Rescue Review - Northern Illinois Samoyed Assistance

Northern Illinois Samoyed Assistance, Inc.
Rescue Review
February 2006
A breed-specific rescue organization dedicated to finding new homes for abandoned or unwanted Samoyeds
Driving Miss Trixie to Montana
by Muddy Waters Henriques
I’ve known Trixie for a few months now – in fact I saw her before she had proper Samoyed hair. When we first met, she was
nearly bald, with funny looking skin and almost no tail, but she’s
done really well getting over her health issues and has grown a
beautiful coat. She’s a lot prettier now. Trixie has been living
with Bev Stewart and my friends Otto and Gypsy for a while
and she’s now ready to join her forever family. Trixie will become a Helena, Montana resident with her new parents Emi
and Mark Kooyman, and
siblings Stetson-Malone (one
of my female admirers, I
might add) and Sierra.
What a family that will be! I
hope I get to visit some day.
Anyway, January 19 Julia
and I went with Bev to drive
Trixie on the first leg of her
journey to Helena. I didn’t
know about this plan and
was quite cross when Julia
wouldn’t take me to the
park in the morning – we
had to do a boring walk
Bev Stewart hangs on while Muddy around the block. I walked
and Trixie go their separate ways really slowly and sniffed
in Davenport, Iowa. Trixie was on everything in protest.
Afterwards I was out in
the first leg of her long journey to
the
yard and had just finher forever home in Montana with
ished my breakfast (I’ve
Emi and Mark Kooyman.
trained Julia to bring me my
food al fresco) when I saw a car pull up, and out got Bev. She
doesn’t usually come to visit so early in the morning, and I didn’t see Otto, so I wondered what was going on. Then I heard
Bev and Julia talking, and saw Julia putting some stuff, including my car rug, into Bev’s van. Hey! I ran to the front gate and
they called me over to get in. There was Trixie!
See page 6►
Matthew is ready for a home.
Inside
Volume 11
Issue 2
Member news
Report from front lines
2
Meet Matthew and Mark
3
Vaccination clinic
Strut for Sammies preview
4
Mac’s story
Meet Rascal
5
Popular dog breeds
8
Calling NISA
9
Party time
10
Available Samoyeds
12
Building fund
14
Supporter form
15
Dog who ate Christmas
16
Condolences
17
NISA merchandise
18
Events calendar
20
Page 2
NISA Contacts
Rescue hotline
847-255-4815
Correspondence
P.O. Box 218
Arlington Heights, IL 60006
On the web
nisasamoyedrescue.org
Email
rescueasammy@aol.com
NISA staff
President
Jean Gilles
847-392-5000
McDudette@aol.com
Secretary
Debbie Jones
847-776-2884
Debis4525@aol.com
Corresponding Secretary
Char Kepler
630-295-9603
Keplerfamily@aol.com
Treasurer and advertising
Donna Sharik
847-639-6774
Development Committee
Julia Henriques
773-545-0928
Sales and marketing
Maureen Birkmann
773-792-0580
Newsletter Editor
Dottie Haley
972-496-7688
dhaley@airmail.net
PO Box 941633
Plano, TX 75094-1633
Northern Illinois Samoyed Assistance, Inc.
Supporters in the news and arrroos
Many thanks and arrroos to the following for their holiday donations: Michael Fitzgerald, Jeannee Brave, Andrea Michna,
Steve and Pat Jacobson, Duncan and Gail Russell, Joanne
Rowe, William Bohleber, Andrea Rhodie and Phillip Lipschultz, Jill
Angelo, Mary Voigt, Susan Allman, Stuart and Betsy Tobin, Kathleen McManamon, DVM, Maryann Hough, Ken and Sheila
Boyce, Kathy Pyott, and David and Rosemary Babb.
Gail and Duncan Russell also donated crates to NISA.
Other donations include that of Michelle Conner; and Kathleen Kersten in memory of Ginii owned by Francis Trojan and
family; Sassy owned by Clifford and Annette Stock; Haily owned
by Jeffery and Jenny Aaberg and family; Lacy owned by Joy
Brewster; and Betty Anderson, the mother of Gail Mathews of
Nordic Samoyeds. Ken and Karen Van Swearingen also donated to NISA in memory of Gizmo and Munchkin.
NISA welcomes its new members Ron Glover, and David and
Rosemary Babb. Emi and Mark Kooyman, who just adopted
Trixie, are also new lifetime members.
New incoming! Congratulations to
Tom and Marilyn Frank. Their son Andrew Josef was born December 16.
Thanks and congratulations to
Tom, Robin and Austin Heenahan on
their adoption of Wannabe; and to
Greg and Leslie Allison- Seei on their
adoption of Levi. Good luck with the
new white fuzzies and send pictures!
Tom and Marilyn Frank
present little Andrew
Report from the front lines of rescue
by Jean Gilles
Happy new year! It’s time to break out that gorgeous 2006
NISA calendar to keep track of monthly events. Our annual
events are already marked for you and there’s plenty of space
for more as details fall into place. I’m excited and so looking
forward to this year. Just having a handful of Team players take
the initiative last year to conduct some events I know that even
more bigger and better things are headed NISA’s direction this
year. I’m sure Erika Strauss will have something planned often so
be sure to check the website for updates or changes. If you
didn’t get a calendar yet Maureen Birkmann has maybe a
dozen or so left in stock.
See page 8►
February 2006
Matthew and Mark are ready and waiting
by Bev Stewart
These two-year-old
boys are both shy
until they get to
know you. Then they
love to be petted
and cuddled, and
will follow you from
room to room with
typical Sammie curiosity.
