roo roos wiggle butts - Colorado/Wyoming Vizsla Rescue Group

&
roo roos
t h e
o f f i c i a l
::
n e w s l e t t e r
o f
c o l o r a d o
wiggle butts
/
w y o m i n g
The Vizsla Club of American held
their National Specialty in Denver
this year. It was hosted by the Denver
Rocky Mountain Vizsla Club. My
daughter from Phoenix brought her
Vizsla to show so I went to Denver
to watch. It was so great to see all
the red dogs and the Vizsla goodies
in the vendor booths. The Nationals
always has a rescue parade and some
of our adopted Vizslas ran around
the ring like the champions they are.
Check out Kathy’s story and photos
v i z s l a
r e s c u e
g r o u p
in this issue
from our president ::
It has been a very busy Third Quarter
for the CWVRG, Inc. We had ten new
fosters come in during this quarter
and have more waiting “at the gate”.
September 2011 • vol. 26
from the president . . . . . . . . . . . 1
from this terrific event. Unfortunately
I could not attend and was sorry to
miss it.
I want to give a BIG THANKS to all the
volunteers who are involved with our
rescued Vizslas. Without your help,
these dogs would be left to suffer
and possibly die. Let me tell you, and
foster parents can tell you the same,
when a rescued Vizsla ends up in a
foster home, they are so happy they
can hardly believe their good luck.
They are very appreciative. So again,
THANK YOU ALL. We couldn’t do it
without you.
lemonade ingenuity . . . . . . . . . 1
gotta have faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
annual reunion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
volunteer spotlight . . . . . . . . . . 4
exercise & conditioning . . . . . . 4
parade of wonders . . . . . . . . . . 5
reunion gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
financial report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
COMING UP IN THE NEXT ISSUE:
The Joys of Adopting an Older Vizsla
FOSTER, FOSTER, FOSTER, for the
biggest reward in your life!
~Rita
L E M O N A D E
I N G E N U I T Y
by Kathy Kregel
When CWVRG, Inc. President Rita Prindle sent out
a request for donations
this summer to assist with
Renata’s vet expenses, she
received a check for $149
accompanied by a most
unusual and heartwarming story.
Enter the Helson children:
Gusty, Margaux and Henry!
Having two rescued Vizslas
themselves, they were very
moved by Renata’s sad
plight and decided they
Continued on page 2...
::
page 1 ::
Lemonade Ingenuity
Continued from the cover...
weren’t too young to do something about it. Up went a
rustic neighborhood Lemonade Stand the next weekend
with the children and their Vizslas (Malcolm and Eleanor)
doing their very best to convince passers-by of the heart
wrenching cause they were supporting. The dollars started coming in nicely, then a generous dog lover threw in
$100! That donation so impressed the youngsters that
they momentarily wavered in their singular dedication to
Renata. However, with a little gentle guidance from parents Jessica and John, the dedicated threesome decided
that they wanted their entire $149 fortune sent to CWVRG,
Inc. for Renata’s surgery.
Thank you so much, Gusty, Margaux and Henry! We love your creative can-do attitude and think your generosity toward Renata is truly exceptional. Kudos to John and Jessica for raising these wonderful children!
We Gotta Have Faith
by Scott Gilchrest
When we were asked to submit a human interest story for
the newsletter, we thought it was the right time to provide
an update on Faith. It was four years ago last month that we
adopted her. When Faith came to CWVRG, Inc. many rescue
supporters took an interest in her and wanted to be updated
on her progress. CWVRG, Inc. received over 70 applications
for Faith, so we felt very privileged to be chosen as her forever home. For those of you who weren’t previously aware
of her former fame, you may still find this an interesting and
heartwarming story of not only survival, but also triumph.
Faith came into our lives when we lost our Vizsla, Falco, to
cancer. Teila turned to CWVRG, Inc. to help us find another
furry member of our family and soon after Polly contacted
Teila and said she had the perfect dog for us. Faith had been seized by law enforcement when her previous owner brutally abused her. He had bought her from a breeder in 2007 at approximately 8-weeks old.
