The Collie Nose
Volume 3, Issue 1, March 2014
We gathered for our annual “Collie Crystal Bowl” on February 16
th
. Knowing we were bowling for a great cause only
added to our fun! The Valentine theme was very apropos. Tina and Kim, our dynamic duo, did a fantastic job organizing
this event. Gail decked out the place in pink and red. Caroline’s beautiful Valentine’s Day cakes were delicious and her
raffle baskets were beautifully enticing! A very big thanks to all who helped organize, came early to set up, took the time
to collect raffle prizes, got busy in the kitchen to bake deserts or stayed to help clean up.
Our heartfelt thanks to our lane sponsors and raffle donors. Their contributions made our event possible and added
greatly to the funds raised, all of which will help our homeless collies.
Most of all, thanks to everyone who attended. You made this fund raising event a success
and we look forward to seeing you next year.
Remember as you shop or need services, keep our supporters in mind!
Salerno’s Newberry Electric Co., Inc.
Scentsy Products/Gourmet Mixems
- Michelle Hepburn
Fuentes State Farm Agency, Inc.
- George Rohde
Sun Cor Construction - Robert Bergman
Tastefully Simple - Cheryl Kral
Sasha, Triton, Scout MacPatch
- The Zwirns
Yorkville Animal Hospital
It’s a Bling Thing
Karla Paschon
Einstein Bros Bagels
Pet Supplies Plus – George Lennon
Bert Harris
Gail Diedrichsen
Lite It Up – Ed Kiselka
Ruth Baker
Two Bostons Pet Boutique
and Gourmet Bakery
Gerri & Dan Aichinger
Mary & Herman Zwirn
Jeana & Michael Butler
Salerno Newberry Electric
Narnia Pet Behavior and Training
George Rohde
Caroline Lewis
Diane Cymerman
Terri Hayes - Artistic Creations
Dr. Erin O’Connor - Vitality Chiropractic
Aichingers/Greenway Recycling
Artistic Creations Salon-Naperville
Avon - Charlene Hehn
Brody Bunch-Gail & Art Diedrichsen
For Tails Only - Debbie Henson
Glen Ellyn Animal Hospital
Godzilla & Friends - George & Karen Hayes
K-9 Tail Shakers - Jan Flanagan
Narnia Pet Behavior & Training
Pet Supplies Plus – George Lennon
Raffle Donors
Bowling Lane Sponsors
2
He and his family have sponsored Collie Rescue of Greater
Illinois Inc. and paid for our booth at both the Darien and
the Kane County Pet Expos! His company not only does in-
sulation, but he conducts an energy efficiency check of
your house and looks for those pesky leaks that cost big
bucks. He also installs siding, windows, gutters and even
carries THE best dog proof storm door with screen you’ve
ever seen!
Thanks Bob and Suncor for your generous support.
Looking for some household improvements call
Bob at Suncor Inc. he can be reached at
630-257-5252
3
See CARLOS, page 4
By Ellen Keirnan
This is a typical CRGI Collie Nose story, about a not so typical collie, Car-
los. When he joined the Collie Rescue family, he had the heard too often
background of being in a loving family until an unexpected event forced
his surrender to CRGI. As a collie with
a known background and owner sur-
render, he was expected to meet all of
the expectations of the collie breed -
a family dog, easy going, fun to be
around, but always a gentleman. Un-
fortunately, no one told Carlos.
His first week with his new foster fam-
ily resulted in an accident that broke
foster mom Kathy Stodgell's arm
when Carlos decided a squirrel was
more important than a leash and the
person at the other end.
His second week he spent with the
foster home of Kate Chrisman. This
time Carlos decided that he wanted to
protest the latest transfer and let his voice be heard. Since sleep during
the day is critical to Kate's husband, as he works 3rd shift, it turned out
that someone had to be home during the day to keep Carlos quiet. Kate
had to call Susie Moncek and give her the bad news that Carlos' barking
was a huge problem for them. So his journey continued.
Vicki Wilder, CRGI president, brought him to her home for some intense
training. He responded, and it became obvious that he was just looking
for that Alpha person to lead him down the right path. Soon an adoptive
home was found and Carlos was placed with a single woman who was
living with her mother. Unfortunately Carlos took advantage of the 80
plus year old mother by stealing her food and almost knocking her over.