Quick movements
startle them, but neither is afraid of loud
noises like thunder,
fireworks or the vacuum cleaner.
Both are crate
trained and housebroken. Currently
they are living with
several other dogs,
cats and kids. They
will do best in a
Mark (above) or Matthew (below) could be home with children
your new best friend.
old enough to un-
Page 3
Board of directors
Jean Gilles
847-392-5000
McDudette@aol.com
Donna Sharik
847-639-6774
GlacierVette@aol.com
Beverly Stewart
773-267-1351
Bev60618@yahoo.com
Annette Stock
847-437-9350
astock@ameritech.net
Adoption rates
Dogs age 12 months and older
$225
Dogs up to 12 months
$275
Advertising rates
Annual rates; for more information please contact:
Donna Sharik
8408 Balder Drive
Cary, IL 60013-3008
847-639-6774
GlacierVette@aol.com
Full page: $300 for 12 issues
Half page: $150 for 12 issues
Quarter page: $75 for 12 issues
Business card : $25 for 12 issues
derstand that quiet and slow movements work best. Matthew
and Mark both like toys, although squeakers tend to get removed. They are ready for their forever home today.
The NISA family of adopters and
fosters wants to support those
who support NISA.
Page 4
Strutters Corner
The 2006 Strut for Sammies is
new and improved.
Mark your calendars for May 21
and start training now.
What’s new for this year?
•
New centrally located
venue (Forest Preserve Special Event permit pending
for Bemis Woods at I-294
and Ogden)
•
New picturesque 2.5 mile
trail through the woods and
a creek to cool off in!
•
New date later in the season with a better chance of
good weather
•
New animal massage
therapist on site to provide
treatments before and after
the walk
•
New T-shirt design
•
New prizes
As always, the Strut proceeds
are designated for the NISA
Building Fund. Remember, it’s
never too early to start gathering pledges.
More information in upcoming
newsletters – watch this space
for details.
Northern Illinois Samoyed Assistance, Inc.
Vaccination and heartworm clinic
Saturday, March 4, 2006
0 By appointment 10:00 am to 6:00 pm 0
Attending Veterinarian: Kathleen McManamon, DVM
Other products or prescription drugs available on request.
Metacam, Previcox, Deramaxx, Soloxine or Enalapril, etc.
Please order when booking your appointment.
Tests & Vaccinations
General Physical
$16.00
Fecal Test
11.00
DA2PP
16.00
Da2P
16.00
(no Para influenza in it)
Bordetella
16.00
One-year rabies
16.00
(only given first time out)
Three-year rabies
36.00
Heartworm Test
22.00
Heartguard Plus
25 lbs or less
26-50 lbs
51-100 lbs
$5 rebate on 12 doses
6 dose $19.00
12 dose $32.00
25.00
46.00
34.00
66.00
Interceptor
26-50 lbs
51-100 lbs
6 dose 25.00
6 dose 36.00
12 dose
12 dose
46.00
68.00
Revolution
20-40 lbs
Buy 6 get 1 Free
6 dose
$70.00
41-85 lbs
85-130 lbs
6 dose
3-dose
75.00
57.00
Frontline Plus
<22 lbs
23-44 lbs
45-88 lbs
89-132 lbs
Buy 6 get 1 Free
3 Dose $37.00
6 dose $67.00
38.00
68.00
39.00
71.00
40.00
78.00
February 2006
Mac’s story
by Jean Gilles
It was in April, 2000, that Susanne Edwards contacted NISA
regarding a male Samoyed that appeared to have been
dumped by his owner at a dog park in Elgin. Several attendees
had noticed the red 4-door sedan with a man and a dog inside parked outside the play area. However, they never joined
the group. Sometime later as Susanne and her friends were
getting ready to head home they noticed a white dog romping in the play area and
the red car was gone.
Mac’s age was estimated to be around five,
he weighed 65 pounds,
had blood in his urine,
somewhat overgrown nails
and a matted coat. The
hair around his collar area
was broken off, which is
common when dogs are
kept on a tie out in the
Mac
yard. Seeing that he
couldn’t trot or run and his walk is more of an out-of-condition
waddle, I would say he was kept exclusively on a very short tie
out. After spending three days at the clinic and getting a good
bath I brought him to my house for the weekend to get a feel
for personality and temperament. Whoa, good thing I decided
to test drive this boy myself!
No one was home when I arrived, the dogs were all crated
so I walked Mac through the house and into the yard to acclimate him to his temporary surroundings. I removed the leash
and to my delight he came every time I called him. After a
while I called him and we headed for the house but when I
opened the door he promptly sat just inches away. The surprise
came when I reached for his collar to guide him into our house
and he exploded with aggression. I leaped inside and
slammed the door thinking, “Oh shit, I have Kujo loose in my
back yard.” Using the leash like a lasso with a mere crack in
the sliding door I slipped it over his head and slowly pulled up
to tighten the loop. As it tightened around his neck he stood,
wagged his tail and walked right in. It was as though he had
two personalities.
For weeks the lasso scene repeated itself several times each
day as Mac would not come in of his own accord. He buried
himself in the bushes rotating from one corner of the yard to
another and softly woo-woo’d for hours as if to call for his pack
(family). Mac even chewed at the chain link fence until his
gums were bloody raw trying desperately to escape his confines. He wanted nothing more than to go
See page 10►
Page 5
Rascal is so …
… laid back. How laid back is
he? He’s been know to fall
asleep sitting up while waiting
for a treat.
An adult Sammie/Shepherd
mix, Rascal knows sit, down and
give paw. He’s housebroken
and not destructive. Rascal
loves attention and will stay
close for as much loving as he
can get. He stays out of everyone’s way and always waits his
turn. He doesn’t really play with
the other dogs.
