Visiting Royalty, Escaped Dogs and a Good Time by All
This years Santa Barbara Cocker Reunion Picnic was a resounding success! We had a blast. The food was amazing, the auction and sale items a big hit and it was so wonderful to see so many of our Cocker ‘kids’ in one place. Diana Maenhout and Kate Silsbury won first and second prize on the raffle and both donated the whole $750 right back to SCCR. You ladies ROCK!
We had two exciting dramas unfold that day. Prince William and Duchess Catherine decided to play polo at the Polo fields 1/2 mile from our freeway exit on Saturday but the anticipated traffic was thankfully not an issue. Then our little Dani, a 1 year old sweet Cocker girl who is up for adoption decided that she would slip her collar and take off in to the Carpinteria hills right at the start of the picnic. She gave us all a heart attack until we realized that she may not be willing to be caught but she was not going to go too far. So she spent the whole picnic, wading in the stream, running through the underbrush and checking out all the picnickers in the whole park. After everyone went home, Shannon and Elizabeth lured her in with chunks of our BBQ chicken. She thought it was as delicious as we did and munched her way right into an x-pen. She was filthy, covered in poison oak and exhausted, but I think she had a great time. Brat!
We even finalized three adoptions on Saturday, Reese, Sauve and Magnus all went to their new homes.
San Francisco, Here We Come!
SCCR is looking to expand to the Bay Area and we need volunteers. We need fosters, people to pull from shelters, transport, do home visits, adoption counseling, volunteers to work events and who knows what all. Do you have a talent or skill that you would like to offer? Contact Elizabeth Mazzetti at 805 687-4674 or elizabeth.mazzetti@cox.net.
We are starting out by pulling a 5 year old girl from the San Jose shelter next week. We have found a wonderful foster home in Antioch and are looking forward to working with Lynda and her family. Patti, also from Antioch has helped us with home visits and transportation. Our goal is to build a team of 20-30 volunteers from all over the Bay Area to cove the northwestern part of California. We are rescuing Cockers, one dog at a time!
Sweet, Sad Good-byes
June was a hard month for us here at SCCR. We had to say goodbye to not one but four of our sweet old boys and one not so old. Three of our Sanctuary kids, Paulie, Cookie and Clifford passed away. They came to us old and grey but full of love and life. Their foster families loved them like their own and gave them perhaps the best last years of their lives. They had snuggles, cuddles, treats and long walks. We also feel so lucky that we had the opportunity to get to know these special dogs and offer them the best quality of life we could for as long as we could. We would not have missed it for anything. If you would like to be a part of our Sanctuary program we are always looking for new Sanctuary foster homes. Your donations make this program possible, without you each one of these dogs would have never made it out of the shelters.
We also had to say good-bye to two of our adopted dogs last month, Sonny and Bo. Sonny and Bo were adopted from SCCR 5-6 years ago as happy, healthy boys. We remember them in their prime, sweet and loving boys. Sonny just passed away of old age. It was quite a surprise to us because we just remember that handsome young man who got old and grey on us while we were not looking as the years slipped by. Bo surprised all of us when he was diagnosed with cancer. He was too young, too sweet and too much in love with his mom to go, but go he did. We are so thankful that Sonny and Bo had such wonderful parents. Gil give Sonny a life any dog would envy and is thinking about adopting two more SCCR dogs in Sonny’s honor. Bo and Debbie were a love match. They were inseparable. Bo’s life was too short, but that boy was Loved.
New Best Friends!
Rico and Suave are two absolutely adorable 6-9 month old buff puppies. We do not get puppies in very often and it is always fun when we do. These two were a hoot. They were silly, sassy, sweet and all boy. Well it didn’t take long to find them wonderful homes. Both puppies were adopted this week. Suave went home Monday with Magnus, a 6 yr old cocker and Gil, a single gentleman, who is a long time cocker owner. He reports that both dogs are settling in well and he loves the puppy energy in the house. Rico went home on Wed to a family with a 7 year old boy named Zach. Zach and Rico (now Jack) were best friends from the second they lied eyes on each other. They rough house, play tag and keep away until they are exhausted then they rest and are up and at again. They are in heaven!
Mother and Daughter Say Good Bye to Each Other and Hello to Their New Families
Samantha and Diane were a mother, daughter pair that came in from the LA shelter. They were very sweet but became hysterical when they were introduced to another dog. We decided to split them up and see if their behavior changed any. It was exactly what they needed. Samantha, the 1 year old daughter caught the eye of Teya, a Santa Barbara woman who had adopted Marlow from us six years ago. Marlow was now 8 years old and wanted a little sister. We brought Samantha over to meet him no sure what to expect. After a gulp of surprise she decided he was pretty ok and Marlow was in love. We were also a little concerned about her eyesight. She seemed to have a depth perception problem. When she had her vet exam we were surprised to learn she was blind in one eye and partially blind in the other eye. We had no idea. We will be taking her to the eye specialist and we will let you know what she says. We hope we can restore as much of her sight as possible, but in the mean time Marlow has taken her under his wing and protects her from anything she is fearful of.He is a marvolous big brother and exactly what she needed.
In the mean time Diane, the moma, was fostered with a sweet, self-confident Cocker named Dresden. She very quickly became bonded to him, making us certain she would do well in any new home. She ended up being adopted by a wonderful couple from Madera. They plan on getting her a buddy as soon as we can find her the right match.
A big thanks to Sue from Cocker Connection who helped us rescue these two girls.
