Golden Gate Springer Spaniel Rescue

July 11 Hearing in Senate

2007-07-01T02:04:00.000-07:00

The Business, Professions & Economic Development Senate committee has passed thru AB1634 to the Local Government Senate committee for a hearing on July 11. New letters in opposition are required (even if you've already written/communicated) by Monday, July 2nd. If this date has passed, please continue to fax, call or email your Senators, the Governor and your Assemblymembers as this bill may be tossed around for a while. This rescue website gives an intelligent opinion as to why this bill is a bad idea.

If you feel brave and have the patience, here is the link to the actual bill amended to 6/27/07. This version literally says anyone who purchases a "breeding permit" must give away any puppies/kittens FREE! I kid you not. In legalese, it states: "Offspring of the unaltered animal may not be sold and must be adopted without a fee" It is a tenant of rescue philosophy that pets should NEVER be given away for free. Why it's a very bad idea?

But perhaps that is why many are calling this the "Pet Extinction Act." That is what seems to be the purpose of those writing this ill-conceived bill. While claiming the purpose of this act is to reduce the numbers of animals euthanized, how will outlawing most breeding accomplish this? This website enumerates why people surrender pets to shelters. Concerning voluntary surrenders, AB 1634 makes no attempt to address this issue. No study I've seen makes any claim that accidental or unwanted litters make up any more than an infinitesimal part of shelter intakes. At the same time, it has been estimated that feral cats account for between 50 to 80 percent of shelter euthanasias, which many times are unadoptable due to their wild nature; and yet, this bill makes no provision at all for this serious problem. Nat'l Geographic documented the growing problem in this 2004 article: "U.S. Faces Growing Feral Cat Problem." This Best Friends Animal Society article on "Are Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws...The Answer?" concludes: "funds devoted to breed permitting programs and compliance enforcement may be better used for subsidized spay/neuter clinics. Laws that target every dog and cat owner and attempt to limit most if not all breeding seem to result in decreased compliance and expensive permitting programs that are difficult to administer. These laws do not, in any event, appear to achieve the critical goals of reducing shelter intake and euthanasia rates."

Our Voices Are Filtering Thru Against AB 1634

2007-06-23T04:30:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 9 is the date this misguided and unfunded mandate is scheduled to be heard in the California Senate's committee for Business, Professions & Economic Development. Tell the senators not to support this wrong-headed and punitive approach by first contacting the Democrat committee majority: Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas of LA, Senator Ron Calderon of southeast LA, Senator Ellen Corbett of San Leandro, Senator Dean Florez of Fresno/Bakersfield, Senator Joe Simitian of Palo Alto/Santa Cruz, and Senator Leland Yee of SF/San Mateo. The Republicans hopefully will vote no: Senator Samuel Aanestad of northern California/Sacramento Valley, Senator Jeff Denham of Merced, and Senator Tom Harman of Costa Mesa. If you call the senators' offices, ask if each senator has taken a position; they will tell if if s/he has.

If passed from BP&EF committee, it will be heard in the Local Government senate committee. Then, I am told it will move to the 17-member Appropriations senate committee, which shares 6 members in common with the BP&EF committee (1 Republican, 5 Democrats).

The Dog Community Contributes to Our Economy
The city of Long Beach continues to be at the epicenter of this contentious debate as much for the fact that the bill's sponsor, "lightbulb" Lloyd Levine, strong-armed two Long Beach assemblymembers from changing from abstaining to "yes" during a very unusual set-aside/on-call vote until obtaining just enough votes to pass the assembly: Pet Neutering--World War III. And for the 2nd yr in a row, Long Beach is host city for the AKC/Eukanuba National Championshiop scheduled for Dec 1-2, 2007. This event makes a significant contribution to the local economy of Long Beach:
AKC's letter to Senator Mark Leno:
The 2006 AKC/Eukanuba Championship drew approximately 28,000 visitors to California from all fifty states as well as several foreign countries. The Long Beach Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau estimates the event’s economic impact at approximately 21.7 million dollars. In fact, the bed tax alone generated $90,200 to the City of Long Beach.

AKC is considering Long Beach as the permanent home for this event, but any decision is in abeyance until this legislative issue is resolved.

AKC's Letter continues:
Should AB 1634 be adopted, California would be sending a clear message that AKC events are not welcome within the state and clubs would naturally be allowed to move these events to the friendly neighboring states of Oregon, Arizona and Nevada.

