News

Welsh Border Collies in Desperate Need of Rescue !

Monday March 22nd 2010

Unbelievably, having just found a home for Jet the 12 year old Collie and the last one of the 17 Collies whose farmer owner had died, Lesley and her team at the Welsh recscue have been asked to help with another similar case regarding 19 collies whose local farmer owner has had a stroke. Yesterday a man turned up with two and when Lesley saw the state of the dogs she agreed to take them and another two immediately.

The dogs are all living in sheds in a nearby village though the owner lives elsewhere. We have been given just one week to try and find somewhere for the remainder or they will all be destroyed. They are all litter brothers and sisters. The four we have we have named Ross, Robin, Reba and Rosa and all are extremely nervous, underweight and unkempt (nothing new there then) but Robin seemed unduly aggressive when we attempted to move him from the pen in the back of the farm vehicle. Minutes later we realised why - he had obviously had a loose choke chain round his neck and it was now wrapped tightly under his front leg. With some difficulty we managed to take a look and to our horror could see that not only was it embedded into his skin but the skin was red raw and was growing through the chain links. Absolutely horrific ! Barbara (one of the staff at the Welsh rescue) has taken him to the vet where he will have the chain removed under anaesthetic. Poor dog to have suffered in this way. He must have been in a great deal of pain and discomfort. Will he and the others ever trust people again? Lesley has hopes that due to their age (around eighteen months) they will prove to be less traumatised than dear Nell and therefore prove to be suitable to place up for adoption in the near future. Her now is to find places for the remainder and get them out of those sheds they are living in as quickly as possible. She has contacted a few border collie rescues and is waiting to hear back from them.

Sunday - Lesley says :
Robin is back with us having had his operation to remove the embedded chain, Ken the vet says it is the worst he has seen. We have antibiotics to give him and on wednesday he has to go back for another anaesthetic, this time to stitch the wound. Poor dog, I have just fed him and his siblings and they were starving and wolfed down their food like there was no tomorrow. When I first saw them I did not realise how thin they actually were because their thick coats hid their bony bodies. They managed to eat their food whilst I was watching though kept an eye on me at all times. They are like wild animals at the moment so need lots of kind words and a gentle approach until they feel more secure.
I have already received a response for the collies,a lady in Berkshire who does Border collie rescue has offered to take them all if nobody else comes forward so now I know that all will be safe. The transport we will have to arrange next.