Spotlight On...

....Jan & Al!

How long have you been with APB?
About 9 yrs.

Why did you sign up to work with the group?
Jan: I have always loved dogs and have wanted to do something special for them. I saw a classified ad in the paper for APB when I was looking for a dog to adopt (wanted a collie or sheltie type dog). We ended up adopting a sheltie-our first dog as adults and Al’s first dog ever! It was such a good experience, we decided to volunteer for the group and become foster parents.

Al: Of course, Jan got me into this, as I had no dog experience. But I found out how loving and fun they are, and enjoy learning about them. Now I love dogs as much as she does.

What kinds of things do you do with APB?
We are the volunteer coordinators, I guess! We get the volunteer applications and get them signed up to be on the group email list, and add their names to the phone and email list Our main job is to interview potential foster homes and tell them what fostering is all about and sign them up. We also make up a notebook to give them with most of the info they need. Al does all the computer work involved in all this and sends out revised phone and email lists to all the volunteers taken from a database he has made. He would someday like to have a total online doggy database too. We both work on fundraisers and do the obstacle course for the Bark in the Park. Al also takes and edits the pictures of the foster dogs for the APB website and takes pics at the special events. And, of course, we foster dogs, and I do more of the daily work involved in that, like feeding, bathing, cleaning up messes and going to the vets.

What's your favorite kind of dog, and would it be your favorite kind of dog to foster?
Jan: They are all growing on me as I foster different breeds. I still like the collies and other herding dogs best, and then the beagles, as they are so loving. But I like fostering the really little dogs as they are more likely to be the snuggly lap dogs.

Al: I like the German Shepherds, mostly because of the bond I had with Whitey, the scared white shepherd I rescued from where I worked. But I also love the beagles, but not for fostering, as the ones we have had have been destructive and not easy to housebreak!

What's your most memorable foster/volunteer experience?
Jan: That had to be Ren, a smooth coated collie with heartworm disease, who I will never forget. He was treated and was seemingly getting better. But later, his blood tests showed he had kidney damage and would likely not recover. I wanted to treat him to one great week of pampering before putting him to sleep. But two days later he died suddenly in our arms probably from a blood clot. We rushed him to MSU, and one of the saddest sights I have seen was watching Al walk in with Ren’s limp body in his arms, hoping like crazy that he hadn’t really died yet.

Al: For me that would be when Whitey adopted me at work as a stray running in a light industrial area (no houses around). It took two weeks of patiently throwing treats to this very scared white shepherd before I could get a leash on him. We kept him for awhile, but he continued to be too fear aggressive and bit a couple of people, so we couldn’t keep him in our house. We found a trainer/helper of Cheryl Carlson’s who took him into her home, trained him and helped him get over his fears. He was the sweetest dog with us though, and I really missed him, but I am glad we found him a suitable home.

If you should share one doggie lesson with folks, what would it be?Jan: Don’t ever leave a brand new dog home alone without putting it in a crate. We were still learning about dogs when we took Hercules in, who was true to his name!

Al: If you wouldn’t do it to your kid, why would you do it to your dog?

Anything else you'd like to share?
Dogs definitely have different personalities and it is such fun to get to know them.

Previous Spotlights:
Jamie Kowal
Lisa Bates
Kim Reed
Dawn Sparks
Amanda Collins
Jamie Johansen
Cheryle Thompson
Terrie Wilson & Tom Olson


	....Jan & Al! How long have you been with APB? About 9 yrs. Why did you sign up to work with the group? Jan: I have always loved dogs and have wanted to do something special for them. I saw a classified ad in the paper for APB when I was looking for a dog to adopt (wanted a collie or sheltie type dog). We ended up adopting a sheltie-our first dog as adults and Al’s first dog ever! It was such a good experience, we decided to volunteer for the group and become foster parents. Al: Of course, Jan got me into this, as I had no dog experience. But I found out how loving and fun they are, and enjoy learning about them. Now I love dogs as much as she does. What kinds of things do you do with APB? We are the volunteer coordinators, I guess! We get the volunteer applications and get them signed up to be on the group email list, and add their names to the phone and email list Our main job is to interview potential foster homes and tell them what fostering is all about and sign them up. We also make up a notebook to give them with most of the info they need. Al does all the computer work involved in all this and sends out revised phone and email lists to all the volunteers taken from a database he has made. He would someday like to have a total online doggy database too. We both work on fundraisers and do the obstacle course for the Bark in the Park. Al also takes and edits the pictures of the foster dogs for the APB website and takes pics at the special events. And, of course, we foster dogs, and I do more of the daily work involved in that, like feeding, bathing, cleaning up messes and going to the vets. What's your favorite kind of dog, and would it be your favorite kind of dog to foster? Jan: They are all growing on me as I foster different breeds. I still like the collies and other herding dogs best, and then the beagles, as they are so loving. But I like fostering the really little dogs as they are more likely to be the snuggly lap dogs. Al: I like the German Shepherds, mostly because of the bond I had with Whitey, the scared white shepherd I rescued from where I worked. But I also love the beagles, but not for fostering, as the ones we have had have been destructive and not easy to housebreak! What's your most memorable foster/volunteer experience? Jan: That had to be Ren, a smooth coated collie with heartworm disease, who I will never forget. He was treated and was seemingly getting better. But later, his blood tests showed he had kidney damage and would likely not recover. I wanted to treat him to one great week of pampering before putting him to sleep. But two days later he died suddenly in our arms probably from a blood clot. We rushed him to MSU, and one of the saddest sights I have seen was watching Al walk in with Ren’s limp body in his arms, hoping like crazy that he hadn’t really died yet. Al: For me that would be when Whitey adopted me at work as a stray running in a light industrial area (no houses around). It took two weeks of patiently throwing treats to this very scared white shepherd before I could get a leash on him. We kept him for awhile, but he continued to be too fear aggressive and bit a couple of people, so we couldn’t keep him in our house. We found a trainer/helper of Cheryl Carlson’s who took him into her home, trained him and helped him get over his fears. He was the sweetest dog with us though, and I really missed him, but I am glad we found him a suitable home. If you should share one doggie lesson with folks, what would it be?Jan: Don’t ever leave a brand new dog home alone without putting it in a crate. We were still learning about dogs when we took Hercules in, who was true to his name! Al: If you wouldn’t do it to your kid, why would you do it to your dog? Anything else you'd like to share? Dogs definitely have different personalities and it is such fun to get to know them. Previous Spotlights: Jamie Kowal Lisa Bates Kim Reed Dawn Sparks Amanda Collins Jamie Johansen Cheryle Thompson Terrie Wilson & Tom Olson