Bandit’s Adoption & Rescue of K-9s
www.barkva.org
June 2007 Newsletter
Click on the links to
view the sections
BARK Welcomes a
Trainer/Behaviorist
Ask Amy – Training Tips for
Dogs
Soft Hands & Money for
the BARK Dogs
May 2007 Adoptions...Now that's
something to howl about!
Adoptions
continue to beat the pants off last year’s numbers! In 2006, we averaged 37-38 adoptions each month. For 2007, we are averaging 49!!!
|
Month |
May 2006 |
May 2007 |
|
Richmond |
16 |
37 |
|
Arlington |
16 |
18* |
|
TOTALS |
32 |
55 |
*
Skeeter, Bandit, Hope, Logan, & Hankie were adopted from ARL in May –
but their data was entered in June so their adoptions will be counted for June.
1-800-PetMeds.com
Update
We’ve had
our first great month with 1-800-PetMeds.com. Remember to tell all of your friends, family, and neighbor’s
to order all their Prescription and Non Prescription medications for all of
their pets. RX orders give us a
10% commission on an ongoing basis, and non RX orders give us FREE non RX items
for our dogs at BARK, this includes but not limited to, Advantage, and
Bordetella. Just log onto our
web-site www.barkva.org, click on
Resources, and then click on the 1-800-PetMeds link. It’s a win win situation for everyone!
If you
have any fundraising suggestions or comments, please contact Carmen @
clr07@comcast.net
BARK
at the Moon – BARK’s October wine tasting event
Mark your
CALENDARS for Saturday, October 13, 2007.
BARK is holding our 1st Wine Tasting event at James River
Winery in Glen Allen from 6:00PM – 9:00PM. There will be great music, fun raffle prizes, and delicious
Hors d’oevres and WINE!
Tickets
will go on sale in mid-July and can be purchased from various BARK
volunteers. Ticket information
will also be available online at www.barkva.org
and at our weekend Adoption Events.
If you or
your company would like to be a sponsor for this event, please contact Carmen
at clr07@comcast.net for detailed
information on how to support this great event. All donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE.
Car
Show – October 6, 2007
Stay
tuned…..More information still to come on the Car Show.
BARK Welcomes a Trainer/Behaviorist
Amy, a new
BARK volunteer, has over 20 years of experience working with the training and
behavior modification of dogs (and cats, and some other animals too!). She is a long-time dog owner with a
large ‘pack’ of her own rescued dogs.
She studied with an animal behaviorist for 4 years and is familiar with
the humane training methods used by the famous Monks of New Skete.
Each month
this newsletter will include an “ASK AMY – Training Tips for Dogs”
section. If you have a general
question about training your BARK alumnus – or about dog behavior in
general, please email Kathie@barkva.org.
We will have Amy respond in the
newsletter and/or contact you directly.
Ask Amy –
Training Tips for Dogs
Thinking
of adding a new dog to your family?
This is great news! It is very
important to start off on the right foot by outlining reasonable expectations
for your new family member:
Provide Structure
·
Keep your new dog near you at all times for the
first month or so. When out of your sight, your new dog may be doing
something that does NOT meet your approval. Remember, s/he does not know
the house rules yet! By keeping your new dog near you at all times, you
will be teaching that the house rules are to stay by your side & not wander
off to get into trouble.
·
Confine your new dog to a crate or small area
with a window when nobody is home. This way, the new dog stays out of
trouble & therefore, s/he will not upset his/her new owner upon their
arrival home every day. Be sure to leave a durable toy, like a Kong, to
keep that doggy mouth occupied! If
your dog becomes a bit anxious or bored and you have not provided a toy for an
outlet for that energy, you may find something else chewed up when you come
home! No one wants that.
·
Provide a daily routine for your new dog. It will help your dog acclimate to your
home much quicker. Feed, walk, & play at basically the same times
every day. Say each command with the same name every time, i.e.,
"Down" means to lay down, "Off" means to stay off
furniture, people, etc. Consistency is an important KEY to having a happy
dog!
Provide Education – Training, Training, and
Training!
·
Start training classes ASAP. Not only will
you learn more about how to handle your dog, you will be bonding in a very
special way. There are MANY
training resources to choose from, so choose one that is right for you that you
feel comfortable with. Whatever you choose, please make sure that you and your
family are an integral part of the training process.
