Thomas

I grew up watching Lassie and Timmy on TV.  I always wanted a collie after that and in 2002 I found a puppy who had a detached retina and no one wanted him.  I took him and we soon became best friends.  We had some trouble with seperation when I went to work which led me to adopt a kitten from spca.  Thomas and Angel were best buds and my plants and furniture were left alone.

When I started thinking of marriage I told my now husband he had to pass the Collie test and since we are now married he passed with flying colors.

We moved from centeral california to centeral oregon.  Thomas loved to run and play in the snow and meet new people.  He was so gentle and kind.  Then in November 2011 he got sick and I took him to the doctor.  While he was in surgery for his teeth his lungs stopped working.  The vet spent an hour trying to bring him back, but nothing worked.

My beloved Thomas was gone.  The vet said he had cancer.  My only comfort was knowing he went in his sleep and didn’t suffer.  There will never be another collie like him.  We still have 2 other dogs and I want to wait until I can look at Thomas’ picture and not cry.  I will never forget him and He will always be a part of me.

I know he is in Heaven waiting for me, so I will see him again.  REST IN PEACE MY FRIEND AND GOOD NIGHT.

Woody

Bob and Pam Green’s “Woody”

We lost our 11 year old collie, Fred, to cancer in 2000.  In the spring of 2001, we met 1 1/2 year old Woody at a Tri-County Collie Rescue event at Pet-Smart in Northville.  He came over, stood on my feet and leaned against me, and I knew he was ours.  We met a few of the other dogs that were up for adoption, but kept coming back to Woody.  We adopted him on May 28, 2001.

Woody was a rowdy boy when we got him.  He would bark and lunge at people when we walked him, scaring them half out of their wits because he was such a big dog.  As he became more certain that he had a family for life, he became less fearful that other people would take us away from him and more curious about whether they would pet him, or maybe even pull a treat out of a pocket.  He loved his walks, and somehow knew when he was going to get one without anyone saying a word to him.  

Woody got to know the other dogs in the neighborhood.  There was Misty, a border collie who lived in the house behind ours.  She soon learned that she was not the boss of this new young collie, as she had been of the elderly Fred.  Then there was Maddie, a terrier who lived next door to Misty.  At first a little shy of a dog 10 times her size, they eventually became friends, with Maddie racing in and out of the invisible fencing line that Woody wouldn’t cross.   But his best friend was Charlie, a black lab who lived next door.  Charlie could open doors, literally, for Woody.  He knew how to open our patio door screen and let Woody out when he was unfairly being kept inside the house.  The two of them ran perpetual circles around the yard until they were both too tired to go any further.

A true herding dog, Woody would run after a ball if you threw it, but refuse to bring it back.  He would simply stand over it, showing you that he had found it and was keeping it safe where it was.  If you want it back, he would seem to say, you’ll be needing Charlie.  It bothered him if Bob and I were in separate parts of our house, as it made it much more difficult for him to keep tabs on us. 

He went for many rides on our small boat, something that he wasn’t so much interested in for the sake of boating as for just being with us.  He didn’t like the wind in his face, and would curl up at my feet under the dashboard.  He hated the noisy whine of the engine, and had absolutely no intention of getting in the water for any reason.  Still, he would beg to go along if he saw us hooking the boat up to the truck.   He did seem to enjoy lazy river cruises, where he and I both had bench seats in the V-hull and passers-by could admire him from their boats.  The occasional lab or spaniel in those boats were interesting, but he could never understand why they insisted on jumping into the water.    He could only tilt his head and stare at them quizzically (while barking out a warning that they were doing something crazy).

After struggling for some time with health issues, Woody went quietly to sleep on November 3, 2011, with Bob and I and Dr. Griffith, who had cared for him since he joined our family, at his side.   He was 12 years old.  It was a really difficult decision for all of us, but we knew the time had come.   He brought a lot of joy into our lives, and asked for so little in return.  We will miss him terribly.

Harley

This is Harley. Harley was rescued by a kind-hearted woman who found him for sale for $50, tied to a tree. He was just a year old. He was promptly brought to TCCR where he was placed with a foster home following a short stay at Gasow’s Veterinary Hospital.

