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APRIL
NEWSLETTER
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April showers bring May flowers
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Dear (Celeste), | |
An old Irish blessing starts with the line "May the road rise up to meet you ..."
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Jami Barrett and Emma |
It brings to mind the road that we have traveled together with Jami Barrett as part of our rescue family.
For the past two and a half years, Jami has served as one of the three members of GSP Rescue New England's board of directors.
Motivated first and foremost by her love of this breed and all animals, Jami's professionalism and caring has shown through in everything she has done to help make our organization great!
Always cheerful and never one to turn down a challenge or avoid facing a tough issue, Jami has become a friend as well as a colleague. We have cried together over the dogs we have lost and we have shared many joyous moments for the dogs we have adopted out to happy, loving homes.
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Wait. What?
Jami's leaving? |
Even in the midst of the chaos of looking for a new home on the West Coast, caring for a new baby, and an impending move of more than 3,000 miles away, she still finds the time to help this organization move forward.
Audrey and I will miss our dependable girl who never learned to say "no" to rescue.
So Jami, Justin and Piper:
"May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand."
Godspeed, our friend, you will be missed!
Celeste
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So Long, Farewell !! | |
As she gets ready to move to California, outgoing board of directors member Jami Barrett writes:
"My involvement with GSP Rescue New England over the last two and a half years has been so fulfilling and has opened my eyes to the multitude of others who share my passion for animals and for this particular breed. I have had some amazing opportunities: providing love, encouragement, and boundaries for dogs in need; meeting new people through home visits, adoptions, and events; and working with some very dedicated rescue professionals. Of course there have been times where the reality of rescue work just plain stinks, but in the end, the good far outweighs the bad.
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Piper and Jami (and Justin) Barrett: California-bound.
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In the last three months and in the next three to come, my life is changing. I gave birth to my first child, Piper, in January. Last Fall, we learned that my husband has been reassigned to Sacramento, Calif., starting in July. I took maternity leave, and subsequently quit my job due to our impending move. The hardest change though, has been accepting that my role with this organization is slowly coming to an end.
I'm struggling with letting go and am doing so slowly. Jan Gregory took over the newsletter - and might I say that I am impressed with the results!! Tom Yukna will now be handling our merchandise. Kim Giardina and Andrew MacQueen will be stepping up to screen and train new volunteers to help this organization continue to grow. Thank you all for your commitment to the growth of this organization!
Giving up these responsibilities has been difficult for me because it represents the end of my involvement with an outstanding organization, with my opportunity to pour myself into a lifelong love of animals.
I am proud to be a volunteer, advocate, and representative of an organization with such dedicated and caring volunteers and supporters. However, moving on is necessary for me and for GSP Rescue New England. With each "change of the guards" this organization continues to grow and improve, learning from our past and embracing new ideas. I am proud to have had a hand in getting GSP Rescue New England to where it is today and I am excited to watch as my replacements take us to a whole new level.
Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity."
Jami Barrett
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California? Right this way, Jami. :-)
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In memory of Carolyn Hois Denny | |
GSP Rescue NE member Leslie Ruddock writes:
"After mother passed away, my brother, Clark Denny, called asking what fund mom would most appreciate a donation made to in her name by his co-workers.
GSP Rescue NE came to mind first.
$260 in donations in memory of Carolyn Hois Denny, who passed away March 8, 2011, have been made to GSP Rescue NE.
Carolyn was always a dog lover, having dogs her entire life. As children we had Vizslas. Mom took us to training classes, 4-H, Girl Scout events, and AKC Junior Handling dog shows. Later in life, mother and her adopted Westie accompanied me and my GSP clan to shows all over the East Coast. Mom was always ready to do anything for her "granddogs."
Mom spent six months in a nursing home. Cadie and Sunshine, her favorite granddogs, visited her a few times weekly, spent many hours keeping her company, walked with her, and greeted other residents. We miss her so very much." Leslie, Lon Ruddock, Clark Denny, Denise Ireifej and family |
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Update On "Gunner" |
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Handsome Gunner |
Gunner was rescued by a Good Samaritan from an owner who left him for weeks at a time crated with no food or water.
Gunner was surrendered to GSP Rescue because the Good Sam didn't want to leave the dog crated during the workday.
Gunner is now in his forever home, and his rescuer writes:
"I want to thank you for the wonderful news I received from Mary about Gunner's placement. But most of all for taking so much time in fostering and seeing that he was placed as you had promised. To be relieved that he was not put down is a miracle for him.
He had gone through so much. Mary and her hubby took such fine care of him and I will be forever grateful as I thanked them also.
I have the uptmost respect for your rescue operations and I thank you and all the foster families and staff for making a "wish" come true.
May God bless each and every one of you. I can't tell you how relieved I am knowing he will be loved here on out. Thank you all so much."
Maryann Hersey |
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"IF I DIDN'T HAVE A DOG" | |
IF I DIDN'T HAVE A DOG,
I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.
My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.
All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.
When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel.
When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.
I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without
taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.
 I would have money, and no guilt to go on a real vacation.
