Puppy Poem Written By A CPCRN Volunteer

I have a Cairn puppy so ….
This year, at Christmas, we didn't have a tree,
The cost of paper towels, is surely killing me,
There are holes in the yard where holes shouldn't be,
And the house is littered with twigs and debris.

I have a Cairn puppy so ….
Things around here are no longer real normal,
When hubby and I go out, it's no longer formal,
It's a run to the store or a quick grab of supper,
We gotta get home to our new baby pupper.

I have a Cairn puppy so ….
Our life around here is surely not boring,
Did I mention, when he's sleeping, you surely hear snoring?
It doesn't matter how many fur butts you have in your home,
When you have a Cairn puppy, you're NEVER alone.

I have a Cairn puppy so ….
My life's an adventure, my heart is so happy,
My slippers are missing, and my hairs a bit nappy,
I can't even measure what he's returned to our souls,
A gap long left empty, he now fills & consoles.

I have a Cairn puppy so …
My life is complete.
"Hey, give that to me, that's not something you eat!!!!"

Written by: Amy R., February 2008

GiGi Update From Her Foster Mom

When I spoke with the vet technician yesterday she told me how suprised they were at how quickly GiGi bounced back from surgery. If you know this little girl, you wouldn't be surprised .... she shows a lot of tenacity and determination. I was just glad to hear she was doing so well, because her diabetic condition could interfere with her health care.

I went to pick GiGi up at the specialty hospital, and she was brought out with one of those plastic cones around her neck. I almost didn't recognize her. With the cataracts gone, you could actually see her beautiful brown eyes again. My friend, Sandy, told me I'll need to wear shin guards while GiGi's wearing "the cone". Well, we didn't even leave the facility, and I was already assaulted by that thing. It sure didn't hinder GiGi from sniffing around outside though.

We were sent home with 2 different eye drops, an eye ointment and oral anti-inflammatories that need to be given several times a day for 6 weeks or more. I'm getting rather good at administering medications and insulin injections. As long as I bribe her with food, GiGi is a more than willing patient. She seems rather tired from her ordeal, and has been napping peacefully, even with "the cone" on. I'm glad to have her back home with us, safe and sound. She's still not out of the woods yet, but with her dogged determination, I know she will make a complete recovery. We want to thank all of her well-wishers, all of those who prayed for her, and especially those who donated to her eye fund, so that GiGi could have this surgery that will give her back her sight. Thank you from the bottom of GiGi's little heart.

A Special Day For A Special Little Girl!

Today is a very, very special day for foster mom Cathy and her foster girl Gianna or GiGi as she calls her. (Read GiGi's story here.) Today GiGi will undergo a very delicate surgery to correct her eyes. This is the very FIRST time CPCRN has been able to approve the cost of this amazing operation. GiGi’s Foster Mom has raised money to help with this expense and GiGi has also been helped by her own Guardian Angels, but it is through YOUR equally amazing generosity that this surgery is possible!

Due to YOUR support Col. Potter was able to win the Yahoo! "Be a Better Inspiration" Charity Contest and receive matching funds from Yahoo! Thanks to YOU Col. Potter is able to go where we have never gone before! We dug deep and raised those “unique” donations. We kept on trying to spread the word and struggling for just $10 more, even when it looked like we could not win. Then when all was said and done, we DID win and we did it fair and square thanks to YOUR support. So today when GiGi goes under the anesthetic and her surgeon makes those tiny incisions in her eyes, all our hearts will be with her. The same sense of “oneness” that bound us together when we thought we had lost the Yahoo! contest and lifted us so high when we found out we had won, will hold GiGi in our prayers and hopefully will bring her once again into the daylight of vision.

Col. Potter has the funds to be able to help this sweet little girl THANKS to YOU and to YAHOO! for their matching donation! On behalf of our very special little girl, GIGI, all the CPCRN volunteers collectively say THANK YOU!! THANK YOU for helping to make this possible and THANK YOU for helping us help GIGI!!

Update from GiGi's Foster Mom: The doctor called and said GiGi's surgery went really well. (He's a man of few words). She's in recovery and I'll be calling a little later to make sure she's still doing okay. I'll be picking her up sometime tomorrow after 12pm.

Welcome Tusia and Howard!

There are many good, caring people in this world willing to help out the furkids. Most millers operate in rural areas, away from most of the rest of society. They basically live in a different world than we do and many times are far removed from today's society.