Needless to say, this match was not made in heaven.
After another trip back to Vicki's home and another round of training
sessions, it became clear that Carlos could only be placed with a firm
and consistent guardian. He continued exhibiting lots of promise, but
always with major setbacks associated with each step forward. He had
food aggression issues, and was extremely willful whenever asked to
share affection with other dogs. When Vicki's training showed results, a
decision was made to place him back in a family situation to test the
by George Hayes
1. I was watching a well known dog show on
TV not long ago, and naturally, I was wait-
ing to see the most beautiful dog on the
planet, a collie. Waiting for the herding
group about an hour into the show and the
dogs that represented the respective groups
before the herding group were not very
impressive. I felt a victory was certain for
our collies.
Out came the Herding Group with a beauti-
ful rough sable collie and a tri-color
smoothie. Exquisite! They paraded around
with "fake" collies or collie "wanabees" and I
was sure the collies would win. This judge
came out and pointed his way through the
contestants, but no collie was selected.
WHAT??! "Hey YOU" I screamed at the TV.
"You need glasses or what?" "Collies rule!"
came a shout out of the crowd. I believe
this man's name was "Timmy". To make
matters worse, the winner was a dog that
resembled a mop. How disappointed I was.
GROOAAN!
2. I took my collies to a groomer one day
and the attendant was very fond of my tri-
color, so I took my other collies out to my
car, came back to pay the cashier and then
take my tri-color back to my vehicle. My tri-
color is a surfer and was waiting for me on
the other side of the counter. I had a tip of
$20 in my hand when I approached them.
My tri-color took the money out of my hand
and gave it to the attendant. A lady with a
small fidgety dog was behind me and in-
quired "How did you teach your dog that?"
I replied "You don't teach that. It's a Collie!"
GRUNT!
3. And finally, a touching story. At the Col-
lie Rescue Picnic a couple of years back, I
was walking my collies for a little exercise
for them. We came upon a man and woman
walking their newly adopted collie. As they
got closer, it was evident that they knew
me. The lady began running toward me,
saying my name over and over. She gave
me a big hug and began to cry. I asked her
if she was okay, and what was wrong. The
man and woman both said I was one of the
people that helped them get their new collie
and it was a very good fit for them. After we
chatted for awhile, the realization hit me
that working with Collie Rescue is a wonder-
ful and very rewarding experience!
GRUNT AND GROAN!
hours of training and effort that had been spent on his rehabilitation. A foster family with kids to play with and
work off his energy was his next step to adoption.
Once again Carlos proved that he wasn't ready for a permanent home, even though his new foster family really
wanted to adopt him. As he ingrained himself in the family routines, it became obvious that he was counter
surfing once again, and had taken advantage of the children, the adults and the situation. Once again he be-
came a wild and unruly teenager who refused to behave. The thought that he could injure a child when acting
out meant that this was not his forever home.
Unfortunately the Carlos tales within the CRGI foster system became legendary, and there were no foster
homes available to take on this headstrong bad boy. He had spent 6 months with CRGI and once again a solu-
tion was needed, and the Board was running out of options for Carlos, if he was to be adopted rather than ken-
neled with CRGI. As the Board reviewed his problems and progress, Bob and Dee Olson (CRGI Webmaster and
his wife), who are very experienced agility trainers, decided to give him one more try.
Working with him day and night, Dee felt that Carlos finally turned a corner and was ready for adoption. At
about that time Jason Osborne and his partner, Kevin, were searching for a collie to replace their beloved collie
who had passed earlier in the year from a bout with cancer. Bob and Dee personally drove Carlos to Michigan so
they could meet the couple they hoped would provide Carlos' for-
ever home.
In Jason's words, Carlos proved to be "the one" for them. They
quickly learned that this collie was hardly the normal gentle, laid
back collie they were used to. He once again proved that he was
"very stubborn, strong willed and VERY smart". Luckily Jason was
up for the challenge and proved to Carlos that he was every bit as
smart, stubborn and determined.