All City City San Diego from 4/6/07:
A dog show with about 1,000 entries brings about $750,000 daily to the community in which it is held. Some dog shows have about 5,000 entries, which may bring in close to $4 million a day....The economy of dog shows goes quite far. A retired veterinarian from University of Michigan researching economic value of Michigan dog shows concluded they bring $4 Billion to Michigan. (California has TRIPLE the population of Michigan....$4 billion x 3 = $12 BILLION! The figure might even be conservative considering the traveling distances are longer in California--GGSR)

Other Considerations
Next time you think you want a puppy or kitten, consider this: Look to see what are the differences between a "responsible" breeder and a "backyard" or "family" breeder (courtesy of Boxer rescue). It's okay if you just want to save $$ but realize what you are trading off by saving those few dollars. If this is made law, you will be driving away only the responsible breeders and we will be left with breeders who don't make sure pets are spay/neutered or rescued if need be.

===========to be continued=============

To sent feedback to Calif. Democratic Party:
http://www.cadem.org/site/c.jrLZK2PyHmF/b.982769/k.39B/Contact_Us/apps/fc/form.asp

s of reducing shelter intake and euthanasia rates.

Sad Day For California Dogs

2007-04-25T00:21:00.000-07:00

AKC NEWS ALERT

AB 1634 - The More Than $100 Million Mistake

June 2007 Update: Our assemblymen did not get the message as they passed (barely, by ONE vote after HOURS of behind-the-scenes arm-twisting) this measure. It now goes to the Senate as its next step. It could then be modified and, if so, it would have to come back to the assembly for vote. It may ultimately go to the Governor for signature; so, contacts to his office would be appreciated. For now, I urge everyone now to contact your California Senator to express your disapproval for AB1634, asking that they vote "no" when it might come for a Senate vote. Don't be afraid to do this multiple times, like every other day, so they get the message. Share with other dog lovers. Here is a link to find your Senator: Find Your Senator.

In another development, because the California Veterinary Medical Association's Board of Directors initially sponsored AB1634, there has been surprise expressed & discontent among California's veterinarians who do not agree with the bill's premise. In an upcoming CVMA meeting, it has been scheduled for discussion & reconsideration. Watch to see what happens after the Anaheim meeting which concludes June 24. I am working on sharing PDF files of letters from prominent veterinarians to the CVMA asking they remove their name from sponsorship. I ask you print out & share with your vet, urging them to take a stand on this very important issue.
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After passing the Assembly Business and Professions committee, California Assembly Bill 1634 has been referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. This is a new step in the legislative process requiring that all breeders and concerned dog owners write this new committee to express your opposition to AB 1634, as your previous letters to the Assembly Business and Professions committee are no longer valid. It is imperative that when writing your letters of opposition, please state that you “oppose AB 1634, as amended by the Business and Professions Committee on April 24th.”

See either AKC.org for links to obtain names of Appropriations committee members, and the name of your own assemblyperson, and sample letters.

I am going to refer you also to Save Our Dogs as this is a well-organized site. They do a better job of laying out why this bill should NOT pass. I'm going to share here what I also found posted on a veterinary medical email list concerning early or so-called pediatric (4-month-old) spay/neuter:

From VetMed List
Date:    Sat, 21 Apr 2007 11:31:41 -0700
From:    Bridget Curry
Subject: Re: early spay/neuter

Permission to cross post
From: Laura Sanborn
To: CARDA@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 1:49 PM
Subject: [CARDA] Spay/Neuter Impacts, etc.

Yesterday I made the rounds at the state capital to visit the
offices of the Assembly Business & Professions Committee members to discuss AB1634.
I was accompanied by two police officers who discussed the harmful impacts AB 1634
would have on law enforcement. Also with us was the person in charge of the breeding
and training program at Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), who discussed how
AB 1634 would harm programs that assist blind and disabled Californians. He also
represented Assistance Dogs International, Inc., an umbrella organization over many
guide/service/hearing dog organizations.  Similar to guide dog programs, CCI breeds
and trains dogs to assist disabled people. They use Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Golden/Labrador mixes. CCI breeds over 600 dogs a year.  My jaw nearly hit the floor when the CCI representative started describing
research that CCI did in the early 1990s to understand spay/neuter impacts.
CCI wanted to know if early s/n (less than 6 months of age) would yield results at
least as good as their traditional spay/neuter age, which is usually over 12 months
of age (typical is 17 months of age). So CCI did a controlled prospective research study... the gold standard of
research. They assigned half the pups in a number of litters to be s/n early, while
the remaining pups in these litters were s/n at their traditional age. The results
were very unexpected. The early age spayed females were significantly more dog
aggressive than the traditional age spayed females. Urinary incontinence was a
much bigger problem in the early spayed females compared to the traditional age
spayed females. The early age neutered males were more fearful than the traditional
age neutered males. The bottom line is that the early age spay/neuter
dogs had a significantly higher failure rate in CCI's program... a
smaller percentage of them grew up to be working dogs. CCI will not spay/neuter
dogs before 6 months of age, and usually wait until dogs are more than
12 months old to spay/neuter. The CCI rep said this research has been
repeated by others. I believe one of them may be Guide Dogs for the
Blind, as I was told by one of their trainers that they recently stopped
doing early spay/neuter owing to results they were seeing that they
don't like.