He’s a big beggar. He sits very
tall and can rest his head on the
table. He’s even fallen asleep in
this position while hoping and
waiting for a treat. Sorry, Rascal!
Nothing for you from Bev’s table.
Rascal lives in foster care with
other dogs, cats and kids.
Page 6
Trixie before
Trixie came under NISA’s recuperative wings in March, 2005.
Found as a stray, she had a truly
horrible skin condition that
would have to be cured before
she could be adopted out.
She had huge, crusty bald
patches with skin lesions. She
smelled awful. Trixie had a very
low thyroid condition. She had
internal parasites and anemia.
Trixie needed a bath, and what
coat she had was cleaned and
clipped to make it easier to
groom and apply topical skin
medications.
As some of her issues were being addressed, NISA asked the
vet to begin allergy screening.
She tested positive for allergies
with rye grass, mold, soy, pork,
eggs, dust and cedar chips.
As her treatments took hold,
Trixie blossomed into a love bug,
according to foster Bev Stewart.
Just three weeks of NISA’s care
had this Sammie girl growing a
healthy coat, sleeping well and
eating like, well, like a Sammie.
Northern Illinois Samoyed Assistance, Inc.
Driving Miss Trixie to Montana
◄See page 1 She seemed quite pleased to see me when I
hopped in, and then we were off. There were no seats in the
back of the van so we had lots of room to roam around and
find comfortable spots for ourselves.
It was a nice sunny day and I thought Trixie and I would chat
and watch the scenery together on the way down, but she was
pretty boring and went to
sleep immediately, as you
can see from the photo. I,
on the other hand, sat by
the window most of the
way and kept an eye on
everything we were passing. I had to bark at a couple of trains to make them
go away, and a couple of
times I stuck my head between the two front seats
to say hello to Bev and
Muddy (above) watched the scenery
Julia and have a nice cudpass on the long drive, but Miss
dle. I found a tennis ball
Trixie wasn’t about to waste her endown there too, underergy that way. She found a comfy
neath all the clothes and
place in the back of Bev’s van and
bags. Nice to know I havecaught up on her beauty sleep.
n’t lost my touch!
Eventually we got to a
place called Davenport,
Iowa. It took about three
hours and Trixie hardly
stirred all the way down,
except once when we
stopped for gas (we both
wanted to get out but
weren’t allowed to). In
Davenport we were meeting two gentlemen (one was named Ray) who were going to
drive Trixie to South Dakota to meet Emi. We got there a bit
early and went for a nice walk. I was quite the ladies’ man trotting along with a pretty girl beside me. I was very proud to be
seen with her and had an extra spring in my step. We were at a
place called Cracker Barrel and all the people going inside
(where Trixie and I were not allowed, despite our efforts to push
through the door) wanted to talk to us and pet us. We got a lot
of compliments as usual, so we wagged our tails and smiled
nicely to say thank you.
After a while Bev got a phone call, then Ray and his friend
came and parked their van beside ours. They seemed like very
nice men and said they were going to drive 400 miles that day
February 2006
Driving Miss Trixie to Montana
to Norfolk, Nebraska, and then 500 the next day to Deadwood, South Dakota, almost at the Wyoming border. Trixie had
some lunch, which is a meal I don’t get. I’ve never really understood why not – everyone else in my house seems to eat it. I
thought Trixie might share some of hers but Bev told me to stay
away while she was eating, or she might bite me, so with that
warning I stood well back.
Afterwards Bev and Trixie
kissed each other goodbye very sweetly before
Trixie got in Ray’s van. I
was more manly and just
gave her a cool wink and
a wave and said “See ya,
Trix” (I didn’t want to
make a big deal out of
her leaving in case she
Trixie had a bite of lunch before her started crying or somehandoff to the men driving her across thing – you know girls). I
Iowa to Nebraska. Below, Trixie gets did feel a little sad after
a friendly hello from Ray before be- she’d gone though. I
ing helped into his car for the next know she’s going to have
a happy life with a wonstage of her journey.
derful family but everyone
here will miss her.
Bev, Julia and I
cheered ourselves up by
visiting Bev’s family farm
near Prophetstown, Illinois,
where we saw huge
black Percheron draft
horses (I was a bit nervous
and barked at them), lots
of cattle, a sweet collie
(she liked me but wouldn’t go near Bev and Julia)
and a hissing cat when
we went in the house. I
wanted to get closer to the cat, but no such luck, even afterwards when I tried to get back in the house by myself. We also
visited Bev’s Mom who is almost 100 years old – imagine that! I
don’t suppose I’ll live that long. I liked visiting her even though
she didn’t give me any peach cobbler. We drove home later
and after dinner I was glad to go for a walk back in my own
neighborhood, even though I had a great day out.
Hey, Stetson-Malone, did Trixie deliver the goodies I sent for
you or did she steal them on the way to Montana? Delicious
sweet potato chewies from my special stash – yum!
Page 7
Trixie after
Getting her thyroid, parasites
and allergies under control
proved to be just what this Sammie needed.
While it’s sad to think her original
owners didn’t know or care
enough to provide proper care
for Trixie, she responded to
NISA’s care immediately. But her
road to recovery wasn’t without
its problems, though. She suf-
fered bloat last fall and required
surgery. She is hearing impaired
and may indeed be older than
originally estimated.
But for all her trials and tribulations, Trixie is a poster girl for recovery and positive outcomes.
Thanks to her Sammie Saviors
helping with medical costs and
Bev Stewart’s patient fostering,
Trixie has a new stage of life to
pursue with Emi and Mark Kooyman. Thanks to everyone involved, Trixie can retire out west
in Montana.
