PRESIDENTS CORNERBy Monica LaPolt

Editors Note:This is Part 1 of a Two Part series

The devastation that Hurricane Katrina wreaked on theGulf Coast region and the resultant human and animal tragedytook the entire nation off guard. Many Americans questionedour national, state and local preparedness. A lesser number of Americans questioned their own preparedness. While some few took immediate steps to ready themselves for anemergency, most of us thought about it and did nothing more,called away by our day-to-day responsibilities. I would imaginethat the sophisticated plan for most of us is that we would getin our cars and drive to a different location, admirable, but notnearly sufficient.

If you are reading this newsletter, the odds are that youhave pets, at a minimum a dog, and perhaps other animalsthat live with you. What provisions have you made for them?

In all of your planning, remember many animals senseimpending natural hazards, such as earthquakes and tornados,and do not behave in the same ways that they do ordinarily.You need to take this into account when planning as even thebest-behaved, laid back, most loyal and trained dog can behaveunpredictably in unfamiliar and frightening situations.

There are two most likely types of emergencies, thoserequiring that you flee your domicile such as fire, hurricane or flash flood and those requiring you to shelter in place suchas a tornado.

One item you might consider getting for either type ofemergency is an emergency weather band radio. It automati-cally turns itself on and emits a warning signal when theNational Weather Service has issued a warning for your imme-diate area. The device operates on ordinary household current,with battery back up. The fact that it turns itself on when awarning has been issued means that it can awaken you atnight to take immediate action - if you went to bed withoutsuspecting that a natural hazard may be developing

In this issue, I will discuss recommendations for thoseemergencies that require fleeing your home. Please notethough, the recommendations would be of benefit in any kindof emergency.

Prepare a grab box. A grab box should contain amongother things, passports, photocopies of driver’s licenses, pic-

tures of each family member and pet, pertinent medical infor-mation for you and your pets including rabies certificates, shotrecords and any information about chronic medical conditionsof either humans or pets, microchip numbers and copies ofyour dog license, a week’s worth of any daily medication takenby any family member or pet and doctor and veterinarian con-tact information. This is just a starting point for things that youwould want to find in your Grab Box. You should determinewhat other things are necessary for your family if you areforced out of your home.

The Grab Box should be placed in a location that is easyto access, such as a front hall closet. It should be small enoughthat it can fit in a footwell of a car.

Make sure that all of your pets are microchipped.MAESSR has a microchip clinic at all of our picnics. As well, weare now chipping all of our foster dogs. Alternatively, your vetcan microchip your pets. You are encouraged to put MAESSRas the secondary contact on all of your Springers.

Keep a set of leashes and collars by your front door. Inthe case of fire, if you need to move quickly, you do not wantto be looking for leashes or letting your dogs out loose to savetheir lives.

Train your dogs to a good “car” command. Part of myemergency plan for a fire is to get my son and dogs into thecar. I can then move us all safely away from the house and thedanger. My dogs all know that “Car” is a clear command andwill run to and jump into the car. Because I have worked atkeeping car rides as a happy thing, they are more than willingto get in.

Plan a destination or several, where you can flee in caseof emergency. Arrange these in advance and be sure that yourfriends or family are willing to accept you and your pets.

Make sure that every member of your family has the tele-phone number of a family member or friend who can be usedas a central point of contact in case you are separated. Thisnumber should be in every cell phone and in your grab box.

Crate train your dogs! If you have to evacuate yourhome, you may find yourself in a circumstance where you needto crate your dog. Your dog will be stressed by the change incircumstance. It will be worse for him or her if he is not accus-tomed to a crate.

Please start now preparing you and your pets for anykind of emergency.

FALL2005

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THE TRAINING CORNER By Isabelle Chewning

CGC Challenge Met!

I’m thrilled to report thatMAESSR’s goal of five new CanineGood Citizens per picnic was not justmet, it was exceeded! A total of 17dogs passed their CGC tests atMAESSR picnics, and an additionalfive dogs passed at theFredericksburg Dog Festival. This isnot only a wonderful achievement forthe 22 new CGCs and their families;it is also a tremendous statementabout MAESSR’s commitment toresponsible dog ownership. Many,many thanks to all who worked sohard to prepare your dogs for thetest, and to the MAESSR volunteerswho conducted the tests.

