Jamboree! Time to start packing! The 2010 Southeast Rat Terrier Jamboree will be held April 16 and 17 in Sweetwater, Tennessee. This event is a major fundraiser for New Rattitude...and those who have attended in the past will agree, raising money has never been so much fun! The Jam begins with the "Meet and Greet" on Friday afternoon, followed by a free cookout Friday evening. Saturday is "Jam" packed with competitive events. There will be a huge raffle, with drawings all day long, and all proceeds go to New Rattitude. NR will also be selling lunch on Saturday and our ReTail Shop will have lots of great new items this year. NR members from coast to coast will be attending, as well as lots of other great rattie folk and of course, ratties, ratties, and more ratties! Visit the link above for more information and to pre-register. We hope to see you there! New Members We'd like to welcome the following new members. THANKS for joining our team! Jody and Nathan Nus, new foster parents in Iowa Lainie Epstein, new foster parent in Michigan Guy and Nancy Scott, new volunteers in Minnesota Stephanie King, new foster parent in Alabama

					Too Much of a Good Thing? When spoiling your dog could be a deadly mistake... By Janell Brown We love our dogs. Often, though, that love is shown by giving extra treats and table scraps to little dogs who are quite capable of acting like they are absolutely starving immediately after eating a full meal. What can a little extra chub on a dog hurt? Plenty. Obesity and high fat diets are considered the leading causes of pancreatitis in dogs. Veterinarians are seeing a much higher incidence in cases of pancreatitis in dogs. In fact, Dr. Jorg Steiner, who holds several degrees in specialty fields of veterinary medicine and serves as director of the Gastrointestinal Laboratory at Texas A&M University, believes that more than one percent of all dogs suffer from pancreatitis and only ten percent of these have been correctly diagnosed. Let’s start at the beginning. What is the pancreas, you ask? The pancreas, part of a dog’s endocrine system, is a small glandular organ located near the liver and the beginning of the small intestine. This small organ has a big job. First, it secretes insulin, which controls metabolism and blood sugar levels in the body. Secondly, it creates digestive enzymes, which allow the body to break down food into usable nutrients. So when something goes wrong with the pancreas, it is a very serious problem. Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. Excess fat in the diet is thought to be a major cause of the disease. According to Dr. Mike Richards, a veterinarian with a practice in Tidewater Virginia and a contributor on vetinfo.com, “high fat diets apparently cause release of pancreatic lipase [an enzyme the body uses to break down fats] in the microscopic circulation of the pancreas which digests fats in the blood causing release of damaging fatty acids, which cause inflammation and release of more lipase.” Eventually this excess lipase will actually start to digest the pancreatic tissue itself and will lead to the painful inflammation that causes the symptoms of pancreatitis to begin. The most common symptoms of pancreatitis are lack of appetite, vomiting, weakness, and abdominal pain, but some dogs will also experience dehydration and diarrhea. Treatment typically includes costly emergency supportive monitoring, fluid therapy, and food being withheld for three to four days. Pain medication is also suggested due to the intense abdominal pain the inflammation can cause. While the prognosis is good for mild cases of pancreatitis, severe cases have a survival rate of only 50 percent. Dogs that have experienced any level of pancreatic inflammation have a much higher likelihood of a repeat bout of the disease, making dietary changes extremely important. So how can you help ensure that your dog doesn’t succumb to this painful condition? If your dog is overweight, switch to a lower fat food, reduce the amount of treats you are feeding, and get it down to a healthy weight. Don’t feed table scraps. Incidents of pancreatitis soar during the holidays when table scraps are often given as special treats. Avoid treats that are high in fat, like pig ears or snouts. Try 100 percent meat jerky, which typically has lower fat than the pressed and formed jerky. (Read the label, though!) Do not stuff your dog’s Kong-type toys with peanut butter. Consider using pieces of dog kibble as treats. Try dried slabs of sweet potatoes or yams as an alternative chew treat. Ask a holistic-thinking vet about using a prebiotic/enzyme supplement with your dog’s food. These are readily available in most natural pet food stores and health food markets with pet sections. To learn more about pancreatitis, check out these references consulted for this article: The Merck Veterinary Manual: Pancreatitis Overview "Pancreatitis: Dogs, Diet, and Disease" by Judith Stock, originally published in Tufts University's Your Dog magazine "Pancreatitis," at vetinfo.com

