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Canadian K9 Rescue Helps Rehome Senior Dogs

Via Winnipeg Free Press

Prepare to get misty-eyed, because today I'm going to share the heartbreaking story of Abby and Titus, a pair of affectionate senior citizens desperately hoping to live out their twilight years together.

It's been a hard road for these devoted seniors, who have battled serious health issues and become inseparable over the past 12 years, including six years when they were forced to live in a hallway.

Their already sad story took a tragic turn last month when the pair found themselves homeless. Fortunately, Judy Smith-Hill, a semi-retired dog groomer who lives in Stony Mountain, came riding to the rescue.

That's because Abby and Titus are two adorable miniature dachshunds and Smith-Hill is the kind-hearted founder of Before the Bridge Senior K9 Rescue, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding homes for elderly dogs that have been surrendered, neglected or abandoned.

Read the full story

Before the Bridge Senior K9 Rescue doesn't receive government funding. It survives through donations of cash and food, $175 adoption fees and fundraising events.You can help by donating online at www.beforethebridge.ca.

Along with clicking the donate button, you can apply to be a foster home or check out the senior dogs available for adoption, including Titus and Abby.

You can also make cheques out to Before the Bridge Senior K9 Rescue and mail them to P.O. Box 11, Stony Mountain, MB, R0C 3A0.

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Adorable the senior dog gets wheels, now ready for her forever family

Via WLOS

A paralyzed and homeless dog gets new hope with a set of wheels.

Meet "Adorable," a 7-year-old miniature pinscher-dachshund mix who is now sporting a doggie wheelchair. "Adorable" was found as a stray in Weaverville lost, hungry and without the use of her rear legs.

Even with a permanent injury, folks at the Buncombe County Animal Shelter say she was determined to live. They watched her use her front paws to drag herself around. So the shelter's care manager constructed the doggy-sized wheelchair for "Adorable" to move around safely. Staff member say once she was fitted, she raced down the hallways, happy as ever!

Read the press release

See the USA Today Video

If you are interested in adopting "Adorable", email Pam Burgess, Adoption Center Manager at pburgess@ashevillehumane.org.

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Quick thinking woman saves her Boxer puppy's life using CPR

Via Telegraph UK

Lola the seven-month-old boxer was playing in the garden when the insect flew into her mouth and stung her.

Owner Emma Harris, 20, watched in horror as the dog suffered an instant allergic reaction – vomiting and trembling before suddenly keeling over.

Miss Harris, a nursery assistant, checked Lola's pulse then began pounding her chest using first aid skills she learned at work.

Read the full story

Chilly the rescue dog nominated for national valor award!

Via WRIC.com

MINERAL, VA—Dogs may be man's best friend, but for one Mineral woman, her four-legged friend is a bit more—she's a guardian angel. Now, this rescue dog is in the running for a national valor award, all for saving her owners life.

In September 2012, Heidi Parker went to the doctor for a routine allergy shot. It was a larger dose than usual, so she decided to take a nap on the couch when she got home.

"Chilly is normally a calm dog; she won't bother you when you're sleeping and she started jumping on my chest, licking my face just making sure she woke me up," Heidi Parker said of her bulldog-pitbull mix.

Unbeknownst to Parker, she went into anaphylactic shock while she slept. Luckily, Chilly knew something was wrong and woke Parker up.

Parker's throat was swollen shut, she was having trouble breathing, and she couldn't even talk to the dispatcher when she called 911.

"If she wouldn't have woke me up, I would have died in my sleep," Parker said.

Read the full sweet story

Great Dane Sets Great Example For Future Therapy Dogs

Maisie went from a timid rescue dog to positively influencing people every week as a therapy dog.

Via Mancunian Matters

They say dogs are a man’s best friend – and nowhere else does this apply more than for Maisie the Great Dane, who selflessly served the vulnerable of Greater Manchester.

Maisie died last year aged seven, but in her short life she touched many hearts in her work as a therapy dog for the Bury-based branch of charity Pets as Therapy (PAT).

