Yorkie Times November, 2012
Newsletter for Yorkie Rescue
"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn." - Elizabeth Lawrence
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Quick Links |
ytnr@yorkierescue.com Editor Julie Gedro Consulting Editor Mary Elizabeth Dugmore Technical Editors Laura Morrisey, Chris Dugmore, Danny Dugmore, Amalia Spaulding Paula Fonseca
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Editor's Message ~ The Time For Thanks - Nicholas Angus Gedro |
Hello, friends!
A very grateful and peaceful Nick Gedro at the wheel of this month's Editors' message. Although I have two brothers who are both in the talented and gifted program, and my Mom tends to regard me as a pretty boy lightweight when it comes to matters of intellect, I do have depth.
This month, I will ground my reflections in the works of Abraham Maslow, who developed the theory that all people have needs that are arranged in a hierarchy. I will take the privilege to extend those needs to Yorkshires, too.
The needs are, in order: food, clothing and shelter; safety and security; love and belonging; esteem; and self-actualization. The needs are in order, which means that a lower need must be satisfied before the individual can aspire to the next need. Now, put in doggie terms, when I experienced my frightening life on the streets of Syracuse, New York, I was preoccupied with hunger. When I was deposited in my Mom's arms on her back porch on July 3, 2009, I weighed 9 pounds and I was frantic. It took months for me to calm down and relax into my new life. Eventually, I relaxed into the routine of being well and regularly fed, and being consistently loved. See how the hierarchy works? Three years after my ordeal, I now feel confident that my basic needs are met, which frees me to develop into my best self. Understanding that I am fed, safe, sheltered, loved, and valued, I go about my days and nights with mental freedom to enjoy every moment. Turning, now, to gratitude and Maslow, I indeed live a fun and rather 'cushy' life and would like to share a bit of it. When folks around town or elsewhere asked my Mom about buying a new house, she indicated that her primary motivation was my brothers and me. People who understand us got it that she was being totally serious. Additionally, she had the pad where the old garage was torn down replaced with landscaping and had a 6-foot privacy fence installed in the back yard. Now, my brothers and I enjoy our own private retreat, virtually any time we want. If this is not heaven on this earth, I do not know what is.
Here are some pictures of my brothers and me, enjoying our new yard and porch.
It is a time to be intentionally grateful for all blessings. I consider Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue, and the people and animals in communion with it, to be the greatest blessing in my life (in addition to Buzzy and Leaky).
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Many Thanks to Lifeline4Paws - Paula Fonseca
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For those of us involved in rescue work, it's a labor of love. Love of the animals and love of the happy endings. What we don't love, however, is the painful reality that rescuing takes money. Many of the Yorkies we save are in dire need of the most basic veterinary attention. In the worst cases, major surgery and rehabilitation are required. Individual members of Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue have been very generous, donating money to the cause as well as donating items for raffles, silent auctions and the like. However, even this is not enough. This is when YTNR turns to a Southern California based philanthropy: Lifeline -4-Paws.
Lifeline-4-Paws is one of several programs operated by the Hogan Family Foundation, Inc. It originally began as a small breed dog rescue program serving Southern California. After several years of successful operation, the group redirected its focus to help more homeless pets by providing veterinary assistance to neglected, abused and abandoned pets. The new focus has allowed Lifeline-4-Paws to have an even greater impact by supporting other rescue groups with desperately needed and sometimes life saving finances for veterinary care.
Chris Hogan, Executive Vice President of the Hogan Family Foundation, Inc. is the Program Director of Lifeline-4-Paws. She is a YTNR member and has generously supported our rescue efforts, contributing many hundreds of dollars to more than 120 of our dogs since 2007.
The latest recipient of their charity is Bo-Beek. You can find him on the YTNR website and can read more about his special story under the Special Needs Dogs page. In fact - almost every dog we currently have up for adoption in California has been helped by this benevolent organization.
Please join us in thanking Chris Hogan & Lifeline-4-Paws for their generous support of Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue by 'liking' their page on Facebook and posting a message of gratitude.
