2008 Rescue Kerries Placed

Below are stories and updates on some of the Kerries placed by the Foundation during 2008. indicates a recent addition.

Index of 2008 Rescue Kerries

Rylee

Adopted in St. Paul, MN

Keegan, was Slipper, 4 year old female

Nadia Bourassa, Rescue Coordinator, Quebec
nadia_boubou@hotmail.com

Two weeks ago [December 2007}, the Foundation received word that “Slipper”, who was no longer useful as breeding stock, was dropped off at a shelter in Escanaba, Michigan.  Due to the diligence of our wonderful Kerry volunteers, she made her way to Sudbury, Ontario where she is in foster care.

Slipper was born 2/10/03 (though we don’t know if this is February 10th, or October 2nd).  She was imported from Ireland and has had several large litters of puppies.
 
Slipper is very friendly with adults and children.  She will wrap her “arms” around you for hugs.  She is an excellent listener, understanding “no” and down, so far.  She has done very well in her toilet training and does not mess in the house or her crate.  She walks well on leash with a gentle leader.  Slipper is microchipped, vet checked, up to date on shots.  As is typical with puppy mill dogs, she does have tartar build-up on her teeth but appears healthy otherwise.  She is a small Kerry and definitely malnourished.  Current weight is 24 lbs.  She will need some healthy eating to put some weight on.....she loves chicken! 
 
Slipper does not like all dogs.  She has shown aggression to other female dogs she has met, but she has also socialized well with dogs at the shelter and in her foster home.   Because of this potential difficulty, we recommend Slipper only go to a home with no other dogs and with an experienced dog owner.  With obedience training and bonding with a real family, Slipper will surely make an excellent pet.  This little girl deserves to live “happily ever after”.

On February 2, 2008 Slipper moved to her new home in Mississauga, Ontario with Jill Macdonald & Ryan Richardson.

"I am so proud of Mr. Sullivan; he has done so well in training.  When he graduated today I cried, they had to bring me tissues.  He is such a delight, and has come so far.  Everyone in the class was so happy for him, they just came up and hugged and kissed him.  He was so proud of himself, waging his tail and looking right in my face." 

Jim, 4 year old male

Was fostered in British Columbia
Rescue Coordinator: Linda grisley (lgrisley@shaw.ca)

Jim is the sweetest 4 yr. old neutered male Kerry Blue rescued last December in the “Merry Kerry Rescue”. He has been living with a family on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and fits in very nicely with their two Airedale females. As you can see from the pictures, this is a beautiful Kerry boy!

Jim has grown up in a mill environment and, although he is self-assured and non-aggressive, he does not know all the subtleties of being a house dog.

Jim is not toilet trained. His current family is working hard to teach him but he does not understand yet. Although the current family will continue to work with Jim on his toileting, they feel it would be to his benefit to move to a home where the new owners would have the time and commitment to help him through this problem.

Jim is a loving and friendly dog. He gets along well with other dogs and both men and women. He needs to move to a home with a calm environment just adults or with perhaps with older children who will provide him with the attention and training he needs to settle into a home life. Preference will be given to a home within driving distance.

Jan-08

From: lgrisley@SHAW.CA
Subject: Jim
Date: March 11, 2008 10:16:51 AM PDT

Whoopee! Jim is adopted!

Black Knight Jim of the Merry Kerry Rescue has been adored by everyone who
met him on his way from the puppy mill to his new home in Sidney, B.C..

Jim is a 4 yr. old beautiful Kerry Blue who charmed all he met. His biggest
problem was toilet training. He just did not understand that there was a
place designated to go and it was not the chair of the man of the house!
Having spent his life in a mill, where toileting and eating and sleeping was
all in one space, a new life in a house was a big pill to swallow. However,
his foster-to-adopt family, Verna & Doug, have persevered and with the help
of a behaviourist, Jim has turned the corner.

It wasn't easy, though. Jim spent the first 6 weeks after his rescue with
our intrepid Nancy Joyce and her two Kerries, Quinn & Keely. He fit in well
with her dogs and Nancy worked hard to toilet train Jim with some success
before he went to his foster-to-adopt home with Verna & Doug.

