|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Celebrating the canine-human bond!
|
|
This newsletter is brought to you by Arlington Dog Owners Group (A-DOG), a 501(c)(3) community organization promoting the rights and interests of responsible dog owners in Arlington, MA.
If you're not already a member, we hope you'll want to
join
A-DOG!
Wags and Tags editorial team: Joan Black, Sue Doctrow, Ellen Leigh, Judy Weinberg
A-DOG logos designed by Lisa Berasi for Arlington Dog Owners Group, all rights reserved
|
|
Join us Saturday night at the Arlington Recreation K9 RAVE to support Thorndike dog park!! See the Calendar section below for details.
|
|
"Sadie, you were much loved"
|
by Janice Yellin I had planned to write an ode to much loved Max, our ball-obsessed Golden doodle, but as I was drafting it, I learned that Little Sadie, who came from Tennessee to live with dear friends, Sarah, Laura and Andy, is in terminal kidney failure. She brought such joy to them. Her life requires acknowledgement. This is a little tribute to Sadie who lived to love.
Sadie was sort of a dachshund and sort of something else. When she was not following a scent, Sadie stayed close to her people wanting and offering love. She gave those who wished prime, really wet kisses.
We've all shook our heads over scientific studies that prove things that we've already know experientially. Most recently, I read about a study that measured a dog's oxytocin levels (the hormone triggered when people look at loved ones) as dogs and their people gazed at each other. Is anyone surprised to discover the oxytocin level rose in both dogs as well as humans? Science has proven what anyone with a dog knows with rock-hard certainty. They love us and we love them. Aren't we lucky to have them in our lives? Sadie, you were much loved.
_______
Janice Yellin is an A-DOG member.
|
|
Whine and Wine Party Highlights
|
|
Another fun event for people and their pups!
|
On June 30, a pleasant summer evening, A-DOG members and their dogs were treated to our annual "Whine and Wine" wine-tasting party at Friend of A-DOG,
Menotomy Beer and Wine in East Arlington.
There were wonderful prizes, some donated by A-DOG board members. Joan and Dana Black donated prizes purchased from The Animal Rescue Site, an organization that helps provide food for rescued animals. Ann Smith also donated some great prizes and Roslyn Smith prepared a delicious buffet of snacks. The dogs were tempted by those, of course! Thank-you, too, to A-DOG volunteers who helped at the event and congratulations to the prize-winners! And, of course, to Menotomy Beer and Wine owner and A-DOG member Mary Parent and her colleagues for hosting us and pouring an excellent array of wines for a tasting. Don't forget, members..mention A-DOG when you shop at Menotomy Beer and Wine and the store will donate 5% to A-DOG.
For more photos of the party, see our website.
|
|
Sailing for All (including your four-legged friends)!
|
by Ellen Leigh and Ricky
Community Boating, Inc. (CBI) is the nation's oldest public sailing center, and is located in the heart of Boston, right by the Hatch Shell. Their mission is the advancement of sailing for all by minimizing economic and physical obstacles to sailing. They provide instruction at all levels through their adult and junior programs, as well as instruction and therapeutic recreational sailing through their Universal Access Program (UAP). The Adult Program is available for ages 18+, with membership discounts for students, young adults (ages 18-20), senior citizens (ages 65+), & veterans/first responders. The Junior Program is for youth (ages 10-17) and the Universal Access Program is for individuals with special needs.
They have a hoyer lift, as well as staff that can help with manual transfers, so that being in a wheelchair or having mobility issues will not prevent one from sailing! The Junior and UAP are charitable sailing programs and membership fees are based on a sliding scale. The sailing season runs from April 1 to October 31.
CBI also offers kayaking, paddleboarding, and windsurfing.
Best of all, dogs are allowed on sailboats! They must be kept on a leash and attended to at all times. Some warm weather reminders, as it can get hot with the sun reflecting on the water: Be sure to provide plenty of fresh drinking water and check with your vet about best ways to keep your pooch cool! In the UAP program, dog life preservers are available. Other participants must provide life jackets for their canines. Life jackets are included for all human sailors! For more information on how to join the fun, please go to the CBI website.
