e Cocker Home Companioncsrne.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/CSRNESUMMER... · In this newsletter,...

Vol. 38 Summer 2014

e Cocker Home CompanionCocker Spaniel Rescue of New England, Inc. (CSRNE, Inc.)

Saturday, November 1, 201411 AM

Holiday Inn, Boxborough, MA

Take Exit 28 off Route 495

We hope to see you there!

Blind DevotionLucky, CSRNE’s 2014 Joey Fund Poster Dog

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

– Antoine de Saint Exupery, “The Little Prince”

It’s possible that blindness is the true reason nine-year-old Lucky, shown above in the arms of his newmom Della Ritland, was surrendered to Cocker SpanielRescue of New England late last year. Both of Lucky’seyes were clouded with such large cataracts that theyappeared to be blue. Today, this delightful boy serves asCSRNE’s 2014 Joey Fund Poster Dog.

In keeping with CSRNE’s standard intake process,Lucky was examined by a veterinarian. Dr. LarryVenezia of Hyannis Animal Hospital determined thatLucky suffered from advanced glaucoma. Efforts weremade to treat the condition, but pressure in one eye be-came so high, the pain so intense, that Lucky underwenta surgical procedure called “enucleation” to remove theeye and permanently close the lid. Within months, theother eye was also taken.

Throughout his ordeal, the Joey Fund covered all ofLucky’s expenses while foster family Betsie Rumbaugh,her husband Rick Hildebrandt, and their three rescuedcockers Dexter, Solomon, and Ollie provided compas-sionate care.

continued on page 6

COCKER-PALOOZA!17th ANNUAL JOEY FUND AUCTION

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE!

Join Special Guest

RANDY PRICE

(shown here with BR

UIN)

CSRNESUMMER2014Newsletter_Layout 1 9/15/2014 7:24 AM

2 THE COCKER HOME COMPANION SUMMER 2014

The Cocker Home CompanionVolume 38

Summer 2014Edit and DesignCyndy Bremer

Polly MarmadukeLogo Design

Susan Tasillo, D.V.M.

CSRNE, Inc. Officers and Board

PresidentGerry Foss

VP/SecretaryLinda Simoneau

Jane MorganJoAnn Hall

Hartley ScribnerJoyce Kelbaugh

BookkeeperJennie HarrisConsultant

Joyce [email protected]

Gordon LaGrowWeb ConsultantJoyce Kelbaugh

Donations and Information:CSRNE, Inc.P.O. Box 162

Greenfield, NH 03047Tel: 603-547-3363

www.csrne.org

Want To Help Us?Donate. Adopt. Foster. Volunteer.

To learn more about CSRNE,visit www.csrne.org or call (603) [email protected] us on FacebookFind us on You TubeAnd find us on Petfinder.com

Our MissionEstablished in 1987, Cocker Spaniel Rescue of New England is

one of the nation’s oldest and largest cocker spaniel rescue groups.CSRNE is dedicated to rescuing and placing homeless AmericanCocker Spaniels throughout New England.

CSRNE volunteers partner with animal shelters, other rescuegroups, and veterinarians to save, improve, and extend the lives ofabandoned and neglected cockers. Hundreds of dogs have beengiven another chance to enjoy life and an opportunity to enrich thelives of caring individuals and families who have opened their heartsand homes to these wonderful animals.

CSRNE is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. All donations aretax-deductible. We rely solely on the generosity of our supportersand volunteers to help cockers in need. Thank you!

Read Sam’s Story on page 7

President’s MessageIn this newsletter, you’ll read the inspiring stories of two won-

derful cockers, Lucky and Princess, who received life-changingtreatment. Thanks to your support, the Joey Fund made it possiblefor them to get the care they desperately needed to live pain-free.

I hope you will join me on November 1 for the 17th Annual JoeyFund Auction in Boxborough. It’s a fun time for a great cause.But even if you are unable to attend, please invest in health andhappiness by making a tax-deductible donation to the Joey Fund.Your gift truly does make a difference to needy cockers and thepeople who love them.Sincerely,Gerry FossPresident, CSRNE


www.csrne.org 3

Princess waiting under a table

Dr. Robert McCarthy, Kelley Garry and Princess

Kelley and Princess

Dear Reader:My name is Princess. I am a three-year-old cockerspaniel. I live with my new foster mom, KelleyGarry, in Hampstead, New Hampshire. You mayhave read about me on CSRNE’s website. I just hadear surgery.

