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January 2015
In This Issue
Happy Adoption:
Sheila
Volume 9, Number 1
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS!
Final Refuge:
Sasha
We Remember:
Dora
Minnie runs for ODH
ODH Calendar
12th Dog Photo
Contest Winner
Book Signings
Dog Activity 2014
News from the
Executive Director
About Old Dog Haven
As we start a new year we'd like to offer special thanks to all who
make our efforts possible. We’d love to publically acknowledge you
by listing your names, but in the interests of respecting your
privacy, we won’t do that. Many of you have generously and
consistently supported ODH since the very beginning and we want
to let you know how much we appreciate your loyalty and
commitment to our cause. Since we don’t receive any government
funding, what we do wouldn’t be possible without your generous
donations. PAWS UP TO ALL OF YOU!
DURING THE PAST TEN YEARS, ODH HAS HELPED
Old Dog Haven
provides assisted
living and hospice
for senior dogs,
TRIXY
as well
as help in
placing senior dogs
in new, loving
homes. We serve
Western
Washington, with
foster and final
refuge homes from
Blaine to Vancouver. To find out
more,
see
www.olddoghaven.org
MINNIE
3,946 DOGS!
ADOPT!
All of the senior dogs you see pictured in the border that runs the
length of the newsletter (see left) are available for adoption (as
of 1/6) Some are in shelters, living in cages, desperately waiting
for a forever home; many are in foster care, and some are posted
for individuals. All of these amazingly resilient dogs are looking
for forever homes. Go to our website (www.olddoghaven.org)to
find out more about these adoptable dogs.
GO SEAHAWKS!
About Old Dog Haven
Old Dog Haven
provides assisted
living and hospice
care for senior dogs,
as well
as help in
Libby
placing senior dogs
in new, loving
homes. We serve
Western Washington,
with foster and Final
Refuge homes from
Blaine to Vancouver.
To find out more, see
www.olddoghaven.org
Forward to a Friend
Know somebody
whoDUTCHESS
loves old dogs?
The more people
who join our
network, the more
old dogs we can
help!
How to Help
There are many
ways to help! You
can do anything
from taking a
foster or final
refuge dog into
your home, to
hanging a poster
or two. See
How
toCan
Help
How
You
Help
are many
0nThere
our website.
ways to help! You
can do anything
from taking a
foster or final
refuge dog into
your home, to
hanging a poster
or two. Click on the
Donate/Help
Frank us link
on the Home page
of our website for
more information.
HAPPY ADOPTION: SHEILA
by Katie Brown
“I first contacted Old Dog Haven when I saw
a post for urgent need fosters on Facebook.
We already had two dogs of our own, but
my boyfriend and I had just bought our first
home and now had a fully fenced yard. We
talked it over and decided we could make
room for a new friend, so I sent in the
application.
“I was told that they were able to find Final Refuge homes for all the dogs
on the list. But about two days later I received a call about Sheila. ODH told
me a dog that had been surrendered to a vet clinic was receiving medical
attention, but would soon need a foster home. They told me a little about
her and sent a photo. I couldn't say no. I drove an hour to the vet clinic to
pick her up on Halloween day, 2013. The wonderful vet staff at Burien
Veterinary Hospital had taken great care of her. They gave her vaccines,
micro chipped her, removed a large tumor on her elbow that had been
damaged and bleeding, and gave her a huge dental surgery. She had
severe plaque, tartar, and periodontal disease, and ended up having 14
teeth removed.
“The drive home was stressful for her,
and she paced the house for several
days. But she was recovering well, and
only needed further treatment for a
Urinary Tract Infection that was
discovered a few days later. Sheila
started to settle into our home over the
next few days and became quite
comfortable. As it got closer to
Christmas, and Sheila appeared to be
feeling much better, ODH recommended
posting her as adoptable, hoping she
could find a permanent home in time for
the holidays. My boyfriend and I knew
that we just couldn't give her up, so we
decided to adopt her ourselves, since she
Sheila and her family. L-R
was already a part of our little family.
Sheila, Teryn, Sadie, Katie and
Gaga.
