BHRR’s Gentle Jake & BHRR’s Flame shall be with us on Saturday!
BHRR’s Salem shall be with us on the Sunday!
Brûlée
***UPDATE: 27 NEW Items Added Tuesday March 22nd to the Facebook Silent Auction***
The detailed rules of this Silent Auction are posted in the first photo in this album.
As many are now aware, Sean has been diagnosed with a retro-peritoneal liposarcoma.
The current size of it is 8.2 cm x 10 cm x 21 cm. This is an extremely RARE cancer – less than 1%.
A short medical summary:
His third CT scan, this one on his chest has come back at this time clear of any enlarged lymph nodes and metastasis. His MRI not only confirmed that this was a complex surgery yet was even more complicated than once thought – ONLY two surgeries like he needs has ever been done to date by his two expert surgical oncologists.
His surgical team shall be upwards to 20 people now including his two surgical oncologists, his urologist and his ortho specialist plus supporting nursing team. His surgery is expected to be ~10-12 hours in length.
We now have a surgery date set of March 23rd.
We know that his one ureter is compromised, and that he may lose his one kidney. We know that he will have part of his colon removed and that his femoral nerve is at high risk of damage and./or removal. He will need to have his Psoas muscle completely removed and his Iliacus muscle will be partially removed.
He will also need to have the hernia repaired – the mass/tumour has herniated down his thigh and into his groin area.
They will send the whole mass/tumour off to histiopathology.
While we should be celebrating our 20th anniversary of operating BHRR, instead BHRR now faces an uncertain future. BHRR does not receive any corporate, provincial or federal government support. We operate on the kindness of donations, adoption fees and we do several yearly fundraisers. However, 60% of the payment towards BHRR’s expenses comes from the pockets of Sean and myself.
All of this is to say that we are not looking for sympathy or anyone to feel sorry for us.
Instead, what we are hoping to do to help ensure the future of BHRR is raise some monies to help with bills over the next three months for BHRR that we have always covered ourselves as Sean shall not be working and I myself am taking a month off without pay from my behavioural work plus shifts at the Hospital.
One way that we are hoping to cover bills is to do at least one Facebook silent auction. If anyone has an item or items that they would like to donate to this cause, please do email contactbhrr@gmail.com
If anyone wishes to make an independent monetary donation, they can do so via email transfer to gwen@birchhaven.org or via PayPal to gwen@birchhaven.org – Please use the ‘Friends & Family’ option so that we are not charged fees.
*The BHRR Auction will begin NOW
*The BHRR Auction will end at 9 PM EST on Sunday March 27th, 2016
*All bid prices are in Canadian funds.
*Bids must be done in $2.00 or Greater increments.
Any questions, please do email gwen@birchhaven.org or call (613) 725-4279
As many know, BHRR is a Great Dane & Giant Breed Rescue that focuses strongly on the special needs and has been around since 1996. We are federally registered and are an all Volunteer Rescue. We also work with Equines.
We have a second to none adoption success rate and also provide a safe haven for animals that are deemed unadoptable due to medical and/or behavioural reasons. BHRR also has a program that works with the homeless and their pets each XMAS – Operation D.O.G. – Donating our Goodness plus we have a Helping Haven of Hope and Happiness that works with women/children and their pets in domestic abuse situations. We have been operating these two programs for over 15 years as part of our way of continuing to help animals and people in our community.
We are a unique one of a kind program out there like none other.
While we should be celebrating our 20th anniversary of operating BHRR, instead BHRR now faces an uncertain future. BHRR does not receive any corporate, provincial or federal government support. We operate on the kindness of donations, adoption fees and we do several yearly fundraisers. However, 60% of the payment towards BHRR’s expenses comes from the pockets of Sean and myself.
With our wish to ensure that every penny that comes to BHRR goes direct to them for food and Vet bills or items of comfort like dog beds, Sean & I have been covering 100% exclusively all the rescue hydro bills -$1,040/month, Phone, Gas for transports, home-visits and vet visits etc. We cover almost 50% of all the food bills out of our own pockets – BHRR goes through almost 120 pounds of dog food a day. Vet Bills are the same.
