
Events – Current & Pupcoming
Saturday, May 2nd from 10 am to 4 pm – Pawty in the Park at Lums Pond State Park – 1068 Howell School Road – Bear, DE 19701 – Pavilion 1B.
If you are interested in helping out, please email Amanda Showalter.

UPDATE – CALENDARS ARE ON CLEARANCE!
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.
Fund$ for Foster$
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.
Library Wish Lists
Featured Library Titles
THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF DOGS: UNLOCKING THE CANINE MIND FOR A HAPPIER PET (151 pages) by Victoria Stilwell. The star of Animal Planet’s It’s Me or the Dog Victoria Stilwell reveals how to both interpret and “speak” the hidden language of dogs. Recent studies into the minds of canines show that they have a rich social intelligence and a physical and vocal language as complex and subtle as our own. In this fun and fascinating guide, world-renowned trainer Victoria Stilwell explores the inner world of dogs. This book is your guide to understanding your pooch, communicating effectively, strengthening your bond, and helping dogs learn in the most effective way possible so they feel confident navigating the human world with success. Along the way, you’ll learn the answers to questions such as: What do different tail wags mean? ~ What does being right-pawed say about my dog’s personality? ~ How can I tell the difference between boredom barking and warning barking? ~ What does it mean when my dog spins around, arches his back, or gives me the whale eye? ~ Do dogs feel guilt? ~ How do dogs perceive human faces? ~ Why do some scientists think dogs’ emotional experience is even greater than ours? Filled with adorable full-color photographs and instructive illustrations, this insightful “dog decoder” will soon make you dog’s best friend. Donated by Pam Nealer.
MARLEY & ME (291 pages) by John Grogan. The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life. Now with photos and new material. Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans. John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same. Marley grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound steamroller of a Labrador retriever. He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, and stole women’s undergarments. Obedience school did no good — Marley was expelled. But just as Marley joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. Marley remained a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit’s end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms. Marley & Me is John Grogan’s funny, unforgettable tribute to this wonderful, wildly neurotic Lab and the meaning he brought to their lives.Donated by Darlene Cole.
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.
If you need to contact MAESSR, please click on & read our CONTACT page to avoid your message going to the wrong place. The CONTACT button is immediately to the left of the MAESSR logo on the website homepage.
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: 18
Permanent fosters: 4
Dogs pending foster home: 4
Moving to foster home:
None
Moving to furever homes:
None
Submitted by volunteer Cathy Moyer with thanks to those who contributed submissions/info.
PO Box 807 Goochland VA 23063 – Phone (804)774-6730















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