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	<title>GSDwest Rescue Forum</title>
	<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest</link>
	<description>GSDwest Rescue Forum</description>
	<ttl>60</ttl>
	<pubDate>Thur, 04 Dec 2008 03:29:08 GMT</pubDate>
	<item>
		<title>CA, north LA county - Soy, 4yr old female, high kill shelter</title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3143126</link>
		<description>&lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=3&gt;These dogs look amazing.&amp;nbsp; Maybe we could save them for the holidays?&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;&lt;TABLE class=ResultsTable align=center border=0&gt;&lt;TBODY&gt;&lt;TR align=middle&gt;&lt;TD class=TableContent2&gt;&lt;A title=&quot;Click on this picture to see more information about this animal&quot; href=&quot;http://www.petharbor.com/detail.asp?ID=A0998600&amp;amp;LOCATION=LACT4&amp;amp;searchtype=ADOPT&amp;amp;friends=1&amp;amp;samaritans=1&amp;amp;nosuccess=0&amp;amp;orderby=ID&amp;amp;rows=10&amp;amp;imght=120&amp;amp;imgres=thumb&amp;amp;view=sysadm.v_lact&amp;amp;bgcolor=white&amp;amp;text=blue&amp;amp;link=008000&amp;amp;alink=000000&amp;amp;vlink=FF6600&amp;amp;fontface=arial&amp;amp;fontsize=10&amp;amp;col_hdr_bg=ADD8E6&amp;amp;col_hdr_fg=white&amp;amp;col_bg=ADD8E6%20&amp;amp;col_fg=008000&amp;amp;SBG=ADD8E6&amp;amp;shelterlist='LACT4'&amp;amp;atype=&amp;amp;where=type_DOG,gender_f&quot; Alt=&quot;Click on this picture to see more information about this animal&quot; target=_blank&gt;&lt;IMG oncontextmenu=&quot;return false&quot; height=120 src=&quot;http://www.petharbor.com/get_image.asp?RES=thumb&amp;amp;ID=A0998600&amp;amp;LOCATION=LACT4&quot;&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;TD class=TableContent2&gt;&lt;B&gt;A0998600&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;/TBODY&gt;&lt;/TABLE&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;My name is Soy and I am an unaltered female, black and tan German Shepherd Dog.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;The shelter thinks I am about 4 years old.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;I have been at the shelter since Nov 26, 2008.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.laanimalservices.com/adoptapet_nc.htm&quot; target=_blank&gt;http://www.laanimalservices.com/adoptapet_nc.htm&lt;/A&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/b&gt; &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=115527&quot;&gt;Urgent&lt;/a&gt;
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:34:04 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>Kari</author>
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		<title>CA, north LA county - Daisy 7yr old unaltered female, high kill shelter</title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3143120</link>
		<description>Another beauty from LA.&amp;nbsp; &lt;A href=&quot;http://www.laanimalservices.com/adoptapet_nc.htm&quot; target=_blank&gt;http://www.laanimalservices.com/adoptapet_nc.htm&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;TABLE class=ResultsTable align=center border=0&gt;&lt;TBODY&gt;&lt;TR align=middle&gt;&lt;TD class=TableContent1&gt;&lt;A title=&quot;Click on this picture to see more information about this animal&quot; href=&quot;http://www.petharbor.com/detail.asp?ID=A0998580&amp;amp;LOCATION=LACT4&amp;amp;searchtype=ADOPT&amp;amp;friends=1&amp;amp;samaritans=1&amp;amp;nosuccess=0&amp;amp;orderby=ID&amp;amp;rows=10&amp;amp;imght=120&amp;amp;imgres=thumb&amp;amp;view=sysadm.v_lact&amp;amp;bgcolor=white&amp;amp;text=blue&amp;amp;link=008000&amp;amp;alink=000000&amp;amp;vlink=FF6600&amp;amp;fontface=arial&amp;amp;fontsize=10&amp;amp;col_hdr_bg=ADD8E6&amp;amp;col_hdr_fg=white&amp;amp;col_bg=ADD8E6%20&amp;amp;col_fg=008000&amp;amp;SBG=ADD8E6&amp;amp;shelterlist='LACT4'&amp;amp;atype=&amp;amp;where=type_DOG,gender_f&quot; target=_blank Alt=&quot;Click on this picture to see more information about this animal&quot; target=_blank&gt;&lt;IMG oncontextmenu=&quot;return false&quot; height=120 src=&quot;http://www.petharbor.com/get_image.asp?RES=thumb&amp;amp;ID=A0998580&amp;amp;LOCATION=LACT4&quot;&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;TD class=TableContent1&gt;&lt;B&gt;A0998580&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;/TBODY&gt;&lt;/TABLE&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;My name is Daisey and I am an unaltered female, black and tan German Shepherd Dog.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;The shelter thinks I am about 7 years old.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;I have been at the shelter since Nov 26, 2008.&lt;BR&gt; &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=115527&quot;&gt;Urgent&lt;/a&gt;
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:30:38 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>Kari</author>
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		<title>CA, north LA county - Princess needs rescued, high kill shelter</title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3143113</link>
		<description>Hi Everyone,&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;This is Princess, a beautiful spayed female the shelter thinks is a little over 1 year old.&amp;nbsp; Can any fosters/adopters fit her in anywhere?&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.laanimalservices.com/adoptapet_nc.htm&quot; target=_blank&gt;http://www.laanimalservices.com/adoptapet_nc.htm&lt;/A&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;FONT size=5&gt;PRINCESS&amp;nbsp;-&amp;nbsp;ID#A0997265&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/b&gt;My name is Princess and I am a spayed female, black and tan German Shepherd Dog.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;The shelter thinks I am about 1 year and 1 month old.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;I have been at the shelter since Nov 19, 2008. