UPDATE 7/22/07
Statement by AWCA President Jean Levitt
*Permission to crosspost*
Update on the Montana Rescue Collies
July 2007
From Jean Levitt
As some of you may know by now, Brad Haugen, the border patrol officer who stopped the truckload of Montana Collies at the Port of Sweetgrass on Halloween, 2002, has died. We couldn’t tell you until his death that Brad adopted Montana Collie #144. In keeping with AWCA’s commitment to Montana authorities to foster and re-home any of the animals when their adoptive owners could not keep them, Thea Sperline, the AWCA rescue representative in Montana, took charge of Montana Collie #144 and Brad’s Keeshond. AWCA has assumed financial responsibility for the expenses related to re-homing the dogs, including medical checkup and transport to their new home (the AWCA Board of Directors approved veterinary payment for Brad’s Keeshond out of respect for Brad and in keeping with the spirit of the Montana rescue). Thea has placed the dogs together as requested with an experienced Collie person with the required home inspection, veterinary recommendation, and criminal background check. May Brad rest in peace in Collie heaven.
On Aug. 3 it will be 4 years since Rev Oakes and I released the last Montana Collie to its new adoptive owner, closing Camp Collie forever. We drove from Great Falls to Shelby for the last time to turn over the adoption records to Sheriff Mattoon. AWCA remains committed to our agreement with the Montana authorities to never reveal where the animals are living; to provide lifetime support services for them when needed, which includes but is not limited to: paying all medical bills beyond the adopter’s ability to pay; providing foster care and re-homing if an adopter is unable to keep the animal – as in the case of Brad Haugen; to maintain a private, closed email list for adopters; to provide mentoring by experienced Collie people when necessary and peer grief support when needed. Above all AWCA remains steadfast in our commitment to never exploit the Montana Collie rescue, which is why I decline all requests to speak publicly or to write a book about it, and will continue to do so as long as the Montana Collies live. The authorities required Camp Collie volunteers to sign confidentiality forms. Therefore, everything appropriate to write about has been written and can be accessed on our website.
Occasionally I am asked why AWCA does not put photographs of Camp Collie on our website. The taking of photographs was not permitted at Camp Collie – not in Shelby, and not in Great Falls. Although we certainly had numerous opportunities to take pictures, because it was not permitted, AWCA did not do it. The Montana authorities told me after the 2nd trial they were convinced AWCA only wanted what was good for the animals. We didn’t get pictures, but we did get the dogs.
AWCA would like to share with the Collie community these two articles by Montana Collie adopters. They appeared in our Spring Collie Connection, and are being added to the archives on our website. The photographs are provided by the adopters, who of course, were allowed to take pictures of their own dog at Camp Collie.
Calmly,
Jean Levitt, President AWCA
and the Officers and Members of AWCA