“It's been just over a year now that we've had Sheila, and we can't imagine
our home without her. She tolerates my crazy
little terriers, and is such a peaceful presence in
our home. Over the last year she has lost some
weight, and has learned how much fun it is to
chase tennis balls. Very recently she has
discovered how comfy the couch is, and enjoys
snuggling with us. Because I work in an animal
shelter, I am also lucky enough to be able to
bring her to work with me. She wants to follow
me everywhere, and she is very good at making
new friends. She often insists that we stop and
say hi to everyone we see. She is the most
amazing companion, and we feel very lucky to
have her. Thanks to everyone at ODH for all you do for the old guys.”
Bailey
Thank you, Katie and Teryn, for providing a wonderful happy ending
for Sheila and for creating an opportunity for her to be a happy dog.
FINAL REFUGE: SASHA
by Dixie Lynn Gleason
The Story of Princess Sasha Tinypants
A Gift to the World
“I met Sasha when her Old Dog Haven
chauffeur pulled up in the Southcenter
parking lot in May 2012. I had never
taken care of a dog smaller than a
Cocker Spaniel, but from the first
moment this brave, cheerful little royal
had me.
GRACIE
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“She was suffering from spine problems and a mysterious skin condition,
but was loving and calm no matter what. Her fabulous veterinarian Dr. Asta
Tobiassen diagnosed and cured her skin, and has been compassionate,
smart and up-to-the-moment knowledgeable about all her old dog
conditions. She also sees Dr. Michael Landry at the Animal Eye Clinic, and
this past month he reported that she has gained a little sight!
“Her spine has continued to degenerate
and her back legs don’t support her any
longer, but she hasn’t slowed down at
all. She goes out in her stroller on wet
days (and barks indignantly at the rain
hitting the roof of the stroller) and goes
fast like a racecar in her cart on dry
days. She is most fond of her big brother
Henry Jones, and selects which cat is
allowed to sleep with her in her little
kitchen kingdom, which includes her own personal heater, bed, rug for
crawling on, and frequently-filled water dish.
“She is an Olympic-level snuggler, a great listener, a happy clown, a lovely
ray of doggy sunshine. People who visit and are sad for her disability spend
five minutes with her and are buoyed by her jaunty good humor. We are so
blessed to have her in our life.”
Newsletter Team
Paula Moreschi
(Distribution)
Deeanne Matz
(web access)
Judith Piper
(Statistics/
ED Message
Resource)
Contributors:
Katie Brown
DixieLynn Gleason
Rebecca Ransom
Editor
Ardeth De Vries
Princess Sasha and her loyal dog subjects L-R: Humphrey,
Henry Jones, and Fiona
Dixie Lynn, thank you for working so hard to
help a little dog that clearly needed your love
and TLC. Of course, it’s also helpful that you
acknowledge her as a princess and are willing to
be her dedicated human subject. I just don’t
understand why she isn’t wearing a tiara!
WE REMEMBER DORA
by Rebecca Ransom
Forward to a Friend
Know somebody
who loves old dogs?
The more people
who join our
network, the more
old dogs we can
help!
SPENSER
“The first Halloween she lived with
us, I dressed Dora as a cow. She
only needed horns to complete the
look—she already had her own
black-and-white cow spots, a big,
sturdy body and a sweet, gentle
face.
“Dora was our Final Refuge dog for three
years. Her original family left her at the
Everett animal shelter because their new
baby had severe allergies. Unlike all our
other dogs (both those from Old Dog Haven
and the ones we’ve found on our own), Dora
always had a good home and never knew
neglect or abuse. She was a favorite of the
staff and volunteers at the shelter, and the intake sheet her former family
completed showed she had been a beloved family member who went
camping and hiking with her people and was considered a “sister” to the
family’s children.
“Most of the dogs who come to us are over-the-top grateful just to have
food, attention and shelter. Dora was different. She was a sweet, happy girl
who definitely loved her food, attention and shelter—but she also knew that
she deserved them. No beggar at the feast, Dora came to us with many
special skills, such as knowing how to eat gracefully from a fork or spoon.
