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Hood River Adopt A Dog is the volunteer group providing care for

all shelter dogs at the Hukari Shelter in Hood River County, OR.

We provide veterinary and adoption services for unclaimed or relinquished dogs, thus providing a

safety net for local dogs.

We’re Good Guys - Donations Work for the Dogs!

The board and staff of Adopt A Dog want to assure all its donors and volunteers that we are a well run and “good” charity! We stretch our donations for maximum use directly for the program.

CNN recently ran a story called “Above the Law: America’s Worst Charities.” There were two areas of abuse reported. The first is charities where donations are diverted to the operators of the charities. The second abuse is payment of money to “for profit” companies that raise money for these so called “charities.” These abuses are unfathomable by all involved with and passionate about HRAAD.

HRAAD has a small paid staff consisting of our Executive Director, Linda Vandenberg, our Shelter Coordinator, Janette Skarda, and our Volunteer Coordinator, Chris Tolotti. All the paid staff earn an hourly wage that is below market. Also, month after month they contribute numerous hours on an unpaid volunteer basis. The rest of our work is done by a group of dedicated volunteers who spend endless hours walking, feeding, training, and assessing dogs. The board of directors is also made up solely of volunteers.

HRAAD does not hire anyone to solicit funds for us. Our funds come from fundraising events created and implemented by AAD , your direct donations, and small grants.

AAD wants to assure you that it is one of the “good charities.” For us, it’s all about providing a safety net for Gorge dogs!

By Anita Grinich, Esq., AAD Board Secretary and Co-Treasurer

Events - Look For Our Events on Our Website or

Facebook Page! www.hoodriveradoptadog.org

First Fridays thru the summer – buy a raffle ticket for entry to win a watercolor portrait of your pet!

We’re investigating partnering with HAL for a low cost spay/neuter event at the shelter. Stay tuned!

Vino and Fido – September

Paws for a Cause – October

Microchip and Vaccination Clinic - October

Goin’ to the Dogs Rummage Sale – in May, save your gently used items for next year!

Sheepherding Dog Demo - June - Loads of fun this year! We may do it again in 2014!

Wish List:

Any $ donation to our “Urgent Care” fund!

Donations of goods for our fall “Paws for a Cause” silent auction event.

Canned dog food for kennel enrichment toys (Science Diet or Pedigree brands work best)

Harnesses – all sizes!

Dog collars – small dog size.

Web designer to volunteer to make our volunteer and adoption application forms in on-line format!

We’re selling raffle tickets for entry to win a portrait of your pet by acclaimed watercolor artist, Bonnie White. Contact HRAAD for entry info!

Adoptable Mia wishes for more toys, a nice harness, and A HOME!

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Consider the “PAWsibilities”

Stretch!

Walking a Dog - Does a Body Good!

By Linda Vandenberg, Executive Director

Hood River Adopt A Dog

3910 Heron Drive, Hood River , OR 97031 I I (541)354-1083

adoptadog@gorge.net I I www.hoodriveradoptadog .org

By Dr. Cynthia Mills, DVM & Linda Vandenberg

Stretch. We at Hood River Adopt A Dog are doing that every day in oh-so-many ways! The sto-ries in this 2013 summer edition of our newsletter voice how.

Our dog-walking volunteers are on site ‘stretching’ their legs every day – making sure the dogs get what they need...with added health benefits to the volunteers as well!

We are stretching our reach – helping more dogs and going further afield outside of Hood River County. Dogs in need are everywhere!

Stretching our dollars. Yeah boy, do we know how to stretch a dollar! You can rest assured that when you make a donation to Hood River Adopt A Dog the funds are carefully managed.

Enjoy this edition of our newsletter. Feel free to call or stop by if you’d like more information!

Many of our volunteers use their dog walking time as their regular exercise program and for mental de-stressing. Volunteer Sarah R. was featured in the Hood River News fitness articles, saying that a couple of dog walking shifts a week have helped her meet her weight loss goals. Great for the dogs and great for our volunteers!

Not just talking through our hats here: there’s a scientifically proven reason dogs and humans are not just more fit physically, but mentally as well, if they get in their time on the treadmill or trail.

Most of us have heard the term “runner’s high”; maybe we’ve sought it out, successfully or not. Whether you felt the rush you were hoping for, or not so much, most of us have felt a certain degree of satisfaction, well being, and calmness, after taking up some sort of

aerobic exercise habit.

Elevated blood levels of anandamide were found in dogs and humans after running exercise. These sorts of compounds serve as “neurobiological rewards”-that is, they make you feel better if you exercise, so you are more likely to keep doing it. It’s good for the volunteers and the dogs too!

Dogs, like us, crave that runner’s high, and calm right down if they get it. That’s one of the reasons Adopt A Dog dogs do so well after they’ve stayed with us a while - because we have the volunteers to give them plenty of exercise. In the end they are better dogs for it!

