'Apso'lutely Newsworthy … and all things Lhasa Apso
… a beautiful Colorado day and we were most grateful for the off/on cloud cover! Lots of folks stopped by to see the booth and say hello to Teller, our breed ambassador for the day. Kudos to The Promenade Shops at Centerra for putting on a great gathering and big thanks to hubby for being our “roadie” for the day …
It’s been a bit hectic since the last posting so we’ll just jump in here and get started. Spring has been late coming to Colorado. Really, really late. We had four straight weeks in April where a snow storm rolled through and dumped significant amounts of snow on Loveland (we got 30″ in April alone). While we desperately need the water, a nice warm, soaking rain would have been a welcome change. Forget about any of my spring bulbs blooming as the single-digit temps and snow took most of them out. As hope springs eternal, the long-range forecast doesn’t show snow or freezing temps so we geared up and got most of the annuals planted in the big pots scattered throughout the yard and the fountains up and running. A few more annuals to find and we’ll officially be open for summer!
ApsoRescueColorado was the recipient of a nice donation thanks to Katie Culkins of K.C.’s Grooming in Windsor, Colorado (Katie is a National Certified Master Groomer and has owned her shop for 25 years now). She was an entrant in an international online grooming contest as sponsored by Animology of the UK. Lucky for us, her submission of Toby’s new hairdo won the contest and a donation was made to us by Animology. Thank you Katie and Group 55/Animology!!
If you’re out and about this weekend, please come visit the rescue booth which will be set up at Loveland’s 2013 Paws on the Promenade at The Promenade Shops at Centerra. If the weatherman can be believed, it appears we’ll have a typical Colorado spring day (i.e., wait ten minutes and the weather will change) to celebrate our four-legged companions!
Yesterday we participated in Paws on the Promenade in east Loveland at The Promenade Shops at Centerra. Lying awake at 4:30 a.m. to the sound of rain and thunder — and Frankers squawking in his crate because of the thunder — we wondered if a rain-out was in store. Given a 60% chance of rain in the forecast with winds, it was entirely possible. Definitely a day to dress for the weather with more winter-like apparel as morning temps were in the low 40s! Jeans, check … boots, check … colorful scarf, check … coat, check … rain coat, check … coat for Dante, check … fleecy blanket for Dante, check … mug of hot coffee, check. Nothing like springtime in Colorado with a 40-degree swing in temps from one day to the next!
While the morning was a bit slow — most certainly due to the inclement weather — things picked up in the afternoon with less wind/rain and more sun/visitors to our rescue booth. The event included several events including a K-9 police dog demonstration,a dog trick contest and a costume contest. Given that we don’t have anything in rescue at the moment, Dante made his appearance as an ambassador for the breed and my friend, Ginny, brought Ethan up as an additional ambassador in coat. Apsos in full coat are always a draw (especially with the little girls) as one rarely gets to see a dog in coat outside the show ring. Debby came in from Conifer to help man the booth so we had a full crew. An added treat yesterday was Senghe (n/k/a Peanut) stopping by for a visit with Renee … always love to see our former foster dogs. What was not fun … all our signage had to be stashed away because it kept blowing down in the brisk winds. Note to self: get banners that can be securely hung from the shade canopy.
The pet expos are a great way to connect with the community and educate others about our breed. From time to time, we’re fortunate that the local paper includes us in their coverage of the event. Always a fun day, we get to meet other “dog folk” and visit the various vendors in attendance. Through the years, one gets to know the other dog-related businesses in the area and conversations are continued from previous expos. Here’s to next year’s event … and hopefully warmer weather!
This Saturday — May 19th — we’ll have a booth set up at Paws on the Promenade from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. While we won’t have any foster dogs in attendance, we will have some fine examples of the breed … one in a puppy cut (wash ‘n wear) and one in full coat. Our local paper, the Loveland Reporter-Herald and The Promenade Shops at Centerra joined forces and are hosting this event. This will be our first year in attendance at this particular venue. Hopefully, the weatherman is wrong about the 30% chance of rain for Saturday (or at least at I-25 and Hwy 34)!
Come on out and visit with us! Click on ~~> Directions for information on how to get to The Promenade Shops at Centerra (5971 Sky Pond Drive, Loveland CO). We’ll be set up on the main promenade across from Dick’s Sporting Goods (in the winter it’s the ice rink).
Clicking on the graphic below will open up the newspaper insert for this event …
On September 18, 2011, I attended the “Bark in the “Park” expo sponsored by the Arapaho Kennel Club at the beautiful Exposition Park in Aurora. Dante’s co-owner/breeder came down with two of her dogs who had the very important assignment of being breed ambassadors. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day in Colorado!
