UPDATE 8/7/03 on the Montana Collies
Statement by AWCA President Jean Levitt
*Permission to crosspost*
The Montana collies are in their homes. Camp Collie has been closed and all of the supplies and equipment necessary to maintain the nearly 200 animals have been distributed among various animal organizations throughout Montana or stored by AWCA for use at a later time. We have donated chainlink pens and stainless steel food pans and pails to various towns in Montana, including Choteau, the home of Judge Pete Howard and Associate Prosecutor Joe Coble, and Fort Benton, the home of Shep, the dog who waited at the train station for his deceased owner for years. We donated our awning, removed from the dog runs along the side of the Camp Collie-Great Falls building, to HSCC, the animal shelter in Great Falls, to cover their dog runs. We also sent them our Whirlpool washer/dryer, which is now being used to wash bedding for the animals there. We are also sending HSCC 22 stainless steel pails and pans. Hills Science Diet donated the last order of dog food. That has been divided among many shelters throughout Montana. Various other AWCA supplies, such as trash pails, mops, buckets, fire extinguishers, etc., have been distributed among these shelters also.
In case of animal emergency in the state, such as the wildfires they are experiencing now, our pens will be loaned to hold animals when their persons are evacuated.
Thea Sperline, the AWCA Montana collie representative, has established Sunglow Montana Collie Rescue. We have sent all of our storage from this rescue to Sunglow. Thea is now equipped to take charge of any of these collies needing to be rehomed or found loose in Montana, as well as any other rescued collies. The adoption contracts call for the Toole County Sheriff’s Office to be informed in these cases. At a meeting in Shelby with Sheriff Matoon on Monday I made arrangements with TCSO to contact Sunglow Montana Collie Rescue in the event a new owner is unable to keep their collie at any time during the life of the dog.
We now begin a series of articles prepared by the adopters of the Montana collies.
A Loving Adopter
On a beautiful sunny day in Great Falls, a little collie girl waited patiently for her new Mom and Dad to choose her. She had no guarantees, only hopes and dreams that this would be the most special day of her life.
Her Mom and Dad came into Camp Collie at 11:10 a.m. on Saturday, July 26, 2003. They were so excited to find a perfect collie girl; however, they also wanted to take all of the other collies home with them. How could they choose only one?
One of the key volunteers had told them about her. She had been previously adopted; however, for many reasons, her adopter returned her to Camp Collie. She just knew in her heart that someone wonderful would be there very soon.
Her new Mom and Dad really liked her; however, her Mom spotted another sable collie girl with a bright bandanna around her neck, which begged to be petted. Soon, she and the sable girl were walking all around Camp Collie to see how they reacted to everything. After an hour and a half, her new Mom put the sable girl back in her pen.
Now she realized that she had a chance to go home with them!! Shortly after this revelation, her new Mom and Dad came into the pen and asked her if she wanted to come home with them. They promised her a wonderful life with their other three collies. They promised to love and respect her always and to make sure that all of her hopes and dreams came true. After all, she had been waiting patiently in her pen for almost 9 months and always knew this day would come!!!
Her Mom gently put a beautiful leash on her and asked her to say some quick good-byes to her brothers and sisters. They all barked and wished her much happiness and days filled with love in her new home. They also knew that special people would be there very soon to take them home.
She walked quickly out of Camp Collie and stopped to say goodbye to all of the WONDERFUL people who had cared for her and loved her, especially the Sheriff who was so instrumental in rescuing her. After the good-byes, she raced to the gate where she pulled her new parents rapidly out of Camp Collie. She stopped to sniff the collie on the Camp Collie sign and put her beautiful white paws up on the car that was waiting to take her to her new forever home.
Her trip home went very smoothly. Since she was feeling very sleepy from all of the loud barking at Camp Collie, she slept peacefully during most of the trip.
Her parents stopped for breakfast and she had a bite of their pork chop, which she really loved!!! She was able to sniff great new things like beautiful trees, bushes, the toilet in the hotel room, the television, garbage cans…
Finally, the moment came when her new parents arrived at their home. They gently took her out of the car and walked her down the long driveway to her new home.
Suddenly, the garage door opened and out “flew” her new collie brother and 2 collie sisters. They raced to greet her with big collie smiles and collie barks saying, “We have been praying for many months for a good home for you and the other collies and now you’re here!! We will love and protect you always.”
This is the story of a beautiful little collie girl named “Montana Shelby” after the great state and city where she waited very quietly for her new parents and forever home. She will now live the life she was meant to live…the life of a well-loved and spoiled collie girl.
Calmly,
Jean Levitt, President AWCA
Lisa King, Director of AWCA Rescue
and the Officers and Members of AWCA
Donations are still needed to pay the July/August bills.
AWCA Rescue
Bethany Burke, AWCA Treasurer
2807 Lee Trevino Ct.
Shalimar, FL 32579
and especially
Toole County Community Collie Rescue Fund
First State Bank of Shelby
260 Main St.
Shelby, MT 59474