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Newsletter Spring 2018

Helping the Community and Saving Lives

Most BARK dogs are rescued from local public shelters. These shelters are open admission facilities, meaning that they are required by law to accept all unwanted dogs, such as those picked up as strays or surrendered by owners. When public shelters run out of room to house the dogs, they often euthanize as a means of population control. BARK and other rescue groups offer lifesaving alternatives by transferring at risk dogs to their facilities where they are housed until Forever Homes are found. Kennel Manager Dave Harless sums up the mission of BARK: “We rescue dogs that have been passed over. We keep them until they find a home. In the rare case that a dog doesn’t find a home we give that dog a home at BARK.” In addition to finding Forever Homes, BARK also vaccinates and spays/neuters each dog, and provides appropriate veterinary care. You can view a continuously updated list of adoptable BARK dogs on the Adoption page of our web site. You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/barkva.

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Something to BARK About!

Have a look at the BARK Adoption page. Ever wonder what *Trainee* and *Graduate* mean next to a dog’s name? This refers to participation in the Bark Behind Bars Correctional Companions Program. BARK partners with Virginia correctional institutions in Lawrenceville, Haynesville, Green Rock (Chatham), Goochland, and Nottoway to socialize and train dogs to enhance their chances of finding and keeping a Forever Home.

BARK began sending dogs for training to Virginia prisons in cooperation with other rescue organizations about a decade ago. Approximately four years ago BARK established its own Behind Bars training program. As few as two and as many as ten *Trainee* dogs are assigned to each prison “class”. BARK provides offender training, and food, treats, and medical care for the dogs while they are at the prisons.

Each BARK Behind Bars dog is paired with two carefully selected, low to medium security male or female offenders with whom they live and train for approximately twelve weeks. The offenders remain under the direct supervision of the prison staff. They are trained and mentored by Erich Krause, a professional dog trainer who donates his time to the BARK program, and BARK volunteer and retired physician Bill Shafer. The dogs are gently taught basic obedience skills like sit, stay, and come, and they are house and crate trained. The offender trainers keep journals recording their observations and experiences with their dogs. These journals return to BARK with the dogs and the information is shared with potential adopters. At the conclusion of each training class, the offenders and dogs attend a formal graduation ceremony.

This program benefits both dogs and offenders. While acquiring good manners and habits, the dogs, who may have previously had difficult or abusive relationships with humans, learn to live with and trust people again. The offender trainers get a small stipend, companionship, purpose, and potential job skills. They also report that working with the dogs reduces stress. The prison staff has observed that the presence of BARK dogs tends to have a calming effect on the general population.

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So…when you see *Graduate* next to a BARK dog’s name, you’ll know that these very special boys and girls come equipped with life skills and behaviors that benefit them and their future adoptive families.

For more information about the BARK Behind Bars program, check out its page on the BARK web site and watch the video produced by Johns Hopkins University film student Mireille Heidbreder. We thank Erich Krause, Bill Shafer, and Carrie Terbush for talking with us about the program.

News from the Farm Hi! My name is Grace and I’m the BARK Spokesdog. If you want to know what is going on around the farm, just ask me. I should know...I’m a member of the elite Oldies But Goldies corp. My OBG buddies and I have eyes, ears, and noses everywhere…nothing gets past us. Especially at meal time! So let’s get caught up on the latest news…… PS Even though I love my job, I’m ready to go to my Forever Home on a moment’s notice. Check me out on the BARK adoption page!

I’m pleased to report that the access road to the farm was resurfaced with fresh gravel early this year. Now it is easier for the volunteers to visit…and my personal favorite…feed us. On March 10th we had a Supply Drive. A BIG thanks to all the folks who donated food and treats and kennel supplies. As you can imagine, we go through a LOT of food and treats and kennel supplies so our needs never end. Have a look at our Wish List on page 17. If you want to donate any of these vital items, contact volunteer@barkva.org to arrange for drop off. On April 28th BARK will be participating in the Richmond Animal League’s Woofstock event at Westchester Commons. Come out from 10-2 and enjoy this family-friendly dog festival with live music, vendors, adoptions, pet games, rescue orgs, and more. For information go to www.ral.org/woofstock/.