Page 8
Northern Illinois Samoyed Assistance, Inc.
Dog popularity
Report from the front lines of rescue
AKC has recently released their
list of most popular breeds in the
United States.
◄See page 2 Every year NISA receives countless invitations
from as far south as Hammond, Indiana; north to Libertyville,
east to Skokie and west to Rockford to conduct adoption promotions at extremely well advertised functions. However, without confirmed volunteers in the “four corners” ready to rock
In a way this does affect rescue
because the more popular the
breed the more potential of
dogs needing rescue.
The top 10 Breeds are:
Labrador Retriever
Golden Retriever
Yorkshire Terrier
German Shepherd Dog
Beagle
Dachshund
Boxer
Poodle
Shih Tsu
Miniature Schnauzer
Our own Samoyed breed has
slightly dropped in popularity,
ranked 75.
iGive.com
If you shop on-line for anything,
you need to doing it through
iGive.com to benefit NISA.
Just name NISA as your charity
and a percentage of your purchase will be donated directly
to NISA. No membership fees, no
surcharges. Hundreds of stores
participate, and each selects
the percentage of the sale they
will donate.
This is easy money for NISA. To
date, we have received $366.81
thanks to our members shopping on-line through iGive.com.
Congratulations to Wannabe, who found his forever home with
Robin and Tom Heenahan and their son Austin.
and roll, our hectic schedules prohibit ample time to solicit
weekend warriors to cover these events. Unfortunately NISA has
had to decline some fabulous opportunities as a result. With
more exposure NISA will place more Fur-kidz, attract more
members and with more members comes volunteers and additional foster homes. It’s a win-win situation!! So let’s hear from
you folks with three or four hours of weekend time to share per
month and we’ll start a list by location. I would dearly love to
take advantage of some of these offers this year.
2006 is going to be the year to coordinate committees and
recruit more volunteers to make NISA even more productive.
Several members expressed their desire to be a team player in
recent years and with committees in place NISA will benefit
greatly. General meetings and event meetings to provide task
instruction to volunteers in the past failed miserably so as an alternative NISA will initiate the use of the conference calls to
keep committee volunteers informed. When an event is scheduled the chairperson will notify members who previously worked
February 2006
Report from the front lines of rescue
the event, or expressed interest in working, of the date and
time for the conference call. From the comfort of your home
you can actively participate or simply listen in. Wahoo, modern
technology is so wonderful!
Maureen Birkmann is in dire need of one more person to assist with storing and
marketing some of
NISA’s merchandise.
Her little car just
won’t hold even
one more storage
tub for events so –
we need a volunteer to step up to
the plate. Bev Stewart needs assistance
with educational
efforts since she’s
currently devoting
more time to foster
needs. Most importantly we need
print-ready articles
for the Rescue Review and we should
update our educational handout
Lucky boy Pinky found his forever home folder with additional referral inforwith Martha Perez and her son Kevin.
mation for veterinarians, grooming salons, and training sites. Might a behavior/
training question and answer column in the Rescue Review be
of any benefit to NISA members? As you can see many hands
are needed to make light work for all.
I’d like to take a second here to apologize to Alan and
Sharon Chichester for inadvertently omitting their names in the
Lifetime Member acknowledgement last month. I am deeply
sorry for my oversight and I solemnly promise not to compile
important lists in the wee morning hours any more. NISA’s lifetime members are beyond special because of the message
they extend with their commitment to NISA. Their dedication
clearly says, “We like what you’re doing and how you do it so
much we’re proud to support NISA’s efforts forever.” To anyone deep in the trenches of rescue this message means the
world to them. Yes, we all strive to do our best for the homeless
Samoyeds and sometimes things don’t go as smooth as we
hope so that virtual pat on the back your support provides sure
does feel great. Thank you all, again.
See page 11►
Page 9
Calling NISA
According to Secretary Debbie
Jones, we ended 2005 with 385
calls compared to 2004 , when
NISA received 542 calls.
That is a decline of 157 calls.
There was only a drop of six calls
in December from 2004 to 2005,
when NISA logged 44 calls total.
Among the calls were noted:
Adoption related -- 22
Owner relinquish query --1
Shelter calls -- 2
Volunteer calls -- 1
Let’s see if we can get that
phone ringing with more calls
offering to volunteer, help with
fundraising, foster a dog or just
checking to see what NISA
needs.
Call today to make your appointment for NISA’s vaccination clinic with Kathleen
McManamon, DVM. See page
four for details and times.
There will also be opportunities
to help during the three-day pet
show in Arlington Heights in
March.
Call Debbie Jones: 847-2554815.
Page 10
Party time
The Holiday gathering January
22 was held at Niko's Restaurant
in Bridgeview. A good time was
had by all and the food choices
at the buffet were amazing. The
Jeff Weigerding was a winner.
buffet tables were arranged in a
horseshoe with desserts in the
center.
We had two tall Christmas coffee mugs and a Snowman
cookie jar all filled with dog
cookies. Jeff Weigerding and
Steve Jacobson won the coffee
mugs and Bev Galbraith's
cousin, Shirley Wright won the
cookie jar.
Attending the Sunday brunch
were: Pat and Steve Jacobson,
Carol Lewandowski, Bob Mohr,►
Northern Illinois Samoyed Assistance, Inc.
Mac’s story
◄See page 5 home to his former family. One night about 3:00
am after begging this boy for weeks to please give me just one
positive sign I burst into tears while sitting outside on the floor of
the deck. Within minutes Mac was licking away my tears and I
knew I had just gotten a sign.