_________
Photos show Ellen and Ricky on their sailing adventure. Below: Ricky's appetite whet for sailing! Ellen is an A-DOG member and member of our Wags and Tags editorial board.
|
|
"Two Front Paws Up" for Pawsome People and Awesome Dogs!
|
|
Dog B.O.N.E.S. therapy dogs. A-DOG presented a Dog B.O.N.E.S Therapy Dog informational program in partnership with the Fox Library a couple of years ago. Photos from this event (above) show Ellen Duranceau, who moderated, and Marci Goldberg Gorski and her dog Sophie. Both are not only longtime Dog B.O.N.E.S. volunteers but are also A-DOG members, with Ellen on our Board. The event was very well attended and featured reading and therapy dogs and their handlers. Several more A-DOG members later enrolled and became certified with their dogs as therapy dog teams through the B.O.N.E.S training held here in Arlington.....You might have just the right canine companion for this important work...read more here.
Our U.S. Congresswoman Katherine Clark for protecting domestic violence victims and their pets: CONGRESS CONSIDERS BILL TO HELP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS ESCAPE WITH THEIR PETS Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Massachusetts, shown in photo below) and Rep. Ileana-Ros Lehtinen (R-Florida) have introduced a bill called the Pet And Women Safety (PAWS) Act. The ASPCA explains, "68 % of battered women revealed their abusive partners had been violent to pets and livestock." Fear of harm to their pets delays leaving for a shelter. Thank you to Congresswoman Katherine Clark for this important bill and contributing to the growing awareness of this connection. Read more here.
|
|
PAWS to Mark Your Calendar!
|
Save the dates for coming events
|
|
_________
APRIL MAY BE OUR OFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP MONTH BUT WE NEED YOU ON OUR TEAM ALL YEAR! If you haven't already, join the A-DOG Pack. "NEW" or "RENEW", IT IS EASY TO DO...Sign up today here.
Mark your calendar for SUMMER EVENTS over the next few months including (*) those that involve A-DOG. Please consider attending or volunteering for the events involving A-DOG. Contact us if you're interested in volunteering at any of these events...we need you!
____________
Saturday, July 18 (7-9 PM). K9 RAVE 2015 is coming to the Ed Burns Arena at 422 Summer Street, Arlington. Are you and your canine companion ready to have a ROCKING good time? K9 RAVE will be a festival of FUN activities including music, food, demonstrations, vendors, dance and an "off leash" area. Donate $5 at the door to benefit Arlington's Thorndike Off-Leash Recreational Area (our beloved dog park). This is the first event organized by K9 RAC (K9 Recreational Activities Committee) under the leadership of Director Daria Pannesi. For questions or further information please email the Arlington Recreation Dept. A-DOG will have a table featuring Beloved Companion Animal Massage. We need one or two more volunteers to help us spread the word about A-DOG! (See our flyer above for more information)
Saturday and Sunday August 1 and 2. Somerville Dog Owners Group will hold 3rd annual Pet Palooza Festival at Assembly Row in Somerville.
Sunday August 23 at the Arlington Reservoir (details/time to be announced). DOG DAYS of SUMMER. This is the 2nd annual event and last year it was a very popular swimming event for people and their dogs. A-DOG will be participating and volunteers for our table/booth would be very much appreciated.
Tuesday, August 25 at Jefferson Cutter House 7:30-8:30 the A-DOG Meeting will focus on planning Town Day and other fall event planning. Come with ideas and enthusiasm.
Saturday, September 12 (10 am - 3 pm) TOWN DAY will find A-DOG's booth filled with information and FUN Activities for everyone with and without dogs. Please volunteer to spend some time at the booth, helping to spread the word about A-DOG and responsible dog ownership in Arlington!
