In this eNewsletter issue, read about:

• Tails on the Trails Husky Hike and Picnic
• Ayla – Lonely Girl on the Frontier
• Moving... Should I give up my dog?

Tails of the Tundra Siberian Husky Rescue, Inc. will hold its first annual hike and picnic on Saturday, September 27, 2003 at Core Creek Park in Langhorne, PA. Click here for directions to the park.

The hike and picnic promise to be a good time for all. So, whether you're a current volunteer, a past adopter, a future volunteer, a future adopter, or just love dogs and want to have a good time while helping a good cause, be sure to join us on September 27th. All dogs are welcome both huskies and husky friends alike! The fun begins with registration at 9:00am! For more details about the hike and our safety rules for the day, please visit our special Tails on the Trails web site.

Remember that the more money you raise, the more lives we can save! Keep collecting those pledges and you may win one of the great prizes we have for the top pledge collectors. Click here to review the pledge minimums and award levels. Prizes include a custom portrait of YOUR pet, a gorgeous human hand/paw sculpture, a gift certificate to our TOTTSHR Merchandise Booth and more!

You can also bring a gift for the foster dogs! We will have a foster donation station set up. Help give our foster dogs a second chance. Every little thing helps... bring a box of biscuits, a dog bed, towels, or visit our wishlist for more ideas!

If you would like more information or have something you wish to donate for the silent auction, e-mail Lee or call 215-412-0270 and leave a message in the Events voicemail box.

Can’t make the hike?
Live too far away to participate or won’t be in town? You can still take part in the hike! Simply download the registration form from our Hike Web site. Then you simply collect your pledges, hike with your husky in your neighborhood and send in your pledges to: TOTTSHR, Inc. PO Box 612, Colmar PA 18915 c/o Tails On The Trails 2003 Remote Hiker. Our dogs will greatly appreciate your dedication!

Check out just some of the activities we will have for you!

Take A Hike: Go at your own pace and enjoy a beautiful scenic hike around Core Creek Park. The hike is 1-mile long – and we will meet you back at the pavilion to begin the picnic!

Silent Auction: Come out and bid on one of the many great items will will have at our silent auction. Some of the items will include: A Hand-painted Siberian Husky First Aid Bag (featuring Voodoo), Lenox Siberian Husky Puppy Sculpture, Lenox Legacy of the Dolphin Sculpture, Best Friends Pet Resort "Pet Spa Weekend Getaway", and much much more!!!! Visit our silent auction page for a list of more of the items we will be featuring.

TOTTSHR Merchandise Booth: Shop at our booth! You will find lots of great husky treasures including Stuffed Siberian Husky Back-packs and much more! You can also learn more about the rescue, available dogs and how you can volunteer.

Microchip Clinic: AVID Microchipping will be available! Cash or check is accepted and may be paid at the Registration Booth. You will be given a receipt to use at the Microchip Booth. Prices include registration and installation of the chip by a Vet Tech. Rates are as follows:

• 1 Dog - $35.00
• 4 Dogs - $120.00
• Over 5 Dogs - $120.00 for 1st 4 dogs, $20 for each additional dog

Mushing Demonstration: Chuck Weiss of the Jersey Sand Sled Dog Racing Association will be offering demonstrations through out the day. Learn more about this fun sport that can be a great thrill for all dogs and their owners. He will even give you an opportunity to get your dogs paws wet in mushing. Your dog can have the opportunity to get fitted in harness and hooked up to a cart for a mushing experience!

CGC (Canine Good Citizen) Test: Have your dog tested to be a Canine Good Citizen! The cost is $10 to test him or her. Cash or check is accepted and may be paid at the Registration Booth. You will be given a receipt to use at the CGC Booth. The test will be run by Julie Van Vliet of The Gift of Sunshine, Inc. The purpose of the Canine Good Citizen Program is to ensure that our favorite companion, the dog, can be a respected member of the community. To receive the CGC certificate, dogs take this 10 item Canine Good Citizen Test. If you are interested in having your dog tested and want to know what is involved, visit our events page for more information.

For more details about the events and activities we will have at the hike, please visit our events schedule.

Thank you to our Hike Sponsors!

We'd like to take this moment to thank some of our sponsors who have donated to help make this event a success. Please show your appreciation and visit some of our sponsors.

(Ayla’s tale is long and sad but curls upward like her tail!)

Listen my children and you shall hear
About the lone foster dog on the wild Frontier.
She came into her foster home in late March
Her foster mom’s eyebrows did indeed arch
“What ‘s this? A shaved husky!” But a little bit more
Ayla was recovering from a nasty shoulder sore.
“Staph infection” said the Samaritan who had brought her in
She’s had a rough go of it from the very beginning!

A North Carolina shelter is where she was found
Her first owner loved her and took her around
But then she had mange and worms and needed shots
He wasn’t prepared to deal with her medical lot.
So he left her abandoned in a muddy back yard
She kept escaping as her life had turned hard.

The Samaritan brought her in and got her vet checked
She could see right away that Ayla was wrecked.
But with her own kids and dogs, she could not keep up
She had to find a new home for this poor unloved pup.
“Rescue please can’t you take her and do what you will
I know if she goes to a shelter, her they will kill.”

So TOTT(West) took her and vetted her more.
There was something peculiar about Ayla’s sore.
And Ayla kept scratching and chewing at her toes
She became a bloody mess in her state of repose.
“Allergies” declared the vet and doled out some meds
Prednisone and antihistamines–we’ll see how bad it gets.
But her fur did not grow back and Ayla was not herself
She at three should be as impish as an elf!!
Back to the vet for yet another visit!
“I think it’s her thyroid, don’t you?” “Yes that’s IT!”
Barely a blip on the chart her t4 level so low!!
No wonder she and her fur were so slow!