To recap, folks at the June pic-nic in Walkersville, Maryland set thebar very high, producing seven newCGCs. MAESSR volunteers KimBolster and Debbie Lipscey conduct-ed the Walkersville tests, assisted byBeth Reid. CGCs were awarded toPatti Dooley and Skylar; Cindy Reitzand Sage; Jackson Tate and Bailey;Lisa Roth and Que; Renee Weidmanwith Lucien and Asher; and SueLehman and Sadie.

Not to be outdone by theMarylanders, MAESSR families andfriends at the July picnic inLanghorne, Pennsylvania stepped upto the plate and acceptedMAESSR’s CGC challenge.Kim Bolster and DebbieLipscey again conducted thetests, assisted by BarbBennett. Our five new CGCsfrom the Langhorne picnicwere: Dave Lake and Buddy;Gail Erwin and Gambler;Jane Rheaume and Cody;John Collins and Cali; andJoan Moser and Paws.

Needless to say, thepressure was on for theGoochland picnic inSeptember! Attendees ateach of the two prior picnicshad met MAESSR’s CGC goal,and the Goochland crowdwas rooting for their aspiring

CGCs. Despite the heat,and a wandering unleashedLabrador Retriever, thecrowd was not disappoint-ed, and five new CGCswere awarded. EvaluatorsPatti Dooley and DebbieLipscey (assisted by BethReid) awarded CGCs to:Becky Thomas and Daphne:Angie Epling with Dede andBrock; Patti Dooley andDollar; and Alicia Smith and Ricki.

Finally, MAESSR vol-unteers Patti Dooley andDebbie Lipscey conductedCGC tests at theFredericksburg DogFestival. CGCs were award-ed to five dogs, includingKoko Harkins, andJonathan Abelson and Charlie B.

Congratulations to all whopassed AKC’s Canine Good CitizenTest! This is not an easy test formany dogs, and you should be veryproud of your accomplishment. And Ihope all the new CGCs were treatedto an appropriate celebratory treat!Start training now as we will havethe CGC Challenge at next year’s pic-nics as well!

Training Triumphs: SpencerTomko (Class of 2000) continues totrain his parents, Buddy and Janet.He recently clearly communicated to

Buddy that he needed to go out witha stare, a small low grr-ah, and ahead toss towards the door. Buddy,delighted with this new communica-tion, walked Spencer to the door;Spencer, in turn, gave Buddy a hugegrin, and then did a “Road Runner”imitation to beat him back to thechair! Thankfully, he has parents whoappreciate his creativity! …Moe II,an older, neglected dog with manymedical problems was adopted byCathy and Jim Stevenson in 2004. Herecently started training class, andhis family reports that he now knows“sit,” “come,” and is walking well onhis leash. An added benefit of Moe’s

training is that his anxiousbehavior is also improv-ing…Sue Baldwin-Wayreports that Kirby (former-ly Rocket, Class of 2005)continues to gain confi-dence. At first, he wasreluctant to cross thresh-olds (which made goingoutside difficult!) or totackle the stairs. Maizie(2000) has been instru-mental in helping him over-come his fears; she recent-ly ran up the stairs to him,then back down andrepeated it several times –almost as if to say “youcan do it, too!” Kirby

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Proud Canine Good Citizen owners and friends fromthe Goochland picnic. From left: Angie Epling withBrock and Dede, Becky Thomas and Daphne andPatti Dooley with Dollar. Missing from the picture isAlicia Smith and Ricki.

