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Arizona Labrador and Giant Breed Rescue |
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| ALGBR Newsletter |
February 2010
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 Greetings!
It's February, and love is in the air!! In 2009 we spread that love to 144 dogs and their new families!
We want to keep our success rolling along in 2010. In order to do that, we depend upon volunteers and donations. If you would like to donate time, talent, love, or money to help us in our endeavor, please click on the following links. Arizona's unwanted and abandoned labs and giants will LOVE you for it!
To learn more about becoming a foster home, click here:
http://www.azlabsandgiants.org/foster_labrador_greatdane_dog_rescue_arizona.html
To volunteer your time, no matter how much or how little you have to offer, click here:
http://www.azlabsandgiants.org/volunteer_labrador_greatdane_dog_rescue_arizona.html
To donate (no amount is too small!), click here:
Thank you!!
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Dr. Walker's Corner
Brad R. Walker DVM, Medical Director, VCA Mountain View Animal Hos pital
Stem Cells as Treatment for
Arthritis in Dogs
As we all know one of the biggest
problems in aged Labradors is arthritis; usually with the hips and knees
most noticeably affected. Traditionally, such things as corticosteroids,
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDS), food and oral supplements
(glucosamine, fatty acids, EPA etc,), surgery (total hip replacement),
and weight control and reduction have been the mainstay of medicine
and techniques used to alleviate pain.
Stem cell therapy may be controversial
and years away for us humans, but for our four legged friends, it is here
today and available for the treatment of arthritis as well as tendon
and ligament injuries in dogs. There are already Veterinary hospitals
in the Phoenix area that are trained and ready to perform the procedure.
The procedure itself involves
anesthetizing the dog and harvesting fat cells from which stem cells
are derived. The sample is shipped to a company that isolates
the stem cells and sends them back in syringes for the veterinary surgeons
to implant (under sedation) directly into the affected area (hip, knee,
tendon) where they morph and stimulate new growth of healthy cells and
connective tissue, providing growth and anti-inflammatory molecules
to relieve pain and block the formation of scar tissue. Relief
of pain is generally quick, side affects are minimal, and three quarters
of the patients show positive results. Some of the dogs could
hardly walk before the procedure, and within a few weeks were able to
take long walks. The cost is over $3000, and the process
is so new that just how long the process lasts before a re-treatment
is required is somewhat variable and not completely known.
It is conceivable that as more
studies and trials are performed that stem cells may hold promise to become
a standard procedure to treat everything from allergies to heart, liver,
and kidney failure and possibly some day even cancer. In regards
to canine arthritis, it already appears to be a success.
Look for a discussion of conventional treatments of arthritis in our April newsletter.
* If you have any questions or concerns about your pet's health, to
ensure proper diagnosis and treatment, you should always contact your
veterinarian.
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Support ALGBR in the PetSmart Charities Annual PetWalk
ALGBR
has registered to join the 2nd annual PetSmart Charities PetWalk, to be
held on Sunday, February 21, 2010 at Tempe Town Lake. The event includes a 5K and 1-mile walk with all proceeds benefiting PetSmart Charities and local animal-welfare agencies. All proceeds raised by our rescue go directly to ALGBR!
Last year, ALGBR raised over $7,000.00, and this year our goal is to raise over $10,000.00!
Make your donation to support ALGBR on our team page at:
http://pschar.convio.net/site/TR/Walk/PetWalk?team_id=1190&pg=team&fr_id=1040
Join us!
Donate, participate, and spread the word! The team page has all the
links you need to help us reach our goal. Please forward this linkl on
to friends, family, and fellow animal lovers...in this day and age, we
need all the help we can get!
 
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 Confessions of a Puppy-Mama...
By Judy Atkins
It makes me smile to think that at this point in my life I
am most known for being the "Puppy Mama" of the AZ Lab Rescue. It happened pretty easily. I have always been an advocate for giving
back to your community through volunteering, and I instill that responsibility
into my children by setting an example for them. I also believe that in your life, you should
strive to do the things you love and love the things you do. Puppies just seem to fit all my
criteria. I am able to help dogs that
need loving and caring homes, and my expertise seems to be the babies, so it
all works. I have a degree in child
development, so the stages of birth and early childhood (puppyhood) are of
great interest to me. Caring for the
pregnant mommy dog is very important for me.
I really want to establish a rapport and build trust with her, in case I
have to really help out with the birth, or if there is an emergency and I have to
grab them and run to the emergency vet.
All of the birth moms were very close to me, and it helped not only
during labor, but afterward when I had to touch the puppies and help her
out. I have had three litters here at
the house, and all were different, as were the moms. Missy, our first, was an experienced mom,
and I learned a lot from her. I knew she was close to delivering, but
wasn't sure what the first signs might be.
I was on the phone with Dorothy while she was Googling "dog pregnancy
and labor" when Missy delivered her first puppy. It went pretty fast after that, but she had
eleven puppies and it took several hours.
Everyone was healthy, and Missy did most of the work. She was a wonderful mom. She nursed them all and took care of them
with so much love and affection. The next
littler was from our little mommy, Mollie.
