Apr-Jun 2013 newsltter

APR/MAY/JUN

Inside this issue: We Took A Chance

2

Transport Failure

2

Dear Members

3

Rainbow Bridge

4

Contributions

4

In Appreciation of Our Sponsors

6

Report on the Thunder Jacket

7

Homecoming

8

A Rescue Dogs True Cost

10

Duke

11

A Volunteer’s Story

12

Kibble

12

Huckleberry

13

Adoptions

14

Submitting Photos

14

Membership Form

15

NOTE: To provide the most upto-date contributions and adoptions, the newsletter will be coming to you the second week of each quarter (January, April, July, and October).

Survey Says ...

The Newsletter Team has been discussing the future of the newsletter. Besides being labor intensive, it is also expensive to print and mail nearly 700 copies, and is stale by the time you read it. We are considering converting to digital methods of communication to save money, lessen the intensity of our efforts, making the newsletter timelier, and to help the environment.

We have surveyed other Golden Rescues and find the trend is to move to an electronic newsletter or, in several cases, a blog. We are already offering the electronic newsletter posted on the website in a new and improved flip-book format and in color. We invite you to check it out. We are also exploring blog platforms and hope to have a sample up on the website shortly. We also invite you to visit it and compare the two mediums. Your feedback and concerns are welcomed. You may direct them to grreattimes@adoptagolden.com To help us decide what path to follow and to formulate a plan, we are forming a Technology Committee. The first task of this committee is to design a survey that we will post on the website in the near future and mail hard copies to all newsletter recipients. We would encourage your participation either in writing or on-line to let us know how you use technology. This will take us past the newsletter and into other formats of communication besides email, Facebook, and the website, and how they can interact with one another and be of benefit to us.

If you are interested in serving on the Technology Committee, it isn’t too late. Just send an email with the words “TECH COMM” as the subject to grreattimes@adoptagolen.com and someone will be in touch with you.

Watch your mail for the survey. It will be available electronically as well. Follow instructions to voice your opinion.

We thank you for your continued support and look forward to a brighter future for GRREATTimes.

Mark Your Calendar GOLDEN DAYS April 27th — Heritage Bark in the Park May — TBD June — TBD MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS Sandbridge Beach Gathering April 20th, 9 a.m. –2 p.m.

Little Island Park 3820 Sandpiper Road, VA Beach Heritage Bark in the Park April 27th, 10 a.m.

Chickahominy Riverfront Park Williamsburg Woodstock Festival May 4th, 9:30 a.m.—2:30 p.m.

Bryan Park, 4308 Hermitage Rd Richmond

WANTED: Web Warriors Webmaster and/or Website Content Managers.

Volunteers would help maintain the content of the SEVA GRREAT website. Could use a team of 2-3 people to cover various aspects of the website under the guidance of the webmaster. See website ad for full details. If you are interested, contact Pat at webmaster@adoptagolden.com.

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We Took A Chance Hi, we are the Woodruffs and we just added a new member to our family! His name is Chance. We got him from the new animal shelter on Military Highway in Chesapeake, Virginia (Chesapeake Animal Services). We were not expecting to get a dog that day but we all fell in love with a beautiful Golden that was at animal control. Our family has been crazy over Golden Retrievers and we found the perfect one!

We couldn’t take him home that day because he had to get neutered which was a bummer! The day we got him home we found out some bad news … Chance was blind.

We didn’t know what to do because we haven’t taken care of a blind dog before. He was running in to things, falling down stairs, and all of us were so worried about him! I called SEVA GRREAT. Being a former foster home for GRREAT I knew GRREAT would be an invaluable resource. We talked to Dottie Cleal, the President of SEVA GRREAT, and she put us in touch with a GRREAT volunteer who has fostered blind dogs. He gave us some tips on how to take care of Chance.

Dottie also put us in touch with a dog trainer who called and e-mailed us information which was also invaluable.

We want to thank the amazing and considerate people who helped us settle him in! Thanks to all the help we received, Chance is doing just GRREAT. We couldn’t have done it without SEVA GRREAT. Thank you so much, everyone.

— The Woodruffs

Transport Failure — A Good Thing In the business, we often hear about “Foster Failure” where the foster family falls in love with their foster dog and ends up adopting him.

Remember Chipper? He was the 10 year old dog that kept jumping over his foster home's fence so many times that we had to transfer him from Richmond to Virginia Beach. He even freed some of his friends by unlatching a neighbor’s gate! Well, Debbie, a brand new volunteer then, did the second leg for his transport and fell madly in love with this guy. She ended up adopting him! “Best thing I ever did,” says Debbie.

