1
Hi, I’m Honey (10-083). I’m 14 months
old, weigh 50 pounds and I am a star. Re-
ally. Check out my You Tube video www.
youtube.com/watch?v=2FXui4GKm6k
.
Currently, I live at the end of a street and
there’s a lot of people traffi c, which is per-
fect for my AHD (Attention Hog Disorder).
I haven’t met a human yet — big or small
— who didn’t fi nd me irresistible and found
themselves stopping to talk to me, pet me or
even rub my belly. My fans are the best, and
I get very excited when I see them!
Now don’t get me wrong; I’m not all
looks. I may be blonde, but don’t bother
telling those jokes around me because I’m
smart and learn quickly. I know “sit,” go
to my kennel on command, I’m learning
“come,” “stay,” and I can give my paw —
sometimes before you even ask for it. I love
my walks and am good when I have on my
harness. And, while I enjoy a good game of
tug with my human friends, I also love to
play with my foster brother. Unfortunately
for him, I have a lot more energy… and I’m
bigger. He’s one of those looooong small
dogs whose legs forgot to grow as fast as
his back. I even get along well with the two
foster cats, although they sometimes mis-
behave. If I enter my favorite room in the
house, the kitchen, of course, and the cats
are on the counter, I simply run, fi nd Mom
and narc on them. I’ve been told I have an
adorable way of getting someone’s attention
with my verbal “roo-rooing.” What can I
say? I’m just an endearing, delightful, love-
able, sweet-natured girl who is looking for a
forever family that is as active and fun-lov-
ing as me!
Now that you know about my personal-
ity, I should tell you about my one special
need, although it could become a thing in
my past very shortly! I’m SO excited!! But
you’re going to have to keep reading to dis-
cover why I’m so excited.
When I fi rst came into GRREAT, I over-
heard some humans talking and it sounds
like I didn’t come from the grreatest place;
something about a “puppy mill.” I was re-
ally, really sick — I even heard the word “eu-
thanasia.” You see, I was born with some
malformed urinary parts. But, GRREAT
and a wonderful veterinary hospital staff
performed their magic and here I am today,
like any Golden puppy, running and play-
ing and loving life… except I wear a diaper
when I’m inside. The surgery saved my life,
but a side effect is that I have some urinary
leakage. I take inexpensive medicine twice a
day that helps reduce the amount of urine
dribble and with my diaper, I’m good to go!
Once in awhile, I’m a little distracted when
I come inside and forget to stop and have
Mom put my diaper back on. She laughs at
me and calls me and, in a fl ash, I’m backing
up to her. I don’t mind the diaper and soon
return to play mode.
GRREAT
Golden Retriever Rescue, Education and Training, Inc • March/April 2011 • Vol. 22, No. 2
IN THIS ISSUE:
Letter from the President 3
Pick of the
Litter (con’t.)
My Dog Can Type
4
Aging Together
PVGRC
5
Golden Yearnings
6
Dog Tracks
Thank You Bob Fritz!
7
Pet Retirement
Dollars for Doers
8
Adoption Report
A GRREAT Young D
onor 9
Healing Companions
Pukka 10
The Wonder Dogs
11
The Wonder Dogs (con’t.)
Healing Companions (con’t.)
GRREAT Annual Meeting
12
Donations 13-18
Save the Date
GRREAT License Plates
PVGRC Silent Auction
17
Donation, Membership, and
Volunteer Forms
19
GRREAT Calendar
20
GRREAT
Pick of the Litter
by Jan White
Honey (10-083)
continued on pg.
4
2
2
P.O. Box 3069, Falls Church, VA 22043-0069
Phone: 703-620-6593 • Web site: www.grreat.org
GRREAT, Inc. is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) all-volunteer organization dedicated to the rescue,
foster care, and placement of Golden Retrievers in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Delaware and parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
2011 BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COORDINATORS
PRESIDENT
Louise Davidson
* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . president@grreat.org
VICE PRESIDENT
Helen Whitehead*
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vp@grreat.org
SECRETARY
Vacant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . secretary@grreat.org
TREASURER
Harry Sethna* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . treasurer@grreat.org
ADOPTION COORDINATOR
Jessie Robinson* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . adoptions@grreat.org
INTAKE COORDINATOR
Mary Collings* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . intake@grreat.org
FOSTER HOME COORDINATOR
Carey Brown* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gr[email protected]
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Cheryl Andrzejewski*
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . volunteer@grreat.org
EVENTS COORDINATOR
Carolyn Beyer* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . events@grreat.org
EDUCATION COORDINATOR
Robert Moore* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . education@grreat.org
MEMBER AT LARGE
Scott Daniels* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . atlarge@grreat.org
POC COORDINATOR
Lucinda Twining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . poc@grreat.org
MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR
Shawne Lampert
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . membership@grreat.org
FOSTER HOME APPROVAL COORDINATOR
Denise Malczewski
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . becomeafosterhome@grreat.org
TRANSPORT COORDINATOR
Bob Patenaude
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . transport@grreat.org
FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR
Jen Murray
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fundraising@grreat.org
SILENT AUCTION COORDINATOR
Robin Heinecke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . silentauction@grreat.org
MICROCHIP COORDINATOR
Jeff Twining
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .microchips@grreat.org
MERCHANDISE COORDINATOR
Robin Heinecke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . merchandise@grreat.org
TRAINING COORDINATOR
Bud Allen
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . wea1199@verizon.net
NEWSLETTER
Joanne Poesch
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Felicia Barlow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
* members of the GRREAT Board of Directors
3
Dear GRREAT Members -
Whether in per-
fect health or ter
-
minally ill, whether
young and vibrant
or old and feeble,
all our GRREAT
foster dogs are pro
-
vided with the best
care possible. Most
of our Golden
friends are in the
rescue briefly and
go on to new for
-
ever homes. But some require on-going
expensive medical treatment in order to lead their best lives,
and are cared for by GRREAT in their forever foster homes.
Typically, there are about 15 special needs dogs in our long
term foster program.
Peaches (05-140) is one of our special needs dogs that has
lived far beyond what was expected. Without GRREAT and
the diligent and loving care she has received from her foster
family, Peaches would not have survived. Her pancreatic
deficiency condition requires expensive medical care that her
original family could not afford, and she has had numerous
medical emergencies that she’s survived because of her foster
family’s attentiveness in caring for her. To meet Peaches, you’d
never know there is anything wrong with her.
Charlie (08-150) is another special needs dog that is living
far longer than would be expected given his heart condi
-
tion, and Wally (09-152) is doing well long after his cancer
diagnosis. These boys bring love to their families and are
well-known in their neighborhoods. Maggie Mae (08-211) is
an old Golden girl who is living with her elderly foster Mom,
and the two bring each other much joy. And Rufus (03-199)
is a dog that had a horrendous start in life, as his un-Golden-
like appearance shows, but who has found the good life as a
couch potato in his forever foster home.
Our most recent long term foster dog is Belle (10-200).
She’s a middle-aged girl who had to have a leg amputated due
to a cancer that is difficult to treat. Her medical treatment
is experimental, and likely would not be possible without
GRREAT. Belle is so incredibly sweet and gentle, and she’s
adored by her foster family who is giving her the wonderful
life she deserves.
The special foster homes that care for our long term foster
dogs know they’re providing a home for a seriously ill dog
that will likely need extra attention. And they know that these
dogs will probably go to the Rainbow Bridge prematurely.
But their dedication to their forever foster dogs, and the love
they receive from the dogs, enables them to provide the caring
home these rescued dogs deserve. Just like any other typical
Golden Retriever, these special dogs have the same loving
temperament that has drawn us all to the breed
In 2010, the cost of caring for our special needs
dogs was more than $42,000. Through the Sponsor
Me! program, we have given donors the opportunity to
sponsor a particular GRREAT dog in long term foster
care. The story of all these dogs is on our web site at
www.grreat.org/dogs/doglist_special.htm . We at GRREAT
dedicate ourselves to providing the best care possible for all
our Golden foster dogs, even those who are ill, old, or frail.
They all deserve it! We hope you’ll read about our special
needs dogs, and maybe you’ll choose to sponsor one of them.
They really should be given the chance to live their happy
Golden lives and with your continued support, they’ll be able
to.
