BARK
Community Newsletter March 2008
Bandit’s Adoption & Rescue of K-9s
www.barkva.org
804-449-BARK
BARK Adopters get a Dude
Ranch Pet Resort Discount
Fundraising Reminder~Many
ways to contribute, please tell a friend!
BARK Statistics for February 2008
Mark Your Calendars
Thank You Notes
Notes from the Farm: From Matilda!
Doggone Good Info
Happy Tails.....Waggin’
Good News!
Kennels in Ashland, VA
The Kennel Teams still need folks to help
take care of the dogs at the farm. Some days there are only three people
on a team – and that makes for along day!
If you can pitch in and help,
days or nights, please contact us by email at billlindaphoto@mindspring.com or
calling 804-449-BARK.
PetSmart at Virginia
Center Commons
The Adoption Team could use
more volunteers at the Virginia Center Commons adoption stand. The BARK team is
there from noon -3PM each Saturday.
BARK is the only dog rescue that consistently shows up. Please stop by
whenever you can.
BARK Adopters get a Dude Ranch Pet Resort Discount
Edmond
Blausten, is an active participant with the Black Nose Bouviers Rescue group in
Goochland. He is also owner of The
Dude Ranch Pet Resort, and has graciously agreed to give a 10% discount on
kenneling to any dogs adopted from BARK (adoption paperwork may be
required for confirmation).
The Dude Ranch
Pet Resort is located at 11015 Dude Ranch Road, Glen Allen, VA 23059 (804-798-7900) and has been open
for about 7 months. Discounts may
also be available for BARK volunteers – please contact them for more
information.
BARK Statistics for February 2008
ADOPTIONS
We set our goal for 2008 at 600 adoptions and we are off to a great start!
|
Month |
Feb 2007 |
Feb 2008 |
|
Richmond |
37 |
33 |
|
Arlington
|
11 |
10 |
|
OTHER |
0 |
12 |
|
TOTALS |
48 |
55 |
OTHER STATS
Here are some
other statistics for BARK activity in February 2008:
|
# of Dogs Taken in from Shelters |
72 (up from last month) |
|
Returns (went to adoptive homes and were returned) |
11 ( within 1 week, beyond 1 week) |
|
# of Dogs in Foster Homes |
63 |
|
# of Dogs Adopted from Foster
Homes |
22 |
|
# Completed HW treatment |
6 |
|
# Currently receiving HW
treatment |
4 |
|
# In need of HW treatment* |
12 |
*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.
BARK is celebrating the very
special adoption of longtime resident Big Joe. Many volunteers had a special place
in their hearts for this 95 lb. Akita mix. His size made it difficult to take Big Joe to adoption
outings, but through the constant networking of some very dedicated
volunteers (along with some very special admirers) Big Joe
found his forever home.
Linda Lane, a BARK volunteer,
recently visited Big Joe at his new 1500-acre spread in Madison, VA. On arrival, she found Big Joe sitting
by the fireplace on one of his special doggie beds with a big bone while his
new parents sipped wine nearby. They hired a trainer to help them learn to
handle Big Joe but there has been no need. Big Joe has taken his place within
the family and his parents are overwhelmed with the bonding that has already
occurred.
Big Joe’s new mom Trish says,
"Big Joe is here at my feet. He continues to be the most amazing and
wonderful dog ever. He is kind and gentle. He is probably 15 lbs.
heavier, because everyone who comes to The Studio likes to bring him treats. He
gets so excited!!! He does a
little whimper sometimes, just like a little baby crying. If he hears me
upstairs and I haven't come down in the morning yet ...he whimpers. He
hears David driving around the corner ... he runs to the window and
whimpers!!! It is so dear and utterly compelling. Not being a dog person
... I am completely disarmed by these human traits! There are no words to thank you for the love you gave Joe --
before he could come and live with us. Some people say he hit the
doggy-jack pot - we think we did!!!"
Congratulations, Big Joe,
your fondest dream (and ours) has come true!
Fundraising 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!
Mark
Your Calendars
Watch for BARK at the special events listed below. If you would like to help out at the
event, please contact Terri@barkva.org.
May
2nd – 4th PetSmart
Adopt-a-thon (only at
Short Pump location)
April 12th Goochland's
opening day for Baseball
April
26th Thoroughbred
House Network, Warrenton VA
May 17 Environmental
Network Carnival at Bank of America
May 30 Markel
Adopt-a-thon (3-6PM)
June 7th Ashland's
Strawberry Faire.
June 21st Richmond
Vegetarian Festival 2008, noon
– 6PM, Azalea Gardens at Bryan
Park. (Rain date is July 12, same time & location)
September 13th Henrico Humane’s Bark in
the Park, Deep
Run Park, 11AM-2PM
Thank
You Notes
THANKS to Dave Harris, Bill
Stewart, Susie Massey, Brian Sponaugle and volunteers from Hands On Richmond
for all their hard work clearing brush around the farm and fixing stairs at the
kennel.