Successful Canine Good Citizens from the Langhorne Picnic: JohnCollins and Cali, Joan Moser and Paws, the Rheaume family and Cody,and Gail Erwin with Gambler. Missing from the picture is the LakeFamily and Buddy. Continued on next page

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SENIOR MOMENTSBy Joan and Norman Cromwell

My last three years as aMAESSR dog have been so wonder-ful for me. Being placed in a homewith a woman who had never owneda dog before completely worked tomy advantage. I was able to trainher that treats for every deed weremandatory. It was amazing, shewould say “sit” and I would sit andsure enough a treat materialized.Sometimes I would just go sit andyes, she would pull a treat out ofher pocket. The quality of the treatsvaried but my favorites came from abakery called Dogma. I would dohandstands for a treat from Dogma.

The other thing I have enjoyedis all the love I have gotten as aMAESSR dog. Being a rescue dogsomehow made me special in theeyes of so many people. My momwould tell me about all the goodwishes people would send my way.Even if she hadn’t told me, I couldfeel that there was a whole commu-nity lifting me up.

From the outside looking in,perhaps my days seemed unevent-ful. But for me, having a warm bedor chair to snuggle in, regular meals,walks and lots of love made everyday a great day for me. However,just to stir things up I would occa-sionally misbehave. Counter-surfingwas one area where I exhibitedexceptional skill. I know I told youabout the eight New York stripsteaks last summer but I didn’t tellyou about the 200 Christmas cookiesin 2003, the lasagna in 2004, thecountless loaves of bread, cookies,the party snacks, or the breakfastmuffins. Yes, my mom would getmad but through it all, I knew sheloved me. And seriously, she shouldhave gotten a clue that I wouldscale any height for extra food.

My Springer sisters, Kelly andTasha have also been a joy to me. Itis so much fun to race them andalways beat them. However, I mustsay that Tasha gives me a run formy money in beating me out the

door for our walks. I have lovedlaying in a pile with these girls. Asmany of you know, there is nothingbetter than Springer loving.

There have been so manythings that I am grateful for inbeing a MAESSR dog. I am gratefulfor the countless volunteers who doso much to care for and placeSpringers. I will never forget ridingin Heather’s convertible or beingloved by Teri Wiley and her family.I am also grateful to Billie Kerfootfor fostering me. Thank you to all of you.

And now it is time to say good-bye forever. I went to the bridgetoday and am sitting here with allthe special MAESSR dogs that havegone before me. I am waiting hereto give comfort and friendship tothose who come after me. I am cel-ebrating my life on earth as aMAESSR dog and ask that you dothe same in my memory.

Editors Note:The staff of Springer Tailssends our deepest condolences andsympathies to Joan on Norman’s passing.

Norman, you will be greatly missed by allthat you have touched with your life,adventures, and antics. It is with furthersadness that we report the passing ofNorman’s good friend,Tasha on November7th. Both are playing together and sharingfurther escapades at the Bridge.

“SPRINGER MISCHIEF”WINNERS

Thanks to everyone who boughttickets for the 2005 MAESSR RaffleQuilt, “Springer Mischief”. A recordbreaking total of $4,140 was raised forthe dogs!

Congratulations to Betsy Murphywho will be hanging the quilt in herhome! The Springer pillow (bonus prize) was won by MaryJane Isenberg while Marianne Hill heldthe lucky ticket to win the StainedGlass Heart, also a bonus prize.

Very special thanks are extendedto Barb Bennett and her national teamof quilters. Quilters from Florida toColorado helped with this year’s pro-ject. Barb’s team is unmatched in theirskills and creativity!

Plans are underway for the 2006design…. If you would like to help, please contact Barb Bennett atSpringersTwo@aol.com. We are alwayslooking for quilters and crafters!

Thanks again for the tremendoussupport! Congratulations to Betsy,Mary Jane and Marianne!

“snuck” down timidly the first time,then spooked and bolted. A few min-utes later he repeated the process.After an hour of sneak and spook,sneak and spook, sneak and spook,Kirby triumphantly announced hispresence to Sue in her basement stu-dio with a cold, wet nose!…Dasher’s (Dashiel, Class of 2003)big accomplishment this fall was tokeep the entire family “de-stressed”when his mom, Katherine Long, gotmarried. He was the perfect enter-tainer for all of his “grandparents”and other family and friends. Keepingeveryone happy is Dasher’s besttrick! …Kim Bolster’s Duncan (Classof 2004) earned his first AKC Noviceagility leg at a September trial inGloucester, Virginia. Not only did heget a qualifying score, he placed thirdin his class. Way to go Duncan!

