Friday night around dinner time I received a desperate phone call from a woman at the Montreal SPCA. There was an 8 year old intact male Airedale just surrendered by his family. The SPCA had no room for him in general population and he had a few minor health issues so he was put in the garage and slated for euthanasia. He was literally given hours to live. The fast acting staff called Barbara in Toronto who encouraged them to call me and started putting something in place for this boy knowing I was totally out of foster homes. When the call came I was told they already had a transport that was coming to Ottawa and they could put him on and have him dropped off to me. It was leaving in an hour!
At 6:00 I got a call from the driver informing me he had a 200km trip to do before coming to Ottawa and would be here around 10:00pm. We agreed to meet at a gas station right off the highway to make it nice and easy. At 10:45 I got a call saying he was just leaving Montreal due to some issues they ran into when picking up some dogs at a puppy mill.
At 6:00 I got a call from the driver informing me he had a 200km trip to do before coming to Ottawa and would be here around 10:00pm. We agreed to meet at a gas station right off the highway to make it nice and easy. At 10:45 I got a call saying he was just leaving Montreal due to some issues they ran into when picking up some dogs at a puppy mill.
12:45 I am waiting in a now dark parking lot when a large SPCA van pulls up. The van is rocking and barking and I think "oh no, I hope that isn't mine"! Fortunately for me it was Chubby, a spaniel mix and Jacob our Airedale was quiet and calm just waiting for his new life to begin. The local O.P.P. were also curious about why there were two vans parked in dark parking lot of a closed gas station in the middle of the night. After a quick chat they seemed very appreciative of the work going on.
Allow me to introduce Jacob. He is about 55lbs, does not pull on a leash, gets along FAMOUSLY with my two dogs, cats and is even carefree around my daughter. He sits, shakes a paw and ignores his name with the best of them. Friday night (acutally Saturday morning), after an hour of introductions and play in the yard, he came in the house about 1:30 and stayed on leash. He was escorted to a crate in the bathroom where he quietly went in and did not make a sound until I let him out Saturday morning. He stinks, his breath is horrible, he is a bit arthritic and he has an epulis which is a non-cancerous mouth tumor and he is intact. He has a beautiful disposition and was very loved at some point. I suspect the family could not afford the dental care and tumor removal.
Barbara worked frantically to get a foster home in place. The man taking Jacob will drive from Toronto and pick him up on Monday from his parents place. His parents live about 15 minutes from me. I would have kept Jacob here but I had Charlo coming Sunday and spending the night. The MacNeill Airedale Inn only has room for one short term guest at a time.
Sunday Morning I got a call from the family I delivered Jacob too. Their son was supposed to come and pick him up. He is not coming. Jacob is going to be adopted by the family who has him now. They have taken him to get groomed and we will meet at the
vet tomorrow to get the lesions, tumors and testicles dealt with! Hooray for Jacob he is now on borrowed time and deserving every second of it! Here is Jacob all groomed up in his new home.Sunday, Charlamagne came to stay for the night. He was surrendered because his dad has taken on a new job that takes him out of the country for months at a time. He didn't think kenneling his sweet boy would be fair so he has asked me to find Charlot a new home. Charlot is our Groovy's brother from the same litter. There are some similarities but so many differences (aside from the bad haircut!). Here they are playing together.
Groovy letting Charlo know she is the boss!
Groovy And Charlot smiling!
Monday night my fabulous foster family came and picked up Charlamagne and they brought their rescue boy Murphy with them. So we had three male Airedales here in three days. Our two female Dales are exhausted and were perfect hosts. Sid is still talking all about Charlo, and Jacob and Murphy and they should all stay here!!!!
Finally the house is ours again and once again we realize how much we appreciate our dogs, our wonderful foster families and the friends we make through rescue!
Wishing all mom's of two and four legged kids a wonderful day!