					Taking the Show on the Road By Sue Painter-Thorne My Rattie Zip was fully trained in flyball when he attended his first team practice. But when it was his turn, and I sent him to the flyball box to get his ball, he just stopped and stared at me as though he had no idea what I was asking him to do. Some might say he was just “being stubborn,” but Zip loves flyball and he really loves the cheese he gets for getting his ball. So why would he refuse to do something he likes doing for a yummy treat just to be stubborn? Well of course he wasn’t being stubborn at all. Zip was trained in our basement and backyard. He had never done flyball anywhere else, or around other people or new dogs. What he didn’t understand was that the game we played at home was the same game we wanted him to play in this new place. A common refrain in dog training is that “dogs don’t generalize.” What this really means is that dogs don’t generalize well. That is, when training your dog, context matters. Just because your dog understands “sit” in the living room, or “come” in the backyard does not mean it will understand either command at the local dog park. That’s because “sit” can be very context-specific to the dog. It can be difficult for people to understand this because we tend to generalize more easily than dogs. For example, once we learn to flip a wall switch in one room, we know how to turn on the lights in any room. Because dogs don’t generalize their training to the degree we assume they should, it’s easy to get frustrated when we try to show off our dog’s newest trick to our friends at the park and our dog stares back as us blankly as if he’s never heard that word before. “But I know he knows this!” you say. “We practiced this all day in the living room yesterday!” It’s true, he does know what the word means--in your living room. To your dog, the park is different and that difference is a big deal to your dog. So, to help your dog, teach him to generalize! To make sure your dog has really learned a new behavior, practice that behavior in new places and with different levels and types of distractions. If you start training in the living room, move around to the rest of the house. Then work in the backyard and the front yard. By changing the context, your dog learns that this game we call “here” applies regardless of location or distractions. And, frankly, with a recall word like “here,” it’s incredibly important that your dog learn that it applies even--or especially--outside the fenced backyard. Because the context is more than just place, you also have to work with the dog in the midst of different distractions. Have friends--human and canine--over to your house and practice training with them around. Turn on the television or the radio for some noise distractions. If you have multiple dogs, work with two dogs at the same time. Have someone else play with one dog while you train the other. Once your dog is reliable in the familiar surroundings of home, get ready to take the show on the road. Keep in mind that when you go to a new place, there will be new distractions competing for your dog’s attention. Many people go first to their local pet store, which is a great place to train with lots of distractions. For some dogs, all the chaos of a pet store may be overwhelming, in which case you can try to minimize the  distractions by going during off hours when there’s likely to be fewer people or dogs. Better yet, start in the parking lot away from the chaos and work with your dog at a distance. How far away you need to be depends on the dog. You want to work at a distance where he can ignore the distractions and engage his mind for training. If he’s ignoring treats, you’re too close. Other options for socializing and training include grocery stores, shopping centers, coffee shops, and hardware stores. For stores that do not permit dogs inside, work outside. Sit outside a coffee shop with your latte and train your dog. Take your dog for a training walk down the sidewalks of an outdoor shopping center. And of course, your local park is a great place to train. An important thing to keep in mind is that when you add distractions, you often have to back up and retrain a behavior from the beginning. All the distractions can make learning more challenging (consider how hard it would be to take a calculus exam in the middle of a circus). However, usually the dog will pick up the behavior much more quickly than it did when first learning in the living room. Remember to keep training sessions short and have fun! There are several websites that list pet-friendly stores. Here are two to get you started: www.petfriendlytravel.com/malls and www.bringfido.com/attraction/shops.

					Frodo's Product Review: PureBites Freeze Dried 100% Meat Treats By Janell Brown and Frodo I ask you, what could be tastier than meat? I could eat meat 24/7 and now I’ve discovered a yummy treat called PureBites that are little nuggets of 100 percent meaty goodness. Why companies feel the need to put all kinds of extra stuff into a treat is beyond me. I mean, wouldn’t it be easier for you humans to just toss us a hunk of steak now and then instead of buying treats at all? Yeah, I know, I know…I’m always getting told that table scraps are bad for me. But trust me, all you rat terriers out there--you won’t need a hunk of steak after you try these things. I have been throwing all I’ve got at these treats to make sure I can share the whole story. I did ask for another couple bags just to test my initial results, but my human said I had done enough testing. PureBites are made in the USA and Canada and each flavor uses just a single ingredient. The freeze drying process leaves the texture of the meat airy and light, and I’m told by the older foster in our home that they are easy to chew for dogs like her who are missing half of their teeth. I prefer the beef liver myself, but the treats are also made from chicken breast and whitefish. The whitefish flavor has only three percent fat--great for you dieters out there. There is a fourth flavor that is ultra tasty--freeze dried cheddar cheese--but it is super high in fat so my human won’t let me have those. However, I noticed her and the other humans at the store munching on them and they didn’t even share with me. How rude was that? You can look up where to find these goodies on the Internet and surprise your human with an address when they make an excuse that they don’t know where to find them.

