From the Chairman

I am proud to announce that a new board has been elected to represent Oldies But Goodies Cocker Rescue for the year 2000-2001. Elections were held on April 8, 2000 and the following individuals are now on the current board.

Chairperson Deborah Reitz
President Larry Eicher
Vice President Janice Wagner
Secretary Kathi Alexander
Treasurer Jenny Hyman
Foster Representative Judy Wollin

We have a new position on the board and it is an extremely important position. As foster representative Judy Wollin will bring to the board any questions, concerns and/or needs the fosters may have. Judy is also the Head Foster and will coordinate when and where the rescue dogs go. This is a huge job and one that will take time to learn. I have been the head foster and coordinator for several years and will be around to help Judy learn the ropes. I can tell you from experience that this is a full time job unto itself.

One may ask, "what does the new board plan for Oldies But Goodies Cocker Rescue this year?" Our main goal will be to continue to rescue as many cockers and cocker mixes as we can. Many may be aware that I can no longer foster as I once did. This means that a continued drive to find new foster homes for our charges is extremely important. We need foster backup homes so that when our fosters want to go on vacation or take a few days off, there is a place to put our four-legged friends.

Due to our current foster situation, we must turn away more cockers than ever before. If a permanent home can be found for OBG, we can again equal the number of dogs saved in years past and even surpass it.

It pains me terribly to turn away a single cocker from our rescue organization, but until we get more fosters, or fund a new permanent home for them, we must, by necessity, limit our intake of new rescues. We have no other choice.
Please help by checking our website and Wish List. Cockers in the mid-Atlantic region desperately need your assistance now more than ever.

Debbie Reitz,
Chairman, OBG, Inc.

Ways to Help Rescue (without Adopting or Fostering a Dog)

Can you...
Transport a dog?
Donate a dog bed or towels or other bedding type items?
Donate MONEY?
Donate a Kong? A nylabone?
Donate a crate? An x-pen or baby gates?
Donate a food dish or a stainless bucket for a crate?
Donate a leash? A collar?
Donate some treats or a bag of food?
Walk a dog?
Groom a dog?
Donate grooming supplies (shampoos, combs, brushes, etc.)?
Go to the local shelter and see if that dog is indeed, the breed the shelter says it is, or go with rescue to be a second opinion on the dog?
Make a few phone calls?
Mail out applications to people who've requested them?
Provide local vet clinics with contact information for educational materials on responsible pet ownership?
Drive a foster dog to and from vet appointments?
Donate long distance calling cards?
Donate the use of your scanner or digital camera? Use of a photocopier?
Attend public education days and try to educate people on responsible pet ownership?
Donate a gift certificate from a pet store?
Donate flea stuff (Advantage, etc.)?
Donate heartworm pills?
Donate a canine first aid kit?
Provide a shoulder to cry on when the rescue person is overwhelmed?
Be a "Santa-paws" foster to give the foster a break for a few hours or days?
Clip coupons for dog food or treats?

OBG Committee Chairs
Fundraising Lisa Roosa
Newsletter Editor Kathi Alexander
Publicity Sharon Kash
Volunteer Coordinator Debbie Davenport
Web Master ML Merk

Board members can be reached via the website: www.cockerspanielrescue.com

Congratulations!

Congratulations go out to Eileen Leiby of Akron, Ohio who submitted the winning name for our newsletter. Eileen will soon be sporting a brand new Oldies But Goodies t-shirt for submitting the name "Cocker Connection" and winning our contest.

Ways to Help Rescue (cont)

