February/March Newsletter 2010
Absense makes the heart grow fonder...
The month of February, as some of you may have noticed, we didn't manage to get a newsletter sent out to all you wonderful people (and pets). Meghan, our newsletter and website volunteer, moved to Toronto, Ontario. She and her pup, Darby, are now living in the big city, chasing black squirrels and enjoying beautiful Lake Ontario! She will continue to write our newsletter and get that out monthly. We'd like to welcome two new website volunteers - Sharelene & ----! Welcome ladies, and thank you for helping out with the website!
Dog of the Month: Arnie
Arnie is a beautiful black lab with white toes and chest and a docked tail
which happily wags most all the time. He likes to put his paws on everyone to say hello! He's learning that not everyone likes jumping, though, and will stay down
with a firm command. Arnie's a super fast learner and already knows how
to sit, lay down, shake, come when called, and go into his crate when
asked. He's working on "stay" but finds it to be the hardest since he
just wants to be near his friends! Arnie loves to run and can keep up and although
his curiosity and playfulness can get him distracted by cars and small
animals, he'll stick close enough to keep tabs on where to find his
loving family. He'd be best in a household with a fenced yard because he
doesn't seem too comfortable "taking care of business" on a leash. When
outside he likes to jump in the air for joy and has a fancy for eating
snow! Inside, he's a much more mellow dog that likes to play fetch with
his tennis ball, play with his chew toys, be brushed and pet, and curl
up on his bed while his buddies are reading or watching TV. Arnie's a
sweet, cuddly, and playful boy who will add joy to your life!
Check out more information about Arnie and our other Labs for Adoption under Adopting
Earthquakes & Animals
Our hearts go out to the people of both Chili and Haiti.
A powerful magnitude-8.8 earthquake ripped through Chile very early on a Saturday morning, striking without warning and without regard for species. Even as people survivors were being pulled from the rubble, days after the quake a small puppy was rescued from a collapsed house in Chili.
You can help out these animals in both countries by going to the Animal Rescue Site or the ASPCA.
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 It's that time AGAAAAAIN.... !!!
On May 16th, 2010 we'll be hosting the 3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue Run/Walk 5K and fair! It will be at Caranci Pavillion/Community Dog Park 955 Bella Vista Dr. in Louisville, Colorado. Sign-in and sign-up (if spots remain for day of registration) will begin at 8AM, run will start at 9AM, and the fair will continue until 11:30am.
This event is a family fun 5k run/walk that you can bring your dog to. You are allowed up to 2 dogs per family. There is 300 participant limit and last year we hit 225 participants, so register early! We really want to see as many dogs as possible that have come into our lives and have changed yours. It will be a great chance for all of those of you who have adopted puppies to see their brothers and sisters. All of the RMLR past adopters will get a special goody bag if you register for the run/walk. There will be a lot of giveaways at the end of the race for those who run or walk. After the run there will be a family fun expo with doggie swimming pools, face painting for the kids and many pet vendors showcasing their products. The sign up link is below. 100% of the proceeds benefit the rescue. We hope you will come out and participate in our biggest fundraiser of the year!!!
Two other upcoming events in March:
ADOPTION EVENT AT STRUTTIN PUP
Saturday, March 13th
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Struttin Pup
Southwest corner of 95th and Arapahoe
Lafayette, CO 80026
PETCO NATIONAL ADOPTION WEEKEND
Saturday, March 20th
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Petco
450 East 120th Avenue
Northglenn, CO 80233
303-255-4528
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Update on our boy Koda
Koda was a great big sweet boy that we rescued from La Junta, CO before he was put down. He was the sweetest most gentle guy with every human he came in contact with - but not so nice to other dogs or cats. It took over a year, thousands of dollars in boarding costs, many training courses and HUNDREDS of volunteer hours to get Koda to where he is today!
Koda entered the Prison Trained K-9 Companion Program. There he got the round-the-clock training he needed to learn that other dogs can be his friends. He went through an intensive socialization program where he learned to live with other dogs.