Day two of their relationship found Carlos bolting from the house,
after stealing a roast beef sandwich - which Jason was sure was in the kitchen waiting for him. The counter
surfing continued with missing french fries and other tasty treats, and lots of concern for his safety. Jason was
patient and persistent though and proved to Carlos that the Alpha Carlos was looking for was Jason. He walked
him, trained him, showed him how to shake hands and obey, and finally allowed Carlos to explore his new world
without a leash. Each step of the way was met with testing and resistance, but in the end Carlos became the
fun companion that all of the folks at Collie Rescue knew was buried deep within his over the top personality.
Jason and Kevin now have "an absolutely wonderful dog! He no longer attacks the vacuum, or the UPS truck
and thunderstorms don’t bother him like they used to. There is nothing better than having him come running
down the driveway to greet me while I’m walking up from the mailbox after I get home from work."
Jason knows that Carlos loves the boat and cottage up in northern Michigan. "He knows it by name now and
knows on Friday nights in the summer that’s where he is going so he stands by the front door with his pink and
green life jacket on (it was the only one big enough to fit him) and waits for us to finish loading the car.”
Kevin and Jason wanted to acknowledge and thank Collie Rescue for all of the hard work and effort that CRGI
invested in their big, handsome companion, who now brings nothing but oohs and aahs of admiration as he
walks down the streets of his forever home.
CARLOS, from page 3
4
5
In each quarterly newsletter, we celebrate the work that has been done to find
our beloved homeless collies a forever home. As a reminder of why we're in-
volved with this great organization, it would help to remember how many of
the dogs in Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois found new homes:
Zoey
Anouk
Sergeant
Bonnie
Rusty
Angel
Amy
Nicky
6
By Gail Diedrichsen
An introduction to Michelle Rogers, our Adoption Coordinator.
She is our “Matchmaker”
When a potential adopter sends us a completed application, a volunteer puts the information into the CRGI sys-
tem, and the details of what the adopter is looking for are recorded. Specifics like what age dog the applicant is
looking for is captured. What color? Smooth or rough? Does the situation require a child or cat friendly dog?
Does the household have another dog? Do they have a fenced yard? Are they experienced dog owners? This im-
portant information is then used by Michelle Rogers, our Adoption Coordinator. She is our “matchmaker”.
Reviewing applications and matching the right dog with the right home can be a time consuming, tough job.
Ultimately, Michelle’s primary goal is to place the dog in a good home that will be “for keeps.” If the dog and
the adopter are mutually happy, that makes for a stable, forever home. Michelle’s goal is to see this happen for
every dog we take in.
Michelle explains, “Some of these dogs were strays, some
were from puppy mills, some had an owner who passed
away, some were given up because of family problems and
some simply were not the right fit for the previous home.
There are so many reasons these collies end up abandoned
and homeless. I look for THE adopter who will be the perfect
home for that specific dog. This is really important to me
because, for whatever reason, these dogs were not success-
ful in the first part of their lives. So, I do my very best to
give them a successful future.
For example, if the dog is full of spit and vinegar, I’m not go-
ing to place him or her in a home with somebody who prefers
a couch potato. Just because somebody looks good on paper,
doesn’t mean they will be good for the dog or that the dog
will be good fit for them.” She describes her own past adop-
tion experience as a good example, “I had just lost my collie
and I did not want one like the one I had lost. There was a
beautiful little tri, named Serendipity, looking for a home.
And, I really wanted to adopt her. Ended up, she was not
right for me. But, I ended up with Casey, a big sable, and
I’ve never had regrets!”
Michelle describes her “matchmaking” as a process. After
volunteering for more than 5 years and successfully placing hundreds of dogs, her instincts are well honed as to
what will work. “I’m given the stats. I get a feel for the dog through the fosterers and then I begin to whittle it
down from there. I get to know as much about the dog’s personality and needs as possible and then I begin my
search.” Once Michelle has narrowed it down, she discusses the possibilities with our fostering homes. Michelle
then steps back and hands it over to the fosterers who have a very honest and informative conversation with
the potential adopter. Because they know the dogs’ personalities intimately, they can best judge whether the
match is right. Nobody knows our collies better than our wonderful volunteers who care for these collies in their
homes until they are adopted. Michelle admits, “It’s not uncommon to go through as many as 20 applications
before I think I have found the perfect home. In a tough situation, like our recent, Carlos’, I went through close
to 50!”
