Indigo Steps Forward to Protect Canine Senior Citizens

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Bryce Hardy
6 years ago
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In fact, one of the most common reasons that pets are surrendered at area shelters is that their elderly human either dies or cannot take care of them anymore, and no one else in the family wants

Instead of being afforded the care and dignity that a lifetime of faithful companionship should dictate, they face euthanasia, alone and terrified in a shelter clinic.

That s why Indigo, with our mission of saving special animals with special needs, has made protecting the rights of these senior citizens a priority.

Our jewelry has all been donated by supporters from across the country. We have wedding sets, gold, silver, gems, fine and fun costume, vintage, holiday and ethnic jewelry at really fantastic prices.

The most direct way you can help is to become a foster parent. One loving foster home equals one dog saved. You provide the loving care Indigo provides the medical support when needed.

As the saying goes, It takes a village. You can make a huge impact by sponsoring one of our seniors to help with veterinary care to ensure that their golden years can be happy and healthy.

1 Newsletter and 2016 Year-End Update Indigo Steps Forward to Protect Canine Senior Citizens It s a sad fact of society that too many of our most loyal and loving companions are simply thrown away in what should be their golden years. In fact, one of the most common reasons that pets are surrendered at area shelters is that their elderly human either dies or cannot take care of them anymore, and no one else in the family wants them. Very often, these orphans are themselves elderly. And to make matters worse, they often have the same kinds of problems that affect all of us as we age. Instead of being afforded the care and dignity that a lifetime of faithful companionship should dictate, they face euthanasia, alone and terrified in a shelter clinic. There are many gray areas when it comes to right and wrong THIS is NOT one of them! That s why Indigo, with our mission of saving special animals with special needs, has made protecting the rights of these senior citizens a priority. And everyone yes, EVERYONE can do something to help. 17th Annual Fall Jewelry Sale Fundraiser Saturday, November 12 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Cedar Hills Recreation Center SW Park Way Portland, OR Come shop for a cause! Our jewelry has all been donated by supporters from across the country. We have wedding sets, gold, silver, gems, fine and fun costume, vintage, holiday and ethnic jewelry at really fantastic prices. Everything you can possibly imagine and holiday pet apparel, too! Special Clearance on Sterling Silver: 25%-40% Off! Grab Your Friends and Meet Us There! The most direct way you can help is to become a foster parent. One loving foster home equals one dog saved. You provide the loving care Indigo provides the medical support when needed. We promise that the love you ll get in return will make it worth your while! We understand that not everyone can be a foster family, but anyone can sponsor a senior dog in someone else s care. As the saying goes, It takes a village. You can make a huge impact by sponsoring one of our seniors to help with veterinary care to ensure that their golden years can be happy and healthy. We have a new Sponsors! link on our website where you can learn more about this opportunity to make a difference. We wanted to take responsibility for this epidemic in an even bigger way, because we know the size of the problem demands it. Then we remembered! We have an idyllic, peaceful setting in the country at Indigo Ranch perfect to build a retirement center for dogs! It will be a place where elderly orphans can live out their lives in respect and dignity, in a specially designed residence, with couches and television and other elderly friends to lay in the sun with. And most importantly, it will be a place where staff and volunteers provide the love and care that they so richly deserve. Read more about this wonderful new project inside in a special Message from the Executive Director! In This Issue: More About Our Focus on Seniors Remember Indigo In Your Legacy Happy Ending for Dano & Bella They re Only Chickens?!?!? Down on the Indigo Farm Lots of Ways to Support Indigo s Rescue Efforts Your Invitation to Our Big Fall Jewelry Sale Get Ready for Pictures with Santa! Fundraising Fun!

2016 has been a year of progress and BIG plans.

Then we started getting calls from private citizens families who didn t want to take their deceased parents pets. The sad fact is that senior pets seldom find homes in the shelters.

And too often, they lose any hope of living out their golden years in a peaceful, safe and loving environment. That s where Indigo steps in.

Then we went to work on addressing all those health issues that all of us face as we age.

Long-term fosters are really hard to find, and seniors, in general, often stretch our vet budget to its limit. So, I thought, what we need is a Retirement Center, a retirement home for dogs.