·
If you have attended training classes before and
are confident in your abilities to train your new dog, remember that a training
class can also provide socialization with other dogs & people.
Socialized dogs are happier dogs! They learn to become accustomed to
being around other dogs and people.
They learn how to behave appropriately around BOTH. As a result, they are eager to greet
new dogs & people coming into their homes, at the vet office, dog parks,
etc.
·
Through training, teach your dog what you expect
of him/her. For example, if you have not taught your dog to stay off the
furniture, do not get upset if you find that s/he is on the couch.
Instead, find a fun way to teach your new dog to stay off the
furniture & reward him/her heavily when s/he stays off the furniture while
you are training.
Provide LOTS of Love!
·
Play HAPPY, CONSTRUCTIVE games like fetch.
Many behaviorists do not recommend tug-of-war or other games that may teach
your dog to challenge his family over an object. Any creative game where you are in charge of the reward and
your dog must behave in a particular way (i.e. sit, fetch, lie down) is a good
game. A very useful and fun
game for the family is one where everyone has treats and is in various areas of
the yard or house. Each person
takes turn calling the dog’s name in a happy voice and then rewards the dog
when s/he comes to them. Rewards
should alternate between treats and affection. This will teach the dog that coming when called is a GOOD
thing!
·
Go for long walks & introduce your new dog to
the new neighborhood sounds, smells, people, etc.
·
When visitors come, have them withhold an
exuberant greeting and wait for your dog to approach them in an appropriate way
(no jumping, staying on all-fours, and sniffing in a friendly manner). Letting your dog go to visitors
for a greeting (as opposed to your visitors making a fuss and showering your
dog with tons of attention) will teach your dog to be calm when new people
arrive. It will be less scary for
your dog to have a calm environment when new people arrive.
·
Most of all, have FUN with your new canine family
member & provide him/her with lots of love when s/he does anything that
meets your approval!!
Foster Parents – We Need ‘Em
Foster
Parents Needed – Puppies & Adults
Last
year BARK adopted close to 500 orphaned dogs to new families. Our foster
parents are crucial to the rescue process for the dogs. BARK has many different
kinds, sizes, and ages of dogs waiting for foster homes.
- Puppies (4-8 week
commitment)
- Healthy Adults (ongoing)
- Adults Undergoing Heartworm
Treatment (4-8 weeks)
And
if you are worried you will get too attached, become a Puppy foster
parent….they usually don’t stay for long!
Or, commit to helping a dog through heartworm treatment. Once Fido or Fluffy is heartworm free,
s/he can return to their buddies at the BARK farm! 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.
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.
Soft Hands &
Money for the BARK Dogs
Marsha
Sorg, BARK Volunteer & Mary Kay Representative, is running a BARK Special
for June. For every Satin Hands
Pampering Set sold through her website (www.marykay.com/msorg),
she will donate $5 to BARK.
Mary Kay Private
Spa Collection™ Satin Hands® Pampering
Set ($30)
Now
you're one step closer to softness. The new Satin Hands® Satin Smoothie™ Hand
Scrub cleanses and exfoliates. It's an everyday treat for hands to leave them
feeling smooth and soft instantly. And you'll love the fresh peach scent. It's
part of the new Private Spa Collection™ Satin Hands® Pampering Set for
irresistibly smooth, super-soft hands in three easy steps.
The new Private Spa Collection™ Satin Hands® Pampering
Set includes Extra Emollient Night Cream, Satin Hands® Satin Smoothie™ Hand
Scrub with a convenient pump dispenser and Satin Hands® Hand Cream to condition
and moisturize for hours. All three come in a pretty peach-colored bag.
Either order online or
contact Marsha at 804-741-3685 to place your order.
Pet Food Recall Update - Article by The Pethealth Family
Although
the Pet Food recall isn't on the front page news any longer, it is still
affecting our pets.
The
pet food recall commenced with the voluntary withdrawal of more than 60 million
units of cuts and gravy style cat and dog food by Menu Foods on March 16th 2007.
This recall was quickly followed by recalls from several other major North
American pet food manufacturers. Following extensive testing of the food the
toxic compound was identified as melamine that had contaminated the wheat
gluten ingredient in the food.
With
melamine identified as the toxin, sourced from Chinese exports of animal feed
products, the US FDA issued an import alert on April 27th subjecting all
imported Chinese vegetable protein to detention without examination. At this
point in time it appears that the flood of new pet food recalls may have come
to an end.