Like Lifeline-4-Paws on Facebook
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In Memory of Odie - Patricia Botti
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My sweet little boy, Odie, a YorkiePoo, passed away on October 2, 2012, at only 8 yo, due to Trachea Collapse Disease. There is not a day that goes by that I don't thank God that I had him in my life even if it was only for a short 8 years. His passing could have been avoided; or at the very least delayed for years had I received the right medical advice. While getting his yearly teeth cleaning 3 years ago, the vet I was using contacted me to tell me that he found a tumor in the back of Odie's throat that had to come out. It turned out to be benign but that's when I was told he had trachea collapse disease. He NEVER coughed, or gagged, or made any of those throat noises UNTIL after that surgery. The only advice the vet/surgeon could give/tell me is that there was NO treatment for Trachea Collapse Disease, and that in time I would just have to put him down....as he put it. He said there were different surgeries for it but they were EXTREMELY expensive and there was only a 50% chance of survival. I asked him for the name of surgeons in the State of NJ that I could contact right away....but he said he didn't know of any surgeons who would take this on. Although I could not afford it, I would have sold my soul to save that little boy. But what makes me so mad is that the vet NEVER never mentioned any of the positive aspects that I should have been doing for him; like giving him a cough suppressant; keeping him in a calm environment; avoiding barking or getting excited; keeping his weight down; nothing, he offered nothing at all.
Odie was already 5 years old when he was first diagnosed. He loved running around and playing with the other dogs in the dog park. He barked ALOT too, and he had a very healthy appetite. The cough got worse, and worse. I brought him to another vet who again did not offer ANYTHING until it was too late.
I woke up one morning and Odie collapsed in front of me. Could barely breathe. Got him to the vet. He gave him a shot of something to assist in the breathing. Then sent me home with a cough suppressant, and a steroid, and said it won't be long now. I went home and started making calls like crazy trying to find a surgeon who would operate on him; not that I could afford it but I would have sold my soul to keep that dog alive. Three days went by and although Odie was still giving kisses, he could barely walk and when he did walk he was yelping and screeching in pain. I knew I had to put him down but I still can't believe he's gone. I loved that little boy from 8 weeks old to 8 years old and I will miss him forever !
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Special Thanks to this month's Donors
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Thanks to our Wonderful, Generous Contributors General Fund - Unrestricted Marie Cogan Sandra Flolo Richard Kramer Karin and Alan Nakashima MaryElizabeth Dugmore Kathleen Anderson Brenda Jasper Cathy and Jeffrey Grimes General Fund for Bobeek's Medical Care Patti Kushnir Thomas Kester General Fund for Brooklyn's Medical Care Paula Fonseca General Fund for Anna's Medical Care Jackie Wolfe General Fund in Memory of Stacey C Pieter Vermeulen Liver Shunt Laura Gulbrandson Donations of items for Fundraiser Jackie Wolfe
We couldn't do it without you...Bella Bella is an adorable 6 year old Yorkshire Terrier. She has a baby doll face and only weighs 4 pounds. She has severe luxating patella's and the surgery is going to be $2500. If you look at her picture below you can see how badly she needs to have this corrected. Lifeline4Paws has donated $1000 towards her surgery but we still need to raise $1500.
Thank you for supporting Bella.
Making a difference in one dogs life.... Marge WilliamsI realized that there was such a tremendous example of what a difference rescue can make. This is sweet little Pip....rescued last week..........he has a future now. Before he was a little waif that no one cared about................until now ! Bless him !
Any donations are appreciated.
The Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue Inc. is run solely on private donations and fund raising efforts made by people like you who love this Breed. We appreciate your support
We are a 501 (c) (3) organization, your donation is 100% tax deductible.
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This is Kimmy with her new forever family,
Vince, Marina, Braden and Peanut.
Thank you for opening your hearts and home to a rescue dog.
