2011 Dec - Vol 3 Issue 3

Schnauzer Tales
V O L U ME
Miniature
Schnauzer
Rescue of
North Texas
3,
I S S UE
3
NO V /D E C
201 1
GIVING THANKS
“Opt to Adopt”
As the nights grow long and a chill fills the air,
our thoughts turn to the
approaching holiday season.
MSRNT is a
Non-Profit
Organization
501(c)(3)
All donations are
tax-deductible to the full
extent allowed by law
Contact Us:
P.O. Box 112341
Carrollton, TX 75011
206-333-0156
Though our lives become ever more hectic at
this time, it is appropriate to pause and reflect
on the past year, giving thanks for the
many blessings in our lives.
www.msrnt.com
Here at MSRNT,
there is much to be thankful for.
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Spotlight
2
Bark in the Park
4
Happy Tails
7
Volunteer
8
Senior Dog
9
Thanking
Partners
10
Giving
11
Santa!
12
Schnauzers on
the Loose
13
With sincere appreciation, we thank each and every one of you who has
helped in some way to make the dream of a second chance become a reality
for the many homeless, lonely Miniature Schnauzers who otherwise would
have no hope. Whether you have donated your time, your money, your services, or simply your moral support, we are deeply grateful for the role you
have played in saving these precious lives.
From all of us to all of you, we wish you and yours a peaceful,
joyous holiday season.
Share your gratitude for your Schnauzer
on our Facebook page! www.facebook.com/MSRNT
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2
Spotlight on Schnauzer Stars - Keith & Becky
Sam’s Legacy -- Fosters
Keith and Becky Clem
MSRNT dedicated volunteer
foster parents Keith and
Becky have taken more than
70 Schnauzers into
their home during
the past four years.
What brought them
to this point? Well, it
all started with a
Schnauzer named
Sam.
When Keith was in
college at TCU in
Fort Worth, he was
excited to move off
campus into his first
apartment. He decided he needed a
companion, and
went to the local
Humane Society to
adopt his
first pet. His childhood dog was a
beagle, but at the shelter the
first dog he saw, a Miniature
Schnauzer,
caught his eye. Minutes later
Keith left the shelter with his
new best friend, Sam. “Sam
was my first
dog as an adult, and I fell in
love with the breed. He was
the beginning of my lifelong
relationship with
Schnauzers,” says Keith.
After graduation, he moved
into the next phase of his life,
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and Sam was his constant
companion for many years
after he married Becky. After
Sam passed away, Keith and
Becky adopted another
Schnauzer, Bubba, from the
al homes and needed a forever family. That brought the
beautiful Baxter to their home.
When Megan finished school,
she adopted a black female,
Gracie, who has ‘grand dog’
status. Finally, with the
arrival of Lucy, a phantom Schnauzer, Keith
and Becky’s ‘pack’ was
complete.
In 2007, Keith and
Becky decided they
wanted to give back to
the breed they so loved.
They looked
online, and found a local Miniature Schnauzer rescue group,
MSRNT. Keith contacted the group’s president, and within a few
weeks brought home
his first foster dog.
same shelter he adopted Sam
16 years earlier. Bubba was
part of their family for the next
17 years. Bubba helped them
raise their daughters, Megan
& Alison, and the Schnauzer
love continued when Megan
got a little female Schnauzer
of her own, Tucker, while in
high school. Tucker stayed
with Keith and Becky when
she went away to school.
Soon, they heard
of another Schnauzer that
had bounced around to sever-
Keith’s business is a
residential cleaning service, Maid Brigade in Fort
Worth, and his foster dogs get
a special treat, because they
get to come to work every day
with Keith and top dog, Baxter. “I have employees coming
and going all day long, and it
is a great way to socialize my
foster dogs, “says Keith. “My
team enjoys all of them, and
can’t wait to see who is going
to show up next.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
PAGE
3
Spotlight Continued...
According to
Keith, each dog
he has fostered
is special in its
own way. He
says that all of
the foster dogs
fit right in with
his Schnauzers.
He likes to talk
about some of
his most memorable dogs:
“Bandit was one of the ugliest
dogs when I got him. I had
him for a long time because
he wasn’t pretty.
I would take him to adoption
events, and everyone would
get adopted except for him. I
knew he was a very special
dog. A retired couple from
Canada drove from Mission
Texas to meet him, and
adopted him and took him
back to Canada two weeks
later. My ugly duckling got a
great home that was well
worth the wait. With a little
TLC he turned out to be the
best looking dog of any of my
fosters.”
