by Lee Juslin

When Sheldon, a two-year-old Scottie, was picked up as a stray by a Kentucky shelter, he would prove to be a tough get for Scottish Terrier Rescue because among their regional rescue volunteers there was no one for Kentucky.

Scottish Terrier Rescue, co-chaired on the national level by Erica and Jean, depends on a network of regional volunteers to rescue Scotties from shelters, handle owner turn-ins, etc. One of their volunteers checks Petfinder, Craig’s List, and Pet Harbor every day to keep up on Scotties in need around the country and reports her finds to the coordinators. So, when Erica and Jean got word about Sheldon, without a regional volunteer for Kentucky, they had to search around for someone to go to the shelter to pull him and then someone to foster him.

Sheldon

Because there were no Scottie Rescue volunteers available, a foster mom with Col Potter Cairn Terrier Rescue out of OH agreed to drive down, pick up Sheldon, and foster him. Eventually she adopted him, and this would have been the end of the story if Sheldon had not been a Scottie.

Sheldon, like all Scotties, has big, really BIG, teeth, and he began attacking the Cairns. His mom called Scottie Rescue and said they would have to re-home him because he had injured several of her Cairns. Like many Scotties, Sheldon loved people but other dogs? That was a different story.

When Scottie Rescue could not make immediate arrangements to pick up Sheldon, he was placed in a boarding kennel. It was holiday time and everyone was busy so Sheldon languished in the kennel for more than a month. Erica and Jean worked the phones trying to get him back into foster care, but every plan fell through.

Finally a couple who had adopted a Scottie rescue several years back, heard about Sheldon’s plight and agreed to not only pick him up but also drive him from Ohio to Erica’s home in New Jersey. “They had to first drive across the state of Ohio to get him because they lived on the opposite side of the state,” said Erica. “Then, they brought him back to their house and started out early the next morning for New Jersey. They even refused to accept any reimbursement because, as they told me, they were so grateful to Scottie Rescue for the first Scottie they had adopted. It’s angels like this who make all the work and frustration of rescue worthwhile.”

Because Sheldon was young and in good health, he was easy to adopt. “Plus,” added Erica, “it didn’t hurt that he was a cuddly, snuggly boy either.”

Sheldon has found his forever home with a single woman who works as a realtor and, having recently lost her male Scottie, was eager for another to be her spoiled and much loved companion. She arrived at Erica’s home to meet Sheldon, and it was cuddles and kisses at first sight. Sheldon is finally home but his story would not have had a happy ending were it not for the work of some dedicated Scottie Rescue volunteers.

If you would like to learn more about Scottie Rescue, donate, volunteer, or apply to adopt a Scottie, visit their website: Scottish Terrier Club of America.

You can find more animal rescue, therapy animal, and other pet related articles in our pet section.

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Lee Juslin is a free lance copywriter living in North Carolina with her husband, Scott, and her band of misfits: Tarquin, a Wheaten Scottish Terrier, and three handicapped cats. They can be seen on their website: Hampshire Hooligans. She owns I B Dog Gone, a small embroidery business and is the author of the Nurse Frosty books for children and Frosty’s Story: Tales of a Therapy Dog. She supports a number of national and regional terrier rescue organizations.