News for Dogs
and their People

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Rescue Paws is the monthly newsletter for dogs and their people published by Black Dog Rescue Project. Each month, Rescue Paws will be delivered to your inbox. You will find dog news, information on what’s happening at Black Dog Rescue Project and tips on how to better communicate with your dog

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In this Issue

Headlines : Spring is Here! Time for a Walk...
Black Dog Rescue Project : Making a Difference...
Favorite Things : Ogden Walk Pack Members
Remy’s World : Thriving Without Me...
Dog Speak : Trash Hounds

Headlines

Spring is Here! It's Time for a Walk...

The birds are chirping, the sun is shining and it feels great to get out and enjoy the beautiful outdoors! Now that spring is here, we have received several inquiries from passionate folks asking how to get a dog walk started near them. They are willing to step up and begin to save the lives of dogs and bring awareness about black dog syndrome to their community.

I want to thank everyone that has considered starting a walk. I know that if we can get walks started in communities across the states and even around the globe, the world will be a better place and so many, many dogs will be forever grateful and ALIVE because of it.

A Black Dog Walk is amazingly simple and easy to start. I promise that if you are willing to put forth just a small bit of effort, you will be absolutely amazed at the impact you are able to have. Please see the article below in the Favorite Things section to read more about the Ogden Pack and the Difference the Walk is making for the dogs in Ogden, Utah.

When considering starting a walk in your community, it is easy to feel that it would be a huge undertaking and would be quite difficult to get started. Our experience has been the exact opposite of this and when I have talked to folks about starting a walk, the first piece of advice I have is KEEP IT SIMPLE. Look at the walk as nothing more than a group of dogs and their people taking a stroll together. This simple act of walking together as a pack, is all it takes to spread the word. We found that as few as 3 dogs together will cause people to take notice.

If you have a relationship with your local shelter or local rescue group and are able to have homeless dogs walk with you, it is quite rewarding to help them directly in this manner. However, this is certainly not necessary in order to spread the word and make a difference.

If you have a black dog and your neighbor has a black dog and a friend has a black dog, the 3 of you could walk together this weekend and begin to make a difference. Remember, the first rule above, keep it simple!

Following are a few things to think about when starting a walk in your community and to help you get started:

1.Schedule – Decide how often you want to walk. Depending on your availability and current commitments, you need to determine how often you want to walk. You can walk weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. The key is to pick a time that works and stick to it. A regular schedule makes it easier for new and future pack members to remember to come out and join you.

2.Location – The location of your walk will impact the success of your walk. You need a location that is popular and one where you would encounter a variety of people. The idea is to spread the word, and this can only be done if you are able to meet and talk to people along your walk. You may choose to hold your walk at a downtown shopping district, a popular park, or even walk through your subdivision.

3.Get the Word Out – It is not difficult to recruit new pack members as long as you let people know about the walk. Posting information on community boards at the local banks, vets or grocery stores is a good way to spread the word. Posting information online on Craigslist or other online community boards is also an easy way to reach a large number of people. Hand out cards with information about Black Dog Syndrome and your walk contact information to people you meet on your walks.

4.Get Noticed – Order a shirt from Black Dog Rescue Project or create your own. Wearing the same shirts or same color will help get your noticed. Add colorful bandanas to your dogs to help them stand out in the crowd.

5.Have Fun and Keep it Simple! - Walking your dog is something you should be doing on a regular basis already. By walking your dog as part of a pack and spreading the word about Black Dog Syndrome, you will be responsible for saving lives in your community. If you are ready and willing to start a Black Dog Walk in your community, Black Dog Rescue Project will do everything we can to help support you. We will create a page on our website to promote your walk. This page will contain the times and location of your walk and you can add photos and stories to the page as well. We will create a flyer for you that can be downloaded and printed and posted on local community boards. We will also be happy to help you and answer any questions that you may have.

THANK YOU for considering starting a walk in your community. Thank you for your passion and commitment. There are many dogs lives that will be saved because of your efforts.

If you have any questions, please contact me directly at sherri@blackdogrescueproject.com

Favorite Things

Now and again in this life, we meet special people that change our world. The Ogden Utah Black Dog Walk Pack is a group of these type of special people that will forever hold a place in my heart. I couple of months ago, I moved to Colorado for a new job and I have not been able to walk with the pack each week. I miss each member and think of them every Saturday morning.