The first project at hand was
to get Mac to come in the
house willingly. Ah, enter the
power of cooked liver and the
words “Good boy”! It only took
a matter of hours to teach
Mac to come for a bite of liver
so I just kept increasing the distance a little at a time every
Mac
day until he eventually walked
right into the house. I also
picked up on the fact that if Mac was in the house, long about
5 - 5:30 he became extremely stressed and frantically wanted
outside. Obviously what ever he had done through the course
of the day he was beaten for it when his previous owner came
home from work.
He was extremely well acclimated to being crated and his
obedience was deeply imbedded but I could tell he had been
trained very harshly. When told to down, Mac threw his forelegs
in the air and slammed himself down on any surface. Obedient
yes but his eyes revealed a deep-rooted fear of being hurt if he
wasn’t. I soon learned that human feet were perceived as
weapons and twice I accidentally stepped too close. Once he
grabbed me firmly by my ankle and the second time he snarled
and merely lunged my direction. Yes, as time passed it was beyond obvious that Mac had been severely abused by his former owner.
Being so well trained and yet so abused indicated to me that
he probably had had two owners. The first taught him obedience and house manners. So, was he given away? Did he get
lost? Or was he stolen? No one will ever know. The second was
his abuser.
Mac was listed as available for adoption and I hoped that
someone with years of dog experience would scoop him up
but sadly NISA had only two inquiries about Mac. Neither would
have been a good match for this alpha boy.
We all learned what we could or couldn’t do with Mac and
he was visibly happy with his new found pack. With the passing
of time the injuries from his abuse, falls he took while playing
and just the aging process began to take its toll on Mac. His
legs became weaker and weaker so the decision was made to
set his beautiful spirit free from a worn out old body.
There were constant challenges and I’ll confess he truly
February 2006
Mac’s story
scared me at times, nonetheless given the opportunity I would
do it all over again. I watched the healing process and money
can’t buy the joy it gave me to see Mac enjoy life again. I
loved the look on his face when I said, good boy. I loved to
watch him eat treats I knew he’d never had before. I loved to
watch him sleep like a newborn puppy. I loved to hear his soft
woo-woo. I loved to watch him play with the other fur-kidz.
And I cherish the day he caught the ball instead of running the
other way.
Mac shared our hearts and home for nearly six years and
most importantly Mac had a chance to learn that not all humans are cruel.
Page 11
Party time
◄ Bev Stewart, Carmel McCradden, Bev Galbraith, Shirley
Wright, Curt and Vivian Jones,
David and Mary Jean Van
Sickle, Jean Gilles, Bob and
Report from the front lines of rescue
◄See page 9 On another note, National Samoyed Rescue
(newly incorporated in 2004) has a fabulous website that all of
you should visit when you get a chance. They’ll be offering
“webinars” on various topics so
check back often.
One article I consider a must- read I am delighted to is Blue’s story featuring the teamwork among three
say there are no This is the main
or more rescues.
goal of NSR. To
new incoming unite rescue
groups across the
country will proSammies this portunities
vide additional opto bettime around.
ter serve the
homeless Samoyeds through transportation, home
visits, evaluations
and the sharing of
experience to new comers. I also participated in my first affiliates conference call January 18 and what a delightful pleasure it was. It’s nice to have the opportunity to exchange views
on rescue concerns without waiting for a reply emails - grin. I
imagine after a couple more calls I should be able to figure
out names to go with all the voices.
I am delighted to say no new incoming Sammies this time
around. Not to say there weren’t any reported as I did hear
from Morehead, Kentucky regarding two females. Another
Samoyed was found in Chicago, and a male was picked up in
Roodhouse, Illinois. The two females were adopted together,
the Roodhouse male was found to be overly aggressive toward people and was humanely euthanized, and the Chicago
Samoyed is being held by his finder in the hopes of locating
the owner. As of this writing NISA is in a holding pattern and it
sure feels good to get a break.
Sadly, NISA lost another diamond in January. See page 14►
Shirley Wright won the Santa.
Jean Ungar, Jeff and Lori
Weigerding, Andee Rhodie, Phil
Lipschultz, Ruth Rechtoris, and
Deb Jones.
For next year’s holiday party we
are looking for a place in the
western suburbs. So if any member knows of a good restaurant
in the western suburbs for a Sunday brunch, please let us know
so we can get a head start on
finding a place. We want to find
a great location and give members enough of an advance notice to have better attendance.
Page 12
Northern Illinois Samoyed Assistance, Inc.
Samoyeds available for adoption: diamonds in the rough
Rascal
Radar
A Samoyed/shepherd mix, about 8 or 9
years old. Great
disposition; loves
kids, cats and dogs
of either gender.
Loves to watch life
go by. UTD on all
shots, microchipped, housetrained. Rascal has
such good manners doesn’t require a crate.
Two-year-old, 75 lbs. Knows sit,
down and comes when called
very well. Still fearful of strangers
and new surroundings. Loves to
retrieve anything and everything.
Will chew things if not supervised.
Must have fenced yard as he runs
laps to burn off energy.
Trixie
Female about 8 years
old. Very sweet girl!
Loves kids, compatible
with dogs and cats.
Laid back and easy going. Prefer fenced yard
for safety due to limited
hearing.
Souan
Approximately 8 years old. Would
do best in a single pet household.
Very affectionate and sweet with
women. Is in training for wait, sit,
and down stays. Will benefit from a
structured routine.
TED
P
O
AD
Wannabe
Listed as a Samoyed in a Tennessee
shelter, he was scheduled to be
euthanized, so transport north was
arranged. 23 lbs and eight months
old. Doc Mac says he’s a wonderful
dog, very affectionate and well behaved. He’s just not a Samoyed.