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And a head’s up...Richmond’s Hardywood Park Craft Brewery will be sponsoring a major BARK fundraiser in September. Meet our four-legged ambassadors, get adoption information, and enjoy food, entertainment, and great beer. Details will be provided in the Summer issue of the BARK newsletter. Also check the Hardywood web site as we get closer to the event date. That’s all for now. Watch this space for more News from the Farm in the next issue of our newsletter. And don’t miss out on a chance to make news by helping with our pending projects. Check them out on page 17 in the Donation section. Until then, we’ll keep our eyes/ears/noses on things for you! Grace

Adoption Spotlight Dogs featured in the Adoption Spotlight were selected as personal favorites by BARK volunteers. We hope you enjoy reading their comments about these marvelous dogs. If you are interested in meeting a Spotlighted dog, please submit an application online at BARK, send an email to adopt@barkva.org, or call 804-449-2275 (BARK). We currently have sixty-seven dogs who are ready and waiting for their Forever Homes. Check out their photos and stories on the BARK adoption page.

We are very pleased to report that three dogs who were featured in our January Adoption Spotlight have found their Forever Homes: Gracie and Irene, a sweet bonded pair of Husky girls, and Wally, a totally adorable boy Beagle. Now have a look at our currently spotlighted boy and girls. Ace 2 is a sweet dog with beautiful brown eyes. Ace enjoys running outside, playing, and walking on his leash. Aces’ facial expressions can be described as alert, attentive, and eager to please. Ace can be seen curled cozily on his bed, dreaming of truly having his own place in the world. A comfortable, peaceful, and loving home is Ace’s wish, whereby his heart will be happy and content. Ace is waiting to provide companionship, love, and loyalty to his special person. If you can provide Ace with the home he deserves, please visit BARKVA. ORG. Ace’s story was submitted by Sydney Lindsey

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Corin is a sweet and beautiful girl who enjoys fresh air and sunshine. Corin can be seen walking wooded trails; whereby, she is able to enjoy all that mother nature has to offer. Corin’s kind eyes and long gazes speak to the hearts of volunteers. Corin is also a proud Bark Behind Bars graduate. Corin desperately wants an owner who will treat her gentle soul with love and respect. If Corin speaks to you, please submit an application for adoption. Corin is patiently waiting for her destined owner to arrive and give her the home she deserves. Corin’s story was submitted by Sydney Lindsey.

Ginger is an energetic dog who loves walking and running the trails at BARK. She has a sweet and loving disposition, gets along with other dogs, walks well on leash, and responds to basic commands. She is an affectionate girl and is quite attentive and quick to learn. She will do well in an active environment where she can display her love for the outdoors. Check out her bio and additional photos on our Adoption page. Ginger’s story was submitted by Bill Riester.

Oldies But Goldies There’s no age requirement for the dogs in this special group…they’ve just been in BARK’s care for a year or more. The Oldies But Goldies (OBG) Program was started in December of 2012 to give additional exposure to these patient and deserving souls and help them find their long-awaited Forever Homes. BARK gives a huge thanks to volunteer Oldies But Goldies Program Coordinator Cyndie Brady Jones for all she has done for the OBG boys and girls since its inception. Unfortunately, Cyndie had to step down from the Program in late 2017 and a new coordinator is needed. Cyndie has generously agreed to help the new coordinator get

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the Program up and running again. Could that person be you? If you are interested but you’d like more information, contact Cyndie at cfb363@gmail.com. OBG group currently includes: Alimere, Ace 2, Bart, Cash, Clarice, Corin, Duke, Fuller, Gokou, Grace, Jeffrey, Kimmie, Lewis, Michael, Mya, Rex, Sakari, and Walker. You’ll find their photos and bios along with those of the other BARK dogs on the adoption page. Give them an extra look. They are so worth it! Here are three of our wonderful OBG dogs who would love to go home with you.