Talk about foster failure, this is a transport failure!

Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue, Education & Training, Inc.

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WxtÜ `xÅuxÜá AAA I am so very impressed, in awe, and totally amazed at the daily efforts and accomplishments of the SEVA GRREAT team of volunteers. As you all know, I have been in transition with Jane Frye and I could not be more thankful for her willingness to share her knowledge, patience, and time to navigate through the issues and to take the time to train me and bring me up to speed in my new position of president. Jane is the kind of lady that not only gets things done, she instantaneously becomes your friend.

Thank you Jane, and one and all for helping me get my feet on the ground. I sincerely look forward to working with everyone and I actively seek your feedback and opinions on the issues and priorities that become our focus in 2013. I also want to thank each of you for your vote of confidence and giving me the privilege of working with such a professional and dedicated group of Golden volunteers. We all know that we have something very special in common and that is we have been bitten by the Golden bug.

I would like to share a wonderful training and education success story about a 5 year old golden named Chance whose situation came to us through our hotline number. Chance was adopted in January 2013 from the newly opened Chesapeake Animal Control Center and his new forever family is the Woodruff’s. Brooke Woodruff and her dad submitted a heart-warming story in this newsletter of how they found this beautiful golden only to find out before adoption that the dog was blind. From what we know, Chance came from the Harrisonburg, VA area and had at least two homes before being surrendered to the Animal Control. The Woodruff’s saw something special in this dog and the next thing you know Chance had found a new home. A special chance so to speak. But as all transitions go there were some initial ups and downs. SEVA GRREAT was contacted after Chance displayed stressful behavior when he first came home and we received a request for any help we could offer. Off we went with a team of superb volunteers ready to help. Rose Bennett knew that the Grahams had accomplished untold successes with their blind foster golden Amber. Once contacted, Bob jumped in and did an awesome job giving advice and recommendations on how to understand and care for a sight impaired golden. We also had a local Richmond dog trainer volunteer with recommendations. I asked the Woodruff’s to keep me apprised of the progress and you can only imagine how thrilling it was to get the latest update.

Chance is now doing GRREAT. I know you will enjoy the enclosed story by Lester Woodruff and his 10 year old daughter, Brooke. Their family has fallen head over heels with their new Golden buddy and we delivered a solid “bulls eye” with our training and education mission.

We are already off to an amazing year with new ideas, energy and opportunities. Some examples include: SEVA GRREAT being contacted by students at William and Mary to form a possible partnership to help educate against animal neglect and abuse; our Calendar Committee is already off and running and we are optimistic that this will be an even better year for sponsorships than last year; several requests for grants and donations have already been submitted; and we came in second place with the Metro Productions Video Contest, thanks to Jim O’Connell’s efforts and your votes.

As I grow in this position, I look forward to reviewing, discussing and outlining plans for our 2013 SEVA GRREAT priorities as we assess our overall strategic objectives. Things we need to consider include where do we want to be in five years, what do we need to do to get there; what kind of a budget is needed/desired? Equally important is what do we need to do to raise the necessary funding to accomplish these goals? I am committed to this challenge and to helping the SEVA GRREAT team adopt, foster and care for virtually every Golden Retriever that comes our way if humanly possible.

Your President, Dottie Cleal

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Waiting at the Rainbow Bridge Rusty — The Hawkins Family I adopted Rusty (Rusty Boy) in August 2006. What a delight and a blessing. He loved his squeaky toys and chasing the squirrels and cats out of the yard. He especially loved going for rides to the bank for the treats they gave him with each visit … a return on my deposits.

He was very gentle and loving, always ready for a tummy scratch. I was so blessed to have him for the 6.5 years to brighten each day. — Nancy Hawkins

Rusty Hawkins

Buddy — The Benedetti Family In loving memory of my dear departed and greatly missed Buddy. RIP 7/14/2004 - 12/26/2012 Shadow — The Wood Family Bailey — The Pence/Hunter Family

Bailey Pence-Hunter

Contributions Melissa Keown Liz Cleal Claudia Muterspaugh Victoria Passmore Karin Pettinger Jean Pakenas For special needs Goldens Ellen Leckar J. Lynn & Adelia Thompson In honor of Maggie and in memory of Gracie and Buddy Kim Spillane In honor of Dakota (formerly Peanut) Clayton Clemens George and Sharon Hazzis Jim & Pauline O'Connell Tanya McKeithen

She had been deteriorating slowly for some time. She had a seizure yesterday and didn't recover. We had a hospice vet come to the house in the evening and made the decision that we needed to let her go. I want to thank all of you for your support emotionally as we battled through this off and on over almost 2 years. So many of your words echoed in my heart in the days leading up to today, and they gave us comfort when we made this decision. I would have done anything to save her but she fought the good fight and she was so tired.

