In this issue: Volunteers Courtney & Kimberly Happy Tails - Princess Adopt Me - Dora Training Tip - "Go to your mat" In Memoriam - Boomer Photo Contest - Dog Days of Summer
NOLA Lab Rescue News W hen you see an appeal on our Facebook page for volunteers, you may be wondering what our volunteers do. The short answer is EVERY- THING! We have volunteers who only foster puppies, those who only participate in transport, and those who share their skills in social media or fundraising. And of course there are those people who literally do everything. Two of our younger volunteers came to us after their family adopted a dog named Nala from NOLA in Michigan in 2012. These twin sisters somehow man- age to balance full-time jobs, fam- Happy Tails - Princess I t’s hard to believe that a young dog could amass so many names in such a short period of time. Princess came to our attention with no name at all, as a terrified blind little puppy. She was quickly named Bijou. She had been dumped at the pound by a “breeder” who had no use for her. In addition to being blind, Bijou was immobilized by fear, was unable to drink from a bowl, could only eat one piece of kibble at a time, and had the biggest underbite we’d ever seen in a dog. She was also severely undersized for a five and a half months old lab. Among other issues, she was diagnosed with (Continued on page 5) FINDING PERMANENT ADOPTIVE HOMES FOR HOMELESS LABS www.nolalabrescue.org Fall 2014 We Love Volunteers (Continued on page 6) Why Join NOLA? Our mission is to provide: • Permanent adoptive homes for unwanted, abandoned or abused labs • Medical care and foster homes for rescued dogs • Education to pet owners regarding spaying/neu- tering and responsible pet ownership • Public information about irresponsible breeding practices and animal abuse in an effort to end both Your Membership Supports: • Vaccination, sterilization, heartworm prevention, and veterinary services for all dogs • Heartworm treatment • Rescue of canine seniors with high expenses • Orthopedic surgery for rescued dogs in need • Transportation of HW neg, fully vetted dogs from the overpopulated South to pre-approved foster and forever homes
Transcript
NOLA Lab RescueNews
When you see an appealon our Facebook pagefor volunteers, you may
be wondering what our volunteersdo. The short answer is EVERY-THING! We have volunteers whoonly foster puppies, those whoonly participate in transport, andthose who share their skills insocial media or fundraising. Andof course there are those peoplewho literally do everything.
Two of our younger volunteerscame to us after their familyadopted a dog named Nala from
NOLA in Michigan in 2012.These twin sisters somehow man-age to balance full-time jobs, fam-
Happy Tails - Princess
It’s hard to believe that ayoung dog could amass somany names in such a short
period of time. Princess came toour attention with no name at all,as a terrified blind little puppy.She was quickly named Bijou.She had been dumped at thepound by a “breeder” who had nouse for her. In addition to beingblind, Bijou was immobilized byfear, was unable to drink from abowl, could only eat one piece ofkibble at a time, and had thebiggest underbite we’d ever seenin a dog. She was also severely
undersized for a five and a halfmonths old lab. Among otherissues, she was diagnosed with
(Continued on page 5)
FINDING PERMANENT ADOPTIVE HOMES FOR HOMELESS LABS
www.nola labrescue .org Fal l 2014
We Love Volunteers
(Continued on page 6)
Why JoinNOLA?
Our mission is toprovide:
• Permanent adoptivehomes for unwanted,abandoned or abusedlabs
• Medical care and fosterhomes for rescued dogs
• Education to pet ownersregarding spaying/neu-tering and responsiblepet ownership
• Public information aboutirresponsible breedingpractices and animalabuse in an effort to endboth
Your MembershipSupports:
• Vaccination, sterilization,heartworm prevention,and veterinary servicesfor all dogs
• Heartworm treatment• Rescue of canine seniorswith high expenses
• Orthopedic surgery forrescued dogs in need
• Transportation of HWneg, fully vetted dogsfrom the overpopulatedSouth to pre-approvedfoster and forever homes
your selfless work and gener-ous giving over the years.