Happy Tails! We love hearing about how our dogs are doing in their Forever Homes. We are delighted to share the following updates and photos sent to us by members of the BARK adoption family. Campbell (formerly known as Avery) On the eve of her one year finding-her-forever-home anniversary, our little hound dog once again verified her loyalty and confirmed she knows where home is. Let me start at the beginning… Just over a year ago my husband, Chris, told me my birthday present might be arriving early. Coming from the man who refuses to even consider opening a gift one day early, I immediately asked if my “gift” was a dog. When he confirmed that it was, I told him he had lost his mind because we were in the WORST position to even think about adopting a new pup. It was the first time in the history of our relationship and, likely, my life, where an opportunity for me to bring home a new animal was presented and I declined. We were getting ready to do massive renovations to our yard, the current fence was going to be torn down, and we had several long months of construction ahead of us, so the idea of a new dog seemed silly at this point.

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The universe, however, had other plans. It had sent us some pretty strong signals that we were to adopt this pup. It was hard denying a man who had taken the time to research the perfect pup, spent time with a coworker who volunteered at B.A.R.K. and had even set up possible times to meet “Avery”. The big sign for me was when my personal trainer posted a picture of a dog she had desperately wanted to adopt but had been unable to. I was positive it was the same pup; though I later found out I was wrong. It was just another sign that our baby was waiting and ready to come home. So finally, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, I told Chris we needed to go get her. He contacted his coworker and, leaving no room for argument, she said she was hopping in her car and would be at B.A.R.K. by the time we got there. Chris and his coworker went inside to get Campbell (formerly known as Avery). They asked if I wanted to come and meet other dogs, to which I declined. There was no question in my mind who we were there for. Campbell, Chris, his coworker, our current dog Llogan, and I proceeded to the playpen to see how Llogan and Campbell would do together. Llogan loves a pretty girl, so at first he seemed to enjoy himself. After a few minutes, though, he caught on and sat stoically staring at us clearly stating, “DON’T YOU DARE…” with his eyes, even though he was one of the main reasons we had even considered adopting a new fur baby. (We had recently discovered that since the sudden and tragic loss of his big brother, Cody, the previous summer, Llogan would go outside and cry and howl in anguish. He had not really known life without Cody.) After a few minutes in the playpen, despite discovering that Cam was a digger, we decided to give it a go. The original idea was that we were going to “foster” Campbell so there was no pressure if it didn’t work out. We loaded Campbell in the car and brought her home. One of our cats was THRILLED and the other was NOT happy. Llogan was indifferent and slightly worried that someone else was going to steal his thunder. At first Campbell seemed okay with the idea of this being her new home. She was happy, roamed the house a bit and was REALLY interested in the outdoors. It’s hard to say when reality hit her and it seemed to make her extremely nervous and uncomfortable. Suddenly, she regressed. She wouldn’t come in the house unless we coaxed her. She slept outside in the holes she dug (which I assumed were for warmth since she’d been picked up as a stray in Louisa County). We ended up putting a crate in the garage so at least she’d have somewhere warm but she didn’t even always use that. We quickly discovered that she was petrified at the sound of a squeaky toy (which Llogan LOVES) and even the sound of a shoe squeaking on a hard surface. She was better with me but was suddenly petrified of Chris – and animals LOVE Chris. We had to coax her

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downstairs to eat and we suddenly realized we had fostered a dog who was not motivated by anything; love, petting, food – nothing seemed to make her happy. Somebody had not been good to this dog. These issues were not even the worst of her homing process. She ended up running away FIVE times in the first month that we had her. Most of the times she managed to find her way back! One of the times she ran away was the night before my birthday…and the one night she didn’t come home. I was fed up and convinced that she just wasn’t happy here. But by 8 o’clock the next morning, I got a call from a Canadian number. A couple that had traveled down South had kept her in their tent at the RIR campgrounds, where she’d wandered to the night before. The campgrounds were a few miles away so I got into my car to pick her up. I loaded the muddy dog into my car and we decided to keep trying to convince her that we were her new family. It’s hard to say where the sudden progressive change finally commenced. It certainly was not overnight! Suddenly our little girl seemed to want to be a part of the family. It still took some coaxing, but she finally started to come downstairs on her own. We’d stopped wearing shoes around the house and hid most of the squeaky toys and that seemed to help make her unafraid of Chris, whose shoes made the most noise. She spent more time cuddled up in my oversized chair than she did in the crate, so we put the crate away in an attempt to keep her progress on track. She even started coming to see what all of the excitement was about when we had guests. Eventually, she’d even climb on the couch to hang out next to the guests. At the dog park she runs up to every single person but she’s still a shy girl around non-family at our house. She is still the kindest, sweetest, gentlest dog we have EVER encountered. She still refuses to even attempt to board the car on her own and simply stands there with her front paws on the bumper, cutely wagging her tail and pleading with her big, sweet eyes, “waiting for service” (i.e., one of us lifting her in to the car) as Chris likes to call it. In true fashion, on Sunday March 18, 2018, the eve of her one-year anniversary with us, Campbell took her longest jaunt in history after the garage door was left open. When we checked our security camera, we noticed that she tried so hard to resist the temptation to run away. She looked at the open garage door and proceeded to go through the dog door into our yard. Five minutes later, she came through the dog door and looked at the open garage door again. Instead of bolting for the forest like she did a year ago, she slowly trotted towards the forest expecting one of us to call her name or stop her. After a few minutes of sniffing, she went to the forest. When we finally realized that Cammie was gone, we went to search for her. We could hear her howling in the distance chasing after wildlife, re-living a life she once knew. It

