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Helping
Golden Retrievers and Their Owners in Central Texas |
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March 2014 |
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Need to Renew Your GRR
Membership? Or Become a Member for the
First Time? Click the link below to access the
GRR Membership page. http://www.grr-tx.com/about/membership Connect with Gold Ribbon Rescue
on Facebook. How Can You Help a
Golden? Make a tax deductible donation to GRR Become a monthly donor and we’ll
automatically charge your credit card Volunteer – lots of exciting
ways to help a golden. Contact Shelia
at sheila4dogs@att.net Foster – helping a golden is rewarding and
fun. Learn more. Gold Ribbon Rescue PO Box 956 Austin, TX 78767 512 659-4653 GRR Newsletter
Editor: Katie Ann Prescott |
Trapper Creek man says dog saved his life after snowmachine crash
by Devin Kelly, Anchorage Daily News It was midnight, well below
freezing, and Otis Orth was lying on his back on
the icy ground off a forest trail. He couldn't move. A snowmachine crash Sunday afternoon west of the Mat-Su
Borough community of Trapper Creek left him with a neck injury and dislocated
limbs. For hours, he lay there waiting for help, moving his legs and feet to
keep warm. As temperatures dropped to nine degrees, hypothermia took hold. But he wasn't alone. His dog,
Amber, a 2-year-old golden retriever lay next to him with her head and paws
over his stomach, keeping him from losing further body heat. He forced
himself to stay awake. The next day, it was Amber who alerted passing snowmachiners that Orth
needed help. If not for her, the
52-year-old Trapper Creek resident said Tuesday, he wouldn't be alive. "I owe that dog my
life," Orth said from his hospital bed at
Providence Alaska Medical Center. "If I had stayed out there one more
night I wouldn't have made it." What became a dramatic rescue
after a night spent in the cold started out Sunday afternoon as a trip to the
grocery store. Orth, whose livelihood comes from seasonal commercial fishing and
carpentry, climbed onto his snowmachine, preparing
to set out for food and gas. He had spent the day with friends, and by
that point, he said, he'd had several beers. Orth
lives in a cabin in the Jake Lake area, west of the Trapper
Creek. Whenever he travels, he takes his dog Amber with him. She was a rescue
dog, and he became her owner about a year ago. He's taken her fishing,
four-wheeling and up in a helicopter. About 2 p.m. Sunday, he was
riding his snowmachine near Mile 17 of Petersville Road, standing up, with Amber between his
legs. He was cutting across a pair of trails doing 35 mph about
three-quarters of a mile away from his cabin when, suddenly, the snowmachine hit a snow berm with a hollow center. The
machine fell through and see-sawed violently,
tossing Orth over the handlebars. He fell off his left side and
slid across the hard-packed snow. It was like hitting concrete. When he came
to a stop, he lay with his left arm out behind him. He managed later to turn
himself onto his back. He said he thought he heard his friends coming back
for him, but they would have been about 100 yards away. The longer Orth lay there, the more the snow melted, sinking him out
of view. No one else came by. "It was just me and the
dog," Orth said. Amber stayed by his side and
snuggled against him as the temperature dropped. He tried to continuously
move his legs, but about midnight, he said he lost feeling. When daylight returned, he
yelled for help every 10 to 15 minutes and again was thankful to have Amber
nearby when a raven stopped to take a look at his predicament. "That raven landed there
and started to do a little walk about my head and shoulders," Orth said. "I got her to run him off. I know how
they are. They like to poke out eyeballs the first chance they get, if they
think you're dead. When you can't move much, but just holler at them, I don't
think that's much of a defense." Not until about 1:30 p.m. on
Monday did Orth hear the sound of approaching snowmachines. He got Amber excited:
"Go see what they're doing." The dog went off and Orth heard her bark. The snowmachines
stopped. A little bit later, one of
the riders, 68-year-old Tom Taylor of Trapper Creek, reported to Alaska State
Troopers that a rescue was underway. Help began to flood in -- other Trapper
Creek cabin owners rushed out with a generator and a hair dryer, to keep him
warm in his wet clothes. Troopers, LifeMed, EMS and
a Trapper Creek ambulance with off-road rescue equipment were on the scene by
about 3:40 p.m. to find Orth conscious, breathing
and alert, but unable to move. About 26 hours after he first
crashed, a LifeMed helicopter took Orth to Providence Alaska Medical Center. He injured his
neck, dislocated his arms and frostbite turned his left foot purple. He'll
likely lose several toes. But he wonders how much worse
it could have been, if not for Amber. "She probably saved
whatever foot I'm going to have," he said, grimly. After Orth
was rescued, Amber was left with one of his
acquaintances in Trapper Creek. But they wouldn't be apart for long -- on
Tuesday afternoon, Amber was on her way to the hospital to be reunited with
him. Reach Devin Kelly at dkelly@adn.com or 257-4314. Read more
here:
http://www.adn.com/2014/03/04/3356697/dog-helps-in-rescue-of-its-owner.html#storylink=cpy
10 Reasons to Adopt a Senior Dog
from ASPCA.org 1.