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;This information is less than 1 hour old. (as of 12:26pm MST, 12/2/08)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;TABLE class=ResultsTable align=center border=0&gt;&lt;TBODY&gt;&lt;TR align=middle&gt;&lt;TD class=TableContent1&gt;&lt;A title=&quot;Click on this picture to see more information about this animal&quot; href=&quot;http://www.petharbor.com/detail.asp?ID=A0997265&amp;amp;LOCATION=LACT4&amp;amp;searchtype=ADOPT&amp;amp;friends=1&amp;amp;samaritans=1&amp;amp;nosuccess=0&amp;amp;orderby=ID&amp;amp;rows=10&amp;amp;imght=120&amp;amp;imgres=thumb&amp;amp;view=sysadm.v_lact&amp;amp;bgcolor=white&amp;amp;text=blue&amp;amp;link=008000&amp;amp;alink=000000&amp;amp;vlink=FF6600&amp;amp;fontface=arial&amp;amp;fontsize=10&amp;amp;col_hdr_bg=ADD8E6&amp;amp;col_hdr_fg=white&amp;amp;col_bg=ADD8E6%20&amp;amp;col_fg=008000&amp;amp;SBG=ADD8E6&amp;amp;shelterlist='LACT4'&amp;amp;atype=&amp;amp;where=type_DOG,gender_f&quot; Alt=&quot;Click on this picture to see more information about this animal&quot; target=_blank&gt;&lt;IMG oncontextmenu=&quot;return false&quot; height=120 src=&quot;http://www.petharbor.com/get_image.asp?RES=thumb&amp;amp;ID=A0997265&amp;amp;LOCATION=LACT4&quot;&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;TD class=TableContent1&gt;&lt;B&gt;A0997265&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;TD class=TableContent1&gt;My name is Princess and I am a spayed female GSD.&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;/TBODY&gt;&lt;/TABLE&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=115527&quot;&gt;Urgent&lt;/a&gt;
</description>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:28:07 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>Kari</author>
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		<title>IN, Northwest - RANGER 3-4 yr old sable male</title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3132962</link>
		<description>RANGER&lt;br&gt;Ranger is a beautiful German Shepherd.  This sweet boy appears to be about 3-4 years old and probably weighs about 55 pounds.  It is very obvious that he has spent most if not all of his life outside.  Both ears are very fly-bitten and his coat looks as if it has never been touched by a brush.  He has huge clumps of dead fur that are just waiting to fall off.  He was very sweet and friendly with people and got along well with the other dogs.  He was loose outside with one of the other inmates (Tasha) and they got along well together.&lt;br&gt;RELEASED:  WEDNESDAY 12/03/08&lt;br&gt;Hi Everyone,&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;There are MANY dogs located at the NW IN high-kill shelter that are looking to be saved by rescue otherwise they will be euthanized. The shelter is currently closed until Monday, but please don't wait to let me know if you can help any of them.  We have alot of dogs to place and need to make transport arrangements as soon as possible.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please look at the information below and at the attached pictures...there are some new inmates.  These are all really GREAT dogs that deserve a chance at life and the only way they will get that chance is if they are saved by a rescue since this shelter does NOT do public adoptions!  They are all extremely limited on time, so please contact dawn6639@verizon.net as soon as possible if you can help any of them. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE SHELTER!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please crosspost to any other rescue that you think may be able to help.  We have very limited transport resources, but will do our best to help get them to the Chicagoland area if needed.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=115527&quot;&gt;Urgent&lt;/a&gt;
</description>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:28:20 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>caninepaean</author>
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		<title>KCK-2YR OLD MALE-OWNERS MOVING ABROAD</title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3131234</link>
		<description>Male German Shepherd (KCK)&lt;BR&gt;Reply to: comm-932991655@craigslist.org  &lt;BR&gt;Date: 2008-11-24, 7:32PM CST&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;2 year old neutered male German Shepherd. Command trained in German. Great with kids, not so much with other animals (we have cats and he likes to play rough). Must be re-homed due to move abroad. Not an outside only dog. Playful yet protective. &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Please serious inquires only. We had found a home for him but unfortunately it did not work out.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Location: KCK&lt;BR&gt;it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests&lt;BR&gt;PostingID: 932991655&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt; &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=115527&quot;&gt;Urgent&lt;/a&gt;
</description>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:25:53 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>caninepaean</author>
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		<title>OKATIE, S.C. ASHER NEEDS SURGERY chip in on page</title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3120337</link>
		<description>&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;http://www.noahs-arks.net/RESCUE/Asher.html&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Asher was to be euthanized the day he came into the shelter, with a broken femur. Despite the pain he was in, he had kisses and tail wags for everyone, and could not be convinced he was not a lap dog, despite being a large German Shepherd. A dog like Asher deserves to live- not to be euthanized due to a lack of funding, so Asher was rescued and is now awaiting surgery for his broken femur. Sadly, his surgery cost far more than anticipated, as he needs a plate to be put in to hold his leg together. Wont you please help us to pay for Asher's surgery, by chipping in ANY amount!! If everyone contributes, even just a little bit, we might have a prayer of reaching the $2000 we were just told the surgery will cost. Please pass this on to everyone you know. Every contact- every little bit will help... &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=123329&quot;&gt;Dogs needing financial aid&lt;/a&gt;
</description>
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		<pubDate>Thur, 20 Nov 2008 19:33:02 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>caninepaean</author>
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		<title>RESCUED:CA - Orange County XXUrgent, only has until 11/21</title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3115497</link>
