Number 300! On August 22, barely a year since we began, a four-month-old, owner-surrendered puppy became New Rattitude's 300th dog saved. Maximum Puppy, or "Max," was on his way to the shelter when he was rescued by NR Adoption Manager Connie Hendsbee in Sebastian, Florida. Max, of course, is oblivious to the milestone he represents, and he doesn't even know what a lucky boy he is that this group of dedicated individuals, united as the team of New Rattitude, was there when he needed help. On behalf of Max, and the 299 dogs before him, take a minute to pat yourselves on the back. Good job everyone! Thanks for all you do. How many can we save this coming year? The Shelter Challenge! NEW GAME PLAN, Listen Up... The Shelter Challenge, sponsored by The Animal Rescue Site and Petfinder.com, is on again! Voting began on September 14 and ends on December 20. As in the past, a $1,000 grant will be awarded to the rescue organization in each state which acquires the most votes during that time. In the contest held earlier this year New Rattitude lost by a nose, but we are determined to win that grant this time around. So here is our plan: Although we have six different Petfinder regions, we need to concentrate all of our votes on ONE shelter. Previously we voted for the Georgia region. This time we've chosen the WASHINGTON STATE region. Please be sure you select " New Rattitude, WA" when you vote. To vote, go to http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge. In the lavender search box, type "New Rattitude" for shelter name and choose "WA" for state. Then click the search button. When the search result comes up, click the button to vote. You must then name the animal whose picture appears to confirm your vote! Per contest rules, you may vote once per day from each computer you have access to. It only takes a minute; please help us win by voting every day and remind your family, friends and co-workers to do the same. New Rattitudes’S 2010 Calendar PHOTO CONTEST! Do you have a photogenic rat terrier that loves to ham it up for the camera? Here’s your chance to have some fun snapping pictures, give your rattie(s) a chance to be featured in New Rattitude’s 2010 calendar, win prizes, and help NR raise money for our dogs' medical needs. Enter your rattie photos for just $2 each (or three photos for $5) by September 30. Everyone is welcome to enter! Winners will be chosen by the NR calendar committee's panel of judges. Judging will take place in early October; winners will be announced by October 15. The New Rattitude 2010 calendar will be available for sale by mid-November. To enter, or for more information on contest rules, photo guidelines, and picture-taking suggestions, please visit our fundraising page. And More Creative Fun... Do you like to write about ratties? Do you sketch, paint or photograph them? The staff of 'Tude News is excited to announce an upcoming special publication, 'Tude Tails, which will feature a collection of original creative work all about rat terriers. Short stories, poems, essays, artwork, cartoons, photographs, and what-have-you, will be chosen from submissions received through October 31. 'Tude Tails will be published in December, as a printable booklet in pdf format, and distributed to all 'Tude News subscribers. Everyone is welcome to participate, so put on your creative caps and send us your masterpiece! E-mail submissions to: newsletter@newrattitude.org.

					Birthday Gift  11-year-old pays it forward By Sue Kangas New Rattitude is extremely grateful for every penny that is raised or donated to support our rat terrier rescue and adoption efforts, but one recent donation especially touched our hearts and we wanted to share the story with our ‘Tude News readers. In early June, NR foster dog Bisou was adopted in Washington State by Aeron L. and her family. Aeron’s family had been looking for a dog and met Bisou at his foster home after responding to a posting on Craig’s List. They immediately fell in love with Bisou’s happy, energetic, and loving personality and decided to apply to adopt him. Aeron had asked for a dog for her birthday, but was surprised when NR foster mom Levecke Mas delivered Bisou to their home on June 7--the morning of Aeron’s 11th birthday! Aeron was so thrilled that her birthday wish came true that she made a very unselfish decision. She asked her birthday party guests to bring donations for New Rattitude instead of presents. She collected $80.00 and asked New Rattitude to use it well, “so more dogs can be saved.” Aeron got this idea from her friend Maggie, who had donated some of her own money to a local animal shelter. When asked what her guests thought about her decision to donate her birthday money to NR, Aeron said, “They thought it was really sweet.” Aeron enjoys dancing, fashion designing, and playing the flute and harp. Aeron’s mom Catherine says, “Bisou is an intelligent, curious, loving pup and has been the perfect addition to our family…he even sings along (sort of) during music practice.” Aeron confirmed this, reporting that Bisou especially likes the high notes when her brother Talyn plays the piccolo and she plays the flute. And Bisou is a lucky dog as well to have joined a family that thinks so highly of him, and to be loved by a special girl named Aeron who has such a generous and giving heart.

