My well-kept secret of a breed is on the verge of notoriety, through no fault of its own:
Puppymill Raid In Ballantine, MT
Photos
Video, Maps, and the search warrant
There is not much that I can say at this point.
Read that exactly as written. There is not much I can say.
Occasionally I fall to weeping, though.
But this individual has been well-known to the English shepherd community for several years.
As it becomes possible to publish updates, I'll add them here.
Please visit National English Shepherd Rescue for updates, or to donate.
Best breed rescue organization on the damned planet. I mean it. I'd walk through fire for these guys, because they'll walk through fire to do right by these dogs.
Are we now about to become the busiest breed rescue organization on the damned planet?
It's going to be a long, cold winter.
Pictured above is Gary, my current foster. He is also a purebred English shepherd. He apparently lived a life not unlike the one led by the Montana dogs. In six weeks here he's had a broken tooth removed, lived in lockdown while Rosie was in estrus, said goodbye to his testicles, learned how to live in a house and not pee therein, started his obedience training (he's a genius), been schooled on interspecies etiquette by my cat, mastered the mystery of the staircase -- and shown us just what an all-round cool guy he is.
If it's worth saving one, it's worth saving two hundred.
Oh. My. DoG. Two hundred.
And if you are interested in adopting Gary right away, let me know. He'd look great under someone's Christmas tree. He's a relative rarity: an English shepherd with a great pet temperament.
I have to say that while the place looks crappy, the dogs don't look to be in bad shape but I guess they didn't show the more disturbing pictures.
ReplyDeleteGood luck finding a home for that gorgeous boy.
Two things about English shepherds that can mislead:
ReplyDelete1) Most have amazing "no care" teflon-textured coats that barely shed and don't pick up crap or dirt. So you won't see mats and mess on most of them. (ES with curlier or coarser coats can show signs of neglect, ala the show collie or the OES.)
2) Those thick coats conceal their body condition. You wouldn't think, looking at Gary, that he is still a 2/5 in body condition and needs about five more pounds. He was even thinner when I got him. Slightly fat ES (and many of them can get fat at the slightest provocation) look like hairy whales. Obese ES are like furred ticks. But mainly, emaciated ES look normal. You always have to put hands on the dogs to assess them.
A yard full of starving pit bulls looks like canine Treblinka. A yard full of starving ES or chows can fly under the radar.
Good point. When I got my Beardie type from the SPCA he only weighed 32 lbs but after awhile he came up to his normal weight of 50 lbs - and looked about the same.
ReplyDeleteSo they stay clean, like Collies do if you brush them regularly, which is another great thing I'm learning about your lovely dogs.
I'd love to have Gary under my tree! Idea: Maybe you could post a little bit on "life with Gary" so people could get an idea what having him as a pet would be like. That might generate some interest. Please give him an extra biscuit from me.
ReplyDeleteI already sent you my email about volunteering. And Gary looks like a love. I want to add an ES to the collie crew here at some point.
ReplyDeleteI'm new to your blog and love it. Whatever happened to Gary? He's a beautiful dog!
ReplyDeleteI'm new to your blog and love it. Whatever happened to Gary? He's a beautiful dog!
ReplyDelete