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started to get dark so I made my way back to the house. We ate dinner and periodically checked outside to call her. I actually slept downstairs in the hopes that she would come sneaking through the dog door. I woke up with weird dreams that she had returned but when I came to, she was not here. In the morning, my husband came downstairs ready to go look for Campbell. He went outside and proceeded to call her name. All of a sudden, I started yelling. Chris thought it was Cammie howling but when he finally realized what was going on, he knew. Cammie had come home. Exhausted and too tired to even eat…but she came home, to her family. To anyone looking for a wonderful companion, please rescue. It takes a lot of time, a lot of energy and a lot of patience, but please rescue – watching an animal become rehabilitated, confident and HAPPY is one of THE most rewarding things we have ever done. Campbell is proof that enough love can turn around a lifetime of cruelty and neglect. Adopt, people, don’t shop. Chris, Aly, Llogan, Nala, Mr. Bigglesworth and Campbell Schlobohm

George (formerly known as Ford) George has been doing wonderful since he joined the family at the beginning of January 2018. He became fast friends with all of my family’s other dogs, but the two little ones in particular. George, Louis, and Maisy are like the three musketeers the way they pal around together! He is a funny dog with a big personality and a big voice to match. He loves going on walks and playing in the yard. However, he loves nothing more than stealing all of the toys and taking a long nap on his bed! Thank you to everyone at BARK for the fantastic work you do each and every day! Nellie DeLaney

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Graham I realized it’s been awhile since I’ve shared some updated photos of Graham, which I was reminded of this weekend when we met another BARK pup at the dog park! Graham also celebrated his first birthday two weeks ago. His absolute favorite walk spot is the T. Potterfield Bridge over on Brown’s Island, so after a trip to the dog store and Carytown Cupcakes for a pupcake we took a stroll down there. He’s such an amazing dog! Jennessa Agnew

Rex (formerly known as Graham) Editor’s note: When I saw the group photo that Nellie sent in her George update (see above), I wrote her and asked if George’s new brothers and sisters were also rescue dogs. Here’s her response: Yes! All of our dogs are either from other local rescues or we found them on the side of the road! My family adopted Rex from BARK back in 2005! He is getting older but doing amazing!! He has been a fantastic family dog over the years and is always the favorite among our friends. This is my favorite photo that I have taken of him over the years! As you can see he LOVES the snow! Nellie DeLaney

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The following Happy Tails and photos were provided by BARK volunteer Michele Dunn. Thanks Michele!!

When Arli's family first met her, they fell instantly in love and that loves grows every day! Good girl Arli, We all knew how special you were, glad someone else could see it too!

Daisy is still digging holes in the yard but her new family adores her anyway. They go on long walks daily!

Daisy (formerly Millie) is full of energy and the best dog ever! Loves looking out the window and waiting for the squirrels! From Delta's family - Delta is an amazing dog and we feel so fortunate to have found her, she brings joy into our lives every day! To say this girl is loved would be the understatement of the year! Eima (formerly Fatima) is truly the apple of her mom's eye and I believe the center of her universe as well! Johnny has completely come out of his shell! Who would have ever thought! His dad knew right when he met him that he was the dog for them! He is a completely social family member now! Congratulations! Juliet and her new mom are truly best friends and they go everywhere together. Her new mom says she can't imagine life without her! Lucy loves her new forever family and gets to play fetch with the tennis ball numerous times a day!

