Those of you who have gone to our GA Gives page to donate, read about Alfie, a rescue that came in starved and abused. His adopter donated, and emailed us an update.Turns out today is his “Gotcha Day,”when he was adopted, and here’s Alfie now. This should make you believe in miracles and how your support for Atlanta Lab Rescue changes lives.We are so grateful for your financial support that makes it all possible, and for those volunteers who make it all happen.We didn’t quite meet our goal for Giving Tuesday this year… so let’s make it Giving Friday!If you haven’t had a chance to donate to GA Gives, you can still do it by clicking below. Your donations are tax deductible and guaranteed to make you feel good… Thank you!!Becky CrossALR Director You can also mail a donation to PO Box 250206, Atlanta, GA 30325 or VENMO @AtlantaLabRescue and indicate “Giving Tuesday.”Click Here to DonateOnce you’ve donated, tell your friends by sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or the social media platform of your choice. Let’s show them how much heart GEORGIA has!!!
A new documentary movie dropped tonight (12/14/2022) called “Free Puppies” about our animal overpopulation in the South and the role the rescues play. It’s a must see for anyone who loves dogs and supports rescue efforts. It’s available on Amazon and on DVD online. Please take the time to view this very informative documentary and help stop pet overpopulation. I am certain the Christmas Wish for all Dog & Cat Rescue Groups would be to go out of business.
Here is a nice article from Purina on traveling with your dog this summer. It is a good quick read and will provide some great tips for a happy and healthy vacation for all!
Planning a Trip? Support Your Dog’s Immune System with FortiFlora
Regardless of the season or where the next trip takes you and your dog, traveling can be stressful for your hunting partner. By doing your homework and planning ahead, you can help ensure your dog’s safety and comfort while on the road. Follow these tips to help simplify your journey, regardless of the time and distance.
Meal Prep for Your Dog
If you’re on a weeklong trip in remote areas, the odds of finding a quality performance dog food, such as Purina Pro Plan SPORT Performance 30/20 Formula, may be challenging. Proportion your dog’s food so you have an ample supply. You’ll likely feed your dog slightly more than usual during a multiday event, so be sure to pack extra. A good rule of thumb to gauge a dog’s food consumption is one pound of food per dog per day.
Bring Your Own Water
A change in water source, especially going from hard to soft water, can upset your dog’s GI system, increasing his or her risk of diarrhea and potentially causing dehydration and overheating. Dehydration can be dangerous because it increases your dog’s heart’s workload, impairs the delivery of nutrients and removal of waste from the muscles, and reduces your dog’s ability to maintain a normal body temperature. Bring several gallons of water from home as a consistent source, or use bottled water while traveling. To help encourage your dog to drink when away from home, bait his or her water with a small handful of kibble. On hot travel days, you can also cut blocks of ice and place in your dog’s bowl in his or her crate in the back of your truck or trailer for the dog to lick.
Stock Up on First-Aid Essentials
Canine first aid is crucial when you’re far from a veterinarian. Brush up on your basic knowledge of performing first aid and replenish your kit with these supplies:absorbent gauze pads, elastic bandages, tape, tweezers, antiseptic, antibiotic ointment, antihistamine, saline solution, and any veterinarian-prescribed or recommended medications.
Build an Insurance Policy
Research veterinarians who can treat hardworking dogs that are located every couple of hundred miles along your planned route and near your final destination. You should also look for 24/7 emergency veterinary clinics if you’ll be traveling at night. Jot down all names and contact information and keep in a handy place, such as inside your first-aid kit.
Customize Your Packing List
Every destination has unique packing requirements. For example, if you’re headed to Montana, you may want to bring a Quill Jig and needle-nosed pliers in case your dog comes across a porcupine, or if you’re crossing into Canada, you’ll need a veterinarian-signed copy of your dog’s rabies vaccination, as well as a health certificate for puppies 8 months of age and younger, to get through customs hassle-free.
Comfort Is King
Despite travel not being restful for a dog, you can at least do all you can to ensure his or her comfort. In warm weather, keep a frozen water bottle in your dog’s crate so he or she can lick the condensation to stay cool between stops. In cold weather, bring a vest and boots to keep your dog warm, a shammy to keep him or her dry, a cover to insulate his or her crate, and a ½-inch pad or piece of Styrofoam to place under the crate to keep him or her off of cold surfaces. Regardless of the season, don’t forget a crate lock for security.
Brake for Rest Areas
Map out rest areas along your route that are situated away from traffic and suitable for dog airing. Some Cabela’s locations even have a reserved area for dogs. Plan to stop every couple of hours to air and exercise your dog on a leash, and know that puppies may need more frequent breaks.
Don’t Skimp on Stake Outs
Bring enough tie-out cables and stakes for as many dogs as you’re traveling with so that in case of emergency, such as a vehicle breakdown, your dogs are secure while you tend to the situation at hand.