ED
T
OP
AD
Duke
Three-year-old still
slightly fearful of strangers and new surroundings. Needs compassionate human willing
to help him adjust to
the good life every dog
should have. Has come
a long way already. Boarded and
needs foster home for socialization.
Buddy
One-year-old neutered male. Crate
and housetrained. Loves kids, okay
with other dogs but a little shy with
adults. Very sweet dog. Relinquished
due to owners health issues.
Dude
Duchess
Six years old, good with
female dogs; cats okay
with supervision. Has basic obedience. Knows sit,
down, wait and loves to
go for long walks.
Three years old; still slightly fearful of
strangers and new surroundings. Loves
attention from people she knows. Will
make a wonderful companion.
Boarded and needs foster home for
socialization.
February 2006
Page 13
Samoyeds available for adoption: diamonds in the rough
Luke
Mark
Two years old, very
sweet, affectionate and
full of mischief. Good
with other dogs, cats
and children. Does
need basic training and
will chew if not supervised. Very high energy
and loves to run.
Fenced yard preferred.
Fenced yard preferred.
Matthew
Montana
Two years old, very sweet,
still a little skittish about
new things and strangers.
Would do best to have a
canine housemate. Loves
to play with toys, good
with kids, cats and other
dogs. Fenced yard preferred.
Two years old. Affectionate and good with
kids, cats and other
dogs. Would do well
with a canine housemate to show him the
ropes. Great potential
and very willing to
please his caregiver.
Four or five years old, female; has her weight
down to 70 lbs. Very affectionate. Loves to
snuggle in bed or on a couch. Good with kids
and other dogs. Knows sit, sit pretty, down
and give paw.
NISA’s diamonds in the rough can range in
age from just a few months to seniors at 12
years or older. Unless we receive registration
papers we rarely know any dog’s exact age
or medical history. A mature dog is “instant
love.” Please call NISA at 847-255-4815 .
Maverick
About two years old;
good with kids, cats
and other dogs.
Loves to snuggle on
the couch if you
don’t mind his head
in your lap. Big boy
with a yen for freedom to roam. Doors
and gates must be
secure.
Rusty
Picked up in January at age seven weeks. Is
probably Eskie/Golden mix
with a Sammie personality.
Sweetest little guy. House and
crate trained, good with
other dogs and kids. No exposure to cats. Loves car rides
and long walks. A real
charmer and gorgeous!
Page 14
Northern Illinois Samoyed Assistance, Inc.
NISA’s building fund — why it’s important to you and me
by Julia Henriques, Development Committee
Many thanks to those of you who support
NISA’s building fund by joining the Strut for Sammies, holding garage sales, and collecting at
Jewel stores among other things. Fundraising for
the building fund is one of our most crucial activities. Why is this so important?
• Without our own shelter, we are often
prevented from taking in dogs because
our foster families are all full and we do
not have a place to put the new intakes.
At this moment, we know of dogs whose
owners wish to place them, and have
others holding in shelters that need
homes, but we are forced to delay accepting them, or incur costly boarding
fees which NISA can ill afford.
• When we take in senior dogs, they can
be very hard to place. With our own shelter we can give these dogs a happy
place to live out their last days, weeks,
months or even years.
• Special needs dogs: sometimes dogs are
simply not suitable candidates for adoption or even fostering, whether due to
health or behavior issues. Again, with our
own shelter, we will be able to accommodate these dogs too.
• Emergency or temporary accommodation: sometimes we take in dogs tempo-
rarily because their owners become ill or
injured, or otherwise unable to care for
them for a period of time. We often get
very little notice to find temporary fosters
for these dogs; our shelter will allow us to
respond immediately to these emergency requests.
• The shelter will benefit all NISA members
because we will offer boarding services
for all your dogs, whatever the breed.
You will be able to house your pets with
us for long or short term stays, whether
for vacation, business travel, illness or
emergency absence.
We need everybody’s help getting the word
out to potential donors and supporters. We ask
that all NISA members and friends remember
the importance and urgency of our shelter project. Please keep us in mind as you go about
your daily activities and tell people about us
whenever you can. If you have a Samoyed, especially a NISA Sammie, and someone stops to
admire or express interest in your pet, you have
a golden opportunity to tell them about NISA
and our goals. And of course, any time you feel
able to offer assistance, whether financial or
simply volunteering your time, your efforts will
be gratefully received.
Thank you. We very much look forward to
seeing you at the Strut for Sammies in May.
Report from the front lines of rescue
◄See page 11 My foster boy Mac had been
slowly failing due to neurological problems
caused by a ruptured disc. Thanks to Ann Beckerdite, Mac’s Sammie Savior, we were able to
provide oral Cosequine DS, Adequan Canine
injections, and Metacam to keep Mac moving
as long as we could. His spirits were great, his
appetite was good and all organ functions normal but his legs simply could not support his
body for any length of time.
By late September it became necessary to
not only lift but also walk him with a sling. Then in
December he was diagnosed with a nasty uri-
nary infection that left Mac unable to urinate of
his own power. After six weeks of using a catheter to frequently empty his bladder I had to accept the fact Mac had permanently lost all
bladder muscle control.
Like many of you I hoped and prayed that
tomorrow would bring a full turnaround but it
wasn’t to be. Mac was an intricate part of my
pack and I loved him immensely for all the joy
and laughter he brought to my life. I surely do
miss his soft woo-woo followed by a short
“woof” as if it were the period at the end of his
sentence. His story is on page five.
February 2006
Page 15
This one’s for you Samoyed Rescues!!