While there, we did an intake on a puppy being surrendered to rescue. Notable in the fact it was a puppy — we rarely get puppies in rescue — and this marked our 40th foster dog. Doesn’t seem like 40 fosters but it is when counting them down. Of those 40, 37 have gone on to new homes. Unfortunately, three of our fosters were euthanized while in foster care … two for unprovoked biting issues and one for medical issues. That’s probably the hardest part of rescue [euthanasia] because “rescue” isn’t supposed to end that way.
In any event, meet our newest foster … Sang-Po!! Given a Tibetan name in homage to his ancient origins, it means “kind and gentle.” That describes this boy to a “T”. He’s a very loving dog and would like nothing better than to sit in one’s lap. His ideal home would be one with a dog in residence — a dog that likes to play and is willing to put up some puppy antics. A home where the new owner will follow through on the crate training and finish up his house training (he’s working diligently on the house training but he’s still a puppy and will need an owner that can provide routine and consistency).
He’s still in the assessment/training phase of foster care and will not be placed in a home until the end of October. However, we are accepting applications at this time.
… to be a dog in Colorado! That was the theme for our rescue booth at the Larimer Humane Society’s Fire Hydrant 5k in Fort Collins on June 11th. We had a beautiful Colorado day for the event — bright blue skies and light breeze. Our fosters, Tootsie and Leo, were in attendance putting their best paw forward.Our thanks to the foster families who brought them up for the day! Deb and Elle brought Leo and then participated in the 5k which is a fund-raiser for the Larimer Humane Society. Kay and Dave were in attendance with Tootsie.
As it turns out, Tootsie met her soon-to-be family at this event … Jane and Jerry who made a special trip down from Cheyenne, WY just to meet Tootsie. We’ll be posting more on that later!
I received a special treat for the day … Jaime who came up from Denver just so we could visit with her and Mae-Mae! She’s done well in her new home and is, how shall we say … just a tad bit spoiled lol. Some more photos from the day …
Leo is a 3-year old neutered male who would do best in a home where he had no exposure to small children or grandchildren — older teenagers would be fine. He is current on vaccinations, tested negative for heartworms, is on a HW preventative, had a rear dewclaw removed, and a microchip implanted. Leo gets along with dogs and cats alike. His ideal home would be where he had a canine friend that likes to play. Leo is also crate trained and house trained.
If interested in Leo, please contact: ApsoRescue@aol.com.
Join us for the 21st annual Fire Hydrant 5, the county’s largest family- and canine-friendly 5K pledge walk/run of the season.
Prior to and following the walk/run, join in the fun of the Pet Expo featuring over 40 pet- and family-friendly booths, Fido photos, paw painting, and more!
Fire Hydrant 5 is looking to be bigger and better than ever this year! New this year is Paul and Kama’s Dog Show Mix-Up! Enter your dog in a host of fun contests – both silly and serious – from best pet/person look-a-like, best pet trick, best doggie kiss, best singing duo and more!
Register as an individual or form a team! Your participation and the additional money you raise through pledges will help us care for the nearly 12,000 animals that come to Larimer Humane Society each year.
| 7:30-8:15 am | Event-day Registration Open |
| 8:00 am-Noon | Pet Expo |
| 8:30 am | 5K Run start, walkers to proceed behind antique fire truck following run start |
| 9:00-10:00 am | T-shirt Exchange at Registration Tent; come trade for your perfect size! |
| 10:00-10:30 am | 5K Top Finisher awards presentation |
| 10:30-11:30 am | Paul & Kama’s Dog Show Mix-Up |
General Pre-registration (through June 9th) – $30/person
Event-day registration $35/person
The first 500 participants will receive a Fire Hydrant 5 goodie bag, and the first 700 participants are guaranteed an event t-shirt.
Team-Up!
Gather your friends, family and co-workers! Special team pricing of $20/person is available for groups of six or more. Teams do not have to stay together on the course—walker/runner combos are welcome! Teams may register online or via the event brochure. If you are a team captain, you may invite team members through your online team website, or feel free to download the shortened registration form for hand-out to potential team members. All team members must complete a registration form. For more information about team registration, email our development team today.
Cat Nap
Are you unable to participate on event day? Register to Cat Nap! Cat Nappers may register online or using the downloadable event brochure, and will enjoy all the benefits of an event-day participant including the ability to raise pledges and form and/or join an event team. Cat nappers will also receive the commemorative 21st Annual Fire Hydrant 5 t-shirt for their support!
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Look for the prayer flags on our canopy!! We’ll have our two fosters, Tootsie and Leo, in attendance and … just maybe … they’ll have the same success as Jackson did in 2009. He found his new family at this event!
What a fabulous day … and in a nice location with great parking! The event was well attended by the community. Emmy managed to steal the show and Bubba was a hit with the crowds. You might recall that Bubba was found abandoned, tied to a fence in Kansas. Emmy, also from Kansas, was basically abandoned by her owner — left to fend on her own, she was starving to death when she arrived in rescue.