One of his hardest, but most
rewarding fosters was Val, a
dog from a puppy mill bust in
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Montague County. “Poor Val
was in awful condition, and
had no hair. He was so
scared that he retreated into
a shell. During the 6-8 weeks
I had him, his hair grew back,
but more importantly he slowly came out of his shell. By
the time he was adopted by a
wonderful couple in north Ft.
Worth, he was a normal dog.
It was so rewarding to help
this dog transform from a terrified, neglected animal into a
wonderful pet that could accept human love.”
Keith laughs as he recalls
one of his ‘wildest’ dogs, Henry. “I spent most of my time
saying ‘No, Henry,’ to him, so
I ended up calling him No
Henry. I fostered him twice
because he did not work out
in his first home. He was ultimately adopted by a man
who lived in the country-which was a perfect place for
him--and he has Henry under
control. You don’t forget a
dog like No Henry!”
And then there was Major,
who Keith says was his most
beautiful dog. “I had taken
Major to Plano to meet a family, but they decided not to
adopt him. There was a couple from Missouri who also
wanted Major, but they were
second in line for him. I called
them when the adoption didn’t go through, and they left
home within 30 minutes after
that phone call on a Saturday
afternoon. Sunday morning
they adopted Major, and
headed back to Missouri.”
Like the family that adopted
Major, Keith and Becky go
out of their way to care for
their foster dogs, and ensure
that they get a great home.
What Keith and Becky do
today is truly Sam’s legacy--it
all started with one little
Schnauzer in the shelter.
Their story shows that you
can never underestimate the
impact that a dog will have on
your life.
Bandit – now
Mr. Handsome!
PAGE
4
MSRNT Bark in the Park Reunion 2011
…It was Simply Schnauzerly!
Louie is
coached by Dad
before winning
Most Vocal!
Kadee relaxes
with Dad after
winning
Best Trick!
What do you get
when you combine
over 90 Miniature
Schnauzers and
their proud parents
with lots of fun and
frolic on a warm,
breezy second day
of autumn?
MSRNT’s Bark in
the Park Reunion, of
course!
On September
24 at
White
Rock
Lake’s
Flagpole
Hill in
Dallas,
MSRNT
volunteers and
current
foster
dogs, as well as former foster dogs and their enthusiastic families and friends
gathered together for
MSRNT’s first-ever reunion.
The brainchild of MSRNT
foster parent and volunteer
Tami Fuller, the event
featured contests, doggie
demonstrations, a raffle
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and, best of all, the opportunity to reunite MSRNT’s
rescue dogs and to visit with
like-minded Schnauzer lovers.
zers! TC and Molly demonstrated the popular sport of
rally, an activity that can be
easily learned and practiced
at home.
To the melody of groovin’
hits such as “Who Let the
Dogs Out” and “Hound
Dog,” Schnauzers and their
parents made their way
around the Cake Walk, hoping to land on the lucky
number. And the prize? Not
a cake but, of course, a bag
of doggie treats! Meanwhile,
out in the canine corral,
Adoptions Coordinator
Sheryl Goerke proudly
showed off MSRNT’s current adoptable dogs and
visited with the crowd about
the joys of adopting a
Schnauzer.
Highlighting the afternoon
was a series of contests to
honor the top dog in each
category. Winning Best
Costume was Molly who
dazzled the crowd with her
Red Hat attire, complete
with a red and purple feather boa and, of course, a red
hat! Next in line was the
Best Trick contest. Demonstrating her amazing willpower, winner Kadee repeatedly refused treats
when commanded by her
mom – and even jumped
back from them until her
mom gave them to her with
permission to eat and enjoy!
Taking the prize in the Most
Vocal contest was Louie
whose enthusiastic dad
cheered him on while he
serenaded the crowd, giving
new meaning to BARK in
the Park! For their victories,
Molly, Kadee and Louie
each received a Schnauzersized trophy and an 8x10
certificate, suitable for framing.
Midway through the event,
attendees viewed a demonstration of dog tricks by
Princess the Schnauzer,
accompanied by her parent/
handler, Diane McDowell.
Following was a performance by dog trainer,
TC Cappel and her Shetland Sheepdog pal, Molly
who did a fabulous job
maintaining her grace and
composure despite the surrounding sea of Schnau-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
PAGE
5
Bark in the Park Continued...
Wrapping up the competition was the much anticipated crowning of
MSRNT’s Bark in the Park
first Royal Couple!
