  BOSTON TERRIER CLUB OF CANADA RESCUE SOCIETY by Deborah Silk Pat Westheuser, a director of Central Okanagan Naturalists Club, can be reached at 769-6605, or email: hughwest@shaw.ca BIRD LOVERS CORNER Rebecca Davis is the Provincial Coordinator for the Boston Terrier Club of Canada Rescue Society in British Columbia. What started in 2001 with Emma, a “handme-down” rescued, older Boston Terrier who was returned to a breeder, saw Rebecca since then sharing her life with several “spare” Bostons over the years. The Boston Terrier breed dogs are absolutely adorable. They are fun-loving, too cute for words and they adapt easily to different environments. For instance, they can be sedate or fairly sedate to active and extremely active. They are excellent with children as a rule. However, like with all dogs, toddlers and dogs should always be monitored. Health issues for the Boston Terrier include eye disease because they do have the bulging eyes. Breeders don’t tell potential buyers that they should be prepared for snorting, sneezing and farting and yes, the dogs are placed with rescue for all of those reasons and more. Kitchen breeders have bred the dogs without care and many dogs come into rescue because of congenital luxating patella issues. That is when the dog’s kneecaps move out of place. Surgery is expensive and offers no guarantees that the kneecap can dislocate again. If you’ve ever gazed into the eyes of a Boston, you’ll know that it takes only seconds for your heart to melt. In British Columbia, Rescuers face the challenge of having enough foster families at the ready knowing that short-term foster can often turn into long-term foster until the dog is adoptable. The responsibility of the foster family is simply to love the dog, be patient and make the commitment to look after the dog until the adoption is finalized. Boston Terrier Club of Canada supplies everything else, including all vet costs, food, etc. There is no set fee for adopting a Boston and that in part is determined by how much the Rescue organization has had to put into the individual dog. Every situation is different. Cruciate ligament surgery averages $1,500. but that would prohibit adoptions. The average adoption rate is $350. and rarely does that come close to the investment that the Club has made in the dog. Rebecca raises money for Boston Terrier Rescue through on-line auctions (www.bostonfundraisers.com) and she can always use items to include in raffles. In fact, she is hosting a raffle herself this year called “My Favourite Things” in honour of her dog Bert who died January 25th, 2008. If you want to include some of your dogs favourite things for the auction, call Rebecca at 250.276.9333 or email her at btccrescue_bc@shaw.ca. Students are welcome to host their own auction and this makes a great classroom project for the group. Rebecca also collects Canadian Tire money and is grateful for all donations. Rebecca and her fellow Boston Rescuers are stringent and thorough when placing their Bostons. They caution everyone to give Boston adoptions a lot of thought before plunging in and they work with adopters to ensure the right dog finds the right family. They encourage you to check out the website www.bostonterrierclubofcanada.com and read some of the stories. They will visit you in your home, check out your references and speak with your veterinarian. The life span of a Boston Terrier can be 16 years and they average 13-14 years. I encourage you to visit the website to learn more about these black and white heart thieves. |
|
|