Together we have transport-ed dogs over thousands ofmiles, picked up uncountedpiles of dog poo, bathed shelterstink off incoming dogs, andraised money to provide des-perately needed vet care.
We have also shared laugh-ter, socialized at dock diving
events, shook everything we hadat dance-a-thon fundraisers, andbeen bathed in warm puppy kiss-es. All of the hard work that weput in has been rewarded manytimes over.
There are still many moredogs to rescue, but the firm foun-dation that we have built togetherwill help lead us into the future.
~Kim
NOLA Lab Rescue frequent-ly agrees to rescue dogsthat are overlooked by other
groups due to their obvious medicalissues (think of Midnight and Bijou,most recently). As a result we needveterinary professionals who notonly excel at their profession andsee the purpose in the lives we arefighting for, but also are aware ofthe funding constraints that we face.
Both Lakeview VeterinaryHospital in New Orleans andSoutheast Veterinary Specialistsin Metarie provide exceptionalmedical care and through theirongoing generosity, they havemade it possible for NOLA Labrescue to be part of some trulyinspirational rescue stories.
Dr. Gary Levy’s LakeviewVeterinary Hospital consistentlygets five star reviews for aboveand beyond service at his state-of-the-art medical facility.
Southeast VeterinarySpecialists is a referal service foranimals with special needs, with alarge practice of board certifiedveterinarians who work together
to handle the most complicatedmedical and surgical cases.
Both practices are continuingtheir generosity to NOLA LabRescue with their “Midnight”sponsorships for our fall fundrais-ers and we look forward to work-ing with them for many years tocome.
NOLA News Fal l 2014
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By the time thisnewsletter goes toprint, New Orleans
Lab Rescue will have offi-cially been in operation forjust over 4 years. In that timewe have rescued over 700dogs!
NOLA would not be whatit is today without each andevery one of you giving yourtime, your love, your money, andyour sanity to this effort. Thankyou!!! It can never be said oftenenough.
Every single one of you havejoined us because of your love forthese dogs, many of whom wouldnever have made it out of a shelterwithout YOU. I thank you, theboard thanks you, and these furryfriends at our feet thank you for
From the President
Featured Donors
Sandy and Mark Kurtes haveagain donated their precioustime and amazing talents to
NOLA and have created this stun-ning 2015 calendar. Each dog in
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Take Notethis calendar is connected withNOLA Lab Rescue and holds aspecial place in our hearts. Wehope that the messages thataccompany the beautiful photog-raphy will win your hearts too.
The calendars can be purchasedfor $20 ($23 with shipping) athttp://www.youcaring.com/med-ical-fundraiser/2015-calendar-fundraiser-/232361. They will also
be available at several events,including the upcoming “Night forthe Dogs” in November inJefferson, LA.
Feeling guilty about being away from your best friend for an afternooninstead of taking her to the park like you promised? One way that youcan give her something to take her mind off of your absence is to providea long-lasting, high-value, delicious puzzle snack.
If your dog has never gotten food out of a Kong before, you might wantto try it with a few pieces of small kibble to make sure that she has thegeneral concept before you blow her mind with the good stuff!
For a pumpkin pie type of experience, put two spoons of canned pureedpumpkin into the Kong to seal the small hole. Follow with a spoonful ofplain yogurt. Repeat – layering until the Kong is almost full. Then cram afew pieces of graham cracker or dog biscuit into the end of the Kong toseal. Freeze until that guilty moment presents itself.
Best In ShowThe best photos of your dogs
This Issue:The Dog Days of Summer
NOLA News Fal l 2014
Where to take your dog in... Jefferson, LA
The Canadian supporters of NOLA LabRescue have so much fun at theirannual fundraisers, that the New
Orleans group just had to give it a try! Joinus for a night of food, dancing, prizes, greatsilent auction items, and so much more.Many of our fosters and NOLA leadershipwill be at this event so it will be a greatopportunity to meet the people that you’vebeen hearing about for years!
