A Collie Rescue Story

Well, we got back around noon from our Collie Rescue Expedition.

It was quite an adventure.

It started out simply enough. We loaded up the kids and took both vehicles, just in case the collies needed to travel separately from kids. You never know.

Then we drove across town and into ... THE BOONDOCKS OF WEST VIRGINIA.

We left the world of road signs behind. We traveled up hills and through hollows. We passed rusty trailers and shells of rusty cars. LOTS of them.

For miles the only life we saw was a pair of critters in the middle of the road...oddly, a groundhog and a squirrel, who scampered off in opposite directions as our cars approached. That is a conversation I would have liked to have been party to!

"Hey, Squirrel! Whad's up?"
"Back atcha, Groundhog. Just here to shoot the breeze witcha."
"Younz guyz avoidin' da traffic of late?"
"Kinda, the missus is missin'."
"Too bad. Maybe now you can marry that first cuzin of yourn. The one wit da cute tail."

And on...

Thomas was SURE the groundhog was actually a BEAVER, and that required much debate for a few miles. That was good because Sarah was feelin' carsick from all the twists and turns and bumps in the road and needed the distraction. Obviously, the carsickness had NOTHING to do with me bein' a wild driver!

Anyway, we finally got to the house with the collies. If you could call it a house. More like a shack. I have never picked up a collie and felt WORSE for the people neglecting the collie than I did the dog. This time I did. It was SO SAD. Crumbling foundation. No heat. You get the picture.

We didn't even drive up to the house because you had to cross a bridge going over the creek. It was not a standard bridge. It looked rather like wooden pallets thrown across some two-by-fours. We carefully traipsed across and left the vehicles on the grassy berm off of the road.

Cue in banjo music. Dueling banjos.

Ba ba bom bom - bom bom - bom bom - bom (Think "Deliverance.")

In some trepidation we crept up the long drive to the "house." We could SEE the collies, so we had to go.

Turned out the people were really nice, just on really really hard times. I had actually suspected as much. We all felt terrible about their circumstances. Thomas just couldn't believe people have to live like that. He was just sure the house had to be nicer inside. I think he learned something today.

The collies were in bad shape. You could smell them 20 feet away like you were sitting with your nose in their fur. HORRIBLE. And the FLEAS. Plus, the male was having trouble moving about. We think he has a tick causing him problems.

So, because they were in such bad shape, we couldn't bring them home. I can't let my dogs be exposed to anything those dogs have. BUT, they are seeing the vet on Monday. And we are grooming them. That will be a chore! But, they are nice dogs, so I think they will be good for it. It's going to take a minimum of 3 hours per dog.

The female is going to stay with us for fostering. Her name is Frisky. I know, I know. She is not a CAT! We might have to change that. Her name, not her standing as a canine. The male, Bandit, has to go to Columbus so he will have access to medical care with the rescue.

So, what a day! But, this is what rescue is all about.