"pick of the litter" information, resources & connections
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Margie Vincent-Roberts, Jake, Bonnie, and Cooper
Female
Beaverton, OR
United States - Share
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- Events (1)
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Margie Vincent-Roberts, Jake, Bonnie, and Cooper's Groups
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Labrador Lovers
10 members
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Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals
6 members
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Medical Issues and Question
58 members
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Members in the News!
22 members
Margie Vincent-Roberts, Jake, Bonnie, and Cooper's discussions
Ending Euthanasia of healthy, social, and treatable cats and dogs in Portland area shelters
2 Replies
Started this discussion. Last reply by Andrea Schneider Nov 27.
Margie Vincent-Roberts, Jake, Bonnie, and Cooper's Events
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Paws for a Cause Christmas Extravaganza
December 13, 2008 from 12pm to 4pm – Paws for a Cause
Mark your calendars right now!!! You will not want to miss the hippest holiday happening in Troutdale! Paws for a Cause will host its first annual Christmas Party on Dec. 13th, 2008 beginning at no...
Organized by Melissa, Josh, Bubba, Bruno, Ryder, Coco & Lily | Type: Community, Event
Margie Vincent-Roberts, Jake, Bonnie, and Cooper's Page
Latest Activity
Margie Vincent-Roberts, Jake, Bonnie, and Cooper commented on the group Members in the News!
Nov 25
Margie Vincent-Roberts, Jake, Bonnie, and Cooper commented on the group Labrador Lovers
Nov 25
Nov 23
Nov 23
Nov 22
Margie Vincent-Roberts, Jake, Bonnie, and Cooper commented on the group Members in the News!
Nov 18
Margie Vincent-Roberts, Jake, Bonnie, and Cooper commented on the group Labrador Lovers
Nov 18
Profile Information
- About Me: It's fun to know our members a little bit.
- I got my first dog, Ella Mae, a Weimeraner/Rhodesian cross as a young adult. When she passed on, my husband and I researched various breeds, and decided on a Golden Retriever.
I had so much fun with my first Golden puppy, Zach, and learned so much from him that I wanted to give back to the world he came from. So, I volunteered for Pacific Rim Golden Retriever Club, and Golden Bond Rescue for several years, and now volunteer for Bonnie Hays Shelter. I have had 2 pet assisted therapy dogs (Sunny and Duke - both have passed on), and Cooper will eventually be my third therapy dog when/if? he mellows out. Keep your fingers crossed for us!
After over 25 years being a sponge, soaking up as much as I could from our dogs, our foster dogs, rescues, clubs, vets, and all the wonderful dog parents that have become dear friends in the PDX area, I felt it was time to give back in a big way to my community.
I opened PetUtopia, a pet boutique in Beaverton. I started PetUtopia in order to fulfill my passions by providing a place for like-minded people to strengthen their bond with their pets and to do something to give back the joy that our animals give to us
You can see the fun we have in giving back to the community, with adoption outreach, fundraisers, and just plain fun by checking our events page: www.petutopia.com/events.htm.
- What Kind of Dog(s) Do You Have? What are their name(s)? It's nice to know.
- Bonnie: Bonnie was the light of my dad’s life. When he died, she had to transition into a new lifestyle. My husband and I flew Bonnie non-stop from the South, to the cold, wet NW. Although she adored us while we were in Texas, she wouldn’t speak to us for weeks after she arrived in Oregon. She hates the cold. She pleaded with every visitor to take her away from these cruel people in this cold, cold place.
She weighed over 100 pounds when we brought her home. We treated her for the mites that caused her demodectic mange, and started a weight loss and gentle exercise routine. She now weighs 80 pounds, and loves to go for short walks, as long as the walk has a purpose. She has finally adjusted to life with us in Oregon, and is now the Top Dog of our dog hierarchy.