So, put on your shoes, stretch, and walk a dog! – either one of ours, or one of your very own! You’ll both benefit.

Sara

h is

look

ing

good

!

News letter—Summer 2013

Volunteer

Twice daily dining and a stroll.

Donna and Ryder ready to roll!

Page 2 Hood River Adopt A Dog - Summer 2013 Newsletter

Aiy Chihuahua!.......Reaching Out to Help More Dogs We are at our 6th year anniversary of volunteering at the Hukari Shelter and 5th year anniversary of the

creation of Hood River Adopt A Dog as an independent non-profit organization operating at the shelter. We

continue to grow and help more dogs each year. Our current contract with the county-owned shelter now

allows us to take owner-relinquished dogs directly into our program (rather than only dogs turned over by

Hood River County Animal Control). Small grants and generous donations, from supporters like you, allow us

to maintain an “urgent care” fund for extra veterinary care that may be needed. We can expand – stretch -

our reach a little and give more dogs our help (and our hearts). Here’s just a few:

The Washington 10

In March we received a call from a social services agency with

information about a lady in Washington State who had 18

Chihuahuas, living outside in a barn, and was overwhelmed. Oh…and one

of the dogs was pregnant and likely to give birth in a couple of weeks. The lady had already re-homed

several by the time we were notified, but we organized to take ten dogs and Ex. Dir. Linda, Shelter

Coordinator Janette, and Adoption Counselor Joe arrived at the farm two days later. The mother dog had

already given birth…and all the puppies were found dead. It was very distressing to the three rescuers and,

undoubtedly, to the mother dog. Not an uplifting scenario, but, fortunately,

we were available to help and remove the dogs from further distress.

A few of the dogs were so thrilled to have attention and food that they

leapt right into the car and the waiting crates. Others were so fearful

that it took an hour to herd them into a portable pen and then load them

into the car. With all dogs safely in the car and tears choked back, it was

off for the full Adopt A Dog treatment - comforting, baths, vaccinations,

microchipping, collars and tags, photos, and SPAY AND NEUTER

APPOINTMENTS. Two of the female dogs were in heat so the situation

could have spiraled even further out of control. All of the little dogs spent

some time in foster homes and were soon placed – many in pairs - in new,

loving families. Lucky families! Lucky dogs!

We were glad that we were able

to help so many dogs out of a

rapidly deteriorating situation.

We feel unbelievably fortunate to be able to help these dogs - and to have your help doing it! A Portland

alliance of 6 shelters was recently awarded $1 million dollars from Maddie’s Fund for raising their “save

rate” to 85%. We routinely better that rate!...but don’t yet have $1 million coming our way. :-) A million

thanks, though, goes to everyone who makes our daily operations possible - donors (no matter what

amount), volunteers, foster families , and adopters who make the future brighter for these dogs. Without

all these people in place, we would not be able to do these outreach type rescues for dogs so desperately

in need.

...All With Your Help

Page 3

Max and Minnie (previously Harold & Heather) in their new home!

Running over hill and dale to rescue dogs is not something that we can do every day - it is difficult and

intense, and certainly could not have been accomplished without the cooperation of the owner – but we

were glad that we were able to help so many dogs out of a rapidly deteriorating situation. In most cases

we still take the dogs as they come to us - one at a time. We can’t take them all, but even there our reach

stretches a little further than it used to.

Claire

Our most recent Chihuahua (as of this writing) is Claire. She was taken to a local vet clinic in near-death

condition – skin and bones, badly dehydrated, barely breathing – handed over by the owner who said she

did not want the dog back. The owner indicated that the dog, in her three years of life, had already given

birth to two litters of unplanned puppies – the most recent just 6 weeks prior.

Fortunately for the dog, she had landed in the hands of an angel of a vet tech who deduced that the dog

was suffering from a uterine infection and proceeded to care for the dog out of her own funds. The dog

started responding almost immediately to treatment. Upon arrival at the clinic, the dog weighed 4.5 lbs…

she gained 4 lbs in two weeks under care. At that point, feeling stronger, but still in need of urgent spay

surgery to completely treat the infection, the little dog was offered to

Adopt A Dog. Again, because we have space allotted to us at the shelter

for relinquished dogs and due to donations to our urgent care fund, we

could take the skinny, scared dog

under our wing.

Now named Claire, she has been spayed and treated, is in a foster home and still gaining weight, and the

shine is returning to her coat as is the bounce to her step. In addition to paying for the spay surgery,

Adopt A Dog will be paying for prior care from our ‘urgent care’ fund with help from PROD (Promoting

Responsible Ownership of Dogs). What a difference in the life of one little dog!

Claire, after a week in foster care with Katie and John - looking happy,

getting healthy, and gaining weight!

Claire, the day she was turned over to

Hood River Adopt A Dog

Volunteer Michele & the WA 10

dogs

Volunteer Pam & the

WA 10 dogs

Heywood - looking sad, but now happy in

his new family!

Adopt Foster