Over the next few months, he locked her in a closet for punishment when she had a mess in the house
and often kicked her in anger. Once he dropped kicked her across the room and she bounced off the wall
(picture this happening to a puppy the size of a large cat). His mother finally had enough when he broke
Faith’s back leg. She turned him in to law enforcement and Faith was seized from her owner. She had facial
and shoulder injuries and a broken rear leg. The vet wanted to euthanize her due to her extensive injuries,
but Polly demanded that heroic measures be taken to save her. Faith had surgery to pin her broken rear
leg, but the injury soon calcified and cut off the circulation and nerves to that leg, so her leg was eventually amputated. When Polly brought her home from the vet after her amputation surgery, she bolted up
the steep stairs to Polly’s bedroom without a misstep. Polly named her Faith because she had faith in the
humans who rescued her and seemed to know that they would take care of her.
It turned out Faith had her leg amputated on the same day that our Falco passed. At first, I wasn’t sure that I
wanted to dive into a “special needs” dog so quickly after burying Falco, but Teila persisted (she knew Faith
was the perfect fit and she needed us as much as Teila wanted her). We made the 4-hour drive to Polly’s
Continued on page 3...
::
page 2 ::
G O TT
R u n nA i n gH wAi t Vh tE h e FW iAn dITH
Continued from page 2
to visit Faith during her
surgery recovery. She
already seemed to be
an old pro at the whole
tripod thing. During
her short life, she had
the use of only three
legs longer than she
had been able to walk
on all four. In the week
following our visit, Faith’s recovery hastened and
the vet signed off on releasing her early. She knew
she was ready to go home with us.
That was four years ago. Faith quickly settled into
our lives and our growing pack of Vizslas. She and
our “alpha” keep the fosters in line. She has helped
to welcome over 75 rescued Vizslas to our home
(not all at the same time). She runs like the wind
and leaps up onto the bed and the couch, and, of
course, into the Jeep. She is very sociable and even
enjoys visits to our vets’ office, where she is typically a big hit. As Faith lays on the floor in the waiting room, other clients will first comment on how
beautiful she is then they’ll notice her missing leg.
I often tell them, “shh, we haven’t told her yet that
she’s missing a leg.” This is invariably followed by
the question, “how did she lose her leg?” I jokingly
told one guy “home medical experiments” and was
impressed that I was able to keep a straight face as
EIGHTH
ANNUAL
a look of shock wiped over his face.
Last month, we took her to the Kansas City area for
a Paws in the Park festival (3,000 people and 400
dogs were in attendance at this event sponsored
by FOPAS). As always, Faith was the hit of the parade. Many people came up to pet her and hear
her story. Faith even got to do some rock climbing as she and I scaled some 3-feet limestone walls
to position ourselves for a photo near the terraced
ornamental pond where the event was being held.
Faith didn’t mind. She was having fun leaping up
and down over the rock slabs and chasing frogs by
the edge of the pond. When we were leaving the
event, I let Faith stretch her legs as we ran back to
the Jeep. I could hear a number of people express
amazement at seeing Faith run on only three legs.
Despite the horrific conditions she endured for the
first few months of her life, Faith doesn’t seem to be
slowed down in the least by her lack of a fourth leg.
She serves as an excellent example of the resiliency
that this breed embodies.
We don’t treat Faith any differently than our
4-legged Vizslas and I stopped thinking about her
as somehow “disabled” a long time ago. Instead of
a “special needs” dog, Faith turned out to be a special dog that just needed a forever home that would
love and care for her. Even without her rear left leg,
she jumped into our hearts and showed us that “we
gotta have Faith”!
REUNION
A
SMASHING
SUCCESS
by Rita Pringel
The CWVRG, Inc. held its Eighth Annual Reunion on September
18th at the Louisville Community Park. The weather was just perfect, as it usually is for this event. The Louisville Park includes a
pond area that is gated so dogs can’t run amuck unless owner
approved, covered picnic shelters, clean bathrooms, drinking
water for the dogs, and beautiful lawn covered grounds. There is
also a play area for small children.
