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Community Newsletter November 2015

Family Reunion

Mark Your Calendars

Helping the Community: Adoption News

Adoption Spotlight: Basil, Boday, Caramel, Fatima, and Larry 2

Volunteer Corner: We Need You!

Notes from the Farm

Happy Tails...Waggin’ Good News!

Ways to Donate to BARK

Bandit’s Adoption and Rescue of K-9s www.barkva.org

804-449-BARK

Family Reunion Daisy and Rosie were removed from a home in Petersburg in August, 2009, and found themselves under the care of BARK. Rosie was adopted by Ann and Ray Beauchamp in Richmond. Daisy was adopted by Kathrine and Jim Thomson in Ashland. In a recent BARK newsletter, Rosie’s mom Ann wrote about how much they have enjoyed having Rosie as a pet and how much her psychological and physical health have improved since she was adopted. Daisy’s parents Jim and Kathrine saw the report and contacted the Beauchamps to see if a reunion was in order. Of course! Because both Rosie and Daisy can be a bit territorial, we decided to meet on neutral ground - a dog park in Ashland! Both dogs seemed at immediate ease with each other and felt comfortable enough to approach their aunts and uncles after a short bit of time. That is not typical for either dog on a first encounter.

It really was amazing how they got along right away. It was a real pleasure to watch! It was nice to learn that both dogs have worked through a lot of their insecurities and are very happy in their forever homes. Even though they are different colors, you can tell that they are littermates. Daisy’s parents learned from Rosie’s parents that the girls will be 8 on April 12! We do plan to meet again in the near future.

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Mark Your Calendars

Saturday, November 21st - Bill Howard of Top Dog Canine Behavioral Training (www.topdogbehave.com) will be holding a free educational session at the Jessica Beath Clinic from 9:00 am to 10:30 am. This session is open to all current or potential volunteers and is sure to be filled with information and tips to help you better understand and interact with the BARK dogs!

Saturday, December 5th - BARK will be holding an open volunteer meeting and holiday celebration from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Jessica Beath Clinic. All current and potential volunteers are welcome and encouraged to attend!

Helping the Community: Adoption News

Most BARK dogs are rescued from local public shelters. These shelters are open admission facilities, meaning that they are required by law to accept all unwanted dogs, such as those picked up as strays or surrendered by owners. When public shelters run out of room to house the dogs, they sometimes euthanize as a means of population control.

BARK and other rescue groups offer lifesaving alternatives by transferring at risk dogs to their facilities, where they are housed until adoptive homes are found. In addition to finding forever homes, BARK vaccinates, spays/neuters each dog and provides appropriate veterinary care.

We are proud to report that 37 dogs found loving homes in September including Charlie Brown from our Oldies but Goodies program! If you’d like to keep up with the dogs adopted each week, please become a fan of BARK on Facebook at www.facebook.com/barkva.

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Adoption Spotlight: Basil, Boday, Caramel, Fatima, and Larry 2

Dogs featured in the Adoption Spotlight were selected as personal favorites by BARK volunteers. We hope you enjoy reading their comments about these wonderful dogs. If you want to know more about a dog, click here for Petfinder bios.

If you are interested in meeting a dog featured in the adoption spotlight, please submit an application online at http://www.barkva.org/AdoptionApplication.aspx, send an email to adopt@barkva.org or call 804-449-BARK (2275).

Basil’s special buddy has this to say about her: “I would like to give Basil a shout out. She is very sweet and a little bundle of energy. Her profile says she’s picky about her dog friends but I’ve never had an issue when taking her past dogs in the kennel. I also have a BARK dog I adopted with the same issues and with some training he now successfully interacts with other dogs. She gets along very well with the current male dog in her kennel that can be dog aggressive. A big plus is she’s house trained and crate trained from the prison program. With some time and patience Basil could be the perfect companion. Won’t you give her a chance? Signed her biggest fan.”

