Remembering Austin!

Contributed by a CP Volunteer and Austin’s Mom

Austin at Intake, August, 2006

Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network (CPCRN) is always grateful when a new Foster comes in and quickly finds a Forever Home, making room to save another little soul.  It isn’t always that easy, however.  Sometimes we rescue little Cairns that need a lot of work to get them ready to go to their own home, and sometimes we just can’t quite erase all the issues.  Thankfully, a wonderful Rescue Volunteer often steps forward to provide a Forever Home to these so-called un-adoptable kids, and this tribute is to one such Foster and his very special Foster Mom who made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.   

Following is her tribute to her special boy…

Austin 2/25/99 (?) – 12/10/12

Aging, like fine wine…

Austin (aka The Pee-Man) took his final car ride today, as the obits tend to say, after a long and courageous battle with cancer.  In late April he was diagnosed with TCC - prostatic carcinoma.  His symptoms were relieved with NSAIDs for several months and then this summer he went through 2 rounds of chemotherapy.  There was only a 1 in 2 zillion chance of shrinking the tumor, which is always fatal, but the plan was to slow its progress down and he was the kind of dog that handled it all very well.

I took a day off every week this summer and most of them were spent at the specialty vet between Mayflower's gall bladder removal and Austin's visits with his oncologist.  On November 1, we moved into "hospice care" and returned back to my own vet. His doctors had given me all the tools I needed to make him comfortable, NSAIDs, stomach protectants, nausea pills, and fluids for his failing kidneys.  

It was the right decision.  He had fought back several times from seizures and collapses enough times, we all thought of him as the Comeback Kid.  But on Sat. we found he had an enlarged mass that was causing a blockage - my worst fear.  At least I was prepared and wasn't at work when he needed me most.

Austin waiting to meet Foster Mom – Courtesy Beth A

Austin came to me as a foster in 2006.  He was found as a stray (thus the question mark after his "birth date" as we have no clue - that was my vet's best guess), and he was deemed un-adoptable because he growled every time you made him do something he didn't want. 

Oh oh…  Austin surveying the damage

Well guess what, that NEVER changed.  But he never, ever once bit anyone. 

 But it was in the way, Foster Mom!

I knew I was in trouble the first night when he jumped up on the bed and snuggled down right next to me.  This dog had been someone's pet that was for sure.  However, he peed all the time. Behavior or physical?  We did every test while he was in foster care and there was no reason, but it was beyond a behavior problem.  

  

Austin enjoying the Sunshine

When Lucy (Boston Terrier) passed in 2007, I applied to adopt my little Pee-Man. Obviously, only some kind of weirdo would put up with a dog who peed all the time, but hey, my house was already Pee-Man-Proofed.  He never slept anywhere but next to me - first day to last.  He had horrible teeth - his dentals were horrific - in fact the first one in foster care was over $700 and it never got better.  I covered all his foster expenses and gave another $250 donation to CP adopt him.  Because of that, I called him my Million Dollar Man, but he was worth every penny.

How could you Not love this face?

He loved everyone, cats, squirrels, children & all people.  He adored my niece Emily and my brother in law, and I was so glad we had a chance to go down and see them for Thanksgiving.  It was touch and go, but I think the trip did him good and I know it did me.  So that was his final gift to me and himself - a holiday from worry plus turkey to boot!  I did make sure he wore a bellyband constantly at my sister's house -- even at night.  One night I woke up (which I have done 2-3x nightly for the last 7 months) and watched him go from chair, to table, to chair, to flower arrangement, lifting his leg on every single thing.  Laughing, that's my boy…

Austin waiting to meet Foster Mom – Courtesy Beth A

Thanks to Lynne P. who was his rescue angel and Beth A. who brought him to me to foster.  So please - all humans, raise a glass and every little boy dog, raise your leg, in memory of The Pee-Man, aka Greyfrairs Bobby (the name they gave him at the shelter), aka Austie, aka My Baby Boy.  

Austin in the Snow

One of a kind and never to be forgotten.