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 Mary-Margaret O'Brien ~ Dear Diary.... |
There have been a lot of books authored by dogs lately. Dogs are very good at delegating clerical tasks to humans with opposable thumbs. If we HAD thumbs, though, we'd probably do our own typing. Most of these books are about our contributions to the human race and how much better it is because of us pups.
Dogs are more than dumb animals. We have souls and we know that we're put on this earth for a purpose. Not all humans recognize that fact but I seriously believe that those who do are better because of it.
Take my mom, for example. My Aunt Rose was called to the Rainbow Bridge on November 18, 2005. My mom was grieving terribly for her; her heart was so sad and she was becoming physically ill. On November 24th she dreamed about adopting another pup and, in the dream, she was told that it wouldn't be a pup she expected or even wanted but that love comes in unexpected packages. She had absolutely no intention of getting another dog. It was just way to painful to have to say good-by. Nevertheless, she woke up knowing that Rose had given her permission to love again.
All morning long she had a craving for puppy kisses. She still didn't know that she was, according to divine plan, about to become a mother again. She just knew that she'd probably feel a little better if she could smell some puppy breath and maybe get a few baby licks. She decided to stop by the local pet store for a few minutes.
I spotted her the moment she walked in. "Stay cool!" I said to myself, knowing there was a God-inspired universal plan in place. Sure enough, after getting licked by every pup in the place, she and I were left alone sitting side by side, having a conversation. I used telepathy. She spoke English. After recovering from the shock of my human-applied price tag, we went home together and became permanent roommates.
Mom's mother, my Grandma, was from the old school of child rearing. It was difficult for the two of them to have a conversation with each other without my mom feeling like no matter what she said or did, my Grandma would be critical. Even if my mom said she agreed with what my Grandma said (to keep peace), my Grandma would reverse her position and my mom would find herself in the proverbial corner once again. Enter Mary-Margaret O'Brien, Canine Counselor and future (in the next life) United Nations Ambassador.
Mom knew I was extremely brilliant and sensitive and needed desperately to express myself in my own words so she let me have my own blog when I was only 3 months old. There's almost 1400 pages in it so far.
My Grandma would read it every day and when she and my mom would get on the phone they talked about ME and MY life instead of other things. If I didn't post for a few days my Grandma would call my mom and demand to know if I was all right and what I was doing. It didn't take me long to figure out that my Grandma and my mom were talking to each other through me but without the arguing and stress. I was like a "Conversational Escrow Canine", and from December 2005 until November 27, 2007, their relationship was on an even keel. I'm so glad I could help them have the last two years of their lives together in peace and love, without any of the negativity they had experienced for so many years prior.
My Grandma went to the Rainbow Bridge on that last night. I was invited to her viewing and then to the formal service. The pastor even mentioned me as her beloved Grand-Dog, Mary-Margaret O'Brien, when he was listing her surviving family. I comforted my mom and my Grandpa and realized that my job had only just begun. There was so much more God expected from me and I was not going to let him down.
This is getting way too long so maybe next month I can fill you all in on the other ways I've made a big difference in the world, if you really want to hear about it. Let me know. I can always talk about squirrels or gophers instead.
Love and kisses.....and blessings!
Mary-Margaret O'Brien
Lt. Chaplain
North American Division
International Yorkie Brigade
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Tellington Touch - Penny Case
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We know nothing about Mitzi's life before her elderly owner died, but it's a good guess that she was hand-fed people food on a regular basis. Mitzi howls for food all day long, and the moment her adoptive parents sit down to eat, her whining and crying for food intensifies. MaryElizabeth tells me Mitzi gulps her food and water as if she were starving to death, and she's not.
A vet check found her healthy, so Mitzi's 'starvation' is considered behavioral. Tellington TTouch training guides us to look for underlying pain whenever an undesirable behavior exists. In Mitzi's case, and given her vet check, it's unlikely she has physical pain. It's very possible, however, that she's experiencing emotional pain....grief over the loss of her person. Abandonment. Fear.
