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| Australian Shepherd Rescue |
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| Northeast US Feature Dog Needing A Home |
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"Shiloh"
Shiloh, ARPH #7598 (Pennsylvania) Five year old black male, 45 lbs (underweight), docked tail, brown eyes. Ask any ARPH rep and they'll tell you how hard it is to take a good picture of a black dog. Alas, there just isn't any contrast, you always end up with a photo of a dark blob. However, despite Shiloh's lack of the flashy appearance, he has much to offer. Read on: Shiloh is a true rescue that came from a situation that is too disgusting to describe in this family publication, let's just say that years of being neglected at the end of a 10 ft chain left him about 25+ lbs underweight, with poor coat & skin, 3" nails, ear infections, and a bad abcess on his tail stub. Well, those endless days of boredom, inactivity, loneliness, pain and hunger are behind him now. And despite it all, Shiloh has the sunniest disposition I have ever seen, he constantly is wagging that stubby little tail, everyone who meets him loves him. He is one happy, happy dog. He is housebroken, has good housemanners, gets along well with other dogs and cats and loves to do full aussie body slams. For the moment, he is having a blast running and running and running in the yard with his foster brother, not surprising, and his foster mom says to go for it, he deserves it. Still, he settles down very nicely indoors, has not been destructive at all. He is not being crated but has full house privileges with not one negative result even though his foster mom is at work during the day. This dog is loving being a pet and has much to offer any home that wants a good, solid family dog. There is virtually no one that Shiloh doesn't like and vice versa. And while he may initially bark at a visitor, within moments he is your best friend, there is not an aggressive or mean bone in his body. Shiloh needs basic obedience training--like walking on a leash, he is just so happy to be walking anywhere with anyone, he can't help but pull so he can see what is coming next. Shiloh amazingly has no behavioral issues at all. It will be several months before his coat catches up with his sunny attitude, but he will be one handsome boy with continued good nutrition and grooming. He is gaining weight appropriately. Shiloh's exercise needs are about medium, but his energy level grows as he gains weight and feels better. Still, he is not at all high energy. Given his background, a fenced yard is required so he'll never be tied out again for any reason, he deserves a chance to run after his years of forced inactivity. Shiloh is being fostered near Gettysburg, PA. Approved adopters with big hearts contact Laura.
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| Do to the recent increase in popularity of Aussies and uninformed and irresponsible breeding of us, more and more special needs Aussies are needing homes to call their own. Please visit them on my "Special Needs" Aussies Seeking Homes page. |
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| AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD RESCUE |
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| written for this site by Kay Marks, |
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| ARPH Northeast Regional Coordinator |
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| Australian Shepherd Rescue is a group of people dedicated to finding permanent new homes for Aussies that are found in shelters or given up by their owners. There are several organized groups and many individuals across the United States and Canada who are involved. None of these volunteers receive any compensation except the great personal satisfaction of a successful rescue. Aussie Rescue & Placement Helpline, Inc. (ARPH) is the official rescue organization of the Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA). |
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| There are many reasons why Aussies end up in rescue. Some are: Owner surrenders due to allergies in the family, moving, no time, new baby, not good with children, physically incapable of caring for the dog anymore, etc. Others show up in shelters, either turned in by their owners or found as strays. Some are rescued from puppy mills when officials close the mills. Dogs are evaluated by volunteers to find out what type of home would be best for them. Dogs that exhibit bad temperaments are not accepted. |
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| Prospective adopters must fill out an extensive application that will help the rescue volunteer to determine whether or not they are a good home for an Aussie. If the application is approved, the volunteer tries to find a dog that is the right match. Dogs in rescue are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, wormed and heartworm tested before placement. There is a fee involved in order for the rescue to continue its operations. |
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| Occasionally, puppies end up in rescue, but more often it's young adults and up. That cute little fluffy puppy allowed to grow up without training or socialization is no longer easy to manage when it's grown up. There are many advantages to adopting an adult dog, one of which is that you know what you have. |
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| While some dogs do have issues, the vast majority need only some structure and training to become beloved companions. There are many rescue dogs competing successfully in agility, obedience, tracking and flyball, and many more that are a best friend to their owners. |
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| ARPH Northeast Regional Coordinator |
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| Copyright © 2000 - 2005 by AfterHours Australian Shepherds. No reproduction of any kind, of any of the material on this site, is permitted without the written permission of AfterHours Australian Shepherds, or in the case of previously published articles, the indicated author. |
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