by Lee Juslin

Gerard is a mixed breed Col. Potter rescue that his foster mom, Eilene, thinks is part terrier and part Golden Retriever. But, she says he’s too silly to be a Gerard, so Eilene calls him Ratty.

Ratty loves attention. He is very sweet, has no problem with other dogs, and enjoys greeting visitors. As to the silliness, he likes to walk on his hind legs behind Eilene tapping her on the back. With his longer legs, he easily gets on the dining room table and is quite proud of his accomplishment. Silly Ratty also slides across the floor on his tummy and begs for a cookie.

Gerard aka Ratty

At thirty pounds, Ratty is larger than Eilene’s two terriers but gets along with them and is not aggressive. When Eilene takes in another foster dog, Ratty accepts the new dog quite easily. However, if another dog shows aggression to him, he will not back down.

When visitors come, Ratty is sure they are there to see him. With his tall legs he rises up and puts his paws on the visitor’s shoulders to give his version of a hug and to beg for pats. However, although he loves sitting in laps, he does not want hugs from his humans and absolutely no kisses. In fact, just a kissing noise causes him to leave the room and go to his crate in the bedroom.

Eilene says Ratty is an observer. He enjoys sitting at the door and watching squirrels in the yard. He also keeps an eye on the comings and goings of the neighborhood.

Ratty walks well on a leash and enjoys getting out on a meet and greet around the neighborhood. He doesn’t need a fenced-in yard and would be okay living in an apartment. He is okay with cats and other dogs, but it is unknown how he would be with children. He is crate trained and, as Eilene works full time, Ratty does well at home in his crate. He is not destructive and is curious about everything Eilene does.

Ratty came in as a stray and was heartworm position. He has gone through heartworm treatment and is now free of the disease. At three years old, Ratty is a healthy, happy boy. He is looking for his very own person and is ready to be a great companion.

If you would like to learn more about CP, volunteer, or make a very welcome financial donation to help dogs like Gerard (aka Ratty), go to their web site or FB page. Remember, breed rescues like CP with an all volunteer staff, depend on financial, tax free donations from individuals as well as support for their fund raising activities.

You can also make a donation to name a rescued dog to honor a beloved family member, a friend, or beloved pet.

Col. Potter will be celebrating their 20th anniversary later this year, so this is an excellent time to make a donation.

Website: www.cairnrescue.com
FB: www.facebook.com/CPCairnRescue

Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section & watch for more stories. You can also keep up with our pet articles by joining our KRL Facebook group.

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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.