Verna & Doug had been waiting for a Kerry rescue match for over a year and
were excited to finally receive Jim into their home. They also have 2
female Airedales with whom Jim fit very quickly and he was happy. But
because of the readjustment to this new home and the little time he had had
with Nancy to reinforce the toileting, his problems reoccurred. In
addition, shortly after his arrival with Verna & Doug, Jim had to have
surgery to remove a large lump on his hip that affected/pulled on his leg
and at the same time he was neutered.

When we put Jim on to the web site for adoption, Verna & Doug were
frustrated and not sure that they would have the patience to get through.
Jim had been walked for hours but never relieved himself until he got back
to the house and used his crate or watered the furniture. He was just not
getting it! Periodically he would relieve himself through the banister of
the deck - that's some progress! But not enough.

Verna hired Penni, the behaviourist, who discovered two things about Jim -
he does not like the rain (of which there is lots in BC!) and he liked
privacy for this toileting. Well, for crying out loud, that's pretty well
all it took! Armed with that knowledge and with some further recognition
of his feeding/toileting timing, Jim was given privacy from the other dogs
to do his business and a jacket to shield him from the rain... Jim was on
his way to success.

We are all extremely pleased for Verna, Doug & especially Jim. The problems
that Jim has overcome are not unusual for rescue dogs. It takes special
people to take on their troubles. Adopters of rescue dogs require patience
in the extreme and the loving care to recognize that this dog is not trying
to be bad...the new lives to which they arrive are FULL of so many things
they do not understand and it takes time and so much work to help them
through.
All the very best to Jim in his new home.

Linda Grisley
Rescue Director - Canada

Gillighan - 4 month old male

Was fostered in Massachusetts
Rescue Coordinator: Tracey Fulmer, t_fulmer@yahoo.com

Gillighan (Irish for "little lad"), is a 4 month old Kerry Blue Terrier puppy who was relinquished to the Kerry Foundation, along with his mother, by an Amish puppy miller who realized there is no market for Kerries. That means one less mill indiscriminately breeding Kerries ... and fewer Kerries landing in rescue.

Gillighan is a typical adorable, bright, charming, loving Kerry puppy. He displayed his Kerriness "right out of the gate". -- Gilly's a bold fellow and a handsome lad to boot, currently a tall, lanky teenager, weighing 19 lbs, with a luxurious thick coat, and the most beautiful dark Irish eyes. He'll leave the Kerry lasses swooning.

Gillighan loves the snow, is a great retriever, and loves all kinds of toys. He's in foster care with a female Kerry whom he took to right away (see picture). He has no issues with food, allowing the older Kerry girl to take food away from him. Gully is currently living in a busy household, with kids and visiting dogs, and lovin' every minute. He's gotta be in on ALL the action -- a typical Kerry shadow, always at your heels. He rides well in the car and is just learning to walk on a leash, which is coming along nicely, although he prefers to "lead you" with the leash in his mouth!

Mr. Gillighan goes to his crate at night, lured in with a milk bone, sleeps through the night, then trots right out in the morning to do his business in the yard. Potty training is coming along -- the current schedule of going outside at least every two hours is working nicely.

We are looking for a family where somebody is home during the day to give him the companionship and mental stimulation he needs and to continue working on his housetraining. Kids over 5 who respect dogs and a female canine companion would be fine. A securely fenced yard is a must -- this guy's gotta run! All Kerry Foundation rescues are required to attend obedience classes per our adoption contract. As another contractual obligation of his adoption, his new family will need to neuter him and submit a neuter certificate, which has not been done yet due of his young age. Gilly is up to date on his vacs, chipped, and ready for anything! He will be a fabulous best friend for one lucky Kerry-loving family.

Gilligan was adopted on April 8, 2008.

Blu

by Tracey Fulmer

It's one of those calls you dread. A high kill shelter sending out an SOS to help an older Kerry turned in by his owner. After asking how much time the dog has, you start wondering how anybody could dump a dog they'd had for eight years in a place where he probably only had hours to live.