					Furever Home We are proud to announce that 19 more NR ratties have found their furever homes. CongRATulations to all, and to the new adopters, WELCOME to the New Rattitude family! Firestone - Fostered by Randy Kuiper, adopted by Lori Kuiper Rainy - Fostered by Linda Kuiper, adopted by Veronica Higgins Cloudburst - Fostered by Judy Armstrong, adopted by Charlene Lester Vinny - Fostered by Jaime Restorff, adopted by Russ Fabritz Travis - Fostered by Nadia Chiodini, adopted by Jane Unterreiner Dahlonega - Fostered by Terry Beale, adopted by Alice Taylor Mara Jade - Fostered by Shannon Bayless, adopted by Greg Duncan Fisher - Fostered by Jillian Willenbacher, adopted by Ken McIntee Katie - Fostered by Janell Brown, adopted by Colleen Duffy Bacon - Fostered by Diane McClane, adopted by Loren Heurich Addie - Fostered by Linda Kuiper, adopted by Ricky Robinson Corky - Fostered by Connie Hendsbee, adopted by Jordan LaPlaca Clementine - ReHome Program, adopted by Mary Sloan Kaycee Jones - Fostered by Nancy Breedlove, adopted by Laura Desjardins Jett - Fostered by Errica Swartwood, adopted by Kenneth Sewell Luke - Fostered by Diane McClane, adopted by Roberet Wielichowski Eve- Fostered by Shannon Bayless, adopted by Shannon Bayless Trisha - Fostered Jaime Restorff, adopted by Judy Armstrong Ursa - Fostered Sue Wichman, adopted by Loren Heurich In The Clinic Charlie was hit by a car in Texas, sustaining severe road rash injuries and a badly smashed hind leg. When he was well enough, he was flown to his foster home in Florida and underwent orthopedic surgery to repair his leg. Charlie's diagnostics, surgery, and follow-up care are estimated to cost $2,500. 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.

					A Rescuer's Heart By Nadia Chiodini and The Pack She is frightened, tired, hungry, and confused, not understanding what has happened to the home and family she once knew. She feels an unfamiliar urgency as the life within her begins to stir, and she knows she must soon find a safe place... When a pregnant dog comes into a shelter, a rescue organization may be her only chance of getting out. Pregnant dogs are often the first to be considered for euthanasia because the shelter cannot keep them long enough for the pups to be born, weaned, and adopted. Likewise for a mother dog with unweaned puppies--without rescue, they too will be destroyed as the shelter will not have the time, space, or resources to keep them. Fortunately, when NR receives an "urgent" call about a pregnant rattie or one with a newly whelped litter, that call is likely to be answered by one of several very special NR foster families. These foster parents are both willing and able to open their hearts and their homes to provide a safe place for a homeless mom-to-be rattie to deliver and raise her pups. This is a huge commitment, both emotionally and in the time involved. And, as anyone who has done this will tell you, while it is one of the most rewarding experiences ever, fostering a litter of puppies is a lot of work! Georgia foster mom Paula Nowak rescued her first litter in December of 2008--her heart was captured as soon as she saw the shelter photo of a rattie mama and her six newborn babies. Sasha, the mama, was only a little over a year old--still a pup herself. Paula got them out right away, as pups are at such a high risk for disease exposure in a shelter. Thankfully, Sasha and her little ones were all healthy. Paula did her homework to learn all the details of how the pups would grow and develop and she very much enjoyed the awesome experience of watching them first open their eyes, wag their little tails--and did I mention GROW? Sasha apparently had a fling with a much larger dog, perhaps a lab, so imagine these six pups as they they grew and began walking, trying to break out, climbing over the baby gates, and going potty everywhere. Keeping up with them was quite a challenge! Paula fostered them until they were 9-12 weeks old. She said, "I will always remember crating them individually just before it was time for them to go home and singing to them to help them sleep apart. It was one of those sweet moments." Things don't always go smoothly. Many of these pregnant dogs are in poor shape physically, or very young, or too old, which raises the risk of complications pre- and post-delivery for both mom and the pups. Washington foster mom Janell Brown and Jaime Restorff in Wisconsin shared similar experiences when their pregnant fosters gave birth--both Janell's foster Star and Jaime's Marlena nearly lost a pup by nipping the umbilical cord too short. In Star's case, Janell said there was a lot of blood and the puppy was somewhat blue and not moving much. She had to apply pressure to his cord while suctioning his nose and throat, and then rub him with warm towels to try to get him moving. Luckily, he quickly pinked up and all was well. Jaime's puppy also nearly bled out before she could get a stitch in the cord and stop the bleeding. The experience was very frightening for both of these foster moms. Janell also had one pup that did not gain weight as it