2008 Rescue Kerries Placed

Below are stories and updates on some of the Kerries placed by the Foundation during 2008.

Index of 2008 Rescue Kerries

Rylee

Adopted in St. Paul, MN

Keegan, was Slipper, 4 year old female

Nadia Bourassa, Rescue Coordinator, Quebec
nadia_boubou@hotmail.com

Two weeks ago [December 2007}, the Foundation received word that “Slipper”, who was no longer useful as breeding stock, was dropped off at a shelter in Escanaba, Michigan.  Due to the diligence of our wonderful Kerry volunteers, she made her way to Sudbury, Ontario where she is in foster care.

Slipper was born 2/10/03 (though we don’t know if this is February 10th, or October 2nd).  She was imported from Ireland and has had several large litters of puppies.
 
Slipper is very friendly with adults and children.  She will wrap her “arms” around you for hugs.  She is an excellent listener, understanding “no” and down, so far.  She has done very well in her toilet training and does not mess in the house or her crate.  She walks well on leash with a gentle leader.  Slipper is microchipped, vet checked, up to date on shots.  As is typical with puppy mill dogs, she does have tartar build-up on her teeth but appears healthy otherwise.  She is a small Kerry and definitely malnourished.  Current weight is 24 lbs.  She will need some healthy eating to put some weight on.....she loves chicken! 
 
Slipper does not like all dogs.  She has shown aggression to other female dogs she has met, but she has also socialized well with dogs at the shelter and in her foster home.   Because of this potential difficulty, we recommend Slipper only go to a home with no other dogs and with an experienced dog owner.  With obedience training and bonding with a real family, Slipper will surely make an excellent pet.  This little girl deserves to live “happily ever after”.

On February 2, 2008 Slipper moved to her new home in Mississauga, Ontario with Jill Macdonald & Ryan Samuelson.

Jim, 4 year old male

Fostered in British Columbia
Rescue Coordinator: Linda grisley (lgrisley@shaw.ca)

Jim is the sweetest 4 yr. old neutered male Kerry Blue rescued last December in the “Merry Kerry Rescue”. He has been living with a family on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and fits in very nicely with their two Airedale females. As you can see from the pictures, this is a beautiful Kerry boy!

Jim has grown up in a mill environment and, although he is self-assured and non-aggressive, he does not know all the subtleties of being a house dog.

Jim is not toilet trained. His current family is working hard to teach him but he does not understand yet. Although the current family will continue to work with Jim on his toileting, they feel it would be to his benefit to move to a home where the new owners would have the time and commitment to help him through this problem.

Jim is a loving and friendly dog. He gets along well with other dogs and both men and women. He needs to move to a home with a calm environment just adults or with perhaps with older children who will provide him with the attention and training he needs to settle into a home life. Preference will be given to a home within driving distance.

Jan-08

From: lgrisley@SHAW.CA
Subject: Jim
Date: March 11, 2008 10:16:51 AM PDT

Whoopee! Jim is adopted!

Black Knight Jim of the Merry Kerry Rescue has been adored by everyone who
met him on his way from the puppy mill to his new home in Sidney, B.C..

Jim is a 4 yr. old beautiful Kerry Blue who charmed all he met. His biggest
problem was toilet training. He just did not understand that there was a
place designated to go and it was not the chair of the man of the house!
Having spent his life in a mill, where toileting and eating and sleeping was
all in one space, a new life in a house was a big pill to swallow. However,
his foster-to-adopt family, Verna & Doug, have persevered and with the help
of a behaviourist, Jim has turned the corner.

It wasn't easy, though. Jim spent the first 6 weeks after his rescue with
our intrepid Nancy Joyce and her two Kerries, Quinn & Keely. He fit in well
with her dogs and Nancy worked hard to toilet train Jim with some success
before he went to his foster-to-adopt home with Verna & Doug.

Verna & Doug had been waiting for a Kerry rescue match for over a year and
were excited to finally receive Jim into their home. They also have 2
female Airedales with whom Jim fit very quickly and he was happy. But
because of the readjustment to this new home and the little time he had had
with Nancy to reinforce the toileting, his problems reoccurred. In
addition, shortly after his arrival with Verna & Doug, Jim had to have
surgery to remove a large lump on his hip that affected/pulled on his leg
and at the same time he was neutered.

When we put Jim on to the web site for adoption, Verna & Doug were
frustrated and not sure that they would have the patience to get through.
Jim had been walked for hours but never relieved himself until he got back
to the house and used his crate or watered the furniture. He was just not
getting it! Periodically he would relieve himself through the banister of
the deck - that's some progress! But not enough.

Verna hired Penni, the behaviourist, who discovered two things about Jim -
he does not like the rain (of which there is lots in BC!) and he liked
privacy for this toileting. Well, for crying out loud, that's pretty well
all it took! Armed with that knowledge and with some further recognition
of his feeding/toileting timing, Jim was given privacy from the other dogs
to do his business and a jacket to shield him from the rain... Jim was on
his way to success.