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Well I have to admit Rudy is my favorite BARK dog ever and I do stalk him. I am in constant contact with his new mom who is absolutely wonderful in every way and loves this boy with all her heart. So much so that he now goes to doggie daycare, gets along with other dogs and get ready for it…has a new best friend who is a CAT! For those of you who knew Rudy well I am sure your jaw is dropping right about now! Love this boy!!! Shaggy is being spoiled rotten by his three new moms and is considered a loving addition to the family! Shiloh loves living on a farm but his favorite pass time is napping on his mom's bed! He gets along great with all the farm animals too! Good boy Shiloh!

If you have adopted a BARK dog we’d love to hear from you and share your Happy Tails in the newsletter! Please send your stories and photos to adopt@barkva.org.

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In Memoriam

Sally was rescued by BARK from a rural county in VA. We took her knowing that she had already had a mass removed from her leg. Unfortunately, the cancer had spread. Along with being examined by our local veterinarians, BARK took her to the North Carolina State University vet school for evaluation. The NCS recommendation was to amputate her leg and part of her hip followed by weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. These procedures would only slightly prolong her life while causing her distress and discomfort along with a significant reduction in her quality of life. She was still a joyful and active girl so the decision was made to treat her with antibiotics and pain killers, and to give her a lot of extra care and attention. She enjoyed another 6 months of tail wagging, trail walking, and fence barking happiness until early this January when the disease finally got past her spirit. She was lovingly sent to Rainbow Bridge in the arms of her

favorite caregiver. Sally would have been nine years old this year and was much loved by the volunteers. We miss you sweet Sally and we are really glad to have known you! Our thanks to Dave Harless and Pam Schutrumpf for sharing Sally’s story with us.

A Life Changed…… We didn’t know that we were in the market for another dog when Brandy entered our life. It was a rainy Saturday afternoon in a Pet Smart parking lot when we saw a beautiful Irish setter, skinny, frightened and confused [at a BARK adoption event]. She had a look of desperation in her eyes as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Wherever she came from one could only imagine it wasn’t good. That was all about to change. Animals have always been a weakness of ours but an Irish setter renders us defenseless. She was someone’s forgotten treasure now in search of a home. The scars of her early life would not be easily overcome as someone or something had stolen her self-confidence and she avoided eye contact at all costs. Training was going to be a challenge.

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Surprisingly Brandy seemed to bond with us immediately. We started her on a healthy diet and her weight increased. Her coat grew out much longer and more evenly suggesting that she was a bit older than originally thought. She was very happy in her new home, a stable loving home encouraging her personality to come out so she could share it with everyone. We soon learned that Brandy possessed a unique spirit and for the first time she was permitted to express it freely. It certainly looked as if she was going to make the most of her second chance at life. Over time Brandy’s coat turned from a dark rich mahogany to a beautiful blonde. Training her was actually a joy as all she ever really wanted was to please and be accepted. Her spirit however remained delicate in that corrections and instruction could easily be misinterpreted if not communicated carefully and her demeanor could change quickly from joy to apprehension, a frequent reminder of her earlier life. For Brandy the only solution was Love, lots and lots of Love. We got to know Brandy extremely well and in turn she got to know us. Good days or bad, Brandy remained true to character always loyal and by our side. In fact, Brandy developed a reputation as a leaner, one of the ways that she expressed her affection.

With her self-confidence restored, her eye contact could be intense. She learned to use her super power when she wanted something, her dinner, a ride in the car or attention. However above all her favorite pastime was to ride on “Her”’ boat. On “Her” boat there was no mistaking the Alpha Dog. Together we would spend many hours exploring the waterways and coastline. Brandy was a beautiful specimen with a personality to match. Wherever we went it was common for folks to approach us asking to pet her. She never minded the attention in fact she seemed to really enjoy it. With so much Love to share we focused our efforts on getting her certified as a therapy dog. She breezed through the required tests and once certified immediately began making her rounds.