When we didn’t share our meals with her or feed her according to her
schedule, she would fix us with a killer sad-eyed puppy look. If that didn’t
get us moving, the commanding barks would start. I’m pretty sure Dora
saw us as her loveable but slightly incompetent household staff.
“In addition to food, Dora loved people and
animals (except bunnies and chickens, which
she preferred to love with her mouth). A
puppy at heart, she was obsessed with tugof-war, and when she discovered our other
three other dogs didn’t know how to play it,
she taught them. She was a patient teacher.
Even with her arthritis and achy joints, she
could drag her 100-pound companion Carl
(who outweighed her by a good 15 pounds)
around the house on his back while he hung
from the end of a rope with his teeth.
“She hated thunder, but loved snow and would run circles in the yard
scooping it up in her mouth like a bulldozer. We were lucky enough to
have three good seasons of snow while she was with us. Each time I
wondered if it would be her last one.
EASY
“Most dogs run in their sleep; Dora wagged in her sleep. We could hear
her tail thumping on the floor from the other room. Once I took this
Which Actor Should Voice Your Dog in a Movie? quiz, and it said Dora
should have been played by Audrey Hepburn.
“When Dora’s body finally started to
give out, we knew how she would
want to spend her last few days. We
sat with her, gave her lots of love
and attention and all the good treats
she wanted—from the healthy kale
to the creepifying dried beef trachea
and rabbit jerky. Finally our vet
came out to our house and Dora left
this world in her own bed,
surrounded by good music, lots of
petting and her human, canine and
feline family.
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“Dora and my husband (John Gibbons) at an Old Dog
Haven event at Piccola Cellars. We liked to take Dora to
events by herself and leave the other dogs at home
because we know she liked the special attention. She was
special and she deserved it.
“Dora was such a happy presence in our home. She was a big, joyful girl
and we’ll never forget her. If she taught me anything, it was that you
don’t have to go through life begging for the bare minimum and
expecting scraps—there’s something powerful about believing things will
go your way. Dora was never afraid to ask for what she wanted and
enjoy it once she got it.”
MR. HARRY
HARRISON
Thank you, Rebecca, for telling Dora’s story so beautifully. That
sense of joy you talked about can be seen in every photo of this
very well loved dog.
ODH REPRESENTED AT THE WEINER RACES!
Contact Us
website:
www.olddoghaven.org
email:
office@olddoghaven.org
At half-time of the Seahawks game against the
Cardinals on November 23, the 2014 Race For Rescue
Weiner Dog Races took place at Century Link Field.
The Seahawks and Pemco Insurance donated
financially to Old Dog Haven because our very own
Minnie represented ODH in the races.
Minnie didn’t win because she was up against
younger and more experienced dogs, but she did
cross the finish line with ears flying.
phone:
(360)653-0311
To host a benefit or
help with outreach and
marketing:
outreach@olddoghaven.org
To help at an event:
events@olddoghaven.org
t
That’s our girl!
To transport dogs
placement@olddoghaven.org
Thanks to everyone who voted and
cheered for Minnie. She won the
“Fan Favorite” and was awarded
this cozy bed as a prize.
We truly appreciate the opportunity given to
Old Dog Haven through the Race for Rescue
halftime show by The Seattle Seahawks,
Pemco Insurance and Gretchen Howell.
2015 ODH CALENDAR AVAILABLE
CHLOE
Do you have your Old Dog
Haven 2015 calendar yet?
This full color wall calendar
designed by Joe Myers
features beautiful
photographs of many of
the ODH dogs and is now
available.
Check the home page of
our website:
www.olddoghaven.org to
see how you can either
purchase the calendar or
receive it as a gift with a
donation of $30 or more.
12TH DOG PHOTO CONTEST WINNER
And the winner is … BUTCH!
Here’s Butch … all ears,
watching the game. He’s a big
Seahawks fan, but his mom,
Pam Muramatsu says “really,
he’s a fan of anything that
brings warm laps to the
couch.”
Pam is an ODH foster, and
even though Butch is not an
ODH dog, he’s been a foster
brother to more than six ODH
dogs.
Congratulations Butch and
Pam! Pam will receive a free
copy of the ODH book and
Butch … well, he’ll get an
extra hug from his mom for
being named ODH’s official
12th Dog for this season.