Mind Your P’s & Q’s
Basic obedience is important at all times, but especially during travel. The last thing you want when you’re stopped is to open your vehicle door and have your dog bolt out and run around aimlessly. This puts your dog at risk of being hit by a car or getting into something he or she shouldn’t, such as diesel fuel or antifreeze. Avoid accidents while stopped in a parking lot of rest area by training your dog to “stay” when you open the vehicle door or dog box. It’s also a good idea to keep your dog on lead in busy areas. If you find a safe, remote area to air your dog off lead, make sure you can stay in control of your dog and clean up any mess.
BONUS: The One Thing to Never Leave Home Without
You should always pack a thermometer in your first-aid kit, especially during summer travel. If you’re worried about your dog overheating, stop and take his or her temperature. If it’s as high as 107 degrees Fahrenheit, get your dog into the shade and cool him or her down, making sure the temperature comes down. If it doesn’t, take your dog to a veterinarian right away.
Planning a Trip? Boost Your Dog’s Immunity with FortiFlora
Traveling can cause stress that can affect a dog’s immune system. To help support your dog’s immune system health, keep a supply of Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets FortiFlora canine probiotic supplement handy. Available through your veterinarian or online at www.proplanvetdirect.com, FortiFlora contains a special strain of probiotic that promotes normal intestinal microflora. After consulting with your veterinarian, consider starting FortiFlora a few weeks before leaving on a trip to increase levels of beneficial bacteria and promote a strong immune system, and continue administering it a few weeks after arriving at your destination.
The 4th Annual ALR 5K – #ALR5K2018 – is back and is going to be even bigger and better this year and we hope you will consider joining us for this fun family morning. The race is in full effect for planning and we are looking for sponsors, runners, walkers and volunteers.
If you are interested in volunteering please email vickijmann@gmail.com for more information.
The race is currently looking for sponsors. We have all levels of sponsorship available. What a great way to get your business recognized with 800+ people! The sponsorship packet can be accessed by clicking on the following link: ALR 5K Sponsor Kit 2018
If you have additional sponsorship questions, please feel free to email Heather Mack Coyle at mackhea@gmail.com.
Lastly and most important….To sign up for this awesome race CLICK HERE
This race is a Peachtree Road Race Qualifier – USATF Certification # GA17050WC.
Please don’t forget to like our Facebook page- Atlanta Lab Rescue 5K this will always have the most up-to-date information about the race.
Atlanta Lab Rescue will have a booth at this great festival coming up in July! Should be a great time for people and our 4 legged companions! Come on out and visit our booth and check out a few ALR Dogs that might be your forever companion!
Doggie Daze, a Blue Heron tradition, is a morning full of friendship and exploration! Come out for a guided creek walk, dog adoption, doggie fashion show, and so much more.
Doggie Daze will occur on July 14th, 2018. Learn more and register here.
Imagine it’s 8:45 at night and you’re settled in watching “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” OK, so maybe that would never happen to you, but follow me here… Just as one housewife throws a drink (followed by multiple expletives) in the other housewife’s face, your phone beeps. You click on the text and BOOM there is the saddest face staring back at you…it’s from a volunteer from the shelter here in town, who is still there at 9 pm holding vigil for this dog, who tested positive for parvo earlier in the day. She wants to know if we can take him and she’ll drive him to the emergency clinic tonight. A shelter volunteer who cared this much to stay through the night with a sick dog would ordinarily make me pause with disbelief, except this was the third time she has done this to us.
We have been nursing our bank account all year, barely making it with adoption fees and monthly Paypal donations. The last critically ill dog made it after 10 days at the vet and now has a wonderful life, but vet bill was more than $8000. Knowing this dog would completely tank our resources, I said “NO” and went back to watching the my mindless television. Five minutes later I texted back “take him to the vet” (followed by my own expletives).
Ladd has been fighting for his life for 9 days now. The first couple of days we thought we might lose him. He developed pneumonia on top of the parvo, his white blood cells were nonexistent and on Tuesday they put a feeding tube in through his nose because he couldn’t keep any food down. Of course through it all, he wagged his tag every time someone came to his kennel. Today the news was good. He seems to be turning the corner. The bad news is that we’ve already spent more than we have and it’s not over yet….we’re looking for a $5 Friday to rescue us!
If all goes well, we’ll be able to get him out early next week and we’ll need a foster for him. When dogs are in these situations, they’re all alone in isolation. The treatment is often painful and they don’t know we’re trying to help them. It’s hard to keep them from giving up. The love and care this boy gets going forward is an important part of his healing. If you can help, please email info@atlantalabrescue.com .