I spent 6 years poring over the veterinary medical research literature
trying without success to find research of this type, and here I was
sitting in the office of a state Assembly member, listening to a
scientist describe the work that his group did. It has not been published
anywhere. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the day bugging him
to get this published. This has implications far beyond AB 1634 and
guide/assistance dogs. It has implications for the health and well being
of most dogs. There are very few controlled prospective research studies
of dogs in veterinary medicine examining spay/neuter impacts. They are
too costly for almost all researchers to do. Guide & assistance dog
programs may be in a unique position to do these kind of studies, as
they breed many dogs and they maintain a degree of control over their dogs that is
beyond what other breeders can do. CCI's work is summarized in their
letter to the California state  Assembly opposing AB 1634. Quoting from CCI's letter:

Calling AB 1634 the 'California Healthy Pets Act' is a misnomer
Surgical sterilization of preadult dogs has been shown to increase the risk
for several significant behavioral and health problems. CCI did a study
on the effects of prepubertal gonadectomy (i.e., sterilization) in 1990,
and found significant increases in failure rates due to both medical
and behavioral reasons in those dogs that had been sterilized early.
This research has been repeated elsewhere with the same results.
Increased incidence of health problems such as urinary incontinence,
osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, obesity and orthopedic problems as well as
behavioral problems such as environmental fear and interdog aggression are
strong arguments against prepubertal sterilization for any dog, but
especially those destined for a working role.

http://saveourdogs.net/documents/CCIPosition.jpg>

I am also going to share that the ONE litter of three pups I've bred in my 30 years in the breed: One was spayed earlier than planned due to necessary other surgery, and she is now exhibiting dog aggression, has significantly longer and thinner legs than her littermates, one of whom was spayed at or later than the "normal" time of 6-7 months, and the other whom is intact. This first pup has also incurred a FRACTURE in one of those longer, thinner, perhaps weaker bones. This might not have occurred had there been warnings or knowledge about these risks. Now we find California lawmakers want to FORCE all of us to spay/neuter all of our dogs at 4 months of age! Beyond the age factor, do we need someone TELLING us what to do with our dogs? I read an article recently saying these so-called "nanny" laws are becoming more and more common. At what point, do we say "enough!" ??

Now for my observations from my rescue work, reducing the numbers of breeding animals will very nicely drive up puppy prices, which for my breed are already between $700-1000 per puppy. This will put puppies out of range for "normal" blue-collar people; they will just find intact animals, not license them and breed their own puppies, selling off what they don't want for themselves for a tidy profit. The for-profit breeders will just have to find cladestine ways to advertise and sell their puppies: Perhaps via internet ads.

This is another possible scenario: As quoted in the Sacramento Bee article Pet Neutering Bill Clears Committee: (AB1634) could "backfire because some pet owners would abandon their animals rather than pay to sterilize them." Now that's not a pretty picture, eh?

Now, don't think I've gone to the Dark Side. I am SO FOR responsible dog ownership, FOR responsible dog breeding that it hurts. And I think some of this action pushing this bill comes from a positive motivation to make animals' lives better. But I am also leery that PETA and HSUS are driving forces (and probable $$ contributors to AssemblyMan Lloyd Levine). PETA is vehemently anti-pet, is working towards eliminating pet ownership entirely. Don't you suppose a good way to begin might be to limit dog/cat breeding as a first step? In fact Save Our Dogs has an excellent introduction to PETA and animal rights organizations HERE.
I like that they back up their opnions with references and other webpages for in-depth info.

If you come this far, I'm going to refer you to Save Our Dogs for action but I'll just say you must as a loving responsible dog owner CALL or FAX a LETTER to your Assembly Person and the Governor ASAP registering, as AKC said, your "vehement opposition to AB 1634" and demand they vote NO on AB1634.