I already miss her terribly. She was the epitome of dignity and grace and the most beautiful, kind, loving, loyal, and intelligent creature I have ever known. I had never known a joy or such a great responsibility as that I had in being her mom. My life and the lives of everyone in our family will never be the same because of her.

Harrison & Mary Owens In honor of Hokie (adopted from SEVA GRREAT in 2004) and in memory of Jake Wayne & Joan Jackson In memory of Shamrock, Kelly and Carmen Company Matching Gift given on behalf of: Joe and Joyce Sabol Jacob Kay Dorothy Cleal In memory of Rusty Associa Company matching the gift/charitable contribution of their employee Coleen Hillen Mark & Patricia Seelenbinder In honor of Chester Ron Ferguson

Laura & Rick Spink In memory of Summer, Buddy and Dreamer Skip & Terry Cole In memory of our beloved Samantha and Casey, and precious Maisy Fontaine.

Heidi Speece In honor of Buddy Maryanne Lambert In memory of Molly Mr. & Mrs. Edmund Henk in memory of William Selden Richardson In memory of Max Richardson Wellington & Wendy Kay Bob & Cammie Hendricks In memory of Brandy and Daisy

In memory of Dutchess (Continued on page 5)

Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue, Education & Training, Inc. (Continued from page 4)

Sandy Anderson In memory of Brandy and Kitty Marilyn Zauner In memory of Zoey Delmore Bill & Cean Cawthorn In honor of Sadie and in memory of Buddy Kathy Speak John & Stacey Klemenc In honor of our boy Link Teresa Honeycutt & Jerry Killeen Terri Chadwick In memory of “Big Buddy” Jax Nancy Tamse Jack & Donna Roggmann Jane Frye Don Karas Kristin Tamse Carolos & Deborah Secrist In memory of Schooner John & Dot Oberlander In memory of Duke who loved his travels and treats. He is missed so very much!

Lynn Szostek Don & Cindy Merrix In honor of our two GRREAT Goldens, Cooper in 2010 and Ashley in 2011.

Brad Miller In memory of Bobby & Zach Eileen Nelson In honor of Bear Melissa Montague In honor of Chester Lolita Minder In honor of Crystal and in memory of Hunter and Jasmine In honor of Harley Pat Nama In honor of Terra Johnnie & Helen Noles In memory of Chief In memory of Cruz Phyllis Porter In memory of Max David & Peggy Main In honor of our granddog Bailey Christine Hall Sean & Karen Killeen In memory of Shelby Sally Hall Dorothy Hanrahan Allegra Havens Mary Strzelecki Mary Pat Harris

In honor of Emma

Nick Christner

In memory of Bear & Allie K. Emory In memory of Louanne Emory

Stephen Clark Maryann Gritmon Lizbeth Jackson Linda Knight Jonathan Leib Robert O’Neal

Stephen Reader

Robert Elias

Jo Vance

Scott & Carol Locklear

Lib Logan

Quan Li

In honor of SEVA GRREAT volunteers and my own GRREAT Belle.

Ray & Cathy Kallman

Our thoughts and prayers are with Betty’s family.

In Memory of Bailey Hunter’ Tracy Minnich Jane & Edward Pence, Jr. Melissa & Ryan Hunter Joanne Even For Huck’s Surgery Charles Gresham Melissa Keon Steve & Jane Taylor Craig & Rachel Joy Also in honor of Maggie

In memory of Sade

Kay & Calvin McCall

Sharon Leeman

SEVA GRREAT has lost one of its long time supporters and volunteers.

Betty Stock of Williamsburg passed away on February 25. Betty once served as a follow-up coordinator.

Heather Singleton

Donna Thompson

In honor of all the Sutter Goldens

In Memoriam

Ken & Windsor Shewbridge

Sarah Taylor

Judith Sutter

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In honor of the families that have adopted Special Needs Goldens from SEVA GRREAT.