We are all extremely pleased for Verna, Doug & especially Jim. The problems
that Jim has overcome are not unusual for rescue dogs. It takes special
people to take on their troubles. Adopters of rescue dogs require patience
in the extreme and the loving care to recognize that this dog is not trying
to be bad...the new lives to which they arrive are FULL of so many things
they do not understand and it takes time and so much work to help them
through.
All the very best to Jim in his new home.

Linda Grisley
Rescue Director - Canada

Gillighan - 4 month old male

Fostered in Massachusetts
Rescue Coordinator: Tracey Fulmer, t_fulmer@yahoo.com

Gillighan (Irish for "little lad"), is a 4 month old Kerry Blue Terrier puppy who was relinquished to the Kerry Foundation, along with his mother, by an Amish puppy miller who realized there is no market for Kerries. That means one less mill indiscriminately breeding Kerries ... and fewer Kerries landing in rescue.

Gillighan is a typical adorable, bright, charming, loving Kerry puppy. He displayed his Kerriness "right out of the gate". -- Gilly's a bold fellow and a handsome lad to boot, currently a tall, lanky teenager, weighing 19 lbs, with a luxurious thick coat, and the most beautiful dark Irish eyes. He'll leave the Kerry lasses swooning.

Gillighan loves the snow, is a great retriever, and loves all kinds of toys. He's in foster care with a female Kerry whom he took to right away (see picture). He has no issues with food, allowing the older Kerry girl to take food away from him. Gully is currently living in a busy household, with kids and visiting dogs, and lovin' every minute. He's gotta be in on ALL the action -- a typical Kerry shadow, always at your heels. He rides well in the car and is just learning to walk on a leash, which is coming along nicely, although he prefers to "lead you" with the leash in his mouth!

Mr. Gillighan goes to his crate at night, lured in with a milk bone, sleeps through the night, then trots right out in the morning to do his business in the yard. Potty training is coming along -- the current schedule of going outside at least every two hours is working nicely.

We are looking for a family where somebody is home during the day to give him the companionship and mental stimulation he needs and to continue working on his housetraining. Kids over 5 who respect dogs and a female canine companion would be fine. A securely fenced yard is a must -- this guy's gotta run! All Kerry Foundation rescues are required to attend obedience classes per our adoption contract. As another contractual obligation of his adoption, his new family will need to neuter him and submit a neuter certificate, which has not been done yet due of his young age. Gilly is up to date on his vacs, chipped, and ready for anything! He will be a fabulous best friend for one lucky Kerry-loving family.

Gilligan was adopted on April 8, 2008.

Blu

by Tracey Fulmer

It's one of those calls you dread. A high kill shelter sending out an SOS to help an older Kerry turned in by his owner. After asking how much time the dog has, you start wondering how anybody could dump a dog they'd had for eight years in a place where he probably only had hours to live.

His name is Blu and thank goodness for the extremely organized pound in the DC area who called Foundation volunteer Shelley Kilcoyne. They had her name and the Foundation's information on file because Shelley has been on the Foundation's shelter scanning team for several years and had contacted this pound in the past.

Blu was skinny as a rail at only 26 lbs, had ear and eye infections, a runny nose and cough, tested positive for Lyme disease and was so matted he had trouble eliminating -- obviously neglected for quite a while. He'd had a benign growth removed by his previous owner, so at some point in his past, somebody had cared about him. How could they just throw him away? Although we were told by the shelter that he was very, very sweet, we're always super cautious with a dog whose owner didn't care if it lived or died. But after speaking with numerous shelter workers, the vet tech and reviewing the owner turn-in information, we were certain that Blu deserved a second chance. He was kissing everybody who met him and had not displayed an ounce of dog aggression.

Pulling shelter dogs takes a lot of desperate man hours. You need to act quickly and drop everything -- time is the enemy of elderly dogs in pounds where they are more susceptible to sickness and have little chance of being adopted. Kerries found in shelters usually aren't located near any volunteers and with a foster family chomping at the bit to help. So we start dialing in desperation, hoping and pleading we'll get somebody to pull the dog and hold it until we can find a foster home and coordinate the transport. As luck would have it, Regina and Brian Corry in Arlington, VA are those special "Kerry angels" who never say "no" to a Kerry in need. One call to Regina and she was in touch with the shelter. Just a day later, Blu was on his way to their safe, warm home. Yes, the Corry's have two Kerries of their own, including Princess Jessie who can be selective with dog intruders. But the Corry's knew they could manage a day or two of inconvenience -- a Kerry needed
them. (Turns out, Blu was the perfect house guest, which further confirmed the Foundation's good diagnosis.)

Dianne Ewing quickly identified a foster home for Blu within hours of the initial SOS from the shelter. And again, luck was on Blu's side, as the foster home had family traveling north from Raleigh and could meet up with the Corrys that weekend. Yes, the Corrys not only picked up Blu and overnighted him, but also drove a few hours south to connect with the foster family. (Bless you, bless you, Regina and Brian!)

The only hitch in the whole process.....the foster family already had a female Kerry named Blue, so there might be confusion with the names! After several weeks in his foster home, Blu's temporary family could not part with such a wonderful Kerry and they have officially adopted him. And kept his name.

