BCSP Report – Week 11

March 10-16, 2014 (written by Marilyn Neville)

The Border Collie was originally called the "Scotch Sheep Dog" and originated in Northumberland along the borders of Scotland and England. Celebrating St. Patrick's Day, this is the breed from that region of the world we have focused on to help celebrate the Lucky Leprechaun spirit! This beautiful dog is one of five Border Collie mixes in our rescue up for adoption. Mr. Malone has amazing conformation and is a beauty to behold.  He likes the taste of fresh chicken, so he is best as a companion with a fenced-in-yard and as a pet. This half Labrador also has a history of running amuck. Call Marilyn at 573-722-3035 to adopt this young male, just turning 1-year of age.

The Border Collie was originally called the “Scotch Sheep Dog” and originated in Northumberland along the borders of Scotland and England. Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, this is the breed from that region of the world we have focused on to help celebrate the Lucky Leprechaun spirit! This beautiful dog is one of five Border Collie mixes in our rescue up for adoption. Mr. Malone has amazing conformation and is a beauty to behold. He likes the taste of fresh chicken, so he is best as a companion with a fenced-in-yard and as a pet. This half Labrador also has a history of running amuck. Call Marilyn at 573-722-3035 to adopt this young male, just turning 1-year of age.

I dedicate my volunteerism this week in memory of my mother, Dorothy Rose Dauner Olson. She died March 20, 2008. It still seems like it was yesterday that we lost her. She encouraged me to embrace the volunteer spirit. Thanks Mom…

We were part of another return-to-owner this week. A stray male Bassett, red and white in color, was sighted by a family driving on Highway N, about 2 miles from the junction of Highway 19/ 51. The male had been missing about a month or more. He was very thin. He was returned because of our Facebook (FB) listing. Thank you to the Vilia’s for stepping up for this stray. He was return #8 for 2014.

Fitting in with the memory of my sweet mother, this week’s story is about another special mother.

We had an unusual call last week from Scott Lindsey concerning a feral mother dog, who it turns out, is not really feral in temperament, just cautious and shy. Typically a feral animal is wild and can be very dangerous when cornered or trapped.

Scott and Sharon Lindsey, from the Sedgewickville area, had seen this female for at least two to three years.  She looks, moves, and she herds their horses like a Border Collie. She would present herself but no one could catch her. You’d think she would be skin on bones if a “wild dog” but according to Sharon, she generally looks pretty good.

She had a litter of three pups which were fathered by their Heeler and it seems another dog worked his way into the picture.  Sharon remembers the courtship date well.  It was when their male was torn up by another male, suffering a harsh wound to the face that required vetting.

The date of the vet bill would allow us to calculate the litter’s date of birth: approximately 63 days after the dog altercation the pups would be born. That means they would be 8-weeks of age.

“How did this dog keep from starving all these years,” I asked Sharon.

Sharon explained that the area ranchers were missing their poultry and in fact, between the dogs, owls, coons and opossums; they had given up on raising poultry.  This beautiful lady also stole protein rich cat food from the food bowls on Sharon’s sister’s porch.

Mrs. Friese, another neighbor and the lady who initially told me about this litter, would leave food at the Sergeant’s Chapel Church Cemetery every morning that she drove to work. Among the graves stands a big old cedar tree where this gal would find her bowl of golden manna.

Amazingly the Border Collie had not been shot or succumbed to starvation, intestinal parasites or fleas especially when nursing.

“She is a survivor,” Sharon said. “We think she would kill and bring back food to the den for the pups. Right now she has a dead skunk next to the den where she raised her pups…she manages to survive.”

Indeed, she managed to survive, as a thief, a poultry hunter, and as a varmint killer.  Also she survived by the superlative hearts of those in the neighborhood who would offer her kibble on a regular basis.

The Good Samaritans had seen her try to raise another litter about a year ago.  They were unsure what had happened to them.  They were whelped under the large root of a fallen tree. There she dug a burrow like a fox or coyote would.

The recent litter was whelped underneath one of the Lindsey’s out buildings.  They had watched the collie care for her litter and kept her fed with kibble. More kibble was offered when the pups were old enough to chew it.

No matter how kind the Lindsey’s were, the mother dog and her pups would not be caught. So a friend brought his coyote live-trap and it was set using bacon and yummy liverwurst. The potent smells are hard for any meat eating critter to resist. Soon all were captured.

In just a few days the mother dog had totally submitted to the Lindsey family.  By the weekend she lay in their heated shed allowing all the family members to approach her and she readily accepted their affections.

Monday, March 17 the litter was dropped off at the Marble Hill vet office to receive their shots and exams. I picked them up in the early afternoon. I believe they will be up for adoption in about a week or so.

What is mom’s fate? Well the Lindsey’s have grown very fond of her. They are going to give her time to see if she will accept them as “her own” and commit fully to their love and generous care.

Accepted strays and relinquished dogs:

… Australian Shepherd mix male, former Pet of the Week, not claimed.

