 RescueA Lucky Dog! Somebody had loved him once. Someone had spent a lot of time on him, teaching him how to live in a house with people. He was perfectly house-trained, walked well on a lead, very enthusiastic about fetching a ball and would sit up and beg for tidbits. So how did he end up wandering the streets of Sydney, thin, anaemic, ungroomed, absolutely alive with fleas and almost unrecognizable as the purebred Scottish Terrier that he was? We can only guess. Perhaps his original loving owner had passed on or gone to a nursing home and he was placed with someone reluctant to have him. Unfortunately these things can happen even to Scotties. This little dog was rescued off the street by our club secretary Jemina Park but as Jemina was unable to care for him at the time she asked me to help. The first task when I got him home was the bath as he was filthy. The water ran for over twenty minutes the colour of Coke as I washed the flea dirt from his coat. I had no flea shampoo to use on him so I put some eucalyptus oil in the suds and hoped it would ease the problem. Once dried he was confined to a crate in the laundry for the night. I don’t have kennels- all my dogs live in the house- and I was worried about spreading fleas as well as wondering how they would all get on socially. Oh yes, and he ate his third meal for the day. Jemina had given him two helpings of food before I picked him up and when I fed my lot I offered him more which he polished off. This was a hungry little dog! The next morning it was off to the vet. My vet didn’t charge me for a consultation when I explained the circumstances. We checked for microchipping (none) and registered him on the Pet Search listing. He was given a Capstar tablet to kill the remaining fleas. As the vet was concerned about the anaemia (his gums were white almost!) I bought some black pudding sausage for him to help boost his iron levels quickly. Two days later, flea free, wormed and clipped he was a different dog. I let him out of quarantine and he settled in with my pack of six Scotties as if he had always lived here. He had a truly remarkable temperament to adjust so easily to changing circumstances and properly clipped he wasn’t a bad looking dog either! Whoever bred him did very well. I was privileged to care for him for one week before he moved on to his new permanent home with friends of Dallas and Peter Pickett where he is a much loved family pet and companion to their desexed Scottie bitch. They have named him William. When we first talked about a Scottie Rescue Service within the club I don’t think anyone really expected to have to take a dog off the streets. Our breed is lucky to have a dumping rate of virtually zero. The RSPCA were very surprised when we called to see if anyone was looking for William and asked is we were sure we didn’t have a Scottie cross bred. William’s story proves that it can happen though even to a Scottie. As a club we need to be prepared for when it does. My vet donated his time and the flea treatment. William’s new owners are Club members and are happy to have him vaccinated, desexed, microchipped etc. but if we hadn’t been able to place him so quickly in such good hands than these costs would have been incurred by the Club before he could have been sold (to recover the costs only) to a new home. I personally was fortunate that William was such a well mannered dog who fitted in with my household. I have now set aside an area for a small outdoor run and kennel. Not all dogs are so friendly and if I had had a litter of pups at the time I would not have been able to take him for fear of disease. I don’t think I could look my Scotties in the face if I turned away one in need. Of course when I sell a puppy I ask lots of questions and not just anyone with money can have one, but people’s circumstances can change through any number of reasons. Maybe one of my puppies will need to be “rescued” one day. Maybe one of yours. Scruffy and untrimmed William was not instantly recognizable to the inexperienced eye as the beautiful Scot he was. If he had ended up in the local pound or at the RSPCA he probably wouldn’t have been rehomed. His for owners made no attempt at finding him. You know what would have happened. Please support you Club’s Rescue Scheme. I realise not everyone can take on an extra dog at short notice (I was not the first person Jemina asked for help-just the first to say “yes”!) but financial support is needed too. Perhaps you can help with fundraising or with a donation. We are not a wealthy club and we need to put some money aside ready to help any Scottie down on his luck. Liz Kelso Would you like to help us?
We hope never to use the scheme, but we would like to be prepared when we find the next Scottie down on his luck. Our aim is to raise $500 available for use at the discretion of the executive. The funds would be replaced by the recipient of a rescued dog if possible. Funding the Scheme.
Would you like to donate to the rescue scheme?
If so, please contact our Secretary, |