―Louise Davidson, GRREAT President
Charlie (08-150)
Rufus (03-199)
Wally (09-152)
4
4
My foster Mom says she trims the hair under my tail and the
feathers on the back of my legs for hygiene purposes, but I think
it just makes me look cuter. I love water and cherish my baths
and brushings — think of all the attention that comes with it. I
mean, come on, I am a star! Don’t feel too sorry for me, because
all this talk about leaking and diapers is probably about to change
very, very soon. My human buddies at GRREAT have discov-
ered a procedure that would end my medication and diaper days.
In fact, I’m scheduled for surgery in March, and I’m looking for-
ward to being a Super Star! In closing, I’d like to give a shout-out
to all humans who have made donations to GRREAT that help
put extra wags in our tails. Special licks to you!
If you’d like to learn more about me or meet me for treats,
please contact Jessie Robinson, GRREAT’s Adoption Coordina-
tor, at adoptions@grreat.org. Tell her Honey sent you. Woof!
My Dog Can Type
Have you ever wondered what’s on your dog’s mind?
Perhaps time, snow, or the Dog Whisperer? Or maybe
crossword puzzles and toilet paper? Check out Mark Nar-
di’s short and humorous blog, written from the perspective
of his dog, Gracie. You’ll be delighted by Gracie’s constant
joy and amusement, which inspired Mark to create the site
“My Dog Can Type”(www.mydogcantype.com).
Gracie’s recent musings include “I’ve been working
out lately. Pretty soon I should be able to fetch this stick,”
“Someone asked me what I was doing for the long week-
end. Hello? I’m a dog, I do the same thing every weekend,”
and “If I’m really man’s best friend, how come he won’t
teach me how to use the can opener?”
continued from pg. 1
Animal Laws in the Making
by Robert Moore
Current Maryland legislative initiatives involving issues
of potential interest include:
Dangerous Dogs: Maryland House Bill 169, before the
Maryland House of Delegates, imposes sanctions upon
owners of dogs deemed dangerous by “an appropriate unit
of a county or municipal corporation,” after the county or
municipal unit notifies such owners of their findings. The
bill as written does not provide a forum for owners to con-
test allegations leading to the findings. Most jurisdictions,
including Montgomery County and Gaithersburg, presently
provide due notice, hearings, witnesses, allow counsel, for
all parties to present their sides prior to any findings.
Abuse of Animals: Maryland House Bill 294, before the
Maryland House of Delegates, makes it a crime to inflict
unnecessary suffering or pain upon an animal through use
of a rifle, a handgun or certain weapons, providing one year
in jail and/or a fine up to $5,000.00. Exceptions include
veterinary and agricultural practices, research, hunting and
human activities where the infliction of pain is incidental
— apparently such as driving, pest elimination and such.
Abuse or Neglect of Animals: Maryland House Bill 227, be-
fore the Maryland House of Delegates, allows a court to
order psychological counseling and prohibit from owning,
possessing or residing with an animal, a person who has
intentionally tortured or inflicted bodily harm or perma-
nent disability to an animal. The person may, in addition, be
subject to three years in jail and/or a fine up to $5,000.00.
And finally, Maryland House Bill 407, along with its com-
panion, Maryland Senate Bill 115 offers some protection
to pets caught up in the middle of domestic disputes by
amending Maryland’s Family Law Article to expand protection
under protective orders to include domesticated pets and
service animals. This is a much needed measure, as domes-
tic disputes can involve some of the most horrifying and
emotional human behavior imaginable.
Some or all of these proposals may be of interest to
GRREAT members. Upon perusing these summaries,
many of us are likely surprised that some of these legisla-
tive efforts aren’t already included in the laws of the land.
But think of it this way; we’re slowly and inexorably moving
toward allowing our companions of other species protec-
tions they have long deserved.
5
Potomac Valley Golden
Retriever Club
Potomac Valley
Golden Retriever
Club (PVGRC) and
GRREAT have a rela
-
tionship that goes
back to the very begin
-
nings of GRREAT. In
fact, PVGRC is our
parent organization.
The effort to rescue
Golden Retrievers in our area was informally started by a
very small group of PVGRC members in 1983. Because they
were so overwhelmed with requests to help Goldens need
-
ing new homes, they went to PVGRC in 1986 to formally
ask for assistance. The response from the organization was
so positive that work began immediately to form a new
group dedicated solely to the rescue of Goldens. The name
“GRREAT” and what it stands for — Golden Retriever Rescue
Education and Training — was born out of early meetings.
PVGRC has provided funds to GRREAT through the
years, most notably by hosting a Silent Auction to benefit
GRREAT. If you’d like to contribute items for this auction,
which will take place at PVGRC’s Annual Banquet, please see
the article “PVGRC Silent Auction to Benefit GRREAT” on
page 17 of this issue of the GRREAT News. We have also
received funds from the “Money Tree” at PVGRC’s Christmas
Party and donations from other events throughout the year.
PVGRC was founded in 1968 to promote the purebred
Golden Retriever. They are the local chapter of the Golden
Retriever Club of America (GRCA) and the AKC. PVGRC
hosts national and regional specialty shows and trials, as well
as their own independent specialty shows. On April 15 and
16, PVGRC will host a specialty and obedience trial at the
Howard County Fairgrounds in West Friendship Maryland.
If you would like to attend, more information is available
at: www.pvgrc.org/specialty/specialty_2011_premium.pdf
.
You can learn more about PVGRC by visiting their
web site: www.pvgrc.org. While you’re there, you can see
a schedule of their show and match events, and read
the informative article “Grooming Your Golden.”
GRREAT is so thankful to PVGRC for the seed that
began 28 years ago that led to the rescue of thousands of
Golden Retrievers in our area. We are also appreciative of the
ongoing PVGRC support that allows GRREAT to continue
helping our beloved rescued dogs.
Aging Together
by Skip Nizer
As I sit here pondering what to write — I seem to ponder
more these days — I am thinking about my grandson, Ethan,
and his 3rd birthday just 2 days ago; then I remember that
mine (65) is just 6 days away.
I don’t feel old, even though my sister-in-law, Pam, says
that I look older — with an emphasis on OOOOOOOOold.
Nine days ago, Scout and I walked the fields and bagged a few
birds. The weather was crisp, the birds flew fast, and Scout ran
the fields like the wind was attached to his feet. Watching my
dog work at having fun is my fun.
Scout is under my desk now, asleep, and probably dream-
ing about birds trying to hide, then launching themselves from
the hedgerows and tall grass, with their wings flapping against
the winter sky; the report of a shotgun; then feathers in his
mouth, and hearing me say, “Good boy.” When I dream, it is
of watching him running in the fields and circling the grass;
of him leaping over brush, tree stumps and suddenly stopping
and spinning around when he catches a scent. Then, as he
circles around, he catches a strong scent and his nose tells his
body it’s time to stop and freeze all motion. Sometimes I see
small movements in the grass, and Scout will adjust the direc-
tion of his nose — or maybe his whole body — to where the
wind tells him the scent is strongest. He may move just a little
closer before he stops all movement of his body. Scout be-
comes a statue of orange and white with only the wind moving
the feathers of his tail.
Hundreds of generations of breeding are now control-
ling 65 pounds of living, breathing muscle, bone and heart, all
wrapped around a deep desire to hunt and find birds. Some-
times it’s only seconds, other times it may be minutes until I
am up to him. Then I have to find the wind and look at his
nose to get an idea where the bird hides. Sometimes, I never
see it until it flushes. Scout waits.
The only signal for him to move is from the bird. If the
bird moves, then the statue comes to life; if not, the statue
waits. When the bird finally takes flight, I shoot and the statue
is running. Then I see the statue standing with a bird in its
mouth. The dog has fulfilled all that his dame and sire, and
their dame and sire etc., have put into him. The hunter is hap-
py, and before the hunter can fully praise his partner, his part-
ner has started a new quest.
Scout turned 5 on December 31, 2010. He is mature but
not old. I am very mature, but not old (forget what my sister-in
-law says). As I start to age, like fine wine, Scout will pass me
in dog years. But that’s okay because he is my hunting partner.
You see, now he waits for me to catch up; tomorrow I can hunt
a little slower and may be an hour or two less in the field. We’re
partners you know, and that’s what partners do for each other.
Let’s all pet our dogs tonight.
6
6
Cow Bells, Elk Antlers, Oysters and ... Golden Yearnings
by Robert Moore
“Closest place
I know t’gitta cow
bell’d be Red Horse
Tack’n Feed, ‘bout
eight mile other side
th’bridge, in Jarvis-
burg,” was Everett’s
advice at Kitty Hawk
ACE Hardware.
