News for Dogs
and their People

Hello,

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 : Dodger Has a Mom!
Black Dog Rescue Project : Rescue Me Dogs Expanding...
Favorite Things : Mom
Remy’s World : Farewell
Dog Speak : Picture Worth a Thousand Words

Headlines

Dodger has a Mom!

Remember that precious and extremely vulnerable ball of fur that was found left for dead in a park? This tiny guy was only days old and was all alone with a leg injury that would require amputation.

We put out the call for donations to help with his care and the surgery he needed to save his life and you responded immediately. We can't thank you all enough for caring the way that you did for this boy. We soon had enough to pay for formula and supplies and to pay for his surgery.

Alma works at the Ogden shelter and she decided to take Dodger home with her to nurse him back to health. She, and her family, took turns feeding this little guy every couple of hours. They showered him with love and he blossomed in their care. Each day Alma and her family grew to love Dodger more and more. They saw how truly special he was.

But they also knew that he was only a temporary member of their family. They already had 2 dogs and couldn't add a 3rd. Alma began the search for the right home for Dodger. He was almost 3 months old. He had survived the surgery to remove his leg and it was time for him to go home.

After careful consideration, Alma chose a warm and caring man who currently had a female chocolate lab. The test would be to see how the 2 dogs got along. When that day arrived, Alma was sure it was the right fit for Dodger. She knew that her hard work and sacrifice had paid off and Dodger would be a wonderful addition to this family.

As difficult as it was for her to say goodbye, she explained that she was happy because she had tried to be a good mother to Dodger, but now, in his new family, Dodger finally had a mom!.

Below is Dodger on the day he went home with his family. (Dodger is the the guy laying in the grass - His new mom is the Chocolate Lab :))

Now that I reside in Colorado, we will be starting a walk in the Denver/Boulder area of Colorado in the near future. We've also had interest from several people who want to get a Black Dog Walk started in their community and we hope to have updates on those new walks in the very near future.

We are very excited to be expanding our reach and as of this week, we have begun to profile dogs from across the country. We will continue to profile only 1 dog at a time to give that dog the best chance at a second chance. We will continue to profile dogs at risk of euthanasia. We know that it will be extremely difficult to choose the Rescue Me dogs and have developed a way for us to do so and still leave the opportunity open to any black dog in need of the extra help.

Following is what you need to know to get the dogs in your care profiled as a Rescue Me dog on the Black Dog Rescue Project website.

1.The dog must currently be in a shelter and at risk of euthanasia. We may consider a dog that is being fostered or a dog in a no-kill shelter only if the dog has special circumstances that will make finding a permanent home extremely difficult.

2.The dog must be a black dog. Typically if a dogs coat is at least 75% black, he is considered a black dog.

3.The person(s) submitting the dog for the Rescue Me profile must have personal contact with the dog and be willing to write the profile based on their interaction with the dog. A contact name and phone number must be given with the profile information.

4.The dog must have a least 1 week before his time is up. We see many desperate emails for dogs that have only a day or two or even hours left to live. These situations are heartbreaking, but we feel if a dog is to be profiled, we need to give the dog a chance to find the right fit. Adopting a dog is a responsibility not to be taken lightly and we want to make sure that potential adopters have a chance to consider the decision carefully.

5.If you volunteer at your local shelter or work at a shelter and want the opportunity to have one of the dogs in your care profiled on our site, please send an email to: Sherri@BlackDogRescueProject.com with Rescue Me List as the subject. We will add you to our email list. As soon as we have word that our current Rescue Me dog has found a home, we will send an email to everyone on the list. If you have a dog at that time that you feel would benefit from being profiled, reply back with a photo and the profile information.

The Rescue Me dogs that we have profiled in the Ogden area have all had much improved odds of finding a home and many of them have had happy endings. We are excited about expanding the opportunity to shelters and volunteers across the nation and look forward to continuing to change the odds for these precious dogs.

Favorite Things

May is the month that we celebrate mother's day and this month I feel compelled to share a little bit about the wonderful woman that is my mother. I could go on and on about why she is a great mother to me, but it is what she has done for Black Dog Rescue Project that earns her the spot in our favorite things.

The Black Dog Rescue Project was not my mother's idea, but you would never know that by the level of support she has given. She was with me on the first Black Dog Walk and is now a leader of the Ogden pack.

She came up with the idea to make coats for all of the dogs to wear over the winter to keep them warm and prominently display their need for a home. She spent hours making coats of all colors and sizes. She is currently making t-shirts for the dogs to wear during the warmer weather.

She has created personal cards and flyers for the dogs that are given out to potential adopters and are prominently displayed at local businesses. When I moved out of state for work, she and my daughters have gone to the shelter to meet and take pictures of the Rescue Me dogs that were profiled.

My mother has fallen in love with every dog she meets. She has cried for them and worried when their time was getting short. She has reached out to rescue groups to try and save these dogs that were so near and dear to her heart. And because of her efforts, many of them are alive and well today.

Mom, I love you and I thank you for all that you do. The dogs love you and thank you too!

Remy's World

This will be the last newsletter with the Remy's world section. As has been mentioned in past newsletters, I moved to Colorado to take a job and we decided it would be best for Remy to stay in Utah with my daughters while they finished out the school year.

On memorial day weekend, I will be traveling to Utah to pick up my daughters so that we can finally be together once again. But we will not be bringing Remy with us. In the time that we've been apart, it has become clear that Remy IS home. It would be unfair and unkind to put him through such a drastic change. Remy is thriving at my parents home and we have decided that he will stay with my parents and his bestest canine buddy Zenna.

As the girls and I begin our new chapter in Colorado and look to start a Black Dog Walk here, we will certainly be adding a new member to our family. With so many lives that need saving, it will be a difficult choice, but we look forward to finding that right match for us. We know you are out there and we can't wait to meet you.

To my dear Remy. I couldn't have made it through this past year without you by my side. It will be hard to say goodbye next week, but I know you are happy and this is what's best for you.

Dog Speak

Everyone has heard the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” This month, animal planet is running a special on their Petland investigation. It's an hour show that speaks volumes.

Set your DVR's to record this and share with your friends and families. Be the voice for so many dogs that may never set foot outside a wire kennel. Be the voice for these thousands of dogs living in horrible conditions hidden from the rest of the world.

Please spread the word. Education and awareness is the only way to stop puppy mills. These are businesses that could quickly be shut down if people stopped purchasing the puppies. If you absolutely must buy a puppy, know where it came from. Our solution of course is to stop buying puppies altogether. Adopt instead!

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