Adoption Day at Natural Pawz

Barrio Dogs had a wonderful adoption day at Natural Pawz in Bellaire at the end of January 2012. We had good luck with fosters and adopters but need more. If you are interested, please contact us at info@barriodogs.org.

Therapy Dogs at Devotions

Devotions Nursing and Hospital Care received a visit from Therapy Rescue dog Chloe. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Brittany Meyn at brittany@barriodogs.org.

Barrio Dogs' Community Education

Some of our recent community education events at area schools.

Maria Ivanez with our Therapy & Education Rescues, Hap & Henry, at KIPP Elementary n Houston's East End

YAP (Youth and Paws) at Browning Elementary with Jennifer Washam and R.E.A.D. (Rescue Education Ambassador Dog) Chloe

Tales to Tails with R.E.A.D. Chloe at Browning Elementary

Chloe and Hap: Our Therapy Dogs

Also in attendance at our recent Pet Awareness Event at Stephanie's were community heroes Chloe, Rescue Education Ambassador Dog (R.E.A.D.), and Hap, Therapy Dog. These two rescued dogs do extraordinary work by giving back to the community through our various therapy programs.

If you are interested in volunteering for any therapy programs, please contact:
 
Susan Greene, Education Administrator – susan@barriodogs.org
Jennifer Washam, Tales to Tails Coordinator – jennifer@barriodogs.org
Brittany Meyn, Therapy Coordinator - brittany@barriodogs.org

Barrio Dogs' Pet Awareness Event

We want to thank Stephanie’s Ice House in Houston for allowing us to have our very first Barrio Dogs' Pet Awareness Event on January 21, 2012. The event's purpose was to educate and raise awareness of the horrific conditions of animal abandonment, neglect and abuse in the Mason/Magnolia Park area. We had many old and new friends attending and the event was a great success.

Big thanks to the Norma Zenteno Band for performing. Special thanks to Blue Line Bike Shop, Carmen Macias and Mike & Gina Moreno for the donated raffle items. We were blessed by courtesy photographers Megan Batson and Gwen Juarez. Thank you also to Ernie Zenteno for the veggie kabobs and to our wonderful Barrio Dogs volunteers and supporters.

We have new Barrio Dogs education literature in English and Spanish that will soon be available on our website. Please support our education campaign: Spay & Neuter Your Pets, Leash Your Dogs and No More Chains. If you need any literature right now, please contact us at info@barriodog.org.

An important part of our event was to recognize some outstanding community heroes who are working hard to make a difference in the lives of homeless and abandoned dogs throughout the city. We were proud to be able to recognize these people; please continue to get to know and support them as well.

Estelle Mack, Independent Rescuer, Third Ward.
June Rodriquez, Houston Indie Dog Rescue, all communities.
Kelle Mann Davis, Fifth Ward Dogs/Cats Forgotten, Fifth Ward
Anna Bermudez, Independent Rescuer & Barrio Dogs Community Leader, Near Northside
Emily Crossley, Backstreet Brutality & Relief Rescue.

Emily Crossley, Anna Bermudez, Gloria Medina Zenteno, Kelle Mann Davis, June Rodriguez, Estelle Mack

 

This interesting article talks about different types of pet therapy programs in place at various colleges around the country. We love reading about the great things that dogs can do and are proud of Barrio Dog rescued dogs that participate in our therapy programs in Houston schools and homeless shelters. We plan to bring you more good news about our Barrio Dog therapy program in the upcoming months.

10 Colleges With Successful Pet Therapy Programs

Damian, Our Magnolia Park Miracle

To see him now is a miracle. This poor dog was found roaming the streets in Magnolia Park, Greater East End Houston. Damian was in horrible shape! Much to our horror, we determined that Damian had owners. After much discussion Damian was surrendered to Barrio Dogs.

On August 30, 2011, he was taken to the vet and found to be heartworm positive, had demodectic mange, and was severely underweight at just 51 pounds. With lots of love and tender care, Damian no longer suffers from a skin condition or eye infections. He was treated for heartworms and neutered. Damian likes other dogs of all types, enjoys snuggling with people and is very gentle. He has gained weight and has turned out to be a very happy dog. We are looking for loving family that wants Damian to be its newest member.