ODH BOOK SIGNINGS IN JANUARY
If you haven’t purchased your copy of
Old Dog Haven: Every Old Dog has
a Story to Tell yet I’ll be doing three
more book signings in January. The
book will be sold at all three of these
events. All proceeds from book sales
are donated to Old Dog Haven.
Sat. Jan. 10
2:00 P.M.
Olympia Timberland Library
313 8th Ave. SE
Olympia
LUNA
Sat. Jan. 17
1:00 P.M.
Hart’s Fine Books
161 W. Washington St.
Sequim
With a little help from Final
Refuge dog Lewis, I read a
chapter from the book at the
Coupeville book signing.
Sun. Jan. 25
3:00 P.M.
Elliott Bay Book Company
1521 10th Ave.
Seattle
DORIE
These are the last three book signings I’ll be doing (as of this date) and I’d
love to see you at any of these events.
The book has been honored as a finalist in the 2014 Best Book Awards.
DOG ACTIVITY NUMBERS: 2014 WRAP UP
2014
GUM-GUM
256 DOGS IN CARE AT YEAR END
150 ACTIVE FOSTER HOMES (MORE NEEDED!!)
510 NEW DOGS HELPED
185 PLACED IN ODH FOSTER HOMES
85% OF THOSE FROM SHELTERS AND RESCUE GROUPS
15% OF THOSE FROM INDIVIDUALS
HAL
186 DOGS ADOPTED
Even non-profits are affected by the economy. Because our
responsibilities, expenses, and dogs in care are increasing,
your donations are more important than ever. If you can
help, please send your tax-deductible donation to:
Old Dog Haven
621 State Route 9 NE
PMB A-4
Lake Stevens WA
98258-8525
BIG BOB
Thank You!
WAYS TO HELP OLD DOG HAVEN
SUGAR
SPONSOR A FINAL REFUGE DOG (MAKES A GREAT GIFT!
http://olddoghaven.org/permanent-residents/final-refuge-dogs/
PROVIDE A FINAL REFUGE HOME
http://olddoghaven.org/fostering/
DONATE YOUR VEHICLE
http://olddoghaven.org/donate/other-ways-to-help/
SIGN UP FOR A RECURRING DONATION
http://olddoghaven.org/donate/donate/
PENNY
HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT OLD DOG HAVEN BY PROVIDING
BROCHURES AT YOUR LOCAL COFFEE SHOP, PET STORE OR
VETERINARY CLINIC. outreach@olddoghaven.org
The dog featured
in the logo is
Final Refuge dog
Wilson
TWINKIE
Old Dog Haven has been
featured on Entirely Pets’
list of Top 50 Charities
for the second year in a
row.
NEWS FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
DUDLEY
As we’re starting the second decade of ODH (amazing!) we want to
thank all those who’ve made this effort grow and flourish as it has.
Our wonderful self-sacrificing Board who give SO MUCH time
and energy and talent
Our 150 fabulous foster families, the very center of what we
do
Our staff members, Tina and Barb, who put their souls into
the “job”
SUGAR
Our volunteers who transport dogs, write thank-you cards,
man outreach tables or attend events in all weather, monitor
donation cans, work on the website and Facebook page,
develop data bases, and other non-glamorous jobs
All the veterinarians who work so hard to help our old dogs
with ridiculously challenging problems and no health history
The businesses, clinics, and individuals who hold
benefits to raise funds for ODH – these have been a real
boost (and sometimes a lot of fun too!)
KD
The businesses who sell our calendar or book and also
introduce their customers to ODH
Our incredibly generous donors, now from all over the
country (and even around the world), who make this possible.
Caring for nearly 260 dogs is extremely expensive and you
allow us to give them what they need. With special thanks to
those who’ve been loyal to us since our early years, we are
very grateful to ALL who contribute and become part of Old
Dog Haven.
POOKY & DUKE
CHANCE
BUCK & ABBY
It truly warms our hearts to know how many people care about old
dogs and want them to end their lives with love and comfort in a
family that cares.
Judith and Lee Piper, founders