In Memory of Betty Stock Andor & Ann Czompo Bob & Nicki Seger Ed Stock Sophie Hamel Donna Shifler-Jones The Gracie Fund Pat & John Donaldson Kris’ Hockey Team Jake @ Old Dominion Recycling

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In Appreciation of Our Sponsors The SEVA GRREAT Calendar Committee is actively seeking 2014 Calendar sponsors. We felt that it is only appropriate to shine the spotlight on a couple of our business friends who have already confirmed their willingness to purchase an ad for our next year’s calendar. Off we went to this year’s Mechanicsville Pet Expo, where many of our supporters were present, for some picture taking time to share with you. It really is rewarding to work closely and get to know these folks. This feature is our way of letting them know how much we appreciate their willingness to be a part of our Adopt a Golden endeavors. Many of these friends welcome your business and look forward to having you visit them for their services or products. Included for recognition are: 2SpeakDog, Holiday Barn, Ginger’s, and the Dude Ranch. We did not get a picture for Ensminger Architecture of Richmond, but Dan Ensminger should also be recognized for being the very first sponsor to support the upcoming calendar. These sponsorships go toward the cost of producint the calendar, helping to keep our prices low.

If any of our readership has their own business and are interested in advertising in the calendar, please go to www.adoptagolden.com for more details .

Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue, Education & Training, Inc.

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Report on the Thunder Jacket

By Patty Mcguire One of the things I love so much about Golden Retrievers is their easy going nature. They are such relaxed dogs, and with a few exceptions, they can readily adapt to most any circumstance. They are calm, that is, until a thunderstorm is on the way. This is not an issue for all dogs, but for many.

And for the dogs that find it upsetting, it can be quite frightening for them.

Why are dogs afraid of thunderstorms? Well, there is much debate about that one! Search it online and you will find a number of answers.

Some even say it is merely a learned behavior where the dog receives reinforcement by having their fear comforted by the people that care for them. Some explanations get into complicated issues of a breed’s specific traits and how those traits can become out of balance in a storm.

For example, a herding dog who’s an indoor dog has no sheep to tend, and becomes frustrated when a storm is on the way. The bottom line is that a lot of what I’ve read about it is simply somebody’s opinion on the matter.

So, I’m going to share my personal opinion on the situation. I have drawn

my personal conclusion by carefully watching my dog’s response to storms, reading and watching a number of science shows on storms.

I first discovered Willie’s fear of thunderstorms when he jumped into the bed with me, panting heavily in my face! He was shivering uncontrollably. It was just terrible. I felt so bad for him and had no idea what to do.

When a 75 pound dog jumps in your bed in the middle of the night, it’s pretty difficult to ignore!

For a time, the storms were coming in every night either at bedtime or in the middle of the night. Willie would do the same thing every time: jump into bed and wake me up! He would also paw at the carpets, muss up the mats on the tile floors in the bathrooms, and want to go to the basement level.

He didn’t want to be there alone, however, so he would go up and down the stairs, jump in the bed, muss up the rugs some more, and just repeat the process. Poor Willie! It was terrible to see him suffering so much. Mom and I would comfort him all that we could, but he was largely inconsolable.

I started to pay closer attention to when he was most upset by a storm and what kind of storm bothered him.

I noticed very low pressure was quite upsetting to him. We were in Virginia Beach the day before Irene came.

The pressure was so low, even I was bothered by it. I could feel a heavy pressure on my sinuses and in my lungs. Low pressure is a sure fire indicator of a huge storm on the way.

At the time, we were staying at a friend’s house. Typically, Willie would sleep downstairs by the front door.

The night before we left to come home, he was in my room. It was very unusual. He looked so worried and wouldn’t leave my side. In the morning, he didn’t care about taking his walk, he only wanted in the van so we could come home. So that’s when I decided that low barometric pressure

was something to which he was sensitive and it definitely had an effect on him.

Some of the reading I did indicated that the loud noise of the thunder itself could be a trigger that frightens a dog.

There’s probably some truth to that. I find most animals don’t like loud noises, and fireworks upset just about all of them. But I don’t think the noise of the thunder itself is what scares Willie. The friend we stayed with lives close to Oceana Navy base. Jets are overheard constantly, and they fly really low. This racket bothers me far more than it ever upset the dog! So, based on this, I really believe that an atmospheric pressure associated with the thunder is what drives the fear, and not just the sound of the thunder by itself.

If it’s not just the sound of the thunder, what else could it be? What about the lightening? Lightning is the visible part of an electrical discharge. Thunder is the resulting sound from the rapid expansion of the air after this electrical discharge. Thus, thunder results from lightning. So, if you see lightning there is always thunder. You may be too far away to hear it as typically thunder isn't heard 15-20 miles from the lightning strike. (weathersavy.com/lightening.htlm).

New high speed photography of lightening has revealed with certainty that lightening storms aren’t just taking place in the skies above us. The ground itself is actually sending up charges to the lightening discharge, encouraging it to strike. I saw it myself on Discovery channel. In an electrical storm, not only is the electricity above us, it is below us.