					News and Events NR's Flying To Freedom Fundraiser Has Landed! We are very pleased to announce that, thanks to your generous donations, we've earned a total of $1,545.00 for our 2009/10 flight fund. THANK YOU ALL for your amazing and continued generosity!! My Pet My Part Web Site Supports New Rattitude MyPetMyPart.com is a new Web site offering pet products. Their mission is to connect their customers' enthusiasm and passion for animals with the charity closest to their hearts through their everyday pet supply purchases. When customers check out, they can select their rescue of choice to receive 10% of the proceeds from their purchase. New Rattitude is now one of the listed charities! New Fall Jewelry From BabySue Beads Check out the new fall jewelry items offered by BabySue Beads in the NR ReTail Shop. These are beautiful handmade pieces, created by NR foster mom Karen Stewart in multimedia of glass, precious and semiprecious metals, and stones, inspired by the natural beauty of the Appalachian Mountains. New NR Logo Apparel and Other Items The ReTail Shop now offers a variety of New Rattitude apparel, as well as coffee cups and tote bags in our "branch store," newrattitude.logosoftwear.com . This store includes T-shirts in both men's and ladies' styles, long-sleeved tee's, hooded and crewneck sweatshirts, and embroidered golf shirts. Youth sizes are also available. These make great Christmas gifts, and NR receives a 15% commission on all sales.

					Product Review: Bissell SpotBot By Janell Brown and Frodo FRODO: First, I have to tell you that I was forced to do this review. As a dog, I have no problem with stained carpet. Those stains are like a little diary of a pet's life, a scrapbook of color and odor to remember us by. But alas, you humans can’t seem to understand. You insist on attempting to remove these treasures. My human struggled with stain removal for quite awhile, cursing me for the regular vomit deposits and urine dribbles I left on the carpet. Happily, she was often unsuccessful and some of the memories remained for me to peruse on occasion. For example, “Oh look, that one was the time I ate a pine cone with a polar fleece blanket chaser and was sick for two whole days!” Then, two years ago a machine entered our lives and erased the memories--the Bissell SpotBot. My human would plunk that machine down, fill up the little tank with hot water and carpet cleaner, and push a button. The machine would go to work, erasing my handiwork. One by one the spots disappeared.   Now, two years later, the carpet is a bit more threadbare, but stain-wise it is pretty clean considering its pale cream color and the number of dogs that have come through this house. Such a shame. So many memories washed away. A side note from the human: Although the SpotBot comes with Bissell brand liquid spot cleaners and the suggestion that you only use those cleaners, we have found that Resolve brand Carpet Steam Cleaner works great, is easy to find at the grocery store, and costs about half as much. After the machine goes through its cleaning cycle, I usually go over the spot again with the hose and hand tool on manual setting to get more water removed from the carpet. If the carpet seems to be attracting dirt to the spot that you’ve cleaned, consider running the machine with just water in it for a second cycle. This will remove any trace of cleaner from the carpet that might be sticky and attract dirt. After a lot of use the collection tank and hose can get a bit stinky.  Just fill them up with a bleach solution and let them sit awhile. Rinse them out and you are good to go. Also available is the “SpotBot Pet” model which, as far as I can tell, isn’t any different than the original SpotBot other than the color of the machine and the fact that they include a small bottle of pet odor remover in the box. Cost: about $135