Thank you to every person who helped me bythinking of me, sending messages of support, orcontributing to the Joey Fund. When CSRNE putout a call for donations so I could have complicatedear surgery, your response was fast and generous. Ididn’t know the world was like this, that people couldbe kind and giving without asking anything in return.I am overwhelmed.

Thank you, CSRNE, for introducing me to Kelley.Before I met her, I had never seen the face of love.I was severely neglected and I learned to get along bymaking myself small. I hide in places (especiallyunder furniture like Kelley’s bed), away from people,where I feel safer. But with Kelley’s support andencouragement, I am starting to come out of my shell.It’s very scary but she is patient with me.

One relic of my past is that chronic, untreatedinfections and my constant scratching – it was awful– damaged my ear canals. The only solution toimprove my health and comfort was to remove bothear canals in a surgical procedure called “ear canalablation.” I lost what was left of my hearing butKelley will help me adapt.

On September 10, I went to Tufts University’sCummings School of Veterinary Medicine; the nextday, Dr. Robert McCarthy operated on me. Dr.McCarthy, his staff, and all the nice people at theFoster Hospital for Small Animals are amazing. Dr.McCarthy explained everything to Kelley and theytook great care of me. The pain is finally gone and I can begin to enjoy life, not just endure it.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you, everybody!

Sincerely,Princess

Photos Courtesy of Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine



Honey Bunz

By Nancy VonaIt’s time for the annual CSRNE

benefit auction; this year’s theme is“It’s A Wonderful Life!”

First, dear reader, please considerattending the auction if you haven’tbefore. You are guaranteed to makenew friends and contribute to a wor-thy organization. And if you’ve at-tended for one or many years, I’dlike you to think outside the boxwhen bidding on live and silent auc-tion items.

I’ll be there with my two sons.While you’ll find the boys biddingon dog beds, artwork, baskets oftoys, and, most importantly, photo-graphs, footballs, or baseballs signedby athletes, I’ll be searching for thatone of a kind…fashion item.

It’s true. The auction is where Ihave found some of my most fash-ionista-worthy wardrobe accessories.

For years, I focused on buyingitems for everyone else: my dogs,children, husband, friends, and rel-atives. I have succumbed to fre-netic bidding on many differentitems at the auction: artwork, giftcertificates for pet portraiture, tick-ets to the Kiss 108 Jingle Ball, tree

ornaments. These are all worthyitems, of course. (Though oneyear, I brought home a terry-clothtoilet paper roll cover embroideredwith a blond cocker spaniel. Ithought it was adorable. My hus-band wasn’t happy.)

A few years ago, my focus shifted.I decided I would bid on -- and tryto win -- items that I really wantedfor myself. Every year, the silentauction tables yield some beautifullycrafted jewelry items. Three yearsago, I was the high bidder on anamazing pendant necklace. I wish Icould remember who donated thisspecial necklace because I have re-ceived so many compliments on it.

Two years ago, I bid on a velvet-soft scarf woven in shades of tealand midnight blue. I bought it as agift for a friend but couldn’t partwith it. This soft, snuggly scarf isperfect to wear in the winter.

Last year was my biggest coup.My sons encouraged me to bid on aquirky pocketbook with a buffspaniel puppy in the snow. Itseemed sweet and very 60s, MadMen meets Puppy Bowl. I won thepocketbook, then wondered about

the purchase. Was it too old-fash-ioned? Too crazy-dog-lady? Well, Iam a crazy dog lady so I decided totake a fashion accessory risk andtransferred everything from my VeraBradley bag into it.

This little pocketbook has becomean unlikely ambassador for CSRNE.

“Oh, what a cute pocketbook!” Ihear from sales clerks, friends, wait-resses, even teachers at my boys’school. “Where did you get it? Is

Benefit Auction Yields Fashion FindsCSRNE’s 17th Annual Joey Fund Auction: It’s A Wonderful Life!

CSRNE 17th Annual Joey Fund AuctionIt’s A Wonderful Life!

Saturday, November 1, 2014Doors open at 11 AM

Holiday Inn242 Adams Place (Exit 28 off

Route 495)Boxborough, MA

Advance tickets $25 per person,$28 at the door

To purchase tickets, reserve space,make a donation, or learn more:

Call (508) 868-9887, email [email protected] or visit

www.csrne.org

Thank You!Some cockers, like Honey Bunz,

come to CSRNE so physically dam-aged or emotionally traumatizedthat they cannot be made availablefor adoption.