We currently have close to 3000 people in our database and over 20,000 Facebook friends. If 23,000 donated $5, or even $1 that would be amazing! To help us out, please click on the link below and donate or you can mail a check to PO Box 250206, Atlanta, GA 30325.
Thank you!
Becky Cross
Director – Atlanta Lab Rescue
If you’re a dog lover with one dog, chances are at some point you will ask yourself, “Does my puppy need a friend?” Besides, if one dog is great, wouldn’t two dogs double the awesome?
Yes. And no. And maybe.
There are lots of great reasons to bring a second dog into your home. And an equally number of great reasons not to.
The first big question to ask yourself is whether or not you have the time, money, energy and other resources to devote to a second dog. Two dogs means twice as much money for food, veterinarian bills, grooming, toys, treats and boarding. It also means — and this is a big one — twice as much dedicated one-on-one time to play with each pup.
Many people get a second dog in the hopes the dog will provide companionship and exercise for their first dog, thereby relieving them of these responsibilities. But while a second dog can definitely help in that regard, both dogs will still need both of those things from their human. That means twice as many games of fetch and hide-and-go-seek and two leashes to get tangled on walks.
That leads to the next big question: Does your dog even want a friend? Surprisingly, not all dogs like the company of other dogs. Just because they may seem bored doesn’t mean that another dog is the answer. In fact, it could make a dog feel threatened to have to share his space and valuable human-bonding time with another. This is especially true for dogs that are older and/or ill.
If you’re thinking about getting a second dog to help cure the behavior problems of the first dog, think again. “A second dog won’t miraculously make the first dog well-behaved,” says Tonya Wilhelm, dog training specialist and author of several dog training books including, “Please Stay-Help For A Dog With Separation Anxiety.” In fact, the new dog could simply pick up the bad behaviors — such as sofa chewing or counter surfing — of the old dog. Now you have double the trouble! Wilhelm recommends focusing on training and attention for your first dog before you consider adding another.
Finding the perfect second pet
Finding a second dog is like matchmaking: Choose a pet that has the same interests has your current pooch. (Photo: Ksenia Raykova/Shutterstock)
But let’s say that you do have the time, money and energy to focus on a second dog and you know that your first dog would love a buddy. How do you find a dog that will be a good fit for your family?
“Matchingmaking is key,” says Wilhelm. Think about your dog’s personality and the kind of dogs that she has enjoyed playing with. Is she a quiet dog who loves napping? Or an active pup who likes to get out and play? When you take her on walks does she shy away from big dogs while straining the leash to sniff the little guys? Look for a pooch with a personality that’s similar to that of your pup.
Age is another factor to consider here. “Young dogs tend to accept new pets more readily than crotchety set-in-their-ways canines,” says animal behavior consultant Amy Shojai, author of “ComPETability: Solving Behavior Problems in Your Multi-Dog Household.” If your dog is older, a bouncy puppy that is jumping, chewing and body-slamming may not be a good fit, notes Wilhelm.
Finally, both Wilhelm and Shojai agree that opposite sex is best when it comes to dog pairings. Just make sure that both dogs are neutered or you may have even more dog trouble than you bargained for! Depending upon the dogs’ personalities, male-male or female-female pairings can work, too. But there may be more issues with competition that you will need to keep an eye on until they figure out their place in the pack.
If possible, the best way to find out for sure how your dog will react to a second dog is to do a meet-and-greet, preferably on neutral territory. And even if that goes well, be prepared to help smooth the transition once the new dog comes home. “Even if there are no issues at the adoption area, there may be issues once the new pet comes to the home,” says Dr. Judy Morgan, a holistic veterinarian who is also the author of “What’s For Dinner Dexter? Cooking For Your Dog Using Chinese Medicine Theory.” “Some dogs will suddenly become protective of toys, food bowls, and owners when a new dog is introduced,” adds Morgan.
From the start, make sure that you have two dog bowls, two leashes, and plenty of dog food, treats and toys to go around. And don’t forget to give both dogs plenty of your time, but especially the dog who has been with you from the start. With the right planning, training and attention, bringing a second dog into your home really will double the awesome — bringing your pack many years of fun and friendship.
Here is a great article from Dog Hair & Bourbon. While some might think Heather, the author, is over the edge, I can tell you first hand she is spot on! (Don’t even get our Director started!!) So many people we ALR volunteers speak to cannot believe the reasons people give us for surrendering their dogs – dogs that they have had for 6 years or the stories we hear about how these beautiful dogs are abused by the very people that should be protecting them and giving them a loving life. It is truly a sad state of affairs. Support your rescue groups in any way you can. You will be saving a life! Here is a great read —
As a sort of follow-up to last week’s post that got a lot of people all hot n’ bothered, I figured I would stir up some discussion on what exactly is the purpose of rescue. This post applies to most dog rescues; I fully understand that there are indeed rescue groups who do take it upon themselves to fill the niches provided below. Those groups are few and far between, however.