We humans experience grief in many ways, and our behaviors ...what we do to make ourselves feel better, or to numb our pain...take many forms: compulsive eating, overindulgence in alcohol and/or drugs, obsessive cleaning, shopping and more. It is possible, even likely, that Mitzi's howling for food, then gulping without chewing, is her response to grief, loss and fear.
Our goal? Relax Mitzi. Help her feel safe. Provide comfort through TTouch, rather than food. It will take time and effort, but will make life sane for Mitzi and her adoptive family!
TOOLS:
Tellington TTouch, of course!
Ear work is calming for all Beings. Stabilize the dog's head with one hand, holding the ear on the opposite side so that one or more fingers are on the inside of the ear and your thumb is on top, or outside, of ear. Gently stroke with your thumb from the center of the head to the base of the ear and all the way to the tip. Work different areas with each slide so that you cover every square inch of the ear. Do not pull the ear, but just stroke the fur gently. Imagine the ear to be a rose petal, so use only the lightest pressure. To relax, use slow, gentle strokes.
Mitzi will also benefit from Belly Lifts, helping her tummy relax. For a dog her size, use your hand.
Put your left hand under the abdomen and your right hand on the back of your dog. With your left hand apply pressure toward the spine, (lifting the belly) but only to the extent that your dog is comfortable. Hold this position for about six seconds, then slowly release the pressure. The slower your release, the more effective this TTouch will be.
GETTING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR DOG
Copyright Linda Tellington Jones
Used with permission
A Thundershirt could be very useful here. A little grooming to insure smooth coat beneath the shirt. Snug but not tight. The biggest error I see is putting the Thundershirt on too tightly. I even saw a veterinarian cinch one far beyond comfort once. We're dealing with critters here, not sausages! A nice, snug contact.
With Mitzi, I recommend putting it on her first thing in the morning, and letting her wear it all day. Do not, however, leave it on her when she is unsupervised!
Complete Mitzi's stylish De-stressing outfit with a head wrap! Head wraps are fairly new to Tellington TTouch, and can be incredibly calming. ALL WRAPPED UP for Pets by Robyn Hood and Mandy Pretty is a valuable addition to any animal guardian's library, offering a variety of clearly illustrated wraps for animals. (there's one for us humans, too! Really helps release pain, stiffness and more).
One simple version is the Forehead Wrap, which could be good for Mitzi. For a Yorkie or similar sized dog, use a 1" Ace bandage, the kind the does NOT stick to itself. It it sticks to itself, it will stick to hair and then.... ouch!
From the book:
Place the middle of the wrap across the forehead. Cross the wrap under the chin. Take the ends up and around the neck until they meet and fasten together with Velcro or a safety pin.
Again, we are going for snug, not tight. I would add this wrap before meals, or any time Mitzi is crazed about food.
Flower Essences are gentle and powerful. I highly recommend Green Hope Farm's Animal Wellness Collection. www.greenhopeessences.com, green.hope.farm@valley.net . 603 469-3662.
The kind and knowledgeable people at Green Hope will help. For Mitzi I would suggest (at the very least) these remedies:
Abandonment and Abuse
Animal Emergency Care
Anxiety
Neediness
New Beginnings
Separation
Dressing Mitzi in her special 'clothes' and doing 2 or 3 minutes of Ear TTouch and Belly Lifts prior to her meals, and prior to human meals. And any time she exhibits the frantic behavior. Add flower essences ASAP. Breathe slowly and deeply!
Best wishes to all!
Stay in TTouch,
Penny Case
Guild Certified Tellington TTouch Practitioner
star9fish@aol.com
Visit: www.ttouch.com for practitioners, books, DVDs, equipment, stories and more!
Visit Tellington TTouch on YouTube.com for videos of animals receiving TT.
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Rick Caran & Team Jilli Dog
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Two Generations of YTNR Goodwill Ambassadors

Hello to our wonderful YTNR family! Here I am again, writing this last minute! :) I can't' believe the Summer has passed so quickly and now the year is going so fast, as well! We are having such a great time, I can't believe how lucky I am to be working in the doggie world, in so many capacities. We have had gigs and fundraisers almost every weekend for the last 12 weeks. If anybody in the tri-state area wants to organize an event, or have a booth at some event in your home town, in the tri-state area, let us know with as much notice as possible... Our little pups usually draw some nice crowds, and help with attendance!
