Safe Harbor's Lab Gab
May 2009
Volume II, Issue 5 |
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Our Mission Statement
Safe Harbor Lab Rescue is a non-profit, 501(c) (3) charitable organization run solely by volunteers for the purpose of successfully rehoming stray or surrendered Labrador Retrievers in Colorado by offering medical care, training resources and breed education.
2009 Statistics as of April 30, 2009
Labs Taken in....85
Labs Placed...95
Spayed/Neutered....26
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Hello Friends of Safe Harbor,
Enjoy these wonderful Spring days with your Lab . . . even it it means some happy wet muddy feet across your floor! Just wanted to remind you of two things. First, we do have heartworm in Colorado so it's important to see your vet for a heartworm preventative. It's easy to prevent, but painful and expensive to treat. And second, there is still time to send us your photos for the 2010 Calendar Contest. Sunny spring days make for terrific pictures!
Best Regards,
Jacky
President
Safe Harbor Lab Rescue
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Success Story ~ Dash Gives Hope
In November of 2008 we heard that Dash had received his certification as a therapy dog through Therapy Dogs, Inc.
As proud of Dash as his owners are, they stressed that they didn't want to "brag" about him, but just wanted to keep us up to date on his accomplishments.
We insisted that this former stray exercise his bragging rights and we wanted to share his ongoing success with everyone!
Hi Leslie,
Dash has added two more AKC titles to his name since we last touched base with you -- Canine Good Citizen a few weeks ago and Companion Dog (novice obedience title) yesterday. First place, too!
Dash accompanies me every other week to our county jail and participates in my church ministry there. He works his therapy dog magic on the inmates before and after our service. A young man we had been seeing on a regular basis was sentenced to a year at an in-patient rehab facility instead of three years in prison. We were all very happy about this outcome. When we saw him last time he said "You and Dash have given me hope." I couldn't ask for a better reward.
Anita Bullington 
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Your donations make a difference ~ 
Bubba's Story
Bubba's family split up and moved on with their lives, leaving Bubba to spend his senior years on a thin piece of fleece in an unheated garage and in the yard. When we rescued Bubba, he had advanced dental/gum disease, an infected rotten tooth, hypothyroidism, a pea sized growth on his eyelid that was scratching his cornea and a massive lypoma on his chest. It was so large his collar was beginning to embed in his neck.
  With his forever young zest for life, and perfectly loving and forgiving Lab temperament, we didn't hesitate to improve the quality of his life with the medical care he's been sorely missing. We very much appreciate your donations that make all the difference in the world for dogs like Bubba who deserve a pain free life and second chance as a well loved companion. | |
 TRAINER'S CORNER ~ How to Improve Your Adopted Dog's Behavior in the Next 10 Seconds...
As a behaviorist and trainer, I am going to give you the best dog behavior advice you'll ever get and I'm giving it to you for free. Ready?
Never compare this new dog's behavior with any other dog you have ever owned.
My clients share stories about "mythical" dogs who never needed any training, never did anything wrong and could sort laundry while caring for the sick and elderly. These ridiculous expectations of unattainable behaviors do nothing but deteriorate the relationship between dog and owner. This kind of unfair comparison sets our new dog up to fail right from the start. Instead of using sound management and keeping the new dog from making mistakes, we give the dog too much freedom and too few productive opportunities to make good choices.
To help him become the best dog he can be, remember:
* Each dog is an individual.
* Your adopted dog has no idea what YOU consider right and wrong.
* The new dog has an almost insurmountable task acclimating to your house, your lifestyle and your high expectations.
* Dogs only do what has worked for them in the past to get something they want or need. They don't operate out of spite.
* Be clear and consistent. Reward your dog for the behaviors you like and stop expecting him to act like any other dog.
* Love him for who he is.
Laura Brody, CPDT
Dog Behavior Specialist
[email protected]
720-289-7498
When your dog chooses the right behavior, don't forget to say thank you! |
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SPOTLIGHT on SAFE HARBOR PARTNER
ROVER RETREAT, WHEAT RIDGE
"Our lives have gone to the dogs and we love it!" So say Wendy Burling and Laura DeGroat, sisters with an unparalleled love for dogs, and owners of Rover Retreat, Wheat Ridge. Huge animal lovers, they wanted to do something valuable that made a difference, something they had a passion for and that would allow them to spend time together. So they opened Rover Retreat, Wheat Ridge, a personalized doggie daycare and overnight retreat. With loads of playtime and fresh air, everyone sleeps well for their mid-day nap and all night!