What a perfect place for our seniors to lounge in living rooms catered exclusively to dogs, with their own yard to sun in, and our 24-hour staff to take care of them.

2 2016 has been a year of progress and BIG plans. We were getting lots of calls from the county shelters asking if we could take senior dogs whose owners had either passed away or been put in assisted living homes. Then we started getting calls from private citizens families who didn t want to take their deceased parents pets. The sad fact is that senior pets seldom find homes in the shelters. Many of them have not seen a vet in years and have major medical issues. The shelters are ill-equipped to provide geriatric care. These loyal senior citizens lose their family. They lose their home. And too often, they lose any hope of living out their golden years in a peaceful, safe and loving environment. That s where Indigo steps in. So as this flood of calls started coming in, we started scrambling to find loving foster homes a precious commodity to say the least. Then we went to work on addressing all those health issues that all of us face as we age. Seeing how restored hope transforms these dogs is gratifying, but realistically, we re limited on how many we can take. Long-term fosters are really hard to find, and seniors, in general, often stretch our vet budget to its limit. So, I thought, what we need is a Retirement Center, a retirement home for dogs. And where better to retire than the beautiful setting of our property in Vernonia! Why not? All we need is another building, like we already have for our home-style boarding. What a perfect place for our seniors to lounge in living rooms catered exclusively to dogs, with their own yard to sun in, and our 24-hour staff to take care of them. If people knew ahead of time that such a place existed, they might be able to plan and prepare. And if not, when the shelter calls we would have a place for them, regardless. Of course our objective will still be to try to find adoptive homes for the seniors with fewer medical issues, but for the ones who are facing hospice, they will be able to live out their lives at our Indigo Rescue Retirement Center. We are SUPER EXCITED! Our goal is to break ground in early spring. Our preliminary estimates for building an 1150 square foot building are $75k, but we are undaunted by the numbers. We ve done it before! We have just started our first ever Go-Fund Me campaign for our new building. We are also hoping for private or corporate donations toward the building of our Retirement Center. Please join me in making our dream of an Indigo Rescue Retirement Center a reality! And it goes without saying that we need more foster homes! Have you ever considered fostering a senior dog who just needs love and safety? Please consider fostering and SAVE ANOTHER LIFE! Heather Hines At Home on the Farm This year we helped out in a situation where a family, who had rescued some farm animals, had their own family crisis and couldn t keep them. Indigo is now home to two miniature donkeys, a Nigerian Dwarf goat, her BFF, a Dorper sheep, a Diller Some people might think that a chicken is just a chicken. But we know that, if you give a chicken a chance, they are very special little birds! We got a call about a little teenage chicken that had been found wandering down the street. She was too young to be with our grown-up chickens for fear they might hurt her, so Chicklet grew up in the house! She imprinted on Heather very quickly, and still thinks she is her mom! She might be just a chicken, but she loves to Chicklet admire herself in the mirror. Not only that, but she gets very curious as to why her mom s voice comes from behind her when she clearly sees her in front of her in the mirror! Valentine was found laying on her back in the road probably dropped by some kind of bird of prey. Her wing was hurt and she would step on it and fall over. We tried for over a month to get her wing to mend, but, after the avian vet specialist told us the nerve had been severed, we had it amputated. This might seem a bit crazy for a chicken, but Valentine is doing great and, when we see her sitting on a warm lap and falling asleep with her beak resting comfortably on a knee, we know it was worth it! These two little girls don t think they are just chickens! They know they re special. We know they re special. In fact, we think we ve made a bold statement on behalf of all chicken-kind! rooster, and ten Trixie & Jasmine more hens. They, and the other farm animals who call Indigo Ranch Home are now accepting visitors! They re ONLY Chickens Valentine

By Heather Hines Happy Endings: Dano and Bella In early July we were contacted about two terrified German Shepherds whose owner had committed suicide.

In the shelter they would not eat and just laid trembling in a corner urinating on themselves. We sent out a desperate plea looking for a foster home, but we definitely did not want to separate them.

They had their own German Shepherd and generously took Dano and Bella into their home. These foster hero s worked on the dog s issues without complaint.