		<description>Please contact: Tammy Osborn, Orange County Animal Care:&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Tammy Osborn&lt;BR&gt;Adoption Partner Coordinator&lt;BR&gt;OC Animal Care&lt;BR&gt;714-935-6885 (direct)&lt;BR&gt;714-935-6848 (main line)&lt;BR&gt;714-935-6373 (fax)&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://us.mc903.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=tosborn%40ochca.com&quot; target=_blank rel=nofollow ymailto=&quot;mailto:tosborn%40ochca.com&quot; target=_blank&gt;tosborn@ochca. com&lt;/A&gt; @ ochca.com&lt;BR&gt;Visit our website: www.ocpetinfo. com&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;A0927834 This young male dog just came in. He looks like a purebred. He&lt;BR&gt;was found in a park in this condition. He has a large patch of skin missing&lt;BR&gt;from his left side. It is a very bad degloving injury that has left his&lt;BR&gt;muscles exposed on that side of his chest. We cleaned it up and removed the maggots, but there is not a lot else that can be done. It is likely&lt;BR&gt;something that will needs a skin graft or something major to repair it. The&lt;BR&gt;dog is young and friendly, but we have to decide if it is fair to maintain&lt;BR&gt;him in this condition if there is no one to come for him after the four day&lt;BR&gt;holding period. Please contact me by tomorrow morning, if you can make&lt;BR&gt;arrangements to pick him up after his retention, if not claimed by his owner&lt;BR&gt;We will treat him until Friday if someone will commit to taking him. He&lt;BR&gt;is getting IV fluids, antibiotics and pain meds at this time.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt; &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=115530&quot;&gt;Adopted, Rescued or Reclaimed&lt;/a&gt;
</description>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:28:32 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>Kari</author>
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		<title>Tx, Beaumont :  GSD Girl 1 yr </title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3113613</link>
		<description>Got this by e-mail today . Is there anyone in The area that can take this girl . I don't have pictures but I will write and ask for some . &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;DIV style=&quot;FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif&quot;&gt;&lt;DIV&gt;&lt;P class=MsoNormal style=&quot;MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt&quot;&gt;&lt;A name=OLE_LINK2 target=_blank&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;A name=OLE_LINK1 target=_blank&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;COLOR: black&quot;&gt;Hello my name is Marcie Hobson I am in animal rescue in &lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;COLOR: black&quot;&gt;Beaumont&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;COLOR: black&quot;&gt; Texas&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;COLOR: black&quot;&gt;.&amp;nbsp; It is PAWS a no kill facility. I was at the local pound today and there&amp;nbsp;was&amp;nbsp;a beautiful female German shepherd. I could not pass her up. That is how wonderful she is. She looks to not be any older then 1year old. I was wondering if &lt;SPAN class=mark&gt;&lt;SPAN id=misspell-2&gt;ya'll&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt; are taking any dogs. We are going to try to get her adopted through us. Well will spay her and update her on all her shots. Now if you know of anyone that can help us in placing her that would be wonderful. I only ask because today the pound was full and we have very little space. I am trying to get the pure breeds placed so we can focus on the mixes. Anything would be helpful. Thank you for taking the time to read my email. &lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P class=MsoNormal style=&quot;MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;COLOR: black&quot;&gt;Thank You,&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P class=MsoNormal style=&quot;MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;COLOR: black&quot;&gt;Marcie Hobson&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P class=MsoNormal style=&quot;MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;COLOR: black&quot;&gt;Kennel Director&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P class=MsoNormal style=&quot;MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;COLOR: black&quot;&gt;Pinewoods Animal Welfare Society&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P class=MsoNormal style=&quot;MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;COLOR: black&quot;&gt;409-651-7599&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P class=MsoNormal style=&quot;MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;COLOR: black&quot;&gt;409-385-5472&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;P class=MsoNormal style=&quot;MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1&quot;&gt;&lt;SPAN style=&quot;COLOR: black&quot;&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;mailto:marciehobson@yahoo.com&quot; target=_blank&gt;marciehobson@yahoo.com&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt; &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=115527&quot;&gt;Urgent&lt;/a&gt;
</description>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3113613</guid>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:20:20 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>Connie</author>
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		<title>NE - Kearney Adult Male (Rin Tin Tin) needs rescued</title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3113575</link>
