Fido’s Focus– “I am Sickened by the Lack of Humanity in our World Today!” by Michelle Reichlin

FIDO Fosters… How Happy Families are Made! By Lori Dubosh

Fido’s Companion rescued Trinity from a dog pound. Not only did she just deliver a

litter of puppies that no one knows what came of, she is terribly emaciated. Her

photo stunned me when I first saw it and I can only be glad we could find a way to

help her. Trinity is now resting safely at our vets and will be there for at least 1

month until she puts on some weight, and can be spayed. She is estimated to be

around 1 1/2 years old and has delivered multiple litters of puppies. We feel she is a

mix of American Staffordshire Terrier. She only weighs 35 lbs. and that is with hav-

ing engorged tits filled with milk. God only knows what she would weigh if she was

not filled with the milk. She should be at a minimum 50 lbs. according to our vets.

She is heartworm negative but loaded with worms that she as been treated for. Trin-

ity is so very sweet and loving with humans and is friendly with other dogs. How

could a dog who has been so abused be so trusting?? All I can say is dogs are resil-

ient and forgiving creatures…...wish I could say such nice things about human kind!

(continued on page 2)

I arrived at West Park Animal Hospital and they brought Sanibel out to me first and I

was amazed at how sweet she looked. The photos that I saw of her did not do her jus-

tice…she was beautiful. We walked around together, and she just looked at me the

whole time. While spending time with her, she just wanted to be cuddled and be

held. She really loved human contact…that was obvious. She was just so loving and

trusting, I was on board to foster her for sure. I brought Sanibel home and had her meet my two labs, Bo and Koal at the fence. She

just kept wagging that silly docked tail. I let her through the gate, and she started

playing with both of them. She adjusted just fine to them, and it was clear that they

liked her too.

When my kids saw her they fell in love with her. She just climbed right on their laps

and held them down to give them kisses. We were amazed at how she fit right in with

her new surroundings and was comfortable and content. In days to come, it was ap-

parent that she really was an awesome dog. We had no problems with her at all –

she was perfect. We just couldn’t understand how someone could lose her, and not

search the world to find her. If she were my dog, I would never stop searching until I

found her.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2…..

Inside this issue:

Fido’s Focus– Trinity 1-2

Fido’s Fosters 1-2

Fido’s Families 3

Fido’s Fundraising 3

Fido’s Facts 4

Fido’s Advocacy 5

Fido’s Family Fun 6

Fido’s Happy Ending 7

Oriah Needs a Home! 8

FIDO’s Companion Inc. is a small,

closely held non-profit 501(c)3

organization made up of volunteers

who perform vital functions in the

process of rescuing animals. We

operate out of Avon, Ohio. We

primarily rescue dogs from the

Lorain County Dog Pound before

they are put to sleep.

www.fidoscompanion.com

July 2009

Volume 3, Issue 1

FIDO SPEAKS!

Trinity’s Poem...CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

How did my life become this: My life was worth nothing until now.

My life was worth nothing to the people who owned me. I received no basic care, food, wa-

ter and just was used to breed puppies for them to sell.

My life was worth nothing to the people who found me on the side of the road skin and bones

and clearly in need of medical care. They just dumped me off at the dog pound.

My life was worth nothing at the pound. I had to lay on a concrete floor with my poor body

condition and in such discomfort waiting to meet my fate in the gas chamber.

My life was worth nothing to so many, but it was just a few who made my life have some

meaning.

A volunteer at the pound who brought me a soft bed to lie on and gave me treats.

A group of rescuers who took me into their care so I could be treated medically.

My life now has a purpose….I was rescued from the pound and taken to the vets so I could

be cared for.

My life now has a purpose...I was rescued and have a full belly, a soft bed to sleep on, a

constant bowl of food, and a spay scar so I will never be used to breed again.

My life was worth nothing, but now my life has a purpose… I am meant to LIVE!

Continued… FIDO Fosters….How Happy Families Are Made

Page 2 Fido Speaks!

Sanibel and Dagoba play, and saw

how comfortable she already was

with Brian and Glenna. I knew she

would be just fine, and would never

be lost or misplaced again. She

would live her remaining years with them, and would love every

minute of it.

This is what it’s all about…. placing

a great dog in a great forever

home. You miss them, but you

know that they will be taken care of

always. They will be loved and

spoiled for the rest of their lives as

they should be!!!!

