Update from Riley, formerly Agness

Dear Big Dogs Huge Paws,





I thought I would send you an update. Riley(formerly Agness) is settling in perfectly! Day by day a new piece of her personality shines through. She wonders why her brothers will not play with her, but each day they, too, get a little more comfortable. I think they are beginning to realize she is here to stay, and not just a visitor any more. Dylan, my siamese, is laying near her as I type. I have been amazed that there have no accidents in the house to date!
I will be filling out my volunteer application shortly!

Kristin

Dear Prospective Family

Dear Prospective Family,

Well, it's been a week since I got here. Mom said I am hypothyroid - apparently that is not a big deal, easily treated with an inexpensive pill daily, and helps explain my bad coat and plumpness! I TOLD mom I needed more food! My ear infection is getting a little bit better - mom said it still smells bad, and my eyes are much better! Auntie Dr Rand put me on some great stuff for all of my "issues"! I am getting spayed and pexied Friday, I hear that will keep me from having more kids and bloating. Awesome, I'm soooooooo over the puppy thing. Who does that on purpose?

So, we have been taking these ridiculously long hikes, but I LOVE being off leash, that was so much fun yesterday and this huge place near mom's house. It is a magical place called a DOG PARK! I mean, really, where has this been all my life????? Is it a big secret? Share, people, share, we need to know about these things! I actually broke out a little jog, and for a little bit ran around after Asher and this little barking dog that he was chasing. Not sure I see the point of that, though. Asher is kind of big and - dare I day it - dumb? Mom says he's just a boy and I have to be nice to him because someday he will be all grown up and not so dumb. She hopes.

I snuck into the bedroom last night to sleep, I was such a good girl they let me stay. I found an empty crate in there with a soft bed, I guess it belonged to someone named Shiloh, mom said he would want me to use it.

So, I have heard about these things called toys, so mom got me a few today....again people, you must share these magical things.......mine squeaks. Mom started to laugh, I guess I make happy noises when I chew on it. SO COOL! The little black dog that looks like an accessory tried to get it from me. She looks like an appetizer. They call her Kismet. I have attached a picture of her trying to get it. Good luck, sista! It's mine.

I hear about this place called a FOREVER HOME. Mom and dad said I will have one soon. I guess this is Asher's and Kismet's home. They treat me like family, but I know I belong with someone else. I really, really hope they find me soon. I will love them forever.

Bye for now,

Belle the Great Dane

Meet Jazmine and her babies

Jazmine is a gorgeous girl who was found hiding under an underpass with her litter of puppies. She has some scars on her face and body which lead us to believe she had to fight off others to keep her babies safe!

We are anxious to find Jazmine and her litter homes where they no longer need to worry about their safety and or where their next meal will be coming from.

Maybe that home is with you?

Corporate Sponsors Needed!

We are very excited to announce the date of our 1st Annual " Run with the Big Dogs 5k". We have set a goal of raising $12,500!!!

This is where you can help...we need Corporate Sponsors! Do you know of any company that might be willing to support this great event? If you do, please email bree@bigdogshugepaws.com and either we can contact the potential sponsor or supply you with a letter that you can submit for their review.

The Corporate Sponsors do not need to be dog related and we would love for them to come to the actual event and set up a booth to promote their business too!

Date: Sunday, August 23rd

Location: Clement Park

Corporate Sponsors:
Gold - $500 (LG logo on t-shirt, banner and booth)
Silver - $250 (SM logo on t-shirt, banner and booth)
Bronze - $50 (logo on printed materials and booth)

We are so excited for this event and will be posting more information in the coming weeks!

Mark your calendars!!!!

Congrats, Dudley!

Dudley came into rescue from a family who loved him very much, but were unable to keep him. These surrenders are so hard to see because you just know the poor dog is so confused by the turn of events.

Dudley's luck turned around last night when he was adopted by a wonderful family in Brighton. Lisa, one of BDHPI's volunteers did this placement, and said she drove home with a huge smile on her face at what a perfect match this family is for Dudley! Congrats, Dudley!

Big Bob

Here is a recent photo of Bob, the big 195lb Mastiff who was adopted by Liz and Tyler! We all fell in love with Bob and his crazy underbite and are so happy he is being adored by his new family, and Mastiff sister, Lakota.

Rainy Sunday Afternoon

We were on the receiving end of a rainy afternoon here in South Denver, so foster Gracie III, spent it relaxing next to her new best friend, Deacon.

Gracie III is a wonderful girl who is still looking for her forever family. We introduced Gracie to you all as a permanent foster, but we are THRILLED to report the original diagnosis of Cancer was incorrect! Gracie is healthy, happy and just happens to have a funny looking foot! She loves to snuggle and play, and is about as easy as they come!

This bed sure beats the puppy mill she used to live in!

Freedom Service Dogs & BDHPI

BDHPI is very excited to announce an incredible new relationship we have formed wtih Freedom Service Dogs!