THE TRAINING CORNER Continued from previous page

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SPRINGER HEALTHBy Carol Getty, DVM

I hope everyone won’t considerthis a “cop out”, but behavior is a very important aspect of veterinarymedicine, so I feel justified in usingthis space to address this issue.Behavior may be one of the biggestreasons a Springer might find herselfneeding rescue.

In the twenty five years I havebeen around Springers, I have noticedthey have a tendency to pick upeverything they come across. Springerfocused e-mail lists are full of storiesof Springers “counter-surfing” to stealstuff. It could be your shoes, a toy,and many times it is items such asused Kleenex (I know, gross!) Theproblem then arises that a lot of dogshave never been taught how to prop-erly give back the items they take. Ican’t tell you how many e-mails I getfrom people who have been bittenwhile trying to retrieve a stolen itemfrom their dog.

How we react when our dogstake something can potentially causeproblems down the road… or, you canuse the episodes to strengthen certainaspects of training and actually makeyour dog a better companion.

Understanding why dogs takethings can help you deal with the dogwhen a “theft” has occurred. Theydon’t take things to punish us, or to“get back at us”. They don’t have anyidea how much that pair of shoes wasworth. The instinct to carry items isdeeply ingrained in domesticateddogs. In Springers it was reinforced byselection in the formation of the breedto create a dog that would be a natur-al retriever. A side effect is that wehave dogs that seem to want to pickup everything!

There are other reasons a dogwill steal besides instinct to retrieve.In the following examples, punishmentcan make the problem worse.

Food stealers who bury their findmay be insecure. Wild dogs bury foodwhen the food supply is uncertain. If adog steals food and wolfs it down,he’s responding to a very strong posi-tive reinforcement (he got to eat thefood). A puppy may simply be lookingfor something to teethe on (what bet-

ter than leather sneakers?). Adultdogs that don’t have appropriate chewtoys may select something of yours. Adog may steal an item to engage youin play, just like they will do with eachother. Or, for whatever reason, a dogmay simply find something interestingand want a closer look.

The biggest mistake peoplemake when they discover their doghas something forbidden is to chasethe dog, corner it while yelling at itangrily, and try to force the item freeof the dog’s jaws. This may trigger the“fight or flight” survival instinct, andwith nowhere to run to (he’s cor-nered), the dog will have to fight. Youmay get bitten and will certainly dam-age the dog’s temperament doing this.Another mistake is chasing the dogeven if you don’t yell or corner her.This turns into a game of “keep away”for the dog and short of cornering heryou won’t win.

Once they have the object back,many people then want to punish thedog. This, in effect, teaches the dognot to give the object back, and canmake the dog more defensive. Adefensive dog is more likely to bite thenext time the situation arises.

Some people, upon arrivinghome to damaged property, want to punish the dog. All this does ismakes the dog afraid of you. Theyaren’t smart enough to figure out not to damage the property, but theyare smart enough to connect thatwhen property is damaged and theowner arrives that bad things happento them.

It is far, far better to teach thedog properly how to respond whenthey have contraband items, make itinto a fun game, and prevent damagefrom occurring. With puppies and newdogs, teach them the “Give and Take”Game. Use a dog biscuit and have aready supply of really good treats.Offer the biscuit to the dog as yousay, “Take”. Don’t let go of the biscuit!Then offer the dog one of the bettertreats as you say, “Give”. As the dogopens his mouth to get the treat,remove the biscuit, give the treat andpraise! Every now and then let thedog keep the biscuit and eat it. Doneonce a day with a puppy, you will havea grown up dog that will let you trade

anything he ever picks up. Over timeyou lose the need for a treat everytime, because the expectation is there.So in an emergency (your dog justgrabbed a slice of pizza!) you can usethe “Give” command to get it back.This also teaches the dog it’s OK to letyou handle his mouth; reach in hismouth, etc.