And so, with a
charisma-crammed
carload — Eli and Marlowe didn’t object to abandoning the
Atlantic surf for the 24-mile ride — the four of us navigated
3-mile Wright Memorial Bridge, gliding twenty feet above Cur-
rituck Sound as we set out to hunt down a cowbell.
Six miles later, we passed a heap of disheveled, busted-
up remains — appearing to have at one time been a small,
front-porched house that a very large tree had landed on —
deposited in the treeless side yard of an inhabited dwelling.
We reined in for some unusual photos, then quickly beat our
retreat before arousing suspicion. Two more miles, just like
Everett promised, we pulled off Highway 158 and hitched up
at the Red Horse Tack and Feed.
Never saw the red horse, but we did see saddles, girths,
halters, saddle pads, horse blankets, chaps, riding helmets,
Ferrier’s Formula Hoof Supplements, calming supplements,
mucking rakes and gear, barn supplies, dog and cat nostrums
and potions, bear feed, joint, anti-inflammatory and digestive
supplements, a treatise on bucked shins in racehorses and busi-
ness cards for Carolina Horse and Hound, an establishment
offering equine massage therapy. In the back of the small store
was a pile of shed elk antlers, the largest measuring 41 inches
along the main beam with 6 points, the longest 15 inches. Lucy
didn’t have $350, so I reluctantly moved on.
Then I spied it … a genuine cow bell! As I paid for the
bell, a horse watering bucket and sack of dog treats, Diane
Sherrick, who had been observing my gawking at all the stuff
with no small amount of amusement, confessed her real inter-
est in me was “those two absolutely gorgeous Golden Retriev-
ers sitting in the front seat of your Jeep, one of them appear-
ing to be your driver!” (Diane matched us to the Jeep since
she knew the other, legitimate patrons, all of whom arrived in
pick-ups capable of transporting serious horse gear.)
Diane had had the Golden addiction “for more than
twenty-five years” and had recently lost 11-year old Abby to
hemangiosarcoma. She was instantly in love with our guys and
interested in GRREAT. “There isn’t a GRREAT around here;
I wrote to the chapter in Raleigh six months ago but never
heard from them. The chapter in Yorktown told me they don’t
come down this far.” Diane said she and her husband have a
few acres there in Eastern North Carolina and, “I’d love to
have a couple of the mature Goldens, you know, ten, twelve
years old. I’d love’em forever!”
We left with Diane promising to frequent the GRREAT
website and threatening to beg us to adopt some of those ma-
ture beauties… and then she’d adopt them from us.
Here we were: Lucy and I, ourselves veteran GRREAT
home visitors who could adeptly check out these folks, even
bring a dog or two down to them in Eastern North Carolina.
“Robert,” Lucy suggested after a thoughtful silence, “we
ought to move here and start a GRREAT program. Right
here!”
I don’t necessarily believe in signs, but . . .
A mile past the Sound, we stopped at Carawans fresh sea-
food market where we choose daily from the catch that morn-
ing. Yesterday, it was speckled trout; day before, pompano. I
was hungrily eyeing cobia, bluefish and wahoo and beginning
to gather a couple dozen NC oysters when I overheard a voice,
“Oh isn’t that adorable! That must be your chauffeur out there,
loyally waiting for you!” It was happening again!
The voice belonged to Vera Spellman, a tall, attractive
woman in her 60’s, excitedly talking with Lucy about Eli, alert-
ly sitting behind the steering wheel, and Marlowe, likewise in
passenger seat. Vera had lost her Golden, AND her husband,
a year ago and seeing our boys it all suddenly sorted out for
her. “I’m ready now!” she gushed. “But I don’t need a DOG;
I need a GOLDEN!”
Vera hails from Pennsylvania and has a house on the
Outer Banks. She was over-the-top goofy about “th’boys” and
naturally, the conversation found its way to GRREAT. “Can
you folks help me in Pennsylvania?” she asked. “If not, I have
a house in Baltimore; I’ll move there if that would qualify me!”
She vowed to check out the GRREAT website, then exited
with us, eager to hug our chauffeur and his passenger.
Few days later we’re back in Maryland, in awe, as always,
of the sheer magnetism of these guys.
7
Current research indicates that our dogs think and com-
municate much more than we previously thought. What would
your dog tell you if he could talk? How much he loves to be
with you? Do you think he waits for you to come home every
day, or does he manage to occupy himself? Does she miss you
when you go on vacation and she goes to the boarding kennel?
What makes training fun for a dog? Does she ever wish she
were a cat? Does he have an attitude? The answers to these
questions and more can be found on a clever new musical CD,
Dog Tracks.
Life’s a Game is one song I just can’t get out of my mind.
“I can learn anything you want as long as you make it a game.”
Isn’t that just how reward-based dog trainers (positive rein
-
forcement and clicker trainers) live and teach? And though I
play some of these CD selections as my canine and human
students arrive for training class, and use other selections as
background music, I also play the CD in my car where I can
sing along — and alone — in my own off-key way.
Dog Tracks is an “album” (downloadable or CD) of songs
about dogs, songs inspired by dogs, and songs played and sung
by dog people. Everyone who likes music will love it. There
is something for everyone, from reggae to blues to Hawaiian-
style music to rock n’ roll, jazz, ballad, folk, country and blue
-
grass. Whew!
Bob Dorman’s life changed when he adopted a Rat Terrier
named Mabel in 2001. He became a shelter volunteer and had a
eureka! moment when he realized that songs about dogs could
help other dogs and their people. Although Dog Tracks was cre-
ated in Illinois, the musicians come from all corners of the
country, including fiddler Scott Campbell from Barre, Vermont
and sax player Marty Gilman from Boston.
Among The Selections
You’ll love Mama Was a Mutt (“Purebreds have papers but
mixed breeds have attitudes”) and I Gotta Go O-U-T (a dog’s
walk is way overdue).
Two-Way Street educates us that dogs talk
to us too, but with their tail and ears (body language being
physical rather than verbal) — “I listen to you. Please listen to
me.” You can learn canine body language (three phrases) from
an expert, Mabel the Beagle, from Two-Way Street, a smooth
jazz selection. And in Time Goes By, a dog patiently waits for the
family to come home each day.
The Website
The website, www.dogtrackscd.com, primarily encourages
people to donate time and money to rescues and shelters, and
a dollar from the sale of each CD or downloadable album goes
to a rescue or shelter — in $200 increments, the average cost
of the adoption process including veterinary care, medicine,
spay/neuter, microchip, toys, and food.
Rather than naming one large national organization as
the beneficiary of the proceeds, Dog Tracks sends a donation
directly to a local rescue/adoption organization selected ran
-
domly from the list on the website (register your own shelter
or rescue today). This ensures the buyer knows the donation is
going directly to help the dogs.
Search for rescues and shelters near you; meet the musi
-
cians on the web page; exchange ideas about dog health, train
-
ing and volunteering with other dog people in the forum; listen
to the lyrics and music. It’s all there for you to share, including
sound clips and chords of the selections. That’s right — they
actually do want you to sing and play along!
Fundraising
Dog Tracks can also be used by shelters and rescues for
fundraising purposes, by either selling the CDs or encouraging
people to order online with a special promotional code. I’m
hoping for the time I walk into a shelter and hear Take Me Home
in the background; it’s about a shelter dog trying to put his best
paw forward to get adopted.
DogTracks is an incredible gift for dogs and their people. I
can’t wait for more sing-along songs!
Skye Anderson is a reviewer for Yankee Dog and frequent contrib
-
utor to the GRREAT newsletter.
Dog Tracks, Songs by Dogs
Mabeldogproductions, Inc., created by Bob Dorman, 2008, $12.99 from www.dogtrackscd.com
Review by Skye Anderson
Thank You to Bob Fritz!
Bob Fritz, GRREAT’s one and only webmaster for
nearly 20 years, has retired from service to the organiza
-
tion. While his wife, April, was serving on the GRREAT
Board of Directors in the early 1990’s, the Board thought
a web site would be useful and asked Bob if he could build
one. While this was new territory for Bob, he agreed to
give it a grreat try. Way back in those days of nascent web
development, a site was developed on Bob’s AOL account
in about 1992. The www.grreat.org site was implemented
in 1998. Bob has continued to provide the service to
GRREAT gratis.
Last year, the GRREAT web site had more than
250,500 visits from more than 75 countries. We regularly
receive inquiries and donations through the web site from
throughout the United Sates and world!
As one of our most long-term and committed volun
-
teers, we are so very grreatful to Bob for providing this
invaluable service. All of us in the GRREAT community
wish Bob and his family the very best!
