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Charlie from the Buxton, Me. puppy mill.

Discussion in 'Rescue Stories' started by macarlson, Nov 8, 2012.

  1. macarlson

    macarlson Forums Regular

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    Nov 4, 2012
    Windham, Me.
    In 2007 our 9 year old Sheltie, Princess, developed a cancerous growth in one of her back legs. We had it removed, but it soon returned. It was touch and go, if she'd lose her leg, but the vet was able to save it, and she made a full recovery. We decided then she should have a companion, so we started looking.
    While all this with Princess was going on, the TV stations here in the Portland, Me. are started reporting stories about a horrible kennel/puppy mill in Buxton, Me. that was raided with about 250 dogs of various breeds. A lot of these dogs were in pretty sad shape, and some had to be euthanized. Video of these reports showed that they had some Shelties. We had this in the back of our mind about maybe trying to get one of these dogs.
    Spingtime of 2008 came along, and this really cute sable male showed up on The Granite State Sheltie Rescue webpage. His name was Charlie. My wife and I decided we'd try to adopt him, however, when we got in contact with them, Charlie had been placed. We were kind of bummed, as he was really cute, and had this cute face (he looked like he might have been a purebread). So, we continued looking.
    A couple of weeks later, we checked their page again, and Charlie was back on. We, of course, immediately got in contact, and arrangements were made to go see him. We were warned that he was quite timid, so we didn't know how much we would be able to interact with him.
    We arrived there, and met his foster mom, who breeds agility, and show Shelties. She took us to her kitchen, where Charlie was gated in. He was so scared, running around the kitchen, and trying to hide from us. He would not approach us, even though I would lay down on the floor, so he would not think I was going to overpower him. His foster mom was able to catch him, and bring him over to me as I was sitting down at the kitchen table, and put him on my lap. I was able to get him calmed down, by stroking him, and showing him love. Afterwards, we went out back to see her other dogs, and play a little with them. We filled out all of the paperwork, and then went home to prepare for Charlie, purchasing a large dog pen, so he could be secure when he went out to do his business. And the local rescue people came by with one of their dogs to check out how Princess would interact, and to offer any help we needed for Charlie.
    A week later, in mid-June, we headed back to NH to get Charlie. We knew we had to work with him. His foster mom told us, if he didn't work out to bring him back (this had just happened, as there was a bad placement, no fault of the rescue group. He was placed with a handicapped girl, who kept him on a tight leash all of the time, she could not handle having a dog, so Charlie was taken away), but I said he will NOT be coming back, he is going home forever.
    We took some back roads on the way home, hoping that the lack of traffic would keep Charlie calm. We then found out going over the curves, and hills, that Charlie gets carsick. We stopped frequently, so he wouldn't get queasy. We arrived home finally, brought him into the house, and introduced him to Princess, which there was no problem, and then Charlie promptly hops on the couch, and goes to sleep. He was exhausted!
    Charlie was so afraid of the leash, he had to keep him in a body harness. we all had concerns about him slipping his collar, and bolting. For a couple of weeks, I would walk him out the back door into his pen, so he could do his business, and then walk him back up the steps to the house. I then decided it was time to gradually start leash training. for a couple of days, I would walk him around to the front of the house to come in. He was scared at first, pulling towards the back door. I stopped, reassured him, and gradually walked him to the front. This lasted a couple of days, then he got comfortable with it, so I then arted to walk him a little further from the house into the driveway. Same results, he wanted to go to the house, but I gradually worked him out of it, as he gained my trust. Then, a few days let, the big test: Let's walk into the road (we live on a private road, so very little traffic). Same results, he took a couple of days to get the trust. After that it was gravy, he would walk with me, and Princess.
    I did break him of the harness, as it irritated his underarms. I found that using a retractable string leash would get the thick leash out of his sight, so he wouldn't balk at seeing it. So, he was soon using only his collar. Yes, he slipped out, but after the initial panic, he headed right back home. He knew where his safe place was!
    Socially, he liked to stay behind the rocker with Princess, or he liked the couch with her. It took him a long time to calm down. He slept in the room with us at night. for the longest time, he wouldn't say anything, and his tail was down. His foster mom said he was a vocal dog, but he was silent with us for quite awhile. Then one night, there was a noise in the house, and I heard this strange bark, it was Charlie! He had started to relax finally, and was talking. And after that up came the tail.
    Tragedy hit in May 2009, as Princess suffered her stroke, and we had to have her put down. Poor Charlie got depressed until we adopted Bailey & Sky. He came back out of his shell. Adopting our little hotwire Diego further brought out his personality. He then did not want to stay in his safe place anymore, he wanted to bewith, and was quite social. He would sneak up to me in my office, and want attention, then go lay down here with me. Only thing he never got over, was having his routine messed up. If I went to lay down, he would come into the bedroom barking, as "you're not supposed to lay down, Mommy's not home!"
    Unfortunatley, two days before Christmas last year, he suffered a spinal stroke, which left him partially parylized in one rear leg. I worked with him extensively getting him back on his feet, doing therapy here at the house. He sure was a fighter, and didn't let his partial paralisys stop him.
    Sadly, Nov. 2, 2012, Charlie started acting strange, having a hard time eating, and drinking. He then tried bolting between the organ bench, and the organ. We got him calmed down, but the next morning he acted a little more strange, not wanting to look at us when we got out of bed, as was his custom. I gave him water in the morning, put him out, so he could do his business, and see how he did, and then call the vet. He acted like his rear end was giving out, and struggled, and collapsed on the ramp. I picked him up, and let him walk into the house, where he laid down in the kitchen, while we called the vet. They told us to bring him in, and I went to get him ready to go, and noticed that he was laying strange. I went to pick him up, and saw that he had passed away. At least his last 4 1/2 years he didn't have to suffer from abuse, and neglect.
    He was known as "Tanner" at the kennel. Somewhere, he got the more appropriate name of Charlie. We know his only purpose in life there was to make more puppies. We think we have met one of his offspring. Somewhere along the line, he got kicked, or had something hit him along his lower jaw, as there was a scar there. He needed dental work upon being rescued, plus had some other problems, which the rescue vets were able to straighten out. It just took our loving home to straighten out his emotional scars. Somewhere, our local station has video footage of Charlie being rescued that was used on the news. We're thinking about seeing if we could get a copy.
    Oh yes, the people that owned that place got away scot-free with what they did to these dogs.
     