They had to help them learn that playing with toys was fun and going for walks was very entertaining. They had to help them learn to be dogs! Slowly, the dogs blossomed.

3 By Heather Hines Happy Endings: Dano and Bella In early July we were contacted about two terrified German Shepherds whose owner had committed suicide. The dogs were a bonded pair, only two years old, and had not been out in the world or well socialized by their owner. They were understandably traumatized after losing both their owner and their home. In the shelter they would not eat and just laid trembling in a corner urinating on themselves. We sent out a desperate plea looking for a foster home, but we definitely did not want to separate them. Fostering ONE German Shepherd is a lot of dog, but we were asking for someone to foster TWO German Shepherds who had special needs. Luckily, we found Sam and Marla. They had their own German Shepherd and generously took Dano and Bella into their home. These foster hero s worked on the dog s issues without complaint. They had to convince Dano and Bella that going outside in the yard without a human would not cause the world to end. They had to help them learn that playing with toys was fun and going for walks was very entertaining. They had to help them learn to be dogs! Slowly, the dogs blossomed. They loved Sam and Marla s 13-year old daughter and would carry her miniature fine china tea set out of her room There are so many great fundraising ideas out there and Indigo has great volunteers to see them through! Here are just a few of the great events we ve had in 2016: Paws for a Cause Auction Fundraiser A big Thank You to Rachel Laurick, her family, and all of the auction donors. Rachel is a highly motivated young woman who selected Indigo Rescue as her cause and then organized the entire event! We re putting that $5,000 she raised to great use! Indigo Dog Wash Rub-a-Dub-Dub! Four puppies in a tub! It s one of our most popular fundraisers every year, averaging dogs. This time around, we netted $1,900 and sent dozens and dozens of beautiful, sweetsmelling pups out into the world. Yard Sale Paula Lynch coordinated and held a yard sale that raised over $1,700! Thanks for all that initiative, Paula!! Just For Pets Yard Sale We had a great day raising almost $1,000 in the pouring rain! Special thanks to Claudia, Himani and Susan for making it happen. and leave pieces around the house. And here s the kicker: there was NOT ONE chip or crack in those dishes! The dogs would just carry them out of the room and gently set them down on the floor. So funny!! After about a month Sam and Marla were able to take them to a fenced dog park and let them off-leash to run with the other dogs. They loved it! We still needed to try to find them a home where they could stay together. Lots of people inquired about adopting one of the two dogs, but that was just not going to work. Those two dogs lost everything, so the least we could do was make sure they got to stay together. Finally, in September, we were approached by a woman who worked from home and had a nice home and yard. Tania came out to meet the dogs and loved them. I delivered them to their new home a few weeks later and they looked so relaxed and happy I was thrilled. It was bittersweet for Sam and Marla giving them up, because I knew they loved those two and they worked so hard to help them become normal dogs. To Sam and Marla, THANK YOU, from the bottom of our hearts for your love and commitment to saving Dano and Bella. We hope your hearts are filled with pride. Commitment and Creativity: Fundraising Fun Cause+Event 5k/10k Walk/Run Thanks to John Borromeo who coordinated our 25 member Indigo Team and raised $1,300! Everyone including some of our Indigo dogs had a great time in the process. Indigo Ranch Volunteer Days Thank you to Xy from Science Park Home Depot Management and all of his wonderful volunteer staff for materials and labor.

Search & Rescue: Indigo s Volunteer Army Specialty Beginning last Christmas Eve, we got involved in a flurry of searches for lost dogs. It seemed like it was never ending.

Heather coordinated most of the search efforts with Kelley, from NW Animal Companions, and she and Heather did much of the foot-work together.

Sadly, one dog was hit by a car and killed before we could do anything more than hang flyers. We conducted massive flyer campaigns, hanging thousands of flyers.

We coached and pushed the owners so they would not give up searching.