		<description>&lt;FONT face=&quot;arial, helvetica, sans-serif&quot; color=#000000 size=3&gt;This big beautiful boy looks so thin.&amp;nbsp; Do we have any volunteers that can pull him our of this shelter in Nebraska and make sure he is being taken care of?&amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=3&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=3&gt;Petfinder.com information:&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;FONT color=#634e9e size=3&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12303645&quot; target=_blank&gt;http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12303645&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;FONT color=#634e9e size=3&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;FONT color=#634e9e size=3&gt;Rin Tin Tin &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;A id=shelter_name_in_title href=&quot;http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NE59.html&quot; s_oc=&quot;null&quot; target=_blank&gt;&lt;FONT color=#634e9e&gt;Kearney Area Humane Society&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;, Kearney, NE &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;javascript:void(window.open('http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/photoView.cgi?petid=12303645','Photo1','height=660,width=778,left=20,top=100,screenx=200,screeny=100,scrollbars=yes'))&quot; s_oc=&quot;null&quot; target=_blank&gt;&lt;IMG class=pet_image alt=&quot;German Shepherd Dog Picture&quot; src=&quot;http://photocache.petfinder.com/fotos/NE59/1225750398/NE59.12303645-1-pn.jpg&quot; name=masterPhoto&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;More About Rin Tin Tin&lt;br&gt;I am a big German Shepherd with a big heart! &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;DIV class=left style=&quot;CLEAR: both&quot;&gt;&lt;P style=&quot;MARGIN: 10px 0px&quot;&gt;This pet is up to date with routine shots. &lt;BR&gt;This pet has been altered. &lt;/P&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;DIV class=pn_contact style=&quot;DISPLAY: block&quot;&gt;&lt;UL&gt;&lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NE59.html&quot; s_oc=&quot;null&quot; target=_blank&gt;&lt;FONT color=#634e9e&gt;Kearney Area Humane Society&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt; &lt;LI&gt;Kearney, NE &lt;LI&gt;308-237-7387 &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=115527&quot;&gt;Urgent&lt;/a&gt;
</description>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:56:12 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>Kari</author>
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		<title>WY - Casper Adult Females (Hera - 877740)(Rhea - 905273) need rescued</title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3113548</link>
		<description>Hera and her sister Rhea are in the Casper Humane Society in Wyoming.&amp;nbsp; Do we have any foster homes with room for one or both of these beautiful girls?&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Petfinder.com information:&lt;br&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=11848264&quot; target=_blank&gt;http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=11848264&lt;/A&gt;&lt;br&gt;More About Hera&lt;br&gt;Hera and her sister Rhea were given up when their owner could no longer care for them due to illness. Hera is described as a protective, one-person pet that likes to play with soccer balls and spend time in the water. Neither dog has been around children, and therefore, probably will not make good family pets. Instead, they are best suited for an individual or a couple. They were raised since puppies by a woman and are most used to being around women. Her adoption fee is $250.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;javascript:void(window.open('http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/photoView.cgi?petid=11848264','Photo1','height=660,width=778,left=20,top=100,screenx=200,screeny=100,scrollbars=yes'))&quot; s_oc=&quot;null&quot; target=_blank&gt;&lt;IMG class=pet_image alt=&quot;German Shepherd Dog Picture&quot; src=&quot;http://photocache.petfinder.com/fotos/WY39/1226810459/WY39.11848264-1-pn.jpg&quot; name=masterPhoto&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;javascript:void(window.open('http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/photoView.cgi?petid=11848264','Photo1','height=660,width=778,left=20,top=100,screenx=200,screeny=100,scrollbars=yes'))&quot; s_oc=&quot;null&quot; target=_blank&gt;&lt;IMG class=pet_image alt=&quot;German Shepherd Dog Picture&quot; src=&quot;http://photocache.petfinder.com/fotos/WY39/1226810459/WY39.11848264-2-pn.jpg&quot; name=masterPhoto&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;This pet is already house trained. &lt;BR&gt;This pet has been altered. &lt;br&gt;&lt;DIV class=pn_contact style=&quot;DISPLAY: block&quot;&gt;&lt;UL&gt;&lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/WY39.html&quot; s_oc=&quot;null&quot; target=_blank&gt;&lt;FONT color=#634e9e&gt;Casper Humane Society&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt; &lt;LI&gt;Casper, WY &lt;LI&gt;307-265-5439 &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt;Petfinder.com information:&lt;br&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=11935458&quot; target=_blank&gt;http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=11935458&lt;/A&gt;&lt;br&gt;More About Rhea&lt;br&gt;Rhea and her sister were raised as puppies by a woman who could no longer care for them because of illness. Neither dog has been around children, and therefore, will not make a good pet for families with kids. Rhea is described as an active, playful one-person pet. She likes playing with soccer balls and playing in the water. She is housebroken and will make a protective companion for a couple or individual, particularly an active, strong yet caring woman. Her adoption fee is $250.&lt;br&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;javascript:void(window.open('http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/photoView.cgi?petid=11935458','Photo1','height=660,width=778,left=20,top=100,screenx=200,screeny=100,scrollbars=yes'))&quot; s_oc=&quot;null&quot; target=_blank&gt;&lt;IMG class=pet_image alt=&quot;German Shepherd Dog Picture&quot; src=&quot;http://photocache.petfinder.com/fotos/WY39/1226810459/WY39.11935458-1-pn.jpg&quot; name=masterPhoto&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;javascript:void(window.open('http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/photoView.cgi?petid=11935458','Photo1','height=660,width=778,left=20,top=100,screenx=200,screeny=100,scrollbars=yes'))&quot; s_oc=&quot;null&quot; target=_blank&gt;&lt;IMG class=pet_image alt=&quot;German Shepherd Dog Picture&quot; src=&quot;http://photocache.petfinder.com/fotos/WY39/1226810459/WY39.11935458-2-pn.jpg&quot; name=masterPhoto&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;This pet is already house trained. &lt;BR&gt;This pet has been altered. &lt;br&gt;&lt;DIV class=pn_contact style=&quot;DISPLAY: block&quot;&gt;&lt;UL&gt;&lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/WY39.html&quot; s_oc=&quot;null&quot; target=_blank&gt;&lt;FONT color=#634e9e&gt;Casper Humane Society&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt; &lt;LI&gt;Casper, WY &lt;LI&gt;307-265-5439 &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=115527&quot;&gt;Urgent&lt;/a&gt;
