Safe Harbor's Lab Gab
June 2009
Volume II, Issue 6 |
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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 May 31, 2009
Labs Taken in....113
Labs Placed...118
Spayed/Neutered....33
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Dear Friends of Safe Harbor -
Thank you for your ongoing support and good wishes for Safe Harbor. So many Labs are in need with families in economic crisis who can no longer keep their Labs; sometimes needed health care must be foregone; shelters are overflowing with abandoned Labs. We are gratified to be able to help as many as we can with your generous support.
With summer around the corner remember to keep you best friend cool and comfy -- a hot car can be lethal and overdoing on a hot day can leave a pup not feeling so good. Loads of water to drink and play in is a must - for you both!
Best Regards,
Jacky
President
Safe Harbor Lab Rescue
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FOSTER HOMES NEEDED!
Hello Lab Lovers:
This year Safe Harbor will save the lives of over 200 Labs just like me! But for every Lab rescued, a short term foster home is needed . . . Will you please help us?
You provide: lots of TLC, good meals and help us feel wanted again. We usually "sit and stay" for a couple of weeks . . . applicants are waiting and our Adoption Team moves quickly!
Safe Harbor provides: our medical care, training and behavior support and other help as needed. Their very experienced support volunteers are there for us 24/7!
If you would like to learn more about helping save Lab lives through fostering, please contact Mary at yellow4lab@comcast.net
Thank you!
The Very Grateful Labs
Click HERE for a Foster Home Application |
 SUCCESS STORY ~ Rain ~ a ray of sunshine
They found each other a couple of months ago when Jeannie began to foster Rain. Rain needed a new home and Jeannie was searching for a new beginning. Rain has given Jeannie the unconditional love and support she needed. In return, Jeannie has given Rain those same things. Both have smiled again and started to play again. Rain and Jeannie walk daily and get in a game or two of fetch, and Jeannie's doctor gives a thumbs up for her adopting Rain. They have started a new life together. Rain has her wonderful and loving forever home and Jeannie has a wonderful and loving best friend. Only after the rain is there a rainbow...a pot of gold is found in the making.
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Your Donations Make a Difference ~ Lindsey, Pepper and little Coda
 A few days after one-and-half year old Lindsey arrived, she was overcome with a massive, life threatening, toxic infection that required emergency surgery to save her life. Abscesses on internal organs had to be addressed surgically and monitoring in intensive care was required. Fortunately, with expert care she pulled through and can look forward to a happy life as a well loved friend.
 Pepper, just two years old, came to us with the most advanced case of heartworm disease our rescue has seen since its inception in 2002. Expensive, carefully monitored treatment, painful at times, will take weeks to rid her of the heartworms that could take her life.
 Twelve week old Coda was surrendered to the vet and then to us when his owners could not afford the extensive care he needed for what looked like a losing battle with a virulent infection. After treatment in intensive care, testing and dedicated care by our vet partners, things are looking brighter for this little guy.
We were gratified to save these three lives. The cost of doing so was great for our all volunteer rescue. Your donations to support Labs like Lindsey, Pepper and Coda are always deeply appreciated.
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TRAINER'S CORNER ~ Helping Dogs with Thunderstorm PhobiasDianna Stearns, CPDT, CDBC
Waggin's West Dog Training, LLC
This time of year dogs often have adverse reactions to sudden thunderstorms, and show a wide range of fear-based behaviors. Some will hide under the bed or in closets; others will eliminate in the house, show destructive behavior or cling to their parents and quiver in fear until the boomers stop.
Like all training and behavior problems, there is no "one-size fits all". Since each dog is a unique individual (and we never know when a thunderstorm might pop up), it's best to have several calming aids on hand, and experiment to see which one is most effective. Some owners have found that putting peppermint oil on the pads of their dog's feet has a calming effect. Many thunder-phobic dogs find relief from dosages of melatonin. It's recommended at 3mg for dogs up to 25-75 lbs, and 5 mg for big dogs over 75 lbs. Other clients have used Bach's Rescue Remedy in the dog's water, or on food, with success.