8
8
When we think
of retirement,
we generally
think about
our own retire
-
ment, not one
of our dogs’
retirement. I
know many are
asking them
-
selves, “Do
pets retire?”
Well, not really.
What I am addressing here are two issues really. When we
retire or are unable to take care of ourselves, then where will
our beloved pets go? Who will take them and will they actually
take care of them just like you would? Do you have money set
aside for your pet should you no longer be able to take care of
them? Who is going to be your pet’s voice after you are gone?
A few years ago, my neighbor passed away unexpectedly.
She had seven rescue dogs, four birds and two cats. Although
she was still fairly young at her passing, she prepared for her
pets in case something should happen to her. She planned
ahead and, having it noted in her will, she was able to pro
-
vide the funds to the folks left behind to take care of the
pets. A lot of folks hope the family will just take care of
them. That is not always the case. Not all family members
are pet lovers. This particular family was not, so the woman’s
friends stepped in and helped to get all the pets a new home.
Several of my clients have called me recently to ask for
my help. One woman’s mother recently passed away and as
her daughter, she got the dog. The dog being older (16 years
old) had some health issues and had only known the mother as
caregiver and her surroundings. The new dog owner called to
see if we could get the dog acclimated to living in a new house
with new surroundings… or did the dog want a new owner?
Come to find out, the dog wanted to stay with the new owner
and the new owner was thrilled. This one was a happy ending.
Another client was very ill and could no longer keep
his dog; he was frantic trying to find a place to take the dog
as his personal physical health was going downhill fast. He
said he was on the computer one night and actually ended
up finding a couple different websites promoting retirement
homes for dogs. He had never really thought of the idea,
but thought it was a good one. Be certain to make sure the
place is reputable by calling the Better Business Bureau.
It was 1993 when the National Conference of
Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and the American
Bar Association added Section 2-907 of the Uniform Probate
Code to the books. Previous to this, the law treated pets like
any other piece of property upon the death of their owners.
As all of us know — our pets are not property. Estate planning
and setting up a trust for our pets is vital these days! More than
30 states now recognize the family pet and will include them
in wills and in estate planning. They are no different than any
other family member you would consider when doing your will.
So where are you with providing for your pet after you
are gone? We always think it won’t happen to us, but it can.
So have some peace of mind and plan ahead for you and your
pets. I know I have.
Sherry B. True is an animal communicator in the Damascus, MD
area. Please visit her website for more information on her services at
www.spiritpaws.com.
Pet Retirement
by Sherry B. True
Dollars for Doers – Easy Cash
for GRREAT
Do you know that your volunteer efforts can be turned
into cash for GRREAT dogs? Some companies offer to
donate money to non-profit organizations for the vol
-
unteer work done by their employees and retirees. The
donation is based on the number of service hours the
employee/retiree has performed for the non-profit.
Through the Dollars for Doers program, GRREAT
benefits twice: once from the volunteer’s contribution of
time and again from the financial contribution made by the
volunteer’s employer.
If you are a GRREAT volunteer, please ask your
employer if they participate in the Dollars for Doers
program. If they do not, we would be so grreatful if you
would ask them to consider it.
You can download a suggested Dollars for Doers policy
to give to your employer to help set up a program at your
company here: www.efbayarea.org/documents/resources/
employee-volunteerism/Sample%20Dollars%20for%20D
oers%20Policy.doc
9
Carolyn Dorey has joined our Young Donor’s Club. She re-
quested that donations be made to GRREAT for her birthday,
instead of receiving gifts for herself. Carolyn was inspired to
help our rescued Goldens after her grandfather, Bert Coble,
adopted Cody (07-092) and became a GRREAT volunteer.
All of us at GRREAT, and especially the dogs, appreciate
your kindness and generosity so much, Carolyn.
A GRREAT Young Donor
Name # Age Sex
Bojangles 07-211 5 M
Scout 10-012 11mo M
Bertie 10-104 12 F
Honey 10-141 1 F
Gabe 10-146 11 M
Savannah 10-151 7 M
Toby 10-153 4 M
Isabella 10-154 5 F
Buffy 10-156 1 F
Ellie 10-158 11mo F
Dax 10-189 11 M
Canyon 10-190 11 M
Josh 10-210 1 M
Copper 10-220 7 M
Colt 10-231 1 M
Shiloh 10-232 7 M
Buff 10-192 5 M
Clancy 10-112 1 M
Mac 10-166 1 M
Shelby 10-199 2 F
Chucky 10-218 1 M
Stanley 10-061 8 M
Franco 10-098 7 M
Seamus 10-162 12 M
Olivia 10-211 5 F
Ben 10-216 6 M
Tahoe 10-126 8 M
Annabelle 10-193 4 F
Mack 10-198 5 M
Taz 10-072 7 M
Ginger 10-079 2 F
Kinsei/Zoe 10-197 3 F
Savanna 10-206 3 F
Clark 10-214 4 M
Shadow 10-225 3 M
Duke 10-229 6 M
Max 11-005 11 M
Goldie 11-018 1 F
Name # Age Sex
10
10
Pukka, The Pup After Merle
by Ted Kerasote, 200 pp, Houghton Mifflin, 2010, about $18.95
Reviewed by Skye Anderson
A beautiful blonde. A life of freedom in a small Wyoming
town in the foothills of the Rockies. Supergreat snow-skiing
country! Elk, bison, bear, rabbit, partridge to hunt in autumn.
Streams to fish, mountains to hike, meadows to gaze upon. A
rustic, but new log cabin with a pinewood floor. What more
could a dog wish for?
Pukka is the Yellow Lab we all would like to be. Or have.
A coffee table book for children and adults alike, which
follows in the footsteps of Merle’s Door: Lessons from a Free
Thinking Dog. If you liked Merle’s Door, you will love Pukka.
If you didn’t like Merle’s Door, you will still love Pukka —
Pukka is a very different dog and a very different book. Pukka
is the pup after Merle.
Merle’s Door was all prose, about the life of a “found-
dog” in Colorado where Merle had the run of the small town.
Pukka is a small coffee table book — a pictorial diary of Puk-
ka’s first summer, a 5–month adventure from spring snows to
vibrant autumn colors.
I walked past this book several times in my local book-
store. I usually wait for my review copy to come, but with
Pukka, I simply couldn’t wait to buy it. And I am NOT disap-
pointed!
Sometimes I take Pukka to bed with me and just turn the
pages, looking at the pictures, wishing I were there — this is if
I don’t want to really read something heavy, but am not quite
ready yet to turn out the light.
Pukka the book is mostly excellent photos, but also a
paragraph or two on each page. It chronicles the first few
months of Pukka, the pup’s, life — spotting bison, elk, and
bear for the first time; meeting neighborhood Wyoming dogs;
becoming “puppy socialized” at the Kelly Elementary School
and post office; learning (the gentle, positive way) to walk on
leash and stay out of the kitchen. Pukka the book pictorially
illustrates safety rules, too, such as canine seat belts in the back
seat of cars and canine life-preservers in canoes.
Pukka encounters horses, cows and mule deer; climbs lad-
ders and slides down slides at the kids’ playgound; discovers
that water also comes out of hoses (whee! what fun to bite
the water!); and learns retrieving by watching the big dogs.
Naturally, nobody had to teach him. He even eventually learns
to swim; after all, he is a Retriever who can retrieve!
There’s more! Buffalo burger cook-outs, croquet with the
kids, nature’s agility course (fallen logs), Merle’s door in the
old trailer, Merle’s grave under the prayer flags, and Merle’s
Aspen tree, which Pukka also likes to nap under. Pukka even
has a dedicated quadruped couch! Quite the life for a pup!
Pukka is a lovely book about a delightful dog with a won-
derful life! Get it and keep it! You’ll be glad you did!
Healing Companions
– Ordinary Dogs and their
Extraordinary Power to
Transform Lives
by Jane Miller, 2010, 256 pp, New Page Books and Career Press,
$16.99
Reviewed by Skye Anderson
A cover photo cute
enough to die for and a stun
-
ning title and subtitle that
made me pick this book up
to see what it was about: Or-
dinary Dogs and Their Extraor-
dinary Power to Transform Lives.
Wow! Reading about a new
kind of service dog, psychi-
atric service dogs (PSD), ap-
pealed to me because I had
met one at Walter Reed Army Medical Center shortly after I
returned from Afghanistan.