Thanks to your support, the JoeyFund makes it possible for them toreceive the ongoing care they need.

that a photo of your dog?”Then I tell them about CSRNE,

the annual benefit auction, and thegood work that many rescues andresponsible breeders do to supportanimal welfare. It’s unexpectedlygratifying to educate people with asimple fashion accessory.

Come join me on November 1 toshop for that special something thatbrings you joy. You’ll be helpingour four-footed companions at thesame time.


www.csrne.org 5

Randy Price and Mark Steffen with Cutts Island cockers

It is easy to imagine thatRandy Price was a cockerspaniel in a past life.Those who love the breed,including Randy, can ap-preciate what a high com-pliment this is to say.

Many of the personalqualities that have helpedmake Randy a popularmainstay in the competi-tive and ever-evolvingBoston media market areattributes that we recog-nize in our beloved cocker

Randy Price:A Cocker In Spirit

companions. While the American Kennel Club definesthe cocker breed standard as “equable in temperament,”the average cocker enthusiast might use descriptors like“affable,” “engaging,” “devoted,” and “hard working.”Sounds like Randy, right?

For more than thirty years, Randy has been a wel-come television presence in our homes. Since 2009, hehas appeared weekdays as co-anchor of WCVB Channel5’s “EyeOpener” program, “New England’s mostwatched early morning news.”

Randy’s naturally calm and upbeat demeanor makeit easier for us to absorb the complex mix of discour-aging and uplifting stories that comprise a typicalday’s broadcast.

Complementing his decades-long professional suc-cess, Randy has built, with Mark Steffen, an active andsatisfying personal life enriched by their devotion to gar-dening, cocker spaniels, and helping their community,especially its most vulnerable members.

In addition to Cocker Spaniel Rescue of New Eng-land, Randy uses the power of his celebrity to benefitthe Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society and the An-imal Rescue League of Boston.

How does Randy, who is not only awake but produc-tive for several hours before he goes on air at 4:30 mostmornings, have anything left to give to other pursuits,no matter how worthy they are?

He laughs it off, modestly deflecting the focus fromhimself, and replies, “ It’s a treat for us. We wish therewere ways we could do more. As a public person, it is anhonor and a great privilege to get involved with an or-ganization like CSRNE.”

Promoting charitable causes, particularly those thathave special meaning to Randy, serves as a necessarycounterbalance to the downside of his profession, re-porting about the “horrendous things people have done.”

Asked about his enduring relationship with CSRNE– this will be his seventeenth consecutive year partici-pating in the Joey Fund Auction – Randy responds thathe and Mark admire the commitment and enthusiasmCSRNE volunteers bring to their efforts.

Randy wants to do more than put his face on anissue: he wants to build strong relationships and, draw-ing on a gardening metaphor, nurture roots. Of hisperennial role as the auction’s Special Guest, Randy re-calls the fun that he and Mark have every year, seeingold friends and making new ones, adding “it is good toform these bonds.”

Helping homeless cocker spaniels is a cause that livesin Randy’s heart. He hopes to – and does – contributeto CSRNE’s effort to encourage more people to aidneedy cockers. “There are not that many people whohave rescued cockers,” he says. Working together, that’ssomething we hope to change.



Meanwhile, Della Ritland faced a struggle of her ownwhen her beloved cocker, Bando, passed away last Jan-uary. Bando had seen Della through some tough times,so losing him was devastating. “Bando was true blue”,says Della. “He was his own man. I never thought Icould love another dog like that.” Then came Lucky.

Missing Bando, Della went to CSRNE’s website to“visit” the available cockers. When she came acrossLucky’s photo, Della “just knew he was my dog.” Shewas undaunted by the prospect of adopting a blind dogbut did her homework before making a final commit-ment. Della studied “Living With Blind Dogs” by Car-oline D. Levin RN, a book she highly recommends forits practical advice.

When Della finally metLucky, “My heart justmelted. I knew it wasright. This little guy wasgoing to be my fur baby.”Once he was fully recov-ered from his second sur-gery, Della took Luckyhome to begin their newlife together.

Della credits her son,Matt, with helping Luckyadjust to his unfamiliar en-vironment. “Matt was in-strumental in acclimatingLucky into our home life”,

says Della. They padded furniture to protect him frombumping into sharp corners, set down carpet runners toguide him, and learned to touch Lucky’s back to gentlyalert him to their presence.

Lucky quickly settled in, making himself comfortableat home and becoming a fixture in the neighborhood.He claimed an outdoor chair as his own, and enjoys sit-ting in front of the TV listening to “Animal Planet” pro-grams and old Hollywood movies.

