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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.
From: Jill Macdonald [mailto:jillmac66@hotmail.com]
Sent: March-02-08 7:07 PM
Subject: RE: Keegan
It started out a little loud...she barked, barked, barked at the other
dogs in the class for about 5 minutes, then the instructor showed us how
to show her that's not allowed and then she stopped. But, I do have to
say she didn't try to nip/bite anyone or dog in the class By the end she
was pretty tired-she would lay down instead of sit when we said 'sit'
. She was probably a bit stressed as well, the poor thing. SHe's not really
food motivated, so trying to give her a treat at the class was useless.
That could have been because it was so new as well though.
We went to Pet Valu today and bought her a more effective
collar for the class. She was very good in the store-the owners have a
very well behaved Boxer that was sleeping in the store and she only barked
at him for a couple of seconds and stopped when I said so. The harness
that Barb suggested we buy is fine for times if we have to pick her up
in a hurry, but not so great to corrections.
All the best,
Jill
Madison, 4 year old female
Fostered in Connecticut
Rescue Coordinator: Tracey Fulmer (t_fulmer@yahoo.com).
Joy (renamed Madison) is a 4 year old survivor – she was rescued
from an Amish puppy mill with her Kerry spirit very much in tact –
tail up and full of herself. Joy is being fostered in Connecticut and
has quickly learned the joys of freedom. She is pretty well house trained,
preferring to do her business outside. Not surprisingly, she doesn’t
love her crate, especially when somebody’s in the house -- some
food goes a long way toward helping her overcome her objections.
Joy
is a bit skittish in new situations, since she hadn’t been exposed
to normal life until a few weeks ago. She warms up quickly to women, but
needs some time and patience (and treats) with men. When visiting family
during the holidays, she was initially jumpy and afraid but settled down
within 20 minutes and approached the unfamiliar adults. While being skittish
is typical of puppy mill survivors, Joy has a great “bounce back”
after an initial fright, especially when given proper reinforcement for
being brave. Turkey, cheese, chicken or simple praise – she loves
it all!
Joy
could be placed with dog-savvy children 8 years or older, as she is good
with her human foster pals (ages 8 and 10). However, adults should be
her dog only walkers. She walks well on a leash although can go a bit
nutty, barking and dancing around, when seeing other dogs and she is also
an expert at slipping her collar, so a harness should be used for leash
walking. She needs some work on calming down when seeing other dogs and
you can get her attention, so this is something that should be fixable
with training. Her wonderful foster family is taking her to obedience
lessons.
She
is selective with the dogs she likes and would probably be happiest as
the only dog in the house. If placed with another dog, it would need to
be in the home of experienced dog owners and only after a meeting to ensure
the dogs are compatible. A fully fenced yard is required.
Up to date on shots, weighing in at 28 lbs (not underweight) and responding
to treatment for ear and eye infections, Joy is coming along nicely. She
will be spayed shortly, prior to her placement. Joy will bring exactly
that – lots of joy – to her new, very lucky family.
31 Dec 07
I'm thrilled to report that Joy in CT was adopted by an
experienced Kerry family in NH. She greeted each family member with curiousity
and kisses and was busy exploring the house when I checked in on them
last night. Joy was reactive to some dogs so I was looking for a home
with experience in managing dog aggression, which thankfully was found.
I think Joy will love being doted upon as the only dog.
Tracey Fulmer
22-Feb-08
From: t_fulmer@YAHOO.COM
Subject: [KBL] Adoption Announcements
Date: March 2, 2008 7:37:28 AM PST
To: KERRYBLUES-L@APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM
[...]
I am delighted to share the news that THREE of our rescues
were placed this week.
Two female siblings who suffered through 4 long years in
a midwest puppy mill arrived in their adoptive homes -- one in New Hampshire
and the other in Pennsylvania. While both dogs were named Joy by the mill
-- rather ironic since they had little joy in their lives until they were
sprung -- they now share names of Manhattan Avenues: Madison and Lexie
(short for Lexington).
[...]
Madison had a rather lengthy stay in foster care as she
is reactive to other dogs, thus she needed an experienced family with
the skill and will to manage that, plus she came into season right after
we got her. Rest assured she would have been bred by the mill if she had
come into season in that pit: a bitch in season means positive cash flow
on the horizon. She was placed in a wonderful home in NH who had no qualms
about dog aggression, having recently lost their dog aggressive Kerry
to cancer. Reports are that she gave Kerry "eye socket" kisses
during introductions and is quickly settling in with her new family. An
ENORMOUS THANK YOU TO FOSTER KATHY FREEMAN and her family, who patiently
worked with Madison by taking to obedience classes, waiting to have her
spayed and spotting her dry eye condition that is now being treated. Kathy
needed to keep Madison separated from her dogs, which takes a lot of mental
management.
[...]
Lexie, now Joy
From: t_fulmer@YAHOO.COM
Subject: [KBL] Adoption Announcements
Date: March 2, 2008 7:37:28 AM PST
To: KERRYBLUES-L@APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM
[...]