Basil is a 6 year young female Beagle mix. She has the most unique coloring and markings. She is medium sized at 35 pounds. She would do best in a home with no young children. She gets along great with her little buddy that she shares her kennel with at our rescue but she is choosy with her dog friends. If you have another dog you will need to bring your dog for a meet and greet to ensure they get along. She walks well on a leash and is very well housetrained. She will also be fine in a home as an only dog, as she is confident. She likes to be with you, and she will be a lovely companion! BASIL GRADUATED FROM OUR PRISON PROGRAM "BARK BEHIND BARS" AT THE GREEN ROCK CORRECTIONAL CENTER IN AUGUST 2015. As a graduate, Basil is already crate trained, has excellent manners, knows basic commands and is eager to learn more. What more can you ask for in a new best friend? View Basil’s classified ad here. Basil

Boday is such a volunteer favorite! Here’s what his volunteer friend has to say about him this month: “Boday is the dog I would like to vote for. There is and will never be another dog for me like him. When I drive up to BARK he is the one I think about. Boday brightens my day and makes me smile. I have trained him to know tricks like sit, jump, and wait, as long as treats are involved of course. I hope one day I can come home to have him waiting for me but if I can't I want someone special to get him. When you are sad he is the dog to make you happy. He gives great hugs and is good on walks. I vote for Boday.”

Here what another volunteer said about him last month: “Boday is a big boy, but what a sweet dog! He is so docile and gentle. He has beautiful markings and intelligent eyes. He is easy to walk on a leash. When I walk him along the line of kennels at BARK, all the other dogs are barking, but Boday is not distracted and just walks easily along to his kennel without making a sound. He's great for a big hug and is what I would call a gentle soul. He is so deserving of a forever home.”

Boday is a super friendly German shepherd/Labrador retriever mix. He is 6 years young and weighs 100 pounds. He was surrendered to a shelter because his owner could no longer care for him. Boday has great leash manners, is affectionate and loves to be close to you. He really misses being in a home. Boday likes to chase cats so should not be in a home with them. View Boday’s classified ad here.

Caramel’s volunteer friend says this about her: “Caramel is one of my favorites! She has beautiful unique markings and a nice easy to groom coat. She is super sweet, social with other dogs, and loves to give hugs and kisses too! Caramel is a joy to be around, she is a gem! She is attentive and super smart! She is searching for her own loving home and will settle for nothing less.” Caramel is an outgoing 2-year old lab mix. She weights just under 60 pounds. loves to play with other dogs, and go for walks. She is upbeat, energetic, friendly and has a wonderful zest for life. View Caramel’s classified ad here.

Caramel

Boday

Here’s what Fatima’s volunteer friend shared about her: “Fatima is such a sweet girl. She is so appreciative of any attention that she can get. When I go into her kennel, she reacts with total delight. If I have a toy or goody to give her, she scrambles around her kennel, chasing the toy or ball. She's a good-sized girl who could use some additional exercise like some good walks every now and then. She loves to play, so it would be great if she had some humans that would throw the ball for her. She's just a sweetheart that deserves a home of her own.”

Fatima is a female Bulldog, likely mixed with some Corgi or Labrador Retriever. She is 3 years old and weighs around 55 pounds. She is unique looking and always has a smile on her face. She is short and stocky and hopes to get more exercise in her adoptive home so she can lose some weight. She loves to be with her person and go on walks. She is affectionate and has a nice personality. If you have another dog, please bring your dog to meet her, as she will need to be the only dog in the home or be paired with a submissive dog. View Fatima’s classified ad here.

“I recently volunteered and he just stole my heart,” says Larry’s volunteer friend. “A big guy with a warm heart will shower you with attention. He’s got lots of energy and loves to play!”

Larry 2 is an active brindle boxer mix. He is 2 years old and is a nice medium size at around 55 pounds. He loves to meet people and is always engaged and alert in his surroundings. He needs a home without cats. He is strong on the leash and would benefit from some training as he loves to learn new things. He has a young bright mind that is ready to absorb all his new family can teach him. View Larry 2’s classified ad here.

