Leaving Our Mark

Pilots N Paws on “Underdog to Wonderdog”

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Tune in this Saturday, March 13 at 9 pm eastern time to watch another episode of “Underdog to Wonderdog” on Animal Planet that features Pilots N Paws.

Pilots N Paws is a non-profit 501c3 corporation. General Aviation Pilots volunteer to fly rescue animals from areas of the country with high euthanasia rates and overcrowding to rescues who have adoptive homes waiting.

Every week, “Underdog to Wonderdog” rescues one lonely, stray underdog and turns him into a wonderdog with some help from the Doggie Wonder Team!

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Safe Harbor Lab Rescue

Monday, March 8, 2010

Safe Harbor Lab Rescue has a special place in Leaving Our Mark’s heart …. It is the rescue group that we used to find our goofy black lab Jordy.

Safe Harbor Lab Rescue’s mission is to successfully rehome stray or surrendered Labrador Retrievers in Colorado by offering medical care, training resources and breed education.

More about Safe Harbor Lab Rescue:
- Safe Harbor was founded in May 2002 by two Lab lovers with help from Golden Retriever Rescue of the Rockies (GRRR).
- Through November 2009, more than 1,300 Labs have been rescued.
- They rescue and rehome more than 250 Labs per year.
- They are an all volunteer organization with teams of volunteers dedicated to Lab Intake, Medical Care, Foster Care, Transportation, Adoption, Behavior Assessment, Website Management, Fundraising/Community Events and Hotline and Email response.

And if you live in the Denver area you can help SHLR raise money at the SHLR March Fundraising Event on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 6:30 pm …. Canvas and Cocktails Fundraiser. Enjoy a fun evening of painting and cocktails in Cherry Creek and support the Labs of Safe Harbor Lab Rescue! Register now at www.canvasandcocktails.com

Note: No talent or experience is required! The venue provides the canvas, paints, and hands-on training to allow you to create your own masterpiece. A portion of the registration proceeds to directly to Safe Harbor. The class will be painting the darling doggie picture posted above.
Join your fellow SHLR supporters for a fun night of cocktails and painting!

Learn more about Safe Harbor Lab Rescue

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Save Lives – Pass Oreo’s Law

Friday, March 5, 2010

Oreo was a young female dog who was thrown off the roof of a six story building in Brooklyn, New York. She survived despite massive injuries to her legs, ribs and internal organs. She was dubbed the “miracle dog” by press and the ASPCA, who nursed her back to health.

On November 13, 2009, Oreo ran out of luck and the ASPCA decided unilaterally that she was not a good candidate for adoption. Before she was killed, numerous animal protection activists advocated saving her life. A reputable New York No Kill sanctuary, Pets Alive, offered to take her. Despite all attempts to save her life, Oreo was killed by the ASPCA.

This has led New York Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner and Senator Thomas K. Duane to introduce “Oreo’s Law.” Oreo’s Law will grant legitimate animal protection organizations the right to request that healthy and treatable animals be transferred to their care when another shelter is planning on killing them. We cannot bring back Oreo, but this law will save many lives!

You can follow the progress of the legislation on the Save Lives – Pass Oreo’s Law Blog and on Oreo’s Law Facebook Page.

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Local Dog flies to Chile for Search and Rescue

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Joe the search dog, a yellow Labrador retriever, is an alumnus of the Longmont Humane Society and is on his way to Chile to help with search and rescue after the earthquake. He boarded a military transport plane headed to Chile at March Air Force Base in California with his handler, Linda Tacconelli.

Joe is part of “California Task Force 2″ from the Ojai, Calif.-based National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, one of just two American search-dog teams permitted to deploy to international disasters.

Joe’s talent was was “discovered” in December 2007 by LHS training and behavior coordinator Sarah Clusman. In July 2008, Joe graduated from initial training and was teamed with Tacconelli, a handler from Santa Barbara. In September the team passed the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s certification test.

Read more about Joe in a story from the Daily Camera, “Longmont Humane Society grad flies to Chile for search and rescue.” And you can follow the work of the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation on Facebook.

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Elementary School Kids Donate Food to Alpha Canine Sanctuary

Monday, March 1, 2010

Wingland Elementary School in Bakersfield, CA is leaving their mark.

The elementary school raised funds that generated 3,000 units of food for Alpha Canine Sanctuary, a local no-kill shelter. The sanctuary took in its first dog in 1995 and since that time 20 acres in the hills north of Bakersfield had been a haven for 100 homeless dogs.