Dressed in pink and black,
lovely little Shelby assumed her reign as Queen
while her proud parents
and canine brother looked
on. And, finally, assuming
the title of King was Oliver,
known in his former foster
life as – coincidentally –
Castle! Could it be that this
boy was destined for royalty?
As with Shelby’s family,
Oliver’s mom & dad, as
well as his canine sibling,
beamed with approval as
Oliver accepted his title. To
celebrate their coronation,
each received a trophy and
certificate, while Queen
Shelby also received a tiara and King Oliver received a crown.
As the afternoon drew to a
close, each family paraded
by the microphone, accompanied by their canine
pride and joy. Leading the
parade were MSRNT’s former foster dogs whose human parents each
announced their dog’s
name and year of adop-
tion. Other Schnauzer
friends followed, with their
parents each providing
their dog’s name and age.
Realizing that all good
things must come to an
end, our four-legged
friends, proudly wearing
their souvenir red MSRNT
bandanas, bade their pals
farewell as they left the
park. We’re sure they must
have been dreaming of
next year’s Bark in the
Park Reunion when they
joined in a chorus of
woofs, as if to
say, “We’ll be back!”
All
Hail
King
Oliver!
Best Costume
goes to Molly,
our Red Hot
Mama!
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Shelby, Her
Majesty
the Queen
PAGE
6
Bark in the Park Menagerie
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PAGE
7
Happy Tails - A Human-Canine Rescue
Terri with
Skamp
&
Jackson
Most of our Happy Tails focus on our rescue dogs,
some of whom come to us
sick or injured, on occasion
neglected or abused, but
always lonely. This happy
tale is about a woman who,
when we first met her, was
reeling from the recent loss
of her husband. Unexpectedly widowed at a young
age, Terri was trying to put
the pieces of her life back
together. At the encouragement of her mother, she was
considering the adoption of
a Schnauzer for the “love,
comfort and companionship”
that she and her mother
both knew she needed.
In the process, Terri met a
number of MSRNT’s wonderful rescue dogs, all of
whom Terri acknowledges
“were sweet, but we didn’t
really bond.” Then came
Jackson. Followers of our
website’s
Adoptable Dogs may remember this little guy as the
12-pound hero who was
found by the side of the
road, faithfully guarding his
deceased canine companion who had been hit by a
car. Refusing to leave his
friend, Jackson had to be
trapped in order to be removed from danger.
“Jackson and I bonded right
away – you could say it was
love at first sight,” says Terri, adding that “Jackson
came from a sad story and
situation that would be
stressful for most dogs but
he never let it get him
down.”
tionate. He follows me
around the house, always
wanting to know where I am.
When I leave a room, he
comes to check on me, give
me affection, and then returns to play.”
Though Jackson will never
be able to fill that special
place in her heart devoted to
the memory of her late husband, Terri readily admits
that the little dog is a true
blessing and a genuine
source of love and comfort.
“Jackson has an overwhelming sense of loyalty,
and is very loving and affec-
Most recently, Terri’s mom,
Becky, adopted yet another
Schnauzer, Trusty (formerly
Pugsley/Marius). Trusty is
Becky’s second MSRNT
adoption, with the first being
Tramp (formerly Alexander)
in 2007, who Becky and
Terri refer to as “the one
who started it all.”
Since adopting Jackson,
Terri has adopted another
dog she calls Skamp
(formerly Theo). This boy
arrived at MSRNT with his
own sad story. After the
passing of his owner,
Skamp found himself
frightened and unable to
understand why he was
suddenly alone. It took
some time for Skamp to find
just the right home but find it
he did! With each having a
curiously similar tale to tell,
Terri, Jackson and Skamp
all find comfort in the love
and understanding that each
has for the other.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
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8
Happy Tails Continued...
Today Terri and her
mother are both enthusiastic new volunteers with
MSRNT. Appropriately, Terri maintains our website’s
Happy Tails page
and encourages all
parents of MSRNT
pups to share their
happy tales by
sending them to
Skamp &
Jackson
pose for
Mommy!
donations@msrnt.com. Terri
is also the administrator of
MSRNT’s
Facebook page, where photos and posts are always
welcome!
Grateful to have her own
happy tale, Terri acknowledges that hers is not a case
of human rescuing
canine, but rather of human
and canine rescuing each
other. Speaking of Jackson,
Terri reflects, “When
I’m sad, he always knows
and comes to comfort me. At
times he has kissed away
my tears and made
me smile. Adopting Jackson
from MSRNT was one of the
best decisions I’ve ever
made. He is such a
blessing and a true joy to
me.”