In the middle of the American heartland there was a miller, probably more of a backyard breeder, who had purchased a male and female breeding pair of Cairns from another miller last spring. The female had whelped a litter of puppies and the male and female slept in the garage and spent their days wandering around the yard when allowed to be out loose. Accidentally, the female's rear leg was run over. Now the amazing part to me, is the miller actually had her leg repaired by a vet with a pin put in it. They were now afraid that being pregnant and whelping puppies might be too much for her injured leg to bear and decided to try to find both of them a good home. But everyone is that area is a miller and didn't want a "useless" breeder. They were just about to give up and have both of them PTS, when they contacted a lady who helps transport for another rescue organization and lives in the area. This lady became their Rescue Angel, contacting Col. Potter to see if we could help with them. This was the Rescue Angel's first real dealings with a miller and I helped her through the fine steps of "Dancing with the Devil".

A CPCRN volunteer met the Rescue Angel and picked up:
#2961 Tusia: Female, black brindle, 4 years old
#2962 Howard: Male, black brindle, 3 years old

We've run out of foster homes, but I couldn't say NO to these two babies. They are now part of the CP family and only good things lie ahead for them! Please help me welcome Tusia and Howard!

Foster Homes are always needed. If you would like more details about fostering, please refer to our Foster Home FAQs. If you have room in your heart and in your home to foster, please consider filling out the online Foster Home Application Form!

Welcome Pirouette!

Welcome a new addition to the CP family - Pirouette was an owner surrender at the humane society. They were moving and couldn't take her along.

She is an adorable and very nice 11 month old dog - somewhat timid and shy. When they brought her out, she was shaking and scared. I picked her up carefully - she was worried, but in a minute, she quit shaking and snuggled right in, then looked around much more happily. As I did paperwork, they had her in the space behind the counter and she had her nose in everything - got behind a file cabinet and found a nice lost dog biscuit, stuck her head under the door, jumped on people's legs - an all around fun and happy little dog!!

She's going to be a fun one for someone!!

Welcome Ariana!

Please welcome Ariana into CP! She was an owner surrender - her dad was crying as he released her to the shelter. He is an older man who had to move to an apartment that didn't allow pets. I picked her up last Sunday, 2/10/08. So far, we know that she has a collapsed trachea, which means she coughs whenever excited or picked up (picking her up means a little added pressure to the chest area). After several days of antibiotics and a cough suppressant, she rarely coughs now and is full of spirit. Ariana is very sweet, gives lots of kisses, but cries at night because she is alone (I think she must have slept with her former owner). You cannot imagine how heartbreaking it is to hear her cry and cry and cry.... As soon as I go to bed, she starts panting heavily, then it escalates to pants/whines, then louder whines. I know all she wants is to snuggle for the night with me, with someone. I'm sure she misses her dad. After three nights of only a little sleep, I finally found the magic word to make her hush and go to bed - "No". With owner surrenders, these dogs know many things, and we foster moms have to figure out what words work for them.

Ariana is 9 years old, 18 lbs, spayed, and loves to "frolic". She is mostly a happy little girl, and has moments of cairn silliness. She also has an umbilical hernia. We think her family didn't have the money to have the hernia fixed, as they probably had to spend lots of money to treat her for heartworms a few years ago. Fortunately, Ariana is heartworm and parasite free now, has good knees and hips, only pinpoint cataracts so she can see just fine, and can hear well, too. She's up to date on all her vaccines, so will be available for adoption soon. We plan to have her hernia fixed, as well as giving her a badly needed dental (at least one tooth needs to come out). I'm so thankful that the shelter volunteer and the shelter worker thought she might be a cairn and contacted me. I'm keeping Ariana temporarily. I'm hoping a CP foster home is looking for a very sweet and house trained little girl that needs help... Ariana is currently snuggled up on the couch, as in one of the pictures below.

Ariana has the cutest and tiniest cairn "turtle tail" with just a slight curve to it (does not curl over). Ariana has a wonderful mahogany/grey brindle coloring, except for her face/head which is silver/black. Ariana is the perfect lap dog for that person who truly needs cairn love to get through the day. She makes me aware that life is more about love than anything. This girl is sweet, sweet, sweet! Ariana is very thankful to all of you who do whatever you can for the many cairns in need.

Update On Scoop From Her Forever Home!

