This was a busy weekend for auctions. There was a large auction in Ohio that had 11 Cairns. What better way to acknowledge hard working Americans and Col. Potter volunteers than to achieve freedom for these Cairns. We had our fingers crossed and hoped to at least get the majority of them. Hard work pays off ... we got ALL 11!!!!

I couldn't think of a better way to honor the working people of America and Col. Potter than to name these furkids after all of YOU!!! Six of these furkids traveled to Oz Project yesterday and we have pictures of them. The other five went to our vet in Ohio and I'll have pictures of them in a few days to share with you. Please help me Salute working Americans:

Welder: M, very friendly and giving kisses, DOB 6/07
Homemaker: F, DOB 6/1/07
Nurse: F, DOB 9/1/07
Beautician: F, DOB 9/1/07
Stewardess: F, DOB 9/1/07
Carpenter: M, DOB 8/10/07
Librarian: F, DOB 11/4/04
Waitress: F, DOB 11/6/04
Teacher: F, DOB 1/14/05
Secretary: F, DOB 2/1/06
Bookkeeper: F, DOB 6/1/07

My thanks to our rescue angel, Cindy, for attending the auction and bringing home the babies, and to Bonnie B. for getting those going to Oz Project fitted with supplies and taking pictures and to those who transported to Oz Project.

With the large group a couple of weeks ago and these, we NEED FOSTER HOMES FOR THESE FURKIDS!!! If you are not already a CP foster home and would like to foster one of these precious little furkids, check out our foster facts. You won't regret helping with this labor of love!

Saturday, three little Cairns were lucky enough to embark on a wonderful cruise to freedom from their life in a puppy mill. All three are in relatively good physical condition and fairly well socialized.

Written by: Luise's Foster Mom

Luise came into Col. Potter’s care known to have food and grass allergies. Little did we know that was just the tip of the iceberg. I started to foster Luise during the winter and treated her with medicated baths and a diet free of corn and wheat. She started to look and feel better until spring sprung bringing all the malicious things that Luise’s body could not tolerate. Her hair started to fall out, she was constantly itching and she was not getting restful sleep at night. I looked in her eyes and she just looked completely worn out. I asked and received permission from Col. Potter to take her to an allergist and the true story finally was revealed; Luise had over 60 allergies with 42 being severe.

If you followed any of the write-ups I submitted on her you will recall this was the little girl that liked to show her teeth; what we call the big smile. I knew this was a rather strong calming signal she was giving and now I knew why; her skin was painful. During the worst of her allergy flare-up when I had to take her off the antihistimes prior to the allergy tests this little girl clung to me looking for comfort. Luise loves to be in the company of people and looks to them for comfort. Her true colors came out, she is a big love bug at heart and the big smiles were just her telling me to be gentle.


After several trips to the allergist to evaluate her treatment, Luise looks and feels great. You would never know she has an allergy to grass; I shake my head every time she is in the yard rolling around in the grass. Her treatment involves injections twice a week, Wednesday and Saturday, medicated baths and a daily antihistamine. This little girl is absolutely a jewel when it comes to her treatment. She now gets so excited when I go to the drawer to pull out the needle to prepare for her injections. She goes into puppy mode and scratches at my leg telling me to hurry up. Okay, maybe it is not the injection but the treat that follows that gets her excited!

She occasionally still gives me a smile if I ask her to let me clean her ears or if I need to get a burr from between her pads. It is almost a game for us because she will give me the smile and I talk to her and put my hand to her mouth and she gives me kisses then I get to clean or remove burrs. She’s a Cairn! She is absolutely wonderful around new people and older kids. She will greet the kids with kisses. She is a fantastic companion who likes to snuggle up to people on the couch.

Contralto's babies all have names now!

Hymn - boy - born 2:40 pm - 5 1/8 oz

Dixieland - girl - born 3 pm - 5 3/8 oz

Gospel - boy - born 4 pm - 4 7/8 oz

Jazz - boy - born 5 pm - 4 3/4 oz

Lullaby - girl - born 5:10 pm - 4 3/4 oz

The puppies are getting a little stronger, even the first boy that was in the most trouble.  Foster Mom is keeping watch to make sure everyone is getting up to Mom and nursing. They have not gained a lot, but are gaining. Connie is an easy going Mom and has been leaving the whelp box already when not nursing.   Foster Mom thinks it may be due in part to the heating pad making her uncomfortable with her skin the way it is. She is a bit of a picky eater, but eats well when it is to her liking. :)

 

Connie had another bath today to help with the healing and comfort of her skin. She didn't care for the idea at first, but seemed to enjoy the rinse and towel drying. You can see in the pictures how awful her skin still looks. The kids are getting a little stronger each day.

