In Memory

In Loving Memory

Please also see.. in memory of a special volunteer

It is with great sadness that I tell you all that we had to have our Rough Collie Smokey put down this morning. It was such a difficult decison to make but due to his age and increasing infirmities we know it was the right decision and the right time to make it. We will miss him so so much.

Smokey came to us over five years ago as a senior collie from the Tri-state Collie Rescue in Columbus, Ohio. Smokey taught us all about owning a big dog, about grooming a big and hairy!! dog and he also taught us how to understand “dog talk” and how to read dog emotions! He could talk with his eyes like no other dog I have ever met!! He had such a regal presence and such dignity! There will never be another dog like Smokey.

Our thanks to Dan Osborne, DVM of Dr. Dan’s Ark who came to Cabinwood this morning to perform the euthanasia. He made this very sad decision easier for us and helped Smokey pass with the dignity that he deserved.

Rest in peace our dear friend Smokey. We were glad you chose us to live with in your final years. They wouldn’t have been the same without you.

While we did not have an opportunity to spend a lot of time with Bear, it was obvious to everyone who met him that he was a loving, fun, special dog. Bear came into Tri-State Collie Rescue with his brother Fred, both 20 weeks old. Unfotunately, it was soon learned that Bear had Leptospirosis. While great lengths were taken to save Bear at the emergency vet, it was not to be. Within a week of coming to us, Bear passed on.

My most vivid memory of Bear was the last time I saw him. While he was rapidly deteriorating, had only minutes left to live, and could not even stand up, he managed to wag his tail that one last time he saw me coming. It brought a tear to my eye but showed what a loving dog he truly was.

In loving memory to bear from his foster dad.

Camper came to Tri-State Collie Rescue in critical conditions. After arriving into rescue he developed pneumonia and almost died. Camper pulled through this terrible ordel and went on to live a happy life. Camper was a very special collie...he had some issues...which left him in permanant foster care. Camper was an absolutely amazing collie who brought more joy to my life then I could have ever imagined. My heart is broken over the sudden passing of my best friend. I will never forget him & his memory will live on in my heart. I miss you my sweet buddy.....Mommy......

Camper 8/18/07 to 5/10/09

Our mom, Susie, didn't make it through the night last night. We aren't sure why she was so sick or exactly what was going on so we are having an autopsy done since we have three of her siblings. At least she didn't have to die in a corn field alone.

"We lost our dear Maxi, he died one week before his 15th birthday. We are sending you a cheque for the Collie Rescue in memory for our dear friend and companion Maxi."

The Drewenskus

In memory of Olive.

I just wanted to let everyone know that Olive was found dead this morning by her foster mom. She evidently died in her sleep. She had been treated for heartworm and had some complications. but appeared to be improving. The vets did think she was closer to 11 or 12 yrs of age so it just might have been a combination of things. At least she didn't die in a shelter or out alone as a stray.

Monroe...
Last Sunday, everything was a typical day. Monroe was happy, eating, enjoying a normal day. However, when the vet's arrived Monday morning, Monroe was drooling and in distress. They immediately x-rayed him and he had bloated. Dr. Jen, the vet who had taken care of Monroe all these months, did surgery on him. They said everything looked good and that afternoon I went to visit Monroe. He opened his eyes and responded to my voice and my touch. He seemed very alert. Dr. Jen pulled me aside as I was leaving and said "I want to adopt Monroe. I love that dog so much." She had recently graduated from Ohio State last year when we got Monroe in from the shelter. She took him on, as her special project. She spent 9 weeks doing physical therapy, changing bandages, everything to help Monroe walk again. It took nine weeks, but Monroe did stand and walk again. He constantly gave kisses and everyone at the vet's office fell in love with Monroe. There were several months of improvement as Monroe gained his strength and he totally enjoyed everyone doting on him. He always had huge quilts to lay on and cozy blankets. Dr. Jen took Monroe home with her Monday night. She wanted to make sure to be there for him following such a tough surgery. Monroe was home at last!!! He showed improvement Tuesday and even ate a bit. But it was more than Monroe could handle. Monroe passed in the night Tuesday. Dr. Jen was too upset to even call me, so Dr. Pumpelli called and gave me the sad news. I will be eternally grateful to them for their compassion and love for Monroe. He enjoyed nine months of quality life and love in his senior years due to the caring of a person who stopped after hitting him, a shelter worker, a rescue organization, and a compassionate vets office. God Bless each of them.

