New Spirit News V2 I2 September 2010

New Spirit News
VOLUME 2
ISSUE 2
September 2010
An all-volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) organization serving Australian Shepherds and Aussie mixes on the East Coast.
Robin Sylvester, Editor Bill Deerr, Layout Designer
A Message From Our President
I’m delighted to report that New Spirit has grown so large, so fast, that we are now placing 30-40 dogs a month,
with no end to the growth in sight! We currently have 80 dogs in our program, and our volunteer base now includes
300 wonderful folks. We now have terrific teams from ME to FL on the east coast, and as far
west as MN, WI, IL, IN. Better still, we have terrific working relationships with other rescues
in MO, KS, IA, and TX, so we can spread our reach to dogs in need there as well.
Amazing to think that we took our first dogs in only a little over two years ago! We are so
very grateful to our adopters and donors for the support and encouragement they give us every
day, and enabling us to do what we do. We especially appreciate the stories from adopters of
all the happiness their adopted dogs have brought to them and their families.
No rescue is ever without its share of challenges—dogs that need major medical help due to
being shot, hit by cars, etc, dogs that have been so neglected that it takes months of vet care and
foster home love to bring them around, dogs with heartworm that need months of expensive
Belle Kirwan
care and quiet time to recover and lead full lives. And sadly, some dogs we lose because their
medical issues are so great, or we get them too late to intervene successfully. These are the ones that really break our
hearts.
You can see these dogs at our “Paws to Remember” page on our website. We honor every dog that has passed
through the New Spirit program with a listing, even if they pass after placement. A few, a very few, never leave our
program because of behavior issues we didn’t foresee and couldn’t fix. We are happy we gave them a chance to succeed though. And every dog we take, no matter the outcome, has what our motto calls for in their time with us: love,
shelter, comfort.
Thank you to everyone who is part of this effort. Even the smallest donation, an hour driving a leg on a transport,
helping keep records and books, adds up to one huge accomplishment. It is truly a gift to the dogs, our communities,
and to our adopters: thank you!
~Pam Caldwell~
New England Fun Day
On Saturday, June 12th, New Spirit Volunteers from across the Northeast converged on Windham, Maine to meet,
greet, eat, plan and play with some beautiful Aussies. Because so much of New Spirit's communication is done online,
the first priority was to put names to faces and get to know a bit about each other.
Pam, New Spirit's President, traveled from Pennsylvania. Janet and Joe came from New Jersey. Nancy and Diane
came from New York. Others came from Maine and New Hampshire; including Donna and Pete, Lori, Kait, Laurie
and Jodi. Our pack was rounded out by
about ten Aussies and honoraries. Gathered around an outdoor fire and on the
screen porch (this was Maine after all),
we talked dogs and families, and plans
to grow in New England. This was the
second New England gathering. Stay
tuned for big news from the third, next
year!
~Laurie Kimball~
Pam, Nancy, Diane, Kait, Jodie, Laurie, Joe, Janet, Donna, Pete, Lori
Volume 2 Issue 2 September 2010
www.ns4ar.org
Ah...the power of CHEESE!
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New Spirit News
Meet A Volunteer
Name: Martha MacDonald
Occupation: Human Resources Assistant, DECO Recovery Management
Where do you live?: Easton MD.....Eastern Shore
What is your role within New Spirit? Secretary, foster home, evaluator,
transporter, fundraiser and occasionally foster home of last resort for dogs
who are in danger of being euthanized
How long have you been volunteering with New Spirit? Since the very beginning. I'm one of the founders.
Martha MacDonald, Secretary
How and why did you come to be volunteer with New Spirit? Former Regional Coordinator/Assistant Regional Coordinator for a national aussie rescue group. When we left that involvement,
I missed helping the dogs. So when the discussion started about organizing a new rescue with a spirit of inclusion and
support, I was one of the first to raise her hand.
What pets do you have in your home and what are their names? Zippy, 8+ y.o. dark blue merle aussie mix, Tyson, 8+y.o. blue merle mxm aussie born without eyes, Misty, red bi 7 y.o. aussie, Cato, 10 y.o. orange short hair
cat, CeCe the 1 y.o. Christmas kitten found starving on my porch , Molly 13 y.o. Connemara mix large pony and soon
Cara the 6 y.o. mini to be my driving partner.
