Fluffsters' Sheltie Rescue Stories--Page 2
Why Rescue?
Submitted by JulieB
From the Belgian-L
"Why on earth would anyone want to adopt a rescue dog? After all, aren't they
like used cars? Who wants someone else's problems? If the dog is so wonderful, why would
anyone give him away? If he was a stray,why didn't someone try to find him? I'd rather buy
a puppy so I know what I'm getting, and besides they're so cute!"
Rescue groups often hear a variation of this conversation. Many prospective dog owners
are just not convinced that owning an older (i.e, 6 mo.+) "pre-owned" dog is
better than buying a puppy. But there are a number of reasons why adopting a pet from a
rescue that carefully screens and evaluates its dog can provide an even better
alternative. Here are the "Top 10 Reasons You Should Consider a Rescue."
10) In a Word--Housebroken. With most family members gone during the workweek for 8
hours or more, housetraining a puppy and its small bladder cantake awhile. Puppies need a
consistent schedule with frequent opportunities to eliminate where you want them to. They
can't wait for the boss to finish his meeting or the kids to come home from after school
activities. An older dog can "hold it" much more reliably for longer time
periods, and usually the Rescue has him housebroken before he is adopted.
9) Intact Underwear. With a chewy puppy, you can count on at least 10 mismatched
pairs of socks and a variety of unmentionables rendered to the "rag bag" before
he cuts every tooth. And don't even think about shoes! Also, you can expect holes in your
carpet (along with the urine stains), pages missing from books, stuffing exposed from
couches, and at least one dead remote control. No matter how well you watch them, it will
happen--this is a puppy's job! An older dog can usually have the run of the house without
destroying it.
8) A Good Night's Sleep. Forget the alarm clocks and hot water bottles, apuppy can
be very demanding at 2am and 4am and 6am. He misses his littermates, and that stuffed
animal will not make a puppy pile with him. If you have children, you've been there and
done that. How about a little peace and quiet? How about an older rescue dog??
7) Finish the Newspaper. With a puppy running amok in your house, do you think you
will be able to relax when you get home from work? Do you think your kids will really feed
him, clean up the messes, take him for a walk in the pouring rain every hour to get him
housetrained? With an adult dog, it will only be the kids running amok, because your dog
will be sitting calmly next to you, while your workday stress flows away and your blood
pressure lowers as you pet him.
6) Easier Vet Trips. Those puppies need their series of puppy shots and fecals, then
their rabies shot, then a trip to be altered, maybe an emergency trip or two if they've
chewed something dangerous. Those puppy visits can add up (on top of what you paid for the
dog!). Your donation to the rescue when adopting an older pup should get you a dog with
all shots current, already altered, heartworm negative and on preventative at the minimum.
5) What You See Is What You Get. How big will that puppy be? What kind of
temperament will he have? Will he be easily trained? Will his personality be what you were
hoping for? How active will he be? When adopting an older dog from a rescue, all of those
questions are easily answered. You can pick large or small; active or couch potato; goofy
or brilliant; sweet or sassy. The rescue and its foster homes can guide you to pick the
right match. (Rescues are full of puppies who became the wrong match as they got older!)
4) Unscarred Children (and Adults). When the puppy isn't teething on your
possessions, he will be teething on your children and yourself. Rescues routinely get
calls from panicked parents who are sure their dog is biting the children. Since biting
implies hostile intent and would be a consideration whether to accept a
"give-up", Rescue Groups ask questions and usually find out the dog is being
nippy. Parents are often too emotional to see the difference; but a growing puppy is going
to put everything from food to clothes to hands in their mouths, and as they get older and
bigger it definitely hurts (and will get worse, if they aren't being corrected properly.)
Most older dogs have "been there, done that, moved on."
3) Matchmaker Make Me a Match. Puppy love is often no more than an attachment to a
look or a color. It is not much of a basis on which to make a decision that will hopefully
last 15+ years. While that puppy may have been the cutest of the litter; he may grow up to
be superactive (when what you wanted was a couch buddy); she may be a couch princess (when
what you wanted was a tireless hiking companion); he may want to spend every waking moment
in the water (while you're a landlubber); or she may want to be an only child (while you
are intending to have kids or more animals). Pet mis-matches are one of the top reasons
Rescues get "give-up" phone calls. Good rescues do extensive evaluating of both
their dogs and their applicants to be sure that both dog and family will be happy with
each other until death do them part.
2) Instant Companion. With an older dog, you automatically have a buddy that can go
everywhere and do everything with you NOW. There's no waiting for a puppy to grow up (and
then hope he will like to do what you enjoy.) You will have been able to select the most
compatible dog: one that travels well; one that loves to play with your friends' dogs; one
with excellent house manners that you can take to your parents' new home with the new
carpet and the new couch. You can come come home after a long day's work and spend your
time on a relaxing walk, ride or swim with your new best friend (rather than cleaning up
after a small puppy.)