Michelle affectionately calls her difficult dogs “perfect storms,” and she knows how important it is to find those
dogs the perfect situation. She recalls two recent examples: Carlos and Anouk.
See MATCHMAKER, page 7
7
Carlos had the classic, “Lassie look,” but didn’t exactly live up to Lassie’s reputation! He was one challenging,
difficult dog, and tough to place. Michelle recalls, “Carlos was an alpha dog-BIG TIME! He needed a home with
no small children, no other assertive dogs and an experienced, dog savvy adopter. He needed somebody loving,
yet firm and willing to invest the time into training him.” Unfortunately, he was adopted a few times and it did
not work out and he was returned. However, Michelle didn’t give up and FINALLY Carlos found his match! (See
story pg. 3 )
“Anouk was another example of a ‘perfect storm.’ Her situation was very different from Carlos’. Most adopters
want a collie who resembles Lassie. Anouk, through no fault of her own, had so much working against her. First,
she was a smooth, AND, she was a tri, AND, on top of that, she was 12 years old. AND…if that wasn’t enough,
this poor old girl needed to be on medication! On the other hand, she was a real sweetheart and deserved a
chance. As luck would have it, one of our former adopters contacted us wanting to open their loving home to
another collie in need. Anouk found a wonderful home for the Holidays! And I could not be happier!”
Susie Moncek, Foster Home Coordinator, works closely with Michelle during the adoption process and commends
her. “Michelle’s job is the most difficult because making those decisions can be tough and it comes with such
responsibilities. Michelle is always professional, works well with our foster homes and ALWAYS wants what’s
best for the dog.” .
Michelle says, “The best part of my job? It’s when I get an adopter calling or sending an email to say they love
the dog. The photos sent are especially great because you see a healthy, happy, loved dog. Some of these
dogs look so terrible when they come in, many people wouldn’t want to touch them, let alone take them into
their homes. These collies are transformed…they become beauties once they find a loving home! ”
As evidenced by her success rate as well as the apparent respect and admiration she has earned from everyone
who works with her, Michelle Rogers is one of our most imperative members of our team. Thanks to our own
volunteer “Yentle” our rescued collies live happily ever after.
MATCHMAKER, from page 6
Kids Corner - Drawing by Devyn Zuro
Snow Babies!
8
By Dale Mohr
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has its roots in ancient beliefs in the supernatural powers of animals and animal
spirits that were first recorded in early hunter gatherer societies. Today it is recognized and accepted as a legiti-
mate treatment, using animals to improve a patient’s social, emotional, or cognitive functioning.
Therapy with animals began in the 9th century in Gheel, Belgium, teaching people with disabilities to care for
farm animals as a form of rehabilitation program. Today animals used in therapy include domesticated pets,
farm animals and marine mammals.
In the late 18th century at the York Retreat in England, led by William Tuke, the use of animals in treatment of
the mentally ill was first reported. Later in the 1930's Sigmund Freud, who kept many dogs and often had his
Chow-chow present during his pioneering sessions of psychoanalysis, noticed that the presence of the dog was
helpful because his patients would find their speech or gestures would not disturb the dog. This reassurance en-
couraged them to relax and confide with the therapist.
Dr. Boris Levinson in 1961 in New York incorporated dogs in his therapy protocol for young people after he hap-
pened to leave his dog alone with a difficult child he was treating, and found the child talking to the dog when
he returned.
More recently, experimental studies have attempted to gather better data to formally confirm these earlier find-
ings. A study in 1984 by Dr. Wilson states that man's interest in animals is related to early human survival be-
ing partly dependent on the protective defensives early man observed in animals. Wilson’s hypothesis suggests
that we humans have an ingrained sense to recognize the assurance of safety, security and feelings of well-
being when seeing animals in a peaceful state. A therapist with a pet can often trigger a change in the patient,
making healing not only possible but faster.