On the last weekend of September, 2009, we held our first walk in Ogden, Utah. That first walk was just my mother and I and my 2 daughters. My daughters and I walked our dog. My mother walked her dog and we handed out a few flyers and spoke to a few folks.

Within a couple of weeks, we were able to work with the local shelter and we started by just walking one shelter dog and several other folks joined us with their dogs. The Black Dog Walk in Ogden has been going now for 6 months. In that short amount of time, we have been able to make a big impact on the community and in the lives of dogs in need. We have been featured in the local paper and the shelter has seen an increase in traffic and an increase in the number of adoptions. We now have shop owners that look forward to us stopping by each week and regular pack members that join us each week. We have had successful adoptions as a direct result of someone on the street meeting one the dogs we had with us and falling in love. Some of these dogs have even come back to join us on future walks with their new families.

Each member of this pack is a special person. When I left Utah a couple months ago, I knew that the walks would continue and word would continue to spread despite my absense. Indeed it has.

Each member is dedicated to the cause and everyone has become friends. Ogden pack members continue to walk each week and I know that the word will continue to spread and they will be making a difference each week and well into the future. Just this past Saturday, the Ogden Black Dog Walk had a record 18 dogs walking together.

Because the walks have been so successful at helping to increase adoption rates and spread the word about Black Dog Syndrome, the shelter had relatively few dogs and only a couple of the dogs were black. Every dog at a shelter needs a chance at finding a forever home, so when there are enough people to walk all of the dogs, they add in the pit bull mixes who also have tough times finding homes. Because of the great turnout, the Ogden pack was able to walk nearly EVERY dog that was at the local shelter. Below is a photo of the pack on Saturday.

Remy's World

Previously, I wrote about having to leave Remy behind for a while as I began my new job in Colorado. I was worried about how he would cope with me being gone. I am happy to report that Remy is doing well without me and seemed to be trying to tell me that when I flew home for a visit.

I was greeted by a happy and excited pup who went through his typical antics of spinning and barking and tail twitching as I entered through the door. However, within seconds of his typical greeting behavior he stopped and backed up and barked at me from a distance and walked away. It was almost as if he was saying, I'm happy to see you, but you left me and I'm doing just fine without you.

I was treated to the same behavior for much of the weekend. He would briefly hop up on my lap for petting, but did not stay for long. His actions kept confirming for me that he was happy to see me and glad I was there, but he was more than fine without me.

It is heartwarming to watch Remy grow and be able to bond and connect with others. I was told that there was no change in his behavior after I left. He no longer looks out the door and waits for me. He no longer runs into my room trying to find me. He is happy in his home and I am just a visitor now. I'll be the first to admit that my feelings were hurt just a little, but I am so happy to see this amazing little guy not just be a happy dog, but to see him thriving after such a horrible start in life.

Dog Speak

Does your dog devour the trash every chance he gets? This can be a dangerous and costly habit. I have had several dogs in my life that never bothered the trash no matter how easily accessible it was. But I have also had dogs that would do everything and anything to get into the trash and devour what they found and scatter the bits and pieces throughout the house.

Remy is the king of all trash hounds. I know from experience that it's never pleasant to come home to trash scattered throughout the trash. This nasty habit can also make your dog sick and result in costly vet bills.

It is nearly impossible to train your dog to stay out of the trash. There are too many good things in that can, and the temptation is far too great. The best way to stop your dog from trash diving is to secure the trash out of the dogs reach.

A few simple ideas to prevent your dog from trash diving are:

1.Child Proof Door Locks – If you keep your trash under the sink or inside a cabinet, add child proof door locks to prevent your dog from being able to open the cabinet.

2.Lids – If your trashcan is out in the room, make sure that the trash can has a lid that can be secured. We found an inexpensive trashcan that had a locking mechanism on the lid. The type that you have to step on to open the lid can also work well until your dog figures it out!

3.Weigh it down – If your dog is knocking over the trashcan to get at the goods, try adding some weights to the bottom of the can. Hand weights or a bag of sand or gravel could do the trick.

Spread the Word… Save a Life!
Black Dog Rescue Project