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Dear Friends,
Can you believe another year has come and gone? As we reflect on 2013, we realize it was a wild ride! We hope you will take a few moments to read our Year in Review and Priorities for 2014.
Remember, you have through December 31 to make your tax-deductible donation to support B-More Dog in 2013. You can even do this through our Giving Tuesday page, which will remain active through the end of the year.
Are you ready for the 2014 Maryland General Assembly session? Check our helpful tips below to get yourself prepared.
As your know, B-More Dog is an all-volunteer organization and because of YOU, our volunteers, donors and supporters we believe we are truly the embodiment of the famous quote attributed to Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
If you are interested in making a bigger difference and being a bigger part of B-More Dog by joining the Board, contact info@bmoredog.org. Also, we are looking for a new Volunteer Coordinator for 2014. If you are interested in helping us contact and organize volunteers for upcoming events, please let us know!
Happy New Year!
Thank you,
B-More Dog Board
Pauline, Jennifer, Di, Mindy, Sue, Erin, Hillary & Val
P.S. Just a few shirts are left in our $8 Tee Shirt Clearance! Get 'em while they last!
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B-More Dog 2013
 Year in Review
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January 2013 Pit Bulls on Parade
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We kicked off 2013 with a January Pit Bulls on Parade and a rally in Annapolis to support the House's proposed dog bite liability bill. B-More Dog also welcomed several new Board Members at our Annual Meeting.
February began with a 2nd Rally, this time to support the Senate's proposed dog bite liability bill and while continuing our legislative efforts throughout the month, we celebrated World Spay Day on February 26. This celebration was endorsed by the City of Baltimore when Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake issued an official Proclamation. Our Spay Day celebration was capped off by the Sip & Snip Happy Hour where we announced our lofty goal to spay/neuter 100 pit bulls dogs in 2013, funded in part by a grant from our friends at HSUS.
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The Official Proclamation!
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In March, B-More Dog welcomed our awesome 2013 Volunteer Coordinator, V Lee, while launching our Spay/Neuter Outreach Team and continuing to follow the legislative drama in Annapolis. We also had a great turnout at our St. Pitties Day Pit Bulls on Parade walk!
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Volunteers at CPBD in West Baltimore
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April brought us all heartbreak when the MD General Assembly's session ended without passing a dog bite liability law. B-More Dog's "Who Let the Dog Owners Down" open letter to the General Assembly was ran as an Op/Ed by the Baltimore Sun. April also marked the first Community Pit Bull Day of the year, taking place at Franklin Square Elementary School in West Baltimore. Our 2nd consecutive year at this location, brought twice as many dogs as the previous year! B-More Dog did get some good news in April, when we were awarded with a grant from MECU to help us fund the Community Pit Bull Day in Armistead Gardens. April also brought a Pit Bulls on Parade walk and we attended the Maryland SPCA's annual fundraiser March for the Animals. (*phew!*)
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The Gould Family joins our Message to Maryland
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Our Spay/Neuter Outreach Team worked at a furious pace throughout May, getting many pit bull dogs spayed/neutered. Our volunteers came through for us in so many ways! For each dog that was spayed/neutered, our volunteers would help with contacting the owners, tracking appointments, and even assisting with transportation if the dog owners needed a ride to/from the appointments. Way to go! We also had a great turnout at the Message to Maryland Pit Bulls on Parade. | |
Vet Tech (and Board Member) Val applies Frontline at CPBD Herring Run.
B-More Dog was excited to expand our CPBD services in 2013 to provide Frontline Flea/Tick preventive service, thanks to your generous donations!
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June brought us the sweltering Community Pit Bull Day in Herring Run Park. As of mid-June, we had spayed/neutered 70 pit bull dogs! But this meant we had used up all our grant money and we were so grateful that our supporters helped raise enough money to continue fixing dogs!
In July, we hosted the MD Lawmakers Don't Know Jack About Pit Bull Dogs Happy Hour and Silent Auction at the Horse You Came In On Saloon. Following the Happy Hour, we also launched our first ever online auction, Bid-More For Pits. All proceeds from these fundraisers helped us reach our goal in spaying/neutering 100 pit bull dogs! July also brought another humane education opportunity where B-More Dog and Ruby-Doo visited our friends at St. Francis Neighborhood Center. We also participated in Dogtopia of Canton's Charity Dog Wash event to support Veterans Moving Forward, an organization that provides veterans with service dogs. | |
Ruby-Doo visiting the St. Francis Neighborhood Center and teaching the proper way to greet a dog.