Assisting owner Marie Liley, a 60-year-old local government officer, said that Maisie would visit those who were ill or lonely to brighten their day – yet she came from troubled beginnings.

Read the full inspirational story

 

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It's Shiba Saturday! Avoid this post even on your lunch break

Don't click on the link below the Shiba photo unless you want to fall down a rabbit hole of cute dog moments. We posted on a Saturday because any weekday viewing could get you fired. You laugh, you smile, you scroll, and blink, hours flew by with no work done. Boom..you're asked to hand in your apron.

This image and the series of Shiba images came from Buzzfeed

San Francisco Million Dog March June 2

 

Million Dog March

Sunday, June 02, 2013 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Pacific Time)

McLaren Park -- Meet at Jerry Garcia Amphitheater

40 John F. Shelley Drive

San Francisco, California 94134

Rescued German Shepherd training to help people as therapy dog

Via HPE.com

HIGH POINT — A dog that once had a hard life is on his way to becoming an animal that can help others.

Annette Braetzkus, who has been rescuing dogs all her life, rescued Roscoe in February. “He had been tied to a tree with no food, shelter or water,” she said. “He needed a home to get out of the cold.” With food and medications, Roscoe recovered fairly quickly.

But the black German Shepherd, now about a year old, was a little different. “He was so sweet, we thought he could be a therapy dog,” said Braetzkus, a former nurse. “He has been evaluated and has the personality for therapy.”

The next step was training.  Roscoe has finished one round of training with veteran trainer Jim Hodges of Winston-Salem. “Roscoe’s disposition is wonderful,” Hodges said. “He has a loving and caring nature. Not all rescued dogs make good therapy dogs. He’ll be a great therapy dog, but he is not quite ready yet.”

Read the full story

Dogs help kids get excited about reading

Via Ottowa Citizen

OTTAWA — Ten-year-old Golden Retriever Lia is a good listener with a seeming infinite capacity for cuddles and colourful picture books with short words.

This makes Lia an ideal READ dog — as in Reading Education Assistance Dog.

Eight-year-old Nathanael Schoenhals is in French immersion at Agincourt Road Public School and his mom Kristen was concerned that he was losing his ability to read English.

Put Nathanael and Lia together and you’ve got an informal reading class away from classroom and peer pressures where kids, often intimidated by their own reading difficulties, clam up.

“It helps me feel like I’ve got a friend to read to,” said Nathanael, who has had several sessions with Lia and other dogs since last fall. “It helps me learn.”

Read the full story

In-Training Service Dogs Walk in College Graduation Before Final Training

Via USA Today

OXFORD, Ohio -- More than 3,200 potential graduates will be recognized at Miami University's commencement exercises Saturday in Oxford, Ohio.

They will be joined by two four-legged companions who also are taking their final steps before entering the real world.

The dogs, Boeing and Banshee, spent the last semester with four Miami students, who will be getting their diplomas. The dogs are part of a campus program geared toward socializing the dogs that is offered at Miami, as well as Cedarville University, the University of Kentucky, Ohio State University, Wittenberg University and Wright State University.

Read the full story

San Francisco SPCA 3rd Annual Whole Enchihuahua May 18th!

It's the Whole Enchihuahua!

Saturday May 18, 2013

12:00pm until 3:00pm

Dolores Park (Dolores Street @ 19th Street)

Join the San Francisco SPCA for the third annual Whole Enchihuahua! This fun-filled afternoon in Dolores Park includes a doggie costume contest (registration is noon - 1pm, contest starts at 2pm), live music, food trucks, children's activities, an exciting dog training course, Ask-A-Vet booth, Ask-A-Trainer booth, free dental checks for dogs, pet-related vendors, and adoptable dogs and cat from the SF SPCA and our rescue partners.

This event is designed to raise awareness about Chihuahuas, which represent a disproportionately large and growing percentage of dogs in Bay Area shelters.