</description>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:46:47 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>Kari</author>
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		<title>NM - Albuquerque 1yr Female (Freya-A144476) needs rescued</title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3113506</link>
		<description>&lt;FONT face=&quot;arial, helvetica, sans-serif&quot; color=#000000 size=3&gt;Freya is in the Animal Shelter in Albuquerque, NM. Please help her if you can.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;FONT color=#634e9e size=3&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;FONT color=#634e9e size=3&gt;Petfinder information:&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12239477&quot; target=_blank&gt;http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12239477&lt;/A&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;FONT color=#634e9e size=3&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;FONT color=#634e9e size=3&gt;Freya &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;H1&gt;Pet ID: A144476 &lt;/H1&gt;&lt;A id=shelter_name_in_title href=&quot;http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NM59.html&quot; s_oc=&quot;null&quot; target=_blank&gt;Animal Humane | New Mexico&lt;/A&gt;, Albuquerque, NM &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;javascript:void(window.open('http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/photoView.cgi?petid=12239477','Photo1','height=660,width=778,left=20,top=100,screenx=200,screeny=100,scrollbars=yes'))&quot; s_oc=&quot;null&quot; target=_blank&gt;&lt;IMG class=pet_image alt=&quot;German Shepherd Dog Picture&quot; src=&quot;http://photocache.petfinder.com/fotos/NM59/1225035301/NM59.12239477-1-pn.jpg&quot; name=masterPhoto&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;More About Freya&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;FREYA - ID#A144476 I am a spayed female, black and tan German Shepherd Dog. The shelter staff think I am about 1 years and 0 months old. I have been at the shelter since Oct 21, 2008. I'm am Freya, a gorgeous girl who just needs to find the right home! I am a sweet, affectionate 1 year old who is still such a puppy at heart. I didn't get along very well with the other dog in my old home. I'm not sure how I feel about other dogs, but I love adults, and I am good with cats. I love to play! I am housebroken, good on a leash, and I even know sit! Please come see me! &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;DIV class=left style=&quot;CLEAR: both&quot;&gt;&lt;P style=&quot;MARGIN: 10px 0px&quot;&gt;This pet is up to date with routine shots. &lt;BR&gt;This pet is already house trained. &lt;BR&gt;This pet has been altered. &lt;/P&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;DIV class=pn_contact style=&quot;DISPLAY: block&quot;&gt;&lt;UL&gt;&lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NM59.html&quot; s_oc=&quot;null&quot; target=_blank&gt;Animal Humane | New Mexico&lt;/A&gt; &lt;LI&gt;Albuquerque, NM &lt;LI&gt;(505) 255-5523 &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=115527&quot;&gt;Urgent&lt;/a&gt;
</description>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:27:40 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>Kari</author>
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		<title>KS - Hugoton Young Female (Fancie) in need of rescue</title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3113477</link>
		<description>This little girl is in the Hugoton Animal Shelter in Kansas.&amp;nbsp; Do we have any volunteers in the area that can pull her from this shelter or any foster homes willing to help her out?&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Information from Petfinder:&amp;nbsp; &lt;A href=&quot;http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12355928&quot; target=_blank target=_blank&gt;http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=12355928&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;javascript:void(window.open('http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/photoView.cgi?petid=12355928','Photo1','height=660,width=778,left=20,top=100,screenx=200,screeny=100,scrollbars=yes'))&quot; target=_blank s_oc=&quot;null&quot; target=_blank&gt;&lt;IMG class=pet_image alt=&quot;German Shepherd Dog Picture&quot; src=&quot;http://photocache.petfinder.com/fotos/KS79/1226929964/KS79.12355928-1-pn.jpg&quot; name=masterPhoto&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;H3 class=left&gt;More About Fancie&lt;/H3&gt;&lt;DIV id=descriptionHere&gt;I am young energetic and intelligent . I enjoy lots of loven and playen.&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;DIV class=left style=&quot;HEIGHT: auto&quot;&gt;&lt;SCRIPT type=text/javascript&gt;          var iframeDocument = loadDescription(&quot;descriptionFrame&quot;, &quot;descriptionHere&quot;);          var contents='&lt;!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC &quot;-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN&quot; &quot;http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd&quot;&gt;&lt;html xmlns=&quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml&quot; xml:lang=&quot;en&quot;&gt;&lt;body style=&quot;font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;&quot; ' +     'onload=&quot;parent.setIframeHeight(\'descriptionFrame\', this.document)&quot; &gt;\n';          var contents2 = '';                      contents2 += 'I am young energetic and intelligent . I enjoy lots of loven and playen.\n';                    contents += contents2 + '&lt;/body&gt;&lt;/html&gt;';          if (iframeDocument == false) {            // for opera and other browsers w/out access to iframe, write to div instead            document.write(contents2);            // document.getElementById(&quot;descriptionHere&quot;).innerHTML = contents2;          }          else {            iframeDocument.open('text/html', 1);            iframeDocument.write(contents);            iframeDocument.close();          }        &lt;/SCRIPT&gt;&lt;NOSCRIPT&gt;I am young energetic and intelligent . I enjoy lots of loven and playen.&lt;/NOSCRIPT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;DIV class=left style=&quot;CLEAR: both&quot;&gt;&lt;P style=&quot;MARGIN: 10px 0px&quot;&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;DIV class=pn_contact style=&quot;DISPLAY: block&quot;&gt;&lt;UL&gt;&lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/KS79.html&quot; target=_blank s_oc=&quot;null&quot; target=_blank&gt;Hugoton Animal Shelter&lt;/A&gt; &lt;LI&gt;Hugoton, KS &lt;LI&gt;620-544-4959 &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=115527&quot;&gt;Urgent&lt;/a&gt;