Could YOU be the Next New MSRNT Volunteer?
Calling all Volunteers!
What makes a good volunteer
for MSRNT? If you love
schnauzers, and want to play
a role in ensuring that these
great rescue dogs end up in
the right forever home, we
need you. Our organization
has no paid staff. We are all
volunteers, with folks of all
ages and backgrounds, who
share a love of the dogs and
want to help. We can always
use more volunteers—
especially those who are willing to be foster parents—but
we would love to have folks
who can help out with a few
hours here and there, on an
ongoing basis. No matter
what your skills set or interest,
we can probably use your help
throughout the year.
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If you’re thinking about volunteering, each December
comes with several enjoyable
opportunities to do so. During
December we do pet pictures
with Santa at several area
PetSmart stores (See page 12
for dates and locations).
These fundraising events are
lots of fun for both volunteers
and those who bring their pets
to see Santa. We need volunteers at these events to register the pets and parents as
they arrive, someone to snap
the photos and others to print
them out, someone to help
arrange pets in Santa’s lap
and to be general Santa’s
helpers. And, since Santa
Claus is very busy that time of
year, we need some stand-in
Santas to help out—but we
provide the jolly red suit! Who
wouldn’t like having their picture taken with all of those
sweet pets?
Volunteering is enjoyable, and
the MSRNT all-volunteer team
is a fun group to work with.
Everything done by our volunteers helps the dogs in some
way, so each and every person is important. If you’re interested in volunteering, click
on the link below or go to our
website to fill out an application. We’d love to have you on
board, and you can begin in
the December season of giving by helping to make the
holiday photos a success.
http://www.msrnt.com/html/
volunteer.html
PAGE
9
DID YOU KNOW…
November is National Adopt a Senior Dog Month
What seniors contribute to your home
Have you thought of adopting a senior dog? A senior dog brings unsurpassed joy to your
family. That’s because they have been there … done that before! They may have been a
member of a loving family who has fallen on hard times or experienced illness or death. Their
lives have been put into a tailspin and are now facing an unpredictable future.
It takes a special person to accept a senior dog into the home. Ordinarily fear of only a short
life span can affect the decision to adopt. However, seniors don’t ask much of their humans –
just feed me, love me, hug me and pet me …. That’s all they want. Most seniors are well
trained and don’t need much introduction into your family life. They are fully grown; their
weight has leveled off and, other than regular vet visits, they are low maintenance.
Walks are shorter with seniors as they prefer the couch to the long walks. Don’t most of us
feel the same way after a certain age! Of course, they should get their daily exercise just as
we need to get our exercise as well. Younger, more energetic canines can easily wear you
out. Their high energy means more walks, play time, and keeping them occupied to keep
them out of trouble.
Oh and don’t forget, seniors are usually house trained, unlikely to be destructive, and know
good manners. If you say “no”, a senior will identify and accept the “no”. They give you
space to do your thing as long as you remember their needs. Remember what it is like training
a puppy; you eliminate that headache with a well-established mature pet.
Whether young, middle age or old, we can never predict how long our precious furry friend will
be with us. That is why, as their humans, it is our job to enjoy our time with our beloved pet.
Some of our adopters feel that a senior Schnauzer is just what they want and know that with
adoptions of any sort comes the commitment to take care of them in their forever home. Our
hats are off to those who prefer the mature pet.
Some of MSRNT’s senior success stories include Dandy, who travels throughout South Texas
assisting his Dad in officiating softball games; Izzy, who is busy helping her Mom keep up with
a grooming and boarding facility; and Ernie, who has retired to Arkansas and lives with other
seniors. Then there is Cody who was surrendered because his family moved to Australia, only
to be adopted by a wonderful retired couple who moved to Missouri and is travelling throughout the Midwest! There are many other stores we could tell, but space is limited.
Ask yourself whether a senior might fit into your life style better than a puppy or a younger dog.
You may find it very rewarding!
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10
Thanking our Partners in Rescue
We believe, and we think you’ll
agree, that the rescue dogs
whose photos adorn these pages are some of the most beautiful around! Not all our
Schnauzers, however, begin
their lives with us projecting
such a happy, healthy, glowing
image. Many arrive at MSRNT
in dire need of grooming, while
some require medical care.
MSRNT is grateful to our wonderful partners in rescue who
provide the much-needed services that ensure our dogs are
at their personal best by the
time they settle in with their
new forever families.