should have, and she had to feed him a supplemental formula from a syringe. Star and Janell raised five puppies in spite of the rough start. Janell said, "I love the excitement of watching their firsts--first time to sit, to walk, to bark, to wag their tail, lap puppy gruel, and even the first time they were able to poop without mom's help. It was an amazing experience to see these new little lives enter the world--to take them out of what could have been a horrible situation and know that they will end up being loved and cherished as someone's family members." Jaime had this to say: "It was a unique opportunity to influence seven untouched, unbrutalized-by-society lives. They were perfect--and it was a nice departure from the broken dogs we normally see. Their first taste of life was a gentle touch. I got to do that for them--awesome experience." Michigan foster mom Bethany Adams has raised two litters for NR and stated, "I love being able to give puppies a great start in life." When Bethany hears of a pregnant rattie in need, she doesn't think about it. She just says yes, and we'll worry about the rest after we get her safe. Her first rattie mom was Aden, who had three puppies and almost lost one. Bethany had to learn how to give subcutaneous fluids and hand feed the pup round the clock, but she kept him alive. Her second was Trixie, an older girl at age 8.5 that had four pups. Trixie was very frightened and very protective of her puppies, but Bethany understood her fears and helped her with kind, gentle, loving hands. Becky Patterson in Texas has cared for three litters with New Rattitude. Her current foster, Chica, had six pups though sadly, one did not make it. That was a blow, but Becky, a seasoned rescuer, says she would absolutely do it again. "The moms are just SO grateful to have their pups in a safe place. I love watching the pups grow and their personalities develop." Visit their online album to see photos of Chica and her pups. Georgia foster mom Karen Stewart and Linda Kuiper in Michigan have also each fostered two litters. One of Karen's foster dogs, Jillian, had trouble from the start. She was ill and extremely underweight at nine pounds. Karen didn't have time to think--she just knew that Jillian and her four babies needed immediate help. Jillian was too weak to even nurse the pups and they all had to be bottle fed around the clock. Karen said, "It is very time consuming and restricting, and also very rewarding. The best part is watching each pup develop his or her individual personality. It is priceless."      When asked how she decided to take in a pregnant foster, Linda's answer was simple. "She needed us. This is what we are here for." And in spite of a scary trip to the emergency vet with her foster Cloudburst, Linda says, "Our whole family has really enjoyed both mother dogs and the pups. I have told <my state coordinator> that she doesn't need to wait to get hold of me. If there is a pregnant dog that needs help, just pull her for me." Washington foster mom Michelle Harris immediately raised her hand to foster pregnant (and heartworm positive) Allie, though she laughingly said her first thought was, "will the hubby kill me?" But then she said seriously, "How can you let a poor dog go through delivery in a loud, scary shelter, and look how many lives can be saved at once." Allie's delivery was difficult as her three pups were much too large for her tiny 10-pound body. One pup was lost, but Benny and Katie, the very first pups born into NR, survived. Thanks Paula, Janell, Jaime, Bethany, Becky, Karen, Linda, and Michelle for providing these rattie mamas with the safe place they so needed, and their pups with such a perfect beginning to their lives.

					Volunteer Spotlight - Lindy Darovic By Jessica Mannon Since joining New Rattitude in April 2009, Lindy Darovic has jumped right in with both feet! Lindy says that she has had a rat terrier almost her entire life, so joining a rat terrier rescue felt like the natural thing to do. She researched local shelters and rescue groups, and her search eventually lead her to New Rattitude. When Lindy joined NR, she started as a foster parent. Over the past year, she has added petfinder publicist, follow-up caller, Illinois state coordinator, and Adoptions Manager to her rescue resume. So with all that responsibility, what does Lindy do in her spare time? Lindy laughed when asked that question, because besides working full time as a Special Education Teaching Assistant, she is also working towards her master's degree in school counseling. When she does have a moment to relax, she enjoys perusing People magazine, watching Interventions and HGTV on TV, and reading.   Lindy currently resides in Illinois with Bob, her husband of three years, and their rat terrier Tally. Over the last several months, there have been six foster dogs that have resided in their home as well. Since Bob is a teacher, the couple has their summers off together. They enjoy spending time at their summer home in Culver, Indiana.   Thank you, Lindy, for all you do for New Rattitude and rat terriers every day!