Dog owners tend to have a lot of misconceptions about rescue groups and animal control, and what their job is in society. Spoiler alert: it’s not to fix your problems.
1. We’re not rehabilitators
So you got a dog, and now that dog is causing you trouble. It’s snapping at company, herding/nipping your kids, tearing up the house, whatever… The likely reason is that you didn’t train it right, didn’t do your research, got a dog from a crappy breeder, or all of the above. Maybe you genuinely did everything right, and it’s just the dog. Honestly, it doesn’t really matter, because either way it’s not our job to fix your basket case. Don’t email me saying, “He deserves better,” or “She’s a wonderful dog, she just needs a farm,” or the like. You’re right, the dog probably does deserve better, but why do you think I’m going to risk getting my hand bitten off, or my dogs attacked, or my drywall eaten? Take some personal responsibility, change your methods, get a trainer, or, if the dog is a serious threat, do the right thing and have the poor thing humanely euthanized yourself.
2. We’re not your rehoming shortcut
By that I mean, if you decide your dog needs a home, do it yourself. It’s really not our job. We will gladly list your dog as a referral, share, spread the word, direct adopters your way, etc. We are constantly inundated with dogs from animal shelters that will DIE if they don’t have foster space. You took on the responsibility of owning that dog – take the responsibility of finding it a home if it needs it. And if your dog has some issue that keeps you from doing this, see #1.
(While I’m on this topic – it’s also not your local animal control facility’s job to find your unwanted dog a home. Animal control exists to hold and place strays, and protect the public from dangerous animals. If you surrender your dog to animal control, they will kill it in 24 hours.)
3. We’re not in the “business” of rescue
Those of us who are doing rescue ethically are not making any money off this venture. In fact, we’re probably losing money. Dogs are expensive, and we don’t exactly get the cream of the crop as far as health goes. So, no thank-you, we are not interested in you “donating” your dog to our organization (unless, of course, you want to “donate” a litter of purebred, vetted puppies). Our dogs are not “for sale,” they’re for adoption, and we have plenty, thank you very much.
4. We’re not your safety net
You didn’t spay your dog, and now you have eight wiggling bundles of joy in your bathroom (or your backyard, depending on what caliber of person you are). Guess what! That’s your problem, not ours. You’re the dum-dum who broke the number one rule of dog ownership
Below: Zelda and Mako were “accidents” – Zelda was born in the shelter and Mako is deaf, so his breeder dumped him.
Similarly (this goes out to you backyard-breeder asshats) – we’re not here to take the puppies you can’t sell. We’re definitely not here to take your inbred, handicapped puppies that were born because you were either too stupid to know better or too greedy to care. If you want me to take your unwanted puppies, you better as hell sign an agreement to have that bitch spayed, or give me her as well. I will not encourage or enable your breeding habits.
5. We’re not retirement communities
If you send me an email, and it says, basically, “Our dog is 12 years old, and we love her very much, but we just don’t have the time to give her what she needs,” I will pull out my voodoo doll and stick a dozen pins in your eyes. You are the lowest of the low. Tell me, please, what you think we’re going to do with your poor old dog.
Cyrus is eight – ancient for a Great Dane.
I’m not sure what la-la land you live in, but there aren’t exactly lines out the door for senior dogs. You’re going to honestly sit and tell me that that dog is such a burden on your life that you can’t handle the last few months, maybe a year or so, of its life? I’ll tell you what – I’d hate to be your parents. Mom’s too old to be bothered with, just leave her in the bed to fester. Seriously, you disgust me.
Okay, I’m sure you’re asking by this point, so what the hell are we here for? That’s very simple, my friend. We’re here for the homeless, for the abused, and for the sick. Our job is to take dogs from shelters that don’t deserve to spend the last week of their lives in a loud, smelly, scary concrete prison cell. The dogs that can be rehomed with families that genuinely appreciate their presence. The dogs that have never known love in their entire lives – only fear, hate, and abuse. We’re also here to help the people who love, cherish, and want their animals but life just won’t let them. For example, the elderly lady who’s being moved to assisted living, or the single man or woman who lost their job and can barely feed themselves, much less a four legged companion. Doesn’t your plight of “just don’t have time” or “we have a new baby” sound pretty pathetic next to all of that?
Below: Bruce’s owner gave him up because he was dying.
Dogs – all pets, actually – are lifetime commitments. You are their lives; you are all they care about and all they have. Stop shirking responsibility, and don’t try to rely on third parties to do all the heavy lifting for you. You thought you were good enough for that dog in the first place, now prove it.
THANKS TO YOU, DREAMS COME TRUE!
Once you’ve donated, tell your friends by sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or the social media platform of your choice. Let’s show them how much heart GEORGIA has!!! 
Imagine it’s 