… Two dumped yellow pups from Rural Patton.

… Three Border Collie Heeler pups, one is a male: age 8 weeks: report story. Their names are Merle, Pearl, and Haggard: the Mama Tried litter!

Adoptions, return to owner or placed in other rescues:

… Beagle mix male stray from Zalma, adopted by finder.

… Male Bassett hound, red and white, posted on FB and claimed (#8) in hours!!!

… Fourth Great Dane and Great Pyrenees mix female pup adopted by Jackson family with 4 kids.

… Dexter: Yellow Lab and Golden Retriever goes to St. Louis rescue group Saturday.

… Holly Hunter: former pet of the week, white to tan pup with mange, dumped in Zalma.

Cat calls:

… FREE, ten cats: age 1 year, all spayed or neutered house cats, litter trained. Well cared for, call 573-495-2033

… FREE, three long hair tabby kittens: one dark tabby semi long, a white with tabby, and a black tabby with white, age 6 months, spayed.   Call 573-495-2033

Dogs with Heartworm, Erlichia, special needs, or that were euthanized:

… Two stray yellow pups dumped and laying in a huddle along a gravel road in rural Patton: sick. Taken straight to the vet and euthanized due to Parvo. They weighed about 2 pounds. Breed type unknown, but they looked like Chihuahua and Lab mixes with large pretty heads. They were our first Parvo case this season.

Calls requesting assistance for dogs we did not admit:

… Two Chihuahua Maltese mixes, age 5, need new home, Marquand

LOST week of 3/9/14, Sedgewickville area: purebred male Beagle, young tri-color.

… LOST 3/10/14 village of Leopold: red in color, Golden Retriever fe, age 5.

… 12-wk-old black female Pit and an 18-mo-old white and red male: owner lost her home, no car or phone to help these dogs, unsure their fate.

… Border Collie female and 3 pups under Good Samaritan’s shed, Sedgewickville.

… Beagle/Cocker fe pup, age 4 mo from Puxico.

… LOST 2/17/14 Co Rd 238 & Hwy K: tall, yellow neutered young male, white legs, FB.

… Dachshund needs a home: Greenville area. Former stray male does not like kids.

Miscellaneous and contact info:

We had 47 dogs at our home 3/17/14.

You can donate to the Officer Nick Becker Fund on our FB site. It is easily done by using Pay Pal. Read why we want to help support his family. He has cared for the animals in our community as well as families who looked to him for protection and calm regarding the law.

Check out our FB site for updates and photos of posted strays, including this week’s story Border Collie mix family. We are also seeking help with the vet costs for Holly Hunter who had been boarded for two weeks while receiving treatment for her contagious mange. Also we have treated several Project dogs for Heartworm and can not recover those costs in the adoption fees. Would you consider helping us with those costs? Donations may be tax deductable.

Stray Project monetary donations accepted at the Marble Hill Coop. We purchase de-wormer and other supplies at the Coop and donations are greatly appreciated.

Offer a stray water on day one and food day two or three. Call if missing a dog or if you have a stray. We don’t always have room but we may have a solution to help you and the stray.

Flea and tick season is just around the corner. Mosquitoes will be as dangerous as ever for your pets. They carry heartworm. Did you know one mosquito can lay over 30 eggs in just one bite to your dog or cat?

Dumping dogs is a form of abuse and against the law. Please report animal abuse or neglect.

Coyotes are mating and lots of dogs are missing. This is typically a season that dogs are killed by coyotes and you won’t find leftovers. They will kill any size dog. Please assist any strays that come to you for help.

Please do the following when you pets are expecting or caring for a litter:    offer any pregnant dog small-breed-puppy-food the final 1-2 weeks before delivery and while the pups are nursing. Give those mothers all the food they want: bowls full all day and lots of fresh water available all day.   Cats need kitten food.  Free feed the higher calorie food during the nursing stage to help mom make milk and maintain her own body mass.  Babies need to be dewormed as young as 1-2 weeks, then every 7-10 days until age 10-weeks or older if in a confined environment with re-infestation concerns.

Offer strays water on day one and food day two or three. Call if missing a dog or you have a stray.

If you suspect an animal is being neglected or abused, call the Humane Society of Missouri Animal Cruelty Hotline, 314-647-4400 or 800-383-9835 or you can make a confidential report on line at Humane Society of Missouri.

To understand when an animal is being abused or neglected in the state of Missouri read the following link:http://asci.uvm.edu/equine/law/cruelty/mo_cruel.htm

We LOVE Buchheits!  Donate a buck or more at the Jackson store for dog food and supplies when you shop. Also, Second Time Around in Marble Hill is taking donations for the Stray Project. Monetary donations are accepted at the Bollinger County Veterinary Service, Marble Hill Coop, Buchheits, and the MH Town and Country.

Thank you to the County Residents who have continued to support the Bollinger County Stray Project. 

Check out our available pets at Petfinder.  Call 573-722-3035 about our adoptable pets.