The sanctuary relies completely on the community for support for all of its daily operational needs. Volunteers work to feed the dogs, clean the runs and maintain the grounds. Educators said that the schools involvement not only helps the sanctuary but also inspires the students to gain a better understanding of community service and working for a cause.

LEARN MORE ABOUT Alpha Canine Sanctuary

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Annie’s Orphans

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Annie’s Orphans is a No-Kill dog shelter located in Durango, Colorado which began in 1985 as a home for retired sled dogs. With dogs for adoption in Durango, CO, Annie’s Orphans is the Southwest’s oldest No-Kill dog shelter in the Four Corners.

Even though it started as a home for retired sled dogs, given Anna and Bill Anderson’s compassion for animals in distress, this limited scope was quickly revised to become a more “all-inclusive” strategy. The shelter grew rapidly into a full-fledged, all breed rescue and was incorporated as a not-for-profit foundation in 1997. Annie’s Orphans now has a maximum capacity of 70 dogs and had become a safe-haven for the abandoned, neglected, and abused pet population from throughout the greater Four Corners area. However, due to a number of older dogs in residence with considerable health care needs and those that are hard to adopt because of the hard lives they have had, the shelter remains at perpetual full-capacity and that is where they need your help!

The goal of Annie’s Orphans is to offer abused and hard to adopt dogs a safe haven until good adoptive homes can be found.

Learn more about Annie’s Orphans

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93-year-old’s Love of Dogs Helps Police

Monday, February 22, 2010

Six years ago, Marion Jordan, 93, decided to start supporting the Aurora Police K9 Unit with monthly donations. She has been donating every month, enough for the K9 Unit to buy a new dog, Jordan.

Jordan, as you might have guessed, is named in honor of Marion.

Marion, whose home has statues and stuffed German Shepherds everywhere, missed having a real dog. She has owned four in her life.

“I have sure missed my dogs,” she said. “They’re my best friends, my very best friends. There is nothing like a German Shepherd. They are the smartest dog.”

The 93-year-old loves the idea of having a dog named after her, but she is really looking forward to having a chance to someday pet Jordan again. She recently met the dog when Aaron Woodbury, the officer who is training Jordan, and other officers brought him by to meet her.

Aurora Police say the money Marion has been donating over the years, went into the general fund which paid for Jordan. He is one of several dogs Aurora Police work with.

Canine Companions for Independence

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Founded July 1975 in Santa Rosa, California, Canine Companions for Independence provides highly-trained assistance dogs for children and adults with disabilities, free of charge.

Canine Companions is funded by private contributions from individuals; gifts from businesses, civic groups, and service clubs; grants from corporations and foundations; and ongoing fund-raising activities such as special events and mailings.

CCI trains four types of assistance dogs:
- Service Teams – assist adults with physical disabilities by performing daily tasks.
- Hearing Teams – alert the deaf and hard of hearing to important sounds.
- Skilled Companion Teams – enhance independence for children and adults with physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities.
- Facility Teams – work with a professional in a visitation, education or healthcare setting.

We learned about this great organization from an interview done by Glenn Close and posted to Huffington Post. She interviewed Bob Peterson, an animator, screenwriter, director and voice actor who was the voice voice the talking dog, Dug, in Pixar’s Up. Bob requested that Canine Companions for Independence be the beneficiary of his charitable shop on FetchDog.com. In the interview, he explains why he chose this organization.

LEARN MORE ABOUT Canine Companions for Independence

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The Barking Lot

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

The seed for The Barking Lot was planted a few years back when the founder Stacey took in her first foster dog, Patti Cake. Then she received an e-mail stating, “This dog to be put down on Tuesday at 3 p.m.” She was horrified and jumped into action figuring out how she could save her. Well she got the dog adopted and now Raspberry is living happily in Encinitas, CA. After getting her adopted, she thought, “That wasn’t so tough.”

And three years later 900 dogs have been adopted into loving home through the great work by Stacey and The Barking Lot’s volunteers. They rescue dogs from area shelters, humane societies and Mexico as they are at risk of being euthanized and/or abandoned and find them forever homes.

And Patti Cake, Stacey’s original foster dog is still with The Barking Lot residents as she couldn’t let her go.

LEARN MORE ABOUT The Barking Lot.

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Life, Love, And Four Paws

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentine’s Day!

On CBS Sunday Morning this Valentine’s Day, Ben Stein has a great message for all pet lovers and advice on the smartest thing you can do today. He shares the joy of adopting a dog and spending Valentine’s Day with “man’s best friend.” And you get to meet his beautiful dog Bridget.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

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