Miller writes as if she were three different people writing
three different types of books — she instructs, she informs,
she inspires. She writes almost a manual or cookbook about
how to select and train a PSD; she has compiled a wealth
of information in the seven-plus appendices with resources,
websites, and a bibliography on PSDs; and she writes in narra-
tive form about real people and their psychiatric service dogs,
and she actually elicits strong emotional feelings in the reader
in the chapter on retiring a PSD (in other words, I became
teary-eyed). Miller is a therapist and a dog trainer — both
these skills come through on every page. Her caring about the
dog and the person, as well as other significant people in their
life, comes through on every page.
And through it all she emphasizes two points: the trust-
ing, loving bond between dog and person (both directions),
and the positive reinforcement “method” of training dogs,
which is so necessary in order to cultivate and maintain that
bond.
A PSD is trained to assist someone with PTSD (post-
traumatic stress disorder), bipolar disorder, panic disorder,
or depression, among others. The definition is: a service dog
trained individually to mitigate the effects of their disabled
partner’s psychiatric disabilities by performing specific tasks.
When I read the following sentence explaining the first
thing Miller did after she finally bought a house, I knew I had
met a kindred soul: “My first priority was to get a dog; furni-
ture could wait (p 19).” Miller then proceeds to tell us how she
con’t. on pg. 12
11
Oh, happy, happy! My husband, Bob, and I were blessed
in December with the gift of GRREAT’s approval to adopt
a dog. Our plan had been to adopt one young female Gold-
en. Well, you know what they say about best laid plans… In
early January, we welcomed two of GRREAT’s senior male
dogs into our family, and life has not been quite the same
since! It has been even better than grreat! It has been awe-
some!
Perhaps you’ve met these two old men on GRREAT’s
website. They are Canyon (10-190) and Dax (10-189). Can-
yon just turned 12 in late January. He is a beautiful dog, a
soft reddish color, curly fur, pretty brown eyes, very white
face, just a super sweet dog —who never, ever barks. Dax
(he’ll be 12 in July) is a totally different sort of dog. He’s
huge, for one thing. He’s three-and-a-half feet long, not
counting his tail, and he’s tall, about 2” taller than Canyon.
He’s redder, too, and he’s a bit goofy-looking. But, oh, boy,
does he ever have a good heart! He has a bony head, big
expression-filled eyes, huge perky ears, a very long snout,
and if you say the words “walk,” “outside,” or if he even
glimpses his leash, he woofs excitedly and dances in place,
so very happy! They are both warm and affectionate dogs,
too, leaning against us or laying their heads in our lap when
they want to be petted. They sleep in late (oh, glory!); they
go outside to potty and come right back and sit patiently by
the door; they love to be brushed; they don’t mess with the
trash or counter-surf. They haven’t done a single thing bad
in more than a month!
These two boys are just the most awesome dogs either
of us has ever met! Whoever trained Dax and Canyon de-
serves kudos for training them so incredibly well. They are
absolutely the best behaved and sweetest dogs ever! We call
them the Wonder Dogs.
They have great energy and spunkiness — it is amazing
what daily glucosamine can accomplish for older dogs. Bob
has been taking them on a two-mile walk every afternoon,
which they get very excited about and seem to love every
minute of. Sure, they flop down for a nap afterward, but
then so does Bob! I’ve been taking them out in the snow in
the back yard most mornings and throwing sticks for them
to chase. They love this game, too, and Dax is actually start-
ing to “bring it back” and then “leave it” at my feet so I can
throw the stick again and again. Canyon just claims his sticks
and chews on them. Both pups love the smells in the yard
and have wandered back into the woods a bit, guided by “the
nose that knows,” but they always come when we call them.
Good dogs!
They trot around the house, upstairs and down, fol-
lowing me throughout the day like two furry shadows. I’ve
never had such devoted companionship. All they ask is to
be petred, which we are more than happy to do. We weren’t
going to allow them on the furniture, but Canyon has started
gently walking up into my wing chair in the living room, ever
so quietly, and curling into a ball, and settling in all cozy-
like before we spot him. Once, we found him curled up on
the living room couch. Dax has his eye on my upholstered
chair in the family room, but hasn’t actually climbed up yet.
We’ve conceded. We figure their nearly 12-year-old bones
need some softness, so we’ve begun to welcome them onto
the furniture with us.
They are such snow bunnies, too! Bob said I should
have seen them “skiing” down the driveway early the other
afternoon, coming back from getting the mail! He had tak-
en them on their leashes in case of cars down at the road,
but then released them halfway back and let them run in
the fresh snow. They took off like crazy dogs, running like
the nut cakes they are, running loops around the front yard,
making snow angels, eating snow. But the funniest part, he
said, was when they both went sliding (dog-skiing) down the
slippery driveway, front legs splayed out in front of them!
Apparently, they liked it because they caught themselves, ran
back and did it again! Silly dogs! Canyon loves to make snow
angels in the deep snow. One day, after a fresh snowfall, he
was so excited he made a whole series of snow angels, slid-
ing about fifty feet down the back hill in the process!
There is actually an advantage to adopting a pair of
dogs, and it is that they have an immediate friend to help
them with the trauma of adjusting to a new home; our dogs
took no time at all to adjust to our home, literally.
The Wonder Dogs
by Shirley Coelho
Dax (10-189) in front, Canyon (10-190) in back
con’t. on pg. 12
12
12
The GRREAT Annual
Business Meeting
Our 2010 Annual Business Meeting was held on January
22, 2011 in Gaithersburg MD. We started the meeting
with snacks and beverages, and then everyone present
introduced themselves. For many of us, we were able to
finally put a face to the person(s) with whom we have
frequent email and phone conversations. The members in
attendance learned about our 2010 activities and what we
hope to accomplish in 2011. The statistical information
that was presented is available on the GRREAT web site at
www.grreat.org/bythenumbers/index.htm.
Louise Davidson was elected to a two year term as the
GRREAT President, and Harry Sethna was elected to a two
year term as the GRREAT Treasurer.
Honestly, I cannot imagine these two apart. Two are twice
as funny as one — trust me on this! There is not a day that goes
by that I don’t laugh so hard I become hoarse with laughter!
They jump each other when one does not see it coming, then
they wrestle for five minutes or so, furiously, just for fun. They
energetically wash each other several times a day until they have
washed each other’s ears backwards and look perfectly silly,
or they wash the most ridiculous cowlicks onto the tops of
both heads so they look a little punk-y! They mercilessly swipe
toys and bones from one another, but also always, always sleep
curled up with some body part touching one another. They
look so different, and they are certainly not litter-mates, but in
their hearts, I believe they are brothers just the same.
There are many wonderful benefits, it seems to us, to adopt
-
ing senior Goldens. In our case, our Wonder Dogs came to us
fully housebroken, knew all of the important commands (sit,
stay, come, go lie down, no begging), and had already learned
gentlemanly manners (both indoors and out). No puppy to
train. No obedience classes. No leaping up. No crating. These
older gentlemen were mature and knew the ways of the world
already. They seem settled, well-adjusted, calmer than a puppy
or younger dog would be, but still with plenty of personality
(oh! my goodness!) and spunkiness! They are warm and loving
dogs, with oodles of love still to give and to accept from us for
a long time to come.
We find ourselves smiling more, and laughing much more!
These two old men have brought a whole new dimension to
our lives that was apparently missing, and we didn’t even know
it! These two sweet dogs have us laughing out loud at the things
they do and the expressions on their faces! Two senior Goldens
— who would have thought it could be this grreat?
cont’d. from pg. 11
stumbled upon this specialty — PSDs — and made it her
life’s purpose.
If you read this book just for the glossary, or just for
the list of service tasks for psychiatric disabilities that PSDs
can perform, or just for the incredibly complete resource
section, it will be time well spent. The chapters on selecting
a canine candidate and training your PSD will then be an
added bonus to slowly savor again and again.
You will also learn more about the ADA’s (Americans
with Disabilities Act) definition of disability, including in
-
visible disabilities. Miller also provides invaluable hints to
deal with leash breaking or how to tactfully diffuse a situa-
tion when someone challenges whether or not your dog is
necessary and, thus, allowed in a restaurant: “The only ques-
tions you are required to answer are whether or not you are
disabled (though you do not need to provide the particulars
about your disability), if your dog is a pet or a service dog,
and what your PSD is task trained to do. . . .” (p 97).
What didn’t I like about this book? Not much. I did mix
up the dogs and their people — Miller related several case
histories in two chapters and then referred back to them
in another, but by then I had forgotten who was the per-
son and who was the dog, as well as the particulars about
each team. Secondly, this book is soft cover; I want a spiral-
bound copy so I can highlight more easily and write notes
in the margins.