This is my supposition: the animals that are fearful of thunder, aren’t just afraid of the thunder. The fear stems from their confused reaction to the heightened electrical activity. Poor Willie is extra terrified if there are tons of bright lightening flashes. And then (Continued on page 10)

P P aaggee 88

A PAPR/MAY/JUN R/MAY/JUN

HOMEC

Roxy, Kodi, Riley, Copper, and Max enjoy their weekly get together — Sumner fosters Humphrey adopted by Ashley Crawford

Sunny adopted by th

"Zeke" adopted by Ed and Nikki Hicks. They say that's his favorite place to sit "when he's not in his dad's lap or going for a ride in the Jeep".

Alice Brown and "Blue"

Bailey keeps close watch over the newest member of the family.

Boomer is a sweetheart. He was 94 pounds when we got him and he is down to about 83. He is able to move so much better and he and Claire play together which is very sweet, but he is definitely the more laid back of the two. — Lisa Boll

Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue, Education & Training, Inc.

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COMING Roscoe had a wonderful Christmas this year! We feel so blessed to have him as a part of our family! — The Raliski Family

A very happy Buddy Kamperschroer

Charlie and her new family The picture was taken as we were saying good-bye and Penny was back in her car. For most of the visit Penny and Charlie just ignored each other with Charlie sucking up love from Nancylee and Dean. It is easy to tell dog lovers when they get down on the carpet with the dog. The Kershaws passed all our tests with flying colors. There were a few harsh words exchanged between the 2 dogs but Nancylee and Dean both said introductions went better than they expected. I e-mailed earlier to find out how things were going and Dean responded Charlie traveled well to her new home, spent the night on her new bed, and was laying at his feet as he wrote. I get the feeling that Charlie will be more his dog than Nancylee's. — John Donaldson

he Wade Family.

Cooper had a GRREAT Christmas with his new family, the Grooves.

Grayson and his new pal, Lacey.

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(Continued from page 7)

once the lightening discharges there is a resultant loud BOOM from the thunder. I believe he’s learned to associate the thunder with the electrical storm. It’s the electrical activity he doesn’t fully understand, but is aware of all around him, that upsets him.

Now, how do I help him?

Frankly, there’s only so much one can do to help an animal frightened of storms. But, we can help them to some degree, and I think that’s important. I do recommend using Thundershirts. I think that’s helped him tremendously. And I make sure to stay with him if there is an event.

It is not a 100% shift, but it’s a big help.

Why does the Thundershirt help? Believe me, this is a wonderful invention, and worth every penny. The garment applies a constant pressure that produces a calming effect. It’s very much like having a constant hug! Wouldn’t you be reassured if you got hugged when you were frightened? It is the same idea behind swaddling infants, and in the research from autistic pioneer, Temple Grandin. Dr. Grandin found that gentle pressure gave her immense relief from anxiety. Pressure vests are used by special needs teachers to help calm and focus children suffering from a wide variety of circumstances.

(Thundershirt.com web(Continued on page 11)

Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue, Education & Training, Inc.

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Duke

By Dot & John Oberlander Dot and I have been members of SEVA GRREAT for about three years. Reading the SEVA GRREAT newsletters, we kept reading about Goldens that had crossed the rainbow bridge. While we knew what this term meant, we couldn’t comprehend or appreciate what was really involved.

Duke crossed the rainbow bridge December 19, 2012. Now we understand.

Duke found us two and one half years ago at a 4th of July parade. He passed his first test when he jumped into the back seat of the car without being told. This was important, ‘cause we travel. While we don’t have an exact count of the states he visited, it’s around 49. In a previous SEVA GRREAT newsletter there were pictures of Duke in the Atlantic, Pacific, Great Lakes and the glacial streams of Alaska. To complete the list, this past spring, Duke got wet in the Gulf of Mexico. Trying to pick out the most memorable Duke event is hard. It has to be the incident in Teddy Roosevelt national park. While in the truck, we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by a herd of 100 buffalo. Duke went nuts. He was telling the herd to stay away from us in no uncertain terms. Our fear was that the herd might charge the truck that was sounding like a big angry dog. We managed to quiet Duke down and we es-

caped the herd unscathed..

There are too many things to list that we will miss, but one of Duke’s habits was what Dot calls his puppy hugs. He would lean against her leg whenever she came home from the store to hug her and tell her he was happy she was back and look for treats in the shopping bags.

Duke really enjoyed going to our property in Buckingham County VA. Our camp is ½ mile from the nearest road and Duke could roam free. He never went far and if he was out of sight, calling his name brought him running.