See Page 3 for Sanibel’s

Adoption Story by her new

parents….”The Chocolicious

Duo!”

Sanibel was quite the character,

and was very vocal. She just loved

to talk. Everyone that came to my

home thought that she was ador-

able. I kept thinking that this may

be the time that I fail as a foster, and keep her, but I knew that I

wouldn’t be able to help anymore

dogs if I did that. Then the came

the call from Michelle saying that a

great couple named Glenna & Brian

Snezek were interested in meeting

her. All that I could hope is that

they were really special people,

because that’s what Sanibel de-

served.

When we met Glenna & Brian we

were greeted at the door by a 8

month old Chocolate lab named

Dagoba. She was just toooo cute. A typical puppy that was so excited

that a dog was there to play with

her. I sat and talked with Glenna

while Dagoba and Sanibel ran

through the house at full speed.

The two of them were having a

blast. Then Brian arrived home

from work and was just as enter-

tained watching them as we were.

They told me of the recent loss of

their Chocolate lab named Morgan.

Listening to them telling me about

her was just heartbreaking. They

showed me so many pictures of her,

and she was just beautiful. It was apparent that they were devastated

by her loss. Losing her was the rea-

son that they wanted to adopt a res-

cue, they wanted to make a differ-

ence to a dog that truly deserved a

good life.

After spending a little time with Sani-

bel, they agreed that they wanted to

adopt her. I was so relieved to know

that she would be adopted by them.

She would be living the best life

ever with them. She had a big house

with a huge fenced in back yard,

and most of all she would be spoiled rotten!!!

Adoption day arrived and I was

completely amused that Sanibel al-

ready had a brand new Ohio U

sweatshirt, and she looked really

great in it. I felt really good about

them adopting her. She was going

to live a life that dogs only dream of.

I stayed for awhile and watched

Trinity– My life was worth nothing, but

now I have a purpose….to LIVE!

Thanks for bringing Murphy into our

lives and everything you do for all of the

other dogs!!

Fido’s Forever Families– Murphy’s

1 Year Anniversary By: Mary Beth & John Bergenstein

We are just short of 1 year since we

adopted Murphy, so we thought we

would give you an update. It’s hard to

believe he’s the same dog we brought

home last June. He’s become much

calmer and is incredibly more well be-

haved. We took your advice and have

been working with Mel at Paramount

Dog Training to build on Murphy’s train-

ing. We are now able to walk Murphy

with the leash in one hand with abso-

lutely no pulling or getting out of con-

trol. We’ve also been taking him in our

field and working with his stay and come

commands. We take him around a cou-

ple of times to make sure we scare off

any creatures in the woods, and then we

drop the 30ft. Lead, to let him roam.

We’re even able to tell him to sit and

stay we walk to the other end of the field

and call for him. We’ve been using a

whistle as you suggested. He sure does

like to run, and we like it too, since it

really tires him out. We attached a pic-

ture of him shortly after one of his runs.

He really likes to sleep like that! I’m not

sure how it can be comfortable but he

does it all the time!

periences with us. She has become

my running partner, and loves to

snuggle under the covers. She is

great with the neighborhood kids

and does well on and off the leash.

What a girl!!!

My husband and I recently lost our

Chocolate Lab, Morgan. Although

we tried everything we could to

save her, we were unable to. Sad-

dened by losing one of our best

friends and child, we both agreed that we wanted to get another dog,

but this time it had to be a rescue…

we were determined to give a less

fortunate dog the life they deserved.

After checking out several rescues

we came across Fido’s Companion

and Michelle’s story and passion for

starting the rescue...it was then that

we knew Fido’s Companion was the

rescue that we wanted to work with.

Brian and I have always talked about

getting a Chocolate German Short-

haired Pointer, and FIDO’s had one

on their adoptable dog list.

We set up a home visit at our house

to see if “Sanibel” would get along

with our 9 month old Chocolate lab

Dagoba.

We knew she would be a fit as soon

as we opened the front door. Sani-bel was a beauty and so sweet...she

acted as if she had been with us

since she was a puppy, and Dagoba

loved her as much as we did. About

30 minutes into the visit we told

them we’d take her and have been

SO happy ever since. We still ask

the same question that we did when

we met her...how could anyone let

this dog go??? Regardless we are

glad that she is ours!