It
was reported in local and national media that adoptions declined in the
immediate aftermath of the pet food recall, this decline appears to have been
short lived with adoptions quickly going back to their pre-recall levels.
Perhaps of more long term concern is the financial impact that was felt by
those organizations that had to throw away food stocks of wet food which is
often used to entice older, sick or thin animals to eat.
Thousands
of companion animals and their owners have been impacted by this pet food
recall which has caused sickness and death for many hundreds, if not thousands,
of animals. Those pet owners whose animals were insured by ShelterCare Pet Insurance prior to
becoming sick are covered for the diagnosis and treatment of their pet up to
the coverage limit under the category of Poison Ingestion. Many pet owners who
did not have insurance are still waiting for compensation from the pet food
manufacturers directly and there is no indication at this point in time of when
they will be compensated.
It
has become clear during the course of the incident that, prior to the recall,
the Food and Drug Administration did not keep pet foods and food intended for
animal feed under the same level of protection and safety ensurance as food
intended for human consumption. On a positive note, the widespread concerns
about this issue and it’s implications for human grade food have clearly
resonated with the FDA which on May 1st announced the creation of a new
position. The Assistant Commissioner for Food Protection will advise on
“strategic and substantive food safety and food defense measures” with the hope
that new security measures will be put into place for the future.
Pet
owners that were not being directly affected by the tainted food have been left
with residual concerns about the safety of the commercially prepared food that
they are feeding their pets. Animal
welfare organizations may wish to inform their new adopters that the American
Veterinary Medical Association does not recommend that people attempt to
prepare home-cooked meals for their pets. Pet nutrition is very complicated and
unique to species and individual animals. "If a pet is healthy and doing
well on the pet food it is currently eating, and the food is not on the
recalled products list, there is no reason to change their diet," said Dr.
Mahr, AVMA President.
As the new incidents of contamination in pet food seem to be under control, the
focus of the FDA investigation appears to be shifting to the food used to feed
animals destined for human consumption.
- The FDA has issued a hold on 50,000 swine at
three facilities in Illinois due to concerns that the animals had consumed
contaminated livestock feed.
- The FDA has also released to inspection and
possible slaughter 10 million previously restricted broiler chickens.
- The FDA also announced that tainted feed has
been fed to fish on an undetermined number of fish farms in the US. The
FDA has issued a hold on the fish affected but is yet to release the
identity of the fish farms or the type and number of fish involved.
More
information can be found at http://www.avma.org/aa/petfoodrecall/default.asp.
"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!
Daisy is now Minnie (full
name Minnie Mouse) and she is growing like a weed. Things are going
wonderful. She loves to play in the backyard, snuggle up with us on the
bed and play with her friend next door, another black lab. She is truly
an added joy to our family! Hayden loves her and tells her so everyday.-Shauna
Petey is doing great! He is
very much a part of the family and is the most loyal of our canine children.
Sometimes the other two (Joe, the 3-yr. old beagle/border collie, and Fiona,
the 2-yr. old border collie) are content to rest or play in the family room
without any of us, but Petey will always find a human pal! He is so playful and
fun, and he loves to practice the obedience commands he learned through PenPals
and the agility techniques I'm teaching him! He even does tricks we didn't know
he knew! He begins a pre-novice obedience course at Blue Ridge Training Club so
he can join the agility class. I'm really looking forward to seeing how he
does! Petey can make all of us smile, even when we've had difficult days!
And he's not sleeping in his house at night anymore. He's "sleeping
around" alternating between our 13 and 17 year old daughters! - Susan
Goldie
fits
right in like she's been here all along. Champ and her get along great as well.
I believe everyone is happy! Thank you to everyone at BARK for all of your help
and keep up the good work! - Don and April
Diamond, who we now call Sage,
has grown to be a great addition to our family. She is so smart and beautiful.
My husband and I tell her that numerous times a day too! The cats are learning
to accept her. They still show their jealousy at times, but it doesn't seem to
bother Sage. She just wants to play with them or even just be around them most
of the time. They are all sleeping peacefully beside me now so they've come a
long way. We are expecting our son
to arrive any day now. I hope Sage doesn't get too jealous over the new family
member. I think it will probably bring the cats and her closer together. They
will all have someone to be jealous over now. Thanks for allowing us to adopt
our sweet little Sage! -Kristy and Ron F.