Bake some homemade doggie biscuits?
Make book purchases through Amazon via a web site that contributes commissions earned to a rescue group?
Host rescue photos with an information link on your website.?
Donate time to take good photos of foster dogs for adoption flyers, etc.?
Conduct a home visit or accompany a rescue person on the home visit?
Go with rescue person to the vet to help if there is more than one dog?
Have a yard sale and donate the money to rescue?
Volunteer to do rescue in your area?
Take advantage of a promotion on the web or store offering a free ID tag and instead of getting it for your own dog, have the tag inscribed with your group's name and phone # to contact?
Talk to all your friends about adopting and fostering rescue dogs?
Donate vet services or can you help by donating a spay or neuter each year or some vaccinations?
Write a column for your local newspaper or on dogs on dogs currently looking for homes or ways to help rescue?
Help organize and run fundraising events?
Help maintain the paperwork files associated with each dog or enter the information into a database?
Loan your carpet steamcleaner to someone who has fostered a dog that was sick or marked in the house?
Donate or loan a portable dog run to someone who doesn't have a quarantine area for quarantining a dog that has an unknown vaccination history and has been in a shelter?
Drive the fosters' children to an activity so that the foster can take the dog to obedience class?
Use your video camera to film a rescue dog in action?
Pay the cost of taking a dog to obedience class?
Be the one to take the dog to its obedience class?
Go to the foster home once a week with your children and dogs to help socialize the dog?
Help the foster clean up the yard (yes, we also have to scoop what those foster dogs poop)
Offer to test the foster dog with cats?
Pay a house-cleaning service to do the spring cleaning for someone who fosters dogs all the time?
Donate printer paper, envelopes and stamps to your Rescue?

reprinted from the
c-o-c-k-e-r-s@egroups.com email list

Come Visit Us!

We'd love to see you at our upcoming events. And it's especially a thrill to see our "alumni", happy and wiggly, showing off their new families. Here's where we will be in the next several weeks:

June 9-11: Fairfax Fair, Fairfax, VA

June 17: Adoption show at Greenbriar Petco, Chantilly, VA 12-3pm AND on television: WUSA Channel 9 news, between 7:30-8am

July 1: Adoption show at Springfield, VA PetSmart 12-3pm

July 2: IMOM's Voices for the Voiceless, US Capitol grounds, DC

July 15: Adoption show at Greenbriar Petco, Chantilly, VA 12-3pm

July 22nd: Adoption show at Silver Spring, MD PetSmart 12-3pm

Help Needed:
Assistant Webmaster

Have a computer with Photoshop and Front Page? Have an affinity to create and a few spare hours each week? The OBG webmaster is looking for you!

A website like ours needs to be updated almost daily, as dogs come in and get adopted back out. Our website team is looking for a few more sets of hands to help keep the information presented there as current as possible.

If you're willing to help, or have questions about what we need, e-mail us: web@cockerspanielrescue.com

Senior Spotlight

This month: Boots!

It's been nearly two years since Boots joined our family and we can't imagine life without him. He is the perfect foil for Rufus, our 12-year-old, "cranky old man" cocker.

But our life together has not always been easy. In the beginning, communication was difficult at best. Deaf and nearly blind, Boots could not understand us. And because Boots does not bark, we could not understand him. For several months frustration reigned supreme. Boots would sit on the floor and stamp his front paws trying to make a point.

We, in turn, would offer a variety of choices to him (food, outside, treat, etc.) trying to zero in on what he was trying to tell us. Often the only thing we could do was wrap our arms around Boots and hope that he knew we loved him and were trying our best. We don't know when or how it happened. We just know that one day we realized that we were communicating effortlessly. And that Boots had changed.

Boots is now ten and people often ask if we think we made a mistake by adopting an old, "used" dog. There is only one answer. Absolutely not!

While we realize that our time with Boots is more limited than if we had adopted a puppy, we know that if we had adopted any other dog, we would have never known this remarkable little dog.

When Boots is gone, the depths of our grief will be unfathomable. But our memories of the sweet little dog with the persistent smile and constantly wagging tail will give us comfort.

To someone, in a life far removed from the one he lives now, Boots was no more than something to be thrown out once he became old and worn out. To us, Boots is a gift that brings more happiness into our lives than we ever imagined possible.