Sanibel is a well adjusted dog and

made the transition to our home with

such ease. It has been great to see her reaction to her “first time” ex-

Fido Fundraising– How You Can Help!! Give your home and garage a much needed, belated spring cleaning and hold a

garage sale to benefit Fido’s Companion.!!! FIDO desperately needs

funding to save lives!

Fido’s Forever Families– The Chocolicious Duo! By Glenna & Brian Snezek

Page 3 Volume 3, Issue 1

Fido’s Facts– A Guide to Grooming; Care of West Park Animal Hospital www.westparkanimalhospital.com

Page 4 Fido Speaks!

Although it’s often overlooked,

grooming is an important part of

your dog’s health program. Routine

brushing and combing removes

dead hair and dirt and prevents mat-

ting. Because it stimulates the blood

supply to the skin, grooming also

give your pet a healthier and shinier

coat.

WHEN TO START

Start regular grooming when you

first bring your dog home and make

it a part of his routine. Purchase a

good quality brush and comb and

get your dog used to being handled.

Praise your dog when he holds still

and soon he will come to enjoy the

extra attention. Some breeds have

special grooming needs, so ask your

vet or a professional groomer for

advice on particular equipment nec-

essary for your pet.

BRUSHING

Your dog’s skin and hair coat reflect

his overall health and nutritional

status. Many dogs maintain a

healthy skin and hair coat with mini-

mal assistance; others– especially

some long-haired or curly-haired

breeds-require regular brushing.

For most dogs, and good brushing

once or twice a week will do the

trick.

BATHING

The need for bathing depends on

the breed of dog, his skin type and

hair coat, owner preference and just

how dirty your pet gets. Bathing

your dog every month or two isn’t

unreasonable, but some dogs will

need more frequent cleanings. A

good rule of thumb is to bathe your

pet only when his coat gets dirty or

begins to smell “doggy”. When

bathing your dog, make sure to

rinse all of the soap out of his coat. If

he has persistent problems with

scratching or flaky skin, he may

need a special medicated shampoo

or have a skin problem that your

veterinarian should examine.

SKIN PROBLEMS

Skin problems– including fleas, ticks

and mites or allergies and infections

– are common among dogs. Most

conditions are manageable with

early detection and treatment. If

you notice excessive scratching,

hair loss or flaky skin, contact your

veterinarian. If your pet is continu-

ously exposed to fleas and ticks,

speak to your veterinarian about

products to minimize the impact of

these parasites on the skin. Remem-

ber that a consistently poor hair coat

with lots of skin flaking may indicate

a deeper medical problem.

EARS

Ears may also require cleaning, es-

pecially in dogs with oily skin or

allergies. This is a delicate task and is

probably best left to your vet. However,

if your dog is easy to handle (and there is

no chance that you will be bitten), you

can learn to do this chore yourself. To

remove excessive wax and debris from

the ears, consider an ear cleaning every

two to four weeks. Ask your veterinarian

about products you can use at home, and

be sure to ask for a demonstration of

proper ear cleaning techniques.

NAIL TRIMMING

While clipping nails is a painless and sim-

ple process, it takes practice and patience

to master the skill. Ask your vet to show

you the correct technique, then get started

by getting your pet used to having his

paws handled. Once your start using the

clippers, go slowly: try clipping just a

few nails in one sitting. Maintain a regu-

lar schedule and be persistent. Your pet

will eventually develop patience and learn to cooperate.

Oh the Saddest of Sights

in a World of Sin,

Is the Little Lost Puppy

with his Tail Tucked

In…….

“Arthur Guiterman”

“A consistently poor hair coat with lots

of skin flaking may indicate a deeper

medical problem:.

What is a Puppy Mill?

If you are reading this, then you proba-

bly already know the benefits of rescue,

however, there are still many people out

there that don’t understand what it

means to buy a puppy from a pet store.

“Approximately 3,500 pet stores in the

U.S. sell 500,00 puppies a year. A prod-

uct of Puppy Mills, the parents of these

puppies are often forced to live their

entire lives in cruel conditions including

tight, overcrowded and dirty cages with

very limited socialization and poor qual-

ity food. They receive little to no veteri-

nary care and are continually over bred

and inbred until their reproductive ca-

pacity wanes and they are killed. This

cruelty and inbreeding often results in

sick or disabled offspring. In addition to

being sold at pet stores, these puppies

are also sold directly to the unknowing

consumer through the internet, newspa-

per ads and from the mill itself.” (North

Shore Animal League America)

How You Can Help

1. don’t every buy dogs from pet

stores, online or newspapers or

other ads! Instead, adopt a dog

from your local shelter or res-

cue.

