Hanna, A Living Legacy to a Recuer with a Big Heart

Hanna, A Living Legacy to a Rescuer with a Big Heart

By Michelle Andrews

As an animal rescuer you always start to dread the holidays a
nd the influx of little ones looking for new homes.   A multitude of reasons are given for them being surrendered: old age; a Christmas Puppy; a new baby; and some due to divorce.  Some of the cases touch your heart more than others and in doing so reinforce your belief in the goodness of others.  And remind you that others care for these lost ones as much as you do.  Hanna is a special case that touched my heart, and made the loss of a special fellow rescuer a mere few weeks later even that more difficult to bear.  But I am getting ahead of the story.

It all started with a call from the Humane Society in Pittsburgh PA, a tearful elderly couple had turned- in their eight year old mini schnauzer.  She had severe bladder stones and they could not afford the surgery she needed to survive and felt surrendering her was the best chance she had at survival.  Because of the urgency of her condition, she could not wait for a spot at a no-kill shelter and had been turned into an open door shelter.  If a rescue could not be found to be responsible for her care and fostering, this would be the end of the line for little Hanna.  Her sweet temperament and unfortunate circumstances touched the intake coordinator at the shelter and made her start dialing the phone.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation and the need to get her safe and out of pain, we knew we needed to get her surgery before a transport could be made to get her into a foster home.  My personal vet, Dr. Boyce, would be able to get her in for emergency surgery that evening before her bladder ruptured.  Even with the discount we were receiving – it was going to be a costly surgery – an uncertain prospect with so many other medical cases in rescue taxing the medical funds at one time. 

Hearing of Hanna’s plight, one of our board members, Ray Ford, didn’t hesitate to contact me and tell me to get her in surgery a.s.a.p.  He would sponsor $1,000 of her surgery.  He wanted her to have a chance at a good life free of pain.  We put everything in motion, and that afternoon a fellow rescuer in Pittsburgh, Debi, went to pull her from the shelter and brought her to the vet’s for the pre-op.

I fell in love at first sight with Hanna, a little dark silver and black female with the sweetest disposition ever.  She weighed in at 18 pounds, all spunky sugar-coated terrier attitude.  She quickly won over the hearts of every staff member she came in contact with, including her surgeon Dr. Hladio.

I kissed her little head and left her in the capable hands of the staff to prep her for surgery. 

A few tense hours later I received the call that she was doing excellent post-op and Dr. Hladio had removed a pound and a half of stones that had completely filled her bladder.  She was resting comfortably and would recover fully.  She went to her foster home the next day to recover and was quickly adopted by a fellow rescuer in Pennsylvania that had lost her little girl over the summer.  She is now living the good life with her new Mom and Dad and a fur brother; enjoying long naps on heated bathroom floors and all of the good things that go with her new home.

Sadly, Ray Ford left us on January 4^th.  He is at the Rainbow Bridge with all of the other rescues and rescuers that have gone before, carrying on the good work he began while here on earth.  There is a void in the rescue without him, and I keenly feel his loss every day I check email and find no new jokes in my inbox from him.  He was always able to put a smile on your face when your day was missing some sunshine. 

Being a dog rescuer is a tough road to travel, and there are many tears that are shed in both joy and in sadness over those that can’t be helped.  The Hannas make you try every day, those that you can give a new leash on life to. 

I think Ray is smiling down on us knowing that Hanna is his living legacy and testament to how big his heart was for the little ones in need.  He touched many lives in more ways than he knew.  Lots of fur babies will be continuing to walk with us because of his generous ways…after all “you can’t take it with you.”  

 

Jack's Barkaritaville Trip

Hi my name is Jack and I live with a houseful of girls – Lexie, Ruby and Kelly in Hanover, PA. I was adopted by my forever family in August of 2011 from SRC. At the end of September my family traveled back to Ohio to spend the day at Barkarittaville 2012 at Gill Lynn Park in the Cincinnati area (Dayton, KY). Boy was it a fun day – with some excitement thrown in as well.

We arrived early to help set up – so that meant we had to stay overnight in a hotel – Kelly wasn’t real thrilled with the elevator – but she managed by laying completely down on the floor with all 4 legs spread out – it was really kinda funny.

