North Star Canine Connection

12/01/2024

2 years ago today, Ari chose Winnie to be her dog to support her through seizures and other issues stemming from brain cancer. Winnie is recovering well, and now it’s Ari’s turn to support her dog! She is now able to put Winnie in her sling to take her outside. Winnie has a long road to recovery but we’re so glad she’s home. She’s much more than a pet; she is a treasured family member (but also a menace to strangers that enter the home 😂.)

11/29/2024

Various dog supplies generously donated by Hearts and Tails Animal Alliance, as well as clients of North Star Canine Connection to Winnie’s fundraiser. Nearly all items are new. Complete list with values and suggested donations can be found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ykpwgXuLEzYPfwXTNKs9gazLIC3Bv3VGFFKCZdHskYM/edit
Must be able to pick up In Whitefield, NH.

11/29/2024

Wine glasses with paw prints (value $25) and/or a free home-visit nail trim (value $30+) generously donated to Winnie’s fundraiser by Emma Gooden of Charella Creations and Nail Trim Nomad! Suggested donation $20 and $25 respectively. Must be near Whitefield/ Dalton. Message me if interested!

11/29/2024

UPDATE: SOLD!

Generously donated by Timberwolf Logging: a cord of seasoned firewood delivered within 20 miles of Littleton NH.
Value: $400
Suggested donation: $350
Proceeds go toward Winnie’s medical expenses.
Please message me if you are interested!

11/28/2024

I know what I’m thankful for this year- the generosity of friends, family, and the community. 🙏 ❤️ 🐾
Winnie seems to be recovering well, and we have our next visit at Maine Vet MC set up for Dec 23.

11/24/2024

Now that Winnie is home safe, we’re hosting a secondary fundraiser - an online garage sale to help offset the credit card debt from her medical expenses. Most items were generously donated by Hearts and Tails Animal Alliance, Timberwolf Logging LLC, Nail Trim Nomad, Charella Creations, and other anonymous donors. Items include a cord of firewood - delivered, tire rims, dog nail trims, etched glasses, dog houses, dog strollers, and many other pet supplies.

You can view the inventory here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ykpwgXuLEzYPfwXTNKs9gazLIC3Bv3VGFFKCZdHskYM/edit?usp=sharing. The document will be updated a couple of times a day to reflect availability as new items are added. Send me a message if you're interested in an item, and I will reserve it for you.

Items are available for pickup, and delivery may be possible to locations near Whitefield, NH.

Thank you for your continued support—it means so much to Winnie, Ari, and the rest of the family.

11/24/2024

Winnie and Ari are helping to take inventory of all these wonderful items that were donated as a secondary fundraiser. Info coming soon!

11/22/2024

Medical Updates
After five days of hospitalization, Winnie is finally HOME! The surgeon mentioned she would have preferred to keep her longer, but Winnie wasn’t thriving emotionally. She’s very scared of strangers and was losing hope at the hospital. Although she currently needs a sling to walk, we’re hopeful her strength will return. Her vertebrae are held together with pins and screws, and her pelvis is expected to heal on its own. Winnie is on seven medications and will need to be crated for the next two months, with periodic imaging and follow-ups at Maine VMC.

While she’s still in pain, her spirits are noticeably better now that she’s home. Seeing her reunion with Ari—so happy and overcome with emotion—was a bright spot in this journey.

Financial Updates
Thanks to your incredible support, along with help from rescues (Hearts and Tails Animal Alliance), animal sanctuaries (Coos Animal Sanctuary), and personal loans/credit, we were able to bring Winnie home. Her care at the Maine facility has reached almost $15K, while Littleton’s charges were $900— thankfully less than the initial estimate of $22K+. However, the road ahead includes two months of ongoing care, medication, rehab, and imaging, and continued visits to Maine VMC.

The amount raised so far has been staggering and deeply humbling. The GoFundMe contributions, combined with over $1K from Venmo and generous donations from rescues and sanctuaries, have made this possible. Any additional funds raised will go toward alleviating the remaining debt. I cannot fully express how much this financial support has lifted an enormous burden from us.

Appreciation
There’s so much to say about how grateful I am, but I’ll save a longer, more detailed update for later to do it justice. For now, I want you to know how deeply your kindness has touched me.

