WESTIE TALES May 2016
SECRETARY’S MESSAGE
Robin Morgan
MEETING MINUTES
Westie Club of the South
April Membership Meeting and Rescue Reunion Minutes
April 17, 2016
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WESTIE TALES May 2016
The April 17, 2016 Westie Club of the South Membership Meeting and Annual Rescue Reunion was held at 1 p.m. at Wills Park, 1087 Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta, GA. There were 46 members and guests in attendance, as well as, 30 Westies. The event opened with a picnic lunch.
AGENDA
President Kathy Barnes called the Membership Meeting to order at 2:30 p.m. Harriett Gess made a motion to approve the agenda. A second to the motion was put forth by Melinda Henning. President Barnes welcomed everyone. Melanie Lumpkin, Membership Chairman, introduced guests.
REPORTS OF OFFICERS
President’s Report- Kathy Barnes
President Barnes told the group that donations are now being accepted for the Annual Auction Meeting planned for June 12 at Ippolito’s Restaurant, 2270 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell, GA. She also encouraged everyone to look at the Club’s new website. Guests were reminded to guess the number of treats in the treat jar in order to win it with the best guess.
Vice President’s Report- Harriett Gess
Harriett Gess had nothing to report at this time.
Secretary’s Report- Robin Morgan
Robin Morgan asked for a motion to forgo the reading of the February Membership Meeting minutes and approve them as published in the March edition of Westie Tales. Cindy Levine so moved with Marsha Watson seconding the motion.
Treasurer’s Report- George Wearn
George Wearn reported that currently 61 families had renewed their memberships. This represents about 80 percent of the roster. He said that usually the renewal rate is closer to 85 per cent. The March opening balance in the account was $12,255.82. This includes $375 in dues, $335 in donations and $548 from Club sales. There was a payment to eHost for $10.45. He reported $13,503.37 as the closing balance for March.
Member at Large- Melinda Henning
Melinda Henning stated that the next WCOS event will be the Annual Auction and Dinner to be held June 12 at Ippolito’s Restaurant, 2270 Holcomb Bridge Road, Roswell, from 6 to 10 p.m. She said members can begin to make nominations for Volunteer of the Year when forms are sent out next week. Melinda added that May 12 is the deadline for nominations. Lindsey Kim was the winner of the treat jar.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Fundraising- Heather Taylor and Sandy Pence
Heather Taylor reported that 23 Rescue Reunion t-shirts sold raising $250 for the Club. Sandy Pence said the Auction Committee is still accepting donations for the June 12 event. The cost for the dinner will be $40 per person and this includes an Italian buffet. Reservation forms will be sent soon, she added.
Membership- Melanie Lumpkin
Melanie Lumpkin previously gave her report on guests and new members during the opening of the meeting.
Website- Martin Saunders
Martin explained that the new website is listed as www.westieclubofthesouth.com instead of www.westieclubsouth.com. He encouraged members to send in pictures of their Westies.
Rescue- Gary Pence and Cindy Levine
Cindy Levine thanked the group for coming to the Rescue Reunion. She told everyone that later there will be games such as the “hotdog bobbing” and “Westie kisses” and reminded them to sign up to participate. She showed an example of the “Home Alone” cards being made for emergency contact when pet owners encounter emergencies. The cards will be available later for a small donation to the Club.
Old Business
There was no old business.
New Business
The next meeting will be the Board meeting to be held May 15, 2016 at 1 p.m. at the home of Sandy and Gary Pence.
Motion to Adjourn
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Harriett Gess with a second made by Marsha Watson. The meeting was adjourned at 2:55.
Respectfully submitted,
Robin Morgan- WCOS Secretary
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WESTIE TALES May 2016
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WESTIE TALES May 2016
Westie Club of the South
Board Meeting
May 15, 2016
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WESTIE TALES May 2016
The Westie Club of the South May 15, 2016 Board Meeting was held at the home of Sandy and Gary Pence. President Kathy Barnes called the meeting to order at 2:10 p.m. A motion to approve the agenda was made by Harriett Gess and seconded by Robin Morgan. The motion passed.
REPORTS OF OFFICERS
President’s Report- Kathy Barnes
President Barnes discussed details for the upcoming Annual Banquet and Auction to be held June 12, 2016, at Ippolito’s Restaurant, 2270 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell, GA. She said the group will be incorporating the furniture in the Bocce Room to use for the live auction presentation. Volunteers for set-up will need to come early and that time will be determined soon, she stated. Sandy Pence suggested we check to see if the event could begin at 5 p.m. Kathy Barnes will contact Ippolito’s and check into this.The timeline for “yappy hour”, bidding on silent auction items, dinner and the live auction will be based on when the event begins. The Board discussed that the “Heads or Tails” activity could take place during the break and that the Membership Meeting could begin while guests have dessert.
President Barnes has contacted Marcia Reimer, who runs fundraising auctions for Westie rescue groups, to see if she is available to run a WCOS On-line auction. Marcia is open and suggested October or November. The Board wants to go ahead with the on-line auction so Robin Morgan made a motion to schedule an on-line auction. Harriett Gess seconded and the motion was passed. Kathy will contact Marcia Reimer to determine a definite weekend date.
Vice President’s Report- Harriett Gess
Harriett Gess had nothing to report.
Secretary’s Report- Robin Morgan
Robin Morgan read the April 17, 2016, Membership Meeting minutes.
Treasurer’s Report- George Wearn
George Wearn said the opening April balance was $13,503.37. Dues collected totaled $100 and the Club had donations of $1,315.10. There was one adoption fee of $180 added to the monthly income. George also said that currently the Club has 62 membership renewals. A motion to reinstate C.J. Norris and Amanda Drummond was made by George Wearn and seconded by Harriett Gess. The motion was passed. Expenditures for April included $41.83 for foster care and $4,665.11 for vet care. The Club currently has a balance of $10,280.05, according to the Treasurer.