Oscar is doing great! Had his first swim in the ocean this past
weekend!!! -Renata M.
Teddy is still settling into his forever home. We are
working on learning to use the "invisible fence", because he follows
us over our back-yard fence. We even raised the height of the
fence. Short but strong legs! Because he wants to please, we feel,
that with time he will be more confident that we will return when we leave the
house. We are working with him on obedience and "human/animal pecking order".
We are all learning! He walks great on the "halty" lease and
really enjoys romping in the yard with Misty. Although he is still
getting to use to "city noises" he is learning that people love
giving him attention when we walk. Thanks again for Teddy. - Joan,
Jim, Misty and Teddy
Well,
we changed Bootsie’s name to Roxy
and she
is doing very well. The kids love her and she loves to torment our
cat. She is very sweet but rather mischievous. Quite the chewer.
She loves to play outside and we have a big fenced in yard, so it works
well. We are still wondering what other breed she is mixed with b/c she
isn't growing into a lab size. I think she has some sort of hunting dog
in her. - -Krissy C.
AC (now named Callie) is an excellent companion. She
turned out to be a really great dog. Thanks for Callie. - Trish K.
Binks is doing quite well. He has gained a few
pounds ( his ribs no longer show) and he has learned to play with toys. Poor thing did not know how to play
with toys before. He is very happy here and get along well with our other dog. Thanks
for thinking of him.
- Tom.
Thanks for
checking in on Sallie. Sallie is doing AWESOME! She has really adapted well to
her new home and she is a great addition to our family! Sallie is fully
housebroken and loves to be outside with the kids. She loves being on the
farm and she has really settled in well. Sallie has put on a few pounds
and is very healthy. She got to stay with Carrie and Todd for 2 days when
we went to visit Baltimore and she seemed to love seeing all her old
buddies. PLEASE keep doing the work you're doing for the dogs, it is a
huge blessing to all (both the dogs and the families). We are considering
making a part of our farm available to take in pets who are waiting to be adopted.
Have a very blessed week!- Tom & Diana
Josh, Ryan,
Nikki, Jacob, and Sallie W.
Holly is now Summer and she is doing
well. She is gets along with our other dog, Jordan. We have a
fenced backyard where the two run around. She is gaining weight. Thanks-
Karen
E.
Lady (was Fawna), as she is now called,
is wonderful! She has been spending much time at our Lake house and is a
real water lover. She has webbed feet so she swims like a duck--chasing her
favorite ball. She can leap like a deer and can get into anything, so we have
learned that all hats, clothes, umbrellas etc are fair game if left
unprotected. She is very smart and knows all her commands. She had a
great Memorial Day with her cousin Thunder the Beagle. She weighs 34 lbs and starting
to fill out like a big dog. She is potty trained which was so easy because of
our doggy doors and loves all people and other animals. I can’t tell you how
much happiness she has brought us. Love - Stephanie and Lady Fawna
Sydney is doing fine. . .. He is close to being house broken, loves his walks, and
playing with Milo, his new terrier brother. .. . We absolutely love him.
Without a doubt, he is the sweetest dog I have ever seen. - Sharon
"Spike" is doing great! (We have renamed him Tucker.)
House-training is well on its way and Tucker has learned
"sit", "down" and loose-leash walking. My kids are enamored
with him and so are the other neighborhood kids - he's a favorite at the bus
stop! Our backyard fence will be completed this week and he should be
able to chase squirrels to his hearts desire. . . . Thank you for organization's
help in finding our family's baby. - Sarah H.
Skruffy (formerly Kyle) is doing GREAT!