_____________
Future A-DOG Meetings: Annual Meeting, Tuesday, October 27 (7:30 - 8:30 pm) Jefferson Cutter House Community Room, Arlington Center. Town Day booth planning session, Tuesday, August 25, same time and place.
Send us calendar items for possible inclusion in this section in future Wags and Tags issues!
|
|
Help Wanted: Your Dog's Face Here?
|
|
Wags and Tags Welcomes Your Contributions
|
A-DOG Members and supporters, Wags and Tags is YOUR monthly newsletter! I
f you have suggestions for an article, including one you'd like to write, for a future issue, please email us with "Newsletter" in the subject line.
Maybe you'd like your dog to be one of our "
Arlington dogs, or A-dogs
", like Molly, Remy. Tammy, potcake Lexi and others. You don't have to live in Arlington, but can be a neighbor who enjoys Arlington's dog recreation benefits, or otherwise supports our mission. You can also suggest a special Rainbow Bridge memorial tribute to a beloved canine family member you've lost, like the moving tributes to Isabel, Raleigh, Strummer and Cita.
Or, maybe you're a
Friend of A-DOG
Business and want to describe how you help A-DOG and what you offer to our community of dog owners and dog-friendly people. Your business, too, can be featured like Bette Yip's Picture Perfect Pets, BlueSky Dogs, GoPlay!, Menotomy Beer Wine and Spirits,Your Wonderful Dog and Maida Pharmacy & Compounding Center.
Suggested article length for the newsletter is 500 words or fewer but this is only a guideline. We will also need at least one photo, preferably a jpg or gif format, compressed to a size no greater than 1 MB. (Please send the photo as a separate file, not imported into a Word document.) Depending on the topic, you might want to write a longer version for our website, with a link in the Wags and Tags article.
Articles on any other topic of potential interest to dog owners are welcome. So are more volunteer editors and writers. Please send us your story proposals! Wags and Tags editorial team: Joan Black, Sue Doctrow, Ellen Leigh and Judy Weinberg
Pssst...We are well aware that
our members are not likely to have issues with spelling or grammar that's a little "ruff", but don't worry....our editorial team will edit your story, as needed.
The Irish Setter on the computer photo is reprinted from a website called "iget2work".
The "Bad spelling...image was posted on Facebook by Grammarly.
|
Our final
A-DOG meeting for 2015
A-DOG has planned four meetings in 2015. Our Annual Meeting is on Tuesday, October 27 at 7:30-8:30 pm at the Community Room of the Jefferson Cutter House, 611 Mass Ave (at Mystic, in Arlington Center). The Community Room is accessible via the rear entrance at the municipal parking lot. Doors open at 7 and refreshments will be served.
In addition, there will be an August planning session for Town Day. Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are on the fourth Tuesday of the month at the Jefferson Cutter House.
A-DOG Membership!
A-DOG's membership year runs from April 1 through March 31, so some full memberships are up for renewal. If your membership has expired, you should have received a reminder letter and there is
Membership Drive information on our website. If you join now, your annual full membership will be good through March, 2016. As an A-DOG Full Member, you are entitled to discounts and benefits from our
Friends of A-DOG businesses. And, your dues and donations to A-DOG are tax deductible, to the full extent allowed by law.
Shop for A-DOG!
Please support businesses that support responsible dogowners in Arlington by patronizing our
Friends of A-DOG Businesses. Welcome to our newest Friends of A-DOG, Maida Pharmacy & Compounding Center and Joe Trains Dogs. Also, when you buy from Amazon, please start at the
Amazon Smile website and choose "A-Dog The Arlington Dog Owners Group, Inc" as your preferred nonprofit group. Amazon will make a donation to A-DOG and your purchase will not cost any more!
|
A-DOG members, Business Friends of A-DOG and other subscribers receive Wags and Tags each month. If this issue was forwarded to you and you'd like to subscribe to Wags and Tags without joining A-DOG, click here or click the green sign-up button on the front page of our website.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| |
|
|