</description>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:17:32 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>Kari</author>
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		<title>pediatric and early spay /neuter </title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3107451</link>
		<description>&lt;br&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html&quot; target=_blank&gt;http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html&lt;/A&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0&gt;&lt;TBODY&gt;&lt;TR&gt;&lt;TD vAlign=top width=&quot;60%&quot;&gt;&lt;FONT face=Helvetica,Arial,Verdana,sans-serif&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000099 size=+2&gt;&lt;B&gt;Early Spay-Neuter Considerations &lt;BR&gt;for the Canine Athlete&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT color=#000099 size=+1&gt;&lt;B&gt;One Veterinarian's Opinion&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;I&gt;&lt;FONT size=+1&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.caninesports.com/biograph.html&quot; target=_blank&gt; 2005 Chris Zink DVM, PhD, DACVP&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/I&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;P align=center&gt;&lt;IMG height=67 alt=&quot;Neuter or not?&quot; src=&quot;http://www.caninesports.com/images/skatedog.gif&quot; width=106 border=0&gt; &lt;br&gt;Those of us with responsibility for the health of canine athletes need to continually read and evaluate new scientific studies to ensure that we are taking the most appropriate care of our performance dogs. This article provides evidence through a number of recent studies to suggest that veterinarians and owners working with canine athletes should revisit the standard protocol in which all dogs that are not intended for breeding are spayed and neutered at or before 6 months of age. &lt;H3&gt;Orthopedic Considerations&lt;/H3&gt;A study by Salmeri &lt;I&gt;et al&lt;/I&gt; in 1991 found that bitches spayed at 7 weeks grew significantly taller than those spayed at 7 months, who were taller than those not spayed (or presumably spayed after the growth plates had closed).(1) A study of 1444 Golden Retrievers performed in 1998 and 1999 also found bitches and dogs spayed and neutered at less than a year of age were significantly taller than those spayed or neutered at more than a year of age.(2) The sex hormones, by communicating with a number of other growth-related hormones, promote the closure of the growth plates at puberty (3), so the bones of dogs or bitches neutered or spayed before puberty continue to grow. Dogs that have been spayed or neutered well before puberty can frequently be identified by their longer limbs, lighter bone structure, narrow chests and narrow skulls. This abnormal growth frequently results in significant alterations in body proportions and particularly the lengths (and therefore weights) of certain bones relative to others. For example, if the femur has achieved its genetically determined normal length at 8 months when a dog gets spayed or neutered, but the tibia, which normally stops growing at 12 to 14 months of age continues to grow, then an abnormal angle may develop at the stifle. In addition, with the extra growth, the lower leg below the stifle likely becomes heavier (because it is longer), and may cause increased stresses on the cranial cruciate ligament. In addition, sex hormones are critical for achieving peak bone density.(4) These structural and physiological alterations may be the reason why at least one recent study showed that spayed and neutered dogs had a higher incidence of &lt;FONT color=#ff0000&gt;CCL rupture&lt;/FONT&gt;.(5) Another recent study showed that dogs spayed or neutered before 5 1/2 months had a significantly higher incidence of &lt;FONT color=#ff0000&gt;hip dysplasia&lt;/FONT&gt; than those spayed or neutered after 5 1/2 months of age, although it should be noted that in this study there were no standard criteria for the diagnosis of hip dysplasia.(6) Nonetheless, breeders of purebred dogs should be cognizant of these studies and should consider whether or not pups they bred were spayed or neutered when considering breeding decisions. &lt;H3&gt;Cancer Considerations&lt;/H3&gt;A retrospective study of cardiac tumors in dogs showed that there was a 5 times greater risk of &lt;FONT color=#ff0000&gt;hemangiosarcoma&lt;/FONT&gt;, one of the three most common cancers in dogs, in spayed bitches than intact bitches and a 2.4 times greater risk of hemangiosarcoma in neutered dogs as compared to intact males.(7) A study of 3218 dogs demonstrated that dogs that were neutered before a year of age had a significantly increased chance of developing &lt;FONT color=#ff0000&gt;bone cancer&lt;/FONT&gt;.(8) A separate study showed that neutered dogs had a two-fold higher risk of developing bone cancer.(9) Despite the common belief that neutering dogs helps prevent prostate cancer, at least one study suggests that neutering provides no benefit.(10) There certainly is evidence of a slightly increased risk of mammary cancer in female dogs after one heat cycle, and for increased risk with each subsequent heat. While about 30 % of mammary cancers are malignant, as in humans, when caught and surgically removed early the prognosis is very good.