4 Search & Rescue: Indigo s Volunteer Army Specialty Beginning last Christmas Eve, we got involved in a flurry of searches for lost dogs. It seemed like it was never ending. We would just be celebrating and filled with relief after helping someone safely find their missing dog, and we d get a call about another lost dog! Heather coordinated most of the search efforts with Kelley, from NW Animal Companions, and she and Heather did much of the foot-work together. By mid-january, we had successfully searched and tracked eight dogs, and all but one of them were brought home safely. Sadly, one dog was hit by a car and killed before we could do anything more than hang flyers. We conducted massive flyer campaigns, hanging thousands of flyers. The flyers were covered in plastic sleeves against the wet weather, and stapled or taped to poles at every intersection within a three-mile radius of where the dogs went missing. We coached and pushed the owners so they would not give up searching. We Riley with Arthur and Abbey created and shared Facebook pages, posted on the Next Door community bulletins and posted on Craigslist. We followed every lead, searching on foot, in rain, and sometimes in frozen, snowy weather. The cold and fatigue just made us want to stay longer and try harder, because we knew if we felt cold, the scared, hungry, lost dog was even colder. We didn t know any of the owners, or their missing dogs, but we knew those dogs needed our help, and after so many searches, the owners needed our expertise. During one search, when we knew the dog was in the vicinity, we were able to rally volunteers to man three barbecue grills, strategically placed within a one-mile radius. We grilled hamburger meat until 2 a.m. trying to lure her out. Luckily, Jezzy who had been hit by a car and was running injured for nine days, came out of a ravine the next morning, sniffing a neighbor s frying bacon a few feet from where we d been grilling burgers. Twenty-six separate people participated in the search for her, but we all felt one, collective sigh of relief! Are we proud of our efforts for those dogs? You betcha! But more than that, we are filled with joy and relief that they are home safe with their owners, where they belong. And hopefully, we are teaching other people what to do when a scared dog goes missing. Jezzy with Steele Indigo Makes Your Holidays Merrier! Come take pictures with Santa on Saturday and Sunday, December 10 th and 11 th from 1-4pm at the Tanasbourne Petco: NW Evergreen Pkwy. Also, plan to buy your Noble tree from C.W. Baggenstos and they ll donate profits to Indigo! Dogs are welcome and there s free hot chocolate! You can take a hay ride to the field and cut your own or they ll cut it for you. Awesome! The flyer for this event is posted on our website. Check it out! Remember Indigo in Your Legacy We are never more moved than when someone thinks enough of the work we do to remember us in their estate. If you have already included us in your planning, please let us know we want to get to know the people with whom we are building a shared legacy of support for animals in need. If you haven t already, all it takes is adding a short, separate codicil to your will. If you have life insurance, an IRA, or a 401(K) plan, it s even simpler. Just ask your insurance agent, IRA administrator, or 401(K) administrator for a beneficiary form and name Indigo Rescue, Inc. as the beneficiary. Be sure to include our address, PO Box 554, Beaverton, OR , and our tax ID number, This will ensure your intentions are clear and irrefutable. Great New Indigo Video! Indigo Rescue co-founder, Claudia Wood, and her talented nephew, Trevor Kubat, have created an awesome short video about Indigo Rescue, and you can check that out on our home page. Then, share it with your friends!

Do You Know About All These Opportunities to Support Indigo s Life-Saving Work? Just about everybody can find something to do to help us continue our life-saving work!

Normal Shopping Extraordinary Giving! Did you know we have several ways for you to help Indigo without spending an extra penny just by shopping as you always do?

Everything is exactly the same, but by selecting Indigo Rescue as the charity you want to support, Amazon kicks in a percentage.

away from your own Rewards! Don t forget renew your link to Indigo Rescue!

For instance, if you order Amazon or Fred Meyer gift cards, Indigo Rescue gets a percentage of your purchase on the front-end, and again on the back end when you use the gift cards!