In his own sweet way, Lucky is teaching people im-portant lessons about living without limits and acceptingothers as they are. He is a wonderful role model forneighborhood children, showing them how to get alongwith a disability, and has earned a nickname, “LuckyEinstein,” because the kids think he is so smart and ca-

Blind Devotion... from page 1

pable. When they see him, children call out, “Herecomes Lucky!”

Lucky’s no saint, though. Della calls him “a craftystinker” because he knows how to open the back doorand slip out to the fenced yard. He may be blind butLucky remains all cocker spaniel.

Above: Lucky lounging in his favorite chair.Below: Lucky lounging on his mom,

Della Ritland“Lucky doesn’tknow he’s blind.He’s so amazing.Jumping off thebed is a leap offaith but he landson all fours!”

- Della RitlandAdoptive mom


www.csrne.org 7

People of a certain age only need to hear the words,“Animal Control Officer,” and they are immediatelytransported back to childhood. Strong feelings sur-face along with vivid memories of an often bumbling,always evil “dogcatcher” whoplotted to capture some sweetpooch (remember our hero in“Lady and The Tramp?”) and tosshim in The Pound, never to beheard from again. Canine rendi-tion, 1950s style.

For Sam, a 14-year-old cockerwhose lifetime human companiondied and left him homeless on CapeCod, Provincetown’s only AnimalControl Officer was his lifeline. Inclose collaboration with Sam’s vet-erinarian, Dr. Sadie Hutchings ofHerring Cove Animal Hospital,RuthAnn Cowing launched a cam-paign to find a new home for Sam.

RuthAnn made calls, asked a friend to post Sam’sphoto and profile on her Facebook page, and deflectedinappropriate adoption inquiries. Along with Dr. Hutch-ings, they contacted everyone they trusted, searching forsomeone who could adopt little Sam. Ultimately,CSRNE was called in when it looked like all optionshad been exhausted and Sam’s future was hanging in thebalance.

Polly Marmaduke, a CSRNE volunteer, her husband,Brian Boyle, and their two rescued cockers, Winnie and

Ted, reside in the adjacent town of Truro. They wel-comed Sam into their home, thereby solving his imme-diate problem, and the search for a permanent solutioncontinued with CSRNE’s added capabilities.

In this age of social networking,“old school” methods can still beeffective. In this instance, twoneighbors, Polly Marmaduke andPaul LaFrance, in the course of run-ning their usual Saturday errands inthe center of town, stopped to chatand catch up with each other. Sampatiently waited as they talked, notrealizing he was being interviewedfor a new life with Paul. Informa-tion was shared, the pieces came to-gether, and a bond between Pauland Sam began to form. Over thenext couple of weeks, Paul formallyapplied to adopt Sam from CSRNEand the match was made.

Working together, CSRNE, a dedicated Animal Con-trol Officer, and a caring veterinarian altered the trajec-tory of Sam’s life. Thanks to Paul, Sam has a newforever home and another chance to be happy. WhenPaul told friends that he was adopting an old dog, a com-mon response was, “Are you CRAZY?” For Paul, asenior himself, the choice wasn’t about whether to adopta senior dog; it was all about adopting this dog and mak-ing a promise to give him the best life possible for how-ever long it lasts.

How To Save A LifeSam’s Story

What are you doing withanother chance to enjoy life?

“I play golf with my dad. We ride togetherin the golf cart and I watch him hit balls atthe driving range. Sometimes I doze off

but I’ve picked up some great tips!”-TED


C0CKER SPANIEL RESCUE OF NEW ENGLAND, INCP.O. Box 162Greenfield, NH 03047

Non Profit Org.US POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT #315Worcester, MA

SIZZLE AND ROXY(available together)This very sweet bonded pair is looking for a home

where they will stay together.Sizzle, age 4, and Roxy, age 2, adore each other,

but they also enjoy being with people and makingnew friends!

Recently, both dogs visited the vet for a routinecheck-up. Each dog was placed in a crate and thecrates were pushed together so Sizzle and Roxycould keep each other company. Immediately, thetwo made contact through the walls of both wirecrates, nuzzling faces to comfort each other.Sizzle and Roxy will bring you and your family

double the fun, double the love!

Sizzle

Roxy

Available for Adoption

CSRNE 17th Annual Joey Fund AuctionIt’s A Wonderful Life!

Saturday, November 1, 2014Holiday Inn Boxborough, MA

visit www.csrne.org for more info


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