Newsletter
June 2009

Letter From the Executive Director

Friends and Supporters,

I love volunteers. I have decided that some folks are like angels. Out of nowhere, they appear and offer to help with some aspect of the organization that really needs some TLC. As our organization grows and our programs expand, we need more structure and more definition of responsibilities. 

For example, in the past, we could track dog vaccination requirements without a lot of effort. Now, as the number of dogs increases, the need for a more formal approach has become necessary. Michelle Cuteria has volunteered to spearhead this effort. She feels passionately that all our dogs should be completely up to date on vaccinations before leaving our care and has decided it is her personal mission to ensure that this happens. We love Michelle. 

Another angel from recent weeks is Su Tu who has stepped up to be our volunteer coordinator. Again, as we have grown, the need to have someone overseeing this extremely important role has developed. Su has lots of ideas and we are thrilled she is so passionate about this position.

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In This Issue

Letter From the Executive Director

Pet Therapy Spotlight
Rescue Operations
Training Classes
Community Outreach Events

 

In the fundraising area, Ryan Miller has joined us. Ryan found us on the internet back in February. After a few lengthy phone conversations, Ryan decided he believed in our mission and was ready to help.  He immediately offered to help with flyers and events. A few months ago, he listened at a board meeting as I fretted about expenses. He looked me in the eye and said he was going to put together an art and dog fundraiser so that he could raise money to cover some major expenses, so then we could focus on our mission, not on making money.
Ryan's Fetching Art event has exceeded my expectations. It is going to be one heck of an event. Fun, eclectic, and hopefully a big fundraising success. Ryan's efforts will trickle into all our programs, since all will benefit from some much needed funding. 

On the pet therapy side of things, we have Janis Graef (pictured here at the left with Avery) who is leading the effort to expand our presence at Brackenridge Medical Center. Janis is a very determined and passionate women who absolutely loves volunteering with her dog Avery.


Liz Smith is making incredible progress at the Center for Child Protection. The therapy dog program has been so well received by the children and staff at the Center for Child Protection that steps are now being taken to obtain either a facility dog or more teams so that dogs can begin to join the children in the courtroom. 

 


I could write pages and pages about all our wonderful volunteers. So many people give their time, creativity and talents to support us in providing programs in our community.

If you would like to learn more about volunteering, contact our new volunteer coordinator, Su Tu at Su@AustinDogAlliance.org or find her and the rest of our volunteers at the Fetching Art event on June 6. Big thanks to Jenny Kerwick and David Stein for volunteering the use of the Quattro Art Gallery inside the Roger Beasley Audi for this event.


Together, we are making a difference.

Sincerely,







Debi Krakar, CPDT
Executive Director 
Austin Dog Alliance

 

Pet Therapy Spotlight

The saying goes that good things come in small packages (often being gold trinkets). Our therapy team spotlight shows that great things come in much larger packages (and still a golden trinket)!

Echo Beyer, Miss Murfee's human can't imagine life without this loving, sweet, and rather large package of a dog. But that wasn't how it started out. Seven years ago, Echo's son gave his mother a gift of a Lab puppy. At the time, the family dog was 16 and in very poor health and a puppy was the last thing Echo thought she needed. As is often the case with dogs, they are exactly what we need, even when we don't know it.

A little more than a year ago, after living in Kansas City, MO for more than 30 years, Echo and Miss Murfee moved back to Austin to be closer to family. It was then that they became involved with Austin Dog Alliance and became a certified Delta Therapy team. Miss Murfee and Echo visit with Health Care Odyssey in the Hospice Program. Fortunately, a request for a dog visit came in just after Echo had contacted Odyssey's volunteer coordinator. Another gift.

Miss Murfee visits one to two times a week and the visits are helping the patient as he pets her and feeds her treats. Miss Murfee takes the treats ever so gently, being just as sweet to him as he is with her. Often, the patient will whisper to just Miss Murfee. On those days Echo makes herself as invisible as possible and lets them have that special time. Other days the patient has more energy and Echo reads to or talks with him. And on his best days, the staff situates him on the porch and he watches Miss Murfee and Echo play ball.

Miss Murfee's gift to this patient has made her a special visitor to the center. Even the social worker on the case wanted to meet "the wonderful dog that comes to visit." Everyone there enjoys Miss Murfee's visits.

Echo "believes with all her heart that Miss Murfee has become a companion to this patient as he moves through this passage of his life. When we come into his room, if he has the energy....we always get two thumbs up. Some days we even get a high five."

After just a few visits, Miss Murfee quickly figured out where they were going and is ALWAYS excited to be going to visit their patient.

"Miss Murfee is happy to be doing this work. That is one of the many things that astounds me about her and the other wonderful animals like her," remarked Echo. "She is doing some wonderful work. I just happen to be the human on the other end of the leash who provides transportation."