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Next issue: Me & My Dog - photos of the bond between people and dogsSend responses & photos to [email protected]
The Winner - Turq!Most Canadian dogs don’t have time to slow
down. The summer months are too short and filledwith sunshine, trips to the lake, hiking, and otheroutdoor activities to take a moment to rest in the
shade, stretch out, and enjoy the quiet life.Fortunately for Turq, he has it all - Melanie andAngie make sure that he has all the outdoor fun
that a young dog could possibly want, balanced bylove and snuggles, plus a few photo ops.
Second Place
Third Place
Fal l 2014 NOLA News
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Go to your mat is one of sev-eral control measures thatyou can use when you are
working with your dog in trainingexercises or when you are engagingin every day activities. It teachesyour dog to go to her bed or hercrate and remain there (Park It)until released by a specific com-mand. - Begin by saying nothing but
tossing a toy or a treat onto herbed or into her crate. When shegoes after it, use a clicker to“click” and treat again. Repeatseveral times.- Now say “Place” or “Go to your
mat” BEFORE you toss the treat,and when she complies, click andtreat again. - Park It - Teach her to remain there
until you release her. You accom-plish this by slowly feeding her
Dog Health & Training Tiptreats to keep her on the mat or inthe crate until you release her bysaying OK or calling her to Come.(don’t use the word “Stay” becausestay means “don’t move” whereas inthis exercise it’s ok for the dog to
change or shift positions as long asshe remains in the same location). Ifnecessary, you may use a leash foradditional control as you feed thetreats. Be strict about not allowing
your dog to move away from herplace until released.- Gradually stand further and further
back as you give the cue to train herto go to her place from a distance -then you may need to remind her toSit or Down. Continue to randomlyreward her correct behavior withpraise and a treat.- As your dog masters this exercise,
repeat the sequence, but begin to adddistractions - softly clap your hands,count out loud to ten, knock softlyon a near-by wall or door, etc. Praiseand reward, then release your dog bysaying OK. Practice having your dogremain “parked” on a mat while ahelper rings the doorbell.
This lesson is one of many thatcan be found onwww.hollysden.com, which pro-motes training through positive, gen-tle, dog-friendly methods.
severe hypothyroidism, pituitarydwarfism, retinal dysplasia, andsome neurological issues. Her lifeis likely to be shorter than aver-age and limited in scope.
After a beginninglike that, it was hard topicture what kind ofhome she would be ableto find. Fortunately forBijou, she got a newname and an amazingnew home! PrincessBelly Rubs won Carey’s heart
before they even met. Havingworked with people with disabili-ties she knows what they gothrough and the importance ofquality care to their lives. Careywanted to provide this type ofcare to Princess.
In the four weeks thatPrincess has been in her newhome, her skills have grown. Shehas mastered the stairs in herhouse, she can get onto the couch,
she has won over herunsocial canine house-mate, and she is confi-dent enough to leaveCarey’s guiding handto strike out on herown to explore bothher indoor and outdoorenvironments. She
even follows the chickens around
to try to figure out what they are.She and Carey kayak together, aregoing to puppy classes together,are planning a trip to Florida, andhope to qualify as a therapy dogteam with the intent of visitingchildren with disabilities to showthem an example of the value ofbeing different.
Carey’s instinct was to wrapPrincess in a protective bubble,but Princess has shown that shewants to tackle challenges headon and conquer her fears.
(Happy Tails - continued from page 1)
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Looking for Love? Adopt!
Midnight
Romeo
Kimberly is in herfinal year of college,student teaching,working part time,and volunteering! Shesays that there’s noth-ing better than apuppy kiss to greether when she goes tovolunteer and that thedogs have helped hermore than she helps
them. She loves walking throughthe door and seeing all of herfurry friends.