(12) Luckily, canine athletes are handled frequently and generally receive prompt veterinary care. &lt;H3&gt;Behavioral Considerations&lt;/H3&gt;The study that identified a higher incidence of cranial cruciate ligament rupture in spayed or neutered dogs also identified an increased incidence of &lt;FONT color=#ff0000&gt;sexual behaviors in males and females&lt;/FONT&gt; that were neutered early.(5) Further, the study that identified a higher incidence of hip dysplasia in dogs neutered or spayed before 5 1/2 months also showed that early age gonadectomy was associated with an increased incidence of &lt;FONT color=#ff0000&gt;noise phobias and undesirable sexual behaviors&lt;/FONT&gt;.(6) A recent report of the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation reported significantly more behavioral problems in spayed and neutered bitches and dogs. The most commonly observed behavioral problem in spayed females was &lt;FONT color=#ff0000&gt;fearful behavior&lt;/FONT&gt; and the most common problem in males was &lt;FONT color=#ff0000&gt;aggression&lt;/FONT&gt;.(12) &lt;H3&gt;Other Health Considerations&lt;/H3&gt;A number of studies have shown that there is an increase in the incidence of &lt;FONT color=#ff0000&gt;female urinary incontinence&lt;/FONT&gt; in dogs spayed early (13), although this finding has not been universal. Certainly there is evidence that ovarian hormones are critical for maintenance of genital tissue structure and contractility.(14, 15) Neutering also has been associated with an increased likelihood of &lt;FONT color=#ff0000&gt;urethral sphincter incontinence&lt;/FONT&gt; in males.(16) This problem is an inconvenience, and not usually life-threatening, but nonetheless one that requires the dog to be medicated for life. A health survey of several thousand Golden Retrievers showed that spayed or neutered dogs were more likely to develop &lt;FONT color=#ff0000&gt;hypothyroidism&lt;/FONT&gt;.(2) This study is consistent with the results of another study in which neutering and spaying was determined to be the most significant gender-associated risk factor for development of hypothyroidism.(17) &lt;FONT color=#ff0000&gt;Infectious diseases&lt;/FONT&gt; were more common in dogs that were spayed or neutered at 24 weeks or less as opposed to those undergoing gonadectomy at more than 24 weeks.(18) Finally, the AKC-CHF report demonstrated a higher incidence of &lt;FONT color=#ff0000&gt;adverse reactions to vaccines&lt;/FONT&gt; in neutered dogs as compared to intact.(12) &lt;P align=center&gt;&lt;IMG height=108 alt=&quot;To spay or not to spay&quot; src=&quot;http://www.caninesports.com/images/Spay.gif&quot; width=240 border=0&gt; &lt;/P&gt;I have gathered these studies to show that our practice of routinely spaying or neutering every dog at or before the age of 6 months is not a black-and-white issue. Clearly more studies need to be done to evaluate the effects of prepubertal spaying and neutering, particularly in canine athletes.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Currently, I have significant concerns with spaying or neutering canine athletes before puberty. But of course, there is the pet overpopulation problem. How can we prevent the production of unwanted dogs while still leaving the gonads to produce the hormones that are so important to canine growth and development? One answer would be to perform vasectomies in males and tubal ligation in females, to be followed after maturity by ovariohysterectomy in females to prevent mammary cancer and pyometra. One possible disadvantage is that vasectomy does not prevent some unwanted behaviors associated with males such as marking and humping. On the other hand, females and neutered males frequently participate in these behaviors too. Really, training is the best solution for these issues. Another possible disadvantage is finding a veterinarian who is experienced in performing these procedures. Nonetheless, some do, and if the procedures were in greater demand, more veterinarians would learn them.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;I believe it is important that we assess each situation individually. For canine athletes, I currently recommend that dogs and bitches be spayed or neutered after 14 months of age.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;H3&gt;References:&lt;/H3&gt;&lt;OL&gt;&lt;LI&gt;Salmeri KR, Bloomberg MS, Scruggs SL, Shille V.. Gonadectomy in immature dogs: effects on skeletal, physical, and behavioral development. &lt;I&gt;JAVMA&lt;/I&gt; 1991;198:1193-1203 &lt;LI&gt;http://www.grca.org/healthsurvey.pdf &lt;LI&gt;Grumbach MM. Estrogen, bone, growth and sex: a sea change in conventional wisdom. &lt;I&gt;J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab.&lt;/I&gt; 2000;13 Suppl 6:1439-55. &lt;LI&gt;Gilsanz V, Roe TF, Gibbens DT, Schulz EE, Carlson ME, Gonzalez O, Boechat MI. Effect of sex steroids on peak bone density of growing rabbits. &lt;I&gt;Am J Physiol.&lt;/I&gt; 1988 Oct;255(4 Pt 1):E416-21. &lt;LI&gt;Slauterbeck JR, Pankratz K, Xu KT, Bozeman SC, Hardy DM. Canine ovariohysterectomy and orchiectomy increases the prevalence of ACL injury. &lt;I&gt;Clin Orthop Relat Res.&lt;/I&gt; 2004 Dec;(429):301-5. &lt;LI&gt;Spain CV, Scarlett JM, Houpt KA. Long-term risks and benefits of early-age gonadectomy in dogs. &lt;I&gt;JAVMA&lt;/I&gt; 2004;224:380-387. &lt;LI&gt;Ware WA, Hopper DL. Cardiac tumors in dogs: 1982-1995. &lt;I&gt;J Vet Intern Med&lt;/I&gt; 1999 Mar-Apr;13(2):95-103 &lt;LI&gt;Cooley DM, Beranek BC, Schlittler DL, Glickman NW, Glickman LT, Waters D, &lt;I&gt;Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. &lt;/I&gt;2002 Nov;11(11):1434-40 &lt;LI&gt;Ru G, Terracini B, Glickman LT. Host related risk factors for canine osteosarcoma. &lt;I&gt;Vet J. &lt;/I&gt;1998 Jul;156(1):31-9. &lt;LI&gt;Obradovich J, Walshaw R, Goullaud E. The influence of castration on the development of prostatic carcinoma in the dog. 43 cases (1978-1985). &lt;I&gt;J Vet Intern Med&lt;/I&gt; 1987 Oct-Dec;1(4):183-7 &lt;LI&gt;http://www.akcchf.org/pdfs/whitepapers/Biennial_National_Parent_Club_Canine_Health_Conference.pdf &lt;LI&gt;Meuten DJ. &lt;I&gt;Tumors in Domestic Animals&lt;/I&gt;. 4th Edn. Iowa State Press, Blackwell Publishing Company, Ames, Iowa, p. 575 &lt;LI&gt;Stocklin-Gautschi NM, Hassig M, Reichler IM, Hubler M, Arnold S. The relationship of urinary incontinence to early spaying in bitches. &lt;I&gt;J. Reprod. Fertil.&lt;/I&gt; Suppl. 