As some are now aware, in September of 2015, my husband Sean was found to have a mass. It took until January of 2016 for the experts to diagnose said mass for he has an extremely rare cancer.
Sean has been diagnosed with a retro-peritoneal liposarcoma.
The current size of his mass is 8.2 cm x 10 cm x 21 cm. This is an extremely RARE cancer – less than 1%.
To further complicate matters, this mass has herniated down into his thigh and groin severely compromising his ureter and femoral nerve. He has had three CT scans of which his latest has shown that to date his chest remains clear of metastasis and his lymph nodes are not enlarged. His MRI has shown that his case is extremely complicated and the surgery he shall specifically require, scheduled for March 23rd has ONLY ever been done twice before by the two expert surgical oncologists assigned to him.
All of this is to say that we are not looking for sympathy or anyone to feel sorry for us.
Instead, what we are hoping to do to help ensure the future of BHRR is raise some monies to help with bills over the next three months for BHRR that we have always covered ourselves as Sean shall not be working and I myself am taking a month off without pay from my behavioural work plus shifts at the Hospital.
One way that we are hoping to cover bills is to do at least one Facebook silent auction. If anyone has an item or items that they would like to donate to this cause, please do email contactbhrr@gmail.com
If anyone wishes to make an independent monetary donation, they can do so via email transfer to gwen@birchhaven.org or via PayPal to gwen@birchhaven.org – Please use the ‘Friends & Family’ option so that we are not charged fees.
Since Sean’s mass was first discovered in September, BHRR has remained operating with top notch quality hosting successful events such as our annual creative ‘Dine with the Dogs’, BHRR mini Open Houses, BHRR ‘Private’ Experiences, community education and public awareness events and even our annual XMAS ‘Chain of Success’ Potluck.
We have successfully rehabbed and adopted quite a few dogs and assisted many other groups also during this time.
The quality and stellar standard of care of the animals’ in our care has continued without interruption and as the date nears for Sean and I to stop work as he prepares to head into his 10-12 hour surgery on the 23rd of March, it is time to now ask the BHRR village and our community to please consider helping us continue to help those in need of our programs so that we can get through the next 12 weeks.
We want BHRR to be around another 20 years and we hope that people will consider a donation to help with the expenses of the next three months.
BHRR has only taken in three new deserving dogs since January 2016 and hopes to continue with assisting more dogs once Sean’s surgery is over etc.
Thank you in advance for reading this novel….
This is a picture of my husband Sean….BHRR would not be here today without him and please do keep him in your best wishes.
We sincerely hope we can host a couple of successful auctions on with your help!!
NOTICE:
BHRR shall be closed from Tuesday March 22nd, 2016 to Sunday April 3rd, 2016 inclusive to the intake of adoption applications for processing.
Any applications received during that time will be reviewed in the order that they were received as of Monday April 4th, 2016.
Thanks for your understanding!
This Saturday and Sunday! PV Stittsville! 1250 Main Street!
BHRR’s Flame, BHRR’s Kaos and BHRR’s Steam will be with us on the Saturday!
BHRR’s Hercules will be with us on the Sunday!
BHRR’s Latest Winter Wonderful Land VIDEO #1 in today’s crazy 50+ cm of snow! This is VIDEO #1.
Many other dogs are in VIDEO #2 and that will be on those dogs blogs and stated as VIDEO #2
COMING up in four sleepies! Saturday February 13th & Sunday February 14th!
BHRR’s Steam and BHRR’s Flame shall be with us on Saturday and Sunday’s BIG DAWGS are as of yet TBA!
This is our FIRST Community Education and Public Awareness event of 2016! We have not been out since November of 2015!
No appointments are necessary and we are microchipping Saturday and Sunday and more details can be found in the poster below.
Cats and Dogs have to be minimally 8 weeks of age.
Thanks Regan and PV Kanata for hosting us that weekend! So touched as always to have your support!
BHRR’s Crème Brûlée’ – ~85 pounds and still some growing to do.
She is ready to make her own special announcement!
She is AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION!
So, she is a Boston Terrier and a Bulldog(Level 3). – 20-36% Breed Representation
AND she is a Greyhound, Akita and Mastiff(Level 4) – 10-20% Breed Representation
AND she is a Great Pyr(Level 5) – 9% or less Breed Representation
She came in extremely fearful, and once she settled in, her ‘strong’ willed side has been more than happy to emerge with a huge measure of sweetness mixed in!