					Furever Home We are proud to announce that 31 more NR ratties have found their furever homes. CongRATulations to all, and to the new adopters, WELCOME to the New Rattitude family! Bevin - Fostered by Mary Beth Voss, adopted by Donna Schaaf Dante - Fostered by Nadia Chiodini, adopted by Pat and Steve Sullins Maverick - Fostered by Cathy Conrad, adopted by Melissa Uliana Jessica - Fostered by Karen Stewart, adopted by Alicia Walter Jackie - Fostered by Karen Stewart, adopted by Timothy Ghee Jazz - Fostered by Crystal Vostad, adopted by Sue Bordenkircher Jasper - Fostered by Karen Stewart, adopted by Erica Wagoner Jamie - Fostered by Karen Stewart, adopted by Jennifer Robinson Tifton - Fostered by Terry Beale, adopted by Christine Collins Jillian - Fostered by Karen Stewart adopted by Bob Brown and Ray Litman Kip - Fostered by Diane McClane, adopted by Christine Baxter Aden - Fostered by Bethany Adams, adopted by Arthur Kluka Joy - Fostered by Noreen Seeders, adopted by Maureen Feaster Shorti - NR ReHome Program, adopted by Brandi Madrid Forecast - Fostered by Linda Kuiper, adopted by Teresha Thames Poppy - Fostered by Janell Brown, adopted by Anne Miller Zoe - Fostered by Bethany Adams, adopted by Glenda DeMasellis Alexis - Fostered by Kathy Young, adopted by Shana Bradley Sweet Pea - Fostered by Kathy Young, adopted by Candace Dockum Little Nimmi - Fostered by Nadia Chiodini, adopted by Jill Chavis Einstein - Fostered by Janell Brown, adopted by Ranita Hillis Buddy Love - Fostered by Catherine Lambert, adopted by Lana Sullivan Casey - Fostered by KellyLea Clarke-Johnson, adopted by Whitney Rivera Arid - Fostered by Linda Kuiper, adopted by Linda Kuiper Gala - Fostered by Kathy Young, adopted by Natalie Fobes Hampton - Fostered by Terry Beale, adopted by Ben Stillman Ratina - Fostered by Diane McClane, adopted by Kim Factor Culpepper - Fostered by Nancy Breedlove, adopted by Kristan Karlsen Fuji - Fostered by Kathy Young, adopted by Rachel Artman Stella - Fostered by Janell Brown, adopted by Charles Carbert Angie - Fostered by Diane Cosentini, adopted by Kevin Wence In The Clinic Currently New Rattitude has 6 dogs in our Canine Clinic: Grammy, a senior female who was treated for stage 4 peridontal disease; Dancie, with multiple health problems including heartworms; Claire who is struggling to overcome severe neglect complicated by diabetes and pancreatic issues; and Tagg, Dutchess, and Duke, all with heartworms. We are also still paying vet bills associated with the recent distemper outbreak in Washington State. Dogs in the Canine Clinic have incurred vet bills that adoption fees don't cover. If you can help, please visit the link above to read about these dogs and consider a donation to help us cover these costs. Canine Clinic donors are listed on our Donor Recognition board. We appreciate every dollar...without the help of our supporters, we would not be able to rescue these ratties with medical needs.

					Cheesy Eggs  Submitted by Patti Jeffries A rattie breakfast favorite at the Jeffries' house, this recipe serves 7 dogs. Reduce the number of eggs if you have fewer to feed...or you can eat some yourself! Ingredients: 7 eggs 1/2 cup grated cheese (cheddar or American works best) 1 teaspoon fresh parsley   Directions: Beat the eggs with a whisk until they are slightly fluffy. Add in 3-4 eggshells, finely crushed. (If you're planning to eat some yourself, omit the eggshells. They have the consistency of sand.) Beat in the parsley.   Heat a medium skillet that has been coated with olive oil. Pour in the egg mixture and top with the cheese. Cook until the eggs are slightly firm. Turn and allow the eggs to cook until done. You can turn the heat off when you turn, but leave the egg mixture in the skillet.  Serve with a side of peanut butter toast, made with natural peanut butter on whole wheat.

					Volunteer Spotlight - Diane Cosentini By Sherri Chatterton The eldest of three children, Diane Cosentini was born and raised in San Jose, California. When she was nine years old, her family moved to Lodi, Calif., which she has called her home ever since. Di had many furred, finned, feathered and scaled pets when she was growing up--dogs, cats, fish, hamsters, snakes, birds. You name it, she had it! Di is a hairdresser and has owned her own salon since 1973, about 25 years. Most of those 25 years involved work and traveling. She has been nearly all over the world and seen all kinds of sights. During those years, Di got married and divorced twice. She never had pets with her first husband, but she and her second husband acquired two cats and a dog (an Akita/Australian shepherd mix). Di also found her first rat terrier, a stray she named Max, during this time. Max turned out to be the love of her life and is now seven years old. In 2007 Di lost two of her anchors in life: Her beloved Akita died and two months later her mother passed away. That was a really rough year. Di inherited her mom's two cats which she had always promised to care for, and she also took in another cat from her ex-husband, bringing her total to five. Max was depressed after the losing his Akita friend, so Di adopted Roxy, a toy fox terrier, from her local rescue. Di has a very soft and warm spot in her heart reserved for four-legged children, that's for sure! Di used to joke with her clients that when she got older she was going to get "a" dog and stay home. In her words, "Well, here I am and I'm going to be 60 soon and have decided that rat terriers are like potato chips--you can't have just one." Di is now owned by five rat terriers, a toy fox terrier, and five cats--a far cry from having just "a" dog. In the last 18 months, she has had over 40 foster dogs go through her house. Last month, besides her own pets, Di had three permanent fosters and five temporary fosters. Di credits her recruiter, Robin Woods, and her strong California team (Sherry, Cathy, Nimmi, Carrie, Amy and Lisa) for helping her learn the rescue ropes that give her so much joy in her life. Di has converted her garage into a sort of doggy daycare, which makes it convenient to keep dogs separated if they are hurt or ill. She laughs at this point and says, "This can only happen if you don't have a husband requiring a 'man' room." She is lucky to have a huge yard where her dogs have plenty of room to do all sorts of roaming. Di is also an avid gardener, so the dogs spend a lot of time outdoors with her, giving their two-cents worth as she tends the garden and pulls the weeds. The rest of the time the dogs are couch potatoes, sitting with Di in her big recliner. "Being in rescue has been very fulfilling. It is truly a way to give something back to the universe. Although my Akita was my first love, having Max in my life just feels right. I love the rat terrier personality and because they are so agreeable with each other, it is easy to have so many at one time. Four paws up to New Rattitude!" Thank you, Di, for being the loving, responsible person that you are. NR truly benefits from your compassion and drive to make this a better place for our beloved rat terriers.