Most trainers try to work with the dog ahead of thunder storm season, desensitizing the dog to the sound of approaching storms by using CDs of thunderstorms and positive reinforcement. For more severe cases owners may need to consult their Vet for prescription anti-anxiety drugs, such as Xanax. It's fast acting and doesn't stay in the system long, so your dog doesn't stay groggy.
Two products which have shown to be useful are the Storm Defender Cape, and the
Anxiety Wrap. The cape makes the dog look like a super hero, but the lining discharges static electricity that builds up in the fur and helps to calm the dog. It's expensive, but since there's a 3-storm money-back guarantee, there's really no risk in trying it: http://www.stormdefender.com.
The Anxiety Wrap is a product that grew out of research with autistic children, and calms the dog much like swaddling a baby. Made of neoprene-like material, it holds the dog snugly, to help it feel contained and safe. It can be ordered at www.anxietywrap.com.
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Spotlight on The Adoption Team
Co-Coordinators Kathy Meredith and Sherri Paulsen head our Adoption Team of 25 dedicated volunteers. They check references and facilitate adoptions putting us on a pace to adopt over 200 Labs this year.
Kathy began volunteering in 2005 when she adopted 7 year Cody whose life with Kathy was meant to be! She has written Success Stories, organized the silent auction for LabFest and been on the Adoption Team for the past two years. Just recently, after fostering our Jessie, she couldn't resist making her a permanent member of the Meredith family. Kathy relates: "Working as an Adoption Coordinator with Sherri is great. She has a load of energy, is tops at multi-tasking, and really keeps things moving along on our Team which is filled with a group of individuals truly dedicated to finding these Labs good homes. Being associated with SHLR has been so gratifying and rewarding for me. I have found my passion and know that Labs and rescue groups will always be a part of my life."
Sherri began volunteering about two years ago after hearing about how great a client's experience was with Safe Harbor. She and her husband, Troy, fostered a lot of Labs, but finally ended up in that happy position as "foster failures" and adopted their dear blind foster, Samantha.
Sherri was looking for her true passion as a volunteer. She tells us: "I joined the Adoption Team as a facilitator and a reference checker. Soon I went on to become an Adoption Coordinator with the best partner ever, Kathy. She is the calm thinker of this team. She evens me out in many ways. In my opinion, this is the best position of the rescue -- seeing these wonderful pups get a second chance to find their forever homes and meeting all of the wonderful applicants as well."
A huge THANK YOU to the entire Adoption Team: Sherri Paulsen, Kathy Meredith, Bonnie MacLaren, Charli Bloomer, Chris Walter, Christy Patrick, Debbie Shultz, Heath Wrench, Jane Warren, Jodi Bloomer, Kara Karsten, Katie Wrench, Leslie Brown, Leslie Simbai, Melody Sattizahn, Peg Newell, Sarah Olson, Steven Mokan, Susie Morton, Elizabeth Mehmen, Becky Wilson, Jessica Price, Rian Polak, Debra Fantacone and Tiffany Richardson.
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Event follow~up
May 9th found Safe Harbor's Volunteers at the 19th Annual Fire Hydrant 5K Race 3K Walk and Pet Fair.
We had several SHLR alumni Labs and their families stop by this event in Fort Collins, which benefits the Larimer County Humane Society. We introduced ourselves to lots of people interested in our organization. It was great to remind our neighbors in Northern Colorado of our work, and we couldn't have had better weather. Before the event was over, some of our canine volunteers even found time for a nap.
Many thanks to Sue Olson, Connie Fredman and Ruth Warner for manning the booth and to all of you who stopped by!
