UPDATE 2/13/03 on the Montana Collies

Statement by AWCA President Jean Levitt

*Permission to crosspost*

Jean Be Back – Part II

By Jean Levitt

At the airport I changed into my “Camp Collie” shoes, and left the pair I had been wearing in the car.  Because of the persistent giardia problem in the rescued collies, I had stored my Camp Collie shoes in a double plastic bag sealed in a box in my car.  The AWCA veterinarian who preceded us to Shelby to triage the dogs before our grooming team arrived, had cautioned us to avoid wearing contaminated shoes around our own animals.  I had on completely washable outer clothing for the same reason.  The doctor advised us to wash and dry everything we wore at Camp Collie before we left Shelby, or pack it in double plastic bags to take home to launder.  Some of the volunteers who arrived from warm climates told me they bought their cold-weather clothing at thrift shops and threw it away before leaving Shelby.

After I changed planes in Minnesota, I sat with a very pleasant Canadian woman who had been visiting in the state.  During our conversation she inquired if I lived in Great Falls, the first stop on her flight to Canada.  I explained I was actually going to Shelby for the collie trial.  That was all I had to say...nearly everyone within hearing distance on the plane popped up their heads.  These were people who lived in Great Falls and surrounding areas.  One woman lived in Shelby.  Some had volunteered one or more times at Camp Collie!  We introduced ourselves, and had a wonderful chat for the remainder of the flight.  Many said they checked the AWCA website daily for updates on the rescue.  The Canadian lady sitting next to me fumbled in her purse before deplaning, and handed me a fistful of dollar bills and change.  I protested, however, she explained it totaled about $5 American, and she didn’t plan on being in the state for several more years.  “It’s for the collies,” she smiled.

Kay Bullard, one of the professional groomers who had volunteered on the December team and again on the early January team, endured a 19-hour bus ride to meet me at the Great Falls airport.  It was nearly 1 AM.  I adore Kay!  She was the groomer who worked so carefully with Rev Oakes to bathe and groom “Blue,” #102, the sad, sweet boy with the pitiful lost look for whom I “collie hugged.”  I’ll never forget those two women working in absolute harmony for several hours to rid him of matted, feces-caked dreadlocks, several years in the making.  Kay worked squashed, soaking wet, in a tiny shower stall, Rev was squeezed half in and half out, while “Blue” patiently, rather quizzically, endured their ministrations up to his withers in an Ideal manufacturer-donated Scrub-A-Dub Tub.  Kay and I stayed overnight in Great Falls, and drove our rental car to Shelby in time for jury selection.

To be continued...

Calmly,

Jean Levitt, President AWCA

Lisa King, AWCA Director AWCA Rescue

Officers and Members of AWCA

If you would like to assist AWCA with this rescue effort, you may send a check to:

                                                Bethany Burke

                                                AWCA Treasurer

                                                2807 Lee Trevino Court

                                                Shalimar, FL 32579

Make the check out to AWCA and in the memo area note:  collie rescue-medical, collie rescue-stainless steel, or collie rescue-general.