Tony" (formally Coty)

Tony was pulled from a shelter in TN by a wonderful volunteer who thought he deserved a wonderful happy life. The volunteer took Tony to a vet in TN before bringing him to TSCR. Tony was very thin & fragile when he arrived in foster care on Sept 1, 2007. Due to the trauma of anesthesia for a procedure he did not need Tony died suddenly that evening. Tony was only with us a short time but he was a very special boy. Tony will always be remembered by all the people who came to his rescue. Tony never got the chance to know the love of a forever home but in the short time he was in foster care he knew he was very special and truly loved.

Jack was a wonderful and loving companion to Janet and myself, and Katie our other adopted collie whom we have had now for almost nine years. He truley represented the love you can receive from an adopted dog who came from a questionable past to a loving home. Jack had been treated for heartworm, had bad teeth, was poorly groomed, and appeared to have been chained up before we adopted him. We loved him from the minute we saw him, and he loved us back. Jack was a big snuggler, and played with everyone who came to the house. He was a Big Brave Boy, and had a big woofy bark, but it was always follwed with a woooh wooh at the end to let you know he liked you. He loved to lay in front of the fan and let the air russle the little tufts of hair on the end of his ears, those were his signature feature. Everyone knew which way the wind blew when Jack was around because his little ear tufts were always flowing in the wind. Jack loved his fresh fruit, there were plenty of times we had to shoo him out of the garden after eating strawberries, rasberries, and his favorite, ripe red tomatoes.

Jack's hip slowly deteriorated over the last year and he had a tough time not being able to run and jump around the garden like he used to. We are so grateful that TSCR gave us the opportunity to adopt him, and when we feel the time is right, we will be back to get Katie and ourselves another Big Brother.

John
Janet

Mick

Hello -
My name is Ashley Randall. My family & I adopted Jake the mahogany sable collie in kidney failure. I am sure a lot of people were watching him on the web & I wanted to let them know what happened to our handsome boy.

We took Jake home with us to Iowa, where he lived with 2 other dogs, one cat, and 2 kids. He and our daughter bonded instantly and could often be caught napping or lounging on the couch together. I am a stay at home mom so I had the privilege of being with him all of the time. He was real joy to be around and words cannot describe how much we loved him. Besides being incredibly handsome, he had a personality that would not stop. When he bounced into a room, he filled it with his presence. He could be an ornery little bugger but that just made him more endearing.

Although his time with us was short I wanted to let you know that he was happy & very spoiled. We found that he LOVED riding on boats so every chance we got we took him out. He also enjoyed going to our local park where he could entice everyone to pay attention to him. Every time I walk into a room I still feel his absence - we have a permanent dent on our couch thanks to him! : ) We miss him dearly & will be eternally thankful for Tri-State Collie Rescue for allowing us to adopt Jake.

A side note those of you with collies how have “incurable” medical condition - please consider seeking unconventional treatment methods. We used acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, and herbs with Jake along with conventional medicine. Although it did not stop his kidney failure it did greatly help his quality of life. Thank you Cindy, Bill, and everyone for taking such great care of him. I know he loved you all & appreciated everything.

For a loving boy I called Rocco. When we try to find homes for our older collies, many people shy away from them. Rocco was everything wonderful about adopting an older collie. His personality filled the entire room, and I've never seen a dog so greatful for carpet, he adored lounging in the family room, rubbing his back on the carpeting. If I needed someone to keep me company, even with 2 other collies and 3 cats around, Rocco was the one to follow me from room to room, he'd sit on my feet to make sure that I wouldn't leave him behind. No matter how comfortable he was, if I was going somewhere, he considered it his duty to follow me, even to the point of standing guard outside the door while I was in the bath! And even though my heart breaks to think that I'll never hear your raspy bark again or to see your eyes light up when I get your ball out; I know that for the year and a half that you were part of our family that we were the ones who were privileged to have you with us. We didn't do you a favor by adopting you, you did us the favor of letting us be your family; we just had to love you five times as much to make up for our short time together. You were worth it.

Rocco- you'll always have my heart, Mom.

AJ
AJ’s ~ Hip was getting worse year after year… And in turn, making his back legs weaker year after year. He could not get up by himself, We had to help him get up. Here is what AJ looked like as of March 2005…

AJ was a sweet, wonderful rescue. Adopted at more than 5 years old, he moved from Ohio to Texas with his new family. He loved to go for rides in the car, chase Willie, a squirrel in his new yard, and rub noses and sleep with Charlie, his best kitty friend. He loved children and was the perfect dog. His foster mom, and adoptive family, Ken and Sue, will miss him terribly.