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As an active team member of two dog therapy organizations Brandy and her brother Bob made hundreds of visits providing each and every encounter with an opportunity to restart their day by simply sharing a moment of unconditional love. She would enter a lobby, hallway, nurse’s station or patient room for the first time and leave minutes later as someone’s new best friend. Her new best friends would plead for her to stay a little longer knowing that she was needed at her next stop and eventually settling for a promise to return during her next visit. Same time, same place Brandy never disappointed. As time passed, Brandy’s face slowly turned gray signaling the beginning of the end. Her eyes still very expressive and curious now showed a hint of cloudiness. I was proud of our pup but never more proud than seeing her enthusiasm when she let me put her dog therapy vest on in preparation to meet more “best friends”. I knew that she loved what she was doing. Brandy continued her visits almost to the very end but she was tired. While Brother Bob picked up more of the rounds Brandy refused to be left behind. She would stubbornly sit and stare at the back of the car until I lifted her and placed her in the back with Bob so she could travel and be near us. We didn’t mind. We know very little about Brandy’s early years other than from the physical and mental scars she carried throughout her life. What we do know is that with Love and patience Brandy learned to trust and return her Love many times over. Going into the relationship we had no real expectations other than to ensure her safety and happiness. In fact we didn’t know where to set the bar as we learned that we could not have set the bar high enough for our girl. Brandy is missed not only by her family but by her hundreds and hundreds of “Best Friends” that she made throughout her life illustrating “A Life Changed” And the life changed………….was mine. Submitted by Steve Archibald

A DOG’S LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT We thank Linda Lane for sharing this beautiful essay. The author is unknown.

Before humans die, they write their last will and testament, give their home and all they have to those they leave behind. If, with my paws, I could do the same, this is what I’d ask…. To a poor and lonely stray, I’d give my happy home, my bowl and cozy bed, soft pillow and all my toys, the lap which I loved so much, the hand that stroked my fur, and the sweet voice that spoke my name.

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I’d will to the sad, scared shelter dog the place I had in my human’s loving heart, of which there seemed no bounds. So, when I die, please do not say, “I will never have a pet again, for the loss and pain is more than I can stand.” Instead, go find an unloved dog, one whose life has held no joy or hope and give my place to him.

This is the only thing I can give….The love I left behind.

Donate to BARK Bandit’s Adoption and Rescue of K-9s is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and all donations are tax-deductible. BARK is operated entirely by volunteers, so 100% of your donation will go to the dogs. Your donation will help fund spay/neuter operations, medical treatments, and daily care and feeding costs for the dogs at the Ashland farm and in BARK foster homes. You can also donate to the Hope Fund, to the general fund, or you can designate your donation for a specific special project.

You may mail your donation directly to us using the following form and address, or you can make a secure donation online at donate. Remember, every penny makes a difference in the life of a BARK dog!

Cash Donation Form

Please accept my donation in the amount of:

$25 $50 $75 $100 $125 Other _________

Gift given in honor of _____________________________________________

Gift given in memory of ___________________________________________

Name __________________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________

12300 Farrington Rd. Ashland, VA 23005

info@barkva.org 804-449-BARK (2275)

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Donate For Our Pending Projects Outdoor Lighting Project: Replace existing outdoor lighting fixtures at the kennel building which are not expected to last much longer and are not energy efficient. Install additional LED energy efficient lighting fixtures to extend illumination to all of the outdoor run area. Graveling walkways: Put additional gravel around the main kennel building to improve access and traction. This is particularly important in bad weather. Drainage Improvements: Permanently improve drainage in and around the outdoor “playpen” runs. The outdoor runs can flood in heavy rain. An engineered solution with permanent surfacing is needed so that the dogs can use these runs, regardless of adverse weather conditions, during their recreation periods and while their kennels are being cleaned. For questions about these and other repair and improvement projects contact Dave Harless dwharless@verizon.net or Rebecca Fox at foxteaches@comcast.net

Donate Food and Supplies

BARK Wish List …. Here are few examples of what we currently need:

• Small bottles of water for the volunteers at the kennels

• Canned and dry dog food (always a priority), grain free dog food is preferred, and American single wrapped cheese slices

• Large and medium Milk Bones, Pup-Peroni, and Kong toys! No stuffed toys please, and no rawhide chews…these items can be choke hazards

