Weekly Pupdate for 1-18-26

Events – Current & Pupcoming

The 2026 CALENDARS are here! The wall calendar – A beautifully curated calendar, where each month unfolds with a delightful collection of heartwarming dog portraits, capturing the joy and charm of man’s best friend in every season. The desk calendar – One great photo each month sits on your desk giving an easy overview of the month. Buy in bundles and save! Add 2+ calendars to your cart to see a discount.

Update: MAESSR’s 2026 wall and desk calendars are selling quickly!!! Our desk version is almost sold out. Buy more and save on package deals. They make great gifts for the Springer lovers in your life.

Featured Dogs

Our program, SENIORS FOR SENIORS, charges a $75 adoption fee for adopters aged 60 and over who adopt dogs nine years old and older or special needs dogs. If interested in one of our senior/special needs dogs, contact Candi Lynn here.

Fund$ for Foster$

Beginning January 1, 2026, adoption fees will be adjusted as follows: Puppy up thru six months – $600; 7 months thru 8 years – $450; 9 yo or special needs – $150; Seniors for Seniors (9 yo or special needs) – $75

iGive is a MAESSR affiliate which is an automatic donation when shopping at +1500 online stores. Go to iGive.com, fill out the form, choose your cause – find MAESSR listed under VA – & then install the app. You can also install the iGive button on your toolbar so when you go to eligible sites, a pop-up will appear on participating sites.

Check out CHEWY – Place your first order & chewy will proudly donate $20 to MAESSR! There is a huge selection of pet food (including 5-star dog foods), treats, & supplies delivered straight to your door! They sell over 300 brands of pure pet love, have 24/7 customer service, free shipping on orders over $49, & are cheaper than your local store. Sign up for automatic shipment of dog food or other supplies right to your door on the schedule you choose. No more lugging big bags of dog food from your car to the house!

The Marketplace

The MAESSR MARKETPLACE is open 24/7 for purchases. We’ve also got cool toys for man’s best friend and companion. The MAESSR store and website are in transition – thanks so much for your understanding while we make improvements to the store and website.

Training Library

The MAESSR Training Library has over 300 titles of ACTUAL DVDs, CDs, and books, both fiction and non-fiction, to lend out. You can BORROW items directly from the Training Library by simply adding them to the shopping cart and checking out. The material will be mailed to you and is due back in three weeks; YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR RETURN POSTAGE.

MAESSR Training Library

Training Library Facebook

Library Wish Lists

The TRAINING LIBRARY has TWO Wish Lists. New or used titles can be purchased from the Amazon list; Dogwise has new books and DVDs. Purchases can be shipped directly to the library. Pretty quick and easy way to help out MAESSR as well as educate adopters!

Featured Library Titles

THE OTHER END OF THE LEASH: WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO AROUND DOGS (272 pages) by Patricia McConnell, PhD. THE OTHER END OF THE LEASH shares a revolutionary, new perspective on our relationship with dogs, focusing on our behavior in comparison with that of dogs. An applied animal behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years’ experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell looks at humans as just another interesting species, and muses about why we behave the way we do around our dogs, how dogs might interpret our behavior, and how to interact with our dogs in ways that bring out the best in our four-legged friends. After all, although humans and dogs share a remarkable relationship that is unique in the animal world, we are still two entirely different species, each shaped by our individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates, and dogs are canids (like wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation. THE OTHER END OF THE LEASH demonstrates how even the slightest changes in your voice and the way you stand can help your dog understand what you want. Once you start to think about your own behavior from the perspective of your dog, you’ll understand why much of what appears to be doggy-disobedience is simply a case of miscommunication. Inside you will learn• How to use your voice so that your dog is more likely to do what you ask. • Why “getting dominance” over your dog is a bad idea. • Why “rough and tumble primate play” can lead to trouble–and how to play with your dog in ways that are fun and keep him out of trouble.• How dogs and humans share personality types–and why most dogs want to live with benevolent leaders rather than “alphawannabees!” In her own insightful, compelling style, Patricia McConnell combines wonderful true stories about people and dogs with a new, accessible scientific perspective on how they should behave around each other. This is a book that strives to help you make the most of life with your dog, and to prevent problems that might arise in that most rewarding of relationships. Donated by Fran Fisher.

PAWS FROM HEAVEN: TRUE STORIES OF GOD’S AMAZING ANIMALS (379 pages) edited by Callie Smith Grant. From Guideposts: Treat yourself to a truly delightful new book of over 60 personal accounts of how God blesses us in refreshing and remarkable ways through the living example of our animal companions. Paws from Heaven brings you everything you expect from a wonderfully relaxing, inspirational read – a bevy of satisfying true stories by everyday people, with an affirming faith in God threaded through each heartwarming account.

Did You Know?

If any volunteers wish to promote MAESSR and the work we do at an event in their community, please email Vicki Phillips. These are marketing events only to hand out information.

We’re on Mastodon now! Twitter throttles low-follower accounts, making it pointless for us to post there. Come on over to Mastodon & discover lots of other wonderful animal rescue groups, dog owners, & shelters, & posts on any topic you can think of. It works much like Twitter, so the format will be familiar.

IF YOU SEE A SPRINGER NEEDING RESCUE: For a springer being re-homed in an ad on social media or in a newspaper, please email the relinquishment team. For a springer in a shelter, please email the shelter dog team. In your email include contact info such as links to the online post, shelter name, state, and phone number.

Did you move? Did you change your email address? ADDRESS CHANGES should be emailed here. On the new website you can also set up an account under the Shop tab so that MAESSR can keep track of your mailing address; your email can also be changed under Your Account in the top right-hand corner with Edit Profile.

If you need advice regarding behavioral issues, certified and credentialed trainers that use positive methods only to help guide people to the correct resources can be found at CCPDT and IAABC.

Gentle Nudges

RAINBOW BRIDGE CROSSINGS are shared on a monthly basis. If you want your MAESSR dog included, send your name, dog’s MAESSR name if different than the post-adoption name, year of adoption, and a PHOTO to updates email. Feel free to include who fostered and a little background info about your dog. To have the information posted on our Facebook page, send it (including photos) to the social media team.

When you send your notes about events or requests for help, please cc: updates email to help ensure that all events are mentioned in the Weekly Pupdate.

Mistakes happen! Corrections or omissions to the Weekly Pupdate can be sent to the updates email.

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!

To share pics, videos, and/or articles about your MAESSR dog to our social media team. Videos for adoption pages & YouTube channel get sent here. Be sure to include dog’s MAESSR name including number, if one, and adoption year.

Pup-ulation Report

Total dogs in our care: 19

Permanent fosters: 5

Dogs pending foster home: 0

Moving to foster home:

None

Moving to furever homes: