2010  SMOKY  AWARDS

I am personally thrilled to shine the spotlight on Stephi Luken this month.  Stephi is a long-time activist, member, and leader of YTNR and it is a pleasure to learn more about her. I know you will enjoy getting to know her as well!

YTNR: Tell us about yourself.

I'm a long time and a current Member of the Board of Directors.

I was born in Washington, DC as was my Mother. I have lived within 20 miles of the District of Columbia my whole life.  My parents brought me home from the hospital in D.C. to Kensington, Maryland, and with the exception of a few years in northern Virginia in the 1970's have lived here ever since and can't  imagine living anywhere else.

I attended college at the University of Maryland and George Washington University. A little known fact about me is that I hold a Masters of Forensic Science from George Washington. The only other program of its kind at the time I graduated was at Scotland Yard. I worked as a traffic safety investigator, studying injury production and the efficacy of then-new systems such as antilock brakes and airbags in cars and trucks, and it was fascinating work. In the end, however, a lot of the work dissipated because safety belts and airbags and other, increasingly sophisticated safety systems became standard in automobiles and people demand them now. I had no interest in working for "ambulance chasers" rather than for research purposes, so I moved on. But the field still fascinates me.

YTNR: How did you get involved in YTNR?

I have always done animal rescue. My first was an "al fresco" rescue. I was working for a newspaper and I was on my way to an interview. I saw a miniature Airedale terrier in a car, said hi to the dog at a stoplight, and  the owner told me he was on his way to the pound with her and asked me if I wanted her! I took the dog, and the only thing I knew to do since I still lived with my parents at the time, was go to the "Thrift Shop for Animal Aid" run by Ingrid Newkirk,  who later became the founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA. She adopted the dog herself!

Rescue is a family affair for my husband, David, and me.  David and I met at a party and when he pulled out photos of an orphan cat he had rescued and I learned how  much he loved animals, it sealed the deal!  

Back in 1998, I was active in a Yorkie chat list, a precursor to YTNR Chat, called Yorkie L. That year, list members were invited to a party given by a fellow member, author Amy Tan, at her loft in Soho the week of the New York Yorkie Specialty in the week before Westminster. David and I went and it was there I first met Bill Wynne, who was signing his book, Yorkie Doodle Dandy.  Yorkie L begat YTNR and the rest is history!

We travel with a small kit (gloves, cage, towels, etc.) so we are always ready to pick up birds, bunnies whatever need us that we can safely handle. One time, for example, we picked up a finch who was feeding on our feeder. She hopped right into David's extended hand!  She had a lesion on the top of her head. We saw to it she got antibiotics but after about a month, the lesion remained unhealed and she passed. It was of course very sad for us. But the point is to illustrate the fact that we are animal lovers, and are interested in rescuing them all!

YTNR: Current Yorkies?

We have a house full!  We have Diva, who will be 13 in February. Then there is Georgie, who is 11.  We have Victor, Dink's littermate, who was 10 in August.  Nina is related to Victor and Dink, and she was 10 in June. Elvis is around 10 or 11 years old, he was a gift from Mary Elizabeth. We were at her house after the Ball several years ago and he was in a playpen in the yard with a couple others and he "dances" He steps from hind foot to hind foot and swings his little hips and David and I fell in love with him. So Mary Elizabeth asked if we would like to have him and of course we jumped at the chance. His nickname had been Poontzie but for obvious reasons we changed it to Elvis. Booger is 5 or 6. We rescued Beau in the summer of 2007, and he will be 7 in March.  Diva was a gift from a breeder who enjoyed Stephi's writings about Cushing's on the old Yorkie L, Diva and Elvis currently are the only non-rescue at the Lukens'.

We love them all equally!  They are all Lukens!

YTNR: What advice would you give to someone interested in getting involved in YTNR?

You have to really want to, because it takes a lot out of you but it's so worth it. Make friends with a vet. Develop a Rolodex of people who can help you. Educate yourself about the breed and then educate others.

I also think that rescue work involves intense commitment.  You have to really throw yourself at it.  It is so worth it, more than anything you can do.  Additionally I have made lifelong friends through rescue work. There are numerous friends I have made through rescue, whom I could call right now and say I'm coming through their town, who would without hesitation invite me to stay with them.

I am the consummate educator. Every one of us is an ambassador. Folks now tend to buy supplies at stores like Petsmart and Petco, which do not sell dogs and cats. I think that animal activism is achieving its goals of raising awareness about puppymills, because I see a trend away from people buying pets at pet stores who sell them, and toward rescue.

YTNR:  What is the future of YTNR?

Unfortunately, there will always be a future for rescue, although I think people are getting more sophisticated all the time. I get phone calls from folks who want to get a dog, and are looking for a rescue group of all different breeds and I do my best to help them out.  So for good and for bad, we will always have work to do.

Yorkies December, 2010

 'Tis the season of joy and celebration. 'Tis also the season of stress, chaos, depression, mood swings, fatigue, short tempers.... well, you know.

 Our precious animal companions absorb our emotions like sponges and reflect them back to us in numerous ways. They may exhibit unusual (for that individual) behaviors, change  eating habits, become cranky, clinging, withdrawn, or extremely agitated.  Any departure from an individual animal's 'normal' behavior is very possibly a response to holiday household stress.  Of course, behavior changes can be a sign of illness, so watch carefully and see your vet if needed. 

 At the same time, check in with yourself and others in the household.  What's my stress level?  How am I feeling?  What are my thoughts about the holiday season and  my life right now?  Thoughts have energy, and our dogs are quick to pick up on that energy.  Anyone who shares life with dogs experiences this dynamic!    :)   

 So... my dog is stressed because I'm stressed.  What to do?  Whatever it is, it must be easy and quick, or I won't have time and/or energy to get it done! 

 Tellington Ttouch

 It's been part of my life since 1982, but do my own dogs get regular TT?  Not so much.  Have I felt guilty about that?  Of course.

 Recently I stumbled upon a quick, simple routine that changes  that for the better, and the dogs and I both benefit!  Each evening at bedtime I visit my dogs, one at a time,  to say goodnight. 

 I begin by  making myself comfortable, then gently rest both hands on the dog. I  take a few deep, slow breaths, imagining that I'm exhaling all the cares of the day. Keeping one hand quietly on the dog, I begin  Ttouching,   My dogs love Lick of the Cow's Tongue, an excellent Ttouch for relaxation and feeling good.

 HOW:  " Start under the belly and gently slide your curved fingers across the belly and up onto the back. This can also be used across the shoulders and hind quarters. Be sure to work very gently.  To relax a dog or just to make him feel good, run your fingers lightly and slowly through, or across, the hair with fingers spread slightly apart and gently curved.  Contact is made with fingertips and the heel of the hand.  Use long soft strokes."  Copyright 1994 Linda Tellington-Jones, used with permission. 

As I Ttouch, I think or say the dog's name,  telling them how much I love them, and  thanking them for being in my life.  After two or three minutes of Ttouch, I make a soft, warm contact with my full hand and stroke slowly from head to tail, repeating to cover the body, then say goodnight  and quietly leave. 

The dogs are more relaxed, and so am I.  Since adding this brief ritual to my bedtime routine, I've discovered I fall asleep more easily!  What a nice surprise.

While their physical needs are always taken care of, this ritual may be the only time in my busy day that my focus is entirely on each dog, the one time I recognize and connect with my loyal friends as individuals.   It feels really good to end the day with a few moments of loving attention, and my dogs are letting me know in a number of ways how much they appreciate these special moments. 

STRESS RELIEF

Flower Essences

~Gentle, powerful relief for everyone!  Great all all year around, perfect for the holidays!  Rescue Remedy and Five Flower Essence are two versions of a stress-relieving blend used for over half a century. Available at many natural food stores and several online sites. Ask Google!

For information on various Ttouches, see past Yorkie Times columns, visit Ttouch.com, and visit YouTube.com for many helpful Ttouch videos. 

I welcome your comments and questions!!

Wishing you and your animal companions a safe and happy holiday season!

Penny Case

Guild Certified Tellington Ttouch Practitioner

Star9fish@aol.com

Update 11/21/10
We are looking for a very special home for Brooklyn, after all she has been through in her short little life and with the best help from the Dr's at The University of Tennessee there is nothing more that we can do to help Brooklyn's tiny bladder enable her to be completely housebroken. Even though she knows to go outside when she is inside she will need to remain in Princess panties. She is doing well with her MVD and as long as she stays on her special diet she will continue to do well. We have a support group for people who have dogs with these issues. This beautiful little Princess has much to offer in the way of love and devotion.

Update 11/15/2010
Brooklyn is now ready for Adoption and is currently available in Tennessee.