Tribute to a sad eyed dog named Gabe:
He died the night of 3/17/05 even though they did all they could for him. The poor dog didn't have one fair shake in his life.

Gabe came into our rescue program with some very serious health issues and things just seem to get worse for him as time went on. He had a fantastic temperament, sweet, loving, and quiet nature; he had begun to feel he had a reason to live. He unfortunately bloated last week and we did everything we could to save him. Not being in the best of health to begin with he wasn't able to withstand the shock of surgery and all that went with it. He deserved so much more and we hoped to find him that perfect home. We have solace knowing he was feeling better about himself and beginning to show a sparkle in his eyes. We will miss him!

For those of you that would like to make a donation in his name please send your checks to our treasurer, 4088 S. Old State Rd., Lewis Center, Ohio 43035 or with our Pay Pal.

Tribute for a Beautiful Boy Named Bo:

Bo was not my Collie in the traditional sense. Bo is a boy I picked up for Tri-State Collie Rescue during the past year. I found him listed on the internet as a 'free to good home' listing, and called his owner to try and educate her on the kinds of places her collie could end up if given away to strangers 'free'. She ended up surrendering her 10 year old purebred, papered boy to me. Bo was a delightful boy, who behaved like a much younger dog. Nothing kept him down. He was fortunate to go live with wonderful foster parents, Al and Betsy, who didn't mind that this 10 year old, who had been housed out of doors his whole life, wasn't housebroken. They worked with him, loved him, and treated him with the kindness that he so richly deserved. When at our rescue kennels, he was the constant companion of my six year old daughter...he adored children, and loved to follow us on walks around the facility.

Bo wasn't my dog in any kind of traditional sense, but as I brought him to the rescue, he became part of my heart, one of 'my dogs' to watch over. I can think of no higher praise for Bo than 'Good dog, good boy'. Cindy P.

In Memory of Farmer Charlie

My age no one knew for sure
Old and wise they said of me
A sunny spot in the lawn for me
My old bones to comfort you see
I found a nice place, this foster home
Where they take good care of me
I get hugs and kisses galore
And chicken noodle soup and more
Such love and devotion I never knew before
That’s the life rescue gave to me
To love an old dog like me

Know that I loved you
Like you loved me
Old Farmer Charlie that’s me

In Memory to Brittany
I raise my glass to a Fine Woman of the four-legged race who has left me with a broken heart.
Dignified Brittany fought her Cushings disease well and won the battle.
She was sad and embarrassed at the physical indignities of her illness, but as she usually did, she approached life with a unique kind of steadiness and clarity of mind. We worked as a team without complaint and we met our goal together. Never a demanding person, even in need she was a warm and kind companion. She shared with others. She was interested in life. She accepted difficulties without complaint. Sadly, less than a week after her Cushings disease treatment was completed and she was symptom-free, an aggressive tumor ruptured and opened a major artery as well. We won the battle and lost the war. Brit, you will be in my heart forever. Thank you for sharing with me.
Tari

In memory of Sampson

Samson came to me close to 12 years ago. I met him at an obedience trial where two volunteers for Collie Rescue had brought him to see if they could find him a home among the Collie obedience people. That day I was not showing my dogs but was there to support my fellow Collie friend with hers. At that time I already had two collies of my own and I was between jobs. Certainly there was no need for another dog nor was I really financially stable to make that kind of commitment. My friend tried to keep me away from the crate (knowing what a softie I am). I told her I would be fine as long as I did not see him out of the crate. Unfortunately, or fortunately, when I went outside during a break in the show I saw him out of the crate. He had a gash in his forehead and a large hole on his back leg where they think he had an abscess. All I saw was the most beautiful Sable Merle collie I had ever seen.

That day he went home with me in the backseat of my friends car with her show dog in the front. The first two days all he did was drink water, shake, and throw up. I kept him very quiet down in the family room. I would just visit him to pet and briefly let the other dogs interact with him.

Samson was turned into the shelter by his owner for being wild and out of control at 11 mos. old. He spent 30 days in the first shelter and his number came up for euthanasia. Someone at the shelter thought he deserved a chance and he was transferred to another shelter where he spent another 30 days. When his number came up at the second shelter, they were kind enough to contact rescue. He was in a rescue foster home when we met at the show. He was turned in with his AKC papers but he was never registered. Since he was still under 1 year old I contacted the breeder to get the paperwork signed. The man who owned the mother told me he mated his pretty dog with a pretty dog down the street. To get rid of the puppies his son loaded them up in his pick up truck and sold them on the road during a trip he was making from West Virginia to Ohio.