She has been great with all the dogs here yet, I would not recommend any homes with dogs less than 20 pounds for she exhibits some interest, more than I would like when she has been around BHRR’s Steam and even BHRR’s Flame(10 weeks of age).
She does best with a quiet integration with any strange dogs for they can excite her and another dog may take exception to some of her still lack of proper dog to dog social greeting skills.
She travels great in the car, is so loving and affectionate to those she knows and trusts and can appear to be a bit aloof to others….yet, when she warms up and relaxes, she is a big goofy gal!
She is quiet, and only makes sounds when you arrive home to say ‘yay! you are back!’
I would not recommend homes that have cats and no homes with small children.
She is quite a mixture of breeds and personalities and her eyes, those eyes are liquid pools of softness that just bring you right into her….
They can look worried at times and a soft calming word/touch of assurance, settles those eyes back to wanting to trust and show everyone how truly lovely she is.
She can go to a home that works ft, pt, from home, semi-retired, retired etc. She is another extremely versatile BHRR dog.
She is crate trained and has also proven 100% trustworthy in our home for up to 2-3 hours. Being young still – not even 15 months of age, she has done so well in this area!
When she begins to wag that tail of hers, you cannot help but smile along!
She a gorgeous girl…..really gorgeous!
She should go to a home that has dog experience for in the wrong hands, she will be set up for failure, as would the home. She can go to a home that either has no other dogs or with a home that has a right matched personality fit dog already.
If another dog is too dominant, she will stand her ground. She corrects wonderfully under a balanced positive leader.
She is not a high maintenance dog and a home that does not frequent dog parks (most dogs and their owners do not belong in dogs parks as is!) yet takes long country strolls, hikes of various lengths and enjoys cuddles by a fireplace or watching TV, will make this gal a great right matched fit family!
You have been a joy my lovely gal…..a real joy to have had here……
After much hassle BOO! I finally have Crème Brûlée’s DNA Results!
ALL for fun and now that I have the results, she shall be making her special announcement soon!
As a fyi, she is about 85 pounds right now and not yet 18 months of age.
UPDATE: Ellie correctly guessed that she is a Boston Terrier and Rachel has correctly guessed that she is a Bulldog. She is a Level 3 Boston Terrier AND a Level 3 Bulldog and that definition is below.
As several have mentioned Greyhound and Nancy has correctly guessed Mastiff and Rachel has correctly guessed Akita, we can say that 3 (THREE) of her 6(SIX) breeds include Greyhound, Mastiff and Akita. She is a Level 4 on all three of these breeds, Greyhound, Akita and Mastiff. Definition of Level 4 is below.
Ellie correctly guessed that she is also a Great Pyr. A Level 5. Definition of Level 5 is below.
So, she is a Boston Terrier and a Bulldog(Level 3).
AND she is a Greyhound, Akita and Mastiff(Level 4)
AND she is a Great Pyr(Level 5)
Level 3
This category identifies breeds that have between 20%-36% of the listed breed(s).
Level 4
This category represents 10%-20% of the breed DNA. Dogs with large mixes may have a number of breeds in this category.
Level 5
This category represents the lowest level of breed in your dog occurring at 9% or less. These breeds still appear at a low and measurable amount in your pet’s DNA and were likely carried over from several generations.
So, to recap, She is a Level 3 Boston Terrier and a Level 3 Bulldog, a Level 4 Greyhound and a Level 4 Mastiff and a Level 4 Akita and a Level 5 Great Pyr.
She is a mixture of 6 lovely Breeds! Thanks for playing!
BHRR’s Griffin’s will be up next week!
ISO: Bakers! Our 3rd Annual “Breaking Bills Bake’ Online Auction begins Saturday January 16th, 2016 and shall run through until Sunday January 24th, 2016!
We are in search of bakers for human and/or doggie treats for this unique online auction!
All items do not need to be baked until the end of the auction to ensure freshness!
Last year we had 41 amazing goodies up for grabs! We are hoping for an equally wonderfully successful fundraiser to help a most deserving dog in our Great Dane Rescue.
