Welcome
to the latest edition of our newsletter! We are going to be making
some changes in our newsletter. Since we are spread out across 3
states and all of us have very diverse lives but a lot of common
interests too, we thought it would be great to make our newsletter
more interactive. All of you who volunteer with us have stories to
tell, those who own Dobermans that they have gotten from us have
stories to tell. In each issue I want to feature a dog story from
at least one of you and a volunteer story too. How did you get
interested in Dobermans? Send pictures too. Tell us about
yourselves and your dogs. We all need to connect with each
other.
Joey
(written several years ago before Joey crossed the bridge)
By Ed Martley
When I was a little kid, the folks
around town called me the Dog Boy. I’m not sure how they meant
that, considering the pack of surly curs that followed in my wake,
but I was pleased then as I am now whenever my wife and kids refer
to me by that nick-name.
I like dogs, and have owned a lot of
them over the decades. By far the most interesting character of that
series of hairbags is my present pooch, Joey, a black & tan
Doberman. Joey is a handsome brute, trim at 95 pounds of bone,
muscle and teeth, yet he has a disposition like St. Francis of
Assisi.
One thing I learned because of Joey is
what it feels like to be discriminated against. When we walk down
the street, people we meet swerve to avoid us. If Joey gets too
close, they all take the same defensive posture — they bend slightly
forward and clutch their crotches. I guess that shows you what
people consider important.
They needn’t worry, though, as Joey
pays absolutely no attention to them, unless he thinks they might
pet him. And once they do, he is plastered to them like a limpet,
hoping to receive a few more strokes. He is delighted when we invite
company into the house. He is pleased when we invite a person, or
another dog, into the yard. When a stranger is invited into his car,
he sits on the back seat and rests his massive head on the visitor’s
shoulder. However, there is a protocol for entering Joey’s car.
First, you take Joey out, put the stranger in and then let Joey in
again.
You notice that I have used the word
“invited” several times in the above paragraph. Let me explain. Most
dogs have some specific duty they were bred to perform. Huskies, for
reasons known only to themselves, love to pull sleds. Some dogs are
bred to fight, or to herd sheep. Our German shorthair pointer is
bred to find and fetch game birds. She swims like a fish, can catch
anything you throw near her and never takes her nose from the ground
in her nonstop quest for a quarry.
Joey could not care less about these pursuits. Hook him to a sled
and he would fall asleep in the traces. Toss him a bit of food and
it’s likely to hit him between the eyes. He will wade, but only
until the water touches his tummy. He has no interest whatsoever in
birds, although he will get after the occasional squirrel, usually
barking up the wrong tree. He tried chasing deer a few times but
lost interest when he learned he didn’t have a snowball’s chance of
catching them. While Schatze is combing the underbrush for a bird,
Joey snoozes in a beam of sunlight or patch of shade, depending on
the weather.
Joey, and Dobermans in general, are “Velcro dogs.” They are not
happy unless they are plastered against you, as if held by Velcro.
He is also a moocher, a beggar at tables. The other evening during
supper, Joey was trying without success to get a handout. He left
the table, but returned moments later carrying a squash he had taken
from a bowl in the living room. He put the squash on the table, and
then looked hopefully at us. I’m not sure, but I think he was trying
to make a trade.
We were walking in one of the city’s dog parks recently, and Joey
was attacked by a nasty little dog that weighed about 20 pounds. The
little dog bounced off him like it would bounce off a stone wall,
and Joey didn’t know what to think. The next day, he was attacked by
a rat-sized Jack Russell terrier, sending him zipping behind my
legs. He doesn’t understand that kind of violence.
So what good is this incredible hulk, you may ask. Well, Joey was
bred for something, too. He was bred to take care of me, and my wife
and kids and grandkids and my property. That, and being my friend
and constant companion, are his main interests in life.
Back to the word “invited.” Simply put, if you are not invited onto
our property, or into our car, you may not enter; even the most
cretinous of villains would not attempt to filch your camera off the
carseat with a Doberman glowering there. If you try to beat knobs on
any of our heads, Joey will not allow it. And he doesn’t have to
rely on his breathtaking strength or his
marvelous dentition to accomplish this. He uses the “Doberman
Stare,” a remarkable attribute of the breed in general. Joey’s stare
is riveting, frightening, and intimidates all who are its target.
