Special Needs Dobermans wants to Make Santa Pay!

That's right, via generous benefactor, Special Needs Dobermans is again running their Make Santa Pay! fundraiser.

Donations are being matched, dollar for dollar, from December 15 to December 31.

As always, there are a number of General Funds cases who really benefit from any funds that SND can receive, in addition to the Senior Doberman Project and the Seniors Medical Fund. So let's get that info out there and help these Dobermans have a healthy and happy holiday and year to come!

Help Distinguished Doberman Rescue, inc raise $10,000

Distinguished Doberman Rescue, inc. has a blessed and mysterious benefactor, who has said they will match donations up to $5000, for the months of July and August. That means, if people like you and I get the total to $5,000, DDR,inc. will get another $5000 from this individual for a total of $10,000 to help Dobermans in need!

No amount is too small, and DDR,inc does amazing work for Dobermans who have nobody else in the world to help them.

(poster from DDR,inc Facebook page)

In addition to cold hard cash, you can check out their Fundraisers page to see how else you can support Distinguished Doberman Rescue.

Sadie with Illinois Doberman Rescue is Senior of the Week

Sadie is this week's Special Needs Dobermans Senior Doberman Project Senior of the week. This 7 year old docked tail, natural eared girl was picked up as a stray and then surrendered to IDR when her owner was located an found unable to care for her. She's in the care of Illinois Doberman Rescue plus.

DDR Mission 6: Learn more about Red and Abby (warning, some super skinny dog pictures)

Distinguished Doberman rescue is dealing with the largest single-rescue operation they've had to, to date. 6 dogs from the same household, at least two of which has Lyme's disease, and most of whom need to be spayed or neutered.

Red and Abby were the first two taken from the house, and apparently Abby is Red's dam. I'm putting their pictures behind the cut, because they may be upsetting; they're super skinny in a few of them.

Sponsorships and donations can be made on their web site, http://www.ddrinc.net/, and you should specify "Sponsor Abby" or "Sponsor Red" in your Paypal instructions. If you prefer to donate via check, address is  PO Box 583 Moon Twp, PA 15108.

Doberman Health ~ Health Testing outside the United States

I live in the United States, and as a result have a rather ethnocentric view. I try not to, but there are times I find myself falling into it.

One of those times is with regards to health testing in Dobermans before breeding. Many of the health tests I know about, and thus recommend when looking for a breeder are ones based in (or mostly available in) the United States. But it's a big world out there.

Image of Earth taken from the International Space Station

Doberman Assistance Network end of year donations

Two lovely benefactors have offered to match donations the Doberman Assistance Network receives through the end of the year, up to $1000!  This donation is tax-deductible, and can be made either online (via Paypal on the DAN website) or via mail at this address:

Doberman Assistance Network, Inc.
c/o Heidi Merriman
3852 La Colina Road
El Sobrante, CA 94803

No amount is too small, especially with the caseload the Doberman Assistance Network handles. The Dobermans thank you!

Make Santa Pay 2013!

Special Needs Dobermans' mysterious benefactor has again resurfaced.

Donations made to Special Needs Dobermans between December 15 (today) and December 31 will be matched dollar for dollar, so long as the words "Make Santa Pay!" are included in the donation communication.

Share this far and wide! Special Needs Dobermans helps many, many dobermans throughout the year. They are not for profit, and everything they can, they give to the dogs.

It's that time of year again! Doberman Assistance Network Christmas raffle!

Every year, the Doberman Assistance Network does a raffle. Tickets are $5 each, payable by check or money order. The prizes...well, it's Twelve Days of Christmas Style. So, on the first day of the DAN Christmas Raffle (yesterday), the following image is what the "prize pack" was:

"TWO gorgeous Red ceramic cookie jars for your favorite four legged elves....filled to the brim with quality healthy treats....PLUS:::: a stunning leather collar studded with solid brass emblems...measures 26 inches and fits neck sizes from 18 to 24"

Good luck if you enter! Even if you don't, spread the word. DAN helps Dobermans, it's the whole point, and it's a shame just how many of them need helping.

Help to find Porscha! (Doberman lost in Canada)

Dog Lover Holiday Ideas

It's Cyber Monday or as I like to call it, ALMOST CHRISTMAS SO BUY STUFF, so I might as well get on the bandwagon. I figured I'd "showcase" some items that benefit dog rescue.

First up is Christy Cole Rescue jewelry on Etsy. She donates 100% of the profits to dog rescue. She has Doberman themed stuff! Other breeds too. And the prices are reasonable, not something you see every time.

(picture from Christy Cole Rescue Etsy store)

Special Needs Dobermans Senior of the Week: Angel

Angel is an 8 year old Doberman with Distinguished Doberman Rescue, Inc. She was surrendered to rescue after her family had a baby and felt they did not have enough time for her. Poor girl! As a part of the Senior Doberman Project, Special Needs Dobermans has selected her as their senior of the week.