I am delighted to share the news that THREE of our rescues
were placed this week.
Two female siblings who suffered through 4 long years in
a midwest puppy mill arrived in their adoptive homes -- one in New Hampshire
and the other in Pennsylvania. While both dogs were named Joy by the mill
-- rather ironic since they had little joy in their lives until they were
sprung -- they now share names of Manhattan Avenues: Madison and Lexie
(short for Lexington).
[...]
Lexie was transferred to her adopters yesterday, with another
HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO HOLLY MONAHAN, who convinced a friend to drive
for several hours in a snow storm to assist with the transport. Lexie
did not have the dog aggression issues of her sister and was placed with
a wonderful Kerry-experienced family who are previous adopters from the
Foundation -- they adopted Trooper in 2004. Thankfully, Holly didn't act
on her impulse to abscond with the little darlin'! As of this morning,
Lexie and Trooper were successful co-conspirators in tugging apart a stuffed
toy and happily shared the de-stuffing ritual.
[...]
From: t_fulmer@yahoo.com
Subject: Lexie Pics for the website
Date: March 13, 2008 2:33:37 PM PDT
This is the female rescued from a mill and adopted by Eric
Stahley and family.
Lexie playing with Trooper,
another KBTF rescue Kerry.

Lexie (left), with Trooper.


Sullivan: 5 year old male
Fostered in Massachusetts
Rescue Coordinator: Tracey Fulmer (t_fulmer@yahoo.com).
I
was thrilled to learn that Sully is clicker savvy. He was clearly clicker
trained by his previous owner. He has been taught to sit and "target"
(touch your hand) when asked. We've started on some basic agility and
this boy learns FAST and is very hungry to learn. He could make a wonderful
agility partner for the right owner.
Sullivan, or Sully, is a stunning 5 year old neutered male Kerry Blue
Terrier with a lovely pedigree (mostly Louisburgh). He is being fostered
in MA. Sully was bred in Hungary, imported to the US as a puppy, spent
a year in a puppy mill and then was purchased as a pet. Although we don’t
know much about his past four years, we do know somebody invested a lot
of time training him. He has lovely manners, knows basic commands, walks
beautifully on a leash -- sitting and looking at you when you stop --
and is ever so happy to please his human. He’s perfectly housetrained
and loves his crate. We were also told he loves cats, although that hasn't
been tested.
Besides being beautiful, this boy is strong and healthy, smart as a whip,
has wonderful attention and eye contact and is incredibly happy, especially
when he knows you’re going for walkies. Pull
out that leash and you've never met a happier dog! I taught him to jump
a hurdle, go over the A-frame and through a tunnel in just a few tries.
(He's very motivated by that clicker.) He gets along well with dogs when
he’s been properly introduced, is not dominant nor does he have
any food issues. And his eyes would melt the hardest heart. He's an absolute
delight.
Mr Sully needs a very special home to work on his fear issues. He needs
a job -- obedience or agilty -- to keep his mind occupied and to build
his confidence. He bonds extremely quickly and closely with his humans
and needs a very committed owner to modify his reaction to new people,
e.g., when somebody comes to the house or when somebody approaches you.
This will require lots of controlled socialization with lots of positive
reinforcement. In the short time his foster home has been working with
him, he’s already made dramatic improvements and is very manageable.
This
boy WANTS to do the right thing and needs owners who will help him get
there. This is not a quick fix, but one that will be rewarded for years
to come. I have never met a Kerry Blue as smart and devoted as Mr. Sullivan.
He's very, very special (but don't tell my Kerries I said that!).
We will only consider experienced dog owners who are interested in and
committed to working with Sully to modify his behavior using positive
clicker training method. The "nothing in life is free" approach
was recommended by the behaviorist who evaluated him. An adult-only home
and a fenced yard is a must as he loves to run at top speed. Another dog
– a female who is outgoing – would go a long way toward showing
him there is nothing to fear in meeting strangers (especially when they
have cookies.)

8-Jan-08
From: t_fulmer@YAHOO.COM
Subject: [KBL] Breeders Beware
Date: February 2, 2008 6:44:21 AM PST
I need to share Sullivan and Reilly's story in the hopes
that by telling it, other purebred pups won't be dealt the same fate.
I am currently fostering a beautiful, extremely bright, very special Kerry
boy named Sullivan. He's an incredibly happy Kerry, but every once in
a while, his eyes are so sad, unsure and fearful. He didn't start out
that way.
Sullivan and his littermate Reilly had the best start in
life -- lovely sire and dam with fabulous pedigrees on both sides and
a reputable breeder in Eastern Europe who placed the pups on contract.
The sire competed in agility. At three months of age, two male pups were
sold to a nice family with kids who came and visited the pups a few times.
The breeder kept in touch with the new owners until a year after the sale,
when he found out their phone number had changed. He never heard from
them again until recently, and then he learned he'd been duped. The "nice
family" was actually working for an Eastern European puppy broker.