Except his cat, who ignores the stare, swats him on the nose and
checks out his food dish.
Please send your pictures and
stories to
dron95@aol.com
and mark them “newsletter” and we will feature them in the issues
ahead. We also want the newsletter to be sent through the internet
as much as possible. This makes is faster and more cost effective,
plus, we can make it bigger and better. We look forward to hearing
from you!
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS! No matter
how much spare time you may or may not have you DO have talents we
can use! Contact us at
dron95@aol.com,
or 402-397-1742 and ask how you can help. Small blocks of your
time, an hour here or there, makes a BIG DIFFERENCE to us, not to
mention our dogs. You will be rewarded with lots of wet dog kisses
and some new people friends too! We can train you and will work to
put you into an area where you feel comfortable in what you are
doing. Please give some thought to the matter and give us a call!
“A RIGHTOUS MAN CARES FOR THE
NEEDS OF HIS ANIMAL.”
PROVERBS 12:10
Dear Friend,
Doberman Rescue of Nebraska
needs your help. We have a plan to build kennels for our dogs that
are not in foster homes prior to going to their forever homes. We
have the building we need and a donated heater. Funds are needed
for the concrete, air conditioning and materials to finish off the
project. We are trying to raise $10,000.
We also need funds for medical
care, boarding and food for our animals. Every dollar you send goes
directly to helping our animals. No one at Doberman Rescue of
Nebraska earns any kind of salary. We are all volunteers.
Would you please consider
helping us?
Thank you in advance for your
support! We at Doberman Rescue of Nebraska wish you all of the best
in the upcoming holidays and brightest hopes for the new year!
____ Yes, I would like to
help you in your goal to build the kennels and to care for the
animals. Enclosed is my gift of $_________.
_____ I would like to make a
monthly pledge to support Doberman Rescue of Nebraska. I will
pledge a monthly amount of $________.
______ I know of a business
who would do a corporate sponsorship. Here is their contact
information:
____________________________________________________________________
DRON is a 501 (c ) (3) so all
donations are tax deductible!
PLEASE MAKE ALL CHECKS PAYABLE
TO DRON ,, ATTN: ALICE 1018 S 92ND ST, OMAHA, NE 68114
PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING
EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT DONATING:
NAME:_________________________________________
ADDRESS:_________________________________________
__________________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS (WE WILL NOT
SELL THIS TO ANYONE!)_______________________
PHONE NUMBER: (_____)-
_______-_____________
_____ I AM INTERESTED
IN BEING A VOLUNTEER. PLEASE CONTACT ME!
THANK YOU AGAIN!!!
“DOBIE TALES” IS A PUBLICATION
OF DOBERMAN RESCUE OF NEBRASKA, A NON-PROFIT GROUP CLASSIFIED AS 501
(C ) (3) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE, THAT EXISTS TO PROMOTE THE
WELFARE AND SAFETY OF DOBERMAN PINSCHERS.
A PLEA FOR ASSISTANCE
You guessed it! We need $$$$$ big time. We can save some big
bucks by finishing our own kennels in Paton, Iowa. When we get the
kennels up and going, we have Linn right there to work with the
dogs. But we need money to finish this project. To honor the people
who give $500.00 or more, a plaque will be placed above the
individual kennel stating that, "This kennel was donated by………………",
or In Memory Of (either your name or your dog who has gone over the
"Rainbow Bridge"). It would be a way to immortalize your best
friend. We will be mailing out a Newsletter by mail asking for
donations that will hopefully bring in some much-needed cash.
We also have senior dogs that need long term foster care. With
our senior dogs, we pay for the vet bills and supply the food. All
you have to do is give them a warm place to hang out and lots of
loving care. The person who has been providing this special care is
ill and will be going into a retirement home. Our Seniors are about
nine years and older. These Seniors are just loaded with love and
affection and soooo appreciate your love in return.
