UPDATE 1/5/03 on the Montana Collies
Statement by AWCA President Jean Levitt
*Permission to crosspost*
Happy New Year!
Now we present the publisher of Collie Expressions, Nancy McDonald, who went to Shelby as a member of the AWCA Holiday Support Team:
By Nancy McDonald
Prior to our going to Montana, the board of the Collie Health Foundation voted to design a public service brochure on the Care of The Collie as a goodwill gesture and to create awareness among the local community of the work of the Collie Health Foundation. It was very basic, and in light of what we were facing, I thought it a bit out of context for the situation in Shelby. To relieve some personal stress, and more accurately describe the “Care of the Collie” as the volunteers in Shelby knew it, I edited a revised version to more reflect what met us there . . .
Care of The Collie
Care of the Collie requires an ongoing commitment to both the physical and emotional well-being of the dog. The Collie has been a favorite of mankind dating well back into the 19th century and has been a companion to presidents, queens, and tycoons as well as shepherds and families. Today, Collies can be found herding sheep in the field, competing in a variety of performance venues, and lounging on the sofa. The nature of the breed is such that one dog can and does easily fill all of those roles! Collie people are a tough lot - they can be bitter enemies in a dog show competitive situation, but when it comes to our precious Collies in need, there is no stronger union to come to their aid.
Feeding Your Collie
Get up at 5 am, pull your insulated overalls over your thermal underwear and wool socks. Fix a pot of strong hot coffee and pour into a thermos. Check in at the Sheriff’s office, show him your ID, and proceed to Marias Fairgrounds. Introduce yourself to the security guard, sign in, ask him where to find the donated wheelbarrow used for feeding. Roll it over to one of the many pallets of donated dog food, slit open six of the donated bags and let the food run into the wheelbarrow. Curse the people whose actions brought you here. Get four other volunteers to help you - while one rolls the wheelbarrow, the others can pass out the pans. Bless the AWCA. Start on the left of the building, stopping at every pen where you will dip out one bowl and give it to the Collie inside. Stop for a minute and talk sweetly to him so he won’t be afraid. Avoid putting your hand in the pen until his bowl is empty. Go to the next pen . . . repeat 163 times. Take back the empty wheelbarrow and fill it with the donated water buckets. Consider not offering your male at public stud or restricting his use. Make sure each bucket has a donated clip attached. If the Collie doesn’t immediately welcome your approach, remember that until a couple months ago, bowls and buckets were probably unfamiliar to him.
Go get the hose, fill the water bucket, then pick up the food bowl. Assign four volunteers who are not at their jobs or with their families over the holidays to get one of the other donated wheelbarrows to follow you and pick up poop. Do this 163 times too. At the Search and Rescue building, key in the combination and pass through the door, where you will immediately be welcomed by litters of puppies playing with each other. Ask one of the Search and Rescue volunteers who seem to have been here a loooong time, where the cat food is. Remember it was one of their associates that said, “what the **** is this?” when he opened the trailer at the border. He’ll show you to an area in the building where the AWCA has stacked piles of donated cat litter and cat food with an extra supply of donated cat hidey-holes. Grab a stack of donated cat feeding bowls, fill them and distribute to each cat - 12 times. Look at your watch - it is way past lunch time. Don’t be embarrassed to take a break and slip away for an hour - even though that 80-pound lady of a volunteer is replacing shavings in the 70th stall and making you look bad. Go back to the fairgrounds, find where you left the food wheelbarrow, wheel it back over to the stacked food pallets, open six more donated bags of food and let the food run into the wheelbarrow. Vow to call the puppy buyers you sold on spay-neuter contracts to follow up that they have done so.
Health Care for Your Collie
With proper health care, hopefully many of these Collies can be rehomed and live full lives. Remember the veterinarians and vet-techs that are donating their time and travel expenses are not accustomed to the conditions of this Collie version of a Mash unit either. Regular grooming is an important part of your Collie’s health care. Not so here. Get used to seeing abnormalities, sensitive spots, scarred muzzles, lacerated ears, cuts and bruises and half-matted coats. Number 47’s Collie face catches your attention and you stop to cuddle him; when he climbs into your lap, you realize he is still tightly woven bundle of mats. You wonder to yourself what the ones who had higher grooming priority were like. If you get a chance and find willing individuals, try to roll over some of the bitches and rub their sensitive bellies while inspecting their breasts and vulvas to see if any appear to be pregnant or in season. Question your “need” to breed another bitch this year. Try to examine for a tattoo or identification.
Shelter and Exercise
A fenced yard is essential for all Collies. There are two large exercise areas for small groups to romp and play. After 6 weeks of tender loving care, many of these Collies need to release the excess energy being provided by premium dog food, consumed by parasite-free bodies. They are Collies - they are beginning to trust people again and act normally. They love playing with each other and the donated toys sent from all over the world. They dream of going to new homes.
Your Collie’s Emotional Health
Collies thrive on human contact and need to bond with their people. Being stoic, they may not show it when in pain. It is important to know your dog and any signals he may send when not in good health. Collies are sensitive to their care-takers and want only to please them. They must never be harshly punished, as a sharp word is usually adequate correction. Pray to God there are enough resources and enough rescue organizations to find these precious Collies loving forever homes. Remember to mail your membership renewals to AWCA, CHF and CCA when you get home.
If you are considering volunteering for a tour of duty in Shelby, it is not for the faint of heart or weak of constitution. It was -1 degree F the morning of the last day we were there, but you will find heaters in the handles of rakes and shovels and the warmth comes from the inside. I’d recommend a buddy system - lucky will you be if you have folks the likes of Marianne Sullivan and Pati Merrill to help preserve your sanity while you’re there. I am a better person for having shared this experience . . . and further for having shared it with them and am grateful to have been given that opportunity.
Thank you, Nancy, for your devotion to collies.
Calmly,
Jean Levitt, President AWCA
Lisa King, AWCA Director AWCA Rescue
Officers and Members of AWCA