• PDZ Stall Freshener for kennels - found at Tractor Supply

• Paper towels, laundry detergent, dryer sheets

• Simple Green detergent and heavy duty wet mop head refills for kennel cleaning

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• Trash bags (heavy duty 50-gallon industrial size w/wide opening and tall kitchen garbage bags)

• Shovels (Ridge Aluminum Scoop - available at Home Depot; not snow or garden)

• Large, heavy duty 20-gallon plastic bins that lock tightly (Brute Rubbermaid style)

• Stainless steel water buckets (8-9 quart size)

• Kuranda beds (see the donation section)

• Medium and large dog crates (metal collapsible)

• Bug spray for dogs and people

• Gift Certificates to pet stores in or around Richmond

• Gift Certificates for Brook Run Animal Clinic (804) 262-8621

In addition to direct donations, there are numerous options that allow

you to help support BARK and its mission. You can donate needed pet care items, purchase BARK merchandise or use a search engine that donates to BARK. Accessing these websites is super easy and a portion of your purchase will go directly to BARK.

• BARK merchandise, such as apparel, housewares, and bumper stickers are now available online at www.cafepress.com/barkva. Check it out! • How can you make searching and shopping for that perfect gift even more perfect? Use iGive where with ever transaction a portion goes to benefit BARK. Raise a penny (or more) per search and generate donations from any of the 730+ stores listed with iGive, ranging up to 26%. Also, check out the new searchable coupons and deals, where you will find all available, up to the minute offers and specials. Just visit www.igive.com. • If you shop online using Amazon, you can also raise money for BARK simply by shopping! Use Amazon Smile (www.smile.amazon.com), select “Bandit’s Adoption and Rescue of K-9s” as your charity of choice, and shop away! Amazon will automatically donate a percentage of your purchase to BARK. • www.GoodSearch.com a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half of its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up! You can even get GoodSearch as your default search engine.

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• www.GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, eBay, Macy’s and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting your favorite cause. So, by making your regular purchases through this site, you’re helping take care of the dogs while they’re waiting for their forever home! Just go to GoodShop then click on How It Works? Be sure to enter BARK as the

charity you want to support. And spread the word! It’s a super easy way to help support the organization.

• kuranda.com You can go to this web site, click on Donate A Bed, and select Bandit’s Adoption and Rescue of K-9s (BARK) in Ashland to donate a comfortable, elevated kennel bed. See the details on the BARK and Kuranda web sites.

More information and options for donating to BARK, and a detailed, continuously updated wish list are available on our website, barkva.org. Click on the Donate tab.

Volunteer Corner: We Need You!

We Love You!

BARK Dogs Need More Caretakers and Friends!

We need volunteers now more than ever! If giving back to the community

or making a difference matters to you, consider volunteering at BARK. Volunteering is a great way to improve the lives of some very deserving dogs while giving back to the community and feeling great at the end of the day. Sadly, there are always dogs in need and government shelters that are full. The more volunteers we have, the more dogs we can help rescue. It’s a very rewarding experience, but it certainly takes a lot of work and we can always use more help. Come alone, bring a friend, or make it a family endeavor.

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You will have fun, learn about caring for and working with dogs, and simply enjoy their wonderful personalities in a pretty, farm-like setting. There are a variety of ways that you can get involved including cleaning, walking, feeding, helping with medicines, grooming, and even laundry! We have updated the process of becoming a BARK volunteer with an upgraded volunteer app and a way to register online which makes the process of becoming a volunteer a lot easier! Refer to http://barkva.org/volunteer/ for more information or email volunteer@barkva.org. BARK deeply appreciates and needs all the help we can get and so do the dogs! Have a look at Brandy’s story on page 13. This is why we do what we do.

Volunteering for Kennel and Dog Care

Our flexible work schedule has proven a success by allowing volunteers, once they are trained, to clean any time during the day they chose to help. Every new volunteer will receive via email (and be expected to read) introductory materials that detail our processes and volunteer guidelines and every volunteer must have an orientation and provide a completed BARK application/waiver to a crew lead at the kennels (not only online).

If you are interested in being a BARK volunteer, please complete a volunteer inquiry form on our website: www.barkva.org. Note: The majority of our volunteers work full-time jobs in addition to the time they dedicate to BARK. Please allow up to 2 weeks to receive a response to a volunteer application submitted online.