Larry 2

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Fatima

Volunteer Corner

Volunteer Wish List

This month we especially need: • Donations of bottled water for the volunteers at the kennels! • Donations of canned dog food and vienna sausages! We are in really short supply! • Nylabones, Kuranda beds, and Kong toys! • Evening feeders at the Ashland farm and volunteers for cleaning kennels (call Linda Lane at 804-883-7740).

Special Projects

Who would like to get some exercise on the farm and help spruce things up at the same time? We have a few projects planned and money budgeted - now all we need is some volunteer labor on the weekends to knock them out. How about coming out to help rebuild a couple outside pens and make them tall and escape proof? They are in rough shape and now is the time to get it done! We are hoping to rebuild one each month from now until the end of the year. Most work will be done on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. To get your name on the list for this and other farm projects, please contact Bob Adams at robertcadams@verizon.net.

Doggie Stories

We need your DOGGIE story too! Since BARK has so many dogs, it is difficult for volunteers to get to know each of them in the limited time they share at the farm or at an adoption stand. In an effort to better showcase some of the wonderful dogs currently awaiting their forever homes, we are asking volunteers to share their stories of working with spending time with the BARK dogs. Please “vote” for your favorite dog and explain what makes “your” dog deserving of his or her very own forever home. Does he walk well on a leash? Does he know how to sit or shake? Does he love the water? How does he act with volunteers and other dogs? Can she fetch? Is he a good kisser? The “winning” dogs, along with the volunteer descriptions, will be featured in the adoption spotlight portion of upcoming BARK newsletters. These stories will help readers get to know the dogs and hopefully generate adoption interest. Plus, they’re a lot of fun to read! Remember, your personal experiences could make a difference in the life of a very deserving BARK dog. Submit your “votes” to robin@barkva.org.

FARM DOGGIES NEED MORE CARETAKERS and FRIENDS!!!

What better time than now - while we are all considering how we can improve ourselves, our lives and out little part of the world - to make a resolution to help the less fortunate! I have a terrific suggestion. Why not start volunteering at BARK! You will make a difference in the lives of many homeless dogs! BARK dogs are safe under our care, no matter how long it takes to find them a forever home, and they are always welcomed back should the need arise. Once a BARK dog always a BARK dog. Rescue dogs are grateful for everything they receive and will spend the remainder of their lives showing their appreciation.

Did you know that on any given day in the STATE OF VIRGINIA ALONE there are approximately 6,900 dogs in animal pounds? This does not include those dogs at rescue groups like ours. Here are a few more statistics about dogs that will knock your socks off:

Did you know that in Virginia during 2013 -

35,935 dogs were surrendered by their owner

52,164 strays were caught and taken to the pound

23,648 were reclaimed by their owner

45,322 were adopted

1009 died in the pound, all alone

22,049 were euthanized for whatever reason?

So, the more volunteers we have, the more dogs we can rescue. But it takes a lot of work and we need help. Come alone, bring a friend or make it a family endeavor. You will have fun, learn about caring for and working with dogs and just enjoy their great personalities in a pretty rural setting. There are lots of activities that are very helpful: cleaning, walking, feeding, helping with medicines, grooming, even laundry! WE ALSO REALLY NEED DONATIONS AND FOSTER FAMILIES!!! Foster dogs get adopted much more quickly. Many dogs are calmer and better socialized when they can stay in a home instead of the shelter. There are loads of ways to help!

We appreciate all the help we can get and so do the dogs! Thanks for thinking about this and please pass it on to others. You can contact me, Linda Lane at: billlindaphoto@mindspring.com or call me at 804-883-7740 to set-up a time to try volunteering, consider fostering or arrange to drop off donated supplies.