We got to the park and it was a little chilly – Mom had found this neat little pen to put us in – she said to keep us safe and out of trouble (more about that later). We had practiced using it once before and it worked pretty well. Kelly is pretty reactive when she is outside her normal environment so she was barking up a storm and bouncing around the pen. Not to be out done I decided that I needed to keep up with her and we had our own mini bark fest going on. That is when we got banished from under the pavilion, to under an Easy- UP and Dad got to sit with us. Kelly also figured out how to nudge the zipper open on the pen and left us out, but fortunately we stayed right there – Ruby being momma’s Velcro girl went right for her and Kelly and I just walked around the pavilion until we were corralled.
 


Banned to the Easy UP

Banned to the Easy UP We met many new friends and mom was able to finally put faces to names that she sees every day in her emails. I got to snuggle again with my Auntie Shirley. Auntie Shirley and Uncle Kirk were my saving angels and nursed me back to health from February 2011 until July 2011 when I beat the nasty heartworm and was cleared for adoption. I also got to take a walk with Uncle Ray and he was amazed how many times I needed to stop and leave messages for other pups.



Auntie Shirley and me

We had adopters come from Nashville, TN, Lexington, Louisville, Indianapolis, and Cleveland. It was neat to see the pups in person whose pictures were on the adoption collage of the 2013 SRC calendar and throughout the calendar pages. It was funny mom recognized the pups and knew their names but couldn’t remember their parents’ names.

We had several SRC members, Ann and Tom Bess-King and Kathy Lewellyn as well as my parents Wendy and Jim travel quite the distance to come. We had lots of schnauzers all sizes, colors, and heights and a few schnauzer wanta bees there as well. There was a group of children that were amazed at all the pups and wanted to help walk us as well. My mom and dad talked to them first and explained that we were all very special pups and needed to be handled with care and respect to keep us safe.

This being our first Barkarittaville; we were told that the attendance was down from past years. People did come eventually; some later in the day. The food was great, and the cupcakes were fantastic (at least that is what I am told), there were also doggie biscuits for us. There were so many things for sale for pups and pup lovers. We came home with new toys and stuff to wear. There were comfy crate mats made by Tom Bess-King – seamster extraordinaire.

Bess-King Clan

We had raffle baskets that were donated by outside donors and SRC members. The baskets ranged from baskets filled with all sorts of doggie stuff, to neat pictures of Schnauzers donated by artists, a schnauzer umbrella, to miscellaneous baskets with really neat things in them, to gift certificates for the ARK and Dr Z and several other places. We had over thirty raffle baskets there.

Later in the afternoon the wind picked up and we had some excitement – in particular we had several strong gusts that knocked over some x-pens and for a few minutes had the Bess-King clan on the loose. Then another gust came thru and blew over the Easy up and our pen. Fortunately we were out on a walk and no one was hurt. But it was scary since no one knew for sure that we weren’t in the pen.

Barkarittaville 2012 was fun and I hope that the tradition continues on – however SRC is in need of volunteers to take over the project. Amy Meyer and her family have diligently led Barkarittaville for the past three years and SRC is so thankful for their help. Please consider volunteering to organize Barkarittaville 2013.

Also before I sign off – let me remind you that the 2013 SRC calendars are available now for immediate delivery. My mom and dad worked real hard on this project and we have a few more calendars left – please consider buying one today – If you haven’t gotten your calendar yet; you don’t know what you are missing. If everyone who hasn’t gotten a calendar yet, would order one then we will be sold out and that would be great. This calendar has the Jack seal of approval and you can see my sisters- Ruby on May and Kelly on August. See below on how to order and thank you from the bottom of my four paws for your order.

ORDER YOUR 2013 SRC CALENDAR TODAY!!!!

This is a great calendar highlighting our schnauzers, featuring 28 pages; jam packed with SRC pups – schnauzers and schnauzer mixes. The calendar has pictures of this amazing breed with wonderful backgrounds showing off their true colors! Calendar purchases benefit the SRC Medical fund.

The price is $15 and $2 S&H. They make great gifts; so order several for your schnauzer loving friends and relatives.

You can order your calendar two ways! – Via PayPal - http://schnauzerrescuecincinnati.org/calendar.html or Snail Mail.

To order by Snail Mail - Mail checks and order information to Amy Meyer, 10940 Elm Circle Aurora, IN 47001

Oh one more thing I forgot to mention – our next big event is the Pet Affair – so save the date Pet Affair 2013 at Gill Lynn Park in the Cincinnati area (Dayton, KY) will be Saturday - April 27, 2013 with the rain date on Sunday- April 28, 2013. Please, Please save the date!! Please plan on helping with this event.