“Throughout my time volun-teering, I’ve learned that you canmake a difference by just givingsome of your time. This may notseem like much, but a dog reallycan change someone’s life for thebetter.”
These wise and generousyoung ladies are a wonderfulexample of the volunteers thatNOLA relies on. Their gift of timeand energy provides dogs withcare and socialization that helpsthem to be ready to move intoloving forever families.
NOLA always needs volun-teers and you can make a criticaldifference to our group.
ily time, school, andvolunteer work butstill find time to havefun with their friends.
Courtney tries tovolunteer five days aweek, and credits thedogs and puppies formotivating her tobecome much more ofa morning person thanshe’s ever been - sheenjoys getting up early knowingthat she will be able to play witheach dog or puppy and givingthem each some special attentionand love. Courtney doesn’t skipout on the dirty work either - shedoes plenty of cleaning, feeding,and walking and often brings giftsand treats with her to give to thesespecial little friends.
(Volunteers - continued from page 1)
Gauge
Annie
Sophie
Skye
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We are seeking spon-sors for our fallfundraiser. Many cor-
porations are interested in sup-porting local non-profits likeNew Orleans Lab Rescue. Thesponsorship opportunities are:
$1,000 “Midnight” Sponsorship
- Includes 4 complimentary tickets tothe event- Full page advertisement in our
newsletter for 1 year (quarterly)- Logo on tickets- Logo on all marketing materials,
social media postings and other relatedmaterials naming you as a MidnightSponsor- Large logo ad on our website- Full screen logo on video presenta-
tion at event
- Sponsor will receive special recogni-tion at the event- Banner will be displayed at the event- Opportunity to offer a gift to all atten-
dees (company logo item)
$500 “Annie” Sponsorship
- Includes 2 complimentary tickets tothe event- Half page advertisement in two
newsletters- Logo on all marketing materials,
social media postings and other relatedmaterials naming you as an AnnieSponsor- Medium logo ad on our website- Half screen logo on video presenta-
tion at event- Sponsor will receive special recogni-
tion at the event- Opportunity to offer a gift to all atten-
dees (company logo item)
$250 “Sirius” Sponsorship- Quarter page advertisement in one
newsletterLogo on all marketing materials, socialmedia postings and other related materi-als naming you as a Sirius Sponsor- Small logo ad on our website- Quarter screen logo on video presen-
tation at event- Sponsor will receive special recogni-
tion at the event- Opportunity to offer a gift to all atten-
dees (company logo item)
Faces of Adoption
Jackson
Hunter
Ellie
Fran
Mowgli
Sponsorships
NOLA News Fal l 2014
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Have you always wantedto adopt a labrador butwere nervous about the
idea of needing to go for a fivemile jog before breakfast? Ormaybe you know someone whowould really like to have a dogbut is worried about trainingwhile managing a house full ofyoung children. Juliana Doracould be thesolution to these,and a number ofother empty dognest problems!
Juliana Dorais approximatelyeight yearsyoung. She did-n’t have much fun in heryounger years, but she’s not let-ting that hold her back. Sheenjoys romping with puppies,leisurely strolls in the park,hanging around with her family,watching the kids play, snoozingon the couch, chillin’ with herdoggie pals (she likes all kinds
of dogs - big & little, male &female), riding in the car, camp-ing in the RV, and just about anyactivity that you can think of thatkeeps her near the people she
Adopt Me!!loves most. Except jog-ging.
Juliana Dora doesn’tneed much in the way oftraining. She’s alreadyhouse trained, will sit forthe right sort of incentive,and has great overall man-ners. She generally ignorescats. She doesn’t jump, she does-
n’t dig, and shedoesn’t chew. Shespent ten months infoster care with threekids under five yearsin age and was per-fectly behaved withthem. She does loveto eat treats, so if
you did want to teach an old dognew tricks, she would be anenthusiastic student. But if youwere hoping for gentle compan-ionship to slot into your life withlittle training required, she wouldbe happy to fill that role as well.
