It’s been almost 8 months since Polly came to share my home. In that time she’s settled down nicely - most of the time. She still is excitable when she picks up a scent and wants to follow it or when another dog walks past the house. But when she’s focused, she learns commands quickly. So far she sits, lies down all the way, stays on command. We’ve been working on heeling and coming and she’s making progress there.

She attracts attention when we’re walking. She must think her second name is “beautiful,” because that’s what people say when they meet her. She’s still very energetic and I’m coping with that by having frequent play dates for her, sometimes twice or even three times a day. It’s amazing what an obedient dog she is when she’s tired!!

She loves to go for rides in the car (she’s crated), walks, swims. She keeps me to a schedule of waking, feeding, walking, etc. After I eat supper and she knows there’s no more food to be had, she collapses on the couch or bed.

It has been awhile since I reported in on Cocoa. I would like to say, first of all, that she is a great dog. Three months ago Cocoa had to go in for emergency surgery. She had a bleeding tumor on her spleen. The vets removed the tumor and her spleen. She has recovered from surgery and is enjoying life. The unfortunate news is that it is a hemangiosarcoma and there is no effective treatment for this type of cancer, which will return.

After her surgery, a couple of the girls who work at a local pet store brought her a get well basket. She was so happy to see her friends and the bag of treats didn’t hurt either. She is much beloved in the neighborhood and she is quite adept at winning over people. But on the upside, she is happy and we are enjoying our time together. She really loves to have her belly rubbed. We are back to taking our walks and visiting her friends both dog and human. She is back to taking her dips in her favorite ponds regardless of the weather. Everyday is a gift. She is teaching me how to live in the moment.

I have included a couple of photos of her. She seems to prefer the human couch to her couch, but that is alright. The other is a photo of her in one of her favorite ponds. Thanks again for such a great dog.

Hudson is doing great! He will be celebrating his 9th birthday this
month. We now have 2 kids and he is always very concerned and will
come running when they cry. Our 2 year old enjoys feeding Huddy her
lunch or dinner! Hud’s favorite pastimes are chasing squirrels out
of our yard and sleeping on our spare room beds! He is a joy!

Happy February!!! From Biskit and family!!

We cannot believe that it has been only 1 year since Biskit joined our family!! He is such a part of our family it’s hard to imagine life B.B. (Before Biskit). Biskit is a healthy, playful, and 100% loyal gentleman!! He plays well with the boys and particularly likes to chase J around the house and through the dining room when he knows there is a treat in his pocket. This is a game they play a couple times a day! Every evening when the house starts to settle and we are start brushing and washing up for bed Biskit goes right to his bed beside me on the floor. He waits there, sitting straight up and watching. One by one, everyone takes their places and gets snuggled into bed. Not until the last person is in bed will Biskit lay down. He keeps a very close eye on his family! He loves going to the park and playing with the other dogs especially his new friend Boyd, a younger version of Biskit. Boyd does many laps around Biskit once he has tired out but they enjoy running and chasing each other. We absolutely love him and everything that comes with having him as part of our family. After school when J comes home Biskit gets into his bed with him while he does his homework. He is not only a family pet but a best friend to the boys. I am so thankful that we didn’t turn away this “senior dog” as he is just a perfect fit to our family and we love him with all our hearts!!!

Dear NEARR,
I can’t believe that I have been here a year. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this family. I love them and they love me and we are so happy! I am really enjoying my big fenced in back yard. I have lots of room to play, roam, and sniff. In the winter I loved to make snow angles. I also liked to help with snow shoveling when the snow is tossed to me and I can jump and try to eat it. I still enjoy walks on the trails in the woods, but they have been tricky with all the snow and ice. I just love to snowplow with my nose in the leaves and dirt. We always walk on leash and the easy leader makes it so easy for J and B.

J is a little (well a lot, really) sappy with me, but I put up with it. I guess I am just pretty huggable and kissable. I much prefer more manly things like playing ball, horsing around with B, or going to do Saturday errands-like the dump with A. We have these really cool country pine floors in our house. If you run real fast and then stop, you can skid several feet. Lots of fun. I also like to very quietly get up on couches. If I stay really still and quiet I think nobody notices me. If they say “Charlie” I just pretend that I don’t hear them. But if they say, “Charlie, get off the couch”, I do obey right away.

They think that some of the things I do are pretty funny. I sleep in my kennel every night but never make any effort or noise to come out, even if the door is unlatched or even open. I know exactly when supper time is and let them know. And boy can I dance then! When I go outside, I never bark to come in. I just wait patiently. When I get my nose rubbed, I grunt like a pig.

So….it’s been a good year. I think I’ll keep them! Love, Charlie

Vegas had a great birthday and a great Easter!

