No Worries Jake

Rescue Camp R&R Style

As Carolina ACD Rescue & Rebound is rather new to the world of running our own rescue, we have talked a lot with other rescuers and foster homes to try to do the best job we can to help this breed we love so much. Not only are we finding information for ourselves but have found ways that we can help other rescues. Three of the members of our R&R committee volunteered to spend the weekend helping Michael Stumpff at Tennessee Valley Cattle Dog Rescue.

My hubby and I drove up to Chattanooga on Friday. Kaylee went hysterical being put in the car and we had to put Jake in the kennel with her to keep her calm. As long as Jake was touching her, Kaylee was fine. Soon they were curled up together like cats taking a nap and the rest of the trip was uneventful. My dad has a fenced backyard so Kaylee got her first chance to play with Jake and my dad's Border Collie Ian. Ian and Jake were chasing a ball and Kaylee was chasing Jake. I saw Jake gleefully dive into something and start rolling just in time to catch Kaylee from joining him. I was so glad because Jake was rolling in sewage and Kaylee couldn't have a bath yet. Jake definitely had to have a bath.

Kaylee and Jake:

The sheep running from Michael's dog Grit:

Saturday morning Joe and I got Michael's just in time for Joe to help Michael building a temporary sheep paddock. Michael attempted to move the sheep down to the shaded area but his blue boy Grit just wasn't able to move those sheep. We left the gate open and the sheep eventually all wandered in there with their canine companion Norman, the Great Pyrenees. Kristina and her ACD girl Lily and her German Shepherd/Rottweiler showed up next and helped product-test a Jake tug before purchasing. We got to witness some potential adopters pick up Red Molly, a red girl that hadn't been there long, with their other ACD Mick. Molly was positive she wanted to be Jake's girlfriend.

Group Wrestle:

Sara and Laurey weren't far behind Kristina and we began letting the dogs out "in shifts", as Michael puts it. Generally he lets about 8 dogs at a time out to walk the field and play. The dogs come out in a thundering herd. We had a nice lunch to which we all contributed something yummy before heading back out to begin the process of putting Frontline on the necks of all the dogs and convincing those same dogs to eat their Triscuit with heartworm medicine inserted inside. Sara got to name one of the last dogs we did, a blue boy that had been kept on a chain in some man's yard and never had a name. Buckwheat, as Sara dubbed him, was as wild as a horse and a few of us learned a new harnessing trick with a rope lead to help control an out-of-control dog. Another round of letting all the dogs out to run ended in supper for everyone in their kennels or crates.

At this point we were all covered in dirt and dog poop and had to race back to our hotel room for lightning-quick showers to meet Michael and Kathy at the local Chili's for dinner. Michael usually only has an hour and a half of "negligible" time each day to do something outside the dogs. I'm not sure why I got a shower really because Joe managed to fling barbeque sauce on my white shirt at dinner and Kaylee peed such a copious amount of urine that it overflowed her kennel tray and doused my car seats (despite having peed at Michael's outside an hour before). Joe took Jake and Kaylee back with him to my dad's because they both needed baths from Kaylee's accident and I had nothing left to clean up accidents. Kristina and I roomed together and had to make ourselves stop talking about agility classes so we could go to sleep.

Jake herding:

Sunday morning we all piled out of the hotel and headed back to Michael's at 7:30 AM to get in some more doggy chores before heading home. After letting the dogs out for their morning romp on the wet grass, we lent our best helping hand (not sure how really helpful we were) to Michael moving the last stubborn sheep from the big paddock to the little paddock Joe helped build on Saturday. Michael coached us through where to put ourselves and we're pretty sure we all at least earned our HIC and want to start putting it after our names. =) The next task was getting the now maturing lambs away from their parents. It was quite a sight to behold, watching Michael wrestle and carry those lambs to the larger paddock. Kathy's ACD girl Carrie was a big help with the last lamb lightly heeling whenever the lamb would stop. The lambs were not dog-broken or halter-broken. Sara and Laurey hit the road and Joe finally showed up with Jake and Kaylee. Kathy removed Kaylee's stitches and confirmed for me that the lump in Kaylee's ear is just scar-tissue from her ear being ripped. Jake finally got his chance to herd some sheep. I only have one picture b/c Kaylee lost her mind being separated from Jake. I had to take her far enough back so that she wasn't bothering the sheep with her high-pitched whining. Kristin's girl Sydney got a chance to herd the sheep as well while I began working on grooming the Border Collie foster Cutter. Cutter gave me a scar last time with his claws so Kathy helped me hold him. Next I got to groom the Great Pyrenees Norman and get all the burrs out of his bushy tail. Kathy made us breakfast and we began taking pics of the dogs that Michael needed for his Petfinder listings. Joe and I headed back to my dad's house and a much-needed shower before visiting a little with my dad and family. We headed home around 6 and got home at midnight.

And so Rescue Camp went. This is my second time helping Michael. The overwhelming nature of what Michael deals with on a daily basis is a true eye-opener. Michael has a system that works for him though. Not everyone can take on such a monumental task and have happy, healthy dogs but TVCDR does. I appreciate only having one foster dog at the moment. I love being surrounded my cattle dogs on every side but at the end of the day it's nice to snuggle with just Jake.

I have so many pictures that it's hard to choose the best ones but here's a few of the dogs that need forever homes.

T-star getting a belly rub (available for adoption from TVCDR):