual to take him out for some playtime when
they get home and that seems to be lots of fun for all of them. I am taking a dog obedience class with
him which is important for both of us and is helpful in every way
imaginable. He is smart and willing, however, sometimes you can tell that
he is in his "teens" right now and then he tries to "argue"
with me. He likes to spend this time with other dogs and is always very
polite and well mannered. Abacus is easy to get along with and a great
family dog. He has the habit of moaning and groaning rather than barking
which is quite funny. And when he sleeps, he likes to lie on his back,
preferably with his legs pulled close to him and a wall on his side. Very
funny. He is one big baby! . . . Thanks for letting us adopt
him. He is good company and a patient traveller when we go on
trips. . . Thank you to everybody at BARK for all the good things they do
for the animals there. - Mecky C. and Abacus
Jonah is awesome and easily became a huge asset
to our family. He is "our boy". Jonah runs/walks with me every
morning and settles in to his home during the day. He loves our fenced back
yard and the loving attention [of] a family who has always had a dog in the
house. We had a crate for 2 weeks. He went in it twice. He now has his own
spots for sleeping in the house and has never once messed. He must have been
loved during his first 2 1/2 years of life because he freely gives it to us.
Thank you for saving him so that he could live with us. The Chapmans
Thank you for
asking about our wonderful new addition! Boomer has become a very special part of the
family. He was rather shy when he first arrived, but his kidlike spirit has
really come out over the past 2 months. I get the impression he thinks our
younger son is his play toy. They are so cute together. Also, he likes nothing
better than his walks, so we take one long one, but probably 5 to 10 short ones
also everyday! We can't
imagine life without him. Thank
you all-
Tracy W.
Bell & Duchess (our 7 year old ARF dog)
are both doing fine and enjoying all the comforts of our home. .
. .She is a sweetie and we
are so glad to have her! She is in the Sunday night obedience school at PetSmart
- she is very well behaved. - Mark
Shiloh (formerly known as Deenie) is doing great! She's still shy,
although not nearly as much as when I first adopted her. She responds to
her name and likes to go for walks. She even has a few new four-legged
friends in our apartment complex - she's quite a gal! We've found that
her favorite toys are stuffed animals - she likes to throw them up in the air
and fling them around the living room and then chase them :) She is just
the sweetest little dog ever! We're on our way today to the Hanover Dog
Park - we like to get out to parks at least twice a week, have a few play-dates
with friends and go to Stony Point to strut her stuff! I've been trying
to socialize her as much as possible. She gets along well with other dogs
but is still fearful of people that she doesn't know. . . . Thank you for
checking in with us, I am pleased to know that BARK follows up and cares about
the dogs they place. I have recommended your organization to just about
everyone I talk to, so keep up the good work! Warm wishes - Jill and
Shiloh
I adopted Zander from you guys in July, and absolutely love him to pieces.
I believe the feeling is mutual!! He is a great dog, and a wonderful
adition to the family!!! Everyone that meets him falls in love, and I
can't imagine our home without him! Thanks for all your help!! –
Kristin S.
Just wanted to
give you an update on Pickles and Sadie (aka Pippi). Life is good for the
girls. They have adjusted well to our household. Pickles has come a
long way. Loud noises still frighten her but she is like a different
dog. And she has a howl that you would just love. She has become
quite vocal. Sadie fit right in here. She was and still is a
"needy" little friend but so sweet and lovable. They have
become best buddies and have the best time playing with each other. Mike
and I were so fortunate to get them and I can't tell you how much we love these
two. They have brought lots of joy to us and truly enriched our
lives. Hope you have a Merry
Christmas. I know our will be brighter with the addition of these
two! I will keep you updated on their progress. - Sally
If you have adopted a BARK dog
and have a Happy Tail or any other contribution
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)