PS: My link to the SacBee article won't work; so, I'm going to append that article below as I believe it was the most balanced news article I've seen so far.

Pet neutering bill clears committee

By Jim Sanders - Bee Capitol Bureau

Published 11:23 am PDT Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Legislation to require sterilization of nearly every dog and cat statewide in hopes of reducing the burden on animal shelters cleared its first legislative hurdle Tuesday. The measure, Assembly Bill 1634, is meant to curb the impact of irresponsible animal owners by making fewer dogs and cats capable of reproducing. The Assembly Business and Professions Committee passed AB 1634 on a party-line vote, 7-2, with Republicans opposed. Public testimony on the bill, taken two weeks ago, attracted hundreds of animal enthusiasts on both sides of the issue.
Tuesday's session was limited to a statement by the author, Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, and to questions or comments by committee members. Levine said a statewide spay and neutering standard is needed because cities and counties have limited control over feral or unwanted pets. "Dogs and cats don't know where one city ends and the other begins," he said. Levine contends AB 1634 would crack down on irresponsible breeding that leads to about a million unwanted pets being born each year, costing shelters an estimated $250 million.
Levine's bill would require that dogs and cats to be spayed or neutered by four months old. Violators could be subject to a $500 fine.
Exceptions are provided for service animals - such as police, guide or signal dogs - and for animals excused by a letter from a veterinarian because of illness, age or poor health.

The bill faces massive opposition, with critics claiming it would interfere with the rights of pet owners, pose a financial hardship on hobbyist breeders, be ignored by the worst offenders, and be largely unenforceable. Opponents note that animal shelter populations have fallen during the past 10 years, and that AB 1634 could backfire because some pet owners would abandon their animals rather than pay to sterilize them.

After Tuesday's committee vote, critics claimed the bill's exemption for service dogs does not go far enough to ensure that an adequate supply of puppies will enter such programs in years to come. Assemblywoman Shirley Horton, a San Diego Republican who voted against AB 1634, said she does not think the Legislature should mandate spaying and neutering. "I really do think this is a local issue," she said.

Springer Fun Day 2006

2006-09-16T02:22:00.000-07:00

This was possibly our 7th or 8th year for this annual get-together: Golden Gate Springer Rescue's Fun Day and Rescue Reunion. This year we were again at Pine Lake near Stern Grove in SanFrancisco. This is next to a wonderful off-leash dog park. And it has water so the dogs were in "heaven!" For those of you who have read about Sophie below, she attended with her new "dad." In fact, many of the attendees were adopters of our rescue Springers but it is not a requirement; anyone is welcome. Rosie, also below, was unable to attend, having gone into heat and is now awaiting spay surgery.

We BBQ'ed hamburgers & hotdogs, had a wonderful potluck, some fun games (LOVE the Springers dunking for hotdogs!), and this year we ran out of time for our grooming demo. Anyone who would like to be added to the email list for next year's event, email me (goldengaterescue [at] sbcglobal.net) and I'll add you.

AKC Honors English Springer Spaniel "Morgan"

2006-08-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

AKC Honors Outstanding Dogs with
2006 AKC Awards for Canine Excellence

Search and Rescue Dog: “Morgan” from Lebanon, N.J.

Morgan, an English Springer Spaniel, is a certified wilderness air scent, water and cadaver search dog. She and her owner, Katrene Johnson, have participated in over 50 searches nationwide. In September 2001, Morgan and Katrene were called upon to search for DNA material in the debris from Ground Zero. Morgan faithfully searched the quarter square mile of debris that had been deposited at Staten Island’s Fresh Kills Land Fill. Her contribution helped to give numerous families the answers they sought about their loved ones.

In 2005, Morgan was instrumental in the relief efforts of another catastrophe. Hancock County, Mississippi called upon search and rescue teams to help track down their missing citizens after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. Morgan and a few other teams were responsible for clearing neighborhoods before residents returned to survey the damage to their homes. With Morgan’s help, Hancock County completed its mission of locating all missing citizens.

Katrene Johnson and 'Morgan (Above) & Maia (below)
from West New Jersey K9 Search+Rescue website:

Katrene is the President of West Jersey K-9 and has training skills, which served many wonderful K-9’s. Currently Katrene is working with two English Springer Spaniels who have tough shoes to fill since the passing of Katrene's old rescue dog 'Dan.' Dan was famous for his many wilderness, cadaver and water search and rescues.
Morgan is a 4-year-old English Springer Spaniel who is up to any challenge she me come across. The hundreds of hours logged in her training is apparent when you watch her methodically work out a difficult HRD problem. Morgan is a seasoned veteran, certified in HRD and water search work. As you can see in this picture, her happy smile (above) and intent gaze on Katrene shows you just how much fun she has doing the job.

