Recently my wife and I had the pleasure of adding Logan to our family. He is a rescue from the Bernese Auction Rescue Coalition, Inc. It is a wonderful non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating Bernese Mountain Dogs from dog brokers, dog auctions, puppy mills, and any other dangerous, exploitative or abusive situation.

The folks associated with BARC are some of the most passionate, loving people you will ever meet. They are the type of people you come across in your life that are making a difference in the world. Their efforts make you ask yourself, “How can I do more?”

Such was the feeling when I read the following account of “A Day in the Life of a Rescuer” by E.S. Everitt. It is the heartbreaking tale of a typical ‘auction’ day and what goes through one rescuer’s mind as attempts are made to help as many dogs as possible.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A RESCUER
E.S. EVERITT

I rise at 4 a.m., get coffee, check supplies, and leave by 5. I drive alone, my van full of empty crates. As I drive through the cold dark morning, my only company is the churning of my emotions. Hope that most of the crates will be full of dogs on the way home. Anger than anyone could bring puppies into this world with no plan other than a quick profit. Sorrow that companion animals are viewed as, even legally classified as livestock, rather than the family members they should be. And fear that I will fail them.

I know that I will fail some of them. I cannot save them all. Neither I nor my organization have the money, the manpower, the political clout or enough other resources to remove all of them from harm. But we will keep trying, because we can and because we have to. We can at least save some, give them the gift of love and family and future.

I don’t want to go. I have been on a roller coaster all week, distracted and angry and so grateful to all the others who help these innocent creatures. I read again some of writings from one of the Web rescue sites and am almost reduced to tears.

But I don’t have time to weep. I pull in to the auction site, park in the pasture and scan the vehicles, perhaps hoping that it’s been called off, or that some agency has swooped in and shut down the auction, taking all of the dogs to rescue, to safety. But no such luck. So I go in to get registered, grab a catalog, and go see the dogs.

The stench slaps at me the moment I walk into the building. As dog auctions go, this is supposedly clean and well run, but in two days they are running more than 500 dogs through the selling floor, some of them healthy, some of them not — the stack cages and the kennels are full. High school age kids rinse kennels with the hose and squeegee waste into the canal that runs along the floor.

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Dogsters, you outdid yourselves for this week’s contest. It was a tough call but the champion and winner of 50 Zealies is Tala for a pitch-perfect take on this photo. Stay tuned tomorrow for a new photo and contest for the coming week.

Good news, read all about it!

All Dogster Plus members will now enjoy getting to post and share 100 photos for their pets at no extra cost, effective immediately.

We’ve also enhanced the Photo Book pages to make it easier to see and share photos. If you are not Plus, you can subscribe now.

Bo, Copper, and Logan are Dogster Plus members and they love all the extra benefits that come with membership.  They give it five out of five paws.

I want to thank everyone for welcoming me with open paws.  It’s great to see so many Dogsters participating on the blog and commenting on the articles.  To give anyone who wants  a place to bark back to me directly, I’m restarting the group “Dogster Dog Blog Barkout”.  Here you can find out answers to questions you may have about me, leave comments on articles,  or give suggestions about topics you would like to see.  Whatever you want, this is the place to bark about it.  Look forward to seeing you there.

Friends, you can’t live without them, especially best friends.  One of Bo’s best friend’s, Minister Misty, told him about Best Friends Animal Society and the amazing santuary they run for homeless animals.

The sanctuary at Angel Canyon, at the heart of the Golden Circle of national parks in southern Utah, is home on any given day to about 2,000 dogs, cats, and other animals, who come from shelters and rescue groups around the country for the special care they can only receive at Best Friends. The sanctuary is also a destination for 30,000 visitors and volunteers each year.

Best Friends saves animals that were already at a shelter and considered “unadoptable”, the ones whose luck has run out.  While others may have given up on these animals, this group works with them to rehabilitate them and find them a home.

Most of the animals who find a safe home at Best Friends have special physical or behavioral needs, and our expert staff of veterinarians, trainers and caregivers offer them all the help they require. Most of them are ready to go to good new homes after just a few weeks of special care. Others, who are older or sicker, or who have suffered extra trauma, find a home and haven at the sanctuary, and are given loving care for the rest of their lives.

Whether these animals are adopted out, or find a permanent home at the sanctuary,  they are given a new lease on life.  A life  that is safe and pain free.  A life that every animal deserves.

Best Friends is working with you and with humane groups all across the country to bring about a time when homeless, unwanted animals are no longer being destroyed in shelters, and when every healthy dog or cat can be guaranteed a good life in a caring home.

If you’re planning a trip to Utah’s Golden Circle of national parks you can visit the sanctuary at Best Friends Animal Society. While there, stop by  Dogtown or Kittyville (for those Catster’s out there), make a donation (you can do this one over the internet too), or just get yourself a new best friend.  After all, you gotta have friends.

As always,  thanks to our friends over at the Sunbear Squad for this tip of the week.

Watch for pets that act afraid of raised arms or vigorous movement–this may be a sign that the pet is a victim of cruelty. Look for more signs of abuse like scars or limping, and if you find any, be a Good Samaritan for animals. Call the authorities.