Because of the many years living in Kansas City, Echo travels back there often. "Miss Murfee goes with me as much as possible since she too loves to travel. We have the KC trips and regular day trips to visit family and such but she also enjoys long trips. From Florida to Cape Hatteras to Cape Cod....she loves the beaches and sea water. When I get my suitcase out, she cannot relax until she sees that her travel bag is out as well!"

When home in Austin, you can find the pair taking long walks around Town Lake and at Red Bud to let Miss Murfee swim and play ball. When not traveling or visiting at Odyssey, Echo provides respite care for both humans and pets. "It's very rewarding work for me and a pretty great service for my clients." Even with such a busy schedule, Echo makes sure that Miss Murfee's visits are a priority on the schedule.

Thank you Echo and Miss Murfee for providing your gifts of care and love to all.

Rescue Operations

Austin Dog Alliance's mission is to enrich people's lives by making dogs an integral part of our community. This includes making sure that our dogs are cared for in all situations.

One such situation is the summer heat and heat-related issues such as heat stroke for our four-legged, furry community members. Thanks to Susan Hopper, DVM of Griffith Animal Hospitals for contributing this article.

Another summer concern for those of us with pets is how to best care for our pets when the family travels. Often, taking the dog with us is not an option. Jessica Harrison of Romp N' Run Ranch wrote some pointers that we can use in selecting the best home-away-from-home for our pets. 

Heat Stroke
Hyperthermia, or excessive body temperature, more commonly called heat stroke, is a severe illness that can affect pets in the heat of summer. The most common cause is being locked in a parked car, where the temperature around the pet is so hot that the normal system of panting to cool off simply cannot work. No pet should ever be left unattended in a parked car in hot weather.

On extremely hot or humid days, even outside of a car pets can get into trouble. Those at the greatest risk are elderly patients who have any heart or lung problems, and brachycephalic breeds. Brachycephalic breeds are the ones with "pushed in faces" like English Bull Dogs, Boston Terriers, and Pugs. Persian and Himalayan cats are  brachycephalic.

All pets should have constant access to water during hot weather. During heat emergencies, dogs should not be taken for long walks or runs.

Keeping air circulating with a fan or air conditioning is important.

Signs of overheating, progressing from least to most serious are: extreme panting, excessive salivation, rapid heart rate, bloody vomiting, and seizures. If it gets to the point where there is vomiting or seizures permanent damage to internal organs, or even death may occur.

Heat stroke is readily avoided but difficult to treat, so plan ahead on hot days. If you feel your pet has overheated, prompt veterinary care is crucial for a good recovery.

Susan Hopper, DVM
Griffith Animal Hospital Cypress Creek
512-331-8555
www.griffithanimalhospitals.com

How to Choose the Best Boarding Facility for Your Dog

You do not want to spend your vacation worried about your dog, so what should you look for when choosing a place to leave them? The following are some good ideas for finding the best fit for you and your canine.

To find the perfect place to board your dog, start your search well in advance of your trip. Holiday reservations should be made months in advance, as the best facilities will book up quickly and you may be put on a waiting list.

When looking at boarding facilities, remember that the best fit for your dog is not always the closest. It is worth your time and money to find a facility that you trust and your dog enjoys, even if it is 20 or 30 minutes from home. Consider dropping your dog off a day early rather than on your way out of town. Your dog will appreciate missing the stressful events of packing and getting everyone ready on time, and you will have one less thing to take care of on the day of travel.

Check out each facility by calling ahead and scheduling a tour. Many kennels have scheduled tour times based on when it will be easiest to spend time answering your questions. It would be ideal to be able to stop by at any time, but be mindful of the current guests who may be eating or napping at certain times of the day. Keep in mind that tours are disruptive to the daily boarding routine, so expect some barking, but the noise level should not overwhelm you.

During your tour you should expect to see clean kennels and happy dogs. You should expect each dog to have access to fresh water both inside and out. A dog kennel may smell like dogs, but it should not smell of urine or feces. Be sure there is plenty of shade provided in outside areas. Indoor areas should be climate controlled. If it is not a comfortable temperature for you, it is not going to be comfortable for your dog.

Ask if you are allowed to bring items from home, and if you can choose to keep your dog on their regular diet. If your dog is on medication, be sure it can be administered correctly and that there is no additional charge for doing so. Ask what vaccinations and treatments are required of each guest to insure your dog does not come home with fleas or other illnesses. Also ask what protocols are in place should your dog get sick or injured while in their care. Be sure you are comfortable with the schedule of walks/play times and feeding times each day.

You should expect to drive away from a tour with the peace of mind that your dog will be happy and in good hands. If you do not, keep looking.