					Inside a Rescuer's  Heart Sue Wichman and Claire By Nadia Chiodini and Pack Though the rewards are great, rescue work is not always easy. At times it can be very hard and often heartbreaking. Our rewards are mostly kisses, as that once frightened and desperate little dog slowly becomes a trusting, loving soul. When the time is right, it breaks our hearts again to see them go, to trust that precious soul to an adopter that we hope will love them as much as we do. Then it's on to the next little one--for there's always another--touching our hearts with sadness, needing our help and love. Each month in this column, I will be introducing you to one of New Rattitude's special foster parents. Today, please meet Sue Wichman and her foster, Claire.   Claire had Sue's heart from the minute she first saw her at the shelter. Claire was emaciated, literally starving, and showing signs of kennel cough. In her weakened state she could not fight off the virus, and by day three the kennel cough was raging. Claire spent the next five days at the clinic, going for treatment every morning then coming home at night to Sue and her family. Since she had to be isolated from Sue's other dogs, a place was made for her in the garage, and there she and Sue spent the nights together. The odds were against her but with Sue's great care, Claire did get over the kennel cough. Sadly though, that was just the first battle. Bloodwork from her first vet visit revealed that Claire had insulin dependent diabetes. She had to be started on insulin right away. Sue must give her two shots a day, one at breakfast and one at dinner. To make matters even worse, Claire was also diagnosed with EPI, Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency. Fortunately, Sue's vet was somewhat familiar with EPI and recognized that Claire was not digesting her food like she should. EPI is the inability of the pancreas to produce the enzymes needed to digest food. Dogs with EPI will eat huge amounts of food, but will remain hungry and eventually starve to death because they are unable to absorb it. Claire will need to have replacement enzymes added to everything she eats for the rest of her life. Most EPI dogs have a vitamin B-12 deficiency as well, so Claire has been started on B-12 injections. Claire has come a long way but she isn't out of the woods yet. She has good days and bad days. Sue longs to see her run and play with the other dogs, and is doing anything and everything she can so that Claire will one day regain her strength. Sue says she can't thank New Rattitude enough for the group's willingness to take on special needs dogs. She feels NR goes far above and beyond what most rescues would be able to do. New Rattitude, in turn, is grateful for dedicated foster parents like Sue, as well as the generous financial support of our clinic donors, without which we would be unable to help the dogs like Claire.   Claire is now up for adoption. In her own words, Sue explains why she thinks people should consider Claire for their very own special friend. "Claire is precious; I can't think of a better word to describe her. She is such an inspiration. Her will to live is so strong, I truly believe it's what gets her through. There is no cure for EPI or diabetes. Claire will probably need both insulin and pancreatic enzymes her entire life. For anyone willing to take this on, she will more than make it worth their effort. One sloppy kiss and a wag of that stubby tail--what more could you want from a girl who is dealing with so much?" You can see more photos of Claire in her online album. Check back often to follow her progress. If you would like to make a contribution towards Claire's medical bills, you can do so by visiting the Canine Clinic Web page.