Freedom Service Dogs is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1987 and their mission is to rescue dogs from area shelters and custom train each dog to assist a person with a disability with day to day activities providing their human companions with a greater degree of independence and an overall higher quality of life. They have recently received a number of requests for larger dogs from soldiers returning from Iraq who are too tall for the majority of dogs they currently have in their program. They have also found that the giant breeds are wonderful therapy dogs for kids with autism. FSD contacted BDHPI due to the obvious match between our organizations and our missions and I am thrilled to be able to share with you more about their program and the ways we will be able to work together!

Freedom Service Dogs custom trains all dogs in their program to be one of three (3) types of dogs: (a) certified service dog, (b) skilled companion dog or (c) social dog. FSD places dogs only in Colorado, so that they are able to provide a lifetime of hands-on support to ensure the success of the team.

Certified Service Dogs –Full service dogs retrieve and carry objects; turn lights on and off; open and close doors; find a person; find the phone; push a LifeLine or 911 button; assist with pulling a wheelchair; help with transfers; brace and counterbalance ambulatory clients; and perform specialized tasks needed by the client. Certified service dogs have complete public access.

Skilled Companion Dogs – Similar to full service dogs, skilled companion dogs perform specialized tasks as needed; retrieve thrown objects, find a person; push a LifeLine button; brace and counterbalance; stand for grooming, lie quietly when being read to; understand non-verbal commands; and provide a social bridge. Skilled companion dogs typically do not have full public access.

Social Dogs – Social dogs serve as a link to the world , a companion, a much-needed and trusted “buddy” for those suffering emotional trauma. They are easier to talk to than people, and they provide an outlet for those who are experiencing emotional or social difficulty. An example of use for social dogs includes animal assisted therapy by a licensed physical, speech, occupational, social or other therapist or placement with children with autism.

We are so excited to support this organization and think we may even have a dog or two right now who might fit this bill!

http://www.freedomservicedogs.org/index.html

Puppy Season!

It's puppy season here at Big Dogs Huge Paws!

Our new BDHPI addition, Miley the 8 month old Neapolitan Mastiff, was dumped at a shelter in Wyoming because she was "too big". She was also pregnant at the time and, while her owner didn't know who the dad was for sure, there were 3 other intact male Neos at her prior residence so the puppies are purebred.

Our wonderful volunteer Brittney sprung this sweet girl from jail as soon as we found out and got her settled at home just 24 hours before she went into labor!Miley's water broke at 9:30PM last night and by 10:45PM there were 3 perfectly healthy babies! She had no problems at all during delivery and did fantastic with the whole process. They are all blue, just like their mama, and there are 2 boys and one girl. The girl came first and she is the biggest.

Many thanks to the Valliere family for being willing to open their hearts and home to this special girl and her new additions! We are so grateful and look forward to watching them grow and finding them wonderful forever families.

BDHPI Leadership Grows....

We have recently added on some new members to our BDHPI Leadership Team and I wanted to take a moment to publicly recognize them all and remind you to take a look at our website to learn more about your current Officers & Directors. These folks are incredible professionals and hard at work behind the scenes every day and I appreciate their support and dedication to our cause so much!!!

Here is a current list:

Officers:
Lindsay Condon, CEO/President
Greg Smith, COO/Vice President
Rand Winton, DVM/CMO
Rob Landry, DVM/CMO

Directors:
Kari Bastyr, Behavior Director
Bree Dew, Human Resource Director
Claire Whitlock-Skinner, Fundraising Director
Nada Giunta, Marketing Director
Sonya Aamodt, Retail Director
Marie Silverstein, Medical Director
James Lane, IT Director *NEW
Samantha (Sam) Lehr, Media Director *NEW (bio coming soon!)
Amy Humphreys, Accounting Director *NEW
Craig Brooks, Operations Director *NEW
Barrett Donaldson, Southern Regional Director *NEW

Links to Bios and Photos:
Officers - http://www.bigdogshugepaws.com/about-us/officers
Directors - http://www.bigdogshugepaws.com/about-us/directors

Have you considered being a Foster Family?

Foster Families are an integral part of this rescue, and one thing that we can never have enough of. The more foster families we have, the more dogs we can help.

I personally have fostered over 90 dogs in the last 4 years, and it has been the most rewarding experience of my life. While not always easy, the knowledge that I have personally sent over 90 unwanted dogs to a new home is something I am very proud of.

The rescues provides the food, collars, leashes, gentle leaders and crates if necessary. You provide a loving, stable and patient home. It is also fair to note that you must be willing to work through issues like pottytraining, crate training and basic obedience. But please keep in mind though that we have a wonderful Behaviorist who is always willing to help our foster families with any issues as well!

This rescue fully supports our foster families and will do anything to help!

This is a great way to "get your feet wet" if you aren't quite ready to committ to adoption too!

If you are interested in learning more, or even might consider being a temporary foster for those emergency situations, please email me at bree@bigdogshugepaws.com and I will send you additional information.