Mom, Tim, Mayflower and Nana, and Foster Hazel

CPCRN is an all volunteer Rescue, saving Cairns, one dog at a time.   Please adopt, volunteer, or donate so we can help more Cairns enjoy Freedom, even those who are said to be un-adoptable!

 

Happy Mother's Day to Our Foster Moms!

Written by CP's Director of Foster Homes

I want to take this time to say Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful foster moms. I cannot begin to tell you how special each and every one of you are. It is not easy to take a strange dog into your home and yet you wonderful foster moms do this over and over again. You show them love, many for the first time, help them with their fears, show the ones who are out of control who is boss, clean up more pee and poop than you care to think about, take care of a multitude of problems and after all this work, you lovingly pass them off to another home so they have a little Cairn in their life. Please know how appreciated you all are, not only by me but all of Col. Potter.

Happy Mom's Day foster moms. May it be as special as each and every one of you are.

The Foster Spotlight is On COLONEL!

UPDATE: We are very pleased to announce that Colonel has found his forever family! Are you looking for a TERRIFIC TERRIER? Check out our available cairns! Look for Colonel and other "Happily Ever After" stories on our Post Adoption blog.


Hi! Psst … over here, it’s me Colonel! I think you may have missed my picture on Col. Potter’s available cairns. I am living in New Mexico with my Foster Mom, Deb. The reason I think that you missed my picture is because I have not heard from you! I’ve been waiting for so long and I know if you would just look into my eyes you could see how much that I need you. I really love my foster mom and all my foster brothers and sisters, but I truly want a real Mom and Dad to call my very own. A sister would be nice too!

Do you see me now? I’ve got that cute little one ear up and one ear down going on. Kind of cute, huh? Seeing you have missed so much of my life let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am 7 years young. Did you know that Cairns can live to be 16 years and sometimes older? It’s true. I have spent most of my life in a cage and really never had the chance to be a puppy, but I’m catching up on that now. I love to go outside and play and run cause I never ever got to do that before. Do you have a yard? I bet you do. I would be so, so happy to run and play in your yard with you. I am a very shy boy, where I came from the humans were just not very nice, so I'm a little scared of new people. But I am getting better about meeting new folks. It just takes me a while. And geesh, if I am gonna be your protector some day, you don't want me to like everybody, now do you?! I need someone to help me overcome my shyness and teach me and love me and make me feel like the most special dog in the world! I hardly ever have accidents in the house cause foster mom Deb has been teaching me to be a well trained young dog. Did I tell you I like girl dogs? They like me too. I don’t know about boy dogs though, I think they are just jealous cause all the girls like me! Do you know how to give skritches? It’s okay if you don’t, I can teach you. I love getting skritches it feels so good. I would love to be your special dog and I am so glad we met. I’ll be waiting to hear from you. Just ask for Colonel, I will answer you right away, I promise!

Colonel is a CP history maker! Did you know he was our 2000th Cairn?? If you are interested in adopting this special little guy fill out an adoption application! To read additional updates written by his Foster Mom click here.

Dina Says "I CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!"

Written by Dina's Foster Mom

To read previous posts on Dina click HERE.

Apparently my beautiful blonde bombshell Miss Dina Potter aka Deeny read my recent update. We talk about our fearful babies making baby steps of progress. It seems as if Dina has decided that baby steps are not sufficient. She's going for the gusto and for the big steps!

Dina used to run inside from potty trips and run right to the living room, jump onto the couch and make herself as small as she could by trying to insert herself in between the cushions and the back or side of the couch. We let her do that but occasionally we would go sit on the couch and put out an arm to give her skritches occasionally. Then she got to the point where she would nudge the hand for skritches. Then she started not being wedged tightly in the corner. Then a tad farther from the corner. NOW I will spot her right smack dab in the middle of the couch!!! :) Dare I say she also pesters anyone sitting on the couch with food to share? ;)

The last several days she has been coming to me wanting treats and is suddenly allowing me to shake her paw. She even takes her weight off the paw I choose to shake! Then I was able to scratch her head and then....reach out with my other hand and skritch with both hands at *one* time. :) That was a scary prospect because a human could *grab* when they had two hands out and I knew that's what she was afraid of.