Once while on the farthest reach of our property he disappeared. I was really worried. This was in the middle of deer season and a Golden just might be mistaken for a deer. It turned out that Duke had gotten bored with my exploring and just made a bee-line back to camp. I think his favorite time was riding in the back of our John Deere Gator. Tongue and ears flapping in the breeze, I know that was a smile on his face. His ashes will be spread there.

To ease our grief … Our next door neighbors have a Golden and we cut a hole in the fence, so the two dogs could visit. Since Duke passed, the other Golden has been visiting us every morning for breakfast. We feed him, give him a biscuit and he plays with us. Then he goes back through the fence knowing he made us feel better.

Our plans are to travel this summer, and then start searching for another Duke. Actually, there will never be another Duke.

Another Golden though, is a must!

(Continued from page 10)

what is upsetting your dog.

site) There is real science behind the Thundershirt. Willie will ask for his Thundershirt before storms now. Really, he does. And he loves it so much that he wants to wear it all the time. I kept it on him during some of the dog training classes to help him focus. When I take him to the dog park at Redwing, I put it on him. There’s far more stimulation in that environment than where we live, so I believe the Thundershirt helps him to be more confident when going into a new situation. He loves it so much that if he sees me pick it up, he comes over and sits in front of me asking to wear it. The dog seriously LOVES to wear garments!

I will have more suggestions for working with nervous dogs in future issues. I encourage you to read about more about it, and to use medications only as a last resort.

I absolutely recommend you try a Thundershirt if you have a dog that is upset by storms. I would even go so far as suggest it for new foster dogs. It can only help support them in their transition. I also encourage you to pay close attention to your dog’s behavior. See if you can tune in to

Spring is here … so is Heartworm Season!

Don’t forget annual testing and monthly preventative!

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A Volunteer’s Story

K I B B L E

Yes, we have Goldens! We have two beautiful Goldens, Macey and Jeter (yes, named after Derek Jeter of the Yankees). Six years ago, my wife and I decided to get a puppy. She had always had Rottweilers and I have always wanted a Golden. After a brief conversation we started to look for a Golden puppy. We found a breeder in Gatesville, NC with an 11 week old blonde male. I wanted a blonde (at first) so we jumped in the car and started our journey.

When we arrived, they delivered a crushing blow. When our perspective puppy was out running around that morning he was stolen. We thought we were out of luck, but breeder's brother also had Goldens. We drove to his farm and found 12 Golden puppies running around! They were all blonde and gold except for one puppy who didn't wake up. She just laid there and didn't want to be bothered. She stood out from the rest because she was red. We knew instantly she was the one. She just looked at as and fell back asleep. Yes, we knew she was the one.

Along comes Jeter! In 2010 we decided to get another dog, a Golden, of course (once you have one you need another). Macey was now 3 years old. We wanted a puppy but weren’t sure so we looked into rescuing a Golden. We found Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue in Reading, PA, about 3 hours from our new home in Philadelphia. I contacted them to learn they had a perfect fit, 8 month old female named Charlotte. We hopped in the car with Macey and started our drive.

DVGRR was a field full of Goldens that was just awesome! We went to the meeting cage with Macey to meet Charlotte. Let it suffie to say Macey was not amused with this energetic puppy so we meet anothe Golden female and again Macey was not amused. I asked if they had any 1 year or under males although that's not exactly what we were looking for. Well she said yes BUT he is a special needs dog. He is 11 month old Tango and he has hip dysplasia and suffered a torn ACL when he was just a few months old. She said that he has been passed over several times because of his past. We talked and decided that this was a challenge we both felt good about trying but we would need Macey’s approval. The volunteer brought Tango out. As soon as I saw him, I fell in love. He was beautiful. Well I was not the only one who loved him, so did Macey! They started to play within seconds and that's all it took. We now had our second Golden and since that day, these to have been inseparable! The best of friends!

Jeter is the reason my wife and I are involved with Golden Retriever Rescues. Being in the Navy sometimes makes it difficult to do as much as I would like, but I know how just a few hours by one person can greatly help out.

Well, that's my Golden story and here a picture of them.

— Patrick & Vanessa Abbruzzi

Be Pup-ared - For many families, the spring and summer months equals vacation and travel. But before you head out on your spring break, take a moment to review your pet first aid kit, which you should always pack when you travel. A basic pet first aid kit should contain gauze, nonstick bandages, towels, adhesive tape, milk of magnesia, activated charcoal, hydrogen peroxide, a digital thermometer and a medicine dropper. A pre-made first aid kit for pets is definitely handy, but in an emergency you'll also want to make sure you have all your pet's essential information at hand. Make copies of your pet's vaccination and medical history and keep a set in the kit, along with contact numbers for your regular vet and an after-hours emergency vet clinic. It's also helpful if you learn some basic first aid skills, so head over to redcross.org, and type in your ZIP code to find some classes in your local area.