If the dog steals something andis trying to initiate a game of “keepaway”, you can do one of two things.If the item is not valuable, you havelots of time, and the dog is some-where safe (fenced yard) - you canignore her. Eventually she will getbored and come back. The otheroption is instead of chasing her; turnand run the other way- get her tochase you. If you can, grab a moreappropriate item (ball, toy, food) andget her interested in playing the “Giveand Take” game as a trade. Make itfun, and you will also end up teachinga play retrieve.

Make sure your dog has plentyof appropriate toys. If the dog con-stantly steals items and chews themup, review the dog’s chew toys-maybe he needs something better ormore interesting to chew on. Rotateyour dog’s toys so that you havesomething “new” to give him.

If the dog continually destroysitems where you are not at home, heneeds to be confined in a safe area. Adog run, crate, or a smaller room areall possible ideas. Dog-proof the areathe dog stays in - pick up your shoes,put food items out of reach, empty thetrash can before you leave, or put alock on your refrigerator.

Despite what we think, dogs lack the ability to plot things to ourdemise. Ninety percent of what theydo wrong is our fault. With rescuedogs, it’s a little harder because youdon’t get a manual detailing what previous owners may have donewrong, so you have to guess whatmight set off a particular dog. Humanbehavior is capable of ruining a per-fectly fine dog. Hopefully these ideasmay help you prevent injury and turntraining challenges into fun for youand your dogs!

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In Memory of:Mr. Holmes Choral Class –

Mr. Holmes’ dog Molly

Carolyn Montague – Nancy Ransome

ICI Group Services – Legal –

Rob Pattison

Diana Williams – Rascal

Marion Fleming – John and

James Fleming

Kim Bolster – Heather Young’s Homer

Linda and Terry Johnston – Quincy

Kim Bolster – Quincy Johnston

Dave Sewter – Norman Cromwell

Isabelle and Barry Chewning –

Norman Cromwell

Kim Bolster – Norman Cromwell

Blue Ridge Training Club – Sam

Anderson, beloved Springer of

Tom and Beth Anderson

Linda and Terry Johnston – Homer,

Spencer and Quincy

Lisa Roth – Norman Cromwell

Debbie and Bill Lipcsey –

Norman Cromwell

In Honor Of:Patti Cripps – MBNA Volunteer Service

Recognition Award for her work as a

MAESSR Volunteer

Sharon and Bill Holmes – Louie

Lois Boyer – Sammy and Kaylie

Robert and Elizabeth Bolster – Spud

(Buddy XIII -Class of 2001)

Elizabeth Robinson – Rosie and Carey

Diana Williams – Lancer

Marion Fleming – Sam, Maggie

and Freckles

G. Keith and Sharon Sames – Maggie

William and Anne Hanne – Sweeny

Terrence and Linda Donahue – Mary

Beth Irvin’s graduation from Penn

State’s PhD program

Steven and Janice Liddic – Sam, Beth

and Tom Anderson

GEICO Philanthropic Foundation – Sam

Knutson’s charitable activities

Linda Abrams – Senior Springers and

MAESSR Volunteers

Christine Vint – Volunteer

Vicki Phillips

Carole Alderman – Napoleon

Betsy and Paul Murphy –

MAESSR Volunteers

VOLUNTEEROPPORTUNITIES

FosteringOf all the possible volunteer

opportunities with MAESSR, perhapsthe most challenging (and mostrewarding) is fostering.

Working closely with our DogIntake Coordinator, Foster HomeCoordinator, and a team of FosterHome Mentors, MAESSR foster fami-lies take in Springers who need tem-porary foster care before they can beadopted out to new homes. In addi-tion to taking care of the physicalneeds of the dogs (including veteri-nary care), foster families are respon-sible for putting dogs through theirpaces, seeing what they like and dis-like, and testing their limits. You alsoget the joy of having a Springer toshower lots of love and affection onwhile helping him to learn to trustand adjust to a new life.

MAESSR covers all veterinarycosts for our foster dogs, includingspaying/neutering, vaccinations, fleaand tick preventatives, and othermedical care. Dogs are generally infoster care for 2-6 weeks, dependingupon their health and readiness to goto their permanent homes.

