08.09 Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue Newsletter

Dog Days of Summer

It's time to squeeze in the last vacation of the summer, start to harvest the garden, get ready for school and avoid melting during the heat wave of August. "Dog days of summer" is a term that refers to the hottest days of the summer season. The term "Dog Days" was used by the Greeks, as well as the ancient Romans after Sirius (the "Dog Star" - not the XM radio), the brightest star in the heavens besides the Sun. The Dog Days originally were the days when Sirius, the Dog Star, rose just before or at the same time as sunris. The ancients sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of Sirius, believing that the star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather. The chocolate labs are thanking us right now for no longer practicing this tradition! Dog Days were popularly believed to be an evil time when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid. In Sweden and Finland, this is commonly referred to as the rotting month - where the food often spoils due to the high temperatures. Whatever the original usage, typically nowadays, it means it's hot outside.

July was a nice month for everyone with the Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue. We had some great people step up and help us support Koda with donations! Thank you to all of you for your financial aid to help out such a great boy! Look at our great sponsors on our website!

Brand New RMLR 2009-2010 Calendar

Check out our BRAND NEW FIRST ANNUAL 2009-2010 Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue Calendar. The cost is $20 for a 17-month calendar --- so a little over $1/month. And all the profits go right back to the dogs! The calendar highlights some of our favorite RMLR Alumni and show off some of our best success stories (surgeries and great stories)! Buy yours today!

Want to save on shipping costs? Can't wait the shipping time to get your paws on the new calendar? We have two local stores that are selling these hot items for us! Visit them during normal business hours to buy yours today!

Upcoming Events

Regardless of gender, the first person across the line takes home the grand prize! The women's start will kickoff the event, with all women wearing a SkirtSports Skirt. Race Skirt included with entry. Catch us if you can! The men will eagerly watch as the women have a three-minute lead before their start. The post-race Block Party includes happy-hour style food and drinks, dating games and a fashion show- all the way down to the skivvies! Visit the Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue booth at the finish line! Sign up today on Active.com

Sunday August 30th : Rapids Dog Days of August

The Rapids Dog Days of August promotion will allow all canines to sit in the stands in a designated section of the stadium with their owners as they enjoy the Rapids match! A special seating section in the north end of the stadium for this event will exist, as well as a play and refreshment area for the dogs in attendance, including doggy restrooms and other activities for the pets. Owners and their dogs will also sit together for the match itself in the north end risers of Dicks Sporting Goods Park. Owners will also be able to get a Rapids commemorative photo of their dog at the game! Join the Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue for the game!

September 13th : Broomfield Dog Daze at the Bay

It's a day gone to the dogs! Bring your dog down to the Bay for a day of excitement just for dogs. Your little fido can jump and play in the summer heat, while coolin' off with a cool dip. Just a little reminder, the activity is for the dogs and does not include owners to be in the pool. RMLR will be there with a booth! Join us!

Tasty Cold Dog Treats

A simple frozen banana, carrot, chunk of cheese, or weenie will delight your dog on hot days. Something as easy as plain old ice cubes or treat cubes with a strawberry or banana slice or a cheese chunk in the center will cool your pup when the heat is relentless. For larger dogs, add several different treats and freeze in disposable cups.

To make your pup feel extra special, try this recipe. Blend a couple of spoons of peanut butter with mashed banana, add a spoonful of honey and mix in about a half cup of water to make a better freezing consistency. For optional extra crunch, throw in a few unsalted peanuts.

If you want to be a bit creative, try mixing and matching various fruit juices with your dog’s favorite fruit such as apple bits or canned peaches along with plain yogurt before freezing into cubes. You may even want to go all out and blend smoothies or slushes for your dog to lap up or crunch in frozen cubes. However, stick to fruit juices and water for liquid as many dogs cannot easily digest milk. Creamy treats can be made by mixing half cottage cheese and half water and freezing into cubes.

For dogs who prefer meaty tastes, freeze chicken or beef broth, or even thin unsalted gravies into cubes. For an extra surprise, add a chunk of baby food meat, a piece of milkbone, or a cheese bit into each cube before freezing.

Thanks to Dog Care for the great ideas!

August Dog of the Month: Ginger

Ginger, sweet as spice and full of everything nice! Ginger is ready to settle in to her forever home and get the love and attention she deserves. Like any lady, Ginger is very much potty trained... she will even go to the door and alert you when she needs to use the facilities. When asked what she is most looking forward to Ginger told us this "I really just can't wait to have a forever family to call my own. A comfy bed to rest my head on. People that are looking for a little sweet chocolate to  hang out right by their side, accompany them on walks in the park, ride next to them in the car...Oh and they should know one of my all time favorite things in playing in water! My foster Mom is super and she takes me to play with all the other dogs at a doggy daycare, they have this kiddie pool that is the best! This shelter life and not having the best diet has really done a number on my beautiful chocolate coat...so I do hope for some good food and some serious brushing. That way I will be back to my beautiful Choco self in no time." Ginger is a sweet, mellow girl, looking for a family to adore her as she is sure to reciprocate 100 fold. A loving family with a kiddie pool for the warm "dog days of summer" would just be the cherry on top!

Check out more information about Ginger and our other Labs for Adoption under Adopting

A Call for Foster Parents

Attention potential foster family:

Daily, we are forced to turn away great dogs, mostly from high risk shelters, because we don't have enough foster homes to accommodate them.  We feel that many of the dogs would be highly adoptable and would probably be placed quickly, but without the foster openings we must turn them away.

Please consider fostering, even if only for one time.  Maybe you could only do it for a few nights.  Whatever you could do, we would appreciate it.  If you have friends that are thinking about getting a dog, fostering would be a good first step for them.  If you know people love dogs but travel too much or don't want to make a long term commitment,  fostering might be a very satisfying alternative.

So many dogs are in jeopardy right now because people are losing their jobs and their homes.  Please consider fostering, and please help us to come up with ideas for getting new foster homes.

If you are interested in fostering, please fill out an application on our website. Being a foster parent is a richly rewarding experience. You're an integral part in saving a dog's life. It's also an emotional, often difficult experience that isn't for everyone - but for those that can do it, it's an experience that won't soon be forgotten. Fostering a pet gives them a chance to find a happy, permanent home when they otherwise might not have had that chance.

Please fill out a fostering application today on our website and give one of these pups a second chance!