What You See Is What You Get Older dogs are open books—from the start,
you’ll know important things like their full-grown size, personality and
grooming requirements. All this information makes it easier to pick the right
dog and forge that instant love connection that will last a lifetime. If
you’re not so into surprises, an older dog is for you! 2.
Easy to Train Think you can’t teach an
old dog new tricks? Hogwash! Older dogs are great at focusing on
you—and on the task at hand—because they’re calmer than youngsters. Plus, all
those years of experience reading humans can help them quickly figure out how
to do what you’re asking. 3.
Seniors are Super-Loving One of the cool parts of our job is
reading stories from people just like you who have opted to adopt. The emails
we get from pet parents with senior dogs seem to all contain beautiful,
heartfelt descriptions of the love these dogs give you—and those of you who
adopted dogs already in their golden years told us how devoted and grateful
they are. It's an instant bond that cannot be topped! 4.
They’re Not a 24-7 Job Grownup dogs don’t require the constant
monitoring puppies do, leaving you with more freedom to do your own thing. If
you have young children, or just value your “me time,” this is definitely a
bonus. 5.
They Settle in Quickly Older dogs have been around the block and
already learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of a
pack. They’ll be part of the family in no time! 6.
Fewer Messes Your floors, shoes and furniture will
thank you for adopting a senior pooch! Older dogs are likely to already be
housetrained—and even if they’re not, they have the physical and mental
abilities to pick it up really fast (unlike puppies). With their teething
years far behind them, seniors also are much less likely to be destructive
chewers. 7.
You Won’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew There are those who yearn for a doggie
friend of their own, but hold back because they worry what might happen in
their lives in the years to come. And they are wise to do so—a puppy or young
dog can be anywhere from an 8- to 20-year responsibility, which is not
appropriate for the very elderly or those with certain long-term future
plans. Providing a loving home for a dog in her golden years is not a less
serious commitment, but it can be a shorter one. 8.
They Enjoy Easy Livin’ Couch potato, know thyself!
Please consider a canine retiree rather than a high-energy young dog who will run you ragged. Not that older
dogs don’t require any exercise—they do—but they’re not going to need,
or want, to run a marathon every day. 9.
Save a Life, Be a Hero At shelters, older dogs are often the
last to be adopted and the first to be euthanized. Saving an animal’s life
offers an unparalleled emotional return on your investment, and you’ll feel
the rewards every day you spend together. 10.
They’re CUTE! Need we say more……Maggie, Charlie and Dooley Click the link to see all of
our seniors available for adoption. Looking for a Good
Book?
Review from GoodReads.com “My dogs have been the reason I have woken
up every single day of my life with a smile on my face. I am among the ranks
of millions of people who appreciate the souls of dogs and know they are a
gift of pure love and an example of all that is good”
~ Jennifer Skiff, author of The
Divinity of Dogs The Divinity of Dogs by Jennifer Skiff is
about the moments you learn something profound about life from an experience
with a dog. Featuring more than seventy stories culled from hundreds of submissions
to the author’s website, these inspiring and heartwarming true stories show
where love, tolerance, comfort, compassion, loyalty, joyfulness, and even
death have provided experiences that have led to spiritual enlightenment. You’ll meet Little Bit, the Chihuahua who detected a
small lump in her owner’s breast, a growth even doctors
couldn’t find. There’s Emma, the devoted Rottweiler who ferociously grabbed
her owner’s arm at the moment he was trying to commit suicide, saving his
life. You’ll be inspired by Luna, the Retriever who dragged
her owner to safety after she collapsed late at night in a field. And
you’ll fall in love with the many dogs who simply provide steady comfort when
needed; dogs like Bo, the Boxer who soothed his mistress after the loss of
her son. The author also weaves her own experiences with dogs throughout the
book, showing how they comforted her through mistreatment as a child, a
divorce, and a cancer diagnosis. The stories that make up The
Divinity of Dogs provide hope, help, and healing for readers in the
complex and difficult times in which we live. Whether you believe dogs are
divine or are actually a gift from the divine, The Divinity of Dogs gives
you permission to accept what you know: dogs are healers, educators, protectors,
and tangible examples of pure love. Shop Online and Support GRR Using iGive
Volunteer Spotlight: Emily Tuczkowski
How
long have you been volunteering with GRR? A long, long time! I've been with GRR since 1999. What
made you want to volunteer with GRR? I've always loved Goldens, and my
then 4 year old non-GRR Golden Shadow whispered in
my ear one day that he would like a buddy to play with and keep him company
while I was at work. I wasn't too sure I could handle being owned by two
Goldens (something I laugh at now) and thought
fostering was a great way to not only provide Shadow with a little bit of
company but to help out all these wonderful Goldens
that had lost their first home. What
volunteer position do you hold? I've been "almost everywhere, man" with GRR -
