LOCAL NEWS & EVENTS

Second Chance Rescue

SCR is always on the look out for volunteers, donations and homes for their wonderful rescue dogs and puppies. Second Chance Rescue is a San Francisco Bay area non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, staffed almost entirely by volunteers. We rescue dogs and puppies from high-kill shelters, and find them loving, permanent homes. Since we started rescuing dogs in 1993, we have saved over 5,000 deserving dogs and puppies.

If you would like to know about them please visit Second Chance Rescue online at: secondchanceresuce.com

Have you had the chance to enjoy the San Anselmo dog park? If so, then you know there is no area like it where families can safely exercise their dogs off-lease AND run/walk/jog themselves. We all know that people and dogs don't exercise at the same pace. While some people suggest the hills are equally as useful, this is clearly not viable for the elderly or families with small children. The San Anselmo - Red Hill dog park is a perfect combination for anyone and all to come and enjoy the park.

Unfortunately it looks as though this may all change very shortly as there are plans to renovate the park turning a large part of the space into a soccer field. The largest issue to date regarding these plans are how disengaged members of the town council and school board are from the real facts. Although they're considering some radical development, they rarely if ever visit the dog park to see how it's being used. That doesn't stop some of them from making some really wild statements about what goes on there--stories of children running in terror, vicious dog attacks, utter filth--these are all ridiculous fabrications that undermine their credibility and have made this process unnecessarily conflictual.

It's very important for us to educate decision makers about how the dog park is being utilized. The heavily populated park probably receives more visits than any other park in San Anselmo.

So right now the primary goal is to spread the truth. We're doing this initially with a "show of strength" on June 26. We're inviting you and everybody we can possibly think of to the dog park on that day. Perhaps this will help illustrate the number of people who will be affected by the planned development.

Perhaps this will also provide a positive dog park experience for those who have spread unfounded negative fabrications about what goes on there. It's very frustrating when elected officials make a conscious decision to NOT educate themselves about real life prior to making decisions that will negatively impact hundreds, if not thousands, of people.

Please visit the sananselmodogpark.org website to find out more. Or have your voice heard by visiting the SA Dog Park Forum: sananselmodogpark.org/forum

San Anselmo Dog Park Advocates - 5/24/04

Compassion without Borders & Small Dog Rescue are Making a difference as Dogs From Mexico Grace Our Doors...

Thirty dogs from Mexico City have graced our door since Fall, 2003. Every one of them had a lovely temperament, was well socialized, and proved grateful to have love, safety, health, and comfort in their life.

It was a learning curve to get familiar with illnesses which are uncommon in the U.S. due to the basic inoculations all U.S. dogs receive. Now that we have "seen it all", we can’t wait for more. The dogs who arrive here from Mexico are hearty. They have survived exposure to many viruses, and "lived to tell about them".

These dogs entry into the United States would not be possible without the huge effort in temperament testing, health checking, transport, and medical care of Compassion Without Borders, who created this program, and Animal Place Farm Sanctuary, in Vacaville, CA, who provides a voluntary quarantine for the dogs. I am grateful to the partnership of these loving, committed people –allowing dogs to leave a life of overcrowding, hopelessness, and poor nutrition, to a life of warmth, health and love.

The Mexico City dogs have touched my heart so deeply. Their resilience, resourcefulness, playfulness, love and flexibility – in the face of having their lives upturned – is remarkable. It’s been so fun and rewarding to see each Mexico City dog learn to ride in a car, walk on a leash, sleep in a bed, and sit in a lap. They adapted so quickly to a life of luxury! The Mexico Dogs made the past six months one of the most arduous, yet rewarding, times for Small Dog Rescue.

To find out more please visit: smalldogrescue.org or download the Small Dog Rescue Newsletter

Kathy Klages, Founder Small Dog Rescue - 5/04