Many nursing homes and hospitals began to elicit the help of cats and dogs as comfort for patients in times of
need. The patients report elevated moods and a sense of comfort when the animal was around for only a few
minutes. Additionally, the use of dogs seemed to create a more positive environment for the overall medical fa-
cility, reflected in reduced stress levels in the healthcare professionals. These findings were reported in a study
by Cole in 2007 conducted over a three-month period.
D.A.Marcus et al in 2012 conducted a study to determine the benefits of using therapy dogs in an outpatient
pain management clinic. Over a two month period patients were seated in a waiting room with a therapy dog.
The patients visited by the therapy dogs were found to have a reduction in their pain rating and an improve-
ment in their mood.
In order to become AAT or Pet Assisted Therapy (PAT) certified, a pet owner or therapist must go through the
Pet Partners, formerly Delta Society, program that promotes the use of animals in therapy.
There is a four-step process to become a registered Pet Partners Team member. First step is training the dog
handler to guide the animal in therapy sessions. They learn the signs in patients that signal comfort and accep-
tance. Second step is to have the dog screened and approved by a licensed veterinarian for any medical condi-
tion that might inhibit its use. In the third step the dog and handler are tested to check the skills and ability to
react in therapy sessions. Finally, a Registration Application is submitted for approval by Pet Partners that the
dog and owner are certified to assist in therapy in hospitals, retirement homes, prisons, schools for the handi-
capped, and the home.
As an example of the success of PAT, Edward Hospital in Naperville began the PAT program in 2002. To start,
15 teams were trained. Patients chose to have a dog visit during their hospital stay. In an interview with the
Daily Herald (3/2/2012) Hospital President and CEO Pam Davis stated she "couldn't imagine any of our dogs
being suited for an Animal-Assisted Therapy program at first.
HeroeGolden s of the Highway
9
Susie Moncek, President
Tina Kiselka, Treasurer
Caroline Lewis, Secretary
Robert Olson, Webmaster/IT
John Cymerman, Vice President
Vicki Wilder, Intake Coordinator
Michelle Rogers, Adoption Coordinator
Volunteer
Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois, Inc., is a nonprofit corporation established in 1995. We provide shelter and care
to purebred collies which have been abandoned or turned in to shelters.
Email info@collierescue.org, call (630) 415-1206 or visit the website www.collierescue.org.
THERAPY, from page 8
Ten years ago, I was unaware of the rigorous training
that would prepare every handler and dog for the
highly selective program. Yet I defended the new pro-
gram, cognizant of the connections animals can make
with improving care of patients, especially adoles-
cents. On ... the 10th anniversary celebration of the
Animal-Assisted Therapy program (2012)... I could
see dozens of tail-wagging pooches and their han-
dlers greeting onlookers with cameras. Not a gentle
yelp was heard as breeds ranging from a 3.5-pound
Yorkshire terrier to a 172-pound mastiff were
grouped together."
Davis praised Patty Kaplan, director of the Animal-
Assisted Therapy program, and all the trainers and
handlers who had developed "the favorite program at
Edward." Today, 83 dog-and-handler teams partici-
pate and another 13 teams recently passed tempera-
ment training.
A CRGI adopter, Ted Slupik, has his own story about
his collie, Sophie. She came to her owners as a
"REJECT" via Lamb’s Farm in 2001. Ted considers it
very fortunate he adopted Sophie at 8 weeks of age.
She is a people "person” and takes great pleasure in
meeting new people, making her job as a therapy
dog at Edward Hospital such a perfect fit. She
"introduces" herself to not only patients but to the
patient's visitors, one at a time. In January 2014 she
completed 11 years of service and continues as the
longest serving therapy dog in the Edward Hospital
program. Sophie is on call at all times.
Once, while visiting his mother-in-law who is an Alz-
heimer’s patient at a care facility, Ted and Sophie
came upon Leo, sitting in a wheel chair. Although
normally unresponsive, Leo began to pat his leg, try-
ing to get Sophie’s attention. He also began calling
her, saying “here girl” which was amazing as Leo had
not spoken a word during the previous six months as
a patient.
Sophie is part of many such stories and has been
making a difference to those in need of comfort for
over 12 years. From reject at Lamb's to compassion-
ate therapy dog, she continues to enrich the lives of
everyone she meets!
Thanks again to Dale Mohr
for this informative article.
Collie Humor