Thanks so much!!!!
Jack

Rehabilitating Traumatized Dogs

By Tracy Dudlik

All too often in rescue we get dogs that have lived through trauma.  Whether from the streets, puppy mills or abuse, they are traumatized.   These precious cases come to us, they are fearful and lost.   Often they have learned to be defensive, to avoid contact with humans, or even to growl, snarl and bite to keep people at a distance.     While they might have been loving and friendly pets once, or might have never learned that people can be good to them, they are afraid and distrustful of the humans they encounter.   

Given the trauma and horrors they have suffered at the hands of people, how do we teach them that there is good in people and that they can once again trust and allow themselves to be close to the humans that want to care for them and show them a love that they may have never known?     One such dog I have been working with is Dobbie.    He came to our rescue afraid of everyone and using aggression to keep all humans at bay.    In the first encounters I had with him, it was simply me sitting in his kennel run and feeding him bits of cooked chicken.   Soon he was coming close and I was able to touch him.    After a week or so, I even was able to get a leash on him.  Granted it was a slip lead, and I needed to get him reaching for chicken to put it over his head, but once it was on, I could take him out of the kennel and he bloomed.  

Now I am happy to say that Dobbie loves to walk with me and a few others.   I am working hard to find a foster home for him, and have very high hopes that he will become someone’s loving pet in the near future.    Seeing him come from the terrorized nearly feral dog I met on that first day to the loving dog with the potential as a wonderful pet that he is now might be the most rewarding part of the rescue work I do.

We are pleased to announce that Dobbie has found his furever home and will be adopted this month!! 

For pictures of Dobbie and to keep up on all the SRC Happenings - be sure to visit us on FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Schnauzer-Rescue-Cincinnati/121729811184804

From Street Dog to Dog Scout...a letter from Madison to her foster Mom

Dear Aunt Shirley,

It has been a long time since we have written to you.  It has been a rough year for my Mommy but we are helping her by keep her busy and being very good (most of the time).

Mommy has introduced me to so many new activities and I am pretty good at most of them.  I am sending you pictures of some of the fun we have had.  I became a Dog Scout and have earned seven badges so far.  I am working on my Community Service Badge (which takes a long time and a lot of work).  One of the things we have to do is raise money for a shelter for homeless dogs.  Mom and I decided to best way for us to do this on our own was through my agility trails, so we asked for donations for all my good runs at several of the trails we went to.  Mom took a picture of me with a lot of my ribbons and title certificates.  I raised $242.00 by the end of the year and another $75.00 for this year.

I have also helped raise money to buy oxygen masks for pets for all the fire stations in Columbus. 

I just got a really special badge for that.  I have been going to the library so kids can read to me and to the Central Ohio Youth Center to visit “troubled” teens (that is my favorite place to visit and the funny picture of me and my friend Hank standing against the wall is where the boys were teaching us “spread em” like when they get searched.  We did not mind because we get lots of treats while they are teaching us).

Mommy and I went to see a Girl Scout Troop and a Cub Scout Troop (boy they were wild) to tell them about taking care of pets properly.  We also went to a Middle School and visited some kids there. Kerry had to go to a first aid lecture and she fell asleep.

I am working on an art badge, doing both painting and playing in a doggie band.  I got 5 agility badges so far and I am trying to learn about “earth dog”, which is where we go through a tunnel underground to find critters (we can’t really get to them).  This was not my favorite thing to do.  I am waiting for the test for Rally Obedience badge – Mom says I am pretty good at that.  Kerry and I also met Brutus the Buckeye when we did a demonstration for OSU Vet Students.  I am not sure who Brutus is but he was really nice.

Kerry, Spirit and I got to go for an Easter Egg Hunt.  The eggs were really plastic, but they had good doggie treats inside.  Than a lady took our pictures.  Kerry was supposed to sit beside me but she went over to see if there were any more treats in the bucket and the lady took her picture.  We also got to go to our friend Hank’s Birthday Party.  There were lot of games and special treats for all the dogs.

When it got so hot outside, Mommy set a pool for us up and I am learning getting wet does not have to be so bad.  Also we all went to Doggie Day Camp and got to play a lot of games.  We went to Alum Creek to go on a hike.  Since Spirit cannot do agility anymore (because he is 12 and it is too hard for him now) Mommy let him try some scent work.  The lady hides smelly food in lots of places and the dogs have to sniff around and find the food.  Spirit thought this was the best game ever.  He cried when it was not his turn (I would make fun of him crying but I used to do the same thing in agility class when it was not my turn).