New volunteers must complete a volunteer application and attend an Orientation session. Please sign up for this session before you come at Orientation Sign up. Orientations are scheduled on a one by one basis. Orientations are always held on Saturdays and Sundays at 11:00 am. For volunteer questions contact volunteer@barkva.org or call 804-449-2275.

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Kennel Schedule Overview

• Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: Volunteers are at the kennels at various times between 8:30AM and 7:30PM. (Fridays from 10:00AM to 2:00PM). Actual onsite times vary by day and are subject to change. We have morning, late afternoon, and evening crews on these days. Please note that we do not have volunteers onsite throughout the day.

• Tuesdays volunteers arrive at 10AM and are there until 2PM.

• On Thursdays we usually have a morning crew from 10AM – 2PM. The afternoon crew gets there 5 – 7ish. The evening crew is small so there usually is a group of us who try to go in the morning to get some of the work done so the evening folks aren’t there too late.

• Saturdays and Sundays: Volunteers typically arrive between 10:00AM and 11:00AM. Saturday volunteers are on site until about 5:00PM. Sunday volunteers are onsite until 2:00PM. Volunteers feed the doggies a special homecooked dinner every Sunday.

Remember, the dogs depend on us. Even just an hour a week can make a huge difference in the life of a deserving dog!

Kennel Guidelines

For safety reasons, please adhere to the following guidelines: • No volunteers under the age of 18 may work at the farm/shelter or adoption stands.

• Please clean up after yourself. If you groom a dog, please sweep up any hair and return the tools to the proper location. In general, always try to leave the kennels cleaner than they were when you arrived. We are all volunteers and must help one another.

• Cell phones may not be used when handling the dogs. We strongly recommend that you leave your cell phone in your car while you are on the property.

Thanks to a core of dedicated volunteers, we are constantly improving the Quality of Life for our dogs. Here are our basic volunteer duties:

• Walking and Exercising Program • Kennel/Shelter Care and Maintenance • Volunteer Follow Up • Special Projects/Facilities • Feeding

• Transport • Groups and Community Service • Medical Care • Intake

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Volunteers….We need your doggie stories! Since BARK has so many

dogs, it is difficult for volunteers to get to know each of them in the limited time they share at the farm or at an adoption stand. In an effort to better showcase some of the wonderful dogs currently awaiting their Forever Homes, we are asking volunteers to share their stories of working and spending time with their BARK dogs. Please “nominate” for your favorite dog for listing in the Adoption Spotlight section of the newsletter and explain what makes “your” dog deserving of his or her very own forever home. Does he walk well on a leash? Does she know how to sit or shake? Does he love the water? How does she act with volunteers and other dogs? Can he fetch? Is she a good kisser? These stories will help readers get to know the dogs and hopefully generate adoption interest. Plus, they’re a lot of fun to read! Remember, your personal experiences could make a difference in the life of a very deserving BARK dog. Submit your “nominations” to the newsletter editor at fergmann@aol.com. Please include “Adoption Spotlight” in the subject line of your email.

Thank-You!

We thank the following BARK volunteers for contributing their words and wisdom to this edition of the newsletter: Michele Dunn, Rebecca Fox, Dave Harless, Linda Lane, Sydney Lindsey, Bill Riester, Shawn Riester, Pam Schutrumpf, Bill Shafer, Carrie Terbush, and Kermit Woodall. We gratefully acknowledge photographer Peg Childress for shooting most of the formal portraits of the BARK dogs that appear in this newsletter. We also thank BARK Behind Bars professional dog trainer/chief instructor Erich Krause for sharing his insights about this program. We thank adopters Jennessa Agnew, Steve Archibald, Nellie DeLaney, Alyson Schlobohm, and all the folks who contributed to Michele’s Happy Tails follow ups, for sharing wonderful stories, memories, and photos of their furry family members. Their BARK boys and girls could not have found better Forever Homes! We welcome your input. Please contact the newsletter editor, Mary-Jacque Mann, with any questions/comments/corrections/ideas.

The Tail End….Doggie Musings

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” Henry Wheeler Shaw, pseudonym Josh Billings, 19th-century American humorist.