She was actually with Dorothy up north when she gave birth. They came back over to my house when they
were just a few days old. Mollie was
like a teenage mother; she took care of the babies when she felt like it, but was
easily distracted and would just walk away while all the puppies were
nursing. She was a funny girl and the
puppies were as cute as could be. My
daughter adopted one of them, so we are able to watch her growth and see what a
character she has become, just like her mommy.
The last litter was from Annika. That
girl was so smart! She came without any
known information or background, so I really had to get to know her. She was very close to me and tried really
hard NOT to have the babies while I was off visiting my daughter in San
Diego. The puppies won, and she had them
while Jennifer, Dorothy, and my mother-in-law helped out (I was on the phone). There were 12 puppies in that litter, and
poor Annika did the best she could to nurse them all. She looked like Buddha when they were all
hanging on her! This litter had some
really cute puppies, and I remember one little boy I called Ozzy. He was fearful of most new experiences, so
when I would go out and let them into the big yard, he would run inside and hide. He was a little cuddler and a
sweetheart. He stands out as the one I
remember, because I always had to think, "Where is Ozzy???" After the birth, I really try to let the mommies
do most of the work. They want to
nurture them and clean them all the time, and I think it's very important for
both puppy and mommy to have that initial time together. It also gives me time to get the whelping box
all cleaned up after the birth, make sure the mom is okay, and get her diet
straight. The mothers have to eat puppy
food after the birth while they are nursing to help with their milk
production. I also try to be really conscientious
at this point in terms of handling the puppies.
You always have to keep in mind that something could happen, and it
does, but that is part of nature. We are
dealing with animals that have instincts about what to do, and I try to honor
that as much as I can. All in all, the
puppy experience is fun and rewarding to me, and hopefully to all the families
that adopt our little angels. I have
always thought that it would be great to figure out a way to keep puppies small
and sweet...that way I would always have those little guys to snuggle up to and
to give me kisses whenever I needed them.
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 Save the date for our Adoptee Reunion!
We're planning a fun get-together at Cosmo dog park on May 1, 2010. It will be a great opportunity for you to meet the foster families and the volunteers who helped with your adoption, and to meet the special dogs and owners who have added to their family through ALGBR. Look for more information coming soon!
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A "Happy Tail", Reese
Written by Michaela, age 10
Reese (Bodie)
Reese is a very sweet dog and is the right dog for us. He
(usually) obeys us and is a great family dog. We have a baby who's 1 year old
and Reese behaves well around her. He loves to eat and is very friendly and
loves to give kisses. Reese cleans up all the food my baby sister drops from
her high chair. If she's not careful
he'll eat right out of her hand!
When we go swimming he doesn't like to swim, instead he runs
around the pool sometimes barking. He
loves going for walks and sleeps most of the day.
He's had a couple obedience lessons from Pet Smart and will
"sit" and "stay" when you tell him to.
Reese likes to do "high five" and will let you "shake" his paw. He's left handed just like some of our
family.
We're very happy that Reese is our dog. He is part of our family now and we love him
very much.
The Abrahams
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Help ALGBR with a click!
ALGBR has the opportunity to win
money from a Shelter Challenge with your votes!! This does not cost
you any money and it takes minimal time. You can vote once a day, but vote
every day for Arizona Labrador & Giant Breed Rescue. Like all
rescues, donations are an integral part of keeping our organization running and
rescuing dogs. PLEASE forward this to all your friends and relatives and
ask them to vote for ALGBR EVERY DAY. Just click on this link to
vote, and add it to your favorites on your internet browser.
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_shelterchallenge_from_shelterchallengeresults_sidetabsj
Don't forget that every time you search the web or shop online, you can help ALGBR by using GoodSearch.com and GoodShop.com
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| Upcoming Event |
Franciscan Spring Fling Adoption Event
March 6, 2010
Franciscan Renewal Center
5802 E. Lincoln Dr.
10am to 3pm
Earnhardt Adoption Event
March 20, 2010 10am to 3pm
Earnhardt Ford/Mazda
300 W. Orchid Lane, Chandler AZ
Adoptee Reunion
May 1, 2010
Cosmo Dog Park
PetSmart Adoption Events
ALGBR attends the PetSmart adoption events every month
2nd Saturday of every month - Litchfield Park Petsmart from 11:30 AM
to 3:00PM, located at 1561 N Dysart Rd, Avondale, AZ 85323
3rd Saturday of every month - Mesa Petsmart from 11:00 AM to 3:00PM, located at 1733 S Stapley Drive, Mesa, AZ 85204
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 Donate to ALGBR!
Arizona Labrador and Giant Breed Rescue is an all-volunteer, non-profit 501(c)3 organization. We operate solely on the time, dedication, and funding of our community. If you'd like to donate to our rescue and help save the lives of dogs in need, please click on the "donate" button on our website at www.azlabsandgiants.org or click the PayPal button above. The dogs will love you for it!
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Spread the Word!
If you know anyone who might be interested in adopting a dog, please feel free to forward this newsletter and refer them to our website, www.azlabsandgiants.org And, if you find yourself with time to volunteer, please click on the "Volunteer" button on the website! A moment to rescue...a lifetime of love |
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| Contact Information |
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Arizona Labrador & Giant Breed Rescue
602.307.5227
PO Box 26116
Phoenix, AZ 85068-6116
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Ozzy 