I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians,
as I put their yet unborn grandkids through college.
The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave it ALONE. My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.
I would not talk "baby talk." "Eat your din din." "Yummy yummy for the tummy" ... My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere.
My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.
I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L, W-A-L-K,
T-R-E-A-T, O-U-T, G-O, R-I-D-E, C-O-O-K-I-E.
I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.
I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog ties them down too much.
I would look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading "mud" season.
 I would not have to answer the question "Why do you have so many animals?" from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an ANGEL as they will ever get.
How EMPTY my life would be!!! |
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Mayflower GSP Club Hunt Test |
Mayflower GSP Club will hold an AKC-licensed hunt test on April 30-May 1 at Crane Wildlife Management/Field Trial Area, Route 151, Falmouth, Mass.
Entries are limited to the number of dogs that can be run in 2 days.
Entries will close at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 27. Drawing for order of running will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 28. Running order will be posted after that at www.mayflowergsp.com
Judges are Dennis and Jennifer Hazel, of Rehoboth, Mass., Walter Cruz of Wareham, Mass., Stephanie Gutierrez of Lunenburg, Mass., Raymond Hippell of Westboro, Mass., Richard Achin of Plainville, Mass., and Martin McAndrew of East Falmouth, Mass.
Marshals are Jose Roman, Kevin Smith and Bob Cook.
Guns are Jeff Reis and Manny Gutierrez.
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Look who's been adopted! |
Some more GSPs have found their forever homes!They are: Ramie, Tonka, Willie, Fritz, Dixie and Lucky! Hooray for the dogs! Hooray for their new families! :-) |
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Thank you
to our amazing donors | |
~ Pauline Runkle, for the benefit of Chanterelle.
~ Douglas Leenhouts
~ Erin Hanley, in memory of her dog, Freckles.
~ Lisa Winders, as a thank you to Andrea Morris for a quilt she made for Lisa's dog, Penny.
In memory of Candice Tobias
Jinny Nealon
In memory of Peg Gagnon
Sharon Crowley
Jinny Nealon
In memory of Carolyn Denny
Robert Gern
Elizabeth Dang & co-workers
In memory of Howie Barss
Kathleen Hegerty
Jinny Nealon
Bill and Susan Felins
Jonathan Paull
Margaret and Paul Clifford
Linda C. and Kevin Flynn |
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Flower Power Fundraiser | |
There's still time to join in on the Flower Power Fundraiser that will directly help GSP Rescue NE.
 Flower Power for GSP Rescue New England runs through April 29 and offers an online boutique of lilies, daffodils, dahlias, and dozens of popular spring flower bulbs available for purchase. For every purchase made on their site, Flower Power Fundraising will give back 50 percent to GSP Rescue. 
Whether used for Easter gifts or for the backyard, these colorful purchases will not only beautify gardens but support a worthwhile mission.
For information or to order, go to Flower Power and enjoy the beauty of spring! |
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AKC Healthcare Plan | |
The AKC Pet Healthcare Plan recognizes that veterinary care and treatments for your pet is ever changing. We try to keep up with these trends to ensure that you and your pet have the most comprehensive insurance plans available. Much like the human healthcare industry, every year old methodologies and processes are being challenged and newer technology and thought processes are introduced. One of the age old practices currently being challenged is the way we vaccinate our pets. It has sparked a heated debate over which method is better; giving annual vaccinations or taking a blood sample for vaccine titers? As a result, the AKC Pet Healthcare Plan now offers vaccine titer coverage on our Wellness Plus Plan.
What is a vaccine titer?
The term titer refers to the strength or concentration of a substance in a solution. A titer is a blood test that can identify the presence of antibodies induced by vaccinations. This test will determine if a pet really needs a vaccine prior to it actually getting one.
Why do a titer test?
Recent findings have shown that we might be over vaccinating our pets. Studies have shown some harmful side effects of over vaccinating, including minor allergic reactions such as facial swelling, itching, cancerous tumors in cats, autoimmune diseases in dogs such as anemia, platelet problems and joint disease has been linked as well.
Annual vaccinations have saved millions of dogs and cats lives. Prior to the days of effective vaccines, dogs frequently died from distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and complications of upper respiratory infections. However, many states now take note that annual vaccinations are not always in the best interest of the pet. Some states have changed annual rabies vaccines to once every three years. |
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Partners for Pets Program
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GSP Rescue New England is proud to be a Partner for Pets! BISSELL and LostPetUSA.net have teamed up to help organizations like ours raise money, and now you can help too! When you buy selected pet products on Bissell.com, Bissell will donate 10% of your purchase to GSP Rescue New England. You'll save 10% and receive free shipping. And, each purchase helps us qualify for a semi-annual $5,000 giveaway. Now that's a deal for all of us!
Use the code ADOPT and select GSP RESCUE NEW ENGLAND at the BISSELL checkout to receive the discount.
Visit www.bissell.com/partnersforpets/products to view available products.
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Grant writer needed
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The Pedigree Foundation ( www.pedigreefoundation.org) has grant money to offer and GSP Rescue New England is looking for a volunteer familiar with grant writing to help in the effort to procure some of those funds.