His name is Blu and thank goodness for the extremely organized pound in the DC area who called Foundation volunteer Shelley Kilcoyne. They had her name and the Foundation's information on file because Shelley has been on the Foundation's shelter scanning team for several years and had contacted this pound in the past.

Blu was skinny as a rail at only 26 lbs, had ear and eye infections, a runny nose and cough, tested positive for Lyme disease and was so matted he had trouble eliminating -- obviously neglected for quite a while. He'd had a benign growth removed by his previous owner, so at some point in his past, somebody had cared about him. How could they just throw him away? Although we were told by the shelter that he was very, very sweet, we're always super cautious with a dog whose owner didn't care if it lived or died. But after speaking with numerous shelter workers, the vet tech and reviewing the owner turn-in information, we were certain that Blu deserved a second chance. He was kissing everybody who met him and had not displayed an ounce of dog aggression.

Pulling shelter dogs takes a lot of desperate man hours. You need to act quickly and drop everything -- time is the enemy of elderly dogs in pounds where they are more susceptible to sickness and have little chance of being adopted. Kerries found in shelters usually aren't located near any volunteers and with a foster family chomping at the bit to help. So we start dialing in desperation, hoping and pleading we'll get somebody to pull the dog and hold it until we can find a foster home and coordinate the transport. As luck would have it, Regina and Brian Corry in Arlington, VA are those special "Kerry angels" who never say "no" to a Kerry in need. One call to Regina and she was in touch with the shelter. Just a day later, Blu was on his way to their safe, warm home. Yes, the Corry's have two Kerries of their own, including Princess Jessie who can be selective with dog intruders. But the Corry's knew they could manage a day or two of inconvenience -- a Kerry needed
them. (Turns out, Blu was the perfect house guest, which further confirmed the Foundation's good diagnosis.)

Dianne Ewing quickly identified a foster home for Blu within hours of the initial SOS from the shelter. And again, luck was on Blu's side, as the foster home had family traveling north from Raleigh and could meet up with the Corrys that weekend. Yes, the Corrys not only picked up Blu and overnighted him, but also drove a few hours south to connect with the foster family. (Bless you, bless you, Regina and Brian!)

The only hitch in the whole process.....the foster family already had a female Kerry named Blue, so there might be confusion with the names! After several weeks in his foster home, Blu's temporary family could not part with such a wonderful Kerry and they have officially adopted him. And kept his name.

Below are excerpts from the updates we received on Mr Blu and Ms Blue:

He's made himself quite lovable to the ladies in our home ....very attentive whereas our girl Blue is friendly but somewhat aloof. Boy Blu has gone through an incredible transformation considering the dog we picked up just 2 weeks ago and what he's like now. Very puppy like ... rambunctious ... loves a good romp outside ... retrieves the ball ... comes when called .... seems to just love living. Ears and eyes are clear ... coughing is almost gone and his nose is actually cold and wet now. I believe he's gained some weight and his coat is shiny and soft. No issues at the groomer ... the groomer couldn't believe we'd ever give him away. This guy's personality is definitely his best asset. He's just everybody's friend. There've been a few times where the single name is a problem but overall it's not a big deal. Interested friends and neighbors get a laugh upon hearing the single name situation we're dealing with.

He's a quick learner and can almost sit on command (with a treat of course) ...he watches our girl to see what's expected and you can almost see him figuring our desires out from what she does.

Girl and Boy Blu get along just fine ... there are absolutely no issues. Girl Blue had a doggy bone inside her Kong yesterday and wandered off to check on something, leaving the Kong behind. Boy Blu took over trying to get the bone out of the Kong. Girl Blue came back to find the Kong in Boy's possession. I thought "this could get ugly" ... picture Boy Blue on his belly chewing at the Kong. Girl Blue lays down in front of him and watches attentively. Boy Blu stops chewing and pushes the Kong over to girl with his nose .... very cute.

Aaahh, yet another happy ending and a long sigh of relief that another senior Kerry is safe. [...]

It's been a year when we've seen far more than the average number of senior Kerries in need: Andy and his sister Emma, Duffy, Blu, and Kevin. In addition, we've assisted numerous seniors by helping their owners find the breeder, including Mowgli, Lilly, Sapphire and Honey. I have a hunch this is just the tip of the iceberg, since the Kerries born during the "Mick" peak production era are aging, as are their owners.