					Where Are They Now? Adam, NR's First Dog By Norma Downing Volunteering with rescue has those moments that can cause you to sigh with relief that yet another rattie is safe, nearly jump for joy when a rattie is adopted, and have your heart catch in your throat when you discover that a once abandoned or "thrown away" dog has been destined to fill a specific need in his/her adoptive family. Here is the "Rest of the Story" of Adam, New Rattitude's very first foster rat terrier. In the fall of last year, Adam was dumped into the night deposit box of a shelter in Alabama. NR foster parents Debbie and Rick Collins promptly sprang him from jail and, with loving care and a bit of training, Adam was soon ready to be adopted. Jenny and Kevin Tschida of Georgia fell in love with the photo, the bio, and a video of Adam "singing" his heart out. Jenny exclaimed, "I heard Adam's sweet song and could not resist having him in our lives. His rattie sister, Lorna Doone (also a rescue), was waiting for him to come be a part of our family." We have heard the scripture "A merry heart is like a medicine to the body." Adam was a rattie oozing with love, full of energy, overflowing with pure merriness, and ready to spread some joy in the Tschida family. Adam and his cohort Lorna Doone have been major catalysts in Jenny's remarkable recovery from cancer. She credits them both with lifting her spirits in the most delightful ways, and with being loving, endearing companions on her "blue" days. Jenny explained how Adam has been amazingly sensitive to her changing moods and physical health during the extensive and stressful treatments, acting in just the right manner to soothe and comfort her. Jenny told me of Adam's important role in their lives. "When Adam joined our family, something clicked. He seemed to be like the last finishing piece of the puzzle for our happiness." Adam has charmingly burrowed his way into all their hearts...He is Jenny's constant rattie guardian angel and delight. He is the first dog to have smitten Kevin's heart. And he is Lorna's activity coach, enticing her off the cushy ottoman and into all kinds of raucous play. Adam is also Lorna Doone's "tattle-tale." He finks on all her escapades of mischief, and it is a good thing he does. Jenny told me that Lorna had become an uncanny escape artist, keeping Jenny and Kevin ever watchful of her whereabouts. One day, Adam burst through the dog door, into the house, and dashed over to Kevin, chattering excitedly. He was acting just like Lassie of the 1960's TV series when something terrible would happen to Timmy. "It sounded like HELP, HELP, Timmy is down the well," said Jenny. Kevin ran outside just in time to see Lorna Doone push under the fence and head for the neighbor's. Kevin retrieved her and came back to praise Adam for saving his sister. Jenny emphasized that having Adam in their family has been a wonderful blessing. Adam, formerly another family's reject, was destined to fulfill the role of a beloved and treasured rattie bundle of joy for the Tschidas. THIS is what rescue is all about--connecting those once lost and abandoned ratties with loving and responsible families...furever.

					Want to Get Involved? Join The Pack! Volunteer participation is critical to our success and our ability to save dogs. New Rattitude has many volunteer opportunities and ways that you can participate that involve as little or as much time as you wish to contribute: Fostering, transporting, adoption screening, fundraising, organizational tasks, shelter monitoring, public relations, newsletter, special events, and more. As a member of our team, you will always be treated with respect and your contributions appreciated. Volunteer education and training are ongoing, and support and advice willingly shared. If you are interested in joining our team, please fill out our online Volunteer Application! Donate Cash donations go directly to pay for veterinary expenses for our rescued dogs, including vaccinations, heartworm testing and treatment, spay/neuters, antibiotics, etc. Since we are an all-volunteer organization with virtually no overhead, 100% of your donation goes to care for the dogs. To donate, send check or money order to: New Rattitude, PO Box 14064, Lansing, MI 48901. Or donate via Paypal by sending a payment to: treasurer@newrattitude.org GoodSearch/GoodShop GoodSearch.com is a Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up! Go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter New Rattitude as the charity you want to support.   GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall that donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's, and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you'll be supporting New Rattitude as your chosen cause.

					'Tude News Team Managing Editor: Susan Beard Copy Editor: Kathy Puckett Staff Writers: Janell Brown, Sherri Chatterton, Nadia Chiodini, Debbie Collins, Jodi Cotner, Norma Downing, Barbara Hill, Patti Jeffries, Sue Kangas, Jessica Mannon, Levecke Mas, Sharon Smith, and Heidee Vansant Webmaster/Archives: Bethany Adams 'Tude News is published monthly. Freelance submissions are welcome. To submit a story or story idea, please contact the Managing Editor at newsletter@newrattitude.org. Visit our archives to view previous issues of 'Tude News.