Details at: www.sfspca.org/twe2013

Photos from last year: www.7x7.com/thewholeenchihuahua2012_photos

 

AHA says pets may lower your heart disease risk

Via Today

They’re happy to see you when you get home, love you unconditionally and make you get up from the couch to take a walk. And there’s a growing body of evidence that pets can lower your risk of heart disease, too, the American Heart Association says.

The group says there’s now enough evidence that pets are heart-healthy to justify an official statement summing up the evidence.

“The most data and the best data were on dog ownership,” said Dr. Glenn Levine of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who led the committee that wrote the statement. “In no way are we discounting or dissing cats or other pets,” Levine added hastily.

The committee went through all the evidence linking pet ownership with lowered risk of heart disease. There’s plenty of it:

• Dog owners exercise more than people who don’t have dogs and they’re 54 percent more likely to get recommended levels of daily exercise.
• Stroking a pet can lower your blood pressure. Several studies show pet owners in general have lower blood pressure than people without pets.
• Pet owners can handle stress better -- even when their pets aren’t around.

Read the full story

San Francisco SPCA Annual Dog Day on the Bay Sunday June 2

Sunday June 2, 2013 Experience the 9^th annual Dog Day on the Bay – the only dog friendly brunch cruise in the Bay Area! A full buffet of human foods and free-flowing champagne is included, as is a buffet of fresh doggie treats and water bars throughout the boat.

For details and tickets

CRUISE INCLUDES

• Two Hour Yacht Cruise
• Gourmet Brunch Buffet
• “Bow Wow Buffet” and Water Bars for Dogs
• Free-flowing Champagne, Bottomless Mimosas, Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, Coffee, Tea and Water
• One 5x7 Boarding Photo
• Scenic San Francisco Bay views
• DJ Entertainment
• Doggie relief area "poop deck"
• Raffle prizes and more!

One dog per person, all dogs must be on leash. Please see guidelines for more information. Proceeds are donated to the San Francisco SPCA. For more information on the SPCA, please visit www.sfspca.org.

Pepper the wonderful service dog saves a life

"She's a wonderful dog. I don't think I'd be as happy if it wasn't for Pep. She's my best friend."

Via This is Derbyshire

A DOG given to a young disabled man to help him with everyday household tasks has ended up saving his life – more than once.

Pepper was brought in to support 27-year-old Ross Durkin, who is paralysed from the chest down.

But as well as fetching Ross the post, grabbing him the phone and helping him get undressed, Pepper has trained herself to raise the alarm when he suffers one of his life-threatening seizures.

Ross, who sleeps downstairs at his Duffield home, has a seizure at least once each month and, if it happens in the middle of the night, he is in danger of choking, biting off his tongue or falling out of bed.

Pepper immediately runs upstairs, which is normally out-of-bounds for her, to alert Ross's mum, Ruth, or sister Alicia. They quickly give Ross medication which brings his condition under control, before he can suffer harm.

Ross said: "Pepper is a really clever dog. She's saved my life so many times."

Read the full sweet story

AT&T Features Muttville Volunteers & Happy Hounds Massage

 

Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, along with Shelah Barr of Happy Hounds Massage is featured in an article for the AT&T Insider Spring edition national newsletter. The newsletter was recently delivered to the mailboxes of all AT & T wireless customers in the US.

AT & T liked it so much, they created a mini-documentary video for the digital version of the magazine, focusing on the important work Muttville's volunteers do! Paws up to AT & T's video producer, Elaine Epstein and to Shelah Barr and the other volunteers and dogs featured in the 3-minute feature!

I help dogs in need

An animal rescuer uses AT&T's network to find new homes for mature dogs.

I began volunteering with Muttville Senior Dog Rescue almost six years ago, right after I started my company, Happy Hounds Massage. Muttville is a nonprofit organization that rescues older dogs and finds loving and capable owners to adopt them. I offered my services for free because I really believe in the organization’s mission. Plus, older dogs and massage are a natural match—especially for the dogs at Muttville.