This is the beginning of our homeless shelter visits, (though the winter). It's amazing how the smiles come out when the pups walk in the door and I recommend this to anyone who has the time and friendly pups. I know so many of the YTNR volunteers are so busy, but even once or twice a month is greatly appreciated, and it's also great credit for scouts or students...
I continue to be so proud to be part of such a wonderful organization, and have so many friends from around the country who are devoted to helping needy animals... Love you all
Below are some pics from recent activities!
Ruby brings Joy at a homeless shelter...
The pups performing at an event in Greenwich Conn!
Spidey demonstrates out NEWEST trick, DOGGIE BOWLING! :)
Ruby and Coco do it as well! In New haven Conn...
It's so exciting so see that 'kids' of ALL ages love to see the pups do their thing!
A visit to an enthusiastic audience member... :)
While we're packing up after a fair, Ruby and Jilli rest and watch...
Two generations of Team Jilli Dog... :)
Much Love and Many 'Woofs'!
Rick, Judy, Jilli Dog, Spidey, Ruby, and Coco :)
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Trivia told by supermodel Athena Maria
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Have you ever wondered about the month of November, stuck between the delicious colorful Fall month of October and the blustery holiday wonderland of December?
November is one of 4 months in the Gregorian Calendar that has 30 days.November comes from the Latin word root "novem", which means nine. It was originally the 9th month in the Roman Calendar.The birthstone for November in Topaz. The flower that represents November is the Chrysanthemum. November 1st is celebrated in many Christian churches as All Saints Day. On November 5th 1935, Parker Brothers introduced the game Monopoly to the world. November 13th is World Kindness Day. November 18th, 1963 Bell Telephone Company introduced to the public the push button phone. On November 22nd, 1957 Simon & Garfunkel performed on the "American Bandstand" Show as "Tom & Jerry". Bet ya never knew that one? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Team Illinois "on the road".....
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Team Illinois has spent the month of September "on the road" participating in three adoption events to showcase our foster dogs and make a little money for YTNR. We have had good success with raising interest in our dogs and are on target to meet our goal of raising $5,000.00 for YTNR in 2012. Way to go Illinois/Indiana volunteers! The following people have been actively involved in our fundraising efforts: (From Illinois) Dee Thompson, Marilyn and Tom Leary, Pam Smith, Mary Lou Gorski, Suzanne Ditzler, Amalia and Ron Spaulding, Jerry and Jackie Wolfe. (From Indiana): Corrine Ellison and Jane Fero. (From Arizona): Judy Burtner. We are planning to sell coupon booklets for Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company in October and November to raise more money. If anyone is interested in purchasing a booklet for $5.00 please let us know. You are able to shop online or in the stores of BON-TON, Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson's, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's, Yonkers, and PARISIAN and get great discounts. The days of the sale are November 9-10, 2012. A good way to do your holiday shopping and support YTNR! The full $5.00 for the booklet goes to our rescue.

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Shelter Challenge
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Please click on the image above to be directed to the Vote for a Shelter @
The Animal Rescue Site and type in Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue in TN
You can vote once a day and if you ask your friends to vote too they can help us win one of the weekly prizes of $1000.00 This money will help us pay for medical expenses on the more needy rescues that YTNR Helps.
Thank you for supporting this effort.
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Neeko's Joke ;o)
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~ An industrious turkey farmer was always experimenting with breeding to perfect a better turkey.
His family was fond of the leg portion for dinner and there were never enough legs for everyone. After many frustrating attempts, the farmer was relating the results of his efforts to his friends at the general store get together.
"Well I finally did it! I bred a turkey that has 6 legs!" They all asked the farmer how it tasted. "I Don't know" said the farmer. "I never could catch the darn thing!" ~
Love to all, Neeko :o)  |
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