Do you have a favorite thing you like to do with your dogs? Go for rides and cuddle. Mostly cuddle.
What is your favorite thing about New Spirit? The openness and sharing among this group is heartwarming. Our volunteers have so much accumulated wisdom and experience and we're able to share thoughts without anger or snarking. Because we have developed such great working relationships with folks around the country, we are able to place
so many dogs successfully that I'm stunned. When we started, we thought we'd maybe place 50 dogs a year. Now we
are doing that in 6-8 weeks! To be able to impact the lives of so many dogs and so many families.....it makes it a thrill
to be part of this group.
What are some of your other hobbies/interests? Knitting, needlepoint, riding, driving and competing with horses,
travel and studying French. My next involvement is writing. Mostly stories about my driving experiences and funny
tales of a 'grandma' learning to drive and being coached by 9 year olds.
"To err is human,
to forgive, canine"
~ Anonymous ~
Get your Aussie gear...
http://www.cafepress.com/newspiritaussie
Volume 2 Issue 2 September 2010
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New Spirit News
Illinois Team Spirit
What brought the state of Illinois onto the map for New Spirit 4 Aussie Rescue? Easy: in Illinois, there is no shortage
of Aussies in need of rescue, many in shelters or surrenders as well as the endless supply from down in the Hannibal
MO and Quincy IL area. Another thing there’s no shortage of is great volunteers and foster homes. Since bringing on
Illinois, New Spirit has gained over 40 volunteers and foster homes, with that number growing every month. The same
is true for adoptions, with well over 20 since April of 2010.
How to account for this success? Meet the dynamic team of Pat Svatos and David Thurman who broke ties with their
previous organization in order to expand their ability to rescue Australian Shepherds. With New Spirit 4 Aussie Rescue, they gained the ability to rescue not only purebred Aussies but also mini Aussies and Aussie mixes, so the number of Aussies saved has grown, as has the number of happy Aussie owners, or should I say, the Aussie owners of
humans?
The Illinois team has quickly grown and now covers
from Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota, with
Emily Northrop managing the Minnesota section, and
Rhonda Ehlers managing Wisconsin. Iowa is best left to
Jayne McQuillen's Protégé Rescue, who has been excellent in saving Aussies in Iowa. The southern part of the
Midwest is covered by St. Louis Aussie Rescue under Kay
Edward's leadership.
Pat Svatos
On average, Illinois will take in four to eight dogs a
month, with an average of 4-6 adoptions a month. Lately
we’ve seen a rise in special need Aussies, also called lethal
whites. These dogs are the result of two merled parents
and are impaired in their ability to survive due to deficits
in hearing or vision. The Illinois team has been ready,
willing, and happy to take in these wonderful dogs and
has found adopters glad to adopt them.
David Thurman
So you can see, with a little effort and a whole lot of dedication, a region of five states can go from zero to 60 volunteers in a matter of a few months, and save all those great Aussies from an uncertain fate in a shelter. They go from
sometimes horrible lives to one of soft beds, wonderful chew things, a decent meal and all the love and attention a dog
could want.
Isn't it time to volunteer in your state? Help us save more Aussies: like a potato chip, you can’t have just one!
Rhonda Ehlers
Emily Northrop
Photo courtesy of Sean Silvernail
Volume 2 Issue 2 September 2010
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New Spirit News
Available Aussies
Berachah (NS 660) Meet Berachah, whose name means "blessed by God."
Berachah is a 10+ year old senior Australian Shepherd who is currently working on
gaining weight as she was found abandoned and severely
underweight. She is a very smart girl and loves rides in a
car, short walks and will get along well with other dogs. She
hasn't been tested with cats, but we expect she will be okay.
Berachah has many years of love left to give and receive,
so if you are willing to open your home to this seasoned girl,
show her that we 2 leggers will give back as much as she
gives in devotion.
Berachah is being watched over in central IL. Apply here or visit www.ns4ar.org.
