Saturday, August 31, 2013

DOGS LEAVE PAW PRINTS...

12" x 10" x 1-1/2" Embedded Lettering and Paw Print

Harper's Lawn Ornaments, Harrisonburg, Va., has donated this cast concrete plaque which can be used as a garden stone or hung on a wall.

The plaque is available as a "Buy It Now" item at $15 for the 6th Annual VGSR Golf Tournament and Auction. 

If you would like to purchase and cannot attend the event, please contact me for details at golf4dogs@gmail.com

Every dollar helps a dog!!









VGSR SELLING GERMAN SHEPHERD!!

Can you give this dog a home?

Rin-Tin-Tin will be offered for sale to the highest bidder at the 6th Annual Golf Tournament & Auction, October 4 at Blue Ridge Shadows Golf Club, Front Royal, Va.  Absentee bids on this unique dog will be accepted. 

Purchased and donated by a VGSR Volunteer couple who have 3 GSDs, 1 Wolf-Hybrid, and 1 small mix breed  (all rescues) - he needs to be rehomed to help provide for the many dogs in our care.

This is a SOLID German Shepherd, perfect to showcase the love of the breed on your lawn.  YES, this is an outside (24/7) dog and can be left home alone for extended periods of time without the need for a dog sitter or boarding.

RIN-TIN-TIN does not shed, needs no food, water, bathing or grooming, does not require flea and tick preventative, does not need to be neutered and will never require shots or other vetting.

He is good with other dogs, cats and kids.  Guaranteed not to bite, does not have to have fenced yard or be walked on lead.

Rin-Tin-Tin is a large handsome GSD, weighing in at around 100# and is 23" tall and 27" long. 

Place your bid today!  Dogs like this do extremely well in any home....

Monday, August 26, 2013

BAD NEWS - GOOD, BETTER & BEST NEWS!

BAD NEWS THE 6TH ANNUAL VGSR GOLF TOURNAMENT IS NOW A SOLD OUT EVENT FOR GOLFERS!  Registration is now closed to players.

GOOD NEWS - We now have a sold out event 6 weeks prior to the Tournament.

BETTER NEWS - Sponsorships are still needed, dinner reservations are still available, and auction donations are being accepted!  Everyone still has the opportunity to participate in this FUNdraising event.  We are extending a special invitation to all VGSR volunteers to come out, meet old friends and new, two and four-legged  to enjoy the biggest public FUNdraising event of the year at the 6th Annual VGSR Golf Tournament & Auction, October 4, at Blue Ridge Shadows Golf Club, Front Royal.

BEST NEWS
- I am very happy to announce (drum roll please)..... VOLUNTEER EXTRAORDINAIRE, LEA, will be emcee for this year's event.  As one of the founding members, Lea was saving dogs before VGSR was officially born -  "hosting" adoption days many times with only 1 dog, a card table, donation jug and 1 or 2 friends to help present the mission of rescue.  Lea, a gifted public speaker with a contagious passion for the dogs, is truly one of the "First Ladies of VGSR".  

We are going to need lots of "hands-on-deck" throughout the day.  Help is needed from 8AM setup through late evening load out and all the hours in between!  Help is needed for the registration table; clerks for the auction; working dogs with handlers; extra hands for the dogs; hosts and hostesses for our guests; cheerleaders for the players; Putting Contest judges; selling 50/50 raffle tickets; and many other fun tasks. 

Head Count for the dinner has to be in no later than Sept. 20.  Please register ($25 per person) as soon as possible.   

Many thanks to all the volunteers who have been working for the past 6 months to make this event the best it can be!    Plan now to give them a hand on October 4!

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Chickadee Mansion



VGSR is venturing into new terrain with this awesome birdhouse donated by a generous  supporter.  It’s the first time, we can literally say – “We’ve gone to the birds!”


2 story Chickadee Mansion

This lovely 2 Story Chickadee Mansion by Bird Condos Room-N-Board of Mohawk, NY will be available during the upcoming Silent Auction.  It measures 15" high, 11" wide and 10" deep.  Its panels are hinged to open for cleaning the inside.  This is a great opportunity for you to provide a nest box/home for the chickadees that we are sure you see, daily, in your yard.


 Check out these fun facts about chickadees: 
  • Chickadees are found across much of North America. The more common species include the Black-capped, Carolina and Mountain Chickadees.
  • There are seven species of chickadee in the world. Chickadees, along with titmice, belong to the family Paridae. This family of songbirds also includes birds known as tits.
  • These little birds are known as “chickadees” because of their alarm call. Chickadees are identified easily by their namesake call “chick-a-dee.” This type of name is onomatopoetic — the word is the sound that it describes.
  • The more “dee” notes at the end of a chickadee call indicate increasing levels of agitation. For instance, a chickadee may end their call with just one “dee” when a known person fills a favorite bird feeder. An owl roosting near the feeding station would warrant many more “dee” notes.
  • In early summer, Mountain Chickadees are able to find and use seeds they hid during the previous autumn.
  • Chestnut-backed and Black-capped chickadees keep an eye on the food-finding success of other individuals, if one bird is doing especially well; they adapt their behavior, whereas unproductive behavior is not copied.
  • Have you noticed how ravenously the birds eat at your bird feeders, especially first thing in the morning and just before dusk? Chickadees can gain as much as 10 percent of their body weight each day and lose it all again during a cold winter night.
  • Chickadees are tough little birds that does not migrate. During cold weather Chickadees may need twenty times more food than they do in summer.
  • Chickadees weigh, on average, less than one-half of an ounce.
Now that you know more about chickadees, don't you think this AUCTION ITEM would be a great addition to your home?