Below are excerpts from the updates we received on Mr Blu and Ms Blue:

He's made himself quite lovable to the ladies in our home ....very attentive whereas our girl Blue is friendly but somewhat aloof. Boy Blu has gone through an incredible transformation considering the dog we picked up just 2 weeks ago and what he's like now. Very puppy like ... rambunctious ... loves a good romp outside ... retrieves the ball ... comes when called .... seems to just love living. Ears and eyes are clear ... coughing is almost gone and his nose is actually cold and wet now. I believe he's gained some weight and his coat is shiny and soft. No issues at the groomer ... the groomer couldn't believe we'd ever give him away. This guy's personality is definitely his best asset. He's just everybody's friend. There've been a few times where the single name is a problem but overall it's not a big deal. Interested friends and neighbors get a laugh upon hearing the single name situation we're dealing with.

He's a quick learner and can almost sit on command (with a treat of course) ...he watches our girl to see what's expected and you can almost see him figuring our desires out from what she does.

Girl and Boy Blu get along just fine ... there are absolutely no issues. Girl Blue had a doggy bone inside her Kong yesterday and wandered off to check on something, leaving the Kong behind. Boy Blu took over trying to get the bone out of the Kong. Girl Blue came back to find the Kong in Boy's possession. I thought "this could get ugly" ... picture Boy Blue on his belly chewing at the Kong. Girl Blue lays down in front of him and watches attentively. Boy Blu stops chewing and pushes the Kong over to girl with his nose .... very cute.

Aaahh, yet another happy ending and a long sigh of relief that another senior Kerry is safe. [...]

It's been a year when we've seen far more than the average number of senior Kerries in need: Andy and his sister Emma, Duffy, Blu, and Kevin. In addition, we've assisted numerous seniors by helping their owners find the breeder, including Mowgli, Lilly, Sapphire and Honey. I have a hunch this is just the tip of the iceberg, since the Kerries born during the "Mick" peak production era are aging, as are their owners.

We can ALWAYS use more help in pulling from shelters, overnighting, transporting and fostering. If you are interested in helping out in any capacity, please contact the Rescue Coordinator in your region so we can have your name and contact information at our fingertips when we start dialing in desperation. [If you can't help with the work, please consider a donation.]

Thank you to all involved with the story of Mr Blu. You saved a life and turned a neglected, throw away Kerry back into a puppy prince.

Tracey Fulmer
Rescue Coordinator, Northeast

Kirby

by Laura Cocke

Our Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Lexi, reached her fifth birthday this February and my furtive Internet searches for a reputable breeder's litter or a wonderful rescue dog increased. I'd been hinting, mentioning, campaigning for a second dog for years. Looking over those pages of dogs waiting to be adopted became a bittersweet obsession. We'd met the beautiful Kerry Blues at Westminster, and thought one would be a great companion for Lexi. Once we decided we were up for an adoption adventure, we became nervous expectant parents.

Diane Ewing told us that Agatha Hughes had six month old rescue Jumpin' Jack Flash in Pennsylvania. The day we drove from D.C. to meet him it was pouring buckets outside. The visibility was so awful I considered pulling over on I-95. We made it to Agatha's and met this wonderful Kerry. He was beautiful, but a bit of a blur. He was scared of us, scared of each motion, sound and new sight. He crawled onto Agatha hoping he could escape our very presence. When he met Lexi he was intrigued, but still confused and unsure. We crossed our fingers and loaded him into the car as the rain teemed down. As we drove in the rain and discussed dozens of names, we passed Kirby Street in Philadelphia while hunting down the requisite cheesesteaks. Kirby, our Kerry, had a name.

Back in D.C. (Arlington), Kirby and Lexi had the run of the yard. She doesn't really understand the thrill of a tennis ball, but we discovered Kirby likes to run around with one in his mouth. This is perfect because Lexi loves to chase him. They run in sync, bounding around the yard until one of the terriers makes a trademark terrier twist and the other stumbles to catch up. (Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALqXjaBn1go )

We brought them to our house in the country. It's got a field on a river. On Lexi's first visit five years ago, she walked down to the dock and matter of factly dove off the dock into the chilly spring water. She swam to shore earning the nickname Lexminda the Brave. Kirby saw the water and I swear I saw the spirit of some ancient (possibly Portugese) Water Dog spring forth and in an instant, Kirby dove from the dock. He loved it. He wallowed in it. He dove in over and over. Fear was a million miles away from this boy for maybe the first time ever. This summer I anticipate lots of beach towels being put to work to dry wavy black fur.

Since Kirby came home, he's defeated the fear of stairs, sounds, cats, and cars. I've heard some Kerries are stingy with kisses but this weekend my mother said, "Are you going to let him kiss you all over like that?"

Kirby's still a little leery of men with deep voices, but he's making progress. He loves running around the yard with an upside down frisbee obscuring his view like I love chocolate cake. Every time we look at Kirby and think of where he's been and his big bold plunge into the river, we're so glad the Foundation, Diane and Agatha helped him find his way home.

Please Help

Make a Donation