HARRISON IN WISCONSIN 31 MAY 2010
Gayle Kiesow writes: During the first week of June, the Midwest CRUSA teams brought in six new Cairns and moved two from one home to another. This is one story.
	Colleen Swartz writes: I was on assignment in Miami, Oklahoma for a five-day shoot before I headed off to Harrison, Arkansas to buy a motorcycle and then to travel to Memphis, Tennessee to pick up my new dog (Kitty), whom I adopted from a rescue in Tennessee. The "Good Dog Rescue" that gave me Kitty asked me if I would be willing to transport some dogs from Joplin, Missouri to Memphis for them and I was all too eager to do so.
Since I was going there, I contacted Gayle to see if I could snag any Cairn's out of the shelter as well. Gayle had been working with this shelter and the hardest part of getting dogs out of there was transport, which I fit into nicely.
I went to the Joplin, Missouri Humane Society on Memorial Day and found a dedicated staff working to hose out the facility. The big dogs have an indoor space and an outdoor run, but the little dogs are put into small cages and are left to defecate where they lie. I can see there is no other way to do it, but it makes for some messy conditions.
	It was impossible for me to leave with only the four dogs I managed to get out of there. The coordinator of the facility bragged that the kill rate for that shelter had gone down to only 50% versus the 75% kill rate that they had last year. In the month of May alone, this facility took in 1015 dogs, so they had killed over 500 already. All the dogs I took from the shelter were within days if not hours of their death. I was able to take three dogs for "Good Dog Rescue" and I looked at the three dogs they had listed as Cairns. Two of them, obviously siblings, looked like a Cairn/Beagle mix. They were adorable but with the exception of a shorter nose and wiry hair, they looked just like beagles. The third, a very timid black Cairn which had been picked up as a stray three weeks prior looked Cairn enough to me.
I needed to check his teeth to try to determine his age and when I opened the cage, his rigid position, with his head held low, gave me pause. I thought this dog might bite me. I reached in anyway and checked his teeth and gums and guessed him to be between three & five years of age. He didn't bite; I told the director I would take him. We pulled all four dogs, got them in the leashes I had brought, did the necessary paperwork and they helped me carry the dogs out to my truck. The subdued Cairn looked so timid & unsure. I took him outside and put him down on the grass; the moment I did, he launched into the most adorable series of leaps and he ran circles around his handler, almost as if he finally believed he had been saved. Gayle told me I had to name him something so she could start the paperwork and since my next stop was Harrison, Arkansas . . . Harrison it was. I now call him "Harry" for short, but Harrison is a fine name too. I have all but completely failed at fostering Harry. He is stuck to me like glue, he now knows his name and knows how to sit. He is never more than four feet away from me and he sleeps on my pillow with me. He is mellow & kind, so sweet & easy-going. Everyone who meets him wants to adopt him, but honestly, I don't know if I can let this guy go. It may be unbelievable to you, but I think he knows that I saved his life (which I did . . . he was due to be destroyed on Tuesday), and I can't imagine anyone killing such a wonderful dog. My boyfriend looked at us sitting together the other day and he said, "You know you will crush him if you ever make him leave you, right?" Who knows. Maybe after all I went through to save him, I might have to fork over the $300 and keep the little guy. He sure is worth every penny. He is absolutely the coolest dog. So relaxed and easy-going . . . he acts like he has been my dog for the last 20 years. TRACIE COTTON: What a great story . . . very touching . . . and I know EXACTLY how she feels (don't we all?) BETTE BOYERS: What a great story! I hope she keeps him. BRENDA ISAACS: This is such a wonderful, wonderful story . . . we all know she's gonna flunk! BOB ANDERSON: Definitely LUCKY Harrison or Harry . . . . Looks like a match made in heaven! EILEEN KEMP: Harrison is already home! Colleen also writes: I have become friends with and a supporter of the "Milwaukee Small Breed Group". It is basically a social network of small-breed dog owners who have "Meet-Ups" to hang with other people & their dogs. They do charity events to benefit organizations who help dogs, small or large. This Saturday, 12 June, Jim Demos, who heads the Small Breed Group, has organized a "Ride for Rover", a motorcycle ride from downtown Milwaukee to a western suburb where we will hang out, listen to a band, eat some food & look at bikes. Jim has asked if CRUSA would like to set up a booth at the event. I have committed to doing it, but I am going on the motorcycle ride so won't be there until the riders get in. If anyone would like to help me "man the booth", I would more than welcome the company. Otherwise, it will just have to sit unattended until I get there on my motorcycle. I was planning to have some CRUSA information there, and to sell dog biscuits & bandanas to raise money for the organization. Our weather for the Ride 4 Rover was cold & rainy, so we didn' have a huge turn out, but we did raise a little over 750.00 USD . . . almost enough to cover the cost of the event . . . Maybe better next year. DONATIONS FOR HARRISON HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM: JACKIE & TOM McGUINNESS AIREDALES MR MAC & MAHRI; WELSH ELLIE, in England, who can all be seen HERE Jackie writes: About the RIDE 4 ROVER: I took part in one in the UK eight years ago. A group of riders in Yorkshire had an idea to go for a bike ride to Cambridgeshire to visit a big dog shelter there and deliver some blankets & dog food/treats. They wrote about the idea in a bike magazine and were interviewed about the plan, in which every rider had to pay £5.00 to cover administative costs; the dog shelter laid on tea & biscuits. The idea caught on and soon motor bike clubs were joining at the back of the group of riders as they passed on route. We joined in at the Cambs border; it was fantastic - over 1000 bikes with police outriders (each county supplied outriders to its border, which incurred a fee; this was a legal requirement because of the number of bikes involved). We arrived at the shelter (fortunately, they have a big car park), every rider loaded with as many blankets & food as they could carry in their panniers or back packs.I think the total cash donation was over £3000.00.

Medical & transport costs for these and other puppymill rescues add up. You can help by donating online through Google CheckOut . . . $ . . . OR through PayPal - click either the CAIRN or the button below . . . . . . OR send a check or money order made out to Cairn Rescue USA: Cairn Rescue USA FDR Station PO Box 6798 New York, NY 10150-6798 Please include your name, mailing address & e-mail address to receive a receipt for tax purposes.

HARRISON was rescued, rehabilitated & is available through CairnRescueUSA. Please stop by CRUSA's website to find YOUR match!

Click on any Cairn above or below to go to the
MENU OF CRUSA RESCUES & EVENTS
FOR WHICH I MAINTAIN WEBSITES