While at Gasow’s, a heart murmur was heard, and so Harley was scheduled for a echocardiogram prior to being neutered. The echocardiogram found that Harley had a severe heart malformation called “Tetralogy of Fallot.” This heart condition meant that Harley could not get enough oxygen-rich blood to his system. Despite his beautiful coat and sweet collie-ways, Harley was very ill.

Unfortunately, Harley passed away soon after his test. His sweet and gentle personality, his beautiful collie coat, and his playful personality will never be forgotten by this foster family.

Caleb

This is a picture of Caleb. Caleb came into TCCR’s life in 2002 when a woman found him after being hit by a car. She was kind enough to have him seen and worked on by a veterinarian. Once he got better, the woman adopted Caleb out to a family under the auspices of TCCR. Late in 2005, TCCR received a message that Caleb could no longer live with that family.
We found Caleb in dismal condition–his coat was matted, he had an infection on his skin, he was underweight, and he could barely walk on the hardwood floors because of all the hair between his toes.

Of course, Caleb got cleaned up right away, thanks to the groomers at the Dog’s Bow Wow. Caleb lived with his foster home for a couple of months, but never gained enough strength or weight back. In the end, Caleb lost the ability to walk, and it was determined that he had cancer of some type. The sad decision to let him go was made.

Caleb will always be remembered by his foster family for his gentle manner and sweet disposition.

Christa and Jim McElroy’s Sasha

For Sasha

The Dog I Never Wanted was our first foster collie,
Her owner brought her — a dreadful mess of matted fur.
Another casualty of war – divorced from each other,
They had no more room for her in their hearts.

Thanks to heartworm and human indifference
She was very sick for months — but rallied,
And never lost her sense of humor.
Although I may have – once or twice.

Not charming to look at, she seemed
Hardly a collie at all – shaven, pudgy and short.
In her Elizabethan collar, with one leg bandaged,
She looked like a mutant canine snow cone.

The Dog I Never Wanted flunked adoption.
Not once, but twice.
The last family called her vicious.
And so she came waddling “home”,
Once again 10 pounds overweight.
With a bad back.

Rescue Clubs have rules, and so a choice,
To keep her as our own, or have her put to sleep…..
I didn’t want another dog, but — put her down?
That’s no choice at all.

The Dog I Never Wanted
Was an eager teacher, a reluctant student,
Never without her own opinion,
Never hesitant to lend it voice.

The Dog I Never Wanted
Loved her humans, her cats and her dogs.
She blessed us with ten years of total devotion.
Accompanied by frequent deafening commentary.

The Dog I Never Wanted
Died today. We buried her behind the house,
Where, in happier days,
She rolled in the grass, waving her paws at the sky,
Barking – at what, only God knew …
And I realized — in the sudden silence,
That the only thing I really want

Is to have her back forever.

Freddie: Loved by Kathy and Stan Gralewski and Deborah, Dave, and Stephanie Fargo

So Long Freddie

What could a dog tell you about life and survival on the streets of Detroit. This is where Freddie was found wandering by the Detroit Humane Society. Pegi Hack picked him up and he became our foster collie. We soon learned that Freddie did what he could to survive, like surf, as in counter tops. He would help himself to butter, pizza in a box, chocolate cake, whatever.

One day when he wanted water, he went in the bathroom and lifted up the toilet seat with his head, to drink water out of the bowl. (We learned to keep the bathroom door closed). Yep, that was “Self Serve Fred”.

Freddie, a name no one really liked, but the only one he would answer to. He was adopted by Kathy & Stan Gralewski, who gave him a wonderful home. Freddie, whose gums were unusually large, found comfort in a new home with a lab mix named Cody. Freddie, who had Stan wrapped around his paw, could do no wrong. If there were hot dog buns missing from on top of the counter or pillows thrown off the couch, Kathy would ask Stan if Freddie did it. Of course he would say, “Why do you think Freddie did it?” In the two short years they had Freddie, he lived a lifetime. Freddie succumbed to liver problems, hip problems and had a stroke! His life was cut short two weeks ago. He will be greatly missed by Kathy & Stan, and us as well, his foster parents. But we know full well that our dearly departed Pegi, was there to greet him once again, at the Rainbow Bridge.