					Why I Rescue  By Jessica Mannon and Jaime Restorff Res•cue (transitive verb): to free or deliver from confinement, violence, danger, or evil. This is what New Rattitude does every day for rat terriers in need. It can be emotionally, physically, and spiritually taxing, yet volunteers all across the country engage in rescue work. Some people would ask why. In this series, we have asked a few of New Rattitude's volunteers that exact question: Why do you rescue, and what brought you to it? Kim Markham and Donovan Conrad (GA) We are regular attendees to the Southeast Rat Terrier Jamboree with our two rat terriers (from a breeder). We were pretty oblivious to the rescue world, but met a lot of great people at the Jamboree and on email groups that were involved with rescuing rat terriers. At the Jamboree in 2008, we paged through binders full of rat terriers in foster homes that needed medical care and/or just needed to be adopted. After giving as much money as we could afford, we both agreed that we wanted to do more for these dogs in need. In May, 2008, we got our first foster dog and have continued to foster to this day. Though sometimes a challenge, the rewards of rescuing dogs keeps us involved. We currently have two fosters, Victoria, an 11-month-old female puppy and Benny, a 3-year-old male. Terry Beale (GA) When I applied to be a foster home, back in 2003, I had no experience and didn't even have a very good sense of what a rat terrier was. But we had adopted a shelter dog the year before, and had been told she was probably part RT (and we are sticking to that story), so when we realized that one little dog wasn't enough canine for four loving humans and started thinking about bringing in another, RTs were on our minds. But we all clearly remembered the experience at the shelter, trying to pick just one dog from among all of those pleading eyes. And we wondered if there was some way we could do more. Somehow we heard about fostering, and the idea had appeal. Thinking that this could be a really valuable lesson for my kids (then ages 11 and 12), I decided to do it. Of course all of the normal gratification applied. It was wonderful to see a scared shelter waif transform into a confident, loving dog. It was heart-warming for both kids to be able to snuggle with a doggie companion every night. It was humbling to receive the tearful thanks of the families whose lives were changed by the adoption of their new dog. But that isn't why I kept fostering. I kept fostering because it helped me and my family in many different ways. It might seem like a selfish approach, but I'll be honest about the benefits that fostering brought to the Beale household: 1) Fostering pulled us together as a family. Although I had the primary responsibility, we all participated. This common interest gave us something to talk about at the dinner table when we couldn't find another topic of conversation of mutual interest (particularly as the kids grew older and felt out of synch with their parents and annoyed by their sibling). We always enjoyed stories of the antics of the fosters or discussing the merits of an applicant or hearing happy tales from former adopters. 2) Fostering is something I did for ME. It was enjoyable and made me feel good about myself. Other people could have their bowling or gardening or book club. This was my preferred hobby. 3) Fostering made the kids feel good about themselves. When other kids were winning sports events or school awards or club competitions, or discussing the many material things they owned that my kids didn't, or talking about their fabulous vacations, my kids didn't have to feel bad. Their involvement with fostering was unique among their peers. Their friends envied my kids' ability to always have fascinating new dogs and admired their involvement with them. 4) Fostering taught my kids an important lesson about life--and about giving back to the world. It went beyond telling them to "do good deeds" and "be kind to animals" and "help those less fortunate." It put those teachings into action and set an example that I can tell is influencing them still to this day. 5) Fostering taught all of us--kids AND adults--about love. Lots of learning opportunities about not holding onto something/someone you love TOO tightly; how love doesn't disappear when it's out of sight, but stays with you; how loving one person or thing doesn't diminish the love you have to give to another--that it's just different; how love can grow when you least expect it; how first impressions aren't always accurate so you need to be open to change and not judge someone on first impressions. So that's how I got started and why I continued. And now? Well, of course, just like everyone else, I am addicted. These little dogs are simply magical. And the people I have met through rescue are some of the greatest people I have ever known.