The Pedigree Foundation, a major sponsor of the Westminster Dog Show in New York City, is offering two types of grants:
A) Innovation Grants - $10,000-25,000 (They list only 10 recipients and all are Humane Societies or SPCAs)
B) Operation Grants: Facility/structure, Medical, Transportation, Spay/Neuter, etc. Amounts are not specified and are dependent on factors such as donations and number of applications. Hundreds of shelters, breed-specific rescue programs, all-breed rescue programs have received grants in the past. All are listed on the Pedigree website.
If anyone is interested in helping GSP Rescue NE apply for these grants, please contact Celeste. |
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Invisible Fence coupons!
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If you've been considering installing invisible fencing, GSP Rescue supporter Albert Gerheim may be of some help.
Albert writes, "I have three $50 off coupons for ( Moriarty's) Invisible fence (located in Rhode Island and nearby Connecticut) which I'd be happy to share with the GSP Rescue community."
Moriarty's offers these coupons towards the purchase of a complete outdoor system.
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$50 Invisible Fence Coupons for Pet Lover Customers
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East Bay Pet Fence, located at 6 Katie Drive, RI 02885-1736 (401) 245-0268, is offering a $50 coupon toward installation of invisible fencing to Pet Lover customers.
Pet Lover is a pet supply alternative store with locations in Somerset, Mass., Fall River, Mass., Westport, Mass., and Bristol, RI.
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Dog door discount!
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GSP Rescue New England is listed among rescue groups and shelters that have participated in Hale Pet Door's Rescue Rewards program.
The Rescue Rewards works this way: When customers let Hale know that they adopted a pet (either recently or in the past), they receive a 10 percent discount on the cost of their Hale Pet Door. And then Hale makes a donation for that same 10 percent amount to the organization that the customer tells them about.
In 2010, Hale donated more than $20,000 to rescues and shelters all over the country.
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Pet Photography
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Wouldn't it be nice to show off your pets in imaginative, personalized cards? Our full line of pet cards featuring YOUR pet is one-of-a-kind, because it's your pet(s), your text, your thoughts personally conveyed!
For more information, visit Creative Pawtography
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WHISKER WALK
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GSP Rescue New England's booth at the 2010 Whisker Walk.
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The 2011 Whisker Walk is a FREE, fun day for families and their dogs PLUS a dog walk-a-thon fundraiser to benefitanimal shelters and rescue groups throughout New England.
The 2010 Whisker Walk brought in almost a HUNDRED animal rescue groups, pet related vendors/manufacturers and sponsors for the first of its kind "event not to be missed" for pet lovers. The 2011 Whisker Walk is sure to be bigger and better! Held at the Lancaster Fairground (Home of the Bolton Fair) there are more than 50 acres for pet owners and animal lovers to walk, visit vendors, see, do and buy PLUS they can lend a paw for the animals shelters and pet rescues they love and support!
This is an event that offers local shelters and rescues a chance to raise money, recruit volunteers, and spread the word about their organization. While the Sterling (Mass.) Animal Shelter organizes and sponsors the event, any money we raise goes directly to GSP Rescue New England.
To learn more, visit the Whisker Walk website.
Join our Whisker Walk team!
Walk with us!
We are forming a team to walk in the 2010 Whisker Walk with the purpose of raising funds and awareness for this wonderful breed. We would love to see a group of 10 or more band together to walk for this walkathon.
The walk is scheduled to start at noon on Sunday, June 5. If you are interested in joining us for the walk portion of the 2011 Whisker Walk, please email Jen. You can walk with or without your dog. If you do bring your dog, remember that he or she must be well behaved on lead.
Raise Pledges!
Even if you choose not to walk with our team, you can still raise pledges for us!
Visit our Chipin page to make an online donation. You can also forward the link to our Chipin page to your family and friends for easy online donation collection. Alternately, if you choose to do a hard copy pledge form, please email Jami.
If you choose to solicit donations, you may use this letter as your template:
Dear family and friends, I am involved with a fantastic organization, GSP Rescue New England. GSP Rescue New England is an all -volunteer organization dedicated to saving needy German Shorthaired Pointers. This is a cause that is very close to my heart as I own (list your dogs if you choose, especially if they are rescue dogs!). Every year, GSP Rescue New England spends almost twice as much on vet costs than they receive in adoption donations. As a 501c3 registered non-profit, the difference is made up through donations, sale of merchandise, and fundraising events. On June 5, the GSP Rescue New England team will be walking in the 2011 Whisker Walk in Lancaster, Mass. to raise funds for needy GSPs. Please consider donating to the GSP Rescue New England team as they participate in this walk. All funds donated go directly to GSP Rescue New England, and all donations are tax deductible. Some suggested donation amounts are below, but feel free to donate what you can. $25 - covers 1 vaccination for a dog in need$50 - covers 2 to 3 vaccinations for a dog in need $100 - covers heartworm testing for 2 dogs in need To donate, please visit Chipin, a secure website. Thank you for your time and consideration! The dogs will thank you too!
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