What did I like? Great chapter titles! And Miller tells it
like it is. Having a dog does cost money and time — atten-
tion, walks, feeding, grooming and love. The person must
monitor stress in a working dog and be able to alleviate it
(i.e., “Dogs Have Issues Too: Helping Your Dog Cope with
Stress”). It can be difficult to retire a service dog and bid
farewell — for both dog and person — after all, you are
breaking up a team (i.e., “The Golden Years: When to Hang
up the Leash”). An ongoing partnership must exist not only
between person and dog, but also among the trainer, thera-
pist and veterinarian. Since a PSD is not a pet, the family
and other animals must be able to adjust to and accept this
new relationship (i.e., “Member of the Family: Helping Ev-
eryone Get Along”). I especially liked the chapter, “Sit, Stay,
Soothe: Training Your New Companion.”
Healing Companions will open up a new world for many
people!
Skye Anderson is a frequent book reviewer for GRREAT and
Pet First Aid Instructor-Trainer for the American Red Cross.
cont’d. from pg. 10
13
Anita and Frank Abbruscato
Paula Abernethy
Jeffrey Balenson
Monica D. Bankus
Roberta Barrett
Rebecca Benner
Catherine and Richard Bertin
Holly and Dennis Blackledge
Paul and Jane Balek*
Sharon Bottcher and Joan Peddicord
Barbara Boyd**
Lee and Daniel Broh-Kahn*
Mark and Nancy Burnette*
Holly and Vincent Caporale**
Kenneth and Linda Chaletzky*
Kate and Art Chutuape
Mike and Maureen Cippel
Bonnie Clark*
John Clewett and Cindy Speas
Trish Collier
Anthony and Jennifer Conley*
Laura Denk*
Evan and Emil DeRenzo
Cindy Dominik*
Mary A. Dougherty
Jeff and Carolyn Eckhaus*
Connie and Ben Etheridge*
Paul, Sean, and Cara Foley
Bob and April Fritz*
Joseph and Virginia Fry*
Tom and Alison Gillette
Al and Sylvia Glaser*
Melissa Gorham
Jennifer Graham*
Demetrio Guerrero and Sandra Rutan
Barbara Hals
Stephen and Kristina Hays*
Tonia Heffner*
Katheirne Howell
Susan James*
Toni and James Johns*
David and Margery Klepinger*
Alexander and Olympia Krowzow
Diane Lanigan
Debra Laudenslager*
Michael LeMaster
Bob and Patty Means
Ruth Meier
Joseph and Julie Morrogh
Aurora Neculita
Edward Niemann III*
Margaret O’Neill
Abby and Steve Owen
Brenda Pascal*
Rakhee Palekar
Joyce and Ralph Page
Donald Robinson and Elizabeth Ketz-
Robinson
Sheryle and Jeanne Robinson
Nancy J. Roepke
Cory and Stanford Rothschild
George Santos*
Ray and Kathy Schmid*
Linda Schneider and Stuart Crook*
Andrea Scott
Joy Scrimshire*
Brad Shapiro
Kristin Simanek
Lisa Spenik*
Louis and Teri Stachowiak
Thank You for
Your Donations
*denotes total contribution of $100-$499
**denotes total contribution of $500-$999
***denotes total contribution of $1000 or more
14
14
In Memory Of...
Chris and Lori Summers*
Meghan Starr
Leslie Thornton
Linda Totels*
Judith and Stephen Urbanczyk*
Daniel Volchok and Kathleen Keller***
Suzanne Waple
Michael Warden
Christine and Kenneth White*
Tim White and Anna Alt-White*
Katie Wirth*
Edythe and Charles Wise*
In memory of Brandy and Rudy. – Ray
and Kathy Schmid*
This donation is being made in memory
of our beloved Golden, Rusty, who went
to the Rainbow Bridge on his 14th birth
-
day, Aug. 26, 2010. – Polly Roberts**
In memory of Joshua. – Jerry Cann*
In memory of Goldie. – Dan and Lillian
Roach*
In memory of Nora. – Christine Liu
In memory of Gene and Anne who
were “GRREAT” grandparents to our
Golden, Sebastian. – Gary and Irene
Masters
This Christmas gift for The Sottak
Family is in memory of their Golden,
Shelby. – Landon and Heidi Harris
In memory of Ginger & Tuli. – Joanne
Heininger
In memory of Breezy. One month ago,
we put down our beloved Breezy. She
was almost 15 years old and had been
with us since she was 4 years old. She
was given to us by GRREAT and, over
the past 11 years, she has been loved by
so many people. She served as a therapy
dog until she could no longer walk on
the slippery floors of hospitals and nurs
-
ing homes. – Emma Pauls
In memory of Traveler & Maybe
McIlrath & Borzoi Lanigan. – Sharon
McIlrath***
In memory of my best friend, Zeke,
who went to his forever home in June.
I miss him and will be forever grateful
for the time we had together. – Carol
Sniegowski*
In memory of Maureen Kelley and
Rusty. – Karen Wahler*
In memory of Martha VanLandingham’s
sweet girls, Lucy and Ginger. Sadly they
left her too soon, but are happily togeth
-
er again at the Rainbow Bridge. – Louise
Davidson*
In memory of Casey Dominik-Ketchie.
– Linda Curtiss
In memory of Chutney, our sweet
Golden girl. – Mary Ann Svec*
I’d like to make a donation to GRREAT
for Patricia Donovan, in memory of
Sophie Donovan-Hill. – Amy Donovan
We send this donation in memory of our
cousin, Tim Koval, an animal lover. Tim
passed away on January 9th, 2011. – Ken
& Peg Krygier and Kathy Allaire
In memory of Caper Schmitz, may she
continue to carry a ball around in heav
-
en, and finds lots of angels to throw it
for her. – Sharon Kemp
In memory of Kaiser, Christy, Bonnie,
Chrissy and Courtney. – Priscilla and
John Borden*
In loving memory of our Toby (04-144).
He brought joy into our home everyday.
– Nancy and Richard Hughes*
In memory of Riley. Enclosed is a
donation in honor of Lucinda and Jeff
Twining’s first foster, Riley. Many folks
label those of us who adopt our 1st
fosters as “foster failures,” but I prefer
to call them “adoption successes!” We
are so sorry for your loss! – Diane and
John Hein*
Enclosed is a donation in memory of
Broccoli, a fun-loving Golden who was
also the luckiest of dogs as he was
blessed with Jessie and Dan for puppy
parents. We are so sorry for your loss.
– Diane and John Hein*
Enclosed you will find a donation in
memory of Sandi (06-181) who sadly
crossed the “Rrainbow Bridge” last fall.
As Sandi’s foster parents, we remember
a gracious fun-loving little lady. A sweet,
happy pup that lived life and easily com
-
manded the attention of all the humans
in the room. She was an easy pup to fos
-
ter even with a few health issues. Laura
and Jeff Shanks and their three sons
provided the perfect “forever home.”
Sandi moved in and quickly wrapped
four men and mom around her little
paw. She was definitely a special little
girl! Although her time with you was
short-lived, you truly gave her the best
years of her life!!! We are so thankful for
wonderful families like yours who adopt
these wonderful Goldens. – Diane and
John Hein*
In memory of Quartz — she was a
beautiful light of my life. – Janis Foshay
15
In honor of Tanner (adopted from
GRREAT 4/1/10). – Rita Demma*
In honor of Copper (00-278) for
friendly weekly visits to Copper Ridge,
an Alzheimer’s facility, for six years.
– Andrew and Barbara Becker*
In honor of Belle, who is 12 years old
and such a loving part of our family.
– Chip and Georgia Woody*
In honor of Neal and Judy McKinley.
– Kevin and Melanie Emerick
To honor Broccoli, Jessie’s Robinson
sweet old Golden boy. His passing was
much too sudden, but he was blessed
to have lived a long and happy life.
– Louise Davidson*
This donation is being made in honor of
Sean Combetty and his Golden, Brady.
– Lori Orsi
In honor of Glen Macdonald and Dee
Brown. – Kathy Macdonald
We’d like to make this donation in honor
of Janet Hauck for her birthday. Thank
you. – Danny and Patti McDonnell
In honor of Al Glasser. – Yolanda
Weller*
We would like to make this donation
in honor of Martha VanLandingham.