Scoop was welcomed into Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network last fall with black skin and almost no hair. Her foster Mom received the following update on Scoop from her Forever Home:

To all of Scoop's friends - Scoop is doing fine as the pictures show. She and I bonded almost immediately. The other relationships are going slowly but I see a little progress every day. She is easily frightened but doesn't jump quite so high anymore. She is making other doggie friends in the park and her favorite is a Burmese Mountain dog named Charlie. She isn't interested in the little dogs because they tend to bark. She certainly has found her own voice and guards the door energetically, unless she is eating, sleeping or otherwise distracted. She loves a bath and to be groomed which is good because she also loves the mud. Chloe, the cat, tolerates her and Scoop tries to get her to rough house but Chloe is much too regal to engage in such frivolity. That does not prevent them from curling up in a ball together at night. Scoop has brought a lot of love with her and it is returned with gratitude to the kind people who took such good care of her until she reached her forever home.

Kory

We have a nice guy, Kory, joining Col. Potter. Kory is an owner surrender. He's 8 years old, a beautiful wheat color, gets along with dogs, cats and a hamster - yep, a hamster. He was taught to tolerate the family hamster and has even touched noses. Kory had a wonderful life until his human mom had kids. As it happens too many times, little kids sometimes think little dogs are toys and don't always play nice. Kory's mom felt he deserved a calmer environment and freedom from little kid antics. She had to make the hard choice to part with her first baby so he could become a Col. Potter kid.

Kory is joining a foster home where he will enjoy the company of other cairns and get some well deserved rest. Please welcome the adorable Kory!

Woman Fell In Love With Cairns, Now Rescues Them - ANOTHER Great Article About a CPCRN Volunteer!

Woman Fell In Love With Cairns, Now Rescues Them
By REBECCA BRIA rbria@timesleader.com

Leah was devastated when her Yorkshire Terrier died. Leah owned the 8-year-old dog named “Blue” for three years before he passed away so the stay-at-home mom decided to look for a way to give back to dogs. Through the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) website four years ago, she found the Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network. After one year of reading up on the Cairn Terrier breed and gaining a feeling for the group, Leah became a member of the intakes team.

Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network is a nationwide, all-volunteer, non-profit organization that rescues Cairn Terriers from homelessness as well as those being used as breeding stock in puppy mills and among backyard breeders. The Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network, which is over 600 members strong, rescued 373 Cairn Terriers in 2007. “The more I watched, I realized this is not only a rescue, but a family,” Leah said. “Then I fell in love with the dogs and there was no way I could walk away.”

The organization recently won Yahoo!’s “Be a Better Inspiration” charity competition. For two weeks in December, people voted for their favorite charities online. The rescue placed in the top five and was entered into the competition. The charity that collected the most non-duplicated donations of $10 or more in one week would win a matching donation of up to $50,000 from Yahoo!. The Col. Potter Cairn Terrier Rescue Network raised a total of $21,295, less than the $43,399 the charity Food on Foot accumulated; however, the rescue had the most non-duplicated donations, meaning more people actually donated to it, making it the winner. “This was not something that was done easily, but we did it and now more people are aware of puppy mills and understand just where that doggie in the window really comes from,” Leah said. “Hopefully, they will remember that those pet store puppies do come from puppy mills and their mothers and fathers are still there.”

As a member of the organization’s intakes team, Leah monitors approximately 25 websites that include dog auctions and classified ads. If she sees an ad for a Cairn that is free to a good home or selling cheap, she becomes concerned. Because Cairns are a small breed, dogfighters will take free or inexpensive ones to use as bait, Leah explains. Cairns for sale at dog auctions are also vulnerable to dogfighters and, more often, to other backyard breeders and millers. The millers usually keep the dogs in cages, breed them repeatedly and provide no love or veterinary care. One dog from a puppy mill, named Wesson, had ear infections so severe she could not hear or lift up her head. After being adopted, her infections were treated and her rotten teeth extracted. Although she remained deaf, Wesson became healthy and loved. Leah also transports dogs from shelters, veterinary clinics and millers to foster homes, driving Interstate 80 for transports. She has also performed a home evaluation for a potential foster home.

Growing up, Leah had always had large dogs. The lifelong animal lover adopted her current dog, an American Eskimo mix named “Snowball,” from the SPCA two years ago. Family members support Leah’s efforts to work with the rescue. Her husband and children are willing to help where they can.

Aside from donations, Leah says the rescue is always in need of foster homes and transporters. People looking to adopt a specific breed should try a shelter or rescue group before going to a pet store. But, most importantly, she urges everyone to spay and neuter their pets.

How To Help
To make a donation, volunteer, foster or adopt a Cairn or for more information, visit www.cairnrescue.com.