Update 9/12/2010
Brooklyn went to the University of Tennessee, when they did the scintigraphy they saw two tiny veins which isn't typical of a congenital shunt. During the surgery they found that she had multiple acquired shunts, a very small liver and a small bladder. When they opened her bladder there was one gigantic stone the size of the end of your finger which they removed. Brooklyn will need to be medically managed with diet and lactulose for the rest of her life. She is expected to do fine and is almost ready for adoption. Brooklyn she came into YTNR Rescue 4-6-09 at 1 year of age. She had already been in 11 homes, neither family wanted her because they could not potty break her. Brooklyn was in foster for a little over a month before she was adopted to another family. About 1 month after her adoption Avid called and said Brooklyn was in a shelter. We called the adopting family and were told they gave her to another family because it was not working out. I called the person who she was given to and she said she didn't want her; so she came back to another YTNR foster home. Brooklyn was still not potty trained but was showing progress in her foster home. In July of 2009 she was adopted to another family. They knew of the problem with potty training, and that she had been in several homes because of it, and they knew we wanted this placement to be permanent. We were told she had a home no matter what. August of 2010 I got a call from the last family who adopted Brooklyn wanting to give her back to YTNR because they could not potty break her and were tried of cleaning up after her. While in this home Brooklyn was treated for UTI's several times, in March of this year their vet suggested a bile acid test that was never given. The vet had found crystals in her urine, she was put on special food. YTNR took her back and this time we sent her blood test results to Dr Tobias at UT and she advised that we run a pre and post bile acids test on her. Both pre and post numbers were over 200 +. She is scheduled for surgery at UT September 7th. Brooklyn is 2 years old now; we need your help so Brooklyn can have her surgery and finally get the forever home she deserves.

A Thank You note for the Care Package Gift that Ellie, a YTNR Rescue, sends to all our adoptive dogs when they find their "Forever Home"

Dear Ellie,

My dad and I are just getting around to write you; I have been quite busy getting adjusted to my new forever home and my new dad. I have also me some really nice people and they all really love me and give me so much attention. My dad's mom to me she is granny Becky is a very nice lady and every Sunday we spend the entire day at her house. I am pretty lucky because my uncle T.C. is a Veterinarian and I get all my medical attention and care free because I am family. My uncle's secretary calls me the "baby" and she is so nice to me. My aunt Gwenie is an RN and she loves dogs to! She has two tiny tea cup poodles (Spike and Tina). Tina recently passed away she was 17 and we all were so sad. I go over sometimes and spend a little time with Spike and I think he likes that.

 I go to work with my dad everyday and his co-workers "Ms. Gelenda" calls me her nephew she is really nice she places a pillow on her desk and allows me to rest there and sometimes she gives me back massages; her daughter is nice to me as well...they sometimes call me P-gezz.

 My dad has a large home and I enjoy running around and I have just started playing with a ball with him. I was a little shy at first you know I had to get used to things. Alabama is a nice place but it is really hot here but my dad keeps the AC going and I stay cool.

Oh I have two big sisters (Toby and Snow) they are not Yorkies but they really like me and I like them too. In the evening when I get home with dad we all spend some time in the back yard just exploring things and playing some.

 I want to thank you for the really nice blanket that was so nice of you. My dad put it up until fall. It's so very hot here so I will not need it until the weather turns cooler. That was so nice of your and your family. 

So thanks again for the blanket and I can't wait to use it this winter.

PJ and Tony.

What is CPR/CPCR?

CPR and CPCR are used interchangeably.  CPR stands for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and CPCR is Cardiopulmonary Cerebral Resuscitation.  CPCR is the new accepted abbreviation of the older CPR abbreviation.  CPCR is used in emergency life threatening situations where immediate intervention is needed.  CPR consists of 2 parts:  breathing and chest compressions.  CPCR is to provide blood flow & oxygen to the brain and vital organs. 

It is important to note that most animals that go into cardiac arrest and require CPCR have a poor survival rate.  CPCR can be administered at home until professional veterinary help can be obtained.

Recommendations of CPCR for administration by 1 person:

A-Airway:  Be sure the pet's airway is free of foreign objects.  This can be done by extending the pets head, opening the mouth, and pulling the tongue out so that you can visualize the inside of the mouth, sweep your finger through the mouth and back of the throat to try and remove any airway obstruction.

B-Breathing:  Some animals may begin to spontaneously breathe.   Watch for the chest to rise and fall and listen for sounds of breathing.  If none is observed in 10 seconds, begin rescue breathing.  Rescue breathing is performed by cupping your hands around the muzzle, making a tight seal, and breathing into the nostrils.

C-Circulation:  Check for a femoral pulse by picking up the rear limb/leg.  Put your fingers (not thumb) up toward the inguinal area, closest to the pet's abdomen (inner-upper thigh) and feel for a pulsing sensation.  If there is no pulse and the animal is not breathing, start CPCR.  Chest compressions are done on a small dog by squeezing around the chest with one or two hands.  Depress the rib cage �"-1" by placing your thumb and forefingers on opposite sides of ribcage.  

Quick Small Dog CPCR Chart

The American Red Cross offers a Pet First Aid/CPR class for a small fee which includes a t-shirt, species book with DVD, and an invaluable education with certification.

~ Two youngsters were closely examining bathroom scales on display at the department store.
"Have you ever seen one of these before?" one asked.
"Yeah, my mom and dad have one," the other replied.
"What's it for?" asked the first boy.
"I don't know," the second boy answered. "I think you stand on it and somehow it makes you very mad." ~
Love to all,
Neeko :o)