A few days ago Col. Potter received word that a former puppy mill girl who had been adopted was returned to her original adoption agency. Her owner gave her a home, food, a safe place and love, but she realized this scared young cairn needed more help in adjusting to her new world. The Humane Society's breed placement put out an S.O.S. and Skye became a CP kid. She is currently at the vet for her check up and hold time. Skye is a beautiful black brindle and it looks like some gray or silver may appear as her coat grows out. She's a timid and scared girl right now, but Carla L., who will be her foster mom, will help her overcome the puppy mill remnants left in her mind. Carla has already visited her at the vet and had quality time with Skye to start the process of trust and love.

Skye may be the poster girl for all the puppy mill kids who are heading to freedom in the next few months. Many puppy mill dogs of all breeds will be showing up in rescues as some large puppy mills unwind and shut down in the coming months. Humane Societies and rescues are already at capacity and it's going to get worse. The HS that helped Skye is anticipating the arrival of 300 dogs of various breeds from a mill in the next few weeks with more to follow. This is also the mill where Skye came from. The HS is doing it's best to work with everyone who adopts one of these special kids. Once in a while a former PM kid needs more assistance due to the life endured in the mill. Skye's previous owner recognized this and out of love sought that help. Without foster homes and funding, CP wouldn't have been able to help this beautiful cairn to the wonderful life waiting for her. Thank you to all of you for making Col. Potter what it is - the best cairn rescue in the world! If you are interested in helping Col. Potter with our puppy mill dogs and other rescues, Google "Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network" to visit our website and fill out a Volunteer Application!

Please welcome Skye!

Today two very tiny little Cairn Angels crossed over the Rainbow Bridge never really having a chance at life...

Soprano, Alto and Tenor were all scheduled for their spay/neuter surgeries and dentals today. Tenor and Alto's surgeries went fine without a hitch. Then came little Soprano. This little mill mama only weighs 8.6 pounds and is nothing but skin and bones. But she had a secret ... she was pregnant. We didn't know she was pregnant ... and then it was too late. But sometimes these things happen for a reason and there is a silver lining in something terrible. Soprano had two puppies, but she also had an adhesion on her uterus, between her uterus and her bowel. This adhesion would have made it just about impossible for Soprano to whelp these puppies and along with the very poor physical condition she is in, it would have caused her to abort these puppies shortly. Soprano had two puppies. One seemed to be forming normally, but the other was deformed and had water on the brain.

Note and Tune went to the Rainbow Bridge today without ever having a chance to experience life and freedom, but they went being loved and I know there are mill mamas waiting for them at the Rainbow Bridge to nurture and care for them. Their mama Soprano will now be able to heal her battered little body, gain some strength and be the Cairn Princess she was always meant to be. She will be singing a happy song with Note and Tune joining the CP Chorus from above.

Note and Tune will be cremated together, just as they were together today, and then buried in the Greyfrier Memorial Garden.

Please light a candle for Note and Tune, two babies who never had a chance at life and freedom...

The first pictures show Connie less than 15 minutes before whelping. She was laying on her back sleeping, and that's why I got the camera. I went by the room shortly after, and there she was having her first puppy. She did not waste much time having her family of 5 either! She started at 2:40 pm and finished at 5:10 pm. The puppies are holding their own. Boy #1 doesn't want to nurse, so he's getting some help with tube feedings.

Meet the Contralto family:
#1 Boy 5 1/8 oz
#2 Girl 5 3/8 oz
#3 Boy 4 7/8 oz
#4 Boy 4 3/4 oz
#5 Girl 4 3/4 oz

Connie seems to be doing well and has eaten well once she rested. As for me, I am exhausted. Foster dad made supper and played with Martha and Betsy, Lexington's two puppies who have not yet been adopted, who probably thought they had been abandoned!