Do you ever wonder what food to feed your best friend?  There are so many brands of food available, and such a wide range of ingredients it can be a bit overwhelming.  Having three dogs, all different ages, and of varying size it’s hard to find one food suitable for all.  I was surfing the web and I came across a site called The Dog Food Project , it’s a great source of information.

Do you know exactly what you are  pouring into your dog’s bowl?  Do you wonder how your brand rates when it comes to price vs ingredient safety and quality.  Do you know what ingredients to avoid?  Find out the answers to these questions and more at The Dog Food Project.

Autistic children live in a very isolated world.  This heartwarming story, once again, goes to show what a powerful influence a dog can be in your life.  Karen Shriek, founder of 4 Paws for Ability, says “Dogs work ‘magic’ on kids with autism”.

Since 1998, through her nonprofit 4 Paws for Ability, Shirk has helped partner service dogs with people with a wide range of disabilities.

Although the organization was originally started to help people with all disabilities she wanted to focus on  children, especially those with autism.

Since many agencies have age restrictions, she now specializes in providing dogs to children. The dogs help kids with a variety of issues, from mobility problems to seizures, but from the start Shirk wanted to find ways to assist children with autism.

“I knew [autistic children] connected to animals,” she remembers. “I knew that service dogs would be able to help.”

The dogs help provide the children with emotional support as well as assistance in keeping them safe.

Shirk’s 4 Paws for Ability requires that families raise $12,000, on average, to pay for their service dog. Each dog is trained for the child’s specific needs, and the entire process takes between nine and 18 months.
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In the end, families come to Ohio to meet their dogs and receive training. For Shirk, seeing the kids bond with their dogs makes her efforts worthwhile.

4 Paws for Ability is always in need of donations, sponsors, and volunteers.  I give this organization two big paws up for their dedication and hard work to help make a child’s life a little easier.

Going to the vet these days can cost a fortune.  In the last four months alone we have spent over $2000, something I consider to be a substantial amount of money.  Why do we do it? Because we love our pets and will do anything to keep them safe and healthy. So when I came across this article on tips to take the bite out of pet health costs I knew it was worth taking a look at.

Americans spent more than $10 billion on veterinary care last year, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.

If you’re anything like our family, you probably feel like you’re contributing a good amount towards that $10 billion.  Hopefully, the following tips will help bring down your out of pocket costs.

Following are just three of the twelve tips suggested by non-profit animal groups, industry watchdogs and veterinarians.

Look for vet specials. In-office clinics can offer price breaks on vaccinations, teeth cleanings and other procedures. Also, there are senior citizen discounts and package plans for puppy or kitten care.

Go online. If a medication is not needed immediately, you can sometimes save money by ordering it online rather than buying at a veterinarian office. Suppliers include Petmed Express (www.1800 petmeds.com), PetCareRx ( www.petcarerx.com) and Foster and Smith (www .drsfostersmith.com).

Consider insurance. Because of substantial deductibles and exclusions in pet policies, according to the Consumer Reports study, pet owners might be better off putting what they pay in monthly premiums into a savings account. But coverage could play a major role in covering bills for very expensive conditions.

While every suggestion may not be suitable for you, I think there’s a little something in the article for everyone.

It was family night again last evening as the Hoefinger’s gathered in front of the television to watch episode #2 of Greatest American Dog (GAD).

The kids (Bo, Copper and Logan) all agreed that this week’s episode seemed to flow better. This may be because we knew what to expect…a reality show with dog owners and their precious pets.  Personally I think they’re following the reality TV formula a bit too closely (the dramatic music, the interviews driving conflict, the selection of who goes into the doghouse), but it’s still fun to watch.

The show started out with a scuffle and ended with an owner meltdown, with a bunch of doggie goodness in between.

We saw a little bit more of the human-canine bond. When Bill was sitting on his bed, missing his wife and family, Star came over to comfort him. You can tell, these two just have a great relationship. Also, Bill’s concern when Star got hurt, brought me back to the times waiting in the veterinarian’s office with my own dogs, hoping things will be ok.  We need to see more of this with the other owners.  They have the relationship, CBS just needs to show it to us.

Since this week was obedience week, the challenges were pretty easy. I think my dogs could have passed most of them. Well, except that back up command.

The line of the night came from Tillman’s father Ron as he prepared for the ‘dining event. “We’re going to try as hard as we can. If he does a backflip and talks Japanese, right on! If he runs off the stage to smell another dog’s butt, well that’s my dog”. I think a lot of us can relate to that!

I couldn’t stop laughing when Tillman was presented the steak, but not allowed to eat it. I can’t believe he held off.

I thought the judges did a good job in who they selected to take the last lap. It was obvious the entire night who should go, but looking to grasp defeat from the paws of victory, Beth Joy went off on the judges for criticizing her for dressing up Bella Starlet. I’m not saying the content of what she was saying was right or wrong, but there’s a time and place for everything. The judges could have let their egos get in the way and vote for Beth Joy’s and Bella Starlet’s exit, but they didn’t sending Elan and Kenji home instead

I was surprised the judges weren’t a little tougher on Elan for the way she handled Kenji. I thought it was great when guest judge, Wendy Diamond, kept interrupting Elan when she was trying to respond in the same way Elan interrupts Kenji.  I hope when Elan sees the episode she’ll be able to take a step back and see the error in her ways, especially in the grabbing of the snout.

I’ll be watching next week.

So what did you folks think?