I passed the Therapy Dog test and I like to go visit at the retirement homes (especially my “Grandma Virginia”) and I went to the Heath Care Center to see a very sick lady.

Last May, Mommy took us to the Capital Area Humane Society and the next thing we knew we had a new tiny sister.  Her name is Kerry and she is now eight years old.  She only weighs 7 pounds but she can be very ornery.  Mommy said Kerry has trouble seeing, especially out of her left eye but she still gets around pretty well.  Spirit (my big brother) fell in love with her right away.  I think she is okay but I don’t know why we needed another pup in the family!   Kerry passed the CSC test and Dog Scout test.  She loves to go to school with me and visit with everyone.

I am sending you some of the toys I have gotten for doing agility and rally and hope you can find some pups who will enjoy them.

Mommy said she will always be grateful to you for taking such good care of me when they found me on the street.  My hair has grown in so beautiful where it used to be yellow from infection on my back.  Everyone comments how pretty (and long) my beard is now.

I hope you are all well and you have not had too much trouble because of the heat and the storms.  We were lucky but I know a lot of people have been having a hard time.

Lots of Love,

Madison

The Joys of Those Senior Citizens

By senior citizens I of course mean those senior dogs that come into rescue. Those that people say are too old, or worn out to be good pets anymore. Well let me tell you about one such boy. Tyger came to our rescue from an elderly woman who was no longer able to keep him in the retirement community she lived in. He showed some signs of aggression and was not welcome there. His so-called aggression turned out to be a reaction to anxiety that he was being over medicated for while nothing was done to address the roots of it. With behavior modification and time to wean down his meds this has largely disappeared. Tyger was eight and a half years old when he came to us, and he has been my dog for about 6 months. Yes I am a failed foster. While Tyger presents a few challenges, he also brings gifts that only the older ones can give. He does not jump and bounce, he does not need house breaking, and he does not chew everything in sight (or reach of his mouth). These are just the most obvious benefits to adopting older dogs. The biggest benefit is companionship.

Older dogs, say those over the age of 7 or so, are happy to just be with you. They want to sit with you, walk with you at YOUR speed, and they still have that willingness to play when you initiate a game of fetch or tug of war. They are not ”boring”, they are not “set in their ways”, and they are not unable to learn new routines or tricks. Tyger quickly learned to sit for his dinner; he learned to respond to us and to adapt to our household very quickly. But we did not have to teach all the manners that a puppy needs to learn. He came with those mostly already part of his behavior.

I have met many of these “seniors” in my time with rescue and have found again and again that they are well mannered and sweet creatures who want nothing more than to be your companion and friend. Some will argue that they won’t get enough time with these dogs, but consider this; a 7 year old dog still has many good years of life ahead. With modern vet care and good diet they can live 15 years or more. I look forward to Tyger being in my life for years to come sharing my couch during TV watching and sharing the path during walks. He is a joy, to have with me, and even with a few quirks left over from not having the best upbringing is a member of the family that I can’t imagine doing without.

Failed foster,

Tracy Dudlik

Schnuazer Rescue Cincinnati has many older dogs in foster that would love to be your new friend!  Be sure to check them out at our PetFinder site at:  http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/OH447.html
 

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Planes, Trains and Automobiles…………by Artie.

Hey all you Schnauzer lovers, I want to share the news about my happy rescue and happy adoption with all of you.

I was rescued by SRC in 2011. And boy was I ever so happy to have Iris as my foster mum!!! I settled right in with Iris and all of her 2 and 4 legged family. I loved being there, running around the massive yard, floating on the raft in the pool, going for walks in the woods and doing my bit to help keep the property clear of pesky critters. Life was good, and I finally ended up in a home where I was loved and where I could give back loads of love. I was even allowed on the sofa – bliss!!!

I was not very good at playing with other dogs, but another rescue Schnauzer called Destin loves playing, and he used to play with me. He was a good teacher and helped me to learn to play with dogs.

I have anxiety/separation issues and marking problems, so I happily allowed Iris to crate train me to overcome these issues and problems. It was strange at first being put into a kennel, which is furnished with a really comfortable cushion, but I soon realized that the crate was exclusively for me and helped to contain my anxiety when Iris left the house. The crate is my kennel and l am the King of the kennel.

My new Dad is called Mick. He rescued two Schnauzers locally, called Pepper and Dusty, in 2001. They grew up together and were great buddies. Dusty sadly passed away in 2011 and Pepper and Mick decided that they would like a new companion.