2. Encourage family and friends to adopt instead of buying dogs.

3. Learn about puppy mills at www.network.bestfriends.org/truth/

4. Educate others about puppy mills and encourage them to avoid support-

ing commercial dog breeders by adopting, no buying dogs.

5. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper or contact local radio sta-

tions about puppy mills and call on people to adopt not buy dogs.

6. Join a local group that advocates against puppy mills.

7. Organize or join a protest at pet stores that sell dogs. Most pet stores

get the dogs they sell from puppy mills.

8. Encourage local pet stores that sell dogs also to offer dogs for adoption.

9. Learn about and support puppy lemon laws in your state or community.

Many people have purchased puppies at pet stores or directly from

breeders online or through newspaper ads only to find later they suffer

from terrible illnesses, diseases, deformities or behavior problems that

may result in thousands of dollars for veterinary care. The problem is so

widespread that many states and local governments have passed puppy

lemon laws that give consumers right to recover the cost of care for ill-

nesses or problems not disclosed.

10. Many puppy mill dogs are sold at specially held dog auctions, such as

those in Holmes County, Ohio. Organize or join a protest at these auc-

tions. For more information on how to find an auction, contact one of the

anti-puppy mill groups listed in the Resources section of the Best

Friends website.

11. Support legislation to regulate puppy mills. Contact your Congressional

state or local representatives to learn existing laws and how they could

be made stronger and more effective or how they can be better en-

forced. Look for proposed laws to regulate puppy mills and write or call

your legislator and urge their support.

12. Start or sign a petition n protest of puppy mills. (There is a petition lo-

cated on the North Shore Animal League America website).

13. Report all cruel, inhumane treatment you observe at a commercial dog

breeding operation and potential violations of regulations governing

commercial dog breeders.

14. Look for puppy mills that may be just starting and are applying for per-

mits, or those that are renewing permits. Attending hearings on the per-

mit application and write or call local officials to let them know they

should oppose the permit or conditions issuance of the permit on com-

pliance with strict requirements.

For more information on puppy mills visit www.bestfriends.org

Fido’s Advocacy Section– Help to end the Horrors of Puppy Mills!

Page 5 Volume 3, Issue 1

By Julie Piazza-King

Fido’s Family Fun!–

You Simply Ain’t Livin’ Until You Have Adopted 3 Fido Dogs!

Page 6 Fido Speaks!

Yes, you read that right….3

FIDO dogs have now taken

“ownership” of the Fortlage

household in Medina!

The Fortlage Family adopted

their first FIDO dog back in

2007. Sammy was an approxi-

mately 1 year old American

Bulldog who is now all grown

up and 95 lbs. of solid muscle!

He was a strong willed boy

when they first rescued him

but has turned into a gentle

giant!

Now for the final fury or

should I say “furry” who is

fondly being called “JAWS”,

we have Junior a deaf Ameri-

can Bulldog puppy who the

Fortlages wanted to foster un-

til he found a good forever

home. Well that thought

lasted for about 2 weeks be-

fore they knew they could

never give him up.

Needless to say the Fortlage

Family has their HANDS Full!

But what would life be like

without all of those muddy

paws, sloppy kisses, and

wrestle mania in the yard

days??????

DARN RIGHT BORING!

Thank goodness you retired

Paul so you could find another

FULL TIME JOB!

Sammy

Well, the Fortlages wanted

to add a 2nd dog to their

family and so they met Nyah

(now called Darby) at one of

our recent adoption events.

They fell head over paws for

her! Darby is a sweet, love-

able little Spaniel/ Bull Ter-

rier mix who is quick on her

feet and always ready for

playtime! She has made the

Fortlages home a little more

chaotic for sure!

When I started to foster Ozzie (aka Oz-

wald) on May 30, 2009 he was rather frail

looking. His back end was very skinny

and his back legs were more together

than apart. He was introduced to our

clan at what our FIDO volunteers call

Camp Runkle (yes, that’s my home). He

did great with our dogs and cats and he

was fine with everyone. He was slow

moving, struggled up the steps and just

wanted to follow me around wherever I

went. He is such a loving dog and loves

just to lay by your feet. He never has

begged, never got on the furniture and

he sleeps on his bed on the floor at the

end of our bed. We have a trail out back

that I walk him every morning and every

evening on to work up his leg strength.