5 Do You Know About All These Opportunities to Support Indigo s Life-Saving Work? Just about everybody can find something to do to help us continue our life-saving work! We ve listed just a few of those opportunities below. Pick one. Pick two. Pick all of them. But know that every time you do, you are helping to safe the life of another special animal. Normal Shopping Extraordinary Giving! Did you know we have several ways for you to help Indigo without spending an extra penny just by shopping as you always do? When you log on to Amazon, just remember to log on to AmazonSmile instead. Everything is exactly the same, but by selecting Indigo Rescue as the charity you want to support, Amazon kicks in a percentage. If you link your Fred Meyer Rewards card to Indigo Rescue from their website, every time you shop at Fred Meyer and scan your Rewards card, a percentage goes to Indigo Rescue without taking anything away from your own Rewards! Don t forget renew your link to Indigo Rescue!! We continue to offer monthly scrip gift card orders to all your favorite restaurants, grocery stores, home improvement stores and much more. For instance, if you order Amazon or Fred Meyer gift cards, Indigo Rescue gets a percentage of your purchase on the front-end, and again on the back end when you use the gift cards! Don t forget to link your Fred Meyer Rewards to Indigo Rescue again. Every time you shop at Fred Meyer and scan your Rewards card, a percentage goes to Indigo Rescue without taking anything away from your own Rewards! Special Note: Scrip recently added Prepaid Visa Cards to their list of vendors and more than 70 merchants are offering 5% cash back. This is such a great gift idea, or you can use them to shop for the holidays. You can t lose, and neither can we! Visit the Donate link on our website to download our monthly Scrip Gift Card order form and learn more about how easy it really is! Become an Indigo Foster. It s simple. Every new foster home means another life saved. We won t say it s an easy job, but it will be one of the most rewarding you ll ever have! The basic job requirements are understanding, patience and a lot of love we ll provide the know-how, medical care and logistics. If you think there s enough heart in your home to help make a second chance possible for a special animal, please contact us at info@indigorescue.org or give us a call at and let s talk! Sponsor a Senior, Hospice or Special Case You might not be able to foster a special animal but you can still play an irreplaceable role in giving them the special care they so desperately need. It could be a life-long devoted companion who s been orphaned in her golden years, or an old man who deserves some long-overdue love and peace after a long, hard life. Whether its age, medical problems or emotional issues due to years of abuse or neglect, some dogs need extra attention and that takes money. That takes YOU. Check out the new Sponsor! Link on our website for more information, and choose a life to save! Custom Vinyl Decals of YOUR Pet! Mount them to your car window and show off your four-legged friend wherever your go! Visit for more info or to order. 100% of profits go to fund Indigo Rescue! 100% of profits from this business go to fund our work and your dog enjoys a vacation in the country! We even offer taxi service! Find out more at

Get Involved With Indigo We can t all do everything, but we can all do something! There are many ways to become an important part of our rescue team.

Partner with a foster parent to help socialize and teach basic manners. Not everyone can foster, but there s no substitute for real people when it comes to rehabilitating a dog. Donate money.

Involve your organization, group or family. Do a food drive or a day of group service. Let s talk about the ideal group project for you. Donate jewelry.

6 Get Involved With Indigo We can t all do everything, but we can all do something! There are many ways to become an important part of our rescue team. Here are just a few: Foster one of our Square Pegs. It s simple another foster home means another life saved. It s not a job for everyone, but the rewards are great! Partner with a foster parent to help socialize and teach basic manners. Not everyone can foster, but there s no substitute for real people when it comes to rehabilitating a dog. Donate money. The hard reality is that chances don t come free. Join our fundraising committee. Again it s that reality thing. Donate supplies like beds, blankets, towels, toys, etc. Involve your organization, group or family. Do a food drive or a day of group service. Let s talk about the ideal group project for you. Donate jewelry. Our biggest fundraising events are our jewelry sales everything from fine jewelry to the costume stuff keeps us in business. Mollie An orphaned senior, Now in a happy home! Host a Parlor Meeting at your house. Invite a few friends, put out a little wine and cheese, and we ll provide the presentation so you can share with them why you are involved with Indigo and why they should be as well! Spread the Word about Indigo Ranch & DigMyDog.com. Indigo strives to be self-sustaining with these two small business ventures. We ll provide you with everything you need to help get the word out. Got any ideas of your own? Let s talk. Call us at or drop us a line at info@indigorescue.org. PO Box 554, Beaverton, OR NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID BEAVERTON, OR PERMIT NO. 470 Never, never, never give up. Indigo Rescue/Indigo Ranch Indigo Ranch Board of Directors: G. Mark Norman, DVM Christy Caplan Matt Carty Kim Carty President Tracy Love-Silver Kristina Herb Executive Director: Heather Hines Printed by colormagic.biz

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