MAESSR supplies all new fosterfamilies with a detailed handbook and a wealth of knowledge from over150 volunteers who are ready andwilling to help answer any questionsor assist you with common problemsand training issues.

If you’d like more information or would like to volunteer, please contact me, Linda Foster (yes, that’sreally my name!), and I’ll be happy to explain the fostering process to you in more detail. You can reach me at rescuees@yahoo.com.

A Springer Thank You To Our Loving Friends

GET YOUR MAESSR MOUSE PAD!

Friends of Buddy:Carol Smith

Lisa Roth

Barbara Breeden

LD Keen

Carole Alderman

Gabrielle Smith

Barbara Campbell

Rick and Rita Gatlin

Sherry Rohn Clancy

Carl Luchetti

Leslie Jacoby

Dawn Floyd

Beth Watson

Janet Smith

Sharon Keating

Pat Race

Elizabeth Arnold

Callie Gould

Barb Nickel

Tim Freeh

Carol Vanderway

Gary at Max Partners

Craig Haddow

GiftsMeg Ounsworth Steere

Deborah Washko

Pamela Kaye

Laura Skey – for heartworm medicine

Della Hodges

Patricia Vaughan

Lisa Nuzzaci

TJ Davis and Beatrice Mullholland

David Bielenberg and Greg Trimble

Will and Gwen Demand

Joan Von Herbulis

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AN INVITATION TO JOIN OUR VOLUNTEER

FAMILY……..Have you been thinking about

becoming a MAESSR volunteer? AtMAESSR, our members are not yourtypical volunteers. We are a family – afamily of Springer lovers and enthusi-asts from all over the Mid-Atlanticregion united in promoting the joys of the Springers and helping stray,neglected and unwanted Springers findloving new families. We invite you toshare in the happiness and satisfactionwe all enjoy in finding new homes forcountless special Springers.

We continue to need volunteersto assist in a variety of ways, includingfostering, helping with transports,interviewing applicants, conductinghome visits, assisting with fundraisingand outreach, and supporting othervital roles.

If you’re interested in learningmore about volunteer opportunitieswithin our organization, please contactour Volunteer Coordinator, Linda Foster,at rescuees@yahoo.com, or simplycomplete the on-line volunteer applica-tion on our website.

Please join us in welcoming thefollowing new volunteers to our family:

Annette Adams,Manchester, PA

Celeste Beley,Baden, PA

Christine DePhillipo,Glassboro, NJ

Janet Greenblatt,Germantown, MD

Jacqueline Hasting,Kendall Park, NJ

Richard Hoppe,Washington, DC

Liz & Jamie Larson,Bel Air, MD

Joan MoserLansdale, PA

Debra Paikoff,Holland, PA

Gary Redmore,Sarver, PA

Mary Beth & Barry Smith,New Market, MD

LOVE ON THE RUN (TRANSPORT!)

Two MAESSR volunteers took the phrase “Open YourHeart to Rescue” literally. While working a MAESSR trans-port, Dave Eccles and Judy Bennett met. Judy rememberscommenting to herself on Dave’s eyes but thought no moreof it. Of course, that was until they met up shortly there-after at a MAESSR picnic.

After spending the better part of the picnic talking toDave, Judy knew it was more than his eyes. Dave whole-heartedly agreed. After courting for a while, the couple wedthis Spring. This is MAESSR’s first wedding and we are quitepleased that we played a very small part in bringing thesetwo together. We all wish them many, many years of loveand happiness.

Skylar Dooley and Que Roth model the very popular sellingbonnets at the Fredericksburg Dog Festival in early October.

NNeeeedd aa hhoolliiddaayy ggiifftt ffoorr ssoommeeoonnee?? Consider donating to MAESSR in their name. MAESSR will acknowledge the donation with a special card. See

the back page for the form.

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DO YOU REMEMBER…DAPHNE?