The list of attendees was only one shy of 50! Participants brought
at least one dog, and many had more than that. Kudos to Alyssa
Krissen and Katie Lloyd, event organizers, for an excellent job. Katie even brought Dominick, her new human addition. The dogs had a blast to say the least. They were having so much fun that it was quite challenging to get them out of the ponds. By the end of the picnic there
were some pretty tired red dogs who inevitably slept very well that night.
It is hard to believe that it was the Eighth Annual Reunion! Time does fly when you are having fun. Please
mark your calendars for next year’s event. It is always on the third Sunday in September. I look forward to
seeing you next year for our Ninth Annual Reunion! See the last page of our newsletter for more pics!
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page 3 ::
vo
l
Spotlight
u
n
t
e
e
r
JOE RIBEIRO
Shortly after moving to
Colorado in December
of 2006, Joe Ribeiro began to look for a Vizsla
club to join. He found
the Rocky Mountain
Vizsla Club and saw a
link to the Colorado/
Wyoming Vizsla Rescue
Group, Inc. on their website. He was immediately interested in helping,
and the rest is history!
Joe has provided foster care for six dogs since joining the efforts of CWVRG, Inc. in 2007. He also conducts home visits in Western Colorado. He is most
challenged by having to say “no” to a fostering opportunity when his family or work must take priority.
Joe takes great enjoyment and pride in seeing fosters with their forever family months or even years
later. He also loves the annual Family Reunion Picnic,
finding it “incredibly fun”!
When Joe was asked about big surprises working
with rescues, he indicated that he is amazed at the
sheer number of Vizslas requiring rescue and the
terrific accomplishments of CWVRG, Inc. volunteers
working with limited funds. In Joe’s own words, “We
have a great team doing great things!”
Joe’s background includes being a police officer for
over 28 years with eight years as a K9 handler. He
has enjoyed training and working dogs since 1984.
As to how he got hooked on Vizslas, Joe and his
wife Tracy were researching dog breeds after loosing their boxer. Tracy’s Hungarian heritage and their
fondness for hunting lead them straight to the Vizsla. They acquired their first, Nemes, in 2003 and their
second, Race, in 2005 while living in Virginia.
They personally train and handle their dogs. Nemes
completed his AKC Senior Hunter title and Race has
his Junior Hunter title. They enjoy grouse hunting
in the high country plus make an annual pheasant
hunting trip to Kansas. When not training or hunting the Ribeiro’s enjoy disc golf, camping and hiking.
EXERCISE & CONDITIONING
by Polly Mahlman
Getting and staying healthy is a big concern
for many Americans today
and rightly so. With
computers being the focus of so many jobs, it’s not
surprising that exercise often gets left out. Yet, exercise is a key component for building and maintaining health. It is high time to get on the exercise
bandwagon, but before you do…
Have you explored the world of dog nutrition to figure out the optimal diet for your dog?
Have you checked the pads of your dog’s feet? A soft
and supple pad is ideal, a calloused rough pad can
cause the dog to slip on hard surfaces and it isn’t a
very good shock absorber between the ground and
your dog’s joints.
What about your running buddy? You know who I
mean, that four legged red head who is always at
your side. Is your dog in good running condition, or
does he need some work? You can wear special running shoes, eat special foods that give your body
the carbs and calories you need to fuel that long
run, but what about Fido?
What condition is your dog in, both mentally and
physically? Where did your buddy come from? Has
he always lived with you or is he/she a rescue? Did
your fuzzy friend spend years of life in a kennel run
with little or no exercise? If the answer is “yes” then
your companion may be healthy, but needs a lot of
gradual conditioning in order to tag along with you
Continued on page 6...
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page 4 ::
Parade of Wonders
by Kathy Kregel
The 2011 Vizsla National Specialty held in Denver,
Colorado, had a precious nugget tucked in between
the excitement of obedience trials, conformation
shows and agility runs on September 20. For a few
moments, happy, rescued Vizslas and their proud
parents took center stage in the enormous conformation ring to strut their stuff in the Vizsla Rescue
Parade.
Seven proud owners and their animated red kids
ran, pranced and bounced one at a time around
the ring to a thunder of applause. (If there was a
dry eye in the house, I couldn’t see it because mine
weren’t!) Each participant was sporting an enormous, personalized black and gold ribbon around
the neck. It was no wonder both dog and owner
looked so proud.