Yesterday she let me reach very slowly and pick her up. She stayed in my lap for a while and then left BUT she did not go back on the couch. Instead she's been wandering around. :) She's been spending some time under the dining room table when Foster Dad is working there. To top it all off....she just came to me and "urrrred" at me to *tell* me to give her treats!!!!!!! Can you believe the amount of blooming she's done recently?

I've got tears in my eyes...and a lot less treats!

The Foster Spotlight Is On GIANNA!

Happy New Year! I was at a New Year's party and got to thinking about this past year. I thought I would share my past year with you all!

My name is Gianna. I have been on a long journey and thought you all might like to hear my story!

I originally came from the South. Down South that is. I am a true Southern Belle! I enjoyed being a Southern Belle, but a day came when I was very mysteriously moved from my Southern home, to a new home in Southern California! I wasn't sure what was going on and was a bit nervous about this whole moving thing! There I was, just uprooted from the person I owned by a big bad hurricane and hard times.

Thus began my journey in my new home. It's called a temporary home. Hmmm…a foster home. So this is not my furevah home, but an in between place? I am training this family and then I will have to do this again? Oh bother, these humans sure are strange! But, all aside, I do love my foster home family!

My temporary family in Californea has been most helpful! They had me diagnosed with diabetes and now that I am getting my shot after my morning and evening meal, I am feeling healthier. And let me tell you, that shot after my meal just takes a second to give! Fast and easy. Kind of like my motto for fun! Then my foster mom had my cataracts removed! NOW I am having fun, feeling frisky and having a blast!

I love to meet new people! These two-legged hoomans just fascinate me! I love to hear them laugh! Some of them are pretty funny you know. So how do you make them laugh? Well, you just have to put some of the Southern belle away for starters! Now here are some of the things I like to do to get the attention and laughter of the humans!

1. I want your attention! I sit up in my best Meerkat pose so that you think I am cute. It automatically brings you my way for scritches and or treats!



2. Why don't you lie down on the floor? I promise to come to you immediately and kiss you all over for a good belly rub!



3. I like to walk backwards. My hoomans then go beep…beep…beep. I think this is so funny. I am not sure who is laughing the most, them or me!



4. I love to kill my toys! Or shake them to death. The hoomans just watch and laugh. Well, I am having fun and if this makes them laugh, then it's even more fun!



5. This is my favorite! I love to fall over on my back, stick my legs straight up and rub my back on the ground and grunt! The hoomans go nuts over this!

There are a lot of other things I love to do. I do like going for walks and I love to cuddle. I will sit at your feet while you are busy with the TV or while you are on your computer. I love to go for rides so I am a great traveler if you like to travel! I would love to be an only dog, but I guess I could handle having a boy around! What I am looking for here, is a home that has a sense of humor and a whole lot of love. I have a lot of love to give to a fureveh family and now that you know a bit more about me, go to Col. Potter Cairn Rescue and fill out my adoption application!

To apply to adopt Gianna click here!

Twas the Night Before Christmas ...

By Robin Pressnall, Executive Director, Small Paws® Rescue

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the mills,
not a puppy was stirring, it was strangely quite still.

While back at the pole, Santa readied the sleigh
to pick up these mill dogs, it was such a long way!

The reindeer were dressing all quick in a hurry
They were headed for RESCUE, and straight for MISSOURI!

On Dasher on Dancer on Comet and Cupid.
Those pups go to Pet Shops! We know! We're not stupid!

As his sleigh did approach, the mill gates opened wide,
Santa called to them all, and they all jumped inside!

On Poodles, on Bichons, on Golden Retrievers!
Grab up the babies, we save those for grievers!

On Westies, on Lhasas, on cute Weenie Boogers,
On Shih Tzus and Scotties, they're all sweet as sugar!

On Schnauzers, and Maltese, on Kerry Blue Terriers!
We've got room for ALL, the more now, the merrier!

And the sleigh just grew bigger as they all made more room,
These pups lives were changing! No more gloom and doom!

While out on the lawns there arose such a clatter
The millers ran out to see what was the matter!