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Over and over, I've seen examples of Springers put to use working to make our lives safer, as exemplified by Katrene's Morgan and Maia in pictures above. Once Springer rescue placed a dog with the USDA where they trained him to sniff out contraband plants & products.

Give a Springer a job and you've made his/her life better and happier. Not all Springers can hunt, but many could be trained to do so many other things. If nothing else, consider training YOUR Springer to get a CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certificate from the AKC. Your Springer will thank you!

Update on Rosie in Fremont

2006-08-07T00:46:00.000-07:00

From the post "Things Heating Up," the last dog on that post was the bald Springer, Rosie. I just snapped an "after" adoption picture 2 months since Cheryl decided to adopt Rosie. The vet put Rosie on thyroid replacement, Cheryl is feeding her nutritious food and of course the secret ingredient is love, and our bald girl is growing her coat slowly back but surely.

New Link: SF Dogs Blog

2006-08-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

I am adding a new link to a site SF Bay Area dog lovers might enjoy: SF Dogs Blog. Jon has found a niche and does it well: Photographing dogs he encounters on the sidewalks of San Francisco. If you live there and shop while walking your dog, your dog might end up being immortalized! And it turns out Jon has some fame also. He was interviewed for Current TV, I an internet & satellite TV channel. You can view the short VIDEO HERE. And this just in: I saved you all the trouble and ferreted out the only English Springer (as of 8/6/06). Click here to see the ENGLISH SPRINGER on DOG BLOG

About to Make Me Leave Home

2006-07-23T22:58:00.000-07:00

Temperature here in Oakland is 82 degrees at 11 p.m. I just want to know what about global warming do some conservatives not understand? I have all the windows open, and the attic fan is getting worn out going for 24 hours a day.

Bonnie Raitt & John Prine going full blast (Sure my neighbors don't appreciate this......hahaha). The dogs and me got a break today swimming in my parents' pool. Jackie, my current foster, didn't need too much encouragement to jump in after the tennis ball. Spent some time teaching her how to get out of the pool safely. She picked it up pretty quickly. Her swimming style is a bit awkward still but with practice she'll learn to relax and do the dog-paddle.

Jackie came from her owner, who is moving. They love her but just don't have enough time to spend with her. She is sweet and smart but has a busy style, many times puttering around, chasing squirrels in the yard. Her most adorable trait is she goes NUTS when water coming out of a hose: Tries biting it furiously. She ends up getting drenched and I laughed until I couldn't breathe.

Tomorrow thankfully I have the day off work as I desperately needed to do a transport for a young Springer from the Los Banos shelter. Laurel notified me that this poor Springer boy needed rescue. Sara Ann is meeting another person at the dog park near the Shoreline Ampitheater, and she can bring the Springer with her. Thank god for all these shelter volunteers, mostly women (men are too busy earning the big $$ and acting like big-shots). The Los Banos shelter is apparently run mostly on volunteer steam, having no fixed public hours*, no dedicated/full-time paid employees on staff. It's hard to believe that the city couldn't afford to properly staff. I guess it's cheaper to kill all the unwanted animals rather than help them find new homes. Something's rotten in Los Banos.

* Check out the city's website if you don't believe me: www.losbanos.org/departments_police_animal.php

City population is 34,223. Perhaps they are too busy trying to pay their "Planning Manager" $50,000 to $99,000 /yr to fund something as mundane and unimportant as an animal shelter.

Sadly because of the rotten situation at their shelter and because he was a return from the previously adopting family, this dog would have certainly met death. I wonder if life only gave us one chance to live, if we would feel this were fair? I don't know if this dog made a mistake, or if the family made the mistake when they adopted him. But I do know that 99% of all shelters aren't able to do basic adoption screening and, as a result, many animals get returned. The advantage of the rescue work we do is that we have the luxury of time to screen homes and wait for that perfect, or nearly perfect match. In the 18 years I've rescued Springers, I have met few I considered unadoptable. Some are more difficult placements than others certainly but so many dogs are simply acting out or not understood. Dogs are dogs, not people. Learn about a dog before sharing a home with one.

