Backstory, Murky at Best

When Jackie’s foster at Border Collie Save and Rescue reached out to offer more information about Jackie, one of my top questions was a desire to know more of Jackie’s story.  

Little is known, but what we do know for sure is that Jackie was picked up as a stray in rural Mississippi and transferred to a rescue called Kilgore Aussie Rescue in Denham Spring, Louisiana.  From there the boots on the ground rescue network sprang to action to place Jackie into a breed rescue in Texas, Border Collie Save based in Fort Worth.  Skinny, dirty, and with hygromas (thick capsule of fibrous tissue sores developed from repeated trauma to an area due to lying on cement or other hard surfaces) on both elbows, Jackie was also (of course!) heart worm positive, and still intact. The intake veterinarian estimated her age at three years old, and the rescue recorded her date of birth as March 25, 2018, so that’ll be her “happy birthday” date!  

Views on spaying and neutering have changed in the veterinary medical field in recent years, and I admit my perspective on de-sexing dogs is evolving slowly.  Probably a conversation for a different post (or an entire blog for that matter), I will just leave it at I understand for overpopulation-control sake Jackie was spayed very early on intake into rescue, and though I will never know the fate of her previous puppies, or how many litters she had, her little body shows the definite signs of having had puppies.  

It is regrettable if Jackie’s puppies were unwanted and/or not the highest level of health expectancy, which is probable.  For the sake of her long term health however, I’m glad she was a fully grown three year old adult when she was spayed on March 26, 2021. Fortunately I do have her spay record, and it was a traditional spay so unfortunately she had both her ovaries and uterus removed, rather than a partial spay where she could have kept her ovaries, thereby gaining further long term health benefits.  Again, a topic for another discussion, but I’m grateful that she was an adult when she was spayed, and certainly understand the decision to spay a dog of unknown background that had already contributed (most likely) to overpopulation.

Jackie underwent a series of three adulticide heart worm treatment injections, her first on June 9, 2021 and her final injection July 5, 2021.  This treatment was supported with Iverhart heart worm preventative, doxycycline antibiotic, gabapentin pain medication, and prednisone anti inflammatories. Luckily her foster mom reported Jackie had no coughing or hacking, and all indications point to a low heart worm load. At her foster family’s Jackie had to follow the familiar several months of strict confinement, and was released back to full activity with no restrictions August 5, 2021.  

My readers are not the ones who need to hear this but I am nevertheless compelled to say: please prevent unwanted/unhealthy/unplanned/inappropriate litters, and please maintain life-long monthly heart worm prevention to easily deter what becomes a potentially dangerous, uncomfortable, difficult and completely preventable situation of having to undergo heart worm treatment.  

Freshly spayed, newly released back into full activity after heartworm lockdown, Jackie is a new woman and ready to give up her days as a rural mom and fully ready to bloom into her next adventure!

The first intake photo of Jackie transferring to Border Collie Save as a recent stray, heart worm positive and still intact, looking and feeling uncertain:

I may never know the owner of the hand in this photo, but can I just shout heartfelt, genuine, dump truck loads of thanks and gratefulness to the cadre of rescue volunteers who tirelessly work to transform lives by helping otherwise desperate dogs

The take away “pearls” of wisdom I’ve considered today:

• Ideas about de sexing (spaying and neutering) dogs are evolving, but ending suffering and unwanted/unhealthy puppies is paramount
• Heartworm disease in dogs is easily preventable and while curable it is costly, difficult, and potentially dangerous to treat, and can have lifelong health detriments later.  All dogs should be kept on heartworm prevention
• A debt of gratitude is owed to the special folks who work to help, rehabilitate, and re-home otherwise discarded and neglected (or worse) dogs
• Thank a rescue volunteer as often as you have opportunity to do so, and consider getting involved by adopting a rescued dog, volunteering, or donating to the reputable rescue of your choice
• For more info about Jackie’s rescue click: Border Collie Save and Rescue

Grateful thanks to Dr. Jenny Wight, DVM of Texas Foundation for Animal Care for spaying Jackie and giving her heartworm treatment.

Change of Tack

Both literally and figuratively.  For the moment I’ve hung up my saddle and bridle in the tack room, and have pivoted the spotlight to my other calling, canine cognition and positive reinforcement training, and have increased my dedication to learning dog agility. Building on a background working with herding breeds and Border collies in particular, I want to journal my most recent odyssey with a Border collie named Jackie.

Jackie has entered our collective journey as a rehabilitated stray rescue.  Found roaming the rural roads in Mississippi, the awesome folks of Kilgore Aussie Rescue in Louisiana plucked her into their care, and from there she was transported via the army of rescue network into the care of Border Collie Save and Rescue, whose wonderful volunteers are headquartered here in the Fort Worth, Texas area.  In future I’ll say more about the brilliant people at Border Collie Save and Rescue; for now let me just say how truly special the folks are who work in rescue.

In preparation to adopt a third rescue dog, we’ve done all the things: installed a third crate and comfy bed in the bedroom, acquired an appropriate lead and collar complete with ID tag, brought out the exercise pens and puppy gates to control where and how the new pup can access parts of our house, and added an additional water bowl or two.  I prepared several kongs stuffed with tasty things like beef liver or lamb lung, topped with a dollop of peanut butter so she will enjoy crate time and learn to settle.  I ordered long lasting chews (my dogs’ favorites at the moment are the Benebone wishbone and the Petstages deerhorn antler alternative). I laid in an extra supply of small, easy-to-eat-in-one-bite interesting and multi-value training treats including: freeze dried beef liver, lamb lung, Natural Balance mini rewards, Zuke’s mini naturals, and my go-to training favorite lamb loaf.  And (it feels like cheating but dogs love it) lots of Hebrew national hotdogs cut up into tiny medallions.

I filled out the adoption application on the Border Collie Save and Rescue website, and was thrilled when they called a few weeks later to complete the interview and schedule the home inspection.  We were considered approved to adopt! Searching for an excellent candidate for agility, and not too young nor too old, Jackie was at the top of our list and I was excited when her foster mom reached out to meet. 

Following are the chronicles of adopting a high herding drive young Border collie, from ground zero forward into our collective adventure.  Meet Jackie, a three year old female Border collie, and our newest family member!

Jackie while still in the early stages of rescue intake at Border Collie Save and Rescue