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B-More Dog spayed/neutered our 100th pit bull dog in August! You can meet some of these dogs in our Spay/Neuter Hall of Fame.
In September, we were part of the annual Paws for a Cause fundraiser hosted by Woody Derricks. B-More Dog also attended the Pit Pride event in Frederick, MD and hosted the Home Team Spirit Edition of Pit Bulls on Parade.
October was another busy month! We kicked off our "Pit Bull Law" Community Meeting partnership with our friends at HSUS with meetings in Baltimore, Silver Spring and Hagerstown. We attended Baltimore Humane Society's Dogfest and BARCS-toberfest. The end of October brought Community Pit Bull Day in Armistead Gardens sponsored by MECU and our 6th Annual Pit Bull Awareness Day Pit Bulls on Parade.
In November, we did the unprecedented by hosting 2 Community Pit Bull Days two weeks in a row. First at Park Heights and then we returned to Ellwood Park for our 3rd consecutive year. The Ellwood CPBD was also special because we received a grant from The PetCo Foundation which allowed to provide every dog with a goodie bag of Mother Hubbard treats and a Nylabone. We also continued our Community Meetings with HSUS in Cumberland, Waldorf, Ellicott City and Easton. We also kicked off the holiday season with the Miracle on 34th Street Bake Sale.
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It was freezing at CPBD Ellwood Park but Chester warmed our hearts when he shared his coat to keep his dogs from shivering.
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In December, we participated in Giving Tuesday and then wrapped up our Community Meetings in Chestertown. We hosted the final Pit Bulls on Parade - Holiday Edition where the dogs got to show off their sweaters and jackets. And we wrapped up our year with another Bake Sale night on 34th Street.
Wow, what a year!
Top Priorities for 2014
- Work with the newly formed Statewide Spay/ Neuter Fund to help more dogs get fixed for free
- Continue Community Pit Bull Day events and finding new ways to expand our services to support dog owners in the community
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Giving Tuesday
It's not too late to be a part of it!
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Another bucket o' puppies was vaccinated at CPBD in Park Heights.
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If you didn't have a chance to participate in Giving Tuesday, our fundraiser will remain active through December 31. You can still contribute AND score coupons and discounts from local businesses through GiveCorps.
Click HERE to make your year-end tax-deductible donation!
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Are you ready for the
2014 Legislative Session?
The Maryland General Assembly's session starts on January 8, 2014 and runs through April 7.
B-More Dog will again be working with our legislators to pass a dog bite liability law overturning the disastrous Court of Appeals' decision in the case of Tracey v. Solesky.
B-More Dog supports a law that:
- is breed neutral, removing any language that singles out a particular breed or group of dogs
- removes 3rd party liability for dog bites, meaning that landlords, dog walkers, veterinarians, etc. would not be held liable
- applies a fair standard of liability on all dog owners and/or carves out reasonable circumstances when dog owners should be held liable to a stricter standard
What can you do now?
- Bookmark B-More Dog's Facebook page for the latest updates during session (and tell your Maryland-based friends/family to do the same!). We are planning a campaign to get our legislators' attention for the upcoming session!
- If you have been directly affected by the court ruling, esp. by losing your housing or having trouble finding housing, please let us know at info@bmoredog.org.
- Look up your delegate(s) and state senator at mdelect.net and keep their contact info handy
- Program your cell phone with your legislators' office phone numbers. We have learned that phone calls carry a heavier weight than emails. It's ok to call after hours and leave a voice mail.
- Determine which committee(s) your legislators are on by following the links from mdelect.net.
- Find out if your delegate(s) is on the House Judiciary Committee and/or your State Senator is on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.
- If yes, then he/she will be in a position to vote on any proposed bills first and will need to be contacted first.
- Set up an email group of your Maryland-based friends/family and share this info with them, esp. if they aren't on Facebook!
- Register for Humane Lobby Day on February 4, 2014 organized by Tami Santelli at HSUS where Maryland's animal advocates can meet with our elected officials
- Review the slideshow from the HSUS/B-More Dog Community Meetings and the FAQs
- Remember the Calls to Action below. This is why so many calls are needed!
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Yellow Brick Home
Pet Shop Partnership
January 1st kicks off the first day of our 3 month partnership with
Make sure to check out the art prints for sale OR send them your dog's photo for a custom portrait!
B-More Dog will receive 10% of sale proceeds from January through March.
BONUS for B-MORE DOG SUPPORTERS!
Get 10% off your order for 3 days (Wednesday, January 1st through Friday, January 3rd) by entering this code at checkout: WELOVEBMORE.
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