He is a gem of a dog, and I am so happy to have him. He has settled in quite
well. He only had a couple mistakes in the house. Now he knows his
boundaries in the yard, even though he can squeeze through the fence. He
LOVES to chase squirrels!! A little too much, it can make our walks difficult,
but he is learning slowly. He doesn’t like to be left alone and can howl
sometimes when I leave. He can swim very well although he doesn’t like it very
much, his dislike of the water is overcome by his not wanting to be left alone,
so he will swim to be near me. He is very friendly, social and
loving. Everyone loves his cute little puppy face. He is a sweetheart and
I love him! - Jessica
I am so proud of Thomas (we have renamed him Sark) he has settled in remarkably well and it seems like
he has always been here. He gets along great with all the other boys and plays
really well with two of them. He has learned the commands to sit, down, wait,
come, load up, unload, give, and go potty. He is having trouble with leash
training, but I think this is due to the scar around his neck. He has a thick scar
around his neck much like an embedded puppy collar might leave, or an
indication that he was strung up at some point. He really doesn't like having
any pressure on his collar. I am using clicker training to try and teach the
loose leash walking, all positive, so hopefully soon he will move past
it. He is obsessed with toys and is a bit of a hoarder, if you are
missing something, you just have to check his special stash and you will for
sure find it there. He is good at sharing toys too. He most recently figured
out how to chew on bones, this took a lot of work. It is a bit sad really that
I had to teach him what bones were for :) but now that he knows he is very fond
of them. I just can't say enough good things about him, I am very happy
to have him here. I am not sure how well he will work for search and rescue, he
shows a lot of potential, but he is easily frightened of loud noises, he will
bounce back fairly quickly, but he spooks too easy. I am working on it with
him, we shall see :) But either way, he has found a good niche here. . . . I had surgery the week after we
got him, and I am just recently up and around, he was such a good boy being
sweet and quiet during my recovery. Really really wonderful boy, I can see why
you all like him so much. You can bug me anytime. I hope one day to bring him
back down to see all those who loved him.
Thanks for everything, Wendy
We adopted Sage
(Diamond)in October and she
has grown to become a great addition to our family. She is so smart and
beautiful. My husband and I tell her that numerous times a day. The
cats are learning to accept her. They can still show their jealousy at
times, but it doesn't seem to bother Sage. She just wants to play with
them or even just be around them most of the time. They are actually all
sleeping peacefully by me now. We
are expecting our son to arrive any day now. We actually found out I was
pregnant a couple weeks after we adopted Sage. I hope she doesn't get too
jealous over the new family member, but if anything I think it will probably
bring the cats and her closer together. They will all have someone to be
jealous over:) [Sage has a cousin who is a yellow
lab.] Sam . . . was adopted by my sister and brother-in-law from BARK
sometime in November. His name was "Phil.” Sam and Sage get
along great together. They are both about the same size and both very
playful. Thanks for
allowing us to adopt our sweet little Sage! - Kristy and Ron F.
Oreo is settling in and becoming accustomed to us.
Her older dog-brother and cat-brother have welcomed her into the family, and the
kids are keeping her tired. She's a great dog, and making friends with all our
neighbors on our daily walks. the older dog is really perking up and showing
more energy, too, so she's definitely a good influence! -Emily S.
We
would like to thank ALL OF YOU for giving us such a wonderful, amazing, absolutely
perfect dog!!! We just love her to
pieces! She is the absolute most
perfect dog for our family! She sleeps right on my bed with me every single
night! My heart was broken months
ago when we lost our border collie due to uncontrollable seizures and I really
didn't know when I would be able to love another dog. But Lexi (who we call Sandy and she comes!) looked
at me through that cage and I took one look at her and we both just knew that
we were supposed to be together. We both needed each other...and we are a match
made in heaven! Everyone in the family absolutely LOVES her. My 20 yr.
old son is a college football player so he runs with her everyday and she runs
perfectly, right beside him and is completely undistracted while she is running
with him. My nine year old son just loves to play with her and love on
her, and my husband even takes her on walks, just the two of them. And
she follows me wherever I go which just makes my day! So trust
me, Lexi (Sandy) will have a wonderful, loving home right
here with us for the rest of her life and whatever happened to her before in
her life certainly doesn't show because she is too busy wagging her tail
and seeing who she is going to get attention from next! We all have her
as our cell phone main picture!) hahaha! Yes, we love her...can you
tell? hahaha! Thanks for the
outstanding job ya'll do finding these wonderful dogs loving homes. We
are one very huge success story!!! Sincerely, Lee Ann S.
Thanks
for checking in on Bella, who is now, Mary. She wants everyone at Bark to know how
happy she is in her new home with her new brother and sister. George, the
man of the house, is part beagle and part ridgeback, and Stella, is all
ridgeback. They all get along famously well. Mary has about 2 acres of
fencing to roam and have fun with George and Stella, and once we get Mary
trained, she'll go out to the barn from time to time, as well. Thanks
again, and Mary/Bella says she's loves everyone at Bark, and thanks so much for
caring for her until she found her home. -Gregory & Helen G.
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.