Addie's History
To fully understand the plight of Addie, we believe it will be helpful to explain how she and 18 other collies came into rescue in 2020. Three board members arrived on a bitter cold January day to rescue several collies per request of the local ACO (animal control officer). Canton is near the Canadian border and in a remote area. Two of those board members have since gone off the board, but I can tell you vividly as Executive Director what we encountered. We generally don't go into a lot of detail when we talk about our rescue collies and try to spare our applicants and membership gnarly details that are sure to be upsetting. We don't often encounter truly horrendous situations, but this one could certainly be described as such.
We were uncertain how many collies we were picking up, nor did we know the condition they were in. We had one truck and one van with us. Three of the collies had already died by the time we arrived even though we were there within 24 hours of getting the call about their need for an emergency rescue. Two of the deceased collies were frozen to the ground and a third deceased one was under the deck missing an eye. I went inside while the other two board members were outside taking an inventory of the number of collies. I was greeted by three collies and an enormous amount of dog feces. They had been left in the house by the former breeder who had been taken for emergency medical care. I went upstairs to see if there were any other collies and encountered a large rat. We do not know exactly how long they were without food and water, but we believe it was close to a week. The collies outside were in kennels, and large bolt cutters had to be used to get them out.
There were total of 19 collies still living, and we took them all. Most of the collies have little scars on their sweet faces almost pockmark looking. We have never been able to definitively determine if they are a result of chewing on the kennels causing facial damage or fighting each other for limited food or even a combination of the two possibilities.
They became known as the NY19 rescues. Regrettably, 10 of the 19 were diagnosed with heartworm, and the good news is that we had all ten successfully treated. But if you know anything about heartworm disease, it is not an easy treatment and is painful to the dog.
Despite the horrendous circumstances of their rescue, their sweet collie spirits were still intact. Somehow, we think they knew that they were on their way to a better life.
Like many of the NY19, Addie is fearful and anxious. She is a sweet and shy 7-year-old gal, but she suffers from fear-based barking. It should be noted that she has no bite history. Given the circumstances of her rescue along with comparing behaviors of the other collies, it does not surprise us that she is a barker particularly because some of the other collies suffered from the same fear. She requires someone with a big heart, patience, and the willingness to consistently partner with a trainer to assist with making Addie more comfortable in her own skin. Medication might also be helpful. We have had success with the other adoptions of this same group, so we are confident that Addie will rise to the occasion. Finding the right human is paramount.
I fostered one of the rescues myself for several months while she underwent treatment for heartworm. At the same time, we also had to contend with Covid by placing a hold on adoptions. As a result, I learned extensively about her personality. Sunshine adored me, and it was reciprocal. I watched her blossom with attention and affection. Another board member adopted another gal from the same rescue, and she has made tremendous progress and recently even attended our annual picnic with several other collies (50 plus in number). She has learned to become much less timid because of our board member David Anderson and his wife giving her much support. Dave is willing to discuss his experience in detail should anyone wish to learn more.
Addie may do fine as an only dog. Sometimes another dog will model good behavior so having a second dog could be helpful. The critical success factor is finding the right human(s) for Addie more than another dog. Her human would need to be able to meet Addie where she is. She is shy and timid, yet she loves zoomies, chasing squirrels, Nylabones and pizza crusts. We would not recommend her for a home with children. We think her barking would be too scary or intense for them. In short, her next human will have to meet her where she is.
We are looking for a permanent foster home for Addie. A permanent foster means we will support the full cost of veterinary care, training, and food for her for the remainder of her life. Why would we do this? We want to set both Addie and her new human up for success. We also fully believe that she is trainable. Further, as a rescue, it is the right thing for us to do. Truthfully, Addie won't be for everyone. All we need is one human with a big heart to nurture her and meet her where she is and help her feel safe. Finding the right human is paramount.