Now managed on meds to give the thyroid a boost,
Ayla is becoming the Queen of this roost.
She pushes and nuzzles and demands attention
She stamps her feet for treats and growls for affection!
She plays with the boys and runs while tossing her head,
But she is polite and eager to “go crate” for her bed!

She stands for her baths and makes no fuss!
While the rest of the pack cower saying “DON’T WASH US!”
When everyone meets her they say “Isn’t she cute!!”
And then I smile and say, “Ayla likes fruit!”
Then tell how she ate bananas and a peach
Explaining they must keep human food out of her reach!
Ayla has another skill and I’ll warn you hence
This girl can stand and jump over a four-foot fence!!

She loves cuddling on the couch while watching tv
And if you stop she puts her paw on your knee
And implores you to continue with her bi-colored eyes
She also has a soft spot not for girls but for guys!

A wonderful dog with so much to give!
I’m glad she was given to this home in which to live!
Such a companion with a heart of gold and patience too
One look and you know she wants to be true!
But her true home has not found her and she waits ever more
For that place she can call her own to open its door.

-by Marguerita Young-Jones        
Ayla's Foster Mom        
Visit Ayla's Page        

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On September 16, 2002, I adopted Frodo from TOTTSHR, a petite, male, black and white Siberian with the most beautiful blue eyes you’ve ever seen. He was given up to a shelter for having ‘sudden bursts of energy’. I could see his ‘energy’ right away as I watched him paw furiously at the door of his crate, howling louder than you would believe such a small canine could manage, while he waited to be introduced to my family and myself. For almost a year now, I’ve been dealing with the wonders, and sometimes struggles, of having this little fellow in my home.

When Frodo came to live with me, his ‘sudden bursts of energy’ were one of the most amusing things about him. Watching him tear around the living room at top speed was hilarious to my roommate and I… but not so funny to the people living below us. You see I live on the third floor of an apartment. An apartment that allows pets, but as is all too often the case, one that does not necessarily understand pet ownership. The people living beneath us raised such a ruckus that we were in danger of being kicked out of the apartment, all because our dog ‘ran and jumped too much’. We engaged in a battle that could have caused us a lot of time and money, but eventually won out and were allowed to stay in the apartment. The funny thing is, through everything, looking back now, I realize, I was willing to go through the extra effort to find a new place to live, fill out all the paperwork involved, go through the legal battle with the apartment complex AND dish out the extra money (which would have equaled a few thousand after everything was said and done) to resolve this problem. But not once did I even consider giving up my little Frodo. Because when I agreed to give him a ‘forever home’, I meant it.

All too often we see in the rescue business, as well as in shelters across the country, people giving up pets because they are moving, or moving to a place that does not allow animals. Well, I am here to say, that is not an excuse! I am living proof that it is possible to move with your animals. I have moved over 22 times in my life, and each time I moved, my family or I had pets. We lived in everything from rental houses to apartments to hotel rooms, and every time we were able to bring our beloved animals along. In fact, I’ve moved 4 times since I graduated from college, and each time I had a large dog with me, and each time I was able to find pet-friendly housing. So, I have a few pieces of advice for those of you facing a move with a pet, as well as how to face some of the problems that may arise AFTER you move. And lastly, some things to consider before you even get a pet to share your life with.

First, when facing a move with a pet, realize that no matter where you are moving to, there will be pet-friendly housing available. Granted, it may be a little harder to find, a bit more expensive, or may have a further commute, but that is little to pay for being able to keep your beloved animal friend. 1) Contact the local Humane Society or SPCA in the area you are moving to. Most county animal organizations have lists of pet-friendly apartment complexes. 2) Web search engines for apartments almost always have an option to only view apartments that allow pets. This is how I have found many of my apartments. 3) If you wish to find a rental house, contact a realtor and let them know you’d like a house that allows pets. They will have the inside information so you won’t have to do the constant calling, and they are also easy to work with, and can be less work than digging through the ads in a newspaper.

When you do reach your new home, remember that animals don’t always adjust as easily as humans do. They have no idea why you have suddenly moved them to a new place. Have some patience with your pet in your new home. Be aware of behaviors such as marking, pacing and whining for dogs. Be aware that cats may hide for months until they are comfortable. And always remember, almost EVERY behavior issue that may arise, has a workable, and usually easy, solution. Contact an animal behaviorist, look it up online, or buy a book that explains how to best help your animal deal with this big change. It may take your pet just as long to get used to the new surroundings as it took them to get used to coming to live with you (if they were a rescue animal). But the thing that will help them the most, is that they are still with you, a constant in their life that they can depend on.

And for everyone who is just now considering getting an animal to share their homes, please take these things into consideration:

• Don’t just think about ‘right now’. Think about where you see yourself in the next 15 yrs. Are you willing to put forth the effort if you have to move? Are you willing to make time if you decide to have kids? Are you willing to try to resolve any behavior or health problems that may arise?
• Look long and hard at your budget. Can you afford to pay extra if you need to, in order to be in a pet-friendly apartment? Can you afford a pet-sitter if you have to live further away?
• Remember what the word ‘guardian’ really means. It means you are agreeing to care and provide for this creature and most importantly to love it. You wouldn’t give up one of your children because you were moving to an apartment; you should feel the same way about your pets.
• And finally, remember that this wonderful animal companion you are adopting is a living, feeling creature. When you agree to give it a ‘forever home’ it really should be forever.

-by Stephanie Mears        
TOTTSHR Volunteer        

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