Arabella

A little vixen has joined the Col. Potter ranks. She's a petite redhead believed to be about 3 years old. She's an owner surrender with a story. Her owner found her a few months ago wandering the streets of a major metropolis. She was matted, dirty, unspayed and hungry. He took her in from the cold, got her tested, vaccinated, spayed and started her rehabilitation. She got along great with the children and family dog but hated the family cats. A few months passed and she still hated the cats. The man who saved her from the streets wanted her to have the best life for her - which meant no cats. He contacted Col. Potter and asked that we take her out of love. She is a very sweet little lady named Arabella which means "answered prayer" in Italian. This is so fitting for a little forlorn stray who has had all her prayers answered. Arabella has Sophia Loren's eyes - just take a look!

Servus

I hope you all can see the wondrous miracle that CP has wrought with this little guy. At first he was afraid to even look at me when he arrived 9/23/07. Now he gives kisses and wags his tail all the time. He's finally starting to look like a real cairn, now that his coat has grown in a little. Servus was a mill boy, and so matted that he had to be shaved by the vet. I've included his intake picture for comparison, as well as a couple from a few days later. He doesn't even look like the same dog. Servus loves to play with toys and has a lot of that cairn attitude. He has survived heartworm treatment, will soon be neutered, have a dental exam and will need at least one tooth removed. Servus is a work in progress with very little problems. He continues to need work on marking, but a bellyband takes care of that. He is not afraid of thunder or the camera, and it's almost difficult to get a pic of him without him nosing into the camera. He loves attention and quickly comes to be petted. He will make the most wonderful companion for that lucky adopter. I trimmed his tail hair short, as I think it looks better and cuter than with the hair left longer (Servus is missing part of his tail). This boy has overcome so much with CP's help. You should all pat yourselves on the back!

Servus is a big boy, standing 14 inches tall at the shoulders and weighing in at around 20 lbs. Servus wags his tail all the time, and is mostly a very happy little boy. He just needs a quiet home that will continue to help him grow into the magnificent cairn boy he was meant to be. He wants to be the lead boy, so going to a home with a female or two would be best. Servus is still a little shy, so needs help to become an outgoing cairn. Regular outings will do wonders to help him learn that no one is going to hurt him. He loves to take things, like most cairns. He's better with the cats, but isn't allowed to get into their area.

Servus has the most beautiful eyes, which I am sure you will see from these pics.

Apply to adopt Servus at http://www.cairnrescue.com/. (Servus #3003 TX)

Ceylon Update

Ceylon has made it safely to her foster home in Arizona. She is very sweet and shy, but I think she is going to be just like the gem she is named after!

An Article Featuring Two CPCRN Volunteers!

Women Provide Home For Abused Dogs

Ten lucky terriers get temporary shelter while they await permanent adoption
By Megan King Staff Writer

Sheryl, has saved more than 25 dogs from abuse and neglect since she started volunteering for the Col. Potter Cairn Terrier Rescue organization. The California-based national nonprofit recruits volunteers in communities across the country to find homes for terriers that have been rescued from abuse or neglect, or from owners no longer able to care for them.

The group was named after Col. Potter, a Cairn terrier who was struck by a car and killed in 1999. The dog had been well known on an online chat group devoted to Cairns, and the organization was founded a year later and named after the canine.

Sheryl helps transport dogs from rescue sites to their adoptive homes, and visits people who have adopted dogs. Sheryl and her friend, Judith, who share the same home, use their home as a temporary shelter. The women said they are motivated by their common concern for innocent dogs that are abused or neglected. ‘‘A dog is totally helpless,” Sheryl said.

Their home now has 10 dogs, the maximum their license allows. They have a hobby license from the city that allows them to keep the animals in their home. Of the 10 dogs at home, some were purchased and some were rescued. A few are foster dogs, which they’ll keep until permanent homes are found. The women originally bought several dogs from a pet store, and got involved with the rescue organization after they began researching information about dogs on the Internet. They discovered that some dogs on sale in pet stores came from puppy mills — where animals are mass-produced and often neglected.

Three of their rescued dogs are part of the ‘‘Pets on Wheels” program, which allows owners to make visits with their dogs to senior centers and other facilities. One Cairn terrier, Rosie, participates in the county library system’s ‘‘Read to Rover” program, in which children can practice their reading skills by reading to dogs. ‘‘She was rescued and she’s giving back to society,” Sheryl said.

The volunteers have a variety of methods for rescuing dogs, mainly through buying dogs at auctions. Puppy mills also occasionally call in rescue groups to take dogs the mill owners no longer want.