Meet more Aussies in search of their “Forever Home” at www.ns4ar.org
Ruby (NS 403) I'm not the type of girl to brag, but my foster parents tell me everyday that I'm sweet as pie. I guess
I must be royalty because they constantly refer to me as a princess. I must say I'm looking quite stunning after putting
on a little needed weight, and my red merle coat is looking shiny and healthy after some
visits to the beauty parlor. I love my Aussie foster brother, but he has lots more energy and
is much more rambunctious than me. I'm a great leash
walker, car rider, and I am quite the well mannered 4 year
old. No one would ever call me a watch dog, but I must
say I'm a fabulous companion. If you think you would
like to have me in your family I would love to interview
you.
Love and Licks, Ruby
Ruby is fostered in Duneden, FL. Apply here or visit www.ns4ar.org.
Artist Raises Money for Dog Rescue
A local artist of Dunedin Fl, Anna Hamilton, created a
mural on the east wall of Skip's Bar and Grill featuring
portraits of 128 four-legged friends of local residents.
This was a fund raiser for a local rescue. For a donation
ranging from $25 to $200 (depending on the size and
placement of the dog on the mural), the artist painted a
likeness of your dog on the wall. Pictured here are New
Spirit Aussies Sydney and Mattie posing beside their pictures with Jan Sebald and Mark Torrance. Another New
Spirit Aussie, Sparky Fritz is also on the mural behind
Sydney.
Volume 2 Issue 2 September 2010
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New Spirit News
“Oh, by the way, we think he’s deaf…”
…is what the Ashe County (NC) Animal Control Officer said as he lifted the black tri-colored Aussie boy into my truck and
closed the door. Those words came as a total surprise as that hadn’t been mentioned to me when I called after seeing the dog’s
listing on Petfinder. The shelter HAD told me that he was “quiet, well-socialized….just an easy keeper” and that he had been
there the longest of any dog that they had there. They had liked him so much that they’d kept him alive for 35 days versus the
7 days that they were obligated to give strays before euthanization. Having never even MET a deaf dog, my curiosity was
piqued as a black tri Aussie was NOT my stereotype of a deaf Aussie….I’m used to deaf (and/or blind) Aussies having a lot of
white in their coats.
Within 24hrs, I realized that the shelter had been RIGHT. The dog, now named “McGrady”
after a tiny town I went through on the journey up to Ashe County and in honor of upcoming St
Patrick’s Day, slept soundly as I poured food into his food bowl. I’ve never had a dog to sleep
through opening food/treat bags much less having food poured into their bowl. McGrady’s
deafness was confirmed by my Veterinarian. He feels McGrady was born deaf as his eardrums
and canals looked pristine and McGrady (who is around 3yo) just seemed so well-adjusted! The
other thing we discovered on exam was a mass inside McGrady’s inner thigh. When he removed it, there was a BULLET there inside scar tissue….McGrady had been SHOT in the past!
Having taken my 5 other hearing dogs through Clicker-Based Positive Reinforcement Training, which includes both verbal and
hand signal commands, I needed some way to tell McGrady he was doing what I wanted him to do as I couldn’t use a Clicker.
The website www.deafdogs.org was most helpful and I learned I could use a “Thumbs Up” sign
for “Good Boy!”. I quickly “loaded my thumb”, just as I would have a clicker, in that I gave
him a treat then “Thumbs Up” sign repeatedly and he quickly figured out what that meant. I
also enrolled him in Basic Obedience Class, where he was my instructor’s FIRST deaf pupil.
She and I have been awestruck at how smart McGrady is and just how EASY he has been to
train. I have had him for nearly 6 months now, and he already knows: DROP IT, CRAWL,
SIT, STAY, DOWN, WEAVE, SPIN, to name a few!
Besides not “looking like” a deaf Aussie, McGrady also blows away several other usually
very-much-undeserved stereotypes of deaf dogs. He is NOT aggressive in the least. I wake him
by stomping on the floor or my hand placed in front of his nose. McGrady’s greeting to me is
always one of “Hello! It’s YOU!” He seeks out people for attention and doesn’t startle when petted. He goes to Doggie Day
camp three days/week and is a hit with the staff. Lastly, he has become one of my regular hiking companions and my fellow
hikers are usually very hard-pressed to figure out just WHICH of my dogs is the deaf one.