– Sherrie and David VanLandingham
In honor of Murphy Quinn. – Brian and
Ann Marie Quinn*
To honor Riley Twining, Jeff and
Lucinda Twining’s beloved one-of-a-
kind Golden boy. Riley graces the vol
-
unteer page on the GRREAT web site:
www.grreat.org/voluntr.htm – Louise
Davidson*
In honor of the work of Jennifer
King and in memory of Jake. – Kathy
Malatesta and Ken Dale
In honor of Art Hotop. – Cheryl Nuccio
In memory of John D. Weis. – Michele
Johnson
For Special Needs Dog, Charlie (08-
150), in memory of John Weis. – Kerry
White
In Memory of John Weis. – Edward
Garrity*
This donation is made in memory of
John Weis on behalf of his co-work
-
ers and friends at the Internal Revenue
Service. – Katherine Miller*
This donation is in memory of John
Weis, husband of a special friend and
Golden lover in Dunn Loring, Virginia.
– Margaret Carpentier
Vet care for Missy’s (10-230) emer
-
gency visit to Hope Center for pull
-
ing her stitches out. – Olivia and Tom
McDonough***
For our last two Goldens, Zoe and
Kuma, who passed on, and for our cur
-
rent two rescues, Kansuke and Denbei,
who are doing just fine. – Alan and
Emiko Alborn*
We were Bella’s god-parents. Just wanted
to let you know she is doing great in her
new home with a family that truly loves
her (they have 5 kids). She has a 10 acre
farm to run around on and is a well
loved house dog. – Marie and Martin
Slebodnick
Donation for Al Glaser. – Robert and
Margaret Knitzer
Adopted “Cassidy” in January 2009. This
additional donation is a Christmas gift to
other dogs who need homes. Thank you
for all your hard work! – Jessica Knutson
and Christopher Hoffman
For GRREAT dog Abbey’s 12th
Birthday, donated at her birthday party.
– Jane and William Yeingst
For GRREAT dog Abbey’s 12th
Birthday, donated at her birthday party.
– James and Patricia Miller
For GRREAT dog Abbey’s 12th
Birthday, donations collected at her
birthday party. – Krista Oberlander*
For Sunny & Drake. – Robin Ruth-
Coleman
This gift is made on behalf of Nancy
and Dave Smith as part of our Christmas
gift to them. – David Smith and Kelly
Spring
To Martha VanLandingham - the
best friend a dog ever had. – Linda
Eggbeer*
Remembering TAZ 99-129 - “Mr.
Perfect”; we miss you every minute of
every hour of every day. – Patrick and
Patricia McAllister
Enclosed is a donation to GRREAT to
help and support the wonderful work
you all do every day to help Golden
Retrievers in need. Having had 7
Goldens (currently 2), in my life, I know
the joy they bring me and all that they
do to bring love and joy to others. Please
use this donation wherever there is the
greatest need. On behalf of our family...
thank you and everyone at GRREAT!
– Ellen Courtney**
For my beautiful Goldie girl, Casey.
– Sheila Ramsey*
Happy birthday, Aunt Karol Hickman!
We love you and all you and Uncle Bob
To Help With Costs...
For Other Reasons...
In Honor Of...
In Memory of John Weis…
16
16
Corporate Giving
Sponsor Me!
Forever Friends
do with the Grreat animals!!! – Jeanne
Sterba*
Thank you again to GRREAT for our
wonderful companion and GRREAT
pal of the past 8.5 years, Brady. Brady
continues to bring us so much joy and
laughter each and every day. We wish for
all dogs to find their forever homes as
Brady found his way to ours. – Joe and
Judy Niebauer*
My daughter Carolyn Dorey had a birth
-
day party in which she requested dona
-
tions to your organization in lieu of gifts.
Carolyn’s grandfather, Bert Coble, is a
GRREAT volunteer. Soon after adopt
-
ing Cody, he became a volunteer and
has inspired Carolyn to help out. She
would like to become a member of your
Young Donor’s Club. By Bradley and
Catherine Dorey. (See Young Donor’s
Club article and picture on page 9)
– Carolyn Dorey*
In honor of Carolyn Dorey’s birthday.
– Kelly and Patricia Ervin
In honor of Carolyn Dorey’s birthday.
– Linda and Peter Roskovich
I will always love you Bozi. – Diane
Lanigan
For Bear. – Patricia and Craig
Balbalian*
Potomac Valley Golden Retriever Club,
Inc.* – I am sending you a check which
came from the “Money Tree” to ben
-
efit GRREAT at our Christmas party.
Thanks for all the good work you do on
behalf of our Goldens.
Enterprise Community Investment***
– On behalf of Enterprise Community
Investment, Inc., Senior Officers, please
accept this donation in the names of
Helen and Joshie Whitehead.
CCA Mortgage, LLC.*
DogStuff.Com – Enclosed is a check
from the Rescue First Program at
Dogstuff.com, representing a donation
from us to support your work. Through
the program, every online order creates
a donation to rescue.
Krista Kniker and Peace of Mind Pet
Care* – Please accept the donation
enclosed in memory of our friend and
client, ELMO, who lived his life to the
fullest, dying recently of old age related
causes. He was a joy to be with and
his owners a joy to work with on his
behalf. He was 15 years old and until
his last day was so excited to see my
staff for his daily walk and even chased
a buck down the street the day before
he passed. What a Golden angel he was.
This donation is what remained in his
account when he passed and his own
-
ers specifically requested that we donate
this money to a charity of our choice.
Lockheed Martin NOVA* – Please find
the enclosed (Leo Fund) donation to
your organization from the Lockheed
Martin NOVA charitable organization.
Each summer, we hold weekly lunch
-
time cookouts at our Laurel, MD office.
The volunteers who work at the cook
-
out nominate a charity to receive part
of the profits. At the end of the cook
-
out season, the profit money is totaled
and equally divided among the charities.
Please know that a member of our staff
nominated your organization to receive
this gift.
Just Give – on behalf of Marie
Grunwell
Just Give – on behalf of Eileen
Bennett
Members Give – on behalf of Eileen
Bennett
IBM Employee Services Center – on
behalf of Lona Gordon
IBM Employee Services Center – anon
-
ymous donor
Network for Good – anonymous
donor*
First Data Foundation – on behalf of
Barbara Dunnington
Memorials can be seen at
www.grreat.org/foreverfriends/index.htm
For Murphy. – Kate Aaby and John
Loughner
For Corey (02-128). – Patricia and Scott
Messenger
For Sherman. – Jan and Tim Ambrose
For Sydney. – Gwyn Donohue*
Special Needs Dogs can be seen at
www.grreat.org/dogs/doglist_special.htm
For Special Needs Dog, Clover (10-
164). – Catherine Campbell
These funds are to be used to care for 3
of the Special Needs Goldens currently
listed on your website: Gracie (10-114),
Charlie (08-150) and Rhett (08-138).
– Skeen Family Foundation***
For Stevie (08-208). For all the wonder
-
ful dogs that have brought us so much
joy over the years. – Nikhil Palekar*
For Charlie (08-150). – Jeanne
O’Donoghue*
For Charlie (08-150) and Stevie (08-
208). In memory of my first foster,
Sonny, who was such a sweet, gentle
boy. – Jennifer Murray***
For Other Reasons... (con’t.)
17
For Stevie (08-208), in memory of
Sadie. – Dawn and Marshall Bowen
For Beeker (09-026), Brooke (08-128),
Gracie (10-114), Stevie (08-208). Merry
Christmas to all dogs and hope you
have a wonderful and deserving New
Year. Dogs truly know the meaning
of Christmas and exhibit it all year
round. They Give us Comfort and Joy
and expect very little in return! – Holly
Rich*
For Peaches (05-140). – Joy Scrimshire*
For Stevie and Charlie. – Trish Collier
For Peaches (05-140). In memory of
Jessie Robinson’s Broccoli. – Robin and
Steve Heinecke
For Special Needs Dog, Stevie (08-208).
– Dabney Schneider
For Stevie (08-108) and Charlie (09-
034). (see note under “In Memory”
donations) – Mary Ann Svec*
For Peaches (05-140). In memory
of Bozi, lovingly cared for by Diane
Lanigan. – Robin and Steve Heinecke
For Special Needs Dogs, Bailey (04-
092), Peaches (05-140), Stevie (08-208)
- For all the smiles and laugh-out-louds.
– Jessie Robinson*
For Special Needs Dog, Charlie (08-
150). (see note under “In Memory of
John Weis” donations) – Kerry White
Golden Retriever Rescue
License Plates!