We can ALWAYS use more help in pulling from shelters, overnighting, transporting and fostering. If you are interested in helping out in any capacity, please contact the Rescue Coordinator in your region so we can have your name and contact information at our fingertips when we start dialing in desperation. [If you can't help with the work, please consider a donation.]

Thank you to all involved with the story of Mr Blu. You saved a life and turned a neglected, throw away Kerry back into a puppy prince.

Tracey Fulmer
Rescue Coordinator, Northeast

From: my3kerries@comcast.net
Subject: News on Blu
Date: June 12, 2008 4:17:14 PM PDT

You may remember reading about Blu, the Kerry boy pulled from a shelter who went to a foster home where there was already a girl, Blue. It looked like he was doing well there but he started to exhibit separation anxiety, which paired with carsickness and some changes in the dynamics of the foster family as far as someone being home - began to demonstrate that he would do better in another home.

You probably also remember reading Lorna Jennings note about losing Sky and how Olivia (Livvy) was mourning for her buddy (not to mention Lorna and John). Well, we solved several problems in one fell swoop by flying Blu out to California. Blu tolerated the flight from Raleigh, NC to San Francisco well, where I picked him up for the ride to Sacramento. A long trip like this will frequently aid a carsick dog in getting over the malady and so it seems, he did very well in the car.

Monday afternoon we arrived at Livvy's door in Sacramento and Blu marched into the house like he owned it. Livvy immediately planted her nose in his butt and followed him around the house and yard while he scoped out the terrain. When John had to leave the house temporarily Blu followed him to the door and as it closed barked indignantly as if to say "where are you going without me?" after which he returned to surveying his domain. Their home is one where someone is with the dogs 24/7. If the people aren't home the dogs aren't either.

Since then I've heard from Lorna that Blu has settled in beautifully. He manipulated her into feeding him roast beef and mashed potatoes with peas for dinner the first night and then cheddar cheese and pancakes the next morning. We've discussed that and she is making sure that he remembers that his kibble is first, maybe with just a few small enticements.

We're looking forward to notes from Lorna on how the two Kerries are doing and my guess is that this is going to be a very happy Kerry home for everyone.

Eileen Andrade
Rescue Coordinator for the Southwest

From: lornajennings2@YAHOO.COM
Subject: [KBL] Blu
Date: June 12, 2008 3:42:37 PM PDT

Dear Friends,

We welcomed Blu into our hearts and home on Monday, June 9 and oh what a treasure! We are so grateful to Brad and Heather for sending him to us. Livvy knew that the missing piece of the 'puzzle' had fallen into place!

Of course, our heartfelt thanks go to Eileen Andrade who brought Livvy to us and now Blu. Blu flew in (wonderfully well I am delighted to say) to SF via Continental Airlines and coincidentally, our grandson Brad flew in from AZ via United at approximately the same time and Eileen being the beautiful lady she is drove Brad home to Sacramento along with Blu!

When Eileen got Blu out of his crate and brought him into the house, John was speechless. It was like our beloved Sky had come back to us! Blu resembles Sky in so many ways, it is amazing! He is a delight and we fell in love with him on sight!

I know that Heather and Brad are missing Blu and they were perfect foster parents and I know that he is surely missing them but I think he knows that this is his forever home.

I know that Sky is smiling down at us and relieved that our darling Livvy has another 'brother'.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts Heather, Brad and Eileen and of course The Kerry Blue Foundation for making this all possible.

John and Lorna Jennings, grandson Bradley, Livvy and Blu
(Sacramento, CA)

Kirby

by Laura Cocke

Our Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Lexi, reached her fifth birthday this February and my furtive Internet searches for a reputable breeder's litter or a wonderful rescue dog increased. I'd been hinting, mentioning, campaigning for a second dog for years. Looking over those pages of dogs waiting to be adopted became a bittersweet obsession. We'd met the beautiful Kerry Blues at Westminster, and thought one would be a great companion for Lexi. Once we decided we were up for an adoption adventure, we became nervous expectant parents.