  2. joanneshelties

    joanneshelties Forums Novice

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    Jan 6, 2013
    NH
    I am so sorry to hear about Charlie, but thank you for giving him a life after Buxton. I have one of the Sheltie puppies (now 5) from Buxton. His behavior when I got him was exactly as you described. I'm glad Jody was such a help to you in getting him over it, and it attests to your patience! I don't know what they did to those dogs that made them so deathly afraid of humans, and I shudder to imagine. I'm experienced in rescue, and it took me a long time to be able to sit with him in a room with people without him having a melt down. He's doing great now. He's actively showing in agility and more than half-way to his PAX! I think it's disgusting that those people walked. If there's any justice in this world, it will come around somehow.
     
  3. Jaynie

    Jaynie Forums Enthusiast

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    Mar 23, 2011
    Dallas, Georgia
    Thank you for posting Charlie's story. It is beyond touching.

    I, too, have a puppy mill rescue from a raid somewhere in Tennessee or Missouri (Sheltie Rescue wouldn't or couldn't tell me.) Bela was rescued at 5 years old, having recently had a litter. When I met her at her foster mom's house, she had been clipped to about a half inch all over. She was afraid of all people, but not dogs.

    It took 7 months for her to bark and a month later she started wagging her tail occasionally. My hubby got another dog about that time, named Gracie (a JRT mix). Bela was overjoyed when she was introduced to Gracie. They've been wonderful sisters ever since!

    I adopted Bela in June of 2011. She has slowly but surely come out of her shell. She now smiles, wags her tail, barks, and takes great pleasure in car rides. Just this past week, she started running! She never had before, just an unenthusiastic fast walk was about all I could encourage her to do. But we went to the dog park, and suddenly, she was actually RUNNING the fence line and playing with the big dogs on the other side of the park. I was lucky enough to have a video camera with me.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwO6HmCJ-kE
     
  4. dawns2shelties

    dawns2shelties Forums Sage

    I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your Princess and Charlie. What a wonderful and loving home they had with you.Thank God you were able to rescue Charlie and show him what real love was and made him feel safe after such an awful beginning to his life. My Chandler suffered a spinal stroke also and passed one year later.
     
  5. OntarioSheltie

    OntarioSheltie Forums Celebrity

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    Apr 29, 2008
    Ontario, Canada
    I'm so sorry for your loss, you must have been devestated. But thank you for taking Charlie out of a horrible situation and giving him such a wonderful life. :hugs

    RIP Charlie.
     

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