If anyone may consider donating a baked goodie to our creative fundraiser, please do email gwen@birchhaven.org Please do NOT post on this thread for your kind and generous offer may be missed!
All monies raised shall go towards BHRR’ Mavie’s Vet Bills. He was back at KAH on the 14th of December for a post op recheck and to exam the swelling that has begun to develop again on that left front leg of his. He was back to not eating as well and dropping weight again. Clear signs that something is brewing…..
His had swollen lymph nodes yet was not demonstrating a fever. He is back on the Baytril 150 mg – 3 Tablets BID and that is a cost of almost $300 for just over 8 days. We are also running more bloodwork.
So, our Iron Man is not yet out of the woods………..
Thanks in advance for any consideration………
So, we did the swabs tonight for BHRR’s Crème Brûlée’s DNA test. 🙂 Will drop off in the mail tomorrow and when the results come back, she will be ready to make her own special announcement! 🙂
I continue to see zero Great Dane in her, yet, one never really knows! Even after 28 years with Danes, I could be surprised. 😉
BHRR’s Crème Brûlée’s December 24th Christmas Eve Traditional Photo Shoot!
Both BHRR’s Miller and BHRR’s Crème Brûlée were altered on Thursday December 17th.
We also did the UPC Urine by cysto collection on BHRR’s Miller as per my previous post, he tested positive for chronic Lymes Disease. Poor boy.
Both are recovering well. BHRR’s Miller managed to open up his neuter incision slightly and is now on antibiotics and BHRR’s Crème Brûlée has been bouncing back so well from her spay.
Per her surgeon, she has NEVER had a litter(the shelter thought she recently had had a litter prior to arriving in the shelter) and it was confirmed that she has had a heat, so it was a mature spay. So, she most likely had a false pregnancy or was finishing up the tail end of a heat. She is believed to be no more than 15 months of age.
She is looking fabu in the weight plus muscle department and she will be making her own special announcement in about 2 weeks time! 🙂
BHRR’s Miller and BHRR’s Crème Brûlée were at the Vet on Thursday December 10th.
BHRR’s Miller is slowly putting on the weight. A bit more slower than I would like to see. I did his boosters plus a Heartworm and Tickborne disease panel on him and also pre-op bloodwork in preparation for his neuter – scheduled for December 15th.
Sadly, his bloodwork came back that he has a chronic Lymes Disease infection – he is from an area that tick borne disease is high. The next step per his Vet is a UPC by cysto collection and that will be done the day of his neuter. So, he will not be available for adoption anytime soon. He does not present with lethargic, shifting lamenes etc. ‘typical’ of Lymes Disease and poor boy. 🙁
BHRR’s Brûlée, weighed just under 80 pounds and her Vet believes as I do that she is more likely around 15 months of age and that she has not had any litters prior to coming to BHRR(we will confirm during spay) and that she most likely had a false pregnancy or a heat.
She has lost some much needed weight, toned up amazingly well and she looks fabu! As she ages, she may reach a healthy 85 pounds or so. I think that we may also do a DNA test on her. So suspicious of what her breed combo could be. This would be the second time in our almost 20 year history that we have done this. We did a DNA on BHRR’s Bloom and it came back confirmed for her being 100% single bred Great Dane! Was surprised and goes to show that after almost 28 years with Danes, when not bred to standard, they come in all shapes, sizes, colours plus conformation. We want to make sure that we are being proactive about her adoption placement when it is her time to be adopted. 🙂
I am hard pressed to find the ‘DANE’ in her looks and personality. She is 100% lovely and uniquely her though! 🙂
She is also scheduled for her own alter surgery on December 15th. Her Accuplex as negative for Heartworm and Tickborne diseases and her pre-op was normal! YAY!
NOTICE:
BHRR does not adopt out during the XMAS season due to our position that it is not in the best interest of any new addition being added during such a busy, exciting and somewhat stressful time for many.
Quite a few other Rescues, Shelters, Pounds etc. have also begun to follow a similar protocol to what we have been doing for so many years.
Our XMAS Shut down period for this year is from Thursday December 17th, 2015 to Tuesday January 5th, 2016 inclusive.
Any applications received during this time will be processed/reviewed on Wednesday January 6th, 2016!