What should you do to help prepare your dog? Remember that pets, like people, usually appreciate a vacation in new surroundings with new friends. Dogs, once they become familiar with their new surroundings, have a marvelous, exciting time — almost like kids at summer camp. If your dog has never been boarded before, you might consider a few daycare sessions at the facility prior to an extended boarding stay to help him or her get used to boarding. Every time you return, your dog is less likely to be affected by separation anxiety and can enjoy the experience more.

It is a good idea to pack a blanket or towel from home. It will smell like your house and give your dog extra comfort. Toys and chews are helpful to prevent boredom if your dog will be spending more time than normal in a confined space. Check with the facility to make sure there are no restrictions on types of personal items.

If you are sending your dogs own food, ask the kennel how they prefer to have it prepared and portioned. And don’t overfeed your pet the night before going to the boarding facility. The extra food is not really necessary and the result might be an upset stomach.

Finally, because dogs sense and reflect our emotions, DO NOT allow any member of the family to stage an emotional “farewell” scene. Your dog can be made to feel unnecessarily anxious about the facility visit if they are subjected to this kind of dramatic display.

Now all you have to do is relax and enjoy your trip! Remember that you are leaving your dog in the hands of capable professionals who enjoy spending time with your dog. Your dog will let you know when you pick them up if they have had a good experience. They should be tired but happy, and eager to return to their friends at the boarding facility during your next trip.

Jessica Harrison
Romp N' Run Ranch
512-733-7667
www.rompnrunranch.com

Training Classes

The heat of summer is upon us, so where can you and your dog go to cool off? That's right, to an Austin Dog Alliance Training Class! Our wonderful facility is air-conditioned and we have just installed a new dog agility floor.

Our class list keeps growing so be sure to check out the latest at our website, www.austindogalliance.org.

    Tricks, Games and More 1/2 Day Summer Camp - Ages 9 to 16. The full day summer camps have all sold out.  Since we kept getting phone calls about sad kids that didn't sign up quick enough, we added this 1/2 day session.  All the fun of the full day camp, just shorter.  August 3 - 6 from 9:00 AM - Noon. 

     

    All About Dogs! Summer Camp - Ages 6 to 9. Camp runs each morning from July 20 - 23.  Only a few spots remain.   (9am to 12pm (noon)).

    Games and Tricks - Practice your basic obedience skills in a class designed to be FUN!  Your dog must already know sit, down and leash walking.  The skills don't need to be perfect to join the class, but you must at least have a basic skill level.  Dogs and handlers of all ages are welcome.  This class is ideal for owners who have already attended a puppy or pet dog manners class, but could use more practice or just want to have fun with their dog once a week.  Join us for 6 weeks at 6:30 on Thursdays, starting June 11. 

    Pet Dog Manners and Alerting - Starts June 29th. Class is held on Monday evenings from 7:30 to 8:30pm.  This 8 week class is designed for deaf adults who would like to teach their dogs basic obedience skills and alerting. 

    Pet Dog Manners - Starts July 14th. Class is held on Tuesday evenings from 6:15 to 7:15pm

    Puppy Pre-School/Manners - 6 week class starting Tuesday, June 11, Tuesday, July 14 and Saturday July 18

    Pet Dog Manners/CGC - Starts July 18th. Class is held on Saturday mornings from 10:45 to 11:45am

We also offer open floor practice times for Rally (6:30 on Wednesdays) and Canine Musical Freestyle (6:15 on Mondays).  Both of these sessions are monitored by instructors who have titled in their sport.  For general open floor practice times, please see our Hours page.

Community Outreach

 

Do you like dogs? Do you like art? Do you like to have a reason to dress up and support the Austin Dog Alliance? Are you over 21 years of age?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, join us at the Quattro Gallery (inside Roger Beasley Audi, 12971 Pond Springs Road in northwest Austin).

Come and enjoy

  • Local artists offering a wide variety of fine and dog-themed art.
  • Silent auction of paintings, photography, jewelry, sculptures, and more!
  • Door prizes and raffles throughout the evening
  • Appetizers plus beer and wine are included
  • Live music and live art demonstrations

Guests will be treated to a fun evening of dog-themed art, food, drinks, raffle prizes, and other entertainment. Austin-area artists will be on hand presenting dog-themed works for a silent auction. Judges will award the top three works with prizes.

Ticket sales are now available at www.AustinDogAlliance.org and at the following locations:

Just $35 in advance or $45 at the door. You will be supporting Austin Dog Alliance's community-based adoption, pet therapy, and outreach programs. 

Contact Ryan Miller (Ryan@AustinDogAlliance.org or 512-897-8498) or Debi Krakar (Debi@AustinDogAlliance.org or 512-335-7100) for more information about this event.

Be sure to check out our website for up-to-date information on all Austin Dog Alliance events! www.austindogalliance.org

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Austin Dog Alliance
12129 RR 620 Suite 401, Austin, United States
Tel: (512) 335-7100 Website: http://www.austindogalliance.org
Email: debi@austindogalliance.org