A native of Ontario, Sheryl moved to the U.S. 10 years ago. The home’s living room features a Canadian flag hanging on the wall in the middle of the dogs’ crates and beds. Judith is a native of Takoma Park and works for the federal government. Danielle, president of Col. Potter Cairn Terrier Rescue, praised the women’s efforts. She said Sheryl and Judith are ‘‘always willing” to take any dog that needs a foster home. ‘‘Their work is exceptional; they’re always so willing to help out,” she said.

E-mail Megan King at mking@gazette.net.

How to help:
The Col. Potter Cairn Terrier Rescue network is in need of temporary and permanent homes for rescued terriers. For more information, visit http://www.cairnrescue.com/.

Another Addition to the CP Family!

Allow me to introduce one of the latest CP fosters! She is an owner surrender, 7 year old grey/black/splash of red brindle. Her name is Hedda (HED ah) which is Germanic for female warrior. Welcome Hedda!! Isn't she a BEAUTY???

Happy Valentine's Day From Our "Family" To Yours!

Five Fuzzy French Kids Are Four Weeks Old!

A Gem Is Added To The Col. Potter Collection ...

One of the nicest gemstones available is a Ceylon sapphire. These sapphires are mined primarily in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon - hence the name). They are known for the unique color they produce, and because Ceylon sapphires occur naturally, the color of the stone varies. They are also the hardest gemstone next to a diamond.

CP's Ceylon came to us from a PM that has released a number of other Cairns to us over the years. She is a beautiful grey brindle that personifies all the attributes of a Ceylon sapphire including her toughness of the years she has spent producing litters of puppies. Ceylon is 6 years old, friendly and likes people.

Please help me welcome this beautiful gem to the CP Family collection!

Update on the Country Cuties!

The Country Cuties, Trisha, Emmylou and Wynonna, came into Col. Potter's hands last week from a puppy mill in Western Tennessee. All have had their spays and dentals performed and made it through those procedures just fine! Emmylou had her hernia repaired during her spay, and it was uneventful. Trisha's yeasty skin is improved from last week, so that's good news.

Wynonna had her hernia repair, spay and dental yesterday, and her hernia was a little unusual. The vet performing the surgery has repaired a lot of hernias, and mostly these will have some intestines and fat and other tissue poking through the abdominal wall that has to be tucked back in and the opening closed. But Wynonna's hernia didn't have intestines poking through the abdominal wall. He said he had opened her up for her spay, had removed her right ovary and right side of her uterus and was fishing for the left, but he couldn't find it. He tried manipulating the tissue he already removed, but nothing would budge. He stopped there and opened the hernia, and there was her left ovary and left side of her uterus. He said he's read about this kind of hernia, but in 25 years has never come across one. He said it's obviously from over breeding her. Wynonna came through the surgery fine and is resting comfortably, and she'll never again have to be bred in this condition.

The Country Cuties will be moving on to their foster homes over the weekend, so please keep them and their transporters in your prayers.

Do you LOVE to cook??

Our unique and lovingly created cookbook "Your Culinary Companion II" is now on sale in the CPCRN Mall! Our first book, "Your Culinary Companion" won TOP 10 honors from Morris Press, our publisher with our first edition. We were very proud of this. Morris Press ONLY publishes cookbooks and they publish thousands every year. We know that our second book is equally as nice!

Also included in this book is a very large chapter of canine recipes, collected by Cairn Terrier lovers and their friends and relatives from all over the globe.

This book is a HUGE one-of-a-kind 3-ring (expandable) cookbook. It measures 8" wide, by 9-1/2" tall by almost 3 inch thick! The cookbook is professionally printed, including padded covers and approximately 700 carefully selected recipes.

This is sure to become one of your favorite cookbooks and it benefits Cairns in need. These are also great gifts for cooking friends. What more could you ask for?

Valor Update

Our boy is doing GREAT! His foster mom is doing physical therapy mostly with his right leg as the left one is still pretty sore and needs to heal a little more before she starts working with it. He still doesn't use the left leg much, but is using the right one. His foster mom is working on toe touching exercises with him for the left one and will continue to increase the therapy as he is ready.

Today they went to Petsmart to do some shopping for Valor. She brought a blanket for him and put it in the baby seat and Valor sat right there enjoying his shopping excursion and meeting a lot of new people. He's really starting to express himself more and barked for the first time today. Valor's also regained his appetite.

So, all very positive!