Then…Louisa,Virginia…April, 2004

A black and white femaleSpringer is found as a stray andbrought to the county shelter. The workers note that she is verysweet and keeps her cage clean.They name her Daphne and notifyMAESSR of her arrival. When plansare made for a volunteer to pick herup, the shelter worker says, “Didanyone tell you she might be preg-nant?” When the volunteer getsDaphne, she is covered with hun-dreds of ticks, is very large due toher pregnancy. But Daphne isdelighted to out of the shelter!

When Daphne is checked byher foster mom it’s easy to see thatshe has lived outside her entire life.Her hair is matted and filthy, cov-ered with years of ground-in dirt.Her foster mother expertly clipsaway every bit of her hair andremoves all the ticks. It doesn’ttake long for Daphne to decide thatliving inside is wonderful! She has adelightful disposition and is greatwith small children. She indicatesthat she has been hungry most ofher very hard life. Her vet checkreveals that her pregnancy is not asadvanced as it looks, but it seemsshe has given birth to many litters inher life of about five years. Sadly,testing reveals she has heartworms,and she begins treatments evenbefore the puppies are born.

Delivery day is a busy one forDaphne and her foster family. Shedelivers eleven healthy pups of vari-ous colors and shapes. After abouttwo weeks Daphne and her pupsneed to move to another fosterhome where she can care for herpups and then complete her heart-worm treatment and spaying.Amazing things happen when you’rea part of MAESSR! One day Daphneand her eleven pups are whiskedaway by MAESSR volunteers and air-plane pilots, the Goodhands. Theyare flown to Pennsylvania to staywith Jane Davis and her family in

Fleetwood. By now, theMAESSR community is all a-buzz about Daphne and thepups that are all named forGreek gods and goddesses.They thrive in the lovingcare of the Davis family.After a while the pups go totheir forever homes, andthe sole focus is on gettingDaphne healthy and readyto find her forever home.

Meanwhile, in PleasantGap, PA two newlywedswho have been approved toadopt are watching thewebsite daily, fascinatedwith Daphne’s story. Oneday an email comes asking them ifthey’d like to adopt Daphne. YES!They would! Daphne is at last onher way to her forever home onOctober 20, 2004.

Now… Pleasant Gap, PA…October, 2005

What a wonderful life Daphnenow enjoys! She lives with Josh andBecky Thomas, a snuggly bunnyrabbit and a little kitten. She lovesthem all! She now knows how toplay with toys — something shenever knew about in her previouslife. Her favorites are Nylabones andsoft, stuffed ones. She also is quiteskilled at snitching food, delighted toknow there’s always plenty on hand.

For a spell, Daphne went towork with her mom at a pet store.She charmed all the customers andenjoyed meeting all the people.Extremely well socialized, she enjoyshanging out at home with the otherpets. She takes on the role of moth-er for the little kitten. They curl uptogether and groom each other. Sheand the bunny are buddies also, andshe lets it climb up on her!

Daphne enjoys many successesin obedience training. She holdshonors from basic obedience andalso a Canine Good Citizen (CGC)designation earned at the MAESSRpicnic in Virginia. She is a beautifuldog, famous and appreciated by allwho know her story. Daphne adoresher parents and is faithful on or offleash, never letting them out of her

sight. She enjoys doggie companion-ship with her “grandmother’s”Springer and a Basset Hound fromthe pet store, and she loves smallchildren. Daphne spreads her charmand affection when she visits a nurs-ing home and a hospital. Plans arebeing made for her to take moreclasses so she can continue to bringhappiness to others.

When you look at Daphnetoday, it seems she is saying with all her heart and wagging tail,“Thank you, MAESSR! You turned my life around and I’ll forever makeyou proud!”

Daphne giving MAESSR a big smile at the2005 Goochland Picnic

Special thanks to:

* Isabelle and Barry Chewning who financially sponsored the

Canine Good Citizen certificate foreveryone who passed the CGC at the

MAESSR picnics!

* Nylabone – who donated two casesof product for our foster dogs!

* Ukrops Grocery Store and theirGolden Gifts program - and to all of

those in Central Virginia who gave theircertificates to MAESSR - $82.40 was

raised for the dogs!