Joanne Kaufman
Boots' mom

Heart Disease:
COCKER cardiomyopathy

I have been doing a lot of research on heart disease since my younger cocker, Gus, was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy with marked mitral valve disease. Because of what I found, I wanted to share this information with other cocker owners.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a disease that typically afflicts large breed dogs, especially Dobermans. It is rare in small or mixed breeds WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COCKER SPANIELS. It occurs frequently enough in cockers that breed specific studies have been done. The cardiologist I was referred to told me Gus's symptoms and diagnosis are consistent with COCKER cardiomyopathy. So, as cocker lovers, we have to be aware of breed specific issues like thyroid dysfunction, "cocker ears", cocker skin issues, and allergies that plague the breed but need to also be aware of the heart problems which according to the cardiologist and the information I've found on the internet, are specific cocker issues too.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a term used to describe a condition which occurs with the heart muscle. Inflammation and scarring causes an enlargement of the heart itself, and the chambers within the heart dilate and become less efficient in supplying the body and organs with blood. As a result of being stretched, the heart muscle becomes weakened and the organ losses it's ability to pump blood efficiently through the body. The end result of a dog suffering from this condition is that the heart muscle will eventually weaken and the dog will develop congestive heart failure, and will die. The reason that dogs develop this condition is unknown. Some researchers assume it to be genetic. Exactly how it is inherited is not yet documented. The breeds of dog that have documented histories of cardiomyopathy are: Boxers, Cocker Spaniels, Dobermans, Shepherds, Retrievers, Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds and Saint Bernards. Dilated cardiomyopathy has also been associated with various conditions that cause damage to the heart muscle.

Certain nutritional deficiencies (taurine,
L-carnitine), viral infections, and some medications (Adriamycin - an anticancer drug) are linked to the "enlarged heart symptom".

One of the worst things about this disease is that it is easily missed during routine physicals. Frequently the animal is asymptomatic until they are about 5 years old for males and closer to 9 years old in females. This means they have no clinical signs of the problem. (I guess maybe its the same reason they call heart disease the silent killer in humans because there are not a lot of warning signs). The clinical signs of a dog suffering from cardiomyopathy do not appear over a long period of time. They don't start demonstrating exercise intolerance, severe panting, fainting, blue tongue, coughing until they already have some amount of heart failure. At this point, depending on how severe it is, the animal may only have months to live. Gus didn't demonstrate any of these symptoms but our veterinarian detected a heart murmur. Luckily, she was concerned enough to do an ultrasound and chest x-ray and she was able to diagnose the dilated cardiomyopathy and referred us to a cardiologist.

The cardiologist has started Gus on an amino acid therapy (taurine and L-carnitine), digoxen, and Zestril, the last two being heart medications that were developed for human use and are now used in animals. The hope is that the amino acid is what is lacking in his system and that by adding them in they will increase the constriction efficiency of the heart and we may be able to take him off of the strong heart medications that sometimes create serious side effects (like kidney dysfunction).

Dilated Cardiomyopathy is not curable but the hope is progression of the disease can be slowed done. Cost of treatment is not cheap. The ultrasounds done by a cardiologist are around $200 each. It is suggested one be done every 4 months to track the disease and assist in making determinations on adjusting medications. Medications, including the amino acids, are about $100 per month. The earlier treatment begins, the longer the probable life span.

Debbie Lamb,
OBG volunteer and cocker adopter

Another
way to help?

Read books? Listen to music? Shop Amazon.com?

Consider changing your browser's bookmark.

Connect to Amazon.com through the OBG website, and buy ANYTHING. Our homeless dogs will get a portion of the proceeds if you enter Amazon through our website link. AT NO COST TO YOU!

For more info, see our link at:
www.cockerspanielrescue.com/info/
recreading.htm

Donuts for the Dogs!

On Sunday, May 21st, Oldies But Goodies will be holding a fundraising drive at the Stafford Walmart located on Garrisonville Road in Stafford, Virginia from 8:00am until 12noon.

We will be selling Krispy Kreme donuts in an effort to raise money for foster dogs' medical bills.

A local youth church group will be selling donuts prior to these days to help our cause. Please stop by and treat your family to a delicious box or two of donuts. The dogs will thank you!

Honey: A Story of Hope

"Lady" as Honey appeared on the websites

I don't think I'll ever forget the first time I saw Honey. It was a dark, snowy, Thursday night in December and she was waiting for me at a gas station right off of the Interstate, shivering and coughing and wondering what it was that was happening to her. At about 17 lbs, she looked like a starving, homeless waif, all ribs and eyes.
A few days before, a northern Maryland shelter had called and asked us to take on an older female stray cocker. They judged her age to be 10-12 years old. We agreed, and then they told us that "Lady", as they were calling her, had congestive heart failure. They also insisted that she be spayed before leaving their facility. Debbie and I agonized over the choices, but agreed to take the dog anyway. So I set up a transport with a fellow rescuer who lives in Carroll County, Maryland.