Sick As a Dog? - Does puppy act funny in the car? She may be suffering from motion sickness. Dogs and cats can get motion sickness just like we can, and may become dizzy, nauseated, or even sick during trips. Conditioning your pet to travel with short, frequent trips may help; if not, talk to your vet about other options, such as medication.

The Lyme is Now - May is the peak month for ticks.To stay ahead of trouble, protect your pets with a preventative such as Frontline Plus or K9 Advantix II now - if you aren't already - and be diligent about checking your pet after trips to the park or walks around the block.

Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue, Education & Training, Inc.

Page 13

Huckleberry Hello! My name is Huckleberry but they call me Huck. My foster mom says Huckleberry was a little long to call when she needed me, so she is sticking with just Huck. My foster dad, wellhe gets confused and calls me Chuck! I don't care as long as you call me for dinner! Ha, Ha! I just turned one in December and boy am I cute (just look at my picture)!

Sadly, as I was becoming a grown young man, they noticed I was walking a little funny and seemed to be in pain. My owners took me to the vet where they did x-rays. After looking at the x-rays, it was very obvious that I had horrible hip dysplasia. My family tried everything possible, but just could not afford the surgery that I desperately needed. They did the best thing for me and surrendered me to SEVA GRREAT, who agreed to take me in and have the surgery done by Dr. Murphy, who specializes in hip surgeries. My surgery is scheduled for March 2 at Anderson’s Corner Animal Hospital. They were so nice to me during my intake that I’m not even afraid to go back.

Things have been going great in my new foster home! I have two foster brothers and one foster sister. We are all getting along great and they let me play with all their toys. I can tell that the toys at the bottom of the basket haven’t been played with in a long time so I pull them ALL out everyday. My favorites are the bones and my foster moms fluffy slipper (OOPS, that wasn’t in the basket!!) to chew on. I heard my foster mom say she needs to teach me to put my toys away when I’m done. I don’t understand … why would I do that when she puts them away every night before we go to bed?

So, I go in soon to have my surgery.

They say I will have to stay extremely calm for several weeks after surgery. I know this recovery period will be hard, but it will all be worth it when I can run and play without any pain. My surgery is estimated to cost at least $5,000, so any donations to SEVA GRREAT would be greatly appreciated. I’ll send another update once I’m back home.

See ya’ soon!

Huck

Page 14

APR/MAY/JUN

GRREAT ADS GRREAT Times is now offering advertising space.

Rates per issue for various size ads are: 1/4 Page 1/2 Page Full Page

$ 50 $100 $150

All artwork must be in jpg format. Email requests to grreattimes@ adoptagolden.com. Every effort will be made to put your ad in the desired issue.

GRREAT Times is published quarterly the second week of January, April, July, and October. Deadline for submitting an AD will the 1st of the month prior to the publication date.

Combined Federal

Adoptions PJ/ Peanut — 1.5 y/o female Jim & Pauline O’Connell Bear — 1.5 y/o male The Oleksy Family Cajun — 2 y/o male The Lewis Family Dillion/Buddy — 2 y/o male The Norlund/Meyhew Family Zeke — 7-8 y/o male The Hicks Family Avery — 5 y/o male The Clemens Family Amber — 6 y/o female The Staples Family Bella — 1.5 y/o female The Ball Family Buttons — 4 m/o female The Bennett Family Tia — 5 y/o female The Pesley Family Blue — 12 y/o male The Brown Family Brinkley — 1.5 y/o male The Osborne Family Mac — 2 y/o male The Bass Family Graham — 4 y/o male The Cohen Family Jamber/Sam — 4 y/o male The Ball/Adamik Family

Ruby — 5 y/o female The Bochert Family Penny — 9 y/o female The Nead Family

Brinkley

Blue

Tia

Campaign #88796

Submit Your Story!

Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign

#3456

We have decided to make “homecoming” a feature in each newsletter to feature dogs that have been adopted from us over the years.

Send us a picture (identify everyone in it, please) with your dog’s name, when you adopted it, your name and a few words or more about your dog.

Stories are welcomed, too!

Email to:

grreattimes@adoptagolden.com

Cajun

PJ

Bella

Submitting Photos When you submit your pictures for publication in print, please submit the original digital image of no less than 300 dpi.

If you aren’t sure, send the original for the best quality rendering. I can make a picture smaller but I can not make one larger. A picture of 72 pixels per inch is fine for on-line viewing but I find a minimum of 300 is needed for print. Don’t worry about the file size; if you can send it, I can receive it.— Ed.