MANY THANKS to the students
at Twin Hickory School for all the toys!
Notes from the Farm: From Matilda!
Spring is in the air, and Tom
Petty and I have moved back outside to our condo! We are so excited to see and
hear about all the great things that are going on around here. New neighbors
have come and gone, and I have discovered that some are less annoying than
others! Just last week, this
new guy moved in next door and (just between you and me) he is one weird
looking dog. Not only is his hair
thick and matted (and quite unkempt), his eyes are two different colors AND he
never stops talking!! I'm not sure why, but the humans keep giving him extra
treats, and it's really getting on my nerves. The other day I just couldn't stand it anymore, so I came up
with a plan. When no one was looking, I tunneled under the fence and grabbed
his bone, slyly sneaking it back into my house. Just as I was savoring the bone
AND my clever plan, Bev walked by and caught me in the act! She thought it was
very funny, but I didn't laugh as she took the bone away from me and covered up
my secret passageway. Tom had warned me about getting caught.... I hate it when
he's right!
Last Saturday, I was napping
in the sun when I heard a huge commotion coming from the driveway. I looked up just in time to see Uncle
Bob running down the hill with his chainsaw! Believe it or not, these crazy people were trying to pull a
giant house on wheels up the driveway. This thing was so huge that they had to
take down the cow fence in order to get it around the corner. Uncle Bob made Sue guard the cows to
make sure they didn't escape, while he ran up and down the driveway cutting off
branches from the trees! It took
forever, but they finally pulled the house to the top of the hill where it
perches on what seems to be the perfect spot for watching the sunset. Rumor has
it that this place will be used for dog training, human meetings, and a shelter
for everyone on rainy days!
In closing, I'd like to thank
everyone who came to help and visit us over these cold winter months, and share
this quote with you:
"We give dogs the
time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all.
It's the best deal man has ever made."
-M. Facklam
I sure hope to see you at the
farm soon. Your visits mean so
much to us!
With
Love,
Tilly
With
the arrival of spring, you and your 4-legged friend may find yourselves looking
for an outdoor activity. Check out this video of Pete, the skateboarding
wonder:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAEP4ZCs-1s
Happy
Tails.....Waggin’ Good News!
I can
definitely tell you that Josh is settling down very well. He's finding his favorite spots
around the house to lay around, he loves his daily walks and going to the dog
park to play fetch. He's not getting along too well with other dogs around the
apartment complex but hopefully he'll come around and be friendlier towards
them soon. He's such a sweet guy, we love him so, so much. By the way, we did
rename him so now he's Batman and responding really well to the new
name. . . . Thank you so much for all the work you do for the dogs, we're very
grateful for everything you did that made it possible for us to have this
wonderful new addition to our family.
- Ivette G.
Wally is gorgeous and we adore him. He
settled very quickly - loves his walks, at least three times daily! He
and my son Ben are inseparable, I'm ashamed to admit that he will only sleep on
Ben's bed! He also travels everywhere in the car when Ben is driving. Warm regards -Di
Kate and Casey are now known as Ruby and Hazel, they are enjoying a life of luxury and
we are enjoying them. The first week or so we had them, they wouldn’t
come out from under the kitchen table except to go outside. We took them
to the vet who said they were quite healthy. . . . They love their walks
(especially down the wooded lane behind our house) and we take them for long
walks three times a day. We just had our back yard fenced in to also give
them a place to run. They prefer to stay right beside us when they are
outside since they are still very timid. Today I had them out in the yard
and had left the back door open. When they had had enough fresh air, they
just came back inside and got on the sofa leaving me outside by myself!
Their favorite spot is piled up on top of Gary. We love them and
anxiously await the day when they are relaxed enough to play and enjoy
life. Thanks to BARK for bringing them into our lives. - Karen
Chip is settling in quite nicely and we feel so lucky to have
him! You are right – he is an extra-special sweetie-pie!
We’ll bring him by the Bark adoption stand soon to say hello to everyone.
Thank you again! - Julie R.
Dottie is doing extremely well and loving her
new home in Pennsylvania. She has a small wooded area in which she does her
business each day and enjoys sniffing around at all of the local creatures
(birds, squirrels, rabbits and some cats). She is chewing lots of stuff, but
mostly just her toys. She has gotten our living room carpet twice, but that is
OK given her age and energy levels.
We have decided not to get a fence for the yard, as she can jump over
things that are almost 5 feet high. We set up some chairs to block her access
to the living and dining rooms and she easily jumped right over them. We are
looking to get her an invisible fence so she can roam the yard and run freely.