Diane Ewing told us that Agatha Hughes had six month old rescue Jumpin' Jack Flash in Pennsylvania. The day we drove from D.C. to meet him it was pouring buckets outside. The visibility was so awful I considered pulling over on I-95. We made it to Agatha's and met this wonderful Kerry. He was beautiful, but a bit of a blur. He was scared of us, scared of each motion, sound and new sight. He crawled onto Agatha hoping he could escape our very presence. When he met Lexi he was intrigued, but still confused and unsure. We crossed our fingers and loaded him into the car as the rain teemed down. As we drove in the rain and discussed dozens of names, we passed Kirby Street in Philadelphia while hunting down the requisite cheesesteaks. Kirby, our Kerry, had a name.

Back in D.C. (Arlington), Kirby and Lexi had the run of the yard. She doesn't really understand the thrill of a tennis ball, but we discovered Kirby likes to run around with one in his mouth. This is perfect because Lexi loves to chase him. They run in sync, bounding around the yard until one of the terriers makes a trademark terrier twist and the other stumbles to catch up. (Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALqXjaBn1go )

We brought them to our house in the country. It's got a field on a river. On Lexi's first visit five years ago, she walked down to the dock and matter of factly dove off the dock into the chilly spring water. She swam to shore earning the nickname Lexminda the Brave. Kirby saw the water and I swear I saw the spirit of some ancient (possibly Portugese) Water Dog spring forth and in an instant, Kirby dove from the dock. He loved it. He wallowed in it. He dove in over and over. Fear was a million miles away from this boy for maybe the first time ever. This summer I anticipate lots of beach towels being put to work to dry wavy black fur.

Since Kirby came home, he's defeated the fear of stairs, sounds, cats, and cars. I've heard some Kerries are stingy with kisses but this weekend my mother said, "Are you going to let him kiss you all over like that?"

Kirby's still a little leery of men with deep voices, but he's making progress. He loves running around the yard with an upside down frisbee obscuring his view like I love chocolate cake. Every time we look at Kirby and think of where he's been and his big bold plunge into the river, we're so glad the Foundation, Diane and Agatha helped him find his way home.

Hello everyone, Andy is now at rest. He was our gentle Kerry Blue. We loved him very much but finally had to let him go. He will always be close to our hearts because he came to us out of the blue a Kerry Blue in need. It is difficult to type this but I must express our many thanks to all who sent well wishes and prayer to us concerning Andy. To know this boy was to love him.

Andy lost his appetite and started refusing water at times a while back so we had him in the hospital again for about three days rehydrating him. During that time we did more ultrasound and radiograph work. We also had to relieve his chest of fluid, some 300+ ML's. This helped him temporarily and I brought him home. That day he was thrilled to be home and was eating even to the point of accepting kibble from my hand. He had the habit of taking the food dropping it than picking it up and eating it like Andre' the Seal, this he would do with his favorite food Smelt so that was his nickname Andre'. At this time he even returned to his Kerry spin mode. He was very happy.

Andy's appetite was short lived and stopped entirely this weekend. The mass in his chest was just overcoming him. It was time to ease his burden so I took him into work with me today and Dr. Williamson along with Amber one of our Vet techs helped Andy easing him to his rest.

In our 15 years of rescuing and fostering dogs Andy is the first that we have failed to find a forever home... or was it. I don't know if we could have let him go even if he had survived.

Again many thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers of support. May God bless us all in this great work.

Andy with a lady bug on his nose.

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Keegan

Was fostered in Ontario, Canada
Coordinator: lgrisley@shaw.ca.

At the end of May the “Spring Break” rescue brought 4 Kerries from an Amish dealer in Ohio into our Rescue program.

Keegan is a 5 year old male, initially identified as an “equal opportunity humper”. Obviously a successful stud dog, his foster home (with 2 females) was not deterred from accepting him and have sent glowing reports:

Someone is going to get a wonderful Dog!

This little guy (and I mean little, he is very small) is absolutely a dream. All he wants is to be touched. He will go out of his way to be beside you and snuggle in.