Some of you have known us since Ari’s early days and stepped up again to help. Some are new friends, others complete strangers who learned about Winnie’s story and still chose to give. Some of you are current or former students who donated despite tight budgets. Others I are friends I haven't seen since I was 15, and your generosity took my breath away.

Your support has come in so many forms—donations, prayers, encouragement, hours of brainstorming fundraising ideas, late-night phone calls during my drive to Maine, offers to cook meals, raffle prizes, and items for sale. Each act of kindness means the world to us.

I want you to know that every single donation, every word of encouragement, every gesture has been seen and deeply appreciated. You’ve all been in my prayers, and proper thank-you notes are coming soon.

Tears stream down my face as I write this, overwhelmed by the generosity and love we’ve received. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

11/22/2024

There is much to update but the most important news: Winnie is HOME with Ari. Don’t mind the Macdonalds trash; I bought Winnie a burger for the ride home.

11/20/2024

Important Updates and Additional Information

Winnie is recovering wonderfully at the Maine Veterinary Medical Center and is expected to have a good quality of life with proper rehabilitation. We’re thrilled to share that she may be able to come home within a few days! Ari burst into happy tears when we got the news.

For verification that Winnie is a patient at Maine Veterinary Medical Center, you can contact them directly at (207) 885-1290. They can also verify their policy requiring full payment before an animal can be discharged. Please note that, unfortunately, they cannot disclose the current bill amount or accept donations directly.

If you’d like to learn more about my daughter’s journey, you can follow her story on CaringBridge at this link: https://www.caringbridge.org/site/ccfc1b86-a1ae-3ac4-a526-f0ec3b438492.

To help with Winnie’s medical expenses, I’m planning to organize an online garage sale where all proceeds will go toward her bills. While this may not provide immediate relief to get Winnie home (as the Go Fund Me is intended) it will help offset the credit card charges. Additionally, some local businesses and rescues have expressed interest in helping, so there may be alternative ways to donate soon.

Many people have asked about donating via Venmo, so I’m sharing my information below. Hopefully, my phone number won’t be required, but I’m happy to provide it if needed.

From the bottom of our hearts, my family and I (especially Ari) are deeply moved by the outpouring of love, support, and generosity we’ve received. THANK YOU.

11/20/2024

With great humility, I’m reaching out for help for my daughter, Ari, and her beloved dog, Winnie. Ari faces significant health challenges, and Winnie has been her unwavering source of comfort, confidence, and strength through it all.
Winnie’s presence is essential to Ari’s well-being, providing her with the emotional and mental support she needs during these difficult times. The full story and details of how you can help are shared in the GoFundMe link below.
Your prayers, kindness, and generosity mean more to us than words can express. Thank you for standing with Ari and Winnie.
https://gofund.me/badb522a

We are reaching out with heavy hearts and a plea for help. Winnie, o… Elizabeth Beaulieu needs your support for Bring Winnie Home to Arielle: Your Help Needed

10/30/2024

I just wanted to update everybody that I will not be scheduling classes for at least a couple of months. I have migraines that have been much more difficult to manage than usual. I plan to continue private sessions for now, as they are easier to reschedule if needed.
I can highly recommend Karen of The Timeless Dog, LLC in Gorham or Gail of Pawsitive Training in Lancaster if you’re looking for classes!

10/14/2024

As an equestrian and a dog trainer, this clip resonated with me. I'm proud of my evolution from a trainer who asked for perfection from my horses and my dogs to a more empathetic person who respected species-appropriate behavior. It can be hard to break free from the mindset that our domesticated animals should have no autonomy; no choice to opt out. We can achieve the same training goals without needing to be the "alpha", and without harsh punishments. The journey may look a little different. It might take longer, but its a journey that cam be enjoyed, both by you and your dog. That being said, our dogs' behavior can absolutely be frustrating and discouraging. But if we think about the reason for the behavior ... really take the time to figure out WHY it is happening, it makes it easier to have empathy and address it in the right way.

10/08/2024

He’s doing a good job pretending to be a guard dog.

10/08/2024

This is entitled “Effectiveness is Not Enough.” I would add that effectiveness when using these tools is often short lived, and can result in other issues down the road.

I created this back in 2018-2019 after doing the Behavior Works "Living and Learning with Animals" (LLA) online course.
Effectiveness is not enough to justify the use of fear, pain, intimidation, and the inhibition of their agency when training our companion animals. Ethics and welfare matter. (To be contd.)

10/08/2024

😂