by Lee Juslin

Imagine being just a baby and finding yourself alone on the mean streets. This was the situation for little Conrad.

Found wandering the streets and taken in by a local shelter, Conrad was eventually rescued by Col. Potter Cairn Rescue. At only eleven pounds, heartworm positive, and just eight months old, the Col. Potter volunteers could only imagine the horrors this little Cairn had seen and experienced. He was terrified and hard to hold still for the vet to treat him.

Conrad

Today, this little boy has come a long way. He has done well in confinement for his heartworm treatment, and he is now disease free. In addition, he has no other health problems.

He is very sweet, though still has a lot of fears. He loves to play with toys. Since he is in that puppy chewing stage, his favorites are bully sticks. Mary, his foster mom, says he gets along well with her resident dogs, but he clearly wishes they would play with him. The older ones are not interested, but she has one female who chases and plays with him.

Conrad is a real lovebug and loves to sit in Mary’s lap. Surprisingly, he also walks well on a leash, but enjoys having Mary’s backyard to run off his considerable energy.

Conrad needs a forever home where he will feel safe and can continue to conquer his fears. Mary took him to Petsmart trying to socialize him, but he was terrified. When outside walking, he is afraid of strangers and neighbors walking their dogs. When he sees things that frighten him, he tries to run home.

A home with a younger, friendly dog that would play with Conrad is a must. He needs a doggy companion and mentor. He would be fine with a cat. Mary has a cat, and he doesn’t bother it.

He would also like an active family to play with him and help him work off his puppy energy. He would like someone home with him for at least part of every day. Children would be fine if they know how to treat and care for a dog. Hiring a professional trainer is also a good idea to help this puppy overcome his many little fears.

It is rare for a rescue to get in a puppy, especially one that is physically healthy. Mary says she is very tempted to keep Conrad because he is such a sweetie. She says, “Conrad will be very hard to let go of.” But, as an experienced foster mom, Mary knows, since she and her husband are older, they would not be the best home for him. “But,” says Mary, “I will be very strict and fussy about choosing the right home for this little boy. He has a long life ahead of him and deserves just the right forever home.”

If you would like to learn more about Conrad or the other pups at Col. Potter Cairn Rescue, apply to become a foster parent, or make a donation to help this all volunteer organization keep on rescuing sweet pups like Conrad, contact Col. Potter on Facebook or their web site.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CPCairnRescue

Website: www.cairnrescue.com

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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.