He gets along great with the other dogs. He has not snapped at all when his romantic advances have been aggressively rejected. He is an extremely quick learner. He has learned that when the girls say no they mean no and he understands when we correct him for the behavior. I do not think this is going to be a significant problem at all. He is outside with them all the time now and is paying no attention to them other than to play.

He doesn’t bark at all and doesn’t seem to even whimper (so far).

He is a very active dog who is always on the move but is very happy to settle down with you on the couch.

He has absolutely no interest in the cats, despite their best efforts to get his attention. It is like they aren’t even around.

No problem with new people, males or females, young or old. He comes when he is called and will sit (with help, so far).

He does need house training, but I have no doubt that this will be fairly easy. He is mostly marking, but again is responding to corrections.

He is very good in the crate and has no problem spending the night in it.

He acts very much like a young pup and as such he would definitely suit an active household.

He is scheduled to be neutered this coming Wednesday (June 18).

 

13-Jun-08

Keegan was adopted by his foster home in September 2008.

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Lingus

Rescue Coordinator: Tracey Fulmer
Was fostered in Buffalo, NY

Can you imagine living in a succession of puppy mills for 6 years with little positive human interaction? That was Lingus’ life until he was rescued on June 29. He had been bred to breed, nothing more. Underneath the overgrown matted fur, there was a handsome gentleman sporting dark charcoal fur highlighted with silver.

Lingus has been fully vetted, neutered, and his teeth cleaned. He is heartworm and other parasite negative and his full blood panel results showed a very healthy male Kerry.

This sweet boy has made amazing progress since his rescue. Most importantly, Lingus is fully housebroken. He is crate trained, willingly sleeping there and returning to it when unsure of visitors. Without a doubt, he is a quick learner. In the two months since his rescue, he has learned his name, the sit and off commands and is learning to come when called as well as walking on a leash. He has not chewed anything except the toys he has been given. One of his most enduring qualities is that he is quiet, never barking at the three neighbor labs or talkative Papillion next door. When he lies on the floor, he usually crosses his front legs.

Lingus loves to be with his foster family, inside or outside. He prefers not to be outside for very long without a family member, perhaps because he lived his past life either in an outside pen or cage 24/7. He will take every opportunity to snuggle next to you and would thrive in a home with companionship during the day. He will not disappoint you in his love and devotion.

A forever home with a female dog would be good for Lingus, but he will also do well as an only dog providing he has the companionship from his humans for which he longs and so deserves. A fenced in yard is required so Lingus can fully enjoy his freedom.

 

Lingus was placed on October 1, 2008! He went home today to live with a lovely couple in NJ. He'll be living with a Kerry girl named Jo who is very high spirited and going to work with the couple who are architects.

Lingus (right) with housemate/boatmate Jo.

Tracey

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Bridgett

Was fostered on the US East Coast
Coordinator: Linda Lee

Bridgett is a very special 1 1/2 year old Kerry Blue in need of re-homing. Rescued from a puppy mill at 5 months of age, she has thrived and grown up to be a beautiful Kerry lass in the home where she was placed. She LOVES people!!!

Unfortunately, Bridgett has shown herself to be an alpha female and is no longer getting along with the resident male Kerry. She is playful and friendly with dogs off her property, but is territiorial about "her home" and will always need to be the only dog in her new home. She is very affectionate -- did I say she LOVES people?

Bridgett has been carefully trained and will continue to flourish in a household which offers lots of love and reinforcement of the obedience training that she has experienced to date. She adores her "humans" and thrives on positive and loving interaction.

Bridgett is small kerry weighing about 28 pounds with a jet black, silky coat. Since she loves to run and play, she will do best in a home with a securely fenced yard. She has lots of wonderful Kerry energy and will be the perfect companion for folks who enjoy long walks and an active lifestyle.

Since Bridgett has some separation issues, we are looking for an owner who can be with her as much as possible. This is a great little dog looking for a very wonderful forever home. Although Bridgett is located in the northeast, we will consider shipping her to the family of her dreams..

10-Jun-08

Bridgitt was placed in an experienced home in Quebec.