Please give Juliana Dora achance to wow you with her supe-
rior character, beautifulcoat, and soulful gaze. Shehas a lot of love to give andis looking for a foreverfamily to make her own.
If you’ve ever considereda middle-aged dog becauseof the ease of ownership,Dora is the girl for you.Her inner grace and beautywill bring a joyful light into
your life and her calm, warm, lov-ing presence next to you on thecouch each evening is such a pre-cious gift. No one loves you theway your dog does, and Dora isan expert in that field.
If Juliana Dora had a themesong, it would be from MaryPoppins. To paraphrase:
Oh, it’s a jolly ‘oliday with DoraDora makes your ‘eart so light!When the day is gray and ordinaryDora makes the sun shine bright!Oh, ‘appiness is bloomin’all around
‘herThe daffodils are smilin’ at the dove
For more information and photos on these dogs, as well as all othersawaiting forever homes with NOLA, please visit our website at
www.nolalabrescue.org or Petfinder athttp://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?shelter_id=LA259
YES! Please sign me up as a NOLA member!
Boomer was... just Boomer.Headstrong in a kind and gentlemanner. A magnetic personality.
An easy-going old soul. He struggledphysically but never gave up. No mat-ter what, he wanted to be with his fami-ly. He would carefully maneuver flightsof stairs, fall, and then re-try, no matterhow much we tried to block him. Nearthe end, I would sleep with him on ourmain floor.
Boomer loved the outdoors. Coolspots on my garden flowers, warmpatches of sun in sand at the beach, andin the middle of snow piles during ourCanadian winters (I had to bribe him tocome in from the cold). No matter what
blessed to know him and am a betterperson for it.”
Boomer was with our family fromearly 2012 until March 6, 2013 whenhe passed away at approximately 14years old. When I look at the dates, Iam shocked because I felt like he hadbeen with us forever, and I wish hecould have been. But he remains alivein our hearts and memories.
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In MemoriamBoomer was going through, he wasalways ready for a van ride, even if itwas just for a short trip.
From the first day that he cameinto my life, Boomer suffered greatlyfrom hip dysplasia and severe arthritis.His vet would wonder how Boomercould possibly still walk. Boomer’ships and legs were either bone on boneor pulling outward from their originallocation but it wasn’t until his last dayswith us that he was unable to get him-self up and stand. But no matter what,he alway had his gentle old-souldemeanor. And his love of food - espe-cially vanilla frozen yogurt.
My kids and I developed a word,“Boomer-tude”. It describes beingworry-free and the ability to just gowith the flow. A friend perfectlydescribed Boomer as he “never gaveup, never gave in. He would try untilhe could no longer try, and then hewould try again. There is so much tobe learned from this boy and hisstrength and his character. I was
Fal l 2014 NOLA News
Beloved departed pets always leave us withcherished memories. Share a photo and story
Send to:NOLA Lab Rescue432 Evergreen DrDestrehan, LA 70047
Your generous donations are very muchappreciated. Our registered 501(c)(3) hasno paid employees and relies entirely onthe support of donors and volunteers. Thank you
Donors are, without doubt, one of the criti-cal links to the work we do. Perfect levels ofdonation exist for previous adopters, friends,family and fans of our work. We hope thatyou will pick your level and help in ourefforts to harvest hope for the homeless dogswe will save in 2015.
Level I - “I Chipped In” Your donation of$10 will pay for one microchipLevel 2 - “I Fixed the Puppy Problem” Yourdonation of $50 will pay for a spay or neuterLevel 3 - “I Am Saving the World One Dogat a Time” Your donation of $100 will payfor the initial vetting of one dog or puppy
Board of DirectorsKim Breaux - President & FounderKathy Brainard - SecretaryPam Hrycyk - Vice PresidentBetsy Taylor - Treasurer