1) Bond--Rescue Dog Bond. Dogs who have been uprooted from their happy homes or have
not had the best start in life are more likely to bond very completely and deeply with
their new people. Those who have lost their families through death, divorce or lifestyle
change go through a terrible mourning process. But, once attached to a new loving family,
they seem to want to please as much as possible to make sure they are never homeless
again. Those dogs that are just learning about the good life and good people seem to bond
even deeper. They know what life on the streets, life on the end of a chain, or worse is
all about, and they revel and blossom in a nurturing, loving environment. Most rescues
make exceptionally affectionate and attentive pets and extremely loyal companions.
Unfortunately, many folks think dogs that end up in rescue are all genetically and
behaviorally inferior. But, it is not uncommon for Rescue to get $500 dogs that have
either outlived their usefulness or their novelty with impulsive owners who considered
their dog a possession rather than a friend or member of the family; or simply did not
really consider the time, effort and expense needed to be a dog owner. Not all breeders
will accept "returns," so choices for giving up dogs can be limited to animal
welfare organizations, such as Rescues, or the owners trying to place their own dogs. Good
Rescues will evaluate the dog before accepting him/her (medically, behaviorally, and for
breed conformation), rehabilitate if necessary, and adopt the animal only when he/she is
ready and to a home that matches and is realistic about the commitment necessary to
provide the dog with the best home possible.
Choosing a rescue dog over a purchased pup will not solve the pet overpopulation
problem (only responsible pet owners and breeders can do that), but it does give many of
them a chance they otherwise would not have. But, beyond doing a "good deed",
adopting a rescue dog can be the best decision and addition to the family you ever made.
Rescue a dog and get a devoted friend for life!
Kathy Greenwood & the Oklahoma Belgians
ABMC National Rescue Co-Chair
JAKE'S STORY 
Here is the story of Jake, the love of my life, and a testament to his breed.
When I first walked into the Humane Society, I spotted Jake lying in the corner of
his kennel. He was watching everyone with a great deal of interest and thought, almost as
if he was the one who was on the lookout for prospective and suitable adopters! The
information which usually is attached to the front of each kennel (describing the dog,
reasons for being given up, etc.) was missing, which meant that someone had already pulled
his card for possible adoption -- of course, I was sufficiently bummed, but decided to
wander around anyway and look at all of the other pups. Of course, none of the other pups
there seemed to attract me to them in the same way that Jake had, so I decided to leave.
At that point, I heard one of the adoption counselors tell another to put the Sheltie's
card back on his kennel door, because they had refused the man who wished to adopt him. I
quickly scanned the information: 10 weeks old, given up because he couldn't be house
trained (can you believe it?!?!), described by the shelter staff as sweet and lovable...of
course, I immediately went (okay, I RAN!) up to the counter to see if I could adopt
him. At that time, unfortunately, adoption hours had ended, and they said I would have to
come back the next morning at 10:00 a.m. when the shelter re-opened.
I was on pins and needles ALL night long -- I don't think I got a wink of sleep. I
even went to the bookstore and sat in front of the animals section, devouring a book on
Shelties. My husband was very supportive, but didn't want me to be disappointed, so was
trying very hard to be more contained about his enthusiasm. I called into work the next
day that I was going to be late, because I just had to try to get this dog; and of course,
I was back at the shelter by 9:55 a.m. Boy, was I pi**ed off, when I found Jake's card
AGAIN pulled off his cage -- turns out one of the adoption counselors had let in a
potential adopter before adoption hours actually began, and this woman was now in the
process of trying to adopt Jake herself. I decided to hang around for awhile, and see what
happened, and was of course THRILLED to find out that they turned her down, as well (her
little kids were psychos, running all over the shelter, tugging on all of the animals,
etc.!) I again walked back to Jake's kennel, to NOW find a younger lady holding Jake,
fawning all over him, and telling one of the workers that she would *love* to adopt this
puppy. After all of this, I finally decided to just be very bold and assertive, and told
her in no uncertain terms that I had come in to adopt this puppy, and could she put him
back in his kennel. Of course, she was *much* nicer than I was about the whole thing (!),
and said that she didn't think her hubby would let her have a puppy anyway. I quickly
filled out the paperwork, and was (yes!) APPROVED -- Jake was now MINE!!!!! I ran back to
give him a hug: he looked me over, licked my hand, and immediately went to the back of his
crate to take a squat (take a pee) - of course, that would have to be our moment of
initial BONDING!! :-}
I decided to keep his name as Jake, because he was already responding to it. I also
found out more about his history: bought from a pet store (puppy mill dog) by a couple who
said that they had been told he was six months old (hard to believe that anyone would
think this ratty little pup was that old!), and when they couldn't get him house trained
within one week, they decided that they no longer wanted him. When they dropped him
off at the shelter, the vet on staff told them that he was only 10 weeks and not capable
yet of maintaining bladder control, and they replied that they still did not want him,
because he was a "pain in the ass." The staff also suspected that he had been
hit with rolled up newspapers during the house training "process," because he
initially had such a strong negative reaction to the newspapers lining his kennel.
