STLSTR Happy Tails
Beamer’s Story
We don’t know how long Beamer was wandering in Arkansas before he was picked up by Animal Control. He was a pitiful sight – – filthy and extremely matted. And that’s how he stayed for two months in the shelter before he was picked up by a volunteer who was eager to get him on his way to rescue. A haircut and a bath later and Beamer was ready for his flight with “Pilots and Paws” to St. Louis.
Beamer made his way to an STLSTR foster family who were grieving the recent loss of their Scottie, Duffy, to cancer. His arrival pulled his new Scottie foster sibling, Pepper, out of her depression and they quickly bonded. What else could his foster parents do but make him a permanent member of the family! Beamer came with some baggage – mainly fear and aggression towards other dogs. He has come a long way but is still not comfortable around dogs other than Pepper. 
He’s a cuddler and a sweetheart and has a favorite toy, “Hamish MacBeth”, who must go to bed with him. Most nights he will sit and wait for “Mom” to find where he’s hidden Hamish, even when he knows where it is. He was named “Beamer” because he would look up at his mom beaming with joy for his new forever family. The timing was perfect for Beamer and his new family.
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The Arkansas 9
The call came in April, 2013 from a cruelty investigator in Arkansas. “How many Scotties can you take?” “How many you got?” “I don’t know.” “We’ll figure out something.” On April 20th, we arrived in Arkansas with our Suburban loaded with crates and picked up 9 Scotties – one of which was heavily pregnant. We weren’t sure if puppies would try to arrive on our trip back to St. Louis. To pass the time, we named these 9 Scotties who had been released from a breeder. They were to become known as the Arkansas 9 – – Peggy Sue, Higgins, Dougan, Nessie, Gryffie, Winnie, Gabby, Emmy and Tanner. We were so grateful to Tanner Veterinary Clinic and volunteers for cleaning up these dogs who were matted, filthy and covered with dried bird droppings. Initial vetting, spaying and neutering had all been done before our trip. In addition to a menagerie of intestinal parasites, 4 of the 9 tested positive for heartworms including our pregnant Peggy Sue.
We stopped in Branson where two of the nine headed to foster homes in Kansas City and as we got close to St. Louis, we contacted the other foster moms to meet and pick up their new foster kids. Heartworm treatment began for 3 and Peggy Sue waited 5 days to have her puppies. There were problems ahead for her as she was unable to deliver on her own; had a C-section and was unable to nurse due to her severe heartworms. Nine puppies arrived to find themselves missing a mom and dependent on humans to care for them.
So, the Arkansas 9 changed to the AR 9 + 9. With the help of our vet and a vet tech who bottle-fed pups along with our foster mom, Marilyn, Rock, Sophia, Humphrey, Spencer, Clark, Heathcliff, Jayne and Cary grew to be healthy puppies. The original 9 began to find forever homes while Peggy Sue continued her heartworm treatment and Emmy was treated for severe skin problems. The puppies found their forever homes and Emmy and Peggy Sue continued treatment. Peggy Sue was adopted by her foster mom in October 2013 and Emmy was adopted in March 2014. But for the diligence of the investigator in Arkansas, things could have turned out much worse. Very happy “tails” for all of the 18 from Arkansas.
Bitsy’s Story
Blind, emaciated, tiny – – all adjectives to describe Bitsy when she arrived into rescue August 2011. Our vet didn’t think she would survive but Bitsy proved everyone wrong with her stubborn Scottie spirit and will to live. She was blind from a genetic defect but emaciated from competing for food with other dogs in the puppy mill where she came from. As Bitsy’s health improved, we discovered that she was fearless and wouldn’t hesitate to break up what she thought were fights among her foster siblings. She was eager to explore new places and her foster mom would find her sitting on a magazine rack or standing on a desk.
Bitsy was adopted 3 months after she arrived and flew to her home in Rhode Island with her new dad. There she was loved and adored until her parents’ health declined and 2 ½ years later, she was returned to rescue. She began her new experience in her foster home with many foster siblings and seamlessly became part of the pack. All of her updates from the foster mom, vet, and groomer contained the word “Adorable” because that best describes Bitsy. It wasn’t long before she found her new home with Scottie and human siblings and managed to charm them all. As her new mom says, “it’s like she’s always been here.” Pretty good for a little blind Missouri puppy mill Scottie!
Morgan’s Story
Morgan was rescued from a puppy mill in southern Missouri in July 2009. Her hair was a tangled dirty mess, her ears were infected, and she had a urinary tract infection. After being vetted Morgan was placed in a foster home. Morgan’s spay was delayed as her urinary tract infection was hard to cure. During this time her foster mom weighed her at the vet’s office and found that she had gained 2 pounds. On her spay date the veterinarian took an x-ray and confirmed that Morgan was carrying 6 puppies—the puppy mill had given Morgan up at least 3 weeks pregnant!
Morgan gave birth without incident in August 2009. Considering her lack of prenatal care, the puppies were blessed to be born without any health issues. Morgan was a natural with her puppies and started to come out of her shy shell. Interacting with the puppies gave her the opportunity to learn how to play. Morgan is now spayed and retired permanently from her former life as a puppy mill breeder. She was adopted by her foster mom and is experiencing a normal dog’s life, while being a good sister to other foster dogs.
Ivey’s Story
Ivey was found on a lonely road in a southern Missouri conservation area where many unwanted dogs of various breeds are dumped. Her matted hair covered large bare patches of skin. While her skin condition was a challenge, her three month stay in foster care revealed a sweet, happy-go-lucky personality. Ivey found her forever home in June, 2009. Her adopted mom wrote this testimonial about her decision to adopt a rescue Scottie.
Ivey’s Christmas “Would we do it over again? Yes, we would…..poor Ivey has a crooked nose…yes, she does. She has an extra long tail…..but, it is always on the go. Her little legs aren’t straight and just so but they work and she doesn’t have any problems. She doesn’t stand correctly so the Scottish Terrier books would say……she just stands there and looks at you with those big eyes and your heart just melts…..Yes, we would do it again….Ivey has come home.”Fala’s Story
Fala was born in late fall 2001 and spent a little more than the first year of his life in a family with children. In February 2003, he was turned in to the St. Louis Humane Society because of a naughty marking habit. In March 2003, now neutered, he was released to St. Louis Scottish Terrier Rescue. Shortly afterward, Fala was returned to his original family, who had second thoughts on giving him up, perhaps because the children were strongly attached to him. Sadly, his return home did not work out, and in late May 2003, Fala was again turned in to the St. Louis Humane Society.
History repeated itself and once more, he was released to St. Louis Scottish Terrier Rescue. A short month later, Fala was adopted by a first-time Scottie owner, a gentle retired woman who was able to successfully house-train this young Scot. Fala spent several happy years with her, but in June 2009, circumstances beyond her control forced his caring owner to move into a nursing home. On July 9, 2009, Fala was released to St. Louis Scottish Terrier Rescue yet again. On August 5, 2009, Fala was adopted by his current owner, a gentleman who noted that “the only problem was that he didn’t know what ‘sit’,’stay’, or ‘wait’ meant” but that “After one week he got it Right” (hmmm…selective Scottie hearing?). Fala now sleeps at his owner’s feet at night. Fala also enjoys a lot of playful outdoor time in a backyard where “all the neighbors love him and pet him by the alley gate”. He also enjoys frequent walks. Despite all of his moves, Fala has remained a happy, friendly Scottie, a wonderful companion, and a great dog.