Carolina Poodle Rescue Shines at
the 2015 Pet Fest
 The Board for Carolina Poodle Rescue
would like to extend their thanks to the wonderful
volunteers in Charleston, SC for their work at the
recent 2015 Pet Fest at Palmetto Islands
County Park! The
volunteers for Carolina Poodle Rescue in the
Charleston area received a straight A report card
from the event coordinator! Dennis and Melinda Horn
organized the presence for Carolina Poodle Rescue
and they did everything just right! The event
coordinator praised CPR volunteers for the set up of
the booth, the engaging and informative volunteers
staffing the booth, following all of the event
guidelines, and being responsive when contacted by
the event.
A nice showing of volunteers turned out to help for
the day, including some excellent CPR canine
ambassadors. Their booth was excellent with great
branding and information and the coordinator noted
that the booth stayed busy throughout the day, with
people stopping by to meet the poodles, talk with
the volunteers, and find out more about all the
things that Carolina Poodle Rescue does!
Many thanks to Melinda and Dennis Horn for
organizing the event and to all of the volunteers
who came out to lend a hand. And many thanks to the
CPR alums who came as ambassadors to show how
wonderful rescue dogs are!
An Impromptu
Foster
by Carole
Van Ness
 When a groomer bought her from a
backyard breeder, Kate was a standard poodle puppy
almost 6 months old. She had not sold as the breeder
had hoped. She had some discoloration in her fur so
was judged as not perfect. Through the
groomer, I got to meet her and helped the
groomer with clicker training/parlor tricks but the
groomer had two small children and no time for a
dog, much less a puppy. The groomer had Kate stay
mostly out in the kennel because she wasn't house
trained and had accidents in the house.
I told the groomer that I was sure that I could help
Kate get to the perfect home. I had seen the spark
in Kate's eyes and her evident willingness to
please. The groomer agreed and I took Kate with the
intention of getting her to CPR. But CPR wasn't able
to take her right away. They had a sick dog come
into the farm and, since Kate was a puppy, she
needed to be kept clear until any possible infection
was cleared up.
I couldn't keep her at my house because I was about
to have another surgery, so I had to put her with
our local no kill shelter. I visited her daily and
worked to teach basic commands. She truly was one of
the most gifted dogs that I had met. She was the
kind of dog who just wanted to please, to make
someone happy. She would follow commands for food,
praise, or toys--she was so easy to train!
One day I saw a girl who wanted to adopt her but the
girl's father didn't like dogs. I had a feeling that
it wasn't going to work out and I couldn't let her
go somewhere that I didn't feel she would be loved
and would thrive. I called Donna Ezzell to see how
much longer before CPR could take Kate at the farm.
Two and a half more weeks to go before the farm
should be fine to take Kate. So, I "adopted" Kate.
The manager of the shelter knew I was doing it to
make sure that Kate ended up in the RIGHT home and
not just any home. I promised to keep the shelter up
to date on Kate's progress.
After two weeks, I took Kate to CPR and asked if
whomever adopted her would consider keeping me
updated on her progress. They didn't have to, but I
would be so happy if they would. In the summer of
2011, Kate was adopted. Her new people have sent me
updates, letting me know about all of her progress
and the certifications she has earned.
I wasn't part of Kate's life for very long, but it
meant a great deal to me. She means a great deal to
me. It is amazing how quickly a bond can form and
how even a short time spent with another creature
can impact your life. Kate will always be special to
me and it makes me feel good to know that I helped
get her to the place and the home that she needed to
reach her full potential.
In the June issue of the CPR newsletter, we'll
have an update from Kate's forever family!
In Search of the Best
Dog Food
by Sandy
Christians and Jennifer Smith
As pet owners, how do we determine what to feed our
dogs? With all of the recent dog food recalls, it
feels overwhelming--and a little scary. When Sandy
recently adopted two puppies, she wanted to be sure
that they got proper nutrition. She began her search
to find the right food. Most communities have an
independent dog food store; generally these folks
are a wonderful source of knowledge about the
products they sell. She started there, asked
questions, and asked for samples. Sandy took home
over 22 samples before deciding on a dog food!
 From this experience, you can learn
what questions are good to ask. One of the
ingredients listed on many dog foods is "meat
by-products"--what exactly is this? The
news on pet
food can be
shocking. According
to Dog Food
Advisor this includes dead on arrival and
other condemned parts of animals that have been
declared inedible and unfit for human consumption. Also food
that is improperly handled and being left out of
refrigeration for over 24 hours is used.
FDA
Policy 402(a)(5) allows pet food ingredients
to be sourced from diseased animals or
euthanized animals. But it is considered fit
for animal consumption.
So we learned what
ingredients to look for. Dog Food Advisor states
that the first 5 ingredients are the most important.
The first should be a "named" animal protein, like
chicken, beef, lamb, etc. The second should be an
animal protein meal and then whole vegetables,
fruits, and grains. In our search for the right
food, we also found that high quality dog food
doesn't have to be expensive. There are some great
four star foods at very reasonable prices. To find
the best food for your pet, all it takes is your
desire and time.