Matthew and Lisa’s Angus

This is Angus.

Matthew and Lisa Trevethan adopted him in August of 2001 after Pegi Hack looked us up and down and said “I have the perfect dog for you.” What we saw was the tallest and heaviest Collie we’ve ever seen.

Angus was almost a head taller than all the other dogs at the park and was a muscular 100 pounds of love, he fit perfectly with his tall “mom” and muscular “dad”. We always said that Angus picked us not the other way around. While at that collie picnic that we first met him he leaned up against us (the collie hug) as if to say, “Pegi, I pick these two.”

Angus had many loves- his cats who he guarded like they were his own. If there were a spat between the cats he would rush up between them to keep the peace. He loved sourdough bread, and would sneak behind us like a ninja to obtain his prize. Most of all he loved the family cottage in Harrisville, MI on Lake Huron. Our beach had many places for Angus to walk and dart his nose in the long beach grass. He smiled and played with such passion, echoing that wonderful Collie bark up and down the shore. Angus was a lion of a dog that didn’t know the word quit, and even as his body failed him his mind only knew how to please and love. Everyone whose life he touched will miss him.

Carolyn Galloway’s Molly

I adopted Molly a little over 4 yrs ago and she was the joy of my life. She climbed on the sofa the very first day I brought her home and I didn’t have the heart to kick her off, so she was the Queen of the castle ever since. The neighbor children all loved her as she and I were regular fixtures on our daily walks. She was the best and sweetest dog I could ever have hoped for. I sang “You Are My Sunshine” to her every day and she would actually lean in and hug me.

The history I was given on her is that she was found wandering the streets of Toledo and the owner on her tag no longer wanted her , and said she was 6 yrs old. Well, since I’ve had her 4 + yrs, that would make her 10ish but my vet placed her at 13 or 14, which explains her deteriorating state of health. She could no longer walk well and would frequently fall down so on June 5th 2008 I had to make the very difficult decision to put her to sleep.

Her pain ended but mine began but I know the memories of her and my faith will heal my broken heart. St. Francis of Assisi knew the special place animals have in God’s heart and I take great comfort in Romans 8:22 when we are promised that all of creation will one day be redeemed and restored, and that includes our beloved pets.

The Guastella’s Delta

Delta Dawg…

Nine years ago we adopted Delta who was already almost one year old at the time. A beautiful sable collie, she was found wandering around the Delta air terminal at Metro Airport, she was thus named appropriately. Initially, we thought a collie was much too large and too hairy so we were a bit reluctant to adopt one. After a couple of bad dog experiences, our trainer insisted that this was a wise choice for a family pet.

This gentle giant captured the hearts of adults and children alike. Even people, who didn’t like dogs, discovered that they liked Delta. Friendly to a fault, she did not have a mean or aggressive bone in her body…unless, of course, you were a rabbit. She protected us from the dangerous bunnies every spring season with her incessant barking, making sure the rabbits stayed out of our yard. No one entered our home without being greeted and nudged until they would return the greeting to Delta.

She loved to sit outside under a shady tree while my husband washed the car or while I worked in the garden. She would “herd” our three children to keep them together while they played and she always wanted to be around the family.

Delta was so much more than just a dog; she truly was a member of our family. She succumbed to a form of lung cancer this past April, which was producing holes in her lungs and causing her lungs to collapse. We tried, unsuccessfully, to get her through this. At almost ten years old, she still had a lot of puppy left in her. Playful and loving, she was wagging her tail right up till the end. Our hearts are broken with the loss of Delta and she will be missed.

Buddy Rex

Buddy Rex was with TCCR for nearly two years.  It turned out his permanent home was with his foster home.  Buddy Rex passed away peacefully with his family by his side on September 1.

Buddy Rex had a great and playful attitude.  He found great pleasure in fetching his toys (though not too far) and playing tug with his prize.  Buddy will be missed by all who knew him.