(picture from Ddrinc web site)

Angel is a healthy 8 year old with no special needs other than being, well, 8. She's very attached to her foster dad, likes cuddling on the couch, and loves eating (sound like any dogs you know?). She's all right with other dogs, and less tolerant of puppies. She's fine with kids, though DDRinc suggests 10 and up would probably be best (this is something I've noticed a lot with Doberman rescue, and believe it has to do with their size and chance of boisterousness. Elka steps on us all the time without meaning to). 

You can either donate to help with Angel's care, through SND or Distinguished Doberman Rescue inc, or if you think Angel sounds like a great match for you, she's looking for a forever home! She's currently in Pittsburgh, PA, and information about adopting through Ddr, inc. is here on their web site.

More Doberman rescue followups: Sandy and Mordecai

In keeping with trying not to just "drive by" the adoptable dogs I've posted about, I'm going back through my older posts and seeing if they're still available for adoption, or if they've found homes. Last week, I had the great news that Jasmine had found a home.

Virginia is no longer listed at the Main Line Animal Rescue in Chester Springs, PA. I'm going to assume she's been adopted, so congratulations to Virginia! Blitz, who was with DDR, inc. is also no longer listed. Of course, they still have plenty of adoptable Dobermans. Tommy is no longer at the Lycoming County SPCA and Bankston was "transferred to a breed specific Doberman rescue", and though it doesn't list which one, that's a golden ticket!

This week, I'm sorry to say that little Mordecai is still waiting to be adopted. He's with Doberman Rescue Minnesota and is nine months old now. How quickly they grow up! He still has his adorable "zipper" nose, is crate trained, potty trained, has great manners...what's not to like? It really surprises me that this puppyboy is growing up in rescue, rather than having been adopted already.

Oh yeah, and he loves to swim!

Remember Sandy, the lovely senior girl with Illinois Doberman Rescue? She's still there, and still needs a home. You can visit her IDR page if you're interested in adopting her, or if you'd like to help out by sponsoring her in some way.

So, a lot of question marks, but I'm just going to be optimistic about those dogs. My hat is off to people who work on the front lines of dog rescue, pulling dogs from shelters, doing transport, fostering. I'm just here reporting, and it still hurts my heart sometimes.

Doberman Ornaments fundraiser benefits Doberman Assistance Network

Yeah, yeah. Not Thanksgiving yet. Etc. But, if every store ever can do it, I guess I can do it for the Dobermans.

These here customizable Christmas ornaments (order deadline is December 9, USA orders only) give a portion of each sale to help the Doberman Assistance Network. They have no shortage of cases and Dobermans they're trying to help, and a little bit of holiday cheer goes a long way, n'est-ce pas?

And look! Each ornament you order will not only be totally adorable, but a creation unto itself. So many choices.

So, the nitty gritty of ordering (LOOK AT ALL THE CHOICES!):

• Each ornaments costs $25.00 and is personalized with your Doberman's name on it.
• Shipping for 1st class mail is $4.00 and for each additional ornament add $1.00 for shipping.
• Please submit and submit your order via Paypal - D.A.N.'s email address is for Paypal is helpdobes@dobermanassistance.org.
• You can also mail in a check to the following addressoberman Assistance network C/O Heidi Merriman 3852 La Colina Road, El Sobrante, CA 94803
• We will need your name, e-mail address and shipping address.
• Orders need to be submitted by December 9th, 2013 (sorry USA only).
• Please let us know color of Dobie and bulb and Dobie's name.

Some Tuesday Tails Doberman rescue followups

Remember Jasmine? Well, after the bad news with Remmy and Sweetheart, I thought I'd go back through my Tuesday Tails posts and see what the news was on everybody. Jasmine is listed as Adopted on the Illinois Doberman Rescue site now! Congrats to Jasmine! I hope she and her new family spend many happy years together.

Sad updates on Sweetheart and Remmy

So many calls for help, or donations, or adoption seem to be one-offs. I've done it myself, I know, and I hope to remedy that (and when I do, I sincerely hope that it'll be with happy endings)

Sweetheart  is no longer with us. A couple of days ago, she stopped wanting to eat, and it was very difficult to entice her. They tested her for Addison's Disease, and that came back negative. Whatever the cause, Sweetheart was in "complete and irreversible renal failure", and her foster folks were not going to make her suffer anymore. I'm glad she was loved, and not alone, and had that life for however short a time.

And on to Remmy.

(Picture from DOBER,inc Facebook page)

I didn't mean to be prophetic on Monday when I posted about "It's All in How You Raise Them" and how not all dogs can be saved. Definitely a time I would love to be wrong, in fact. But, earlier in the week, and out of the blue, Remmy lashed out and injured his foster mom. Dreaming of Better Endings Rescue, inc. and a very experienced trainer put their heads together, and decided that with unknown triggers and unstable reactions like that (especially in contrast with his usual sweet, brilliant, and biddable personality), Remmy could not safely be adopted out. It was a very, very hard decision, but Remmy has been euthanized. Best wishes to his foster mom and her swift recovery (I don't know details on her injury, nor would I feel right posting them here).