For his 7th Birthday he got a real duck feast for dinner and we sang to him over his dessert of carrots and venison treats! He also got nyla bones and T gave him a stuffed Bear which she then proceeded to steal. She does share it with him though and they love to play tug with it…

Vegas had a great Easter too. We were dog-sitting for our friend’s black lab, Babe. Babe LOVED Vegas and tried to give him kisses all weekend. He thought this was funny (except when he was trying to nap) and was very tolerant of the youngsters antics all weekend. Interestingly, I have found that many small and younger dogs fall in love with Vegas and try to give him kisses. It is very cute to watch! He had a nice easter dinner that included some ham and egg…but no chocolate, of course.

Attached are a couple pictures…Thank for keeping everyone updated!

Sorry it’s taken so long to send an update. Well, we’ve now been spoiling and loving Chance for 6 1/2 years and Bailey for 3 1/2 years. We really couldn’t have asked for better dogs. They have endured three foster dogs and a move into a new house and haven’t complained once. They get along so well, they truly do compliment each other perfectly. For awhile we didn’t think Chancey would like a second dog, but in short time, they became inseparable. They love to go for rides, and long walks. Bailey even loves the vet, even after two surgeries. What more can we say, other than thank you NEARR for matching us with our best friends. I’ve attached two pictures. One is with our most recent foster and the second is on vacation.

Bison is a most wonderful dog! He has settled into his new family very nicely. He loves his walks, playing with a tennis ball and his three new brothers. Bison is a very patient guy with three children who love to play with him, and he is happiest when fetching an a ball for anyone. Bison loves to ride in the car and go with us everywhere. His personality emerges each day as he relaxes and learns that his family is always coming back from their errand, work or school.

He is putting on some weight, and his coat is becoming very shiny. We are all so happy with Bison, it feels like we have always had him. Thanks for a wonderful adoption process, we could not have a better match.

Hello NEARR folks,

I just wanted to send you a quick update to let you know that I’m a BIG BROTHER! My baby sister was born in December—a bit of an early Christmas present. I am the world’s best big brother. I always have to know where my sister is and who is holding her. If she is upstairs napping in her crib, I stay right there waiting for her to wake up. My parents are impressed to see that my nickname of ‘velcro dog’ is still true as ever…I just have a new subject. My sister is already taking after me, she is a great eater and sleeper! I’m doing my best to train her, we’re currently working on dropping food… I can’t wait to introduce her to my NEARR family. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying this snowy start to 2008. Pats and wags, Chance

It’s been a while, but I wanted to keep you up on Mac. He’s been doing awesome, and I can’t believe it’s going on 4 years. He just turned 11. When I got Mac he weighed in at around 120 lbs. He down to a stunning 107 lbs and is looking sharp. We had an incident w/ him being attacked by a pit-bull that required a couple stitches, but he’s no worse for the wear. He has a ton of friends here in the neighborhood, 2 and 4 legged. He plays great w/ the little dogs, letting them climb and lay all over him. The first year I had Mac he didn’t hump anything, but two weeks of a doggie play group turned him into a hump-a-saurus. His newest victim is a black Lab Max, who suffered a stroke and is in doggie wheelchair. It’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. It was great to see him playing and romping in all the snow we had in December.

He’s great w/ the kids and sleeps in the hall between their bedrooms for a couple hours when they are with me, then comes up to his bed when he knows they’re asleep. I have to say that he’s a typical Lab when it comes to seeking out food and not wanting to come out of the water. He’s usually very laid back and calm until he gets to go in the river. I can’t believe how aggressive and OCD he gets chasing his toys in the water.

The only down side to all this is knowing that Mac is getting older. He’s slower getting up and making the treks up and down the stairs seem to be harder for him. The vet does say he is in great health though. I’m at work now and don’t have access to photos so we’ll write to you soon and I’ll be sure to send a couple pix along.

A quick note to let you know that Ouzo has been with us for just over one year now, and is doing very well. When he came to us he had very bad allergies, with itching, red skin, loss of fur, etc. We kept him on the diet that the vet recommended; however, over time have been able to determine that it is not a food allergy, but a form of hay fever! His worst time was during mid-late summer, and only when we went to our vacation home in Vermont. The house is surrounded by tall grass/hay, and this is the only place that he really has had any reaction. Fortunately, we are able to control it with Benadryl.

He has become well acclimated to our family and gets along great with everyone, including his “cousins” (four-legged kind). We have seen a significant change in his attitude since being with us - much happier and content.

Thank you for everything. I just wanted you to know that we love Ouzo and are happy to have him as a member of our family.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all of the NEARR folks and their furbabies ….If you ever wonder if it’s all worth the effort ,I can tell you IT IS.

Believe it or not, two years have gone by since we adopted Zeus ….Zeus our NEARR Chocolate lab missle is going to be three years old in Jan-08 .He’ll be maturing into a wonderful labrador,we can already see this taking place, his bark is deeper, his patience greater, his respect for other dogs better, and the love he shows us never ending.