Words cannot express just HOW thankful I am to the kind staff of Ashe County (NC) Animal
Control for giving McGrady 28 days more than they had to, especially since they were sure he
was deaf. I think McGrady’s mission is to help me educate people as to just how easy and wonderful deaf dogs can be! I have no idea how many times people have asked me, “How in the
world do you communicate with him?” upon learning he’s deaf. I show them a few hand signals
(as McGrady demonstrates that he knows them) and people usually go, “How COOL! He knows
Sign Language!” Yes, indeed, he does. McGrady is D.E.A.F (Dependable, Eager, Athletic and
FUN!) and it just so happens he can’t hear. I am hopeful that more people will consider adopting
a deaf dog after meeting/reading about my McGrady. McGrady is sooo many other great things
before he is deaf!
~Sheley Revis~
Volume 2 Issue 2 September 2010
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New Spirit News
Volume 2 Issue 2 September 2010
www.ns4ar.org
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New Spirit News
Volume 2 Issue 2 September 2010
www.ns4ar.org
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New Spirit News
Happy Endings
Seamus
We adopted Seamus—pronounced “shay-mus” from New Spirit in September 2008. Martha MacDonald was his
foster mom and his name then was Jake.
When we brought him home, Seamus was an untrained wild-child, such so that
when one of my old friends first met him she proclaimed, “you’re not Seamus,
you’re “Shameless”. Ha-ha, so true. His antics to gain attention had no boundaries and he proved to be quite the challenge. He particularly loved to steal objects
from you that were of obvious importance to the task at hand: a glove while gardening, a carpenter’s pencil while working on a wood project, you’re underwear
while getting ready for work. I spent many a morning chasing Seamus around
the house while he joyfully romped with an essential part of my wardrobe. Consequently, in the early months of our new relationship, I was often late for work.
Over the past two years Seamus has turned into a wonderful companion. He loves
everyone he meets, dogs and people alike, and has become my retired husband’s right-hand man. Whether Steve is
doing a trash run or taking the boat out for a spin, Seamus is right there by his side. He’s been a great buddy to Jester
and Bailey, our other canine family members. He still steals the occasional object--we believe it’s to make us laugh-but now knows to drop it when told so. Seamus has been a great love in our life and we can’t thank New Spirit
enough for giving him his second chance.
~Maureen & Steve Bernard~
Belle
This is Belle, our little red merle mix that we adopted from New Spirit over a year ago. This picture was taken on her
1-year birthday (hence the party hat!). Back in Jan/Feb 2009, Jo Zukas fostered a pregnant double-merle named
Maggie, who gave birth to 4 adorable puppies while under her care. Belle was the only red merle of the bunch, and
was the runt of the litter. I saw her picture on the New Spirit website and knew we had to have her. We traveled from
southeastern Pennsylvania all the way to Virginia to adopt Belle when she
was just 2 months old. As of today, her brother and sisters are all at least 20
lbs. heavier than Belle (she weighs only 33 lbs!), and we all try to speculate
who their daddy was, but we haven't come up with anything conclusive. What Belle lacks in size, she makes up for in spunk. She plays with the
best of them when we take her to doggy daycare, and she loves to go for a run
with me and my husband. The girl has boundless Aussie energy and has
shredded many plushy toys, so now she must stick to chewing on Nylabones. We love having Belle as a member of our family. She is sweet and
loves to curl up with you if you are lying on the floor. Quite a lovable little
pup, our little Belle!
~Carla Zack~
Support New Spirit 4 Aussie Rescue with 40% of your purchase!
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New Spirit News
Happy Ending Update
Gracie (I'm sure you all remember Gracie from our Spring Issue. Well, she's been very busy!)
Gracie went to her first ADPT Rally Obedience trial to show! She had 3 qualifying scores which earned her a Level 1
title and had 2nd place and 5th place scores to show for the weekend! I was soooooo proud of her.
These ribbons represent more than you can imagine to me. Gracie is perfect in everyway, but we had some issues that
we needed to work on before we could even start her Rally class training. Like
many Aussies that come from working lines, (which Gracie clearly does) we
had some work to do with her reactiveness to moving, high energy dogs. After
a year of classes and hours of work at home, she has come such a long
way. We even started a beginning agility class 6 weeks ago (our 2nd attempt at
it- the first was too much for her to handle a year ago). She is able to concentrate and looks to be a natural at it (more so than me!!) Maybe we'll have agility ribbons to show off in the future! :)
Thank you again to NS for putting this wonderful dog into our lives. She is
such a joy and we just LOVE LOVE LOVE her!!!!