Bonnie is my extremely aggressive chewer, and I am always on the lookout for suitable chew toys. I only give her toys to chew that are labeled as such. If she steals one of the boys' toys (which she often does), the game stops. Look for “*Bonnie Tested” to find toys for aggressive chewers! She is very picky about foods, so we often have food sampling parties at our house. She is a senior dog who also has hip and elbow dysplasia, and arthritis. We often try new supplements, etc. to maintain her quality of life as best we can.
Cooper: Cooper is my first puppy in 14 years. I had to have a Golden Retriever again. He is wonderful, and I love him with all my heart, but I forgot how much work it is to raise a puppy properly. He’s constantly into everything – I have to watch him 24/7. He is intelligent, handsome, mellow, and loving, and the apple of his mom’s eye. He loves everyone, and is in training to be my next pet assisted therapy dog.
I have the chance to start “from scratch” with him, so I am trying to do everything I can to raise him correctly. Cooper helped me realize I had better find ways to keep him busy, or he will find something to do on his own – and it might not be as constructive as Mom would like it to be. (Bonnie’s favorite way to keep him busy is to train him to hunt moles – ugh!)
We are always on the lookout for new ways to play together, whether it’s a new type of interactive toy, or bonding together during training. He’s not very selective about what he eats right now because he’s in a growth spurt. He believes every action deserves a reaction – a treat! So, we experiment with lots of different types of treats. Every toy, regardless of shape or form, is used to tease the other dogs (or people) into playing tug or chase.
Jake
Jake used to live next door. I often saw him run down our busy rural road in the morning to visit with another neighbor’s dog, then return home in the evening. He took a shortcut through our property, pausing to visit briefly with our dogs. I could tell during those brief visits that he was extremely intelligent, mellow, and a very lonely yellow Labrador Retriever. I couldn’t stand seeing him in danger any longer, so one day I walked over to the neighbor’s to talk to them about the dangers he was exposed to. The neighbor told me his previous owner moved out and left him behind. They were looking for a good home for him. “You just found one”, I told them. I leashed him up, and took him home. It didn’t take long before we realized he had two major problems, but weren’t sure exactly what they were …..
Our vet said Jake had the worst hip dysplasia she had ever seen, and sent us straight to the orthopedic surgeon. Three months after we got him, he had major surgery on both rear hips. He was about a year old, too young for hip replacement surgery, which is what he really needed. Instead, he had his hips “rebuilt” with “shelf surgery”. He never realized that he had the surgery; hence it was extremely difficult keeping him quiet during his long recovery. We crated him, and hired Julie, our wonderful pet sitter/dog walker/general helpmate when it comes to our dogs. She would come over and let him out of his crate briefly during the day. Many months later, Jake’s hips healed enough to let him stay out of the crate, but we soon realized his second major problem. He literally shredded anything in his quarters while we were at work. Our vet and a dog behaviorist helped us realize he had separation anxiety. He went back into the crate, coming out for short periods of time. It took many months of gradually increasing his time out of the crate before we could leave him out safely all day.
It was worth all the effort. Jake is one of the smartest, most wonderful dogs I have ever met. He never disobeys, loves everyone, and is such a joy to be around. He is also great taste tester, very discerning when it comes to food and treats. He loves a good round of tug, so he and his buds also are great tug toy testers. (All toys turn into tug toys at our house, so all toys have to be pretty sturdy in order to avoid becoming teensy pieces of fabric lying on the floor.)
- Why Did You Join This Network? This helps us meet needs and understand expectations.
- So many of my friends are members of this group! They all enjoy it, and ask me over and over to join. I just want to have some fun with others who believe so strongly in their pets!
- How did you find us?
- My friends!
- Website: Feel Free to Put Your Website in this Spot
- http://www.petutopia.com
- Favorite Dog Product(s)
- Waaaay too many to mention!
- Have you read the Community Guidelines, Terms of Use in the Notes Tab? This is very important to us all.
- Yes!
Margie Vincent-Roberts, Jake, Bonnie, and Cooper's Photos
© 2008 Created by Andrea Schneider
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Hope your had a wonderful day!
See you Saturday.
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