With sincere appreciation, we
recognize the following local
veterinary professionals who
restore vim and vigor to the
little bodies of our ailing pups,
treating both minor and major
conditions: Carrollton Animal
Hospital, Carrollton West Pet
Hospital, Crossroads Pet Hospital, Josey Ranch Pet Hospital, P.C., Metro Paws Animal
Hospital, North Tollway Pet
Hospital, Trinity Pet Hospital,
and Valley View Pet Health
Center.
On occasion, we receive a rescue dog in need of more than
just basic training. At that time,
we call in the local professionals at K-9 University who have
worked wonders transforming
the seemingly incorrigible into
perfect little ladies and gentlemen.
Finally, no self-respecting Miniature Schnauzer wants to
masquerade as a microfiber
mop top, full of mats and burs!
We thank both Bark N Purr Pet
Hotel & Grooming and
Snoopy’s Dog House who have
both restored the classic Miniature Schnauzer good looks to
many of our rescue pups!
From all of us at MSRNT, to all
of our rescue partners in the
DFW Metroplex, a sincere,
heartfelt thank-you.
We couldn’t do it without you!
HOLIDAY PHOTO CONTEST
TAKING HOLIDAY PICTURES OF YOUR SCHNAUZERS? WHY
DON’T YOU SHARE YOUR PICTURES WITH MSRNT?
WE’LL SELECT AT LEAST FIVE TOP HOLIDAY PHOTOS TO BE
FEATURED IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF
SCHNAUZER TALES.
PLEASE EMAIL a jpg or bit map file to
donations@msrnt.com
by January 15, 2012 to be included.
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PAGE
11
Year End Giving
MSRNT is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity and
donations are tax-deductible
to the full extent allowed by
law. Our rescue efforts are
funded entirely by donations
from private sources; we do
not receive funding from any
government agency. As the
year draws to a close, you
may wish to consider the
possible tax advantage of
donating prior to year-end.
For guidance and direction,
MSRNT suggests contacting
your tax or legal
professional.
Donations may be made by
check payable to MSRNT
and mailed to:
MSRNT
P. O. Box 112341
Carrollton, TX 75011
On-line donations may be
made via our website at:
http://www.msrnt.com/html/
donate.html.
For further consideration,
does your employer provide
matching donations? Many
do; you may wish to check!
Our heartfelt thanks for helping us save and enrich the
lives of so many precious,
deserving Miniature
Schnauzers!
We Need YOUR Help!
MSRNT would like to rescue
many more Schnauzers but can’t
do so without a support staff of
volunteer foster homes. Whether you are a single individual, a
couple, retiree, or someone who
has thought about fostering but
hasn’t taken the first step ….
Come talk to us! If you would
like a furry friend in your home,
we can use your assistance.
Without more fosters we can’t
continue the rate of our rescuing.
Foster parent allows
our Foster Schnauzers to
Find his or her Forever
A
home. Become part of the
MSRNT
Family and get
Fulfillment and joy at
seeing a happy ending!
Learn more about fostering at http://
www.msrnt.com/html/
fostering.html or come
visit us at one of our
events. We will be
pleased to talk to you
about the joys of fostering.
Changing your E-mail Address?
MSRNT wants to make sure you continue to receive your copy of
Schnauzer Tales as well as other special announcements from us.
Please help us keep in touch by notifying us at donations@msrnt.com
if you change your e-mail address!
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12
Ho Ho Ho ...
Santa is on his way
But not before he visits
MSRNT at several local
PetSmart stores
MSRNT has joined again
with PetSmart for the annual
Santa Pet Photo Benefit
We will be at the following locations
from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
December 3rd & 4th
The price is $9.95
for one framed
photo. $5 of the
proceeds is
donated by
PetSmart to
MSRNT for our
rescue efforts.
Please come join
the photo fun!
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PetSmart Garland
5401 N. Garland Ave.
Garland, TX 75040
(972) 675-4900
December 10th & 11th
PetSmart Fort Worth
415 Carroll St.
Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817) 820-0630
December 17th & 18th
PetSmart Alliance/ Ft. Worth
2901 Texas Sage Trail
Fort Worth, TX 76177
(817) 741-7923
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13
Schnauzers on the Loose in DFW!
MSRNT at
Frisco’s Ruff
Range Dog
Park Grand
Opening
MSRNT volunteers at
LSMSC’s 2011
Schnauzer Roundup
JR at Ruff Range!
Tami, BJ & Terri
Alumnus Izzy and Mom
Trish come to visit.
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