~Dawn Toma~
To read more about successful adoptions,
click the Happy Endings link at www.ns4ar.org
If you would like to share your aussie’s happy ending story with us for future newsletters,
please email robinsylvester65@yahoo.com.
New Spirit in New York
We had a very successful first-time booth for New Spirit in Syracuse. Rose Walsh, Diane Dunaway, Colette Leonard,
Max and I manned the booth along with Julie and Romey as our representative dogs. Romey truly lived up to his
Romeo name! He was a huge hit and drew in quite a crowd.
It looks like we took in $368 in booth sales and donations. We may have a few
people interested in fostering and other volunteering also.
Quite a successful day for our first outing!
Our celebrity dog walker was a Syracuse Crunch player,
Brett Motherwell. Romey and he worked the crowd all the
way around the ring and were the last ones out despite being
in the middle of the "parade". Later the Crunch representative came up to Rose and said they wanted us to participate
in something they are doing, so Rose gave them my card.
Not sure what I just go us involved in, but more to come
Diane Dunaway w/Gracie, Max Soergel,
later!
~Nancy Soergel~
Nancy Soergel, Rose Walsh with Romey
Brett and Romey
Volume 2 Issue 2 September 2010
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New Spirit News
Upcoming Events
Sept. 11&12
Outlaw Days
9:00am-5:00pm
Tuckahoe Equestrian Center, Queen Anne, MD
http://tuckahoeequestriancenter.net/outlawdays.htm
Sept. 25
Walk for the Animals & Walktoberfest
10:00am-2:00pm
First Energy Stadium, Reading, PA
http://www.berkshumane.org/events/events_walk.asp
Sept. 25
Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival
11:00am-4:00pm
Lee Park, Charlottesville, VA
http://www.cvillevegfest.org/
Oct. 3
Woofstock
8:00am-1:00pm
Banning Park, Wilmington, DE
http://www.dehumane.org/site/PageServer?
pagename=wilmington_walk
Oct. 10
Tailwaggers Trot
12:00pm-4:00pm
Buchanan Park, Lancaster, PA
http://humaneleague.com/content/tailwaggerstrot.asp
Oct. 23 & 24
Smyrna's Fall Jonquil Festival
Sat 10:00am-6:00pm / Sun 12:00noon-5:00pm
Village Green Downtown, Smyrna, GA
http://www.jrmmanagement.com/id70.html
Oct. 2
Bark in the Park
11:00am-3:00pm
Nottingham County Park, Nottingham, PA
Oct. 2
Burlington County Pet Expo 5
11:00am-4:00pm
Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ
Oct. 3
Bark in the Park Dog Walk & Fun Fest
12:00noon-5:00pm
Chesapeake City Park, Chesapeake, VA
http://www.chesapeakehumane.org/BIP.html
Oct. 23
Baltimore BARCStoberfest
11:00am-4:00pm
Patterson Park, Baltimore, MD
http://baltimoreanimalshelter.org/default.php#upcoming_events
Nov. 6
Reston Home 4 the Holidays Super Pet Adoption Event
11:00am-4:00pm
Reston Town Ctr, Reston, VA
http://www.gooddogz.org/index.php/content/view/112/152/
Several ways you can help save an Aussie:
Donate:
We depend on donations to supplement our adoption fees. Sometimes, the cost to rescue a dog far exceeds our adoption fee. We
accept checks or Paypal (You do not need to have a Paypal account yourself). You'll receive a letter acknowledging your gift for
your tax records.
Shop:
You can also help by visiting our Paws To Shop section where you can buy t-shirts, mouse pads, hats, magazine subscriptions,
dog treats and toys etc.
Search:
Raise money for New Spirit just by searching the Internet with GoodSearch.com or shopping at your favorite online store with
GoodShop.com.
Be a Volunteer:
Become a foster home
Make reference calls for applications
Help transport dogs
Evaluate dogs
Public Relations
Fundraising
Do home visits
Volume 2 Issue 2 September 2010
Do you have any interesting or funny stories and pictures
that are New Spirit/Aussie related ?
Would you like to have it published in a future newsletter?
Please email Robin robinsylvester65@yahoo.com
www.ns4ar.org
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