Also from their Facebook page (a direct quote):

We do understand that for a number of reasons, most rescues do not make these types of announcements to the public, but we feel very strongly that NO dog deserves to disappear quietly as if he never existed. Every life is precious and we want to honor that. Honesty is something that we have always felt was so important because you, our supporters, deserve it. For these reasons, we felt it only fair to let all of you know what happened.

And I respect this decision, which is one reason I'm updating here as well. Sad as it is, "What happened to Remmy?" is a question that, on the face of it at least, I know the answer to. 

So hold your loved ones close, and remember these dogs who have passed. They knew love and life without fear for the time they had in good hands.

Practically Human, But Better

By now, you've probably heard or even read the article "Dogs are people, too" in the New York Times (in the opinion section, despite the usages of Science™ to carry out the experiment. That's telling, n'est-ce pas?) If you haven't, in a nutshell, the neuroscientist on the case, Gregory Berns, trained (with positive methods and help from a dog trainer) a team of 12 dogs to voluntarily go into an MRI, wearing a pair of noise blocking headphones, and stay there perfectly still for the duration of a brain scan wherein they confirmed brain activity that is indicative of canine emotions.

Special Needs Dobermans Annual Clothing Sale!

From October 7 until October 27, Special Needs Dobermans will be having its annual store clothing sale. It's a variety of t shirts and sweatshirts with the Special Needs Doberman logo on it, for "non auction prices" (to quote their site). The merchandise order form is a document that will download, you fill it in, and then cut and paste your order to an email, addressed to store AT Doberman911 DOT org. They can accept payment via Pay Pal, check, or money order.

Sales of the Special Needs Doberman merchandise go to pay the administrative fees for Pay Pal and eBay, so that they can continue to devote 100% of donations right to the Dobermans, instead of having to use that money to cover those fees.

Donations help Dobermans who are in rescue and need veterinary care. Special Needs Dobermans used to be able to help privately owned dogs (like Whisper), but they've had enough of a downturn in donations in recent years that they are no longer able to do so. On their site, you can donate to specific Dobermans whose stories are listed, or simply donate to the General Fund. If you're uncomfortable with PayPal, you can also mail in a donation. If neither of those catch your fancy and you feel devoted to senior dogs, there are a number of seniors in need listed on the Senior Doberman Project, also run by SND. These dogs are either seeking sponsorship or seeking forever homes, and their locations are listed.

Tell them what they don't want to hear

Lots of people buy dogs every year. Lots of people buy puppies every year. They get them from a pet store, or the newspaper, or Craigslist. They get them from a breeder that advertised their litter on the AKC web site. Every day.

So, what's wrong with this?

Athena and Boss, in Southwest Ohio Doberman Rescue

Southwest Ohio Doberman Rescue has many Dobermans looking for homes. They are a 501(c)(3) non profit organization, and run on volunteers. They rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome Dobermans in need, and adopt all over the United States and Canada, if they can arrange to have a home visit done. If you adopt outside their immediate radius, you are responsible for arranging the ground transport of your new family member. They are always in need of fosters and volunteers, so if you're in southwest Ohio, and interested, they would appreciate it!

It's hard, when confronted with a list of adoptable dogs, to pick the ones to showcase. This week, though, I picked two dogs who are opposites: Athena, who is a young, all natural female Doberman and Boss, who is a mature cropped and docked male.

Athena is an exuberant little girl who needs some refreshment on her obedience training.

(picture from SWODR site)

She had a home, but she didn't get along with one of the older dogs in the household, so back she came. She needs a family that understands and can accommodate the exuberant, energetic nature that comes with young Dobermans.

(picture from SWODR site)

Exercise and patience! (an exercise in patience? Though that's all puppies!)


Boss was part of a two dog household, but when a divorce happened, only one dog could fit in the car so he was surrendered to a shelter (it's in his bio, I kid you not). They think he's around 5, and though he is cropped and docked, as you can see, his left ear is cropped and flopped. Makes him look kind of rakish!

(picture from SWODR site)

Southwest Ohio Doberman Rescue does not know whether the dog Boss lived with was male or female, but it was a lab. He's been kissyface with dogs he's met over a fence, and kind of mouthy when tested on cats. 

(picture from SWODR site)

Boss has been neutered, and they're still sussing out his personality. He looks like a happy guy in the pictures, though!

If you're interested in adopting Boss or Athena, or any of Southwest Ohio Doberman Rescue's dogs, they list their requirements on this page (including adoption fees) and their adoption application is here. They also have a very nice section with information on the Doberman breed, and an FAQ page that has both info about Doberman rescue and also ten myths about rescuing a Doberman.

Tuesday Tails: Sandy, with Illinois Doberman Rescue

This is Sandy:

(photo from Illinois Doberman Rescue web page)

She is an 8 year old fawn Doberman from North Carolina. She was surrendered to the Doberman Assistance Network by her owners, and transported to live with an Illinois Doberman Rescue foster.