While Mick was busy at work, Pepper was surfing the web and she loved SRC’s website. She filled out all the application forms online and hey, I was matched with their profile.

And that’s where I enter the new picture!!

Well, it was planes, trains and automobiles to get to my new home and meet Pepper. Me and Mick drove from Iris’ house to the airport, got a train from the car drop off to the hotel bus shuttle, got a bus to a pet friendly hotel, and the next day I flew with Mick to my new home.

Mick and I drove for about 5 hours after leaving Iris’ house, and we had great fun bonding. I sat in the passenger seat and did all the navigation. We never got lost once, and Mick kept giving me praise and hugs for barking when it was time to change lanes or take an exit. The more praise and hugs I got, the happier I was to be front seat passenger and in charge (I still haven’t told Mick that I was using the built in GPS in the rental car – ssshh – that’s my secret!!!).

We had room service at the hotel (how posh!!)  and then retired for our early morning flight. Mick insisted on me sleeping on the bed with him, because he said that is what Pepper and Dusty do. I didn’t object - this was my new heaven. Hey – life’s good!!! I curled up and didn’t budge once, even during all his loud snoring!!!

Pepper met us at the airport with Mick’s friends, and we all drove home. Pepper is 13 years old, but still very active. We sniffed each other and kissed. Mick took us for a long walk on the local nature reserve that day so that we could get to know each other better. We are now best buddies and get on very well.

Pepper recently had some surgery and I was her recuperation companion. Mick calls me Nurse Artie because I was looking out for Pepper.

Pepper doesn’t play much now because of her age, but me and Mick chase each other up and down the corridor and wrestle on the bed. Pepper sometimes joins in, but I always beat both of them. I had good training from Destin!!!

Mick is helping me with my anxiety and socialisation issues. He has great friends with dogs, and we regularly socialise. Mick’s friends have two Schnauzers and a Sheep Dog. They live around the corner from us, and all of them come by to let me and Pep’s out if Mick can’t make it home at lunchtime.

We also have more friends nearby with Schnauzers, and we go visit them and they come visit us. I am gradually coming out of my shell and playing with my new 4 legged friends and lying on my sofa with the people that we Schnauzers allow into our lives!!! Life is good!!!

I still have some marking issues, but Mick is helping me big time to deal with them. He wants me to have the complete run of the house during the day with Pepper. And so do I – there are sofas, futons, beds and loads of rugs to crash on – the choice in never ending. I may be King of the kennel, but King of the castle sounds much better to me!!  

I love living in Bermuda!

We live on a quiet lane and I know all the neighbors. They stop off to say hello to me if I in the garden. I am a great guard dog and bark to let Mick know when they are at the gate.

I love the walks every morning before Mick goes to work, and I love the car drives with the windows down and my ears flapping in the wind!!

I love my new home with Pepper and Mick. It’s what I always dreamed off – to be able to give lots of love and get back lots of love.

Scooby and Jazzy

Greetings.... Schnauzer Rescue Volunteers and Sponsors,

Scooby and Jazzy

Wow.......how things have changed at the Days' house since we made contact with the Schnauzer Rescue. To explain, we lost our little ten year old Schnauzer a few months ago, due to liver disease and had planned to purchase a new puppy. We contacted numerous breeders from newspaper ads and online but did not have a good feeling that any of them were reputable breeders, so we decided to take our time and maybe not even have another dog. After a few weeks, my older son visited with his rescue Shepherd and recommended we check out a rescue instead of dealing with a potential backyard breeder. I had never considered a rescue because I assumed "rescue dogs" had too many issues and would be too difficult to train..... WAS I EVER WRONG!

 

When we contacted Schnauzer Rescue website, we immediately knew we would be adopting a rescue dog and completed the application. We first adopted Scooby, a healthy six year old who came with a heartbreaking story and a massive scar on his back to prove it. Scooby is the best mannered, best trained and smartest dog I have ever seen but there are days when he seems lonesome. Through our discussions with Kathy Lewellyn, we decided to adopt another Schnauzer (a friend for Scooby), and thus Jazzy ( a 10 month old fireball) became ours, four weeks later. Jazzy loves her new home and our "cerebral palsy" handicapped son especially; she sits on his lap and plays with him as if she understands he is handicapped. Scooby and Jazzy really.....really like walks, car rides and playing in the fenced backyard with just about any toy....they are an awesome pair.

We are blessed to have met such nice people as those that volunteer for Schnauzer Rescue (especially the Lewellyns) and to have two such wonderful new family members.

Donald R. Day

Scooby