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Ripken is waiting to meet YOU!



Ripken, also now known as Rippie, is a strikingly handsome sable GSD.  When people ask me how old he is, I like to tell them he is 7, going on 2.  He is very active and healthy and happy, and just when you think he is distinguished and mature, he will do something just a little naughty, like take your cookies that you left unguarded on the table.  Then, he will look at you with his beautiful brown eyes and explain that it was your fault for putting them within his reach and then not paying attention because you were watching the news.  And… then, he’ll ask for another cookie because it was very tasty.

We’ve had the privilege of fostering Ripken for 3 months now.  When he came to us, he was polite, but
Rippie - looking for his forever family
distant.  Now he’s happy and healthy and demands to be loved for his inimitable self.  He’s a little bossy and a little pushy, and, dare I say it, a little loud at times, but I know that a good walk cures all that.  He has trained me well.  I know his likes (treats, sleeping on the couch, chasing varmints, riding in the car with the windows down and being brushed) and his dislikes (cats, the vacuum cleaner, staying up late, and not being the center of attention). 

Ripken has given me the opportunity to once again help a dog that has lost his way get back on his feet and headed in the right direction.  As a foster home, I consider it my privilege to offer my home, my time, and my love to these dogs that have lost everything.  The come to us with nothing.  Sometimes, they don’t even know how to trust humans.  Inevitably, though, the miracle happens.  There is the lingering look, maybe a sloppy kiss, or a furry head placed in a lap that says “Thanks.”  It’s always that simple.  That’s when I know they are ready to meet their forever family. 

Inquisitive Ripken
Ripken is ready.  He wants his own family now.  He particularly wants his own family to not have other dogs, as he doesn’t want to compete for attention.  I haven’t even begun to explore the potential of this fine dog.  That is the reward he will offer to the people who will make him theirs. 

In return for all that we do for Ripken, he rewards us with gentle kisses and the kind of look that gives me goose bumps, for I know that he understands that we are helping him along his journey, and that, my friends, makes life good. 

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Kawasaki Motorcycles

Family members of VGSR alumni, "Thor",  have very generously donated a pair of  motorcycles for the Silent Auction at the 6th Annual VGSR Golf Tournament!

"Thor" was adopted from VGSR in 2005.  In addition to being a VIP in his forever home, Thor is the "best friend" to many people as a Certified Therapy Dog.  Handsome, healthy, and happy, he truly represents the best of the breed we all love!!  

Motorcycles will be on display at Blue Ridge Shadows, October 4, for the entire day of the tournament.  Winning bids will be announced as the last item in the Silent Auction.  Absentee bids will be accepted.  Title will be delivered to the buyer upon receipt of payment in full. 


Both bikes are in "better than average" condition - one owner - very low mileage - have been garage kept -  and have nice accessories.  Bikes will be sold "as is, where is" with NO WARRANTY expressed or implied.   

Further described as follows:

2009 Kawasaki

2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD w/windshield and saddlebags.  Odometer 2298.  Minimum Bid - $2,400; Minimum Bid Increment of $50.







2001 Kawasaki Vulcan EN500-C w/windshield and saddlebags.  
2001 Kawasaki
Odometer 7353.  Minimum Bid: $1,200; Minimum Bid Increment of $50.





SEE YOU AT THE TOURNAMENT & AUCTION!

Monday, August 12, 2013

"Gilli"



VGSR Alumni, Gilli, and his family are donating "The Gilli Special",  an awesome gift basket to the auction for some lucky dog to enjoy!  Bid and win on a special treat for your dog, thank Gilli for lending a "paw" and help VGSR continue to place good dogs into good homes.

"You all are our heros. VGSR saved Gilli and that is the greatest thing ever done  for us. 
Thanks, Ellen"

Friday, August 9, 2013

FOR YOUR "BEST FRIEND'S" COMFORT

Sometimes, you just wish you were a dog!  Would love to curl up on one of these luxury dog beds and enjoy a good night's sleep.

Joyce, longtime VGSR Volunteer and Foster Mom, handcrafts these comfy beds complete with 3 unique quilted covers for each bed.  Quality of material and workmanship provide the ultimate "favorite" and durable bed for lucky dogs with the winning bid at the Silent Auction. 

We want to give everyone the opportunity to get in on the bidding.  So...if you can't attend the auction, you can place an absentee bid on the beds and other items - print out the form and send in to us and we will do the bidding for you!

Custom Made with Love Bed #1 - 36" x 32" x 6" - Includes 3 Covers


Custom Made with Love Bed #2 - 36" x 32" x 6" - Includes 3 Covers