Samson never became a full fledged obedience dog. He had a very gentle laid back personality. I do not make dogs do it if their heart is not in it. He did like to go to the shows. He loved the attention he got from people and often went just as our companion. I did enter him in one Collie Club Match in Columbus where he actually won high in trial. I received a huge Rosette, a pewter bud vase, and his name was listed on the roving plaque that went to the different clubs that won in the area. That was good enough for me.

Samson excelled as a therapy dog. He became therapy dog certified within the first year I got him. This "wild and out of control" dog was the most gentle creature I ever met and I have met hundreds of dogs. He moved with great care among toddlers, old people, hospital equipment, etc. I was asked once to go to St. Joseph's Children's Home for the severely retarded. Many people at my club would not go here. They said it was just too difficult. I felt I had to try it because you don't know unless you try whether you can do it or not. When we entered the room where the pet therapy session was going to be I could not believe the devastation that I saw. The children looked more like lumps of flesh then anything human. Some of the children were there on hospital beds (they had no means of ever sitting up), and some were in wheel chairs with extra large Plexiglas trays in front. The trays were not only used for feeding but to hold the bodies in place. I was totatally overwhelmed and did not even know how to approach these children for therapy. So many of them could not even see or hear. But Samson showed me the way. He walked up to the first wheelchair, gently placed his front paws on the Plexiglas tray and proceeded to lick the child's face. To Samson, kids are kids and he just loved kids and was happy to be there. He taught me that these were children. And as we moved through the room to each child the occasional smile or reaction I got was worth a fortune. Samson gave that to me.

My niece and nephews parents were going through a very nasty divorce and so they were shipped to me in Kentucky to get them out of the way. They were confused and upset. These kids did not have pets so they were not exposed to dogs and were not even sure if they like them. I remember my nephew laying down on the couch to watch TV and Samson jumped up laid his body against my nephews and put his head on his shoulder. I remember my nephew asking me, "Do I have to let him do this?". I told him yes. I know that feeling a collie feeds your soul. Slowly I watched my nephew start stroking Samson. After that my nephew never walked down the street to the Ameristop to get a big gulp without getting the leash and taking Samson with him. Collies can heal you.

My mother had eight children. She worked hard her whole life. She suffered a stroke at my brothers wedding we did not think she would survive. She went through extensive neurosurgery for two bleeders. All of us kids took this very hard. I received special permission from the hospital in Chicago to bring Samson to the patient lounge where they would bring my mother. My mothers head was shaved with a scar across her head from ear to ear. It was very hard to look at but with Samson there it was OK. He laid his head in her lap and she patted his head with her good hand. After visiting with her he went on to visit everyone else in the lounge at that hospital. He helped me get through an extremely emotional and difficult situation.

I brought a horse and took lessons after I turned 40 years old. I love animals and I wanted to keep moving and horseback riding seemed the way to do it. When I shopped for a barn for the horse I would only accept the barns that allowed me to bring my dogs. They are such a big part of my life I could not imagine splitting my time. Of course, since I own collies, I had no trouble with them getting along with the horse. My horse was particularly fond of Samson. He used to take his lips and run his mouth down Samson's spine while lipping his hair. (Horses do that to each others manes as a sign of friendship.) Samson always laid patiently next to my horse as I groomed. (He once felt comfortable standing underneath my horses body.) My horse developed a foot fungus and I was required to put some medicine on his feet that may have slightly burned. One day Samson was there and I put on the medicine and Samson started crying. I checked and checked and there was nothing wrong and nothing he was looking at except the horse. He stopped when I rinsed off the medicine.

There was nothing truly exceptional about Samson but everything was truly exceptional about him. On Friday at 12 years 4 months old I had to let him go. As deep as the pain is, I am so gratefully for the life he shared with me. As I gave him life he gave me life. Don't ever get discouraged about what you do. It is important. It is much bigger than you think. Samson was my first rescue. As long as I can take care of a dog I will always have a rescue in honor of this special animal.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share my life with a one of a kind friend of a lifetime. I thank you on behalf of all of the people that Samson brought comfort to. I didn't mean to ramble on this long but he deserved it.

Keep doing what you do.

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