SPRINGER KISSES AND ASPECIAL THANK YOU

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MEMORIES FROM THE LANGHORNE AND GOOCHLAND

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PICNICS 2005

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MAESSR is very proud and pleased to have beenaccepted in the Purina Rally to Rescue Program. This is awonderful nationwide programto support and endorse animalrescue organizations.

To date, Purina Rescue toRally has provided our fosterhomes with 1000 pounds ofPurina ProPlan food. It hasstrengthened our outreach program by supplying an EZ-Upcanopy, sidewalk messageboards, as well as banners forpublic events. T-shirts, dogbowls, adoption kits andfundraising dog collars havealso been provided to MAESSRat no cost.

Watch for more updateson how Purina and Rescue toRally is helping MAESSR!

MAESSR’s table at the Fredericksburg Dog Festival. The Purina Rescue to RallyProgram provided the canopy for shade and sign board for information.

MAESSR has recently joined Benevolink, aninnovative program that gives you an easy way to support MAESSR without taking money out of yourpocket. Through Benevolink, you shop for the thingsyou want with over 200 brand name retailers andgenerate a donation to MAESSR. Retailers includingOrvis, Entirely Pets, Barnes and Noble, Best Buy,Bass Pro Shops, Harry and David as well as manyother popular retailers, contribute a percentage ofevery dollar you spend to MAESSR. There is no costto you or to MAESSR!

How does it work?

1. You must join through www.benevolink.comor telephone (1-800-556-GIVE). You then link yourregistration with MAESSR (we are Mid AtlanticEnglish Springer Spaniel Rescue - no hyphen). Youwill get an email once a quarter reminding you todirect the funds to the charity of your choice(MAESSR!).

2. For MAESSR to realize the donation, you

need to access the retailer through the Benevolinkwebsite.

For those in the Central Virginia area, Ukropshas joined with Benevolink. So, please go towww.Benevolink.com or call 1-800-556-GIVE andhave your Valued Customer Card linked to MAESSR.Then, when you shop at Ukrops, MAESSR willreceive a donation on certain items purchased. Thisis replacing their Golden Gifts program but will beyear round donations!

Thank you for your support and participation!Any questions, please contact Kim atess4x18@cs.com.

Join, Shop and Give to MAESSR!

RALLY TO RESCUE!!!Purina Rally to Rescue Program Strengthens MAESSR’S Outreach Program

P.O. Box 15354Richmond, VA 23227springerrescue@yahoo.com(301)362-0423

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDRICHMOND, VA

PERMIT NO. 1755

Return ServiceRequested

MAESSR appreciates and needs your financial support. Your donation will be used to rescue andcare for English Springer Spaniels in the Mid - Atlantic region. Please mail your donation to the

address below. Thank you for your generosity.

Please accept my donation in the amount of:$ 25 $40 $50 $75 $100 Other:___________

My donation is:

In Honor of: ______________________________________ In Honor of: ____________________________________________

In Memory of: _____________________________________ In Memory of: __________________________________________

Happy Holidays To: ________________________________ Happy Holidays To: _____________________________________

Name and Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________

Name and Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________

Monica La Polt - Adoption Coordinator - mlapolt@sbcglobal.netLinda Foster - Volunteer Coordinator - rescueess@yahoo.comGale Blackmer - Financial Coordinator - windy1421@worldnet.att.netSue Geckle - Applications Coordinator - sgeckle@excite.comKathleen O’Neill - Applications Coordinator - oneill@princeton.eduKim Bolster - Fundraising Coordinator and Newsletter Editor - ess4x18@cs.comDebbie Lipcsey - Dog Intake Coordinator - springerfarm@aol.comJoe Harkins - Transport Coordinator - jhharkins@comcast.netAngie Epling - Owner Relinquishment Coordinator - BrocksPalace@aol.comKelly Gribble - Website Updates - kfg0304@aol.comStephanie Donofrio - Petfinder Updates - edonofrio@aol.com

Please enclose this slip with your check made payable to MAESSRMail To: MAESSR, P.O. Box 15354, Richmond, VA 23227

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