Small & Gutsy Features Helping Herders Rescue, a nonprofit podcasting story with heart

In this nonprofit podcast story, I share about a personal experience and then tap into the beauty of matching rescueres with rescues! I am not sure who rescues whom!

I don’t know about you, but I think about dog rescue as a really wonderful thing to do although it has its challenges; our dog, Molly is a rescue and I guess that she was not just abandoned, but abused, she probably had a set of puppies and we think was about 2 or 3 when we adopted her. I have never seen a dog eat as fast as Molly - you could feel the trauma in her frenzy as she inhaled her bowl of food - she’s only 12 lbs and she can eat. I’m guessing because she can’t talk that she’s thinking this could be her last meal. She is a love & simultaneously a heartache when you witness this fear in her approach to eating and pretty much everything else. She’s a challenge because she pees literally wherever she wants - hence few rugs in our house since she tends to like soft spots, but anywhere will do if she can’t get herself outside, and even if she can but feels something is in the way, she will resort to a way of life that is based on having lived outside, hence eat whatever you can find and pee wherever is convenient - she is fear-based and survival-based - I can’t say I blame her. She is now 12 1/2 years old and sadly, still eats as if she will never get another meal, eats whatever she can find outside, and has the most blood curdleing scream when anyone touches her backside or even when something, even a leaf brushes up against her without her knowledge- we’ve all gotten used to it over the years and it is only when a visitor comes over and she screeches with panic, that the visitor feels like she’s stepped on her and our response is always, Molly, you’re fine. I remember when we first got her and she would only go to our dog, Max, 2 years her senior - he seemed safe to her and thank goodness loved her - they became two peas in a pod and when a stranger would come by as long as Max would go up to the stranger with a sense of safety or comfort, would Molly follow. Her trauma has stayed with her and yet, I know in my heart that she is comforted by the life we’ve given her and that she knows she is wanted and loved - animals sense when you want to comfort them - they can be challenging when they have been in a world of pain and mistrust and we are asking them to trust us - in some ways, that’s like people - the more consistent I am with Molly, the more relaxed she generally is. Yet, that loud-pitched, blood-curdling scream is something she will never give up.     

My guest today will share much more, but in reading about herders, I can see why the matching process has to be so targeted to ensure both a happy foster dog and a happy foster home. Here are a few interesting things to note if you are considering fostering or adopting a herder. Herders specifically Border Collies can clear a 5+ foot fence and are known as escape artists - my guess is that they may be escaping if their owner isn’t nearby as they tend to be very attached to their owners and become anxious when the owner isn’t present; they have a great deal of energy and are often misperceived as stubborn or even neurotic, and difficult to train due to their sensitive nature and desire to be connected to one person versus being part of a family. Some of these reasons are why many Border Collies are abandoned at shelters and elsewhere. Hence, the need arose and was filled by 3 women who joined together to start Helping Herders Rescue. Helping Herders Rescue’s mission is to match herders to humans in Southern California; they are a foster-based program dedicated to helping dogs recover, prepare for a family, and find great homes. This is particularly challenging with herding breeds, and they are often misunderstood.

For more information, check out their website: www.helpingherdersrescue.org