					Where Are They Now? Reese By Norma Downing A journey of love and compassion carried the abandoned rat terrier Reese from a date with euthanasia in Nacogdoches, Texas to a New Rattitude Freedom Flight to Seattle, and ultimately into the arms of his soulmate and new mom, Elle Hanley. In the words of former Washington foster mom Levecke Mas, “This was New Rattitude’s first epic adventure. This is a love story that embraces the spirit of volunteerism, positive change, and new friendships.” In the spring of 2009, a tiny, 5-month-old rat terrier named Chente was to be euthanized because he had a badly broken leg and two other issues requiring expensive surgery. “I should have shot him like I planned to do this morning” was his owner’s comment to the vet’s office, as he signed the consent papers for euthanasia. But instead of snuffing out a beautiful puppy’s life, the caring vet contacted a local rescue group in Nacogdoches. With that phone call, Chente's journey to freedom was launched--an effort that involved two different rescue groups and at least 15 caring Good Samaritans and their families, from Texas to Washington, as well as NR’s adoption team from across the US. The "Nacho Cheese Dog," as he was dubbed in Texas, first underwent surgery there to correct his leg, while the NR team worked on a plan to move him to an open foster home in Washington. Their inquiries for assistance evoked the compassion of Dusty Daniels, a Horizon Airlines employee, who volunteered to fly on his days off, from Portland, Oregon to Dallas, Texas and back to Washington, carrying the pup in the cabin with him--a two day trip, including a nine hour delay at the Dallas airport. The little Nacho Cheese Dog was in pain from his surgery and had stabilizing pins that protruded from his leg. Late that night, they finally arrived in Seattle and the next morning he was moved to Auburn, Washington for a surgeon's evaluation. The following day he was driven over the mountains to his foster family in Yakima and a day later he was in surgery yet again, for the vet had determined that his leg was beyond repair and must be removed. With a new name, Reese (inspired by Reese’s Pieces candy because he was "so very sweet") spent quite a few days and nights following his surgery in fretful pain, crying like a baby. But the courageous puppy learned in record time how to cope with his missing leg, and was soon hopping around the yard, following his resident mentor rattie--also a 3-legged fellow--who showed him the ropes. Foster mom Michelle Harris and family provided a very special and knowing kind of support to Reese’s indomitable spirit, which was the catalyst in his healing quickly and being ready for adoption in just a few months. Reese then journeyed back across the mountains to Seattle, to foster mom Levecke Mas, in preparation for his future adoption. Levecke told me that she believed Elle Hanley of Seattle would be the best match for Reese because she felt their personalities were similar--they both were ready to have some fun, but were also pensive and thoughtful. Since Reese had healed very well, he didn’t require any special treatment physically. Emotionally though, he had been through a series of transitions and trauma and really needed a calm, gentle, loving "anchor person.” And Elle Hanley fit that description perfectly. When I emailed Elle that I wanted to feature her and Reese (now sporting the name Chai) in the next newsletter, she replied, “Wow, an invitation to chat about my most favorite dog in the whole world? Awesome!” While we spoke, Elle's little man was busily stirring in his comfy blanket right beside her on the couch. I could hear him “talking” as he worried the blanket into a nest. Then he grabbed his favorite squeaky toy, hopped onto her lap, and commenced to "serenade" us as we chatted about him. Elle chose the name Chai “because he’s a spicey fellow. It just suits his personality!” Chai's transition into Elle's home was a smooth one. Elle noted, "For a puppy, he was very easy on me. He’s such a good boy--I love him so much. Through his long journey here, he has landed in my heart.” Chai loves people and other dogs, so he fits right into Elle's life in a condo complex where there are lots of dogs. He has made several pals that he looks forward to meeting on their walks around the condo and in the park behind their home. “One positive bonus about having my Chai is that he gives me incentive to get a lot more exercise." A doggie alarm clock, Chai noses and licks Elle to encourage her to get up in the morning so that they can go for their first walk. After donning his harness and leash, Elle allows Chai to choose their route, whether it be the condo’s dog park or the larger one next door. Elle admits that Chai usually wears her down on their outings with his unflagging stamina--having only 3 legs doesn’t slow Chai down a bit! When speaking with Elle, I could hear in her voice the joy of having Chai in her life. “He’s just so much fun to be around. I am so lucky to have him. I only hope he feels the same way about me.” If I could ask him, Chai would surely say that he is the luckiest rattie in this world, and that he adores his mom, Elle. Stories like this one are the reason New Rattitude’s volunteers keep on gathering the next, and the next, abandoned rattie into our foster care...so that someone’s "throw-away” will have the opportunity to become someone else’s "treasure of immeasurable value."

					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, Nadia Chiodini, Debbie Collins, Norma Downing, Barbara Hill, Patti Jeffries, Sue Kangas, Jessica Mannon, Sue Painter-Thorne, 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.