During this time, BHRR is available 24/7 as always for requests for assistance of animals in need and will do intake.
Thank you for your continued understanding – The BHRR Team
BHRR’s Steam AKA Steam Boat loves her new coat thanks to Auntie Rachel and Auntie Bernie! She looks so adorable!
AND, thank you to you both for the extra hands today for the prof photo session with her, BHRR’s Miller and BHRR’s Crème Brûlée!
I think Sean also has a final appreciation for all the training that goes into the dogs prior to being placed up for adoption!
Thank you to Melissa for her precious time again in taking some prof photo’s of these dogs in preparation for some time in the future when they are ready to be placed up for adoption!
BHRR’s Steam also was at work with me on Thursday and is now 18.26 pounds! So up a wee bit! Charmed the whole Hospital and did so well there for the day!!!
Happy Saturday to all! May it be happy safe and healthy!
BHRR’s 8th ANNUAL ‘JUST IN TIME FOR XMAS’ Online Auction has now begun!
Runs through to Thursday December 3rd @ 8 PM EST!
Over 50 items listed to date and some more to come!
Please consider helping us help BHRR’s Mavie!
If anyone has any items that they would like to donate, please do email gwen@birchhaven.org FOR we would be so appreciative. We only host 5 planned Fundraisers a year and BHRR’s Mavie is going to deeply benefit from all money raised in this auction.
He has his surgery scheduled to remove that left front leg implant on Tuesday November 24th with his wonderful ortho specialist. He had a sudden rejection/infection to that left implant recently and now that the Baytril(almost $600 for 16 days worth of treatment) has worked its magic on the infection, he is ‘good to go’ for surgery!
It SOON shall be time! You have been asking and patiently waiting…..get your thinking caps on!
It shall soon be time to sign-up for our 4th(FOURTH) ANNUAL GIVE it ‘UP’ 4 Autumn Event!
The deserving BHRR doggie in 2015 to benefit from this one-of-a-kind unique Fundraiser is BHRR’s Baby Kaos. Past years have seen BHRR’s Lord Stafford, BHRR’s Breen and of course, BHRR’s Autumn benefit from the kindness of others!
This Fundraiser shall run from Tuesday November 3rd, 2015 @ 12:01 AM to Tuesday November 17th, 2015 @ 11:59 PM.
WHAT will you consider to ‘give up’ for 14 days to help BHRR’s Baby Kaos?’
Please do EMAIL us contactbhrr@gmail.com with what you are ‘giving up’ to participate! We hope you may join us in ‘giving something up’ to help raise monies for BHRR’s Baby Kaos!
In the past some have given up treats or coffee and put that money away to donate, others are giving up what the money they would have spent on lessons such as riding or tennis(or putting the equivalent in a jar to donate!) AND, others have put in their jar, donations for cravings that they have – chocolate, cigarettes etc. Feel free to be creative!
More information to be found on the poster below and here is the link with all the details!
Thank you Barry for this outstanding poster!
Got her!
The beautiful DaneX is now in my hands and we are making the drive home!!
Thank you Judy for helping me SO much with transport! You are an angel!! AND thank you for the extra donations of a collar for her, the KONGS, the dino knuckle bone and paper towels!!
I was told by Judy that the shelter ‘thought that she had puppies recently.’ In looking at her, I am wondering if it was recently or if she is pregnant now. She is quite plump and she does have ‘boobs’. We will have to get her in to KAH soon to investigate further.
On October 16th, I received the following email and we committed to assisting her.
NOT YET AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION!
“Hi there,
We have a young 2-3yr old female great dane X type dog in our shelter that needs help! She was found on Durham 57 just south of Blackstock 3 weeks ago, absolutely terrified. She spent 2 weeks shaking and whining and growling in her kennel before she would finally respond to our staff and show some interest in coming out. I kept repeating “let’s go for a walk” while showing a leash to her until she finally responded and wagged her tail. She knows several commands, appears to like other dogs and is quite affectionate and silly with myself and one other staff member. She still barks, growls and hides from anyone she doesn’t know so will need a lot of socializing with an experienced handler before she would be safe to adopt out. Photo attached. She weighs 89lbs.
Thank you,”