I first want to take this opportunity to thank you, as
members of the Samoyed Rescue
Community, for your efforts with our
furkidz in need. As you all know National Samoyed Rescue is deeply committed to helping all of you in the
best ways we can. One of the things
we are trying to do has gotten off to a
slow start because our main focus of
promotion has been having problems
with their publication. I’ve come to
you with this in hopes that all who
read this article will support the NSR
fundraising project and your Rescue
in turn.
In September, 2005 National Samoyed Rescue began sales of the first in
a series of four Limited Edition Prints, numbered and
complete with a certificate of authenticity. There will
only be 100 prints made for each in the Series.
Annie Reid, a very accomplished artist, who has
captured the beauty of our breed
and the relationship we humans
have with them in “The Cherished Samoyed” print has graciously agreed to donate the profits for this print and the three to
follow to National Samoyed Rescue and in turn to you.
Take a look at Annie’s “The
Cherished Samoyed” at left, or go
to www.samoyedrescue.org. A
picture of the print is on our
homepage as well as price and ordering information. We are hoping that you will take advantage of
this offer and consider all four
prints to grace the walls of your home.
Jim Becklund
NISA support form
Funds collected by Northern Illinois Samoyed Assistance, Inc. are used directly for the Samoyeds in
need of assistance. NISA is a not-for-profit breed-specific rescue organization.
Yes, I can help with:
‫ڤ‬Foster home
‫ڤ‬Adoption
Yes, sign me up to be a supporter of NISA:
‫ڤ‬New supporter ‫ ڤ‬Renewal
$35 annually entitles me to the monthly newsletter and notice of all activities.
$50 annually entitles me to the monthly newsletter, notice of all activites
and a 25% discount on program admission fees.
$1,000 lifetime supporter entitles me to all of the above for my lifetime.
Please make check payable to Northern Illinois Samoyed Assistance, Inc.. or charge it and mail to:
Northern Illinois Samoyed Assistance, Inc. — P.O Box 218
Arlington Heights, IL 60006
Name
Address
City
Phone
Email
Card #
CVC number
ST
Exp. date
Zip
Page 16
Northern Illinois Samoyed Assistance, Inc.
The dog who ate Christmas
ride his bike without heart-racing anxiety on just
by Theresa Willingham
seeing a dog.
Our dog Dexter recently ate seven ounces of
When we adopted Dexter from a breed resBaker's chocolate and a half-ounce of gourmet
cue group, he was a year and a half old,
ground coffee and swallowed a marble, to
weighed 13 pounds and stood a foot high at
boot. None of these things is part of recomthe shoulders. Our daughters were delighted.
mended canine diet. Chocolate is toxic to
Our son wouldn't come out of his room for three
dogs. A one-ounce square of Baker's chocolate
days. He crawled across the tops of chairs to
can kill a 10-pound dog, and it's a wonder
get to the table to eat and then crawled back
seven ounces didn't do in our 15-pound dachsacross them to return to his room.
hund. Coffee holds the same dangers.
On the fourth day, he sat on a
The whys and wherefores of this
stool and observed the dog, who
accident are irrelevant. Everyone
looked back questioningly with
feels badly enough already. The upthose irresistible dark brown eyes of
shot of the whole thing is that the vet
his. At the end of a week, our son
bills totaled more than $1,200. Comwas carrying the dog around the
ing on the heels of a rough year and
house. After a few weeks, he was
a recent layoff, our little dog effecmore comfortable with other dogs.
tively ate Christmas.
Now, two years later, he still doesn't
On the way home from the vet
care for large dogs, but he's not
with our pooch, groggy and sore affearful and he roams the neighborter surgery to remove the offending
hood with a confidence that's carblue marble, we began to joke gently about all the things that $1,200
Theresa Willingham with ried over to other areas of his life.
could buy.
her dachshund, Dexter. He's playing piano, riding horses, doing well in his studies and generally
"Dexter ate a 24-inch flat screen
a happy-go-lucky kid with a dog.
LCD TV," my husband said, laughing. "He ate a
And that's just what Dexter did for our son.
lot of video games," my son chimed in. "He ate
Each person in the family has a special and
a used car," one of my daughters added. "A
unique relationship with the dog. He plays genvery old and very used one," her father started
tly and obligingly with our son. With my ramto correct her. But then we remembered we'd
bunctious, outgoing daughter, he races and
sold our old car for $300 and agreed that Dexwrestles. He leans against my quiet daughter
ter had eaten the equivalent of four old minilike a cat, savoring her strokes. And while origivans.
nally suspicious of men, Dexter adores my husOnce home, everyone fawned over our sick
band. They play wild games of chase and
little dog without reproach, glad he was home
spend warm devoted moments snoozing.
and on the mend, the $1,200 and abandoned
I had never owned a dog before and was
Christmas gift ideas irrelevant.
concerned about how long I could be away
Because, truth be told, we're still in debt to
from home; picking up after the dog in addition
Dexter for all he's done for us in the last couple
to the rest of the family, who at least could
of years.
flush; annual shots; tags and whatever other
We adopted him as something of immersion
dog ownership issues were bound to occur.
therapy for our then-10-year-old son, who was
But I found that walks took on new meaning
suffering from an increasingly unreasonable
with a little dog trotting at my side. An occaand debilitating fear of dogs. Like many phosionally bizarre meaning, as we sometimes
bias, cynaphobia, the medical term for fear of
stopped every few feet so Dexter could check
dogs, doesn't require any negative experiences
what the girls called his "pee mail" at every post
to exist. Our son's fears had grown to such proand trunk. But I walk more briskly and more ofportions he couldn't walk down the street or
February 2006
The dog who ate Christmas
ten now.