Things Heating Up; Here's Summer

2006-06-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

Since I last wrote, rescue has started to "heat" up. The need to rescue seems to come and go in waves: Sometimes there are no dogs to rescue, and other times the need is overwhelming, beyond our capacity. If there is a dog which is not urgent, I try to work with the owner or shelter and just simply refer people directly to them via our website and also email to our registered homes. This week that worked very well and resulted in getting TWO SENIOR Springers adopted! This was a great week as things doesn't always come together as beautifully as this.

One Springer was with her owner: Harley in Tracy, but we weren't sure how long the owner could keep her. She now lives in Wilton, just East of Elk Grove. Her new owners write:

"We have had her groomed with a field cut which is suitable for our area and of course makes standing the heat a bit more tolerable. I am awaiting all the paperwork on our girl and when it comes, will take her to our vet for a good check up and have a chip installed. She is darling and so active it is hard to believe she is 9!!!! She is a wiggler and tail wagger. Smiles all the time. Certainly she is head honch here as we have no other dog. She appears to love our 3 cats and believe it is reciprocal. They are not afraid of her at all. Goes to work, riding in a truck with Jim every day, and keeps to his side constantly. Would be a lap sitter if we let her. She is adjusting nicely to her new home with new rules and being an intergral part of this

and believe it is reciprocal. They are not afraid of her at all. Goes to work, riding in a truck with Jim every day, and keeps to his side constantly. Would be a lap sitter if we let her. She is adjusting nicely to her new home with new rules and being an intergral part of this family. She will be greatly loved for the rest of her days. Can't wait for the grandkids to meet and play with her. I can see it now."

The other wonderful thing this week was the adoption of a 10-year-old female, "Molly." She was adopted by Jane's home in 650 area code (San Mateo etc) who left me a phone message that:

"Molly is fat, old with tooth tartar, but our other dog likes her. "

The Silicone Valley shelter described her as "sweet, calm, gentle and housebroken."

Last week, I also placed "Shelby," my foster dog to a Boulder Creek (Santa Cruz Mtns) family. She unfortunately was suffering from a bad case of flea allergy in which she had lost most of her fur on her rear half. I was amazed that the family could see beyond that to see the wonderful dog inside. They wrote that her coat is already growing back (after treatment for fleas) and:

"She's doing great and is enjoying running up the hill with our other dog. Thank you."

I also had another really special dog in rescue: "Sophie" She now lives in San Francisco with a wonderful home who plans to teach her obedience and agility along with his other dog. Most fosters are nice dogs but since many are a handful to care for and I am glad to see them go to their new homes. Sophie was different. She adored both my dogs, and they reciprocated. She also was absolutely NO trouble to care for. I will miss her because she truly was a special girl. I haven't lost touch with her as I see her owner, Bob, on a regular basis, and I will look forward to seeing in the future.

The last special placement we made in last couple of weeks was "Rosie," a dog from the Fremont shelter. From this picture, you can clearly see why finding her a home might have been a difficult thing. When the shelter notified us she was due to be put to sleep, I prevailed on my dear rescue partner, Cheryl, who had just lost her beloved Phoebe, another rescue Springer, to cancer, to foster Rosie to save her. After a few days, Cheryl said she was getting attached. A week later, Cheryl said "Take Rosie off the list for adoption. She's home for good!" Cheryl has not gotten thru mourning for her Phoebe and told me she believes Phoebe might have sent Rosie to her to help heal her broken heart. Rosie is getting therapeutic baths, getting proper care and medication, and her skin condition is improving and her coat is returning. All in all, not a bad couple of weeks.

Regarding special placement, I firmly believe in the afterlife, and that those who have passed on to the afterlife, including our beloved animals, direct and interact with their loved ones from beyond the grave, including "sending" or connecting up rescue adoptions at just the right time and to the right person/home. I have seen this over and over in my 15 years in rescuing Springers here. One time, the adopter thanked me later for "saving my life" as that dog provided her with lifesaving love at just the right time in her life. That isn't always the case but I do hope that each family takes something special from their time with these adopted rescue Springers.

Just want to say our rescue depends to a very high degree on the kindness of other Springer lovers to help us foster, evaluate, transport, adopt and get the word out about Springers in jeopardy. Thanks goes out to all of you who have helped and will help in the future. We are here to help our wonderful Springers!