I took the dog to my home, horrified at her condition. She wheezed, coughed and shivered non-stop. We made an appointment for her to see OBG's vet the next day.

I really expected the vet to "put her down". Her heart was enlarged, pressing on her trachea, causing the coughing. She was infected from the poorly performed spay operation. The poor darling was really miserable. But Dr J. said "no". He told Debbie, "I'm going to do what I always tell you not to do. I'm going to give her a chance."

Rescue groups learn to hate the holidays. That's when families dump their pets at shelters rather than pay to board them when they go away on vacation. This was December, a big dumping season, and OBG was full. I don't normally foster, but I agreed to take this dog home and give her that chance Dr. J wanted her to have. My two cockers had already met her, and seemed to understand that she was special, that she needed to be treated gently.

So we bundled the little girl up in one of Checkmate's doggy sweaters and collected her miniature pharmacy of drug bottles and sheets of written instructions and trucked her back to Maryland. She stayed with us for another week, and there were times I sat up with her in the middle of the

But, gradually, the drugs began to take effect. Her appetite improved. Her little tail wagged. She got into arguments with my younger cocker. She wanted to play and chew rawhides. She went for walks with us, although usually I had to carry her home.

Towards the end of that very long week, Debbie called me. A wonderful older couple had seen an article about OBG in the newspaper and were interested in fostering. They had just lost their dog of many years and Debbie thought they might be the perfect fosters.

Our little girl took one look at the Greiner's fenced-in yard and knew she had found her forever home. She never looked back, she never told me "auf weidersehen".

The Greiners had lost their little Pekinese, PooChee, to a heart attack on December 6th, 1999. They badly missed having a canine companion around the house. At their ages, they felt it might be unfair to acquire a puppy that they might not be able to care for adequately down the road. Giving a home to a senior citizen dog seemed a good solution.

Not comfortable with the name the shelter had given the little cocker, they changed it to "Honey", which perfectly describes their relationship.

Soon after, the trio decided to make their relationship a permanent one, and the adoption papers were signed. Honey and her new "daddy" take their heart medicines together each day and go for walks around the neighborhood to keep each other spry.
The little throw-away orphan dog waiting along the Interstate on a snowy night has come a long way, and she's never going back.

Kathi Alexander,
Honey's rescuer and first foster mom

Honey and her "best friend" survey the neighborhood from the front porch of her new domain.

Introducing: Honey's
Cocker Angel: Kathi Alexander

It's funny how some of us get "called" into Rescue. 12 years ago, not knowing any better, I purchased a "puppy mill" cocker spaniel from a pet store.

In spring 1998, I was surfing the web, looking for info on feeding my now senior dog. I landed on the Cocker Spaniel Adoption Center's website, and the rest is history. There was little Checkmate, staring up at me, begging to come live with us.
I hadn't even considered acquiring a second dog until that point. Being a skeptic, I took a drive to the Tyson's Corner PetCo to meet these people that were saving lives and giving cockers a new start. I was impressed with what I saw and heard at that adoption show. That June, Checkmate moved in. The following September, I began helping out at adoption shows.

Because of my professional expertise, Debbie asked for my help with web and printing matters. I now assist with the OBG website and produce Cocker Connection. I'm one of the people who hand-letter the adoption certificates. I print the business cards and information flyers.

I work with the Montgomery County (MD) Humane Society, evaluating cockers that come into their facility, sometimes pulling them for Rescue. Several shelters in Maryland now have my phone number as a Rescue contact, and I receive on average one call a week from someone that a shelter has referred to me. These calls can be give-up requests, behavior questions, and, best of all, the kind that start: "I'm looking to adopt...."

This month, my rescue cocker, Mickey, and I began our new "career" as "ambassadors" visiting schools and scout groups to talk about pet care and Rescue. Education is a very important part of Rescue and we are very excited about this job.