14-Oct-08

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Corky

Corky is a three year old, happy-go-lucky, neutered male Kerry located in the Southwest.

Corky is an owner turn in who needs a home without another dog and owners committed to his training. He had a bad start in life, having been shuffled to various homes, none of which provided a male Kerry the correct environment. He spent a lot of the time in his crate, receiving no attention or training.

When we picked up Corky, he had worms and was severely malnourished, weighing only 28 lbs. He’s been in a wonderful foster home for over a month so we could assess his temperament, initiate basic training, neuter him and get him healthy.

Although he’s been in a foster home with other Kerries, without incident, he would do best as an only dog. He is outgoing and friendly with people and children, and interacts properly with most dogs. However, he can be randomly aggressive with some dogs, especially new ones that come into his space. Therefore he will need committed leash walkers and a fenced yard for exercise. Although he loves children, an adult only home is recommended. Training experience with a reactive terrier would be ideal – this boy requires a pack leader in his human. He’s a smart cookie and a fast learner who really relishes the attention and the opportunity to use his brain.

Corky has a typical Kerry clown-like attitude and is just plain fun to be with. He is crate trained and potty trained. He’ll beat you to the car and loves to go on walks and meet people. Corky will be a delightful, obedient, committed companion for the right owners.

Corkey was placed on November 7, 2008

 

From: sawyertom@VERIZON.NET
Subject: [KBL] It is a New Day
Date: November 26, 2008 8:56:28 AM PST

It is a New Day...

Many of you will remember a few months ago the report of a 3 1⁄2 year old Kerry in trouble. This Kerry had grabbed an 8 week old Lab puppy and refused to let go. Subsequently he was remanded to the County Sheriff's Animal Control for quarantine and possible euthanasia on the Labor Day weekend.

Today, I am very happy to report that this Kerry is alive and doing fantastically well. This would not have happened without dedicated Kerry people and a special County Sheriff Officer. The Officer was able to view his behavior during his quarantine period (during the time of hurricane Ike) and found him to be a very friendly dog. The Officer agreed to extend his life and turn him over to the Foundation. Cindy Hatzfeld, from the Kerry Blue Texas Club drove about 500 miles by herself with the entire hurricane Ike traffic to pick up this Kerry. She brought him to a local Vet for a check-up and to be neutered. He was in sad shape, he had hookworm and weighed just over 25 pounds when received by the Vet.

Following his surgery, this undernourished boy came to stay with us as a Foster. Initially we kept him isolated from our other two Kerries; pending his behavior evaluation. We went through a series of aggression tests - fear, territorial, dominance, predatory, food, toy and redirected aggression. With the exception of some minor redirected aggression, this Kerry passed with flying colors. This boy appeared to lack any basic structure. After a couple of weeks he was given the chance to interface with the other Kerries and we all went on walks to build a pack mentality. This little guy and I went to the local park daily where he went through basic training - how to sit and lay down with verbal and hand signal commands. It turns out he is a very quick learner and extremely intelligent. He was introduced to numerous dogs in the area, small, medium and large without any signs of aggression. However, his preference is humans. He loves people, and loves to lay by your side in the evening. In typical Kerry fashion he also counter surfed and stole our dinner one night!

My hat is off to the Kerry Blue Texas Club who came through in many ways to help this Kerry. They held a raffle to help defray some of the expenses, and also helped in finding a suitable adopter. I am most grateful for their total support.

After two months of evaluation and training, it was time to let him go to a new life and his forever home. We were sad to see this little guy go, he was such a delight to have around. He now has a new owner; someone that has many years of dog experience, in breeding and owning, and can handle a terrier breed. He has no children at home, or other animals, and was looking for an older Kerry as a companion to take on long walks and trips. He also has a Vet in the family. Our boy met his new owner at our house, and it was instant Love between the two.

So this Thanksgiving say a special prayer to the true Kerry people that believe every Kerry deserves a second chance.

The Kerry Blue Foundation has given a new life to a very special Kerry that was in serious trouble. Please help and donate to the Kerry Blue Foundation a very worth while cause! And go hug your Kerry.

The Sawyer
Coppell, Texas

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