Good Night Sweet Knikki

2006-03-27T16:17:00.000-08:00

One of the very first people to help our rescue in a significant way was a special woman named Jocelyn. She contacted us many years ago as part of her search for a Springer to adopt. We were able to connect her with a beautiful little liver/white female came to be part of Jocelyn's home and heart via the animal shelter in Modesto, Ca. She came to be known as Knikki. Knikki just passed away suddenly this past November. She had reached a comfortable old age in her "forever" home Jocelyn provided. Jocelyn wrote:

"The Springer in the animation* (above) is Knikki, the beautiful pup you helped me find at the Modesto shelter back in 1994. I'm sorry to say that Knikki passed away unexpectedly last November. I took her to the vet for her annual checkup, she passed with flying colors, while at the same time my other Springer, Boots, was diagnosed with a spleen tumour. The following week, my husband and I went away on a long-planned trip to France, leaving my mother in law to care for the two dogs and our six-year old son. We almost cancelled the trip because we were worried about Boots, but the vet convinced me that Boots could wait a week for his spleen surgery. So we went, and while we were away, Knikki got sick suddenly and died the day before we got home. Thank you again for helping to bring Knikki into our lives, I miss her everyday and I wouldn't have been without her for those eleven years for anything."

When Jocelyn adopted Knikki, we were not on the internet. Jocelyn was the one who suggested we have a website for our rescue work. She further offered to host and manage the website for us, which she did for several years I believe, until I finally stumbled on a website company which had drop-and-drag webpage editing and I took over. What we are so grateful to Jocelyn for is helping us in that big first step onto the WWW. And all this thanks to little Knikki.

Sleep well, dear girl: You were loved, and will be missed.

*If this cool animation doesn't display on this blog, see it on www.homestead.com/springers.

Sammie, One of our Success Stories

2006-03-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

This is basically a story told in pictures. There are two "before" pictures of a Springer with an extreme skin condition which left untreated and probably with very poor nutrition had lost most of a potentially beautiful coat. Sammie ended up at the Sacramento City animal shelter in year 2000.

Once he found his "forever" home thru our rescue, weeks of careful care which probably included medicated baths and proper nutrition were needed to reverse the years of neglect. Eventually, he became the beauty he is today, which shows in his 2002 picture leaping joyfully over a jump in an agility course. Doesn't look like the same dog, does it?

Sammie lives and is loved by a wonderful person. Each of us has the potential in us just like Sammy, and all we need is to give a little for less-fortunate animals and this is what you could end up with. Won't you consider at least looking at a few rescue dogs BEFORE you go to the newspaper and find a litter of puppies to buy? They are waiting for your care and love.

Dog Access in Redwood Park--Urgent Meeting

2006-03-20T23:09:00.000-08:00

If I can put on another "hat," that for advocacy for offleash dog space. Just got late notice of an important meeting this Friday, March 24 at 1 p.m. Hopefully, there will be some dog owners who have flexible schedules and can actually come to a meeting in the middle of the day. This is the memo put out by the Easy Bay Regional Park District, who administers much of the open space in the Oakland hills:

BOARD OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT
2950 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland, CA 94605

Friday, March 24, 2006
1:00 p.m., Board Room

EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT
Operations Division Memorandum

TO: Board Operations Committee
FROM: Joe DiDonato, Stewardship Manager
DATE: March 15, 2006
SUBJECT: Serpentine Prairie Resource Protection Strategies

Commonly referred to as the "Serpentine Prairie" is an area within Redwood Regional Park that stretches from Redwood road northwest to Skyline Blvd. It is located behind the Trudeau Training Center at 11500 Skyline Blvd. The area has a high density of serpentine rock on which uncommon native plants occur including the largest population of one of the rarest plants in the state, the Presidio clarkia. Several other rare plants, endemic to this area only and a multitude of native grasses and forbs exist on the site. A 1977 Land Use Plan for Redwood Park identified the need for preservation of the prairie in addition to the most recent FEMA funded vegetation management plan (2003) that has developed focused action for the restoration of the site. A federal biological opinion identifies the permitted actions and the recent acquisition of grant funding has made it possible to implement management of the site. Recommendations for the site include removal of exotic trees (pines, acacias, cypress) and the implementation of a prescribed burn program to reduce the competition with exotic grasses and forbs. Additionally, various bootleg trails and public use of the area will be evaluated within the context of future management.

This area has become very popular with dog owners. Since future management may require dog use rule changes, it is important that the community understand the management challenges of the Serpentine Prairie and have an opportunity to comment on the impacts of potential management strategies. No action is being requested of the Board Operations Committee at this time. Staff has placed this item on the Board Operations Committee agenda to familiarize the Committee with the project, discuss management and protection options, and create an opportunity for public comment. Notice of this meeting has been posted on site. Community members that have expressed an interest in the project have also been notified of this
meeting.