57:233-6, 2001 &lt;LI&gt;Pessina MA, Hoyt RF Jr, Goldstein I, Traish AM. Differential effects of estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone on vaginal structural integrity. &lt;I&gt;Endocrinology&lt;/I&gt;. 2006 Jan;147(1):61-9. &lt;LI&gt;Kim NN, Min K, Pessina MA, Munarriz R, Goldstein I, Traish AM. Effects of ovariectomy and steroid hormones on vaginal smooth muscle contractility. &lt;I&gt;Int J Impot Res&lt;/I&gt;. 2004 Feb;16(1):43-50. &lt;LI&gt;Aaron A, Eggleton K, Power C, Holt PE. Urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence in male dogs: a retrospective analysis of 54 cases. &lt;I&gt;Vet Rec&lt;/I&gt;. 139:542-6, 1996 &lt;LI&gt;Panciera DL. Hypothyroidism in dogs: 66 cases (1987-1992). &lt;I&gt;J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc.&lt;/I&gt;, 204:761-7 1994 &lt;LI&gt;Howe LM, Slater MR, Boothe HW, Hobson HP, Holcom JL, Spann AC. Long-term outcome of gonadectomy performed at an early age or traditional age in dogs. &lt;I&gt;J Am Vet Med Assoc. &lt;/I&gt;2001 Jan 15;218(2):217-21. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/OL&gt;This article is available for download in Adobe Acrobat PDF format &lt;A href=&quot;http://www.caninesports.com/EarlySpayConsiderations.pdf&quot; target=_blank&gt;Early Spay Considerations (pdf)&lt;/A&gt;. &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;HR width=400 color=#000099 noShade SIZE=1&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;DIV align=center&gt;&lt;FONT face=Technical,Verdana,sans-serif&gt;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.caninesports.com/index.html&quot; target=_blank&gt;Home&lt;/A&gt;&amp;nbsp;|&amp;nbsp;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.caninesports.com/excerpts.html&quot; target=_blank&gt;Articles &amp;amp; Book Excerpts&lt;/A&gt;&amp;nbsp;|&amp;nbsp;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.caninesports.com/books.html&quot; target=_blank&gt;Books&lt;/A&gt;&amp;nbsp;|&amp;nbsp;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.caninesports.com/biograph.html&quot; target=_blank&gt;Biographical Sketches&lt;/A&gt;&amp;nbsp;|&amp;nbsp;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.caninesports.com/seminars.html&quot; target=_blank&gt;Upcoming Seminars&lt;/A&gt;&amp;nbsp;|&amp;nbsp;&lt;A href=&quot;http://www.caninesports.com/links.html&quot; target=_blank&gt;Links&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Original website design by &lt;A href=&quot;http://www.ddgraphix.com/&quot; target=_blank&gt;DD Graphix&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;TD width=&quot;20%&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;/TBODY&gt;&lt;/TABLE&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=118359&quot;&gt;Health Issues and Questions&lt;/a&gt;
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		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:43:03 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>Connie</author>
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		<title>RESCUED:CA-UPLAND-PARALYZED 8 WEEK OLD-EUTH TODAY!!</title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3102672</link>
		<description>&lt;P&gt;Can you please post the story of this 8 week old German Shepherd male&lt;BR&gt;puppy, who was brought into a small animal shelter in Upland, CA&lt;BR&gt;Because the shelter is small, there is no funding to help the puppy, &lt;BR&gt;and&lt;BR&gt;they will euthanize him today or tomorrow if a rescue group does not&lt;BR&gt;take him.&amp;nbsp; The staff believes that he was born with paralyzed hind &lt;BR&gt;legs.&lt;BR&gt;Otherwise, he is a healthy, happy puppy, who is very social with &lt;BR&gt;people,&lt;BR&gt;other dogs and cats.&amp;nbsp; A volunteer at the shelter who is also a dog&lt;BR&gt;trainer had him out in the play yard yesterday, and he asked me to &lt;BR&gt;reach&lt;BR&gt;out to the rescue groups in the Los Angeles County area.&amp;nbsp; Here is the&lt;BR&gt;contact info&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Ask for Arlene&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Upland Animal Shelter &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Address:&amp;nbsp; &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;860 E 15th St, Upland, CA 91786 &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Phone:&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;(909) 931-4185&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Thank you for your help!&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=115530&quot;&gt;Adopted, Rescued or Reclaimed&lt;/a&gt;
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		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:32:25 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>myamom</author>
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		<title>California: S Coastal Orange CountyRuby, </title>
		<link>http://forums.gsdwest.com/tool/post/gsdwest/vpost?id=3101231</link>
		<description>Subject: Ruby.doc&lt;br&gt;Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:15:53 -0800&lt;br&gt;From: &quot;Laurie Mecca&quot; &lt;lmecca@ptwww.com&gt;&lt;br&gt;To: &lt;ljmecca@cox.net&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Please help this three year old female German Shepherd, that is&lt;br&gt;available for adoption.  Another &lt;br&gt;situation with the family having kids and putting this needy dog in the&lt;br&gt;back seat.  Ruby has been&lt;br&gt;going to Day Care at The Bone Adventure in Costa Mesa for the past two&lt;br&gt;years.  She is a &lt;br&gt;wonderful dog, but has some separation issues.  It is believed that if&lt;br&gt;she could get into a stable &lt;br&gt;and loving environment that she would become a great pet.  She needs a&lt;br&gt;family environment and &lt;br&gt;will not do well being an outdoor dog.  She needs to be part of a loving family, as should all dogs!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;See the pictures below.. For more info, call Diane Cuniff at The Bone&lt;br&gt;Adventure (949) 650-2692  &lt;p&gt;Forum: &lt;a href=&quot;http://forums.gsdwest.com/mb/gsdwest?forum=115527&quot;&gt;Urgent&lt;/a&gt;
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		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:26:07 GMT</pubDate>
		<author>caninepaean</author>
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