Please come out and help. For those interested in volunteering on Saturdays and/or Sundays, ORIENTATIONS: Arranged on an as needed basis but every Saturday at 11:00 a.m., orientations are conducted by Richard or Claire. Bring your application/waiver and make sure you have completed the required reading. Volunteer Groups The good news is that we have so many new and wonderful groups volunteering. The not so good news is that sometimes too many show up at the same time. So, all groups must be scheduled before they can visit the farm (experienced or not) to walk and/or help take care of the kennels. We are limiting the number of visiting groups on any one day for the safety of all. Please contact Carol Murray at murrsan@verizon.net to arrange a date.

Current Schedule for Kennel and Dog Care Our flexible work schedule has proven a success by allowing volunteers, once they are trained, to clean any time during the day they chose to help. Every New Volunteer will receive an “Informational Package” by e-mail and every volunteer must have an orientation, provide their paper work to a crew lead at the farm (not only on line), and read the required material. Orientations are scheduled on a one by one basis. Children under 16 must be supervised by an adult. If 16 or older, the young person must have written permission to volunteer and be a very responsible young adult. For any questions or to schedule an Orientation contact Linda Lane at billlindaphoto@mindspring.com or (804)883-7740.

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: Volunteers are there at various times between 8:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. (Fridays from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm) We have morning, late afternoon and evening crews on these days. BUT we do not have volunteers there throughout the day.

Tuesdays and Thursdays: A couple of Volunteers start around noon. Others come after work.

Saturdays and Sundays: Volunteers start coming anywhere from 10:30 a.m. (or earlier).

Remember, the dogs depend on us. We are all they have until a forever home is found for them. Won’t you consider giving them a little part of your week – just a couple of hours or so? The dogs would love you for it and so would we! Hope to hear from you.

New Kennel Guidelines For safety reasons, we need to request the following:

1. No one under the age of 16 may walk on the LONG trail without the presence of a parent and without explicit permission from a crew lead. Any exception to this can only be made through the crew lead.

2. Children under the age of 16 may not be left along at the shelter to walk dogs at any time. A parent must be with them, helping them get in and out of kennels and making sure they know how to handle the dogs. Very experienced volunteers are the exception. Again, this is at the discretion of the crew lead. It is not wise to have youngsters running in and out of kennels or up and down the aisles for obvious reasons. It just gets too chaotic and causes the dogs to become too rambunctious and excitable not to mention noisy. Please make sure you read the attached guidelines for walking if you have not already and read them to your children.

3. Groups that come to help walk dogs need to make sure that there are enough adults to supervise the young people at all times. Please stay with them and help them get the dogs in and out of kennels, leash them properly, follow the walking precautions/rules and stay safe – dog and child.

4. If you groom the dogs, PLEASE put all grooming tools back where they belong AFTER cleaning all the dog hair off the brushes and combs.

Kennel Volunteer Programs: Thanks to a core of volunteers, we are constantly improving the Quality of Life for our dogs. Here are our volunteer needs:

✦ Walking and Exercising Program ✦ Kennel/Shelter Care and Maintenance ✦ Volunteer Follow Up ✦ Special Projects/Facilities ✦ Feeding ✦ Transport ✦ Groups and Community Service ✦ Medical Care ✦ Intake

If interested, please complete a volunteer inquiry form on our website: www.barkva.org. Please note that the majority of our volunteers work full-time jobs in addition to the time they dedicate to BARK. Please allow up to 2 weeks to receive a response to a volunteer application submitted online.