When they found their "stock" gone, how the millers did sob,
while a Voice from above boomed, "GO GET A REAL JOB!"

As it seemed it could not get much better than this,
I started to wake, did I dream all of this???

There was no red sleigh, no reindeer with wings.
I guess it was sadly, just one of those things,

That you dream and you dream, till one day 'twill be.
That glorious day, when the mills are history!

And I think as we tell them, and tell them again,
Soon it will be that we all know that when,

One buys from a pet shop, there are pups you don't see.
The Mama and Daddy, who are longing to be,

loved by a family, and scratched on the heads.
Not sleeping on wire, that they now call their beds.

One day it will be, oh how that will feel!
We won't mill our puppies like paper and steel!

And I heard it exclaimed as I woke up that night,
We won't stand for this, we'll stand up and fight!

With each breath we do have and each word we do say,
we'll tell about the mills, till that glorious day,

when the mills are all outlawed, and all over Missouri,
The occupation of milling, will be but a memory.

"Please don't buy my babies from a pet store." - From Puppy Mill Moms

Dr. Mitchell, from Knollwood Hospital for Pets, recently wrote a wonderful article in her Pawprints newsletter featuring one of Col. Potter's foster dogs, Jaymee, and her Foster Mom, Terri. Please read it and share the link with others as Dr. Mitchell focuses on Puppy Mills and the treatment of the animals there.

Click here to read the article "Please Don't Buy My Babies From a Pet Store."

Jaymee Gave Me an Early Present!

Written by Jaymee's Foster Mom

My foster Jaymee is my first puppy mill mama. The first three fosters were male owner surrenders and a runaway. I thought "I give her love and get love back" - no problem ... Yeah sure.

Little Lady was terrified, released in 2007 - fostered and adopted and returned. What was I thinking? She could run, duck and scamper like nobody's business. I could only get near her on my butt - yeah I said butt. I had to sit on the floor and slowly inch my way near her or crawl slowly. No standing. She drug a leash for months - hung from the deck on the harness twice! A couple of crying phone calls to Sydney and panic emails to Kathy...we hung in there. Very little contact. Someone taught her to wave a paw when she wanted petted. That helped.

Slowly just following the gang she caught on to the routine, follows well and knows directions. But still dutiful little life, no spark and no fun.

Occasionally when I was playing with the others her paw would come up and she would let me pet her. Then last month I noticed she would sit by my gang and wave her paw, then I noticed toys piling up in her crate. She was a borrower.

When I would play with my guys I would hear noises from her in the other room. What a surprise to them and me - when she started running up the stairs - snatching the play toy and running downstairs.

Then Thanksgiving morning - I saw her roll and play with a toy in the living room. Later that day she alerted me when someone drove up to the neighbors - tail up, ears up and prancing and barking!

She knows the treat routine and waits her turn. Early this Monday morning she joined in the morning workout of chasing balls up and down the hall - full of enthusiasm and being considerate of others too! (She just won't bring it to me!)

This morning she stood up and put her paws on my knee - waiting for her cheerios! And then STAYED UP to get an EAR SCRATCH! VICTORY!

Six months to the week - we have breakthroughs! Still have some scampering away - but I just keep heading in my direction and ignore her and she scampers less each time. In fact when I don't look at her, she is on my heels, when I turn to talk she scampers - just not as far! Two months ago I was almost ready to throw in the towel and give up, But the last weeks are a miracle and a blessing.

Potty training is another thing, she keeps a clean crate, and potties in the same spot, but I can't put panties on her - since I can't catch her, and she politely avoids soiling the puppy pads. She is also very camera shy! I'm trying - just have a lot of pictures of her backside.

I have renewed hope! Just wanted to share my joy with you!

The Inner Puppy is coming out in Ms. Jaymee Beth!

Please Welcome Billy the Kid!