Damian was recently moved to Sophie's Doggy Spa so he can continue getting the best care. Please consider a donation to his continued vetting and boarding until we find him a beautiful home.

Damian Before

Many people in the community accept this as the norm

Damian's first vet visit

Damian After

Thank you for continuing to support Damian until we find him a home

Barrio Dogs: Helping Rescue Dogs Through Outreach and Education

By Craig Malisow, Wed., Dec. 28 2011 at 12:31 PM

​The holidays are a time of parties and joy, and also of dubious charities beating down your door to get to your pocketbook. So Hair Balls wants to cut through the chaos and recommend you check at Barrio Dogs, a nonprofit working to fight animal cruelty and neglect in low-income neighborhoods.

One of the key ingredients is the organization's Youth and Paws (YAP) program, which involves presentations on spaying and neutering, as well as the overall humane treatment of pets. Some of the presentations include visits from dogs the group has helped, and these dogs also work as "Rescue Education Ambassador Dogs" (READ -- Barrio Dogs is big on acronyms) for one-on-one reading sessions, as a way for kids to increase their reading comprehension.

The "Tales to Tails Reading Program" is designed especially for kids in schools in low-income communities who have a tough time reading. As the Barrio Dogs website states, "the presence of rescued dogs enhances the children's fluency in reading as the animal reduced their self-consciousness and distracts them from the fear of being 'judged' by people." Hey, sounds good to us. Barrio Dogs volunteers also bring rescue dogs to nursing homes and children's homeless shelters, with an aim to "bring comfort, distraction and hope" to patients, and foster long-lasting positive associations for kids who've never had a pet.

The group's Better Communities program helps provide donated food and shelter/fencing materials; the "Freedom Fence" initiative hones in on owners who chain their dogs because they don't have a fence. (Barrio Dogs volunteers are careful to conduct follow-up visits to make sure everything's legit. We sorta wish there was a way to chain the owners to a tree, but we'll have to find another non-profit that provides that particular service).

Gloria Medina Zenteno started Barrio Dogs in March 2010, a few years after returning to the East End from a sojourn in the suburbs. Horrified by the glut of stray and abused dogs in her neighborhood, she started Barrio Dogs as a way to raise money and awareness to fight the problem in the community. Since then, her volunteers have visited schools throughout the city -- the word has spread, it seems, but not the donations.

"I got involved with a lot of great rescue groups," Zenteno tells Hair Balls, "but I just felt like with the rescuing, it was neverending, so I started Barrio Dogs." Because she didn't have the resources of the established rescue groups who can take in hundreds of animals, she decided to focus on education and community outreach.

"My plan was more just kind of a community-type group," she says. "I took on my street, my surrounding blocks....[then[ it just took off."

Although the group doesn't operate a shelter, they use donations to cover vet and boarding expenses on whatever dogs they are able to help; this doesn't leave much for the group's main mission of education and community outreach. That's where you and your big heart come in. Please check out the Barrio Dogs website and look at the work they're doing. (By the way, they can always use fosters or adopters, as well).

Zenteno will thank you, and the dogs will lick your face. Or maybe it's the other way around, we're not sure. Either way, your donation will be greatly appreciated.

Link to article.

2011 - A Year to Remember

Youth and Paws at Berry Elementary

Barrio Dogs is especially proud of the progress we have made with our Youth and Paws (YAP) program this year. We would like to share a few photos from our visits to Berry Elementary in Houston between November 28, 2011 and December 9, 2011.

During the holiday season, please think about our youth and donate to our Barrio Dogs Amazon Wish List so children like these can benefit. Unfortunately, Barrio Dogs is spending nearly all its available budget on veterinary and boarding costs for rescued dogs, leaving only a portion of funds available for the educational programs at the heart of Barrio Dogs' mission.

We look forward to our Youth and Paws (YAP) program reaching even more schools and children in 2012. If you are interested in volunteering or donating, please email susan@barriodogs.org.