An announcer spoke about each dog entering the
ring—their trials, rescue and eventual happy permanent home. The participants that special evening include:
Cyndi Lou Who
owned by Susie
and Doug
In 2004 Cyndi Lou
Who was picked
up by Animal Control in SW Colorado. They contacted the CWVRG, Inc.
who reached out to the Susie and Doug for a forever home. Cyndi Lou is a true Velcro dog, not ever
wanting to leave Mom’s side. Her favorite time of
day, besides mealtime, is her morning and evening
walks with Mom and Dad. She also enjoys playing
fetch and chasing her sister, Ruby Two Shoes.
Ruby Two Shoes owned by Susie and Doug
CWVRG, Inc. found Ruby in Kansas City and brought
her back to Colorado where she was immediately
adopted by Susie and Doug. Though they are not
hunters, it has not stopped Ruby. Her favorite hunt
is rabbit and if she is lucky enough to catch one,
she always brings it back to Mom or Dad. Ruby has
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been a great addition to the family and, like her sister Cindy Lou, it’s hard for the Susie and Doug to
imagine life without her.
Holly owned by Valerie
Holly was found running with her mother and two
sisters in the Kansas countryside. CWVRG, Inc. was
contacted and they brought Holly to Fort Collins,
Colorado through their efficient transportation
network. Valerie feels very blessed to have both
Holly and her rescued brother Noah in her life.
Nero’s Folly owned by Elizabeth and Stephen
Nero came to Elizabeth and Stephen in need of a
foster home through the Vizsla Club of California.
He was surrendered to Rescue because he was
jumping on people and “escaping” from the backyard to be with people and other dogs. With a little
love and consistency in his life, Nero grew into the
best behaved, most gentle soul. Elizabeth feels
very fortunate that he chose her family to be his
forever guardians!
Zoe (Idaho’s Star
Garnet) owned by
Penny
Zoe was found as a
stray four days after
the opening of the
2007 Chukar season
in central Idaho. She
was estimated to be
about 18-months old.
As a stray, she was required to be held for
30 days according to
Idaho law. That was
just long enough for her to sink her paws into Penny’s heart and became the official Foster Host Dog,
Home Visit Evaluator, and Rescue Ambassador for
the Southern Idaho Rescue Team. Zoe is always the
class clown and makes people smile wherever she
goes.
Parade of Wonders
Continued from page x
Kaya owned by Theresa and Cody
Kaya was found running in Nebraska and taken to a local animal shelter. The CWVRG, Inc. found her and
brought her to Fort Collins where she was fostered until Theresa and Cody gave her a forever home. She
spends many days running in the mountains and along the Front Range prairie. She overcame initial shyness around dogs by visiting a variety of quality dog parks in Colorado.
Words cannot describe how much they love their girl.
Wylie owned by Laurie and Fred
In January 2008 seven-month old Wylie and his brother Mack were turned
into the Wyoming All Breed Rescue by a breeder who was unable to sell
them. While being fostered in Pinedale, WY Wylie had the terrible misfortune of eating something that caused an intestinal blockage, requiring
major surgery. Happily he came through like a trooper and was soon back
to his puppy antics. He was moved to a foster in Bozeman, MT where he
quickly won the hearts of his new family. As a matter of fact, Wylie proved
to be just a little too much fun for his new foster parents. After only a few
weeks, they popped the big question—“Can we keep him?”
EXERCISE & CONDITIONING Continued from page 4
on long runs. A solid conditioning base is very important in order to prevent injury to skeletal structure, such as hair line fractures of the tiny bones in
his feet or the long bones of the legs.
Another thing to consider is whether you will have
your dog on a collar and leash. If so, how wide is
the collar? The rule of thumb is that a collar should
be the width of 2 of the animal’s vertebra, which in
most Vizslas is about 1 to 1 ½”
wide. A narrower collar can dig
into the flesh and also injure the
discs between the vertebrae of
the neck by applying pressure
to the area. A collar that is too
wide can cause choking by applying too much pressure over
an area wider than needed
to control the dog. A harness
or slip lead might be a good
choice, especially for rescues
with an unknown background.