I got to see Magoo’s adoptive mom as well as Linda and Jackson (another of our foster dogs). We made some contacts with other groups and was invited to set up as a vendor at two other events … our local feedstore will be setting up an adoption event and was made aware of the 2 Million Dogs program which partners up canine and human cancer research, which will be hosting an event on November 7th as well.
Please keep Emmy in your thoughts for this week … she’s going in for her spay on Monday, September 20th. In the past five weeks, she’s: gained weight, blossomed into a great little dog and is growing new coat. Red-gold coat, to be exact!
Many thanks to our Apso friends — old and new — who came out and visited with us … we had a great time!
A little change up from last year’s Expo, which was held in February and in town.
Despite the unseasonably cool and wet weather, we had a good day. Got to meet lots of folks and the dogs were little troopers, putting their best paw forward.
Kalsang also got a much-needed trim to his bangs so we can see his handsome face. Isn’t he cute?
… and this just in. Our little red foster, Mae-Mae … 
Well, the weatherman totally blew the forecast but we’re not complaining! Was supposed to be rainy with wind. What we got was … sunny and breezy! A little cool at 7:30 a.m. but everyone was dressed for it. Some photos from the day …
The dogs did great with all the visitors to the booth … canine and human alike. Several folks expressed interest in adopting Jackson so we’ll see what happens!
A new event for us … the Fire Hydrant 5 on Saturday, May 9th in Fort Collins at Edora Park as sponsored by the Larimer Humane Society. This is a 5k Run, a 3k Walk/Fun Run and a Pet Fair in the park. Information on the event …
The Fire Hydrant 5 is Saturday May 9, 2009 at Edora Park in Fort Colllins. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. 5K Race begins at 8:30 a.m. 3K Walk and Fun Run begins at 8:40 a.m. Pet Fair is 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Fire Hydrant 5 is a Bolder Boulder qualifier. This event will be held rain or shine!
Yes! Dogs are welcome at the event! Dogs participating in the 5K or the 3K must be registered and pay the $5 fee (one fee per family or individual handling the dog or dogs).
The following guidelines also apply for our canine friends:
Mark your calendars (pun intended) … come on out and have a “pawsitively” fun day with your favorite pooch! Good excuse to spend some quality time with your dog, have a meet/greet with other like-minded members of the community and support the Larimer Humane Society. If you’d like to visit our booth, just look for the white canopy with the “lung ta” (wind horse) fluttering … Tibetan prayer flags! Hope to see you — and your Apso — in Fort Collins on May 9th.
Need more information? Contact ApsoRescue@aol.com.
Always a good time, we attended the 2009 Loveland Reporter-Herald PetExpo the end of February. Preparation begins several weeks prior as we make arrangements for our exhibit space and submit photos for the insert that comes out in the paper. While there is a fee for submitting pet photos, half of it goes to the Larimer Humane Society so we’re more than happy to help support the local shelter. It’s also good incentive to have current photos of our pets … a momento of their life when all that remains is a memory and a pawprint on our hearts.
As this was our fourth year of attending the Expo, packing the day before is down to a science … grab the storage tub containing our booth supplies, review the inventory of educational handouts, pull books from the home library, and then get it all in the vehicle. Last, but certainly not least, the dog(s) that will be attending get a bath so as to put their best foot forward for the breed. If a foster is not available to attend, our dogs are taken to serve as ambassadors for the breed. I always try to have one in coat there as most people have never seen an Apso in full coat outside the show ring. Makes for some very interesting conversations with the most frequent comment being, “You must have to brush this coat daily!” The big surprise is … I don’t do daily grooming!
We arrive early to unload and get set up — table display and dogs in place before the crowds start to arrive. Looking across the large room, I see many exhibitors from past years and some new faces. Later on, we’ll take a break and go visit the other booths … bronze statues, K9 photographers, pet crematorium, pet cemetery, dog bakery, canine massage therapist, to name a few. All interesting when one has the time to browse.
This year, we were one of the few rescues in attendance and probably the only rescue with dogs in tow. Having Dante there in coat pretty much guarantees we’ll see a lot of traffic at our booth and this year was no exception. I love talking to the kids and seeing their reaction when they get to pet him … the little girls are especially fascinated with him. The parents laugh when I tell them that “my husband calls this my Barbie doll.” We’re also quick to point out that the breed comes in a “wash’n’wear” version, showing them one in a puppy cut.
The dogs are on their best behavior and clearly enjoy the interaction with folks stopping to chat. Dante took a shine to one little guy and proceeded to clean the top of his head for him … much to the boy’s delight. At one point, we had a line of folks waiting to greet the dogs. The day winds down and we start packing up all the gear, already thinking how we can add to the experience for next year’s visitors.
All in all, it’s a great way to connect with like-minded members of the community and educate folks about this unique breed that shares our heart and hearth.
ApsoRescueColorado 