Member at Large- Melinda Henning
Melinda Henning told the Board that the nominees for Volunteer of the Year will be discussed during Executive Session and that winner(s) will be determined at that time. She mentioned that the next WCOS event is the Annual Banquet and Auction on June 12, 2016. This will be followed in August with the Bow Wow Luau Membership Meeting on Aug. 21, 2016 at MerryMac Dog Training, 2550 Sandy Plains Road#365, Marietta, GA.
COMMITTEE REPORTS (con’t next column)
Fundraising- Heather Taylor and Sandy Pence
Sandy Pence had nothing to add to the earlier discussion regarding the Annual Auction. She said donations are still being collected for the auction.
Membership- Melanie Lumpkin
Melanie Lumpkin was unable to attend the meeting.
Website- Martin Saunders
Martin Saunders was not able to attend the meeting.
Rescue- Gary Pence and Cindy Levine
Cindy Levine reported that no new rescues have come into the program. Current rescues in foster care are Mac and Maggie with Joan Thurston. Rescue Lacey had two shots in April for her heartworm treatment and had a reaction but is doing better. Lacey is being fostered by Tammy and Spencer Barber.
Old Business
There was no old business to discuss.
New Business
The next Membership Meeting is the Annual Banquet and Auction on June 12, 2016. George Wearn encouraged everyone to bring a guest to the event.
Motion to Adjourn
A motion to adjourn the meeting to Executive Session was made by Sandy Pence. Harriett Gess seconded the motion and it was passed. The meeting was adjourned at 3:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Robin Morgan- WCOS Secretary
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WESTIE TALES May 2016
ASK THE VET
Montrose Animal Hospital
Uncommon Congenital Diseases of West Highland Terriers
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WESTIE TALES May 2016
Most of us are aware of the high predisposition for skin disease in Westies. The most common genetic disorder in Westies is, by far, atopic dermatitis, usually characterized by dark pigmentation of the skin, foul smell due to secondary yeast skin infection. Studies show that about two thirds of westies have some form of skin disease by the age of 3.
This article will highlight the less common genetic diseases that affects the Westie breed.
Copper toxicosis is a disease in which copper accumulates in the liver. Westies are the 2nd most commonly affected breed, behind Bedlington Terriers. Symptoms are vague –including loss of appetite, loss of weight, and depression. They are progressive and usually present as early as 3 months of age. Blood work is necessary to check liver enzymes and determine any abnormalities. Treatment is mandatory, as the disease progresses and is fatal if not treated.
Craniomandibular osteopathy is a non-neoplastic overgrowth of the mandibular bone that can lead to the inability to open their mouths completely. It is diagnosed by performing oral radiographs. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for this disease, but occasionally the overgrowth will stabilize at around 2 years of age when dogs stop growing.
White shaker dog syndrome is a neuromuscular disease that can occur in Westies. As the name suggests, it is a disease that causes shaking episodes without any inciting cause. These resemble small seizures, there is no known etiology. Dogs are treated with anti-epilepsy drugs, which usually control clinical signs.
Pulmonary fibrosis occurs more often in Westies than in any other breeds. It is an abnormal formation of scar tissue in the lungs. It is characterized by inability to breathe normally and is most common in middle aged Westies. Unfortunately, this disease is usually fatal.
Globoid cell leukodystrophy, also known as Krabbe disease. This is a rapid occurring degeneration of the nervous system in young Westies. Little is known about this disease and no treatment is available.
As the title states, these are rare congenital diseases of Westies. Knowing to identify any early clinical signs will lead to a faster diagnosis and treatment, and hopefully better prognosis.
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WESTIE TALES May 2016
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WESTIE TALES May 2016
ASK THE TRAINER
Tina McCain
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WESTIE TALES May 2016
What a wonderful Rescue Reunion Picnic we had in April! There were so many of our wonderful members and guest, and so many rescued Westies that I lost count! My thanks to the Board of Directors for their hard work on this picnic once again. We had glorious weather this year, and every Westie seemed to get along just fine.
We had great participation in the various “contests” again this year. The photos and captions were wonderful, the kissers incredible, and the bobbers very determined. Winners were:
· Westie Kisses: Tina McCain and Mac with 44!
· Favorite Photo and Caption: Dan Levine and Conor – Can we go outside the gate this time?
· Hot Dog Bobber: Casey Kim
Our next event, the annual Auction and Meeting, is just around the corner. I was upstairs at Westie Central helping to price and tag items, and the array is outstanding. I even brought my own little contribution and can’t wait to see who is the high bidder on this, my favorite Westie statue.
Rescue has been very quiet, which I attribute mostly to the website not working the way we had hoped. Martin and George are working diligently trying to work out the bugs, and I appreciate all they have done with an incredibly frustrating issue.
Rescue Mac, who came in with Maggie, did not have a very good check-up recently. He was diagnosed with tumors in the liver. It has not metastasized yet, but the outlook is bleak as he would not survive surgery. Fosters Joan and Charles have medicines to keep him comfortable. That being said, he is still eating although not quite as much and still enjoys his playtime with Maggie. Please keep Joan and Charles in your thoughts and prayers.
Rescue Maggie is doing well with her medications, as I believe Louie is now that Kathleen is finally home. Now if we could get some adoptable rescues in, that would be perfect for all the approved applicants we have!
Again, my thanks to all who are working so hard on behalf of our Rescue. Our furkids deserve everything we can do for them.
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