Also remember that your dog’s joints need care. We
have all heard of runner’s ankle and tennis elbow.
Dogs can develop shoulder, hip, neck or back issues when excessively exercised. Not surprisingly,
supplements can help, as can massage on a regular
basis. When dogs get muscle spasms or dehydration cramps, we have undoubtedly asked too much
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page 6 ::
of them. Watch your running buddy carefully looking for a gait that isn’t quite true or restricted limb
movement. Also keep an eye out for a less than
enthusiastic attitude. If you pay close attention,
your dog will tell you in many ways when it’s time
to back off. As their owners, it is our responsibility
to monitor them closely and adjust their regimen if
anything out of the ordinary is noticed. Minor muscle soreness can turn into an injury if ignored. Stay
vigilant. Finally, remember
to build your dog’s fitness
slowly. They need to walk
before they can run. It’s not
an overnight effort. Think
about a training schedule
that starts with easy walks
and builds to short runs. Always remember to include
days off.
All of that being said, isn’t it
time to get off the couch and hit the sidewalk with
your best buddies, both two and four legged? The
cool fall temperatures and brilliant colors make this
time of year ideal to get started. Remember to do
your homework before you start any exercise program for you and your dog. Talk to your medical
professionals before you begin. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and that goes for
Fido as well as you.
Dollars & Cents
CWVRG, Inc.
Financial Report
Reunion Gallery Continued from page 3
3RD Quarter
2011
CASH BALANCE: Guaranty Bank · Checking/Savings . . . . . . . . $14,554.00
REVENUE:
Adoptions. . . . . . . $1,350.00
Personal. . . . . . . . $4,844.00
Pay Pal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.00
Fund Raisers . . . . . . . . $0.00
GRANTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.00
TOTAL . . . . . . . . . $6,194.00
EXPENSES:
DIRECT SERVICES . . . . . -$10,768.00
GENERAL OPERATING . . . -$1,932.00
TOTAL . . . . . . . . . .-$12,795.00
people of cwvrg
Officers
Rita Prindle................................................................................................................Founder / CEO
Polly Mahlman ............................................................................................................................VP
Rick Prindle................................................................................................................................ CFO
Charlene Moran ................................................................................................................ Secretary
Board of Directors
Rita Prindle...................................................................................................Chairman of the Board
Angela Dazlich.....................................................................................................................Director
Jerry Moran..........................................................................................................................Director
Polly Mahlman ....................................................................................................................Director
Judy Wagner, C.P.A. ........................................................................................ Director, Non-voting
Committee Volunteer Positions
Katie Lloyd (OConnell).......................................................................................... Event Coordinator
Donna Wolosin..................................................................................................Adoption Follow-up
Judy Wagner, C.P.A........................................................................................... Financial Consultant
John Walker & Carol Ann McConville...........................................................................Legal Counsel
Sharon Kennedy ........................................................................Education Liaison/Breeder Referral
Angela Dazlich................................................................................. Fund Raiser/Grant Coordinator
Diana Gilbert & Beth Mac Donald........................................................................ Co-Shelter Liasons
Newsletter Staff :
Kathy Kregel............................................................................................................................Editor
Teila & Scott Gilchrist ............................................................................................... Newletter Staff
Blayne Rawsky.............................................................................................................. Web Master
Kris Miller, attagirldesign.com................................................................................Design & Layout
Adoption Committee
Rita Prindle.......................................................................................................................Chairman
Polly Mahlman................................................................................................................ Consultant
Teila Gilchrist & Polly Mahlman
Gayle Buske, Jerry Moran, & Donna Wolosin............................................... Telephone Interviewers
If you would like to contribute photos or stories to the newsletter, please email your submissions
to [email protected]. Photos should be at least 300dpi for ease of manipulation, and preferably
.jpg or .tif formats. Articles should be limited to one page. If you have a very special item, extra
space can be accommodated. Please send photos and articles separately.
NEW! Find Us on
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We are listed as Colorado Wyoming Vizsla Rescue Group (CWVRG, Inc.).
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See you next
year!