Welcome to newcomers Frauline Agarin, Cindy Boswell, Lealea Bounvichit, Johnny Bui, Jessica Clark, Kelsey Codoley, Tyler Cox, Kayla Cuneo, Peter Donovan, Joseph Fajurdo, Stephen Fox, Dina Hamami, Sierra Hanky, Noah Hillerbrand, Charissa Janto, Jacob Kelley, Taylor Kelmar, Lizzie Kidwell, David & Mim Kim, Paul Lee, Jackie Luu, Adam MacQueen, Morgan Maire, Mauricio Mallory, Anthony Malzone, Beth Martin, Julia McCoy, Kierstan Mullins, Mitch Mumma, Jamie & Ralph Newton, Sophors Ngon, Cole Perdomo, Kiara Powell, Rebecca Redmon, Sibyl & Tysin Roberts, Luis & Jessica Rodriguez, Abdulla 7 Haamid Shaikh, Bella Smith, Kaileen Sodon, Effie Stathis, Katie St Germain, Susan Tedder, Leo Terrono, Dallas Thompson, Sinclair Turner, Nicholas & Crystal Tyus, Niyah White, Elizabeth Wickersham, Katie Wimmer, Heather Woodring, Tania Woodson-Purnell and Conlan Wyan.

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Notes From the Farm

Hi there friends!

I wanted to send a huge thank you out to everyone who came out to Strangeways’ BARK-toberfest last month! The weather was a little cool, but there was a great turnout and my friends really had fun! Can’t wait until the next one! I also can’t wait to hear how much money was raised for all of my doggie friends! Thanks as always to Strangeways and especially my friend Erin for helping to organize and pull off a great event!

Also, thanks to UPS and HandsOn Greater Richmond who provided some really great volunteers who helped with the regular kennel duties for HandsOn Day. They also helped “escape-proof” one more of the outside playpens! It’s so great to have more options for all of us master explorers!

In other super exciting news (at least for me), I found myself a super awesome foster home! My foster mom is a vet tech and I’ve got a really friendly foster brother and a nice, fenced in yard to run and play in. Don’t worry - she knows all about my wandering tendencies and won’t ever leave me in the yard unattended. So, while I don’t have a forever home yet, at least I’ve gotten a break from the kennels. Maybe this is the boost I need to land that forever family!

Until next time…

Larry

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Happy Tails…Waggin’ Good News

Just wanted to let you know that we adopted Johnny. He's so sweet and we're just absolutely in love with him. His introduction to our other dog Belle went great, although they are still trying to figure out how to play together (there is a distinct size difference) :)

Thank you again for all your help. Candice, Mark, Belle, and Johnny

In October 2008 my husband and I adopted Mary from BARK. We saw her on your web site and were immediately taken with her. She is and has been an extraordinary dog for these last 7 years. She is my dog but my husband is her person. She goes to work with him at our local purveyor of petroleum products and has made many friends there, both employees and customers. She is even featured on their website. Mary is so full of joy and she shares it with everyone she meets. Recently Mary was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and we are hoping and praying that she will be with us for as long as possible. We have decided that she will not have surgery, chemotherapy or radiation as we feel this will have a negative impact on her quality of life. She has slowed down some and our vet has assured us that we can keep her comfortable through medications.

My husband and I feel that we have been blessed to have Mary with us all these years and hope to have her with us for a while longer. We’re thankful that BARK rescued her and that we were able to find her through them. Anita & Haskel

Johnny

Mary

I wanted to let you know I volunteer on Thursday evenings and I recently adopted Fritz, who I have renamed Ace.  In case you wanted to put it in your newsletter.  If you give me your cell number I can send some pictures you can use.  Ace is a little spit fire who is full of energy and love.  Everyone in my family absolutely adores him.  He doesn’t know he only weighs 12 lbs.  He has the courage of a lion.  He shares his new home with his brother Copper (another smooth coat dachshund) and his sisters, Daisy (a beagle), Smidgen (a wirehaired dachshund) and Mattie (an Australian Cattle Dog).Michele (no picture included)

Josie is doing great! She seemed right at home as soon as we got her here! She's eating well and enjoying all the love and attention. She hasn't gone upstairs in the house yet. We keep encouraging her, but she's not buying it! :) I've attached a few pictures from her first night with us. Nathaniel is so excited! Before he leaves for school, he gives her a hug and tells her that he loves her. Soon, we'll start taking her with us when we walk to school. Didn't want to overwork her with the 2 mile walk just yet! We'll get her walking more on the leash this weekend in the neighborhood. Any word from the vet? Her eye seems to be OK, but just wanted to check to make sure we aren't supposed to be doing anything to help it heal. Thanks again for helping us get Josie! She's a perfect match for us! Keli

Josie

We received these great pictures of Willow, now Willa, who was adopted from BARK. Her owner reports that she’s an absolute doll and they just love her!