So far we are always putting her on a leash which is too restrictive for her. -
Matthew
Beanie is settling in very well. Still a bit shy
with the people but having a blast with our other two dogs! - Peter
Tatiana is such a wonderful dog! She is a
sweetie, well behaved smart, and so gentle. My neighbor used to
obedience-train dogs (Rottys, Dobies and Sheppards) and is going to help me
with her. She sleeps right by my bed every night and follows me around
like a shadow. I put a sheet on my sofa so when I watch TV she lays in my
lap! She looks forward to our morning and evening walks. Tati is so
wonderful I am so happy she is in my life. Thanks again for allowing me to
adopt such a wonderful dog! - Louise
Cincy is now Butternut. She is becoming very comfortable
in her new home and by tomorrow should be free to roam her new territory in our
invisible fence. She has fit right in with our other 2 dogs. . .
.She is very loving and that is what i was looking for.
Toby (aka Scruffy) is great! Of course, we are still
working on separation anxiety issues with our boy, but I feel sure he will come
around with time. Other than that small thing, he is happy, healthy, and the
love of our lives. He is wonderful, charming, playful, smart and so eager to
learn. He has met most of the dogs and people in our neighborhood and has a ton
of new friends. This was truly one of those meant to be things. We love him
dearly.
Thank you for the
good work that you do and for helping us meet Toby. You, Debbie and the other
folks at BARK have changed our lives for the better.- Merry :)
Troy is now Albert. He's doing great! We all love him very
much. Special thanks to Beth W. who came to visit and offered great advice and
encouragement. Beth is a wonderful asset to your organization and we are very
lucky that she lives in our neighborhood.
On 2/2 I broke my leg and have been house bound ever since. Albert has
been wonderfully understanding and my husband and sons have taken over the
walking. Paul comes home at lunch time to take him out and the boys take him
out again when they get home from school. In between, Albert is a peaceful
companion. He sleeps in the bed right next to me. This whole confinement would
have been much more disheartening without our precious Albert. He still tries to get at our cat from
time to time but we have worked out some systems to keep them apart. I am forever
grateful to BARK for bringing Albert into our lives. He has brought so much
love and now I cannot imagine life without him. Sincerely,vthe Teeples Family
We renamed Sheba to Elza and she has taken to the change very
well. She has been to obedience school one week with 7 more to go, and it
was unusual to find another Canaan mix dog there. She definitely has her
own personality and lots of energy. She loves going in the car with us,
and running in the back yard. Elza has been a positive addition to our
family. We will drop by Petsmart to visit in the future. - Ronny and
Terrell
Theresa’s name is now Bella and she is just the most precious thing
ever! Being rescued from a puppy mill she is very shy about new
things, but she is coming around. She is very shy around my husband but I
am hoping with time she will get more comfortable. I think it's men
in general she is frightened of. She hugs, loves, kisses, snuggles and
follows me around all day long. She loves my mom and my kids, actually
loves all little people and loves the cats. I leave her leash on her
sometimes after walks and the cats chase the dog and the leash around the
house. Bella will turn around and surprise the kitty with a big
kiss. It is too cute. After the first week she has come
to LOVE her daily walk, so much that she decided that she had to
have a walk to go potty. I am going to have to figure a way to
retrain that one. [She] Loves hanging out on the couch, waking the
boys up in the morning and loves carrying around socks. We are
having such a good time with her. Anyway, I need to thank you from
the bottom of my heart for saving Bella. You and all the volunteers
that do what you do are angels here on earth to give these dogs a
chance at a normal life. The [awful situation] that Bella was in would
have just continued if it wasn't for big hearted people like you. -
Beth
Tawney is now Sandy.
I love my dog ... She is such a sweet dog and plays with her ball or
sleeps on the couch. I am trying to learn to walk her and she does good
until we meet someone and then barks really loud and pulls, etc. I had a
trainer come to show me how to walk her and sometimes she does good and
naturally sometimes it is hard to hold her She loves to go out in
my yard with me and I throw her ball to her and she loves to catch it. My
daughter came to see her last week and thinks she is the best dog I've had -
even better than my other 4 cocker spaniels. - Valerie Poole
Jules is now Ginger.
I love her and am so happy. She is doing really well. - Christie
Claire is doing wonderful and we are so glad to
have her. She settled right in with us and is already spoiled rotten! But she
deserves it. - Julia
Stella seems to be adjusting though she seemed a
little depressed at first. I had
to coax her to eat her dog food at first, but she is eating fine now. She is afraid of steps and won't go
upstairs yet so we're going to have to work on that. I put her bed in the
family room until she gets brave enough
to go up the stairs to the bedrooms. Stella
is getting along great with my other female Pry. My other female Pry seems to
know that Stella is still a baby and lets her have what ever she wants even
though Angel is twice Stella's size. They have been having a great time playing
together. -
Karen
Spirit (we renamed her Mandy) is doing beautifully here. She
gets along well with our other two dogs and cats and she loves being a
fixture in our laps. Our vet checked her out and gave her a clean bill of
health. She very quickly picks up on verbal commands and she is doing a
great job with the training. We feel very fortunate to have been able to
adopt Mandy. She is bringing a lot of joy into my family's life! –
Helen
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)
