or How I Found My Right Family
Rhia (foreground) with her new people, Barb and Al Ceranko, and her new sister Kali
Rhia is the newest winner of my "Make Your Dog A Star" Contest. Thank you Kathy, Al and Barb!
"WHAT A STRANGE TRIP IT'S BEEN" OR HOW I FOUND MY RIGHT FAMILY
By Rhia formerly Penny, NEBCR Rescue Dog (Sent to me by the Cerankos and used with their and Kathy Chittenden permissions)
I'm not sure where to begin so I'll begin at the beginning. I was born down in Missouri, either a puppy mill or a ranch, not sure really, memory's a little fuzzy from way back then. I know I took a long ride in a big truck to something called the "Northeast." I sat in a cage where all of these people would come and look at me and poke and say how cute I was and stuff like that. It was quite scary to tell you the truth.
One day a family saw me and brought me home. They were a nice family. I had a mom and a dad and two of the smaller humans to play with. I'd try to play with them when they ran and that always got me into trouble. It just felt like the right thing to do, you know, something is out of order and they really needed me to put them back in line.
My dad would come home at night and we'd play some ball. I really liked that a lot. I learned many tricks. I could sit and lie down and shake hands. I know he was proud of me for all my tricks. I spent my days in the house with mom, I could curl up on the couch and nap. I protected her from all the scary people that came to our door, that mailman, UPS guy, and all the other people who'd stop by and knock on the door. I did a very good job at this, mom always seemed to be very nervous whenever anyone came over like that.
Sometimes my little humans brought other little humans over to play. That was quite a lot of work for me, keeping four or more of them in line as they tried to scatter. Something in my whole being said "I must keep them together!" However, no one else really understood what and why I had to do this. I did it the best way I knew how. I'd run and even nip if that was what it took. I got yelled at when I did this. I didn't really understand at all, I figured it was the little humans' fault that I got yelled at so I began curling my lip at them to make them go away so I wouldn't get in trouble anymore. It worked! Mom would say "Leave Penny alone please" and yes, by golly, they went away! I'm really quite smart you know!
I turned two years old. I began to sense something different in my family. I heard words like "liability," "fear aggression," and "put to sleep." They seemed quite sad. I kept hearing "Monday then, we'll take her" and they cried. Why are they so sad?
Then a really funny thing happened. Two strange ladies came over. They had tennis balls and treats. They came into my backyard and played with me. They tossed the ball and I began bringing it back to them, over and over they'd toss it for me. It was kind of cool! Strangers that played with me? Then I went into the house with them. They tried to touch me so I gave them the lip. I didn't want to get yelled at because of the strangers. But you know what, they gave me liver treats and they were pretty good and they didn't go away, just hung out and talked and gave me treats. How strange.
Then they left.
Four days later one of the stranger ladies, Janet, came back and TOOK ME IN HER CAR! What the heck is this I wondered? Where are we going? Is this the "liability" or the "put to sleep" part I heard about? I got to meet another dog and some other people who all gave me treats and played ball with me! No one yelled, no one seemed nervous, it was kind of nice and relaxing if you know what I mean. I went with Janet and her dog Kelly over to a place with these sheep things and boy was I ever amazed. I watched other dogs just like me do exactly what I was doing with my little humans and they didn't get yelled at! They were circling these sheep and the sheep were doing what they were supposed to do! How come I couldn't get that to happen in my old home? I was sure trying!
The other stranger lady, Kathy, showed up. By then, I began to figure out that all of these strangers were kind of cool. I gave her my best tail wags and body wriggles and she was soooo happy to see me too! I went back to her house and you know what! There were other dogs that looked JUST LIKE ME! I'm told that I am a smooth-coated, prick-eared Border Collie and there were two of those at her house. It was quite busy over there. We all took long walks through the fields, played ball in the yard, went over to the barn and I learned to JUMP! This made her very happy and I got soooo many treats just for jumping over a bar when she said JUMP! I got to go in the car a lot. I always rode in a crate and it was kind of cool. I got to go and watch my foster brother do "obedience." I also got to go to agility trials and see all sorts of strangers. They'd all give me treats and toss my ball for me.
Then, coolest of the cool, we went CAMPING! I got to sleep in a tent and there were soooo many people and dogs, I just couldn't keep them all away. I tried, I barked at some but they didn't go away. It wasn't working anymore. They just gave me treats and tossed my ball. Maybe there's no need to keep them away I think.
I see a cool-looking man and a beautiful lady coming towards me. I look and I growl a little, my foster dad takes me out of my crate, they haven't flinched! I jump up, wriggle, and kiss them and I know they're my right family.
Rhia met her new Mom & Dad, Barb and Al Ceranko at the CPE Nationals hosted by All Dogs Gym in Hopkinton, NH on May 10, 2003. She wishes to thank her NEBCR volunteers, Janet Lindsay and Kathy Chittenden and also the power of the Internet. Her old family found an alternative to euthanasia by doing an Internet query for "Border Collie Rescue" and then finding NEBCR.org.
There are way too many Border Collie pups in the pet stores. People who are out puppy shopping have absolutely no idea what they are getting into when they bring one home. Thankfully, Rhia's story has a happy ending. There are many similar stories with entirely different endings. Please do not support the puppy mill/pet store industry. Be patient. Visit your area shelter, contact rescue agencies, and adopt an older dog who is already over puppy issues.
Kathy Chittenden
New England Border Collie volunteer
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