At seven months, the pups were transported to a US puppy mill where their
pedigrees would fetch high stud fees. Their lives had changed forever.
Three years pass and the Foundation picked up one of the
male pups at the Shelbina auction. Reilly was an exceedingly handsome
but terribly scared Kerry who Mimi Wight and I fell in love with. At that
auction, the bidding for all the Kerries was extremely low, so low that
they were originally pulled off the auction block. When Reilly was put
on the table, his bid price was also low, so low that the puppy miller
refused to sell him at the auctioned price -- his pedigree was far too
valuable. We had to negotiate for him separately. Reilly was placed in
a family that stuck with him and worked through his fear issues.
Another year passes and the other male littermate turned up in a local
Missouri paper as a "house dog" who needed a new home. (Judith
Bruno spotted him while scanning internet sites for Kerries.) Sully was
purchased for $2000 in 2003 at a dog auction by a woman in MO who wanted
a pet (and probably the stud fees to go along with him). It's amazing
how the Kerry market dropped off in a few short years, once the Mick phenomenon
died out. But that isn't the reason for this story.
I'm sharing this in hopes that breeders will be extra cautious when placing
pups, here in the US and especially in the Eastern European countries
where the price of young, quality breeding stock could pay the rent. This
is not just happening with Kerries as other somewhat rare breeds are experiencing
the same problem. People are willing to pose as "nice families"
to essentially steal the dogs. And unfortunately, this isn't just an Eastern
European problem. We have heard of unscrupulous puppy millers in the US
trying to appear legitimate -- showing one dog in conformation (usually
a low maintenance, under the radar, toy breed) in an effort to secure
the trust of the reputable breeder community. In fact, a well known terrier
breeder was recently duped by such a puppy buyer. I am hoping this story
will be shared with the Kerry breeding community across the globe, and
that they will tell their fellow breeders in their countries to be very,
very cautious when placing
pups.
Google the phone numbers and e-mail addresses of potential
buyers. If nothing pops up, or there's conflicting information, be suspicious.
Leverage the breeder networks to perform home visits to see first hand
where the pup will be living. And if a European breeder is sending any
Kerry pups to the US, they should ask for help from the Foundation or
Kerry club members to check out the buyers in person and ensure their
pups won't suffer the same miserable, horrible puppy mill tragedy that
Reilly and Sully did. Their story could possibly have been prevented by
erring on the side of caution, knowing that the puppy farmers will lie,
cheat and steal to get a well bred pup. The purebred dog has become a
very lucrative business.
I see such an awesome ghost of a Kerry in Sully and will forever wonder
what he would have been if he hadn't landed in the wrong hands. What a
shame, what a shame, what a shame.
Tracey Fulmer in Newton, MA
From: t_fulmer@YAHOO.COM
Subject: [KBL] Adoption Announcements
Date: March 2, 2008 7:37:28 AM PST
To: KERRYBLUES-L@APPLE.EASE.LSOFT.COM
[...]
My own foster, Sullivan, or SullyBeans as I call the goofball,
was placed in the dream home we were waiting for. A third HUGE THANK YOU
TO AGATHA HUGHES, who spent a weekend day driving to the prospective adoptive
home for a meet and greet with her "ambassadors of charm" (Agatha's
own Ricky and Lily). The family decided that Kerries were the breed for
them, having recently lost their beloved Bouvier. Sullivan's situation
was unique as he had fear issues, requiring an adult only home that wanted
a "project". He landed in a close knit family of dog-savvy dog
lovers who are committed to rescue and behavioral rehab and where Sully
will continue with the training he needs and craves. The adopters drove
up from NJ to spend the weekend in Boston, allowing Sully to meet them
at his own pace. Thankfully, Sullivan is incredibly charming himself and
wicked smaaht (as they say in Boston) and I will anxiously wait to hear
how he's progressing.
Stories like Sullivan's are truly gut wrenching -- this
dog came from top Kerry lines and landed in a mill when he was a puppy.
On his breeder's website, there is a video of happy, playful Kerry pups
romping in the yard and I will forever wonder what Sully would have been
like had his breeder not been so careless with his, and his brother, Reilly's,
placement. Hopefully tragic stories like Sully's, Reilly's, Gigolo's (Great
Escape rescue) and countless other unfortunates of countless other breeds
has spread like wildfire across the European breeding community and will
never be repeated.
While we can all celebrate in adoption successes, the bills
for these rescues still need to be paid. Our adoption donations don't
cover their expenses so it is up to the Kerry Community to foot the bill
so we can continue our top notch rescue operations. The special needs
dogs like Sully and the seniors like Andy are worth the extra expenses
to ensure they will be forever loved and never discarded again.
In addition to donations,
we can always use help with foster care, transport, meet and greet requests
and all of the other components critical
to a rescue operation. Without each of these contributions -- no matter
how large or how small -- the circle breaks and it's a Kerry that loses
out.
Tracey Fulmer
KBTF Rescue Coordinator, Northeast
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.
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