We couldn't bring Jake home until after he was neutered, so we brought him home on
election day in November 1994 -- oh, and we also had him house trained within 2 weeks! He
has been the "consummate" dog and a true testament to his breed: Jake represents
all that a Sheltie should be in character and spirit, and no one has ever met him who
didn't LOVE him immediately. He is beautiful (finally grew into his ears!), sensitive,
sweet, smart as a whip, thoughtful, protective, confident, and just so full of love and
all that is good in the world. Because of Jake, we got involved with our local Sheltie
rescue, in the areas of foster and transport. Jake is of course the
"rule-setter" of the household, letting all of the fosters know what they can
and CAN'T do...they follow him around like he is king of the hill, and he is, without a
doubt.
Jake is now 2 years, 2 months old, and we've added a couple dogs since then
(another Sheltie and a new Border Collie pup), but he still remains the top dog of the
house (undisputed) and the top dog of our hearts. Since we got him in 1994, he has
had to undergo two FHO (femoral head excision/ostectomy) surgeries in his right back leg,
for a condition which was suspected to be genetic in origin and causes complete
destruction of the femoral head; his rehabilitation is still ongoing, but he is free of
pain -- and although he still has an obvious limp at this point, he continues to get
stronger in the rear, and so it is my hope and dream that the limp will disappear, and we
can go back to doing the formal competitive obedience training that he LOVES so much. No
matter all that he has been through in his short two years of life, he remains the most
loving, beautiful, intelligent, and affectionate dog, not to mention the BRATTIEST (he
loves to "speak" with God on a regular basis--translation?: what a
motor-mouth!!!) - and I wouldn't give him up for anything in the world...there is NOTHING
I wouldn't do for my Jake, and I know in my heart that there is NOTHING he wouldn't do for
me or my husband.
AnnaMarie Mondro (click here for more pictures of Jake
& his family)
DAREN
Daren was the most lovable little black and white sheltie who had absolutely no
idea that there was something wrong with him, or at least he didn't show it. He had been
in the same foster home for almost a year, and he became the official greeter for the
family.
Daren's problem was his ears. It seems that he had gotten an infection in them, and
his former owners just ignored it. The infection got worse and worse, and it caused his
ears to become malformed. His ears looked terrible. One of the first things I did as a
volunteer was to take Daren to a specialist, and this wonderful man agreed to do the
surgery for a minimal amount -- 1/4 of what it would actually cost anyone else. The
problem was getting the money to have the surgery done.
Come Christmas time a wonderful person donated a substantial sum to Sheltie Rescue,
and Daren was scheduled for his surgery. WHAT A PITIFUL SIGHT Daren was with the
Elizabethan collar. He just could not understand that it was for his benefit that he had
to wear the collar. But all through this Daren remained the happy go-lucky little boy and
continued to be the official greeter at his foster home.
After Daren was all better and could officially be put up for adoption, a wonderful
couple, who had adopted before, came to see the shelties available as one of their
shelties was dying of cancer, and they wanted to have a friend for the other sheltie, and
they wanted the sheltie who was dying to have another friend. The couple fell in love with
Daren. When the time came to release Daren, the gal who was fostering Daren and her friend
took Daren to his new home.
The new home was on the top floor of a very exclusive high-rise condo overlooking
the Hollywood sign. When Daren walked in he looked around and then walked straight to the
balcony, which was safety protected for the furkids, and viewed his new domain. He turned
and looked at the humans in the room and then turned and looked at his territory and gave
one loud bark as much as to say, "I live here now and you better beware as I am going
to take care of my family."
Since Daren moved into his exclusive neighborhood, he has his personal groomer who
comes once a week to make sure he and his friend are in tip-top shape, AND Daren also has
his own chef. That's right I said chef. Since Daren moved in there have been no
goblins, gremlins, or unwanted types around the condo. He has protected it with all his
worth.
I saw Daren for the first time last June, and I didn't recognize him. He has turned
into the most beautiful animal with the happiest look in his eyes and a smile on his face.
DAREN IS KING!!!.
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