We received these adorable pictures of Levi, who was adopted last month. His new dad reports that he’s absolutely wonderful and that adopting him was one of the best decisions he has made in a long time! Good boy Levi!

Willa

Levi

I just wanted to say how happy we are with the adoption of Sophie and Ginger. They are so well mannered and they have bonded with us really fast. Ginger especially is such a sweet girl... They are just a couple of really great dogs! We feel so lucky we found them. When we picked them up Saturday they went straight to the groomers and they both look so beautiful. We haven't even heard them bark yet. No issues at all when we leave them by there selves. They really were a perfect fit for us. Ginger just loves to be pet and loved on. She lays right next to me on the couch. Thank you so much! They have more then filled the void of losing our Peaches just a week and half ago. Sophie is great too.... She is just happy go lucky. Ginger gets a little jealous sometimes but I think Ginger really wants to play the Alpha role. Sometimes she gets so jealous she shows her teeth to Sophie to say "back off"

But we really love them! Thank you, Roy

If you have adopted a dog from BARK and have a Happy Tail or other contribution for the monthly newsletter, please forward it to robin@barkva.org.

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Sophie and Ginger

!

Bandit’s Adoption and Rescue of K-9s is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductable. BARK is operated entirely by volunteers, so 100% of your

donation will go to the dogs. Your donation will help fund spay/neuter operations, medical treatments, and daily care and feeding costs for the dogs at the Ashland farm and in BARK foster homes. You can mail your donation directly to the address below or make a secure donation online at www.barkva.org. Remember, every penny makes a difference in the life of a BARK dog!

Please accept my donation in the amount of:

! $25 ! $50 ! $75

! $100 ! $125 ! Other _________

Gift given in honor of _____________________________________________ Gift given in memory of ___________________________________________ Name __________________________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________________

Bandit’s Adoption and Rescue of K-9s Anytime is a good time to

donate to BARK!

12300 Farrington Rd. Ashland, VA 23005 info@barkva.org

804-449-BARK (2275)

Other Ways to Support In addition to direct donations, there are numerous options that allow you to help support BARK and its mission. You can donate needed pet care items, purchase BARK merchandise or use a search engine that donates to BARK. Using these websites is super easy and a portion of your purchase will go directly to BARK. Please consider using these sites when shopping for your friends and loved ones this holiday season… .

" In addition to monetary donations, is always in need of various pet care and administrative items. To view a complete inventory of “wish list” items, please visit http://www.barkva.org/Volunteer.aspx.

" merchandise, such as apparel for you and your pet, housewares, and bumper stickers are now available onlineat www.cafepress.com. Check it out!

" If you shop at Food Lion, BARK is now a charity with their MVP rewards. To register your MVP card, visit http://www.foodlionmvprewards.com/.

" How can you make searching and shopping for that perfect gift even more perfect? Use iGive, where with ever transaction a portion goes to benefit BARK. Raise a penny (or more) per search and generate donations from any of the 730+ stores listed with iGive, ranging up to 26%. Also, check out the new searchable coupons and deals, where you will find all available, up to the minute offers and specials. Just visit www.igive.com.

" GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up! You can even set GoodSearch as your default search engine.

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, eBay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause. So, by making your regular purchases through this site, you’re helping take care of the dogs while they’re waiting for their forever home!

Just go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter BARK as the charity you want to support. And, be sure to spread the word! It’s a super easy way to help support the organization.

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