Mastiff Hope Invites You to Help a Big Dog with a Big Need

Large-Breed Dog Agility Workshops Scheduled to Raise Funds for Dog's Surgery

Kansas (PRWEB) May 23, 2008 -- Theodore the Mastiff is a big dog with a big heart; and he has a big need, too. Theo has hip dysplasia, a condition which in its severe form causes crippling lameness and painful arthritis. In fact, hip dysplasia is the most common cause of arthritis of the hips in dogs. Theo's condition is bad, and he needs sponsors to help pay for his surgery before he can find his forever-home.

"He looks great in his pictures on the website," says Certified Pet Dog Trainer Sharon Woodrum, owner of Personable Pets Inc. Dog Training of Louisburg. "But once people read his story, they lose interest in adopting him because of what it will cost to make him well." Theo's surgery and aftercare are estimated to cost approximately $5000. Woodrum, who fosters dogs for Mastiff Hope, a mastiff rescue group serving Kansas and Missouri, continues, "Theo is as sweet as can be, but he just can't walk a straight line to save his life. I have been trying to help Mastiff Hope raise money, but with such a high price-tag it is slow going. So, I asked the folks at Tails R' Waggin if we could host a fund raiser in this big boy's honor, and they agreed. We decided that holding a Big Dog Agility workshop would be a great way to include Theo's big dog friends, and also to draw awareness to the dogs who can't have this much fun because of hip dysplasia."

Woodrum has teamed up with Lenexa-based trainer Suezanne M. Law, owner of Sympawtico Dog Training, LLC, and Tails R' Waggin owners Dawn Johnson and Elise Bruce-Bush to host the Big Dog Agility event. The fund raiser will be held on Sunday, July 27 from 1-5 p.m. at the new Tails R' Waggin daycare and boarding facility located at 6976 W. 152nd Terrace in Overland Park. There will be two workshops, each lasting for one hour and open to dogs who weigh over 100 pounds. Workshops start at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., and there will be time for socializing, question and answer sessions with the trainers, and tours of the Tails R' Waggin facility in between. Each workshop is limited to ten dogs and their handlers, and tuition is $25 per dog, with all proceeds going towards Theo's care. "These workshops are just for fun. No previous agility experience is required. This is just a great opportunity for people with larger dogs to give agility a try!" Woodrum says. Members of the public are welcome to attend, and donations are welcome.

In addition to donating at the Big Dog Agility event in July, people wishing to sponsor Theo are encouraged to make a pledge towards his care by visiting www.paypal.com and selecting MasitffHope@embarq.com as the payee. Donations can also be made through Theo's website by visiting http://www.mastiffhope.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=247498. Mastiff Hope is a 501(c)3 corporation, so all pledges and donations are tax deductible.

Mastiff Hope is a rescue organization serving the Midwestern United States - primarily the states of Kansas and Missouri, and more specifically, the Kansas City metropolitan area. The group exists to place stray or abandoned Mastiffs into adoptive homes that will provide a high level of care, and where the dogs are loved and respected.

Tails R' Waggin is a full service pet center unlike any other in Johnson County. They offer a large selection of products and services, including daycare, grooming, training, and a boutique offering holistic, natural, and grain-free foods. Tails R' Waggin is the only pet center in the Kansas City area to feature a large outside play yard with K-9 grass.

In their practices, Sharon Woodrum, Certified Pet Dog Trainer and owner of Personable Pets Inc. Dog Training, and Suezanne M. Law, Accredited Dog Trainer and owner of Sympawtico Dog Training, LLC, concentrate exclusively on human-canine interaction and communication. Focusing on the family dog, they guide their clients - both two-legged and four - on the road to living well together.

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