Koda made great strides in the Prison Training Program - so much that the volunteers there offered to adopt him into the program. Koda is still up for adoption - but now through the Prison Trained K-9 Companions Program. Until adoption now, he is with a female inmate, getting daily lessons and training. We're so happy that we were fortunate enough to get him into such a great program and so grateful to the Prison Program for their time and volunteers for getting Koda the training he needs and deserves to get him a better life. If you would like to learn more information about Koda - visit the Prison Training Program's Adoptable Pets Page.
Thank you to everyone who donated money and time to Koda's training and boarding. Especially Julie Hall, Nancy Lynch, Karin Gaffney, Lisa Mendelsberg and the Winslow Family.
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Success Story of the Month: Cleatus
Cleatus came to RMLR as a surrender from a Silver Labrador Breeding Farm in northern Colorado. He was loosing his hair all over his body and had a tumor. We took him to the vet, got the tumor removed, had him fixed and watched him regain his health and most of his hair. He has been adopted by a great family and here in their story!
Just wanted to let you know that we are LOVE having Cleatus in our family. He is such a sweet dog. He is our daughter's best friend (I've attached a picture of them playing 'bride' together).
Keep in Touch
We love, more than anything, to hear updates from past adopters. Befriend us on facebook and tag your new RMLR Adoptee as us. Email us an update so we can add you and yours to our Success Stories, and you may even be highlighted as our Success Story of the Month (cute photos and great stories help your chances ;)! ) |
The importance of selecting a good dog food
If you had 5 cups of coffee and a couple of donuts for your daily meal, would you feel a bit off-balance? If you ate this every day for years, how would it affect your health, body, energy level and behavior? Most dog owners don't realize that many dog food brands are nutritionally equivalent to the coffee and donut scenario.
Dog food manufacturers spend millions of dollars a year in advertising campaigns to make their brand known to you. When you hear "Pedigree" or "Science Diet" or "Purina," don't you automatically trust the name because you know the name so well? It's normal human behavior to automatically trust someone or something we know. It's what you don't know that can be harmful for your dog.
Why is good nutrition for dogs important?
Proper nutrition results in a healthier coat, stronger bones and muscles, and healthy vital organs. Healthy ingredients in a dog food result in fewer digestive and allergy complications, less intestinal gas and firmer and fewer stools. Mood and behavior are also affected by food intake- the better the food, the better the behavior.
Food Ingredients and their order on dog food labels
On food labels, ingredients are listed in order of highest content. The first ingredient listed is used the most; the second ingredient is the second highest component in the recipe and so on.
The first five ingredients on the label are the most important as they comprise the bulk of the recipe. The first ten ingredients should be well scrutinized as they typically make up 90% of the recipe.
The first ingredient in your dog's food should always be a specifically named protein, such as chicken, lamb or salmon. Meat by-products (also known as meat or bone meal, by-product meal, animal by-product, chicken by-product, etc) are not the same as meat. They are the leftovers of slaughter once the meat has been removed and can include some pretty nasty things.
Wholesome Whole Grains should be in the top five ingredients. Grains supply the carbohydrates your dog needs for energy. Try to avoid processed or altered grains such as brewers rice, wheat glutens, wheat flour, shorts or middlings. These are inexpensive fillers, which are hard to digest and offer little nutritional value.
Try to avoid foods that list corn, in any formulation, within the top five ingredients. Corn is an economical carbohydrate for manufacturers to use but it is virtually indigestible and offers little nutritional value.
Healthy Veggies and Fruits- Whole vegetables are nutrient-rich and easy to digest. Vegetables are important, because they are a great source of antioxidants, which are essential to your dog's good health. Whole fruits are healthy but experts state that they are not necessary in your dog's diet. Additionally, if they are listed after the fifth ingredient, the portion is too small to impact the pet's health.
Preservatives- Two particular preservatives to avoid are "BHA" (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) and "BHT" (Butylated Hydroxytoluene). Research shows that these chemicals have caused cancer in laboratory animals. Natural preservatives such as vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (tocopherols) are much safer and healthier.
For some trusted brands and how to grade your current food visit the RMLR website under New Adopters and Dog Food Grading System.
If for any reason you would not like to be on our mailing list please just send us an email with the topic saying UNSUBSCRIBE. Thank you for your support and please spay and neuter your pets!