One of our favorite places to learn and do research
is www.dogfoodadvisor.com.
Their team also includes a board certified
veterinarian and they don't accept food or money
from anyone associated with dog food companies. It's
very easy to use and it's free (there is a more
advanced newsletter subscription you can purchase
for $19 a year but the free information is all you
need to find a good food). Here are a couple of
other web sites that may help:
www.petsumerreport.com
www.truthaboutpetfood.com
So what about home-cooking for pets? Jennifer
has cooked for her dogs for years. Deciding
to make your own home cooked food for your
dog is one that only you can make.
Below is a diet used with a lot of success.
A recipe for home-cooked dog food
1/3 cup cooked ground beef (best quality you can
afford)
1/3 cup cooked green beans (or other veggies -
Normandy veggies, kale)
1/3 cup baked sweet potato
 Put the veggies in the blender to
coarsely chop the veggies for easier digestion and
then smash the sweet potato in with veggies and mix
in the ground beef. This recipe can be multiplied by
12 and make a big soup pot at a time so that it
lasts longer. You can always freeze some until
needed. Not counting the baking time for the sweet
potatoes, it takes less than an hour to make this.
You can also add some turmeric and bone meal powder.
Jennifer feeds her 4 to 5 pound dogs 1/4 cup twice a
day and about 1/2 cup twice a day for 8 pound dog,
and about 1.5 cups twice a day for 20 lbs. She
varies the food amount as needed if they need to
gain or lose weight.
As some of Jennifer's dogs have come up with
different ailments, the vet has advised to change
the diet. The changes include substituting Chicken
of the Sea canned mackerel or pork loins for the
ground beef. The mackerel has good fats in it and is
anti-inflammatory. The pork is also
anti-inflammatory. When dogs in the same house
require different proteins in their food, the
veggies and sweet potatoes can be mixed together and
then cook the pork or ground beef to mix in to the
veggies right before dinner. The mackerel does not
need to be cooked. Jennifer's dogs think it's the
best!
It may sound expensive but it doesn't have to be.
Organic frozen green beans at Costco are cheaper
than the store brand of non-organic at most grocery
stores. They also have the Normandy mixed veggies at
a good price. Also you can look for meat on sale.
Jennifer buys ground beef at Earthfare. They put out
the ground beef from the day before and label it
"mixed grinds" for $2.99/lb. It is still suitable
for human consumption and is hormone free. I just
put it in the freezer immediately. The cheapest meat
I have found is canned mackerel is at Wal-Mart. I
also get the pork loins at Costco and have gotten
them on sale before at an unbelievable price.
The NC tax on groceries is only 2%. Tax on other
items, such as dog food, is taxed at much higher
rate, so you are saving about 5% of the cost in
taxes right off the bat. Also, this food is not
processed. The frozen veggies are low in salt and
have no additives. Jennifer likes this option
because she knows exactly what is in the food her
dogs are eating. This diet should healthier for them
and thus, they should have fewer visits to the vet
and save money by avoiding vet bills, chronic
illnesses, and catastrophic events! THIS is the
goal!
Our journey unearthed some concerning facts about
some of the foods that are out there. But there are
also resources to help find better foods that may
help us keep our best furry friends happy and
healthy for a long time to come. Before changing
your pet's diet, you should always consult your
veterinarian! We hope this will help others
in their own search to find healthy food for their
pets!
If you want to continue the discussion, feel free to contact Sandy Christians at email slchristians@sio.midco.net or Jennifer Smith at memstang68@yahoo.com.
Happy Homecomings
Princeton or Prince
from Amy Burton
 Two years ago we adopted
Princeton--sometimes called Prince. He has a few
issues but overall he is just a fabulous dog! He
was found as a stray in December 2013 and got to
CPR in January. They found out that he had
heartworms. Since then things have gotten a lot
better for Prince.
About a year after I adopted him, I sent Donna an
email and let her know that he is just amazing. He
is so sweet and loving. And now, he's also
extremely spoiled. In addition to good food, he
has his own beds around the house. The issue that
we are working on with him is resource guarding.
We've learned how to work with it to some degree,
but he's still very protective of me. The other
issue we are still working on is house training.
He's come such a long way since we first adopted
him. At first he wouldn't let us touch his paws.
He would just jerk away but now he will not only
let me hold his paw but caress it. He had trust
issues but his trust of us has grown so much. When
people think about getting a rescue, they think
about the problems a dog might have. What they
should think about is how loving rescue dogs can
be; they know what you have done for them. Prince
is an absolute joy of a dog--sweet and now cuddly.
I would adopt from CPR again and I constantly
recommend CPR to other people. In fact, one of my
coworkers was looking for a dog and they ended up
getting their dog from CPR. I just believe in CPR
and that Donna Ezzell knows how to match people
with dogs. The dog that we were originally
considering from CPR had gone to the NY Best
Friends event and had been adopted. Prince wasn't
the dog that we thought we would end up with but
Donna worked with us and she was absolutely right.
Prince was our perfect match.
We
need your stories! Do you have a happy
homecoming that you'd like to share?
Please send it to
newsletter@carolinapoodlerescue.org.