Written by a CP Volunteer

This little boy was born July 4, 2008, to a Mom who had been surrendered to a local shelter, whether before or after his birth, I do not know. He was raised in a shelter foster home until he was adopted. It seems that he bullied other pups, was food aggressive and barks a lot - where have we heard that before? At any rate he was returned and the shelter felt he would be hard to adopt given his past record so they asked Col. Potter to take him. He added to his reputation as a terrier-ist by chewing through a staff member's mouse cord when he was allowed the run of the office. I felt he deserved a name to match his reputation, so allow me to introduce Billy the Kid! He traveled quietly on the way home, only barking to protect us from a nearby motorcycle. We had a short photo session before he was crated in the laundry. He complained for a few minutes, but is quiet now. He will B & B with us until transport can be arranged to his foster Mom, Marsha T. He sure is a cute little guy to be a terrier-ist!

Connie - Two Are Better Than One!

Written by her Foster Mom

I had to get a couple of pictures of Connie this morning being a silly cairn girl. She has both her favorite toys in her mouth......I guess she couldn't make up her mind. :)

Considering the size and shape of these toys, this is no easy task.....lol.

GOOD GIRL CONNIE . . . you are becoming a REAL CAIRN TERRIER. Did you notice how much better her skin is now? Lori, her Foster Mom, gives her baths all the time, and Connie just loves those. It makes her feel so much better. OF COURSE she is so hairless, she dries in 5 minutes. She is a little beauty in the making. She's such a special girl.

The Foster Spotlight Is On LUISE!

UPDATE: We are very pleased to announce that Luise has found her forever family! Are you looking for a TERRIFIC TERRIER? Check out our available cairns! Look for Luise and other "Happily Ever After" stories on our Post Adoption blog.

Written by: Luise's Foster Mom

Luise came into Col. Potter’s care known to have food and grass allergies. Little did we know that was just the tip of the iceberg. I started to foster Luise during the winter and treated her with medicated baths and a diet free of corn and wheat. She started to look and feel better until spring sprung bringing all the malicious things that Luise’s body could not tolerate. Her hair started to fall out, she was constantly itching and she was not getting restful sleep at night. I looked in her eyes and she just looked completely worn out. I asked and received permission from Col. Potter to take her to an allergist and the true story finally was revealed; Luise had over 60 allergies with 42 being severe.

If you followed any of the write-ups I submitted on her you will recall this was the little girl that liked to show her teeth; what we call the big smile. I knew this was a rather strong calming signal she was giving and now I knew why; her skin was painful. During the worst of her allergy flare-up when I had to take her off the antihistimes prior to the allergy tests this little girl clung to me looking for comfort. Luise loves to be in the company of people and looks to them for comfort. Her true colors came out, she is a big love bug at heart and the big smiles were just her telling me to be gentle.


After several trips to the allergist to evaluate her treatment, Luise looks and feels great. You would never know she has an allergy to grass; I shake my head every time she is in the yard rolling around in the grass. Her treatment involves injections twice a week, Wednesday and Saturday, medicated baths and a daily antihistamine. This little girl is absolutely a jewel when it comes to her treatment. She now gets so excited when I go to the drawer to pull out the needle to prepare for her injections. She goes into puppy mode and scratches at my leg telling me to hurry up. Okay, maybe it is not the injection but the treat that follows that gets her excited!

She occasionally still gives me a smile if I ask her to let me clean her ears or if I need to get a burr from between her pads. It is almost a game for us because she will give me the smile and I talk to her and put my hand to her mouth and she gives me kisses then I get to clean or remove burrs. She’s a Cairn! She is absolutely wonderful around new people and older kids. She will greet the kids with kisses. She is a fantastic companion who likes to snuggle up to people on the couch.

Certainly Luise is an older dog, but that brings along many fine traits. She does not have a strong prey drive, she is a watcher. She loves watching people and other animals; she does not chase after cats. She is near perfect on a leash; her only down side is she speeds up a bit when she sees people or dogs approaching. She has no desire to escape from the yard. Did I happen to mention she is incredibly cute and she will use that cuteness to persuade you to change your mind?

If you would like to welcome this sweet little girl into your home and heart, click here to fill out an adoption application!

Maybe Luise has touched your heart and you would like to become one of her Guardian Angels? Click here for more information on our Guardian Angel program.