Zeus is doing very well, he is healthy, happy and he keeps us going …..he still gets his one hour walk per day and he still retreives tennis balls all day long …..if you have the strength to match his, he’ll keep you young at heart. We can’t imagine not having Zeus around, his antics and his love for life is unbelieveable. The house would be too quiet with him not here (Mind you Brandy and Sadie-Mae may not miss him as we would)

Please find some recent pictures of Zeus …

The first photo above isof Zeus playing in the Christmas wrap on Christmas morning . The second one is of Sadie-Mae (Black 13 Y.O), then Brandy (Light chocolate 6 y.o.) and then Zeus (Dark Chocolate 3 Y.O.) and my older son giving them some Christmas Cookies…

… and last but not least a somewhat tired Zeus in the snow on his walk today, after chasing the tennis ball toys for about an hour (notice bags under eyes) but he still ran for another half hour after the picture was taken.

Again I want to thank the people at NEARR for giving us the chance way up here in Vermont ,to adopt a NEARR Labrador, if Zeus could speak.he’d thank you all himself …

Best Wishes in 2008

Bella (adopted from NEARR in July 2004) asked me to send along this photo of her showing her Patriots pride. She’s doing great and sends a big hello to everyone at NEARR.

Haven’ t sent an update on Abby recently and just wanted to let you all know how she is doing. GREAT!!!!!!!!!!! She has been thru 2 TPLO surgeries, each hind leg and is doing wonderful. She is definitely very comfortable in her home and we can’t believe it ’s been two years that we have had her. She is just a JOY and a wonderful companion. She is great with our grandson, and he LOVES her kisses (and her tail wagging in his face).

My husband cherishes her and she is superb with him. In fact when he is having some difficulties she has brought it to my attention. She will nudge me, whine, and even go into the other room . I thought it coincidence at first, but not any more. She is our angel. As you can see in the pictures, she is a ” little” nosy!!!!!!!! Perfect bag for her “Naughty is the new Nice ” where her nose is at.

Thank you NEARR and hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Bless all the animals.

Remy has adjusted very well after one month here. His number one favorite thing is to chase the ball so that he causes a big whoosh of snow when he catches it. We take walks to the parks near our house every day and he’s meeting all the local dogs. He checked out doggie daycare one day last week and said “I love it!” I’ve been able to spend a lot of time with him (the longest he’s been alone is 4 hours), but we’re planning ahead for when I go back to work. He had his first obedience class this week and did very well.

He’s only done one naughty thing: One day at the park I was chatting with the other dog owners and one guy was standing off a little ways checking his Blackberry while his dog ran around. Remy must have thought the
guy was a tree and marked this leg! The guy was cool about it and said “serves me right for trying to do work here.” Now I keep a very close eye on Remy when I stop to chat. I hope soon I’ll be able to let him off the leash, but we have to work on “come” when he’s distracted by all the dogs and smells.

*photos coming soon

In November, it was the 1 year mark that we have had Henry. We have had so many great times through the year. He is the most beautiful well behaved dog and we are glad we had adopted him from your Organization. Henry has been doing very well. At Christmas time, Santa spolied him with new toys and bones to chew on. We can not wait for what the upcoming year will bring. We have even moved to a larger place in the same city for henry to have more room. I will be sending in new pics shortly. There is even one taking in front of our fireplace with Henry at Christmas.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Well here she is almost three years later and doing very well! We just love Lucy or crumbs,we call her that to since I know how much she loves to eat! We are walking everyday, going for rides and still at it with chuck it!

Thanks again nearr Lucy is loved very much! —

I just wanted to send the October update for Vegas. He is doing great. He is totally settled in to our home and his new routine. He graduated from beginner obedience and was the teacher’s pet and a star pupil. We went on vacation the first week in October to Nantucket. Vegas wasn’t thrilled with the beach because I think the sand and salt water irritated his feet. He did love going for walks on the quiet (paved) beach roads and also loved napping on all the comfy beach house furniture.

Vegas is still itchy sometimes, but his health is stable. We are working on different solutions to his allergies, but he has not had any serious issues.

Vegas and Tima continue to get along well…playing tug, keep away and rough housing in between naps. They enjoy each other’s company and we enjoy their company. Life is good!

I have attached a couple of pictures from Vegas’s vacation…

Hello NEARR.

The last time you guys heard from Fenway (formerly HARTLEY) and I was around the time of the NEARR Picnic. At that time Fenway was going going to have TPLO surgery and couldn’t attend the picnic. Well I’m
happy to report that he came through it with flying collors (not to mention flying lab’s). You would never know that he had such an invasive procedure. I’ll Send new pictures of him under separate cover. The subject line will be “Wonder Mutt”.

I Hope all is well, and if you have another Hartley that needs adopting, Fenway’s been making noise that he wants a brother.