And coming home has never been so rewarding! No one else in the family greets me so
ecstatically and with such genuine joy. Whether
I've been gone 15 minutes or a day, Dexter is
enormously and unapologetically glad to see
me. He's a cuddler, shamelessly squeezing between the desk and my lap while I work, cruising from lap to lap while we watch TV at night.
He won't crawl into his bed until the last family
member is
in his or
hers, and
he lies
curled up
beside us
Our dog Dexter ing, when
until mornhe starts his has taught us pa- equal opportunity
doting all
tience,
charity
over
again.
He has
taught
us
and the value of
patience,
charity and
forgiveness.
the value
of forgiveness. He
never holds
grudges,
whether his
tail is accidentally stepped upon, or he's ordered out of the kitchen for being underfoot.
He certainly didn't like the vet's office during the
chocolate Incident. But when we came to take
him home, he clearly didn't associate us with his
aches and pains. Through the haze of drugs after his
surgery, he wagged his tail vigorously when he
saw us.
Dogs aren't for the shallow and selfabsorbed. They're childlike but without the
growing cognizance and independence of
children. We are always their heroes; they're
always our friends. Even with three children and
a quarter-century marriage, I didn't fully understand unconditional love until Dexter came into
our lives. The obligation to live up to such devotion and loyalty can be a daunting task and a
humbling experience.
Yes, our dog ate Christmas. But the gifts he's
given us are priceless and more enduring than
anything we could ever put under the tree
and more than we could ever repay.
This story originally ran in the St. Petersburg
Times and is used with the author’s permission.
Page 17
Sincere condolences to …
Ken and Karen Van Swearingen on the loss of
Karen’s mother, Margaret A. Lopatka. Margaret
was an avid animal lover who owned two
Bichon Frises and adopted a Siamese from a
local shelter.
THE BEST DRESSED PETS ARE WEARING
PAMPERED PET
ACCESSORIES
By Mary
847-546-9276
collar covers • bandannas • coats • sweatshirts
T-shirts • costumes & more • custom orders available
Coolidge & Associates Inc.
Small Business Solutions
Charles C. Coolidge, E.A., A.T.A.
101 North Virginia Street, Suite 230
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
815-459-1411
Fax: 815-459-1494
Illinois: 800-232-8410
E-mail: ccoolekw@ameritech.net
Business Consulting
Management consulting
Consulting for acquiring and selling of businesses
Business retirement plans: 401(k), Simple, etc.
Tax Preparation
Business Tax preparation
Personal Income Tax preparation
Write-up services
Payroll taxes
Payroll preparation and check writing
Page 18
Northern Illinois Samoyed Assistance, Inc.
NISA merchandise
T-shirts featuring NISA’s
embroidered logo
Short-sleeved $18
Light blue, royal blue, dark
pink, lime green, dark green,
lavender, purple, and teal
Polo shirts $28
Three-button style with NISA logo
Heather gray, royal blue and red
Sweatshirts $26
100% cotton with NISA logo
Navy, royal blue, dark green, purple, red, maroon,
and gray
Denim Shirts with embroidered NISA logo
100% cotton. Please specify Women's or Men's.
Long Sleeved $35
Short-sleeved $32
Available in regular denim or
washed denim colors.
Jacket with hood $60
Lined, water resistant
windbreaker
Hooded sweatshirt $35
Gray in stock, other colors available special order
ON SALE WHILE THEY LAST:
Christmas cards 1 pack/ $5 -- 3 styles available
Emergency decals 2 for $5
Pet medal 2 for $5
Book: Pieces of my Heart $15
Children’s books: each $10
Free to be Me, the Eskimo Way
A Child’s Happy Heart
Hand towel/potholder set for $5
Supplies limited, so call Maureen for availability.
2006 NISA
calendar $15
Please note that all shirt colors may not be in stock at time of
order. Call or email to check availability.
Maureen Birkmann: 773-792-0580 mbirkmann@comcast.net
White Pine
Collars $8
Leads $9
Black, hot pink,
mint, purple, red,
rose, royal blue, teal
and twilight (deep
purple)
February 2006
Page 19
NISA merchandise
◄Magnets
each $4 plus
$1 shipping
NISA gift certificates ►
are available in any
dollar amount.
Miscellaneous goodies
Sammie earrings
or key chain $7 ►
Sammie tie tac or zipper pull $3 ►
Trinket box $10 (rose or blue)
Samoyed bumper sticker $5
Pet blinkers $7 extra batteries $3
Magnets etcetera
Sammie head magnet $6
Furry magnet $7
My friend magnet $4
Computer PC pet $5 ►
Woof picture frame $10
Address book $10
Order form
Please note credit card information or enclose
your check made payable to “NISA” and mail to:
Maureen Birkmann
5131 N. Nordica Avenue
Chicago, IL 60656-3605
Quantity
Description
Size
Shipping & handling per U.S. address
Merchandise value:
Up to $60 add $4.50
$61 and up add $8
Color,1st choice
Color, 2nd choice
Shipping information
Subtotal
Total due
Address
Method of payment
Home phone
Total
Shipping and handling
Name
City
Cost each
State
Zip
Check □
Credit card □
Name on card
Work Phone
Account #
Email address
Exp. Date
3-digit CVC # on back of card
Northern Illinois
Samoyed Assistance, Inc.
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
Rescue Review
PAID
PALATINE, IL
PERMIT NO. 00634
P.O. Box 218
Arlington Heights, IL
60006
This sparkling
boy Mark and his
brother Matthew
are ready for their
forever home.
How ‘bout it?
Calendar of events
March 4
Vaccination Clinic
By appointment 10 am - 6 pm
Dog Training Room
March 17-19
Family Pet Show
Arlington Heights
May 21
Strut for Sammies
See page 4 for details