Intake director, medical supply, home visitor, phone interviewer, transport,
volunteer coordinator, board of directors member... But the most rewarding
has been that of being a foster mom, most particularly to the Golden puppies
that occasionally come in. It's especially rewarding when you take in a
lost, perhaps sick, maybe scared, foster and watch them blossom. It's
even more fun when there's more than one! Explain
the activities you participate in as you fulfill this position. Well let's see: piddle picker-upper; wild gesturer
and high-praiser as puppies learn to potty properly
:) Fostering
involves many things, especially with puppies: teaching them bite
inhibition if they have no clue about that; proper etiquette with other dogs;
housebreaking; crate-training; acclimating them to normal household sounds;
proper leash walking 101; and often times, providing proper medical care and
seeing them through surgeries. You try to provide the best guidance
you can to start them off on their journey. About
how many hours do you typically spend volunteering in this position? With puppies, sometimes it can be round-the-clock,
depending on their age and medical condition. Even healthy young
puppies, as most of us know, need to piddle every few hours. Anyone
reading this might think, "oh no, I work full-time, I'd never be able to
foster a puppy" - but you can, as long as you can come home every 3-4
hours to take them out and are willing to get up during the night. What
is your favorite part about volunteering in this position? Let's see: fluffy butts, puppy breath, pure
innocence, pure mischief, pure love. What's
there not to love about a Golden puppy! Describe
a cute/funny/interesting story while volunteering in this
position. Anyone who's adopted one of my foster puppies can attest to
this: there eventually comes the day that the prospective adoptive home
comes to meet the puppy. No matter how many times this has happened
over 15 years with GRR, it always comes with some water-works, which I warn
the prospective adopters will come and "to please ignore".
I'm always so grateful if the adoptive home keeps in touch and comes out to
our events - it's such a pleasure seeing what once was 10 pounds of fluff turn
into 70 pounds of ... well, fluff. Give
one piece of advice for volunteers interested in serving in this position. Fostering is a win-win situation: if you have even
the slightest hesitation about adopting a Golden, or bringing yet another
into your crew, fostering allows you a "try-out" period.
Unless you provide hospice care or become a permanent foster home to one of
our seniors with medical issues, your foster dog will get adopted out (unless
of course, you decide you simply can't part with them!). Also, you are
helping to save one more Golden and find them their forever home.
Everybody wins. What
is one word that describes your experience while volunteering for GRR? Rewarding! Where Are They Now? Submitted
by Paula Trahan Though we don’t know Jasper’s story (#13-062 Howser)
before he came into GRR’s care, we can only assume what might have been. When GRR nabbed him from a shelter down
south, they quickly realized Jasper especially needed an abundance of TLC.
Poor Jasper, emaciated, flea infested, beat up, limping from his front leg,
and heartworm positive seemed downtrodden, fearful, and depressed. However October 5, 2013 was a landmark day in both
Jasper and his forever family’s history. Adopted by a family of Lonesome Dove
fanatics, with Jasper’s new compadres, Gus the cat, Woodrow and Newt the mini
Dachshunds, it didn’t take long for Jasper to realize he hit the gold
mine. At first, he was extremely introverted, unable to
make eye contact, hiding his beautiful eyes.
Jasper would not come near anyone, choosing to hide behind the
sofa. Any quick movement would send
Jasper runnin’ for the hills. However, slowly he began communicating with Newt, who
had begun his life much like Jasper’s – lost in the woods and making his way
to the Trahan’s very-own version of Lonesome
Dove. Given time and lots of love,
Jasper began to walk the yard, always by the side of his new mom. Eventually, growing more self-confident, he
would let more space open up between them and then one day – he started to
trot around like a wild mustang! Then
of course came the rollin’ in the grass, scratchin’ his back as only goldens
do. His two amigos, Woody and Newt,
love to chase balls, but Jasper would high-tail it back to the door, waiting
to get back to the safety of the house.
But as time went on, he grew comfortable with a deflated play ball,
choosing to roll around on it, and carry it around the yard. A horse farm backs up to the Trahan’s residence, and
Jasper has a ball playing sheriff to all the comings and goings on that
ranch. He hears the clang of the gates when the horses are being let out,
ready to run them along the fence. The
cows are another story: he lets out a ferocious, deep bark, doing his best to
protect his family when the cows and cowdogs come too close to his territory.
Jasper loves being the new ranger in town, content to
curl up on his pillow with his two buddies, Woody and Newt. His mom and pop sure do spoil him. Even granddaughter Ellie has met a friend
in ol’ Jasper, decorating him in all kinds of sparkly beads and bangles. His
ol’ fearful self seems like a distant memory of the past. He’s sure is one happy buckaroo. If
you would like to have your dog featured in the “Where Are They Now” column,
write up a brief story like Jasper’s and send to newsletter@grr-tx.com. |