I've helped with short distance (less than 100 miles) transport. My family lives in a small condominium, two dogs is our limit. I don't foster, except in emergencies, or for very short term cases, like Lady/ Honey, or overnight before a transport.

The gratification I get from knowing I've made a difference in the lives of families and their newly adopted pets has been wonderful. The "cocker kisses" I get when I pull a wigglebutt out of a shelter - and put him on the road to a new start - balance out all the tears and anger I feel when I hear the story of why he landed there in the first place.

And especially, stories like Honey's. That's the real reason I Rescue.

Kathi Alexander
OBG newsletter editor

Mind Games Doggies Play with Humans

1. After your humans give you a bath, DON'T LET THEM TOWEL DRY YOU! Instead, run to their bed, jump up and dry yourself off on the sheets. This is especially good if it's right before your human's bedtime.

2. Act like a convicted criminal. When the humans come home, put your ears back, tail between your legs, chin down and act as if you have done something really bad. Then, watch as the humans frantically search the house for the damage they think you have caused. (Note: this only works when you have done absolutely nothing wrong.)

3. Let the humans teach you a brand new trick. Learn it perfectly. When the humans try to demonstrate it to someone else, stare blankly back at the humans. Pretend you have no idea what they're talking about.

4. Make your humans be patient. When you go outside to pee, sniff around the entire yard as your humans wait. Act as if the spot you choose to go pee will ultimately decide the fate of the earth.

5. Draw attention to the human. When out for a walk, always pick the busiest, most visible spot to go "poo". Take your time and make sure everyone watches. This works particularly well if your humans have forgotten to bring a plastic bag.

6. When out for a walk, alternate between choking and coughing every time a strange human walks by.

8. Hide from your humans. When your humans come home, don't greet them at the door. Instead, hide from them, and make them think something terrible has happened to you. (Don't reappear until one of your humans is panic-stricken and close to tears.)

9. When your human calls you to come back in, always take your time. Walk as slowly as possible back to the door.

10. Wake up twenty minutes before the alarm clock is set to go off and make the humans take you out for your morning pee. As soon as you get back inside, fall asleep. (Humans can rarely fall back asleep after going outside. This will drive them nuts!)

11. Stare at the wall behind your human's head. Slowly tilt your head up, as if watching a bug crawling behind them. They'll look over their shoulders then back at you, but don't stop until they actually stand up and walk away from the wall. Then trot off to your favorite spot and lie down, totally ignoring the wall.

It's a Competition!!!!!

We need more funds to save more dogs! As a fundraising activity, OBG is preparing 2001 calendars with pictures of our furry friends as the main attraction. Send us a picture(s) of your favorite cocker and enter our contest to see which photos display "The Sweetest Things". All cocker breeds are eligible, however, Honorable Mentions may include other pets.

The winners of the competition will be displayed in the calendar. $10 per entry, enter as many pictures as you wish, but b/w or color 3x5 or 4x6 photographs or digital images only, please. We'd love to hear the details about the pet in the picture, so send along a note. (If you'd like the photos returned, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope).

Not a photographer but you'd still like to be part of our calendar? Buy an entry in our calendar to commemorate your cocker's birthday, adoption, or anniversary. We'll mark (sorry, just a little dog humor) our calendar with your cocker's special day.

Would you like to memorialize a cocker that was part of your family? Send us your pet's names and we'll include your little lovebug in a special "In Memory" section of our calendar.

Is there a special person in your pet's life you'd like to say thanks to in a special way? We'll add it to the "Doggie Dedication" section of the calendar. (Dedications should be 30 words or less).
A donation would be appreciated for each calendar comment you submit. Make checks payable to Oldies But Goodies Cocker Rescue. Send photos and your calendar entries to a special address: OBG Calendar Competition, PO Box 361, Newington, VA 22122-0361

Editor's Note: If there aren't enough entries to support producing the calendar, we will refund your entry fee(s).

Oldies But Goodies
Cocker Rescue, Inc.

P.O. Box 361
Newington, VA 22122-0361
703-533-2373

Newsletter design courtesy of: CockerCondo

e-mail: debbiet@cockerspanielrescue.com

Our Previous Newsletters

May 1999

Fall 1999

Winter 1999

March 2000