We are working with SEVA GRREAT, our partner to the south, to
make Golden Retriever Rescue license plates available to residents of the
Virginia Commonwealth. Membership in GRREAT or SEVA GRREAT is
NOT a requirement, but we need applications for 350 plates before they
will be issued. So far we have more than 250 people that are signed up
for the license plate, so we need almost 100 more before moving forward.
The cost is $25, and the plate can be personalized for an additional $10. As
a 501c3 organization, we qualify for revenue sharing after 1000 plates are pur
-
chased. This means that $15 of every $25 paid to the DMV will be shared with
us. This is a grreat way to provide an additional source of funds for GRREAT
and to let other drivers know about Golden Retriever Rescue. If you would like
to enroll in the program, please contact Lona Gordon at va.plates@grreat.org.
If you live in the state of Maryland, you can purchase a special license plate
to show your love of Goldens and your support for Golden Retriever Rescue.
The plates are available for $25. For more information on how to obtain
Maryland Golden Retriever Rescue plates, please contact Teri Stachowiak at
md.plates@grreat.org. The Maryland plates are only available to GRREAT
members, so be sure your membership is up-to-date before you contact Teri.
PVGRC Silent Auction to Benefit
GRREAT
The Potomac Valley Golden Retriever Club will again graciously be sup
-
porting GRREAT through a Silent Auction at their Annual Banquet, March 26.
This is a wonderful fund raiser for our organization, and includes donated
items from GRREAT as well as PVGRC members. Unique Golden Retriever
items are always very welcome. We are also looking for donations of large
baskets containing dog or field/hunting/fishing items. Get together with a
few people and donate items to be coordinated into a large basket. If you are
creative, a basket already arranged is most helpful. Also, some sporting goods
stores will donate these types of baskets. Please send your donation by March
12, 2010 to:
Robin Heinecke Louise Davidson
107 Holden Farm Lane 307 Windover Ave, NW
Queenstown, MD 21658 Vienna, VA 22180
Email: silentauction@grreat.org Email: silentauction@grreat.org
410-758-2395 703- 281-7698
If you would like to arrange to drop an item off, or to have something
picked up, please contact either Louise or Robin. Thank you for supporting
GRREAT.
Save the Date
GRREAT’s Annual Bark-B-Que is
just around the corner. More details to
come as the event gets closer!
Date: Saturday, May 14th
Time: 11am – 3pm
Place: Quiet Waters Park
Red Pavilion, 600 Quiet
Waters Rd., Annapolis, MD
cont’d. on pg. 18
18
18
GRREAT operates three funds for dogs with special needs. The Leo Fund provides surgical care, the Simile-Finale Fund provides holistic and
alternative therapies (eacupuncture, swim therapy, etc.), and Chief ’s Fund provides MRI diagnostics. To support these funds, make the selection on the
online donation page (www.grreat.org/donate/donorinfo.htm) or mention the fund in a letter with your contribution by mail. Thank you!
Leo’s Corner
Leo’s Pals (up to $99)
In honor of my GRREAT dog, Bear, and his foster mom, Diane Lanigan. – Melissa Neal*
Edward Niemann III*
Susan Caswell
This money is a donation to the memory of a Golden Retriever, Sammy Gould. – Nicole and Robert Mackler
Leo’s Angels ($100-499)
For Polar Bear and Chassidy. – Joe O’Neill and Walt Atha*
In memory of Cassandra St. Claire from Mike, Joe & Virginia Fry. Merry Christmas Casey – Joseph and Virginia Fry*
Cindy Stevens*
Jeanne O’Donoghue*
This donation is being made in honor of my sister and brother-in-law, Donna and Bob Stilwell. Over the years they
have shown such a love for animals of all kinds and work tirelessly to help any animal in need. I can’t think of any bet
-
ter way to honor them than to give to an organization that is close to their heart. I know you will find a good use for
this donation and in turn honor them as well. – Elizabeth Douglass*
Edward Salt*
Tim and Linda Daniel*
Joe and Judy Niebauer* (see note under “For Other Reasons” donations)
Lockheed Martin NOVA* (see note under “Corporate Giving” donations)
Leo’s Heroes ($500 and Over)
In memory of my Golden, Amber. I’m still finding her tennis balls in the woods after 2 1/2 years. – Kim Rogers**
Simile-Finale Fun
d
In memory of Broccoli. – Jeff and Lucinda Twining*
Melissa Neal* (see note under “Leo’s Pals” donations)
Chief ’s Fun
d
For Patricia Warden, in honor of Max. – Adam Warden
Melissa Neal* (see note under “Leo’s Pals” donations)
In memory of Chief, a sweet, wonderful dog who did not have the chance to spend many happy years running around
with his Golden siblings. Lani, who spent lots of time teaching Chief how to play again after his seizures and is now also
keeping him company. Dusty, our first rescue boy, Sunny the king, and Lani Boy who got me hooked on Goldens and left
me too young. – Chuck and Sandra Johnson***
For Janet Hauck’s birthday. – Timothy Gaeng
Kaitlyn Baird
In memory of Hoss, a GRREAT dog, friend, and family member. – Alice and Jim Seegers
19
Checks should be made payable to GRREAT.
Please mail forms with your contribution to:
GRREAT, P.O. Box 3069, Falls Church, VA 22043-0069
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Please complete this form to volunteer. Return to:
GRREAT
Attention: Volunteer Coordinator
P.O. Box 3069
Falls Church, VA 22043-0069
Name ___________________________________________
Street ____________________________________________
City, State, Zip_____________________________________
Email Address ____________________________________
Home Phone (_______)_____________________________
Cell Phone (_______)_____________________________
Work Phone (_______)______________________________
OK to call at work?
Yes No
Please indicate any area of interest.
The appropriate GRREAT Coordinator will contact you for
more information.
_____ Become a foster home for GRREAT dogs
_____ Help at Adoption Events, Education Events,
Fundraisers & Micro Chipping Clinics
_____ Transport GRREAT dogs (to/from vet,
animal shelter, etc.)
_____ Perform home visits for potential adopters prior to
adoption
_____ Additional Information or Comments:
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
This form can be filled out on-line at www.grreat.org.
MEMBERSHIP FORM
New Member Renewal
Name ___________________________________
Address __________________________________
__________________________________
Mark here if this is an address or name change
Phone ( ________)________________________
E-mail Address____________________________
Mark as many as applicable:
I am enclosing $35 for my 2011 membership dues.
I am enclosing a tax-deductible donation of $______.
I am interested in becoming a GRREAT Volunteer.
(Please fill out and return Volunteer form as well).
I am interested in donating the following services
or supplies to GRREAT:
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
HERE’S A DONATION
I’d like to make a donation to GRREAT for
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
In honor of
______________________________________
In memory of
______________________________________
To thank
_______________________________________
All donations are tax deductible and are gratefully
acknowledged in GRREAT News.
20
20
NONPROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
MERRIFIELD, VA
PERMIT NO. 2773
,
GRREAT Calendar of Events
March
5 GRREAT Adoption Day
Noon until 2 p.m.
Petco
1719 York Road
Timonium, Maryland
18 Super Pet Expo
4pm until 9pm
Dulles Expo Center
4368 Chantilly Shopping Center
Chantilly, VA 20153
19 Super Pet Expo
10am until 7pm
Dulles Expo Center
4368 Chantilly Shopping Center
Chantilly, VA 20153
20 Super Pet Expo
10am until 5pm
Dulles Expo Center
4368 Chantilly Shopping Center
Chantilly, VA 20153
April
2 GRREAT Adoption Day
Noon until 2 p.m.
Petco
9230 Old Keene Mill Road
Burke, Virginia 22015
16 GRREAT Merchandise Table at
PVGRC Specialty Show
11am until 4pm
Howard County Fairgrounds
2210 Fairgrounds Rd.
West Friendship MD 21794
There is a rescue for Golden Retrievers? This is a commonly asked question at the numerous events that GRREAT participates in. When people find out
that GRREAT takes in about 250 dogs every year, you can see the shock and amazement on their faces and you can hear it in their voices. People know
that Golden Retrievers are such good dogs, so they can’t help but wonder “Why would anyone give up a Golden?” It is because of comments such as these
that GRREAT attends events to help educate the public on the need for rescue and on the Golden Retriever breed. GRREAT is always looking for and
in need of committed volunteers who wish to give some of their time to attend events. For a list of upcoming events go
to www.grreat.org/calendar.htm.
For more information on any event, please email events@grreat.org and if you wish to volunteer at any event, please email volunteer@grreat.org.