Best of all they have a big heart for rescue dogs and have fostered over 33 Labs for us! What a difference they've made in saving lives. After being cooped up in a shelter or neglected, the Labs love the time to frolic, eat frozen chicken broth ice cubes, have tummy rubs and socialize with new friends in a carefully supervised and structured environment. It always amazes us how well Laura and Wendy know each of our dogs and meet their individual needs.
Rover Retreat, Wheat Ridge is truly a family business run with warmth, humor and dedication. "It's all dogs all the time!" relates Laura. "We really enjoy the Labs," remarks Wendy. "They're so goofy and have such a great sense of humor."
How grateful we are to have Wendy and Laura as a Safe Harbor partners!
Rover Retreat , Wheat Ridge is located at 8175 W. 48th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033. To learn more visit www.roverretreat.com or call 303-432-8860
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Upcoming Special Event
Come visit our booth at the
Larimer County Humane Society's 19th Annual
Fire Hydrant 5 Pet Fair
Saturday, May 9, 2009
8:30 a.m - Noon
Edora Park - 1801 Riverside Ave., Fort Collins, Co
for details click here:
Event Follow Up:
Bath Day in April was a fun and clean success...there were many dogs patiently waiting their turn to be scrubbed...Thank you to Ken and Tracy owners of Muttz N' Stuff for providing your store and grooming area to us. And many sloppy Lab kisses to the hard working volunteers that day; Moree Meyer, Carrie Walters, Weldy, Becky Limani, Jessica and John Price, Melissa Craig and children, Mandy Melby, Terri Odenweller, Jamie LaNear, Kara Karsten, Tiffany Richardson.
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 PHOTO CONTEST REMINDER!!
TIME IS RUNNING OUT! DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR LAB FEATURED ON OUR 2010 CALENDAR!!
PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO ENTRIES BY MAY 15TH.
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LAB ANTICS by Kara Karsten
 One year old Jefferson, a goofy black Labradoodle, recently proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that he is more Lab than poodle. His owner, Greg, was digging holes to plant new rose bushes, and had to
move some rocks out of the way. Since he was working on a slope, some of the rocks rolled down the hill. Young Jefferson just could not resist giving chase. After Greg finished his work, he went into the house, but Jefferson stayed outside for a while. When Greg went back
to check on Jefferson a while later, he found that helpful Jefferson
had moved all the rocks back up the hill and piled them nicely by the
back door.
Greg must be so grateful to have Jefferson's help on all his
landscaping projects.
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Kara's Lab-Tested Trail
Crown Hill Regional Park
No time to get up to the mountains? Need a quick outing for your furry companion and a rejuvenating brush with nature for yourself? Then this is the place for you. Nothing calms the soul like a walk beside a lake.
Sadie joined me to "lab-test" the walking trails at Crown Hill Regional Park. The park contains a total of 6.5 miles of trail, both paved and dirt, but we stuck to the paved inner loop, 1.2 miles around
the perimeter of the lake. Our first trip took close to an hour, as she was thoroughly testing all the smells, and I was stopping frequently to take pictures. After dropping off our baggage at the
car, we did a second loop in about 20 minutes, in the reverse direction. I'm glad we did - we saw some things that we missed the first time around because we don't have eyes in the backs of our heads.
Along this walk you get great panoramas of the mountains. The lake is beautiful, and different, from every angle. You can look across into
the protected wetlands of Kestrel Pond in the northwest corner of the park, but dogs cannot enter that area.If your dog looks at you with those irresistible eyes and begs to go swimming, have a heart to heart with him about the dangers of Giardia. It's always safest to bring clean drinking water for dog.
Enter from either parking lot on W 26th Avenue, just East of Kipling.
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Corrections:
April's LabGab's Article, Socializing Your Puppy was written by Dianna Stearns. We failed to credit her. We regret the error! Please visit Dianna at www.wagginswest.com | |
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| Contact Information
601 16th Street, #C-322
Golden, CO 80401 phone: 303 464-7777
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