The "serpentine prairie" was known to me as the "Hunt Field" as it was formerly used as a cross-country course for horse jumping. This hilltop has become a popular gathering place for people to let their dogs off leash and have a bit of a romp. It is convenient; there is nearby parking, and is it relatively clean and clear of mud. While I appreciate that natural resources need protection, this area has been part of the East Bay Regional park for many, many years. Unless they plan to completely fence off this area and ban all use, I argue that it would not be fair to ban dogs unless you are going to ban all recreational use. Think about how damaging fat bicycle tires are to trails. How damaging are horse hooves? There are several horse stables closeby. Why not ban them instead?

Dogs in general don't overstress an area unless their recreation is compressed to the point where it is unreasonable. Think of it like rotating grazing animals in a pasture. As the grass gets too short, the reasonable rancher will move his cows along to the next pasture in order to rest this pasture. What if that rancher is forced to only "exercise" his cows in one tiny pasture? What will happen? Well of course, that pasture will become trashed. That is what is happening every time dog owners lose access to another off-leash area. The next more convenient off-leash area has greater pressure put on it and its resources.

How far are we going to let all these concerned park people push our backs to the wall? We as a group must recognize we must organize and stand up for access to the parks our tax and bond dollars have purchased and maintained. I'll let you in on a secret: That's how the mountain bikes got access to thousands of miles of once-protected trails. They realized the answer was organize, raise election money to elect candidates friendly to their cause, and lobby. Don't take no for an answer. Now the dogs are where the bikes used to be: We aren't allowed full access to the very parks we love and we shouldn't take no for an answer.

First Day of Spring(er)?

2006-03-20T22:40:00.000-08:00

Just got good news about one of our alumni, Cassie:

Cassie went yesterday for a trial with Heidi and Jack who obtained Cassie's information from your website.  Heidi and her son, Ben, came to our home and brought with them Mindy (Heidi's mother's female Springer); and the two dogs were introduced in a nearby park.  After a short period of time, Cassie adapted to Mindy, and the reports last night and this morning give us hope that we may have found the right home for Cassie.  Heidi brought photos of her home and of past Springers she has rescued/raised, and she wanted very much to have Cassie.  We will be receiving updates from Heidi and we will let you know the end result.

From her pix, she looked like an adorable girl and I wish her all the best. We will hope that this situation will work out well for her and will keep everyone updated.

Website Smarts

2006-03-14T02:31:00.000-08:00

From the first time I used a computer mouse, who could have predicted I would be adding HTML code, creating uniform navigation bars, creating page anchor links........I thought myself very stupid when I came to the world wide web so many years ago. Now it seems like second nature to wade thru help screens to figure things out. Never thought I'd become an email snob. Now, I can't be bothered with anyone who doesn't have some email connection. With an email of over 400 contacts, needing to keep everyone updated on a week-to-week basis mandates the ease of sending group emails.

Little wonder I don't have the time to talk to 400+ people a week to personally match them with Springers available for adoption, like I used to do in the "old" days. And for those looking I am hopeful we can provide something useful and up-to-date with our weekly emails of "Springers Available for Adoption."

The beginning

2006-03-11T03:52:00.000-08:00

This blog was inspired by the EastBay SPCA blog, which came to my attention when we got involved in helping rescue their Cousteau, the French Spaniel. They posted to their blog the story of his adoption (see HERE and HERE, 4th pix down). It was then I realized the potential of a blog in rescue work. So much of our work is done behind the scenes so to speak. The blog will be an opportunity to create a rescue diary in order to bring to light all the work necessary to coordinate and direct our rescue work.

Just recently, I have spent hours and mucho $$ on getting my new computer up to speed after transferring almost all the info from the old computer. I think I did lose a huge library of pictures of former rescue dogs, and some of my own personal dogs' pictures. Sadly, it was all stored on one zip disk which somehow doesn't "read" correctly and won't transfer the files. My new computer does not need extraneous storage such as zips. This one has mucho space on the drive for which I'm grateful.

The transfer to the new computer has completely changed my attitude to doing the necessary computer work for Springer rescue. My workarounds with the old computer made the work so cumbersome I used to hate doing anything.

I positively will be able to accomplish much more than before. In fact, before I had required another person to take on web updates to the homestead site. I think now I will have time to do this myself. I have, in fact, updated my very old shelter links page. I hope to refresh many more of the parts of the website, such as the past years' Fun Day pix as I have these all on CDs.