Feature
Pet of the Month
Meet Jude!
 Sweet Jude is
a lovely older gentleman. We think his
age is around 12, but don't count him
out because he is full of spunk and is a
well-mannered little guy. He was found
as a stray and brought to the Columbia
shelter. He is some kind of poodle
mix--maybe Shih Tzu/poodle?
Did we mention his personality is just
wonderful? He's very calm, sweet,
polite, innocent, loving, and friendly.
He loves to be held, caressed, and
comforted. He is also a big snuggler! He
would love to spend the evenings on the
sofa with someone.
Jude is friendly with everyone he meets,
two and four legged. He would be a great
addition to someones family. He is
mostly laid back but does like to get up
and romp around each day. He still goes
outside with all of the young dogs and
keeps up with them with ease. His vision
is a little less than perfect but he
sees well enough to get around with no
problems.
Jude is very deserving of spending his
last years with a forever family. He
loves to wag his little nub and make his
whole body shake along with it. Jude
follows the routine easily, enjoys
sunning himself and could care less
about toys, but a treat sent his way is
much appreciated. He is very polite
while taking his treat.
He has some health problems like a fatty
tumor on his belly which you can feel
when you pick him up. He has some skin
issues and occasionally gets a cortisone
shot to help. He has a mature cataract
in one eye and a heart murmur. Hey, it's
the age thing, guys! We all run into
problems as we get older and dogs are no
exception. But don't be intimidated by
that laundry list of problems. Jude has
a lot of love to give and a lot of life
to live; we hope to provide a loving
home for this sweetheart of an old man.
If you are interested in Jude, please visit our adoption
application page.
 Chloe's
Corner: Summer Romance
by Chloe Winburn,
S.O.S. Dog Reporter from the Poodle News
Network
Did you know there is a summer romance series
going on as we speak? It involves two of our SOS
dogs and a-soon-to-be SOS dog. As reported by
sources that know, it seems Jacques, a 17 year
old toy poodle soon-to-be SOS dog, has fallen in
love with Marlene, our 10 year old almost-blind
SOS toy poodle. They have been seen sunning
themselves side by side and have been caught
napping in the same bed! It's the talk of the
Ezzell household! Will this May-December romance
survive or is heartbreak on the horizon?
Update! I have received news from other sources
that Marlene has been heard talking about a guy
named Keller, an 11 year old poodle/crested mix
SOS dog that recently had cataract surgery and
had his sight restored thanks to wonderful
donors. It has also been reported that he has
awesome stand-up fringed ears. Marlene has been
overheard making plans to travel to his foster
home in Virginia. We are unsure if it's because
she wants to nibble on Keller's ears or she's
hoping her sight could also be restored.
What will happen? Will Keller be Marlene's new
love? Will she get her sight restored? What will
happen to Marlene if Keller finds a furever home
now that he can see? Will Jacques find a new
love? Stay tuned!
If you are interested in
virtually adopting (sponsoring) any of these
our SOS dogs, please go to our new website.
There are instructions on the site for how
to set up your sponsorship.
CPR Virtual Adoptions
Join CPR's
Facebook Page for Friends & Family
Why join another
Facebook group? Well, if you love
poodles or rescue dogs in general, if
you want to keep in closer touch with
the CPR community and everything that
is going on at the Farm, with the
current dogs, with adopted dogs, and
with incoming dogs, then this is the
place to be. We asked some of the
members of the CPR
Friends and Family Page why
they love being a part of the page:
Hope to see
you there! https://www.facebook.com/groups/122083703951/
Please
Stay in Touch
If you have
moved or plan to move in the near
feature, please drop a line to CPR
and let us know! We don't want to
lose touch. Just send an email
with your new mailing address
and/or email address to
cprmail@carolinapoodlerescue.org.
We always love hearing from the
CPR community!
And if you have a
story about your CPR dog (or cat),
we'd love for you to share it--happy
homecomings, travel adventures,
training achievements, or simply a
story that you'd like to share about
your CPR family member. Please send
it to
newsletter@carolinapoodlerescue.org.
The Rainbow Bridge
Dedicated to
those who have passed over.
"Aladdin"
Rhonda
Rowe--Princeton,
NC
|
"Blarney"
Nan
McMahan--High
Point, NC
Adopted in
Malaysia and
brought back
to the U.S.
|
"Cadie
Lyn"
Butch
Hamro--Bluefield,
WV
|
"Chloe"
Dreamweaver
Farms--Pacolet,
SC |
"Coco"
Karren Tenney--Goose
Creek, SC
Memorial
image created
by Bobby Clark
|
"Gabby"
Chuck and Lynette
Hodges--Pacolet,
SC |
"Katie"
Sandy Christians, Sioux Falls, SD
Leah
Creel--Columbia,
SC
Dreamweaver
Farms--Pacolet,
SC |
"Precious"
Barbara
and Joe
Vasquenz--Lebanon,
OH
|
"Shadow"
Pam Smith--Greenville,
SC |
"Shamus"
Dreamweaver
Farms--Pacolet,
SC |
|
June
6 - Asheville,
NC
