A couple of weeks ago I took Frodo over to the County fairgrounds. They were having a Pet Expo there and we were to represent E.S.R.A.-English Springer Rescue America. It's pretty simple. You set up a card table and display in your designated area. The idea is to make people aware that there are English Springer Spaniels that desperately need homes.

Of course it helps if you have a couple attractive, well-mannered Springers. I looked down at Frodo, trotting along at my side. There's one, I thought proudly. We were to meet the other volunteer with her Springer. The crowd parted, and I saw her standing by the Rescue display with her dog. And Frodo froze in his tracks. He stood, staring at the other Springer. His hackles rose. His lip curled. What was this other dog who had aroused Frodo's ire? A trained attack dog? A rabid killer?

Oh no. Far worse. The other Springer, wagging his tail merrily next to his owner, was Frodo's worst nightmare. The Cutest Dog in the World...LEVI THE LOVE SPONGE!!!

Frodo sniffed Levi warily. Imagine Seinfeld greeting Newman. Princess Leia greeting Darth Vader.

Chase, doing what she loved most.

 Here is an article recently published on the Dog Mountain News site. Please see the link at the end of the article to check out or purchase  a beautiful print and support the "Chase Away Canine Cancer Campaign" of the ACVIM Foundation.

 Love Ya,
Cera

"Chase" was a black lab and a dock diving champion who passed away on June 28th, 2006 just shy of 7 years old, too soon for her time as many others.

Below is a short excerpt about Chase as told by her "Mom", Cera Reusser,

"I could tell you the longest story about the worst day of my life but that's not how Chase should be remembered.

She left us yesterday after I took her to Sauvie Island one last time for a swim off a dock she has played on for years. It was strange: I have never seen the water in the Willamette so clear that you could see her entire body and her legs swimming away. She had a happy smile on her face and her tail was up and she enjoyed play time at the river. The cancer was getting her quicker than anyone expected so it was time for us to say good bye. My vet did a wonderful job and I held her to the end. She will never ever be forgotten and will fill our hearts forever with so many great memories."

To learn more about Chase the "Dock Dog", the Campaign and other work by the ACVIM foundation, please click here.

Here's the new T-shirt, if purchased at events the donation of $22.00 will get you sporting one, if you need one shipped it will be $25.00 with 2XL and up a tad more.

Well the year is up and running and quite smoothly I might add with funds coming from many events from across the country and lots of great hard working volunteers and their dogs have been busy raising donations to "Chase Away K9 Cancer."

The new Tally as of Mid May is $124,000 :-) GREAT JOB EVERYONE AND KEEP UP ALL THE FUN WORK !!!

As most of you know the Stephen Huneck Gallery has donated artwork to the Chase campaign and the official Dock dogs / Chase away K9 cancer T-shirts have been made up along with patches to help raise donations and share everyones passion to help rid cancer from our dogs lives. They can now be purchased directly from www.chaseawayK9cancer.org or at events from volunteers, if you would like to be
one of those volunteers to take them to events and raise donations from them please contact me and we'll get them heading your way. Please email me at this email address.

Debbie (my much better half) has been working up in Chicago a lot lately. This necessitates me taking the kids to visit her in the cramped motel they put her in. Travelling with our three dogs is always interesting. The two girls, Cleo and Heidi, are Leonbergers. For those of you who have not met them, Leos are rather large. I call them "Buicks with fur." I call Frodo, the Springer, my "Space-saver spare." Nothing bothers Cleo. You could walk her through a fire-fight in Tikrit and she'd stop to sniff the Insurgents' pockets for treats ("Go AWAY, Infidel Dog! We gave you ALL our cookies yesterday! Shoo!"). Heidi and Frodo are scared." Scared of what?" you might ask. Whaddya got? They're scared of it, I guarantee it. They're scared of being scared. And if one becomes scared, it somehow gets transmitted to the other, and now they're BOTH scared. If Frodo gets nervous, it's not too awful. He's strong, but he's only forty pounds. Heidi weighs one-fifty. Did I mention that Leonbergers were used to pull milk carts over in the Old Country?