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DO YOU HAVE A GOD PARENT?
by Jean VanCamp 
The cold concrete floor made her arthritic bones ache. The water in the small bowl was dirty and half frozen. She lay alone, except for the occasional warehouse worker who let her outside when she happened to cross his mind. And this was the weekend. No chance for relief today.
It wasn't always like this. She used to have someone who loved her. She remembers being loved because food and water came on a regular basis. She was warm and petted. She had a comfortable bed indoors and regular treats that made the pain in her joints go away. But, one day, her person was taken away by an ambulance. Shortly thereafter, she was taken to this warehouse. In an instant her life changed.
Those of us within the Safe Harbor Lab Rescue family find the above scenario unimaginable for our dogs and yet, the above is a real life story of a dog who was truly loved. Unfortunately, this dog's owner/guardian did not make the proper arrangements in the event of serious illness. When she became ill and subsequently died, her dog was abandoned to the care of some un-caring people.
Life is unpredictable. A car accident or unexpected illness can change our lives when we least expect it. Have you taken a few moments to formally make arrangements for your dog or cat? It can be a simple inclusion in your Will or Trust. Let your veterinarian know your wishes; document this in a letter to be kept in your animal's medical file. Let the person who has agreed to care for your animal, if and when the time comes, have a copy of the document that gives them the authority to take and care for the animal.
Please! Don't let those who depend on you, be abandoned. Make the arrangements, today.
(editor's note: The dog mentioned in this article found a loving new home with a close friend of one of our Safe Harbor families!)
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LAB ANTICS by Kara Karsten
If there is a goofy lab in your home, take a moment to think of something he did that made you laugh out loud, and send it to us via the link below. Don't worry about your wording - we can polish it up. We just need the stories. Here are a couple good ones told to me recently by my friend Evelyn.
What's one of the first things you do when you get a new puppy? You move things up out of his reach, you hide trash cans, and you start closing closet doors. Young Spike is a retriever, and when Spike was just a few months old, he pulled a couple fast ones on his family.
Spike repeatedly brought dirty socks out of the bedroom closet, and Evelyn repeatedly returned them to the closet. One day Evelyn was sitting on the couch, took off a pair of socks, and placed them on the ground. Smart little Spike had been paying attention so he knew just what to do. He picked up the socks and took them to the closet!
Spike's other "trick" really had Evelyn confused. She kept finding chewed up tissues around the house, and she was sure that all the trash cans were inaccessible. She checked and double checked and still couldn't figure out where the tissues were coming from. Then one day she caught Spike pulling a CLEAN tissue from a tissue box that was down at his level. Mystery solved!
SPIKE
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Kara's Lab Tested Trail ~ South Valley Park
Tucked behind a hogback ridge in the Ken-Caryl Valley is the stunning South Valley Park. Of the three cloudy days this Memorial Day weekend, this one started out the least overcast and seemed a good day for a dog hike.
We parked at the larger parking lot at the north end of the park and headed in on the Coyote Song Trail. About a half mile along the trail, we hung a left up a little connector trail called Lyons Back, which includes interesting natural rock steps.
This little stretch leads to the Pass Trail, which descends to the Columbine Trail, which in turn connects to the Cathy Johnson Trail. Although it provided a nice vantage point to peek back out of the valley, we returned to the more breath-taking Coyote Song Trail. Continuing on for another .8 miles, we ended up at the south parking lot.
We started back the same way, which was the steepest section of trail. After .4 miles, we took the left fork .2 miles to the Swallow Trail, and continued .9 miles back to the car.
This was a nice gentle trail. While we traveled 3.5 miles, we only gained 644 feet in elevation. Thanks to the great geology and the fresh spring green, this was the most beautiful trail I have had the pleasure of reporting on so far.
Trail testing was provided by the energetic and youthful Lucy, a beautiful yellow lab I was taking care of over the long holiday weekend.
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| Contact Information
601 16th Street, #C-322
Golden, CO 80401 phone: 303 464-7777
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