Tons of Cockers, Great Food and Fabulous People!
The Sacramento picnic last Saturday was a resounding success. We had a huge turn out and the prettiest group of Cockers you have ever seen. The food was fabulous and the raffle prizes amazing. It was a perfect day and everyone had a wonderful time. Carole Barone not only won first place on the cash raffle but she got picked for second prize too! Then she donated all $750 right back to SCCR!! Wow, we love you Carole!
Thank you, everyone, for your help in making this event a huge success.
He Snores Like a Drunken Sailor
Chewie was adopted by a wonderful couple in Shell Beach after having a very rough start in an abusive home. He was so anxious his mom had a bit of project on her hands getting him to relax and enjoy life normally. We just got a progress report from his mom that we wanted to share with you.
“Hi Elizabeth!
I just saw the newsletter that you sent out, and thought that it would be a good idea to send you an update on Chance (formerly Chewie). We’ve almost had him for two months now, and I could not imagine our lives without him. He is 99% less anxious than when we first got him. He’s able to just lay down and cuddle all day and be a lazy little pup, which is amazing. When I first met him, I would never have imagined him doing this- but right now he is curled up sleeping under my arm. He’s a pampered little man now.
We go to the beach all the time and he loves it. His favorite part is meeting kids- whenever he sees little kids he starts whining and trying to get to them. He’s very gentle with them and loves playing with them. He knows “sit” and “stay” and he taps his ball before it gets thrown for him. He goes running downstairs and sits at the front door when “Puppy Walk” is announced. And he and Max, our other cocker spaniel, are friends who are growing more and more attached every day. Max got stung by a bee last week and he only wanted to curl up next to Chance, and Chance was so worried about Max- he was as anxious as the first day that we met him.
I also wanted to let you know that we spread the gospel of rescue and Second Chance Cocker Rescue specifically. I meet so many people at the beach and at the dog park who compliment me on my beautiful well behaved dogs, and I always tell them that they are both rescues. A lot of people are surprised that there are rescues for specific breeds, and a lot of people are surprised that rescues can be well behaved and ‘normal’. So I always tell them about your work and encourage them to adopt. So many people tell us that our dogs are lucky that we adopted them, and I always always tell them that WE are the lucky ones. Thank you so much for rescuing our little man until we could find him. He’s a forever part of our family.
Found Abandoned in Empty Home After Five Days
Winston was found last month in LA County abandoned in the backyard of a house that had just sold. The buyers started to moved in when they found him hiding in the back yard. He was a mess. His family left him alone with a bag of dog food, torn open so at least he had something to eat. Being a Cocker, he had eaten way too much of course. We got him cleaned up, checked by a vet and then introduced him to Melanie and her family from Toluca Lake. It was love at first sight. Winston has found his truly forever home.
Spring Fundraiser–Double the Drawings, Double the Prizes
Our spring raffle was so successful last year that we are going to do it again this year. Tickets are $2 a piece or 12 tickets for $20. The prizes are:
$500 first prize $250 second prize $250 third prize
We will be holding two drawings this year, one at the Sacramento Picnic on June 11 and one at the Santa Barbara Picnic on July 9.
Every donation made in in honor of Mr. Marvin from Sacramento will enter you in the Sacramento drawing. Mr. Marvin came from the Tehama County Animal Shelter. He was found abandoned with another dog in a backyard. They don’t know how long they were there, but Mr. Marvin was curled up next to his dog pal who had already died. Mr. Marvin was emaciated, had cherry eye in both eyes and needed to be neutered. He probably has never known the comfort of a lap or dog bed or kindness from people, but he is a true survivor and a sweet, loving, gentle soul. He is now in a trial adoption with a new family. Keep your fingers crossed! Donate in Honor of Mr. Marvin.
Every donation made in honor of Sammy will enter you in the Santa Barbara drawing. Sammy had been wandering the streets of Lancaster for weeks trying to survive on his own. He was skittish, scared and starving. A local rescuer, Debbie, managed to catch him and brought him to us in Santa Barbara. His teeth were a mess and after a teeth cleaning where he had to have 22 teeth removed, he is so much happier. He is now a pampered, sweet, loving little boy waiting for his permanent home in foster home where he gots tons of love and two square meals a day. Life is good! Donate in Honor of Sammy.
For every $20 donation, you will be entered 12 times and once for every $2 donation. If you would like to help us sell tickets contact Elizabeth at elizabeth.mazzetti@cox.net
All proceeds of this raffle will go to pay off the medical expenses for Mr. Marvin, Sammy and our other Cockers.
Annual Cocker Reunion Picnic—You are invited!
Join us in celebrating all of the Cockers we have rescued, the families that have taken them into their hearts and homes, and the volunteers whose dedication and commitment make it all possible at our Cocker Reunion Picnic. We hope that all of our Cocker Spaniel alumni and their families will be able to join us. Dog lovers and everyone who loves happy endings are invited, as well.
We will be serving a BBQ chicken lunch with a vegetarian option for a $15 donation. We will have raffles, great food, vendors . . .
The Sacramento picnic is on June 11 at Tahoe Park, cross streets are 10th and 60th Streets, Sacramento, CA. RSVP before June 1 to savak9@sbcglobal.net.
The Santa Barbara picnic is on July 9 at Toro Canyon Park, Area 2, Carpinteria, CA. RSVP before July 3 to elizabeth.mazzetti@cox.net.
We hope to see all of you there!
SECOND CHANCE COCKER RESCUE 