At first he would just walk along with the

other dogs but usually couldn't keep up

with them and would always stop and

make sure I was coming. Sometimes he

would try to run and keep up with the

other dogs but his back legs would give

out. Now, my little Oz is running with the

dogs, His back end looks much more

filled out, his legs are now separated,

and he goes up and down the steps with-

out issue. He is such a great dog but I

cannot convince my husband on the idea

of adopting another dog. I have even

tried to say we would exchange

him for our lab, but he didn’t go for

it…. Just kidding!

Ozzie knows his basic commands and

he is just an all around great compan-

ion and will make someone’s family

complete. It will be a bitter sweet

goodbye when he gets his forever

home but I just hope that whomever

has him will enjoy and love him as

much as I have.

-Foster Mom Sue Runkle

Morty has finally found his forever

home with Father Mark Hammond of

St. Vincent de Paul Church in Mount

Vernon, and his 12 year old Yellow Lab

– Gabby. Morty lives in the parish

house with Father Hammond and goes

to work with him everyday visiting the

the little school kids and giving kisses.

Fido’s Happy Endings– Once Injured Labs; Now Reliving Their Childhood!

Page 7 Volume 3, Issue 1

Ozzie

“He follows Gabby everywhere and has

fit in so well”- Father Hammond re-

ports. What a success story for our res-

cue! From down and out with injured

legs sitting in a dog pound to living

pain free and happily with the angels

and saints of St. Vincent de Paul Par-

ish…..Way to go Mortimer!

*********************************

***Health Warnings***

Now that summer is upon us, please

keep in mind that pets can suffer from dehydration, heat stroke and

sunburn if overexposed to the heat.

Make sure your pet has plenty of

fresh, clean water and lots of shady

places where pets can cool off.

Also never leave an animal alone in

a parked vehicle. Cars can heat up

very quickly which can lead to fatal

head stroke!

-ASPCA-

There is no therapy in

the world like a

Puppy Licking Your

Face …..

“Bern Williams”

Morty Update: You

Can Call Him Father

Mortimer Now!

Morty with his new family– Father

Hammond and Gabby!

$125.00. Submit an application at

www.fidoscompanion.com on our

adoptables page. Oriah is up to

date with routine shots, house

trained and spayed/neutered.

Oriah was rescued from a dog

pound on death’s doorstep. She was

pulled by one of our volunteers who

felt compelled to help her. Our vol-

unteer named her after an inspira-

tional author whose writings tell us

to follow our heart into a life of

meaning and purpose. Our purpose

with Oriah is Clear… we want her to

feel loved and find a home that will

take care of her for the rest of her

life the way she truly deserves.

After a rough start and some tender

loving care, Oriah is now a normal

weight of 65 lbs. and is spayed. She

has been professionally trained by

the owner of K9 Coaches and lived

in her home for a month learning

how to be a great housedog. She is

great with other dogs and is com-

pletely housebroken and crate

trained. She lives for people’s atten-

tion and will lay her head on your

leg or bury her head in your chest as

a way to get affection. She is an ac-

tive dog and would do best with an-

other dog to play with and must go

to a home with a fenced yard. She is

used to being walked daily. Oriah is

truly a miracle and will be a bless-

ing in any person’s life who is lucky

enough to adopt her according to

her foster mom. Adoption fee

Fido’s Featured Adoptable: Oriah Deserves a Forever Home!

I want to help provide new beginnings for homeless

dogs.

Enclosed is my contribution in the amount of:

$____________________________

Name___________________________________________

Address_________________________________________

City_____________ State______ Zip code_________

Please mail your check to:

Fido’s Companion Rescue, Inc.

P.O. Box 518

Avon, Ohio 44011

For Credit Card Donations:

Go to WWW.FIDOSCOMPANION.COM and click on

the donation button. You can make a secure PAYPAL

donation on-line with your credit card.

A 501 (c)3 Non profit Animal Rescue– Donations are tax de-

ductible

How Can I Help?

Providing quality of life to one

canine companion at a time!

Oriah is waiting for her forever

home!

We need:

foster homes for dogs

transporters to help pull dogs from

local pounds or take them to the vets or

boarding facilities;

donations to cover boarding and health

care costs;

volunteers to walk the dogs that are

currently being housed in our boarding

facilities;

volunteers to plan and assist with fund

raisers