Membership, Donation & Volunteer Form Note: Membership is open to all persons 18 years or SEVA GRREAT is a 501 (C)(3) organization. * * * ALL DONATIONS & DUES ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE IN THE YEAR PAID!

Please have the Coordinator in the following area/areas contact me: (Check appropriate boxes)

Name: Address:

These are listed in the order of urgent need by GRREAT.

E-mail:

FOSTERING — A temporary home for SEVA GRREAT dogs before they are adopted.

Home Phone:

HOME EVALUATION visits for foster/adoption applicants.

Work Phone:

TRANSPORTATION — primarily shuttling dogs and/or equipment as necessary. If you are interested in helping with transportation, can you help on:

This is a new membership Address Change

(circle all that apply)

Weekdays

ADDITIONAL VOTING MEMBERS:

Weekends

Evenings

EVENTS — helping to hold/show dogs at “Golden Days,” helping with fund raisers, etc.

(E-mail needs to be unique to vote.)

Name: E-mail:

PUBLICITY — researching and writing stories for media release and newsletters, selling ads for the newsletter, taking photos at events, updating the web site, etc.

Name:

MERCHANDISE — to man booths selling SEVA GRREAT stuff at local dog shows / fairs / festivals / etc.

E-mail: Name: E-mail: REMITTANCE: I am enclosing my annual membership dues $

25

Additional Voting members ___ @ $25 each $_______ Donation

$_______

Calendar

$_______

MY DONATION IS FOR: In honor of

Our rescue is growing! In order to continue to save more dogs every year, we are looking for volunteers who would like to become more involved with the organization. If you are interested in assisting with intake, foster coordination, Golden Days or other areas on a regular basis, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteering@adoptagolden.com, for more information.

Please make checks payable to SEVA GRREAT. Mail this form with your check to:

Other

In memory of

SEVA GRREAT PO Box 8014 Yorktown, VA 23693

REQUIRED FOR MEMBERSHIP:

(date)

I affirm that I have never been convicted of an animal abuse crime. (signature)

Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue, Education & Training, Inc.

SEVA GRREAT PO BOX 8014 YORKTOWN, VA

757-827-8561 www.sevagrreat.org www.adoptagolden.com

We need your pictures for the 2014 calendar!!

Like us on facebook!

GRREAT Times is a quarterly publication of SEVA GRREAT, Inc., an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to finding homes for homeless Goldens. For more information, call our Hotline at 757-827-8561 or visit our web site at www.sevagrreat.org. To contact the newsletter editor with suggestions, comments, or send materials and photos for inclusion, send e-mail to grreattimes@adoptagoden.com, or write Attn: Newsletter Editor, PO Box 8014, Yorktown, VA 23693. SEVA GRREAT disclaims all responsibility for omissions or errors.

RESCUE HOTLINE 757-827-8561 Press

For

1

If you think you have found one of our Goldens based on the SEVA GRREAT tag or microchip.

2

To leave a message for the President

3

To give up a Golden Retriever or get more info on our intake process,

4

For Information on Golden Days and other events.

5

To check on the status of an adoption or foster application.

6

For all other questions.

National Dog Registry 1-800-NDR-DOGS Foster Dog Medical Care YORK VETERINARY CLINIC Yorktown 757-898-3700 COOKE VET MEDICAL CENTER Chesapeake 757-547-9421 QUIOCCASIN VET HOSPITAL Richmond 804-741-3200 ACREDALE ANIMAL HOSPITAL Virginia Beach 757-523-6100 ANDERSON’S CORNER Toano 757-566-2224

SE VA GRREAT Contact Information President

Dottie Cleal

president@adoptagolden.com

Vice President

Jane Frye

vice_president@adoptagolden.com

Treasurer

Jim O’Connell

treasurer@adoptagolden.com

Secretary

Nikki Seger

secretary@adoptagolden.com

Golden Day Coordinators Southside: Kathy Speak Peninsula: Donna Roggmann Richmond: Jennifer Dauzier Intake Coordinator

Rose Bennett

intake@adoptagolden.com

Foster Coordinator

Katie Show

fostering@adoptagolden.com

Adoption Coordinator

Kelly O’Brien

adoptions@adoptagolden.com

Membership

Jacob Kay

membership@adoptagolden.com

Volunteer Coordinator

Quanzhan Li

volunteering@adoptagolden.com

Board Member

Kathy Speak

grreatrescue@gmail.com

Merchandise

Justin Passori

merchandise@adoptagolden.com

Fundraising

Lindsey Downes

fundraising@adoptagolden.com