Ch. Gridiron Affair of the Heart 9/11/94 - 3/9/10

Just a few days shy of her 15 1/2 birthday, my heart girl Hannah peacefully drifted away in her sleep during the wee hours of Monday morning. She was in my arms and was surrounded by her best friends, Chico and Madison. She had just recovered from acute kidney failure in January so this was a huge shock.

Ch. Gridiron Affair of the Heart (Hannah) was not a rescue. This sweet mini BT with a huge heart rescued me and helped me heal from the passing of my first rescue BT, Ripley. Hannah loved everything on this earth and was always the first to greet the hospice and retirement dogs that came into our home. She, Hazel and Hayley loved showing the new dogs the ropes! Hannah was my constant sidekick and loved going on home visits and evaluations. In the 10 1/2 years that she owned me, her sole mischievous moment was sneaking into the breakfast nook and almost finishing off a Costco rotisserie chicken.

We brought her to Bubbling Well in Napa to be cremated. If any local folks haven't been, I highly recommend a visit there. It's near the Silverado County Club and sits high on the hill with a beautiful view of the Napa Valley. Deer and other wildlife are welcomed there and the sight of baby deer playing in the cemetery is now etched forever in my memory.

Thank you, Lora Eggleston, for letting me have one of the BEST dogs in the universe.

Sweet dreams, my little princess. I'm so lost without you...thank you for all the love and companionship you've given me.

Your loving mom,

Suz

Fire At Bundocks

The house owned by Sharon Curry (of Bundocks) was destroyed by a fire Thanksgiving night. Sharon and her dogs are fine, but she lost her birds and all of her personal possessions. The kenneled dogs are fine as her house is set a distance away from the kennels. Running a busy kennel remains her first priority but she and her staff are toughing it out as they are running on generators and are without appliances. An emergency Sharon Curry Fire Fund has been established at the Sebastopol branch of Exchange Bank: 720 Gravenstein Hwy N, Sebastopol, CA 95472-2808 (707) 823-3800. A blog has also been set up so that friends and supporters can keep tabs on the latest Bundocks information and needs: http://bundockskennels.blogspot.com/.   Sharon's heart is the size of Texas. She's a true animal lover who will never think twice about rescuing any animal in need. She's been known to pick up stray dogs and house them at her kennel until their owners are located. Without her help, we wouldn't be able to save the number of Bull Terriers that we do. It's no wonder that a caring community has banded together to help her get back on her feet. A reserve of doggie linens and bedding is always needed so I'll be starting a towel and blanket drive on Craigslist soon.

Happy Halloween!

Any Bullysitters Available?

Harvietta (Harvi) is a delightfully bouncy and affectionate 28lb girl who needs to be babysat this week so that I can bring her to Silverwood Friday to meet her hopeful new family. She's very submissive to other dogs and had a blast playing with Chihuahuas and a Shih Tzu when I took her in for her vaccinations yesterday. Harvi gets along fine with my crew but the ancient ones are getting upset that their daylong slumber parties are being interrupted. Harvi is 2 years old, spayed and UTD on her rabies and bordatella vaccinations. She gave a playbow to a huge cat that was crated but I don't know how she fares with the kitties in general. This silly girl enticed Busefalo to play but ran off when the big guy got excited. A cuteness item: her nose and ears get really pink when she's all warm while cuddling with you.

Since she's been an outside dog 24/7 her only challenge might be some housebreaking issues but she's been fine so far with frequent walks (she walks nicely on a leash). She's reportedly an escape artist but she hasn't shown much interest in being outdoors ever since enjoying the Great Inside World.

Let me know if you can help!

Big bully wags,
Suz
415/672-7391

Silverwood Schtuff: Dog Show Etiquette

Since I've received questions on event explanations and proper Silverwood etiquette, I wanted to share the below link for general awareness:

http://www.silverwood2009.com/res/Default/silverwoodetiquette.doc

Suz

Silverwood Schtuff - Parade of Rescue Dogs

The national Bull Terrier Specialty, Silverwood, is right around the corner. The Annual Bull Terrier Club of America Club (BTCA) Rescue Parade will be held Friday, October 16th, 2009 at the Doubletree Hotel in San Jose. The rescue parade will begin at 6:30 pm in the main ballroom of the hotel. All dogs will receive a special Rescue commemorative from the BTCA. Registration is free. Deadline to register is October 9th, 2009. If your Rescue egghead has become a bit reactive to other dogs, contact me and we'll see what can be arranged.

If you don't mind driving to San Jose, you and your Rescue Bull Terrier are invited to be a part of this parade! To register, please complete and send the form located at http://www.silverwood2009.com/Downloads.htm to:

Gail Harlamoff
3490 Maplethorpe Lane
Soquel, CA 95073

or email to: soquelkiwi@sbcglobal.net and cc: suz@bullyhaven.org

Hope to see everyone there, you're all invited attend all the Silverwood events! It'll be good to see you all again (and meet new friends!). I'll be manning the Rescue table Thursday through Saturday. Come hang out and meet Big Bad Busefalo and other Rescue alumni!

More information on Silverwood can be found here: http://www.silverwood2009.com/

Suz
415/672-7391

Silverwood Schtuff - Rainbow Bridge Table

From Janice Frostick:

Mary Ann Martin has graciously consented to take care of the Rainbow Bridge Table at Silverwood this year.

Please bring your framed, approximately 5X7 photo(s) of your beloved deceased bull terrier to the Rainbow Bridge Table when you attend Silverwood. Remember to bring it back with you before Saturday night. A donation of $10 is suggested to give to the AKC Canine Health Foundation Research. The BTCA's Donor Advised Fund supports health studies and research for Bull Terriers. Please make your check payable to BTCA Donor Advised Fund. $300 is usually collected for this cause each year.

If you are 'sending' your picture, you must find a friend who is going to Silverwood, who would be so kind to take your photo for you. It is traditional to write a few words about your bully...name, dates, personality, activities, etc. to accompany the photo.

For your convenience, checks may be given to Mary Ann or mailed to:

Janice Frostick
1 Maple Street
Farmingdale, NJ 07727

There'll be plenty of Kleenex at the table.