UPDATE: Blu has been adopted as of 4/21/08
Blu is a neutered male between 5 and 6 years of age. He is approximately 19″ tall with a stunning silver-blue coat, and reportedly very good-natured and good with children. We’ll know more about him in a few weeks, but Blu’s preliminary evaluation indicates he is housebroken, well-behaved, and knows some basic commands. He could be a great match for a person or family with a securely fenced yard, and willing to provide additional training and lots of play and exercise.

Several years ago I compiled a list of reasons that people gave to shelter employees and rescue volunteers when giving up their pets. It turned out to be a rather long list: a real testament not only to people’s creativity in coming up with all these different excuses, but to their callousness and shortsightedness as well. The original list appeared in the KBTCSC’s newsletter, Kerry Klips, in the mid-90′s. Perhaps I will submit an updated list for publication in a future issue of Blueprints when I find the time.

The interesting thing about this list was that virtually all of the dozens and dozens of different excuses could all be lumped into just three categories: lifestyle changes (getting married, having a baby, retiring, kids off at college…); training and behavior issues (chases the cat, destroys things, doesn’t get along with other dog, bites…); and “mismatches,” i.e., people who should never have gotten that particular dog, or maybe not any dog at all. “Blu” is the result of one such mismatch. He was taken to a rural Colorado animal shelter when his elderly owner died 4 years ago, where he was labeled as a “Tibetan Terrier” by shelter workers and quickly adopted by a young family who were attracted by both the exotic moniker/appearance and the promise of a non-shedding coat. What they apparently didn’t think about was that no-shed is not the same as no-groom, and that this “hiper” [sic] young dog was not about to contentedly lie about their unfenced yard! They loved Blu, but did not have the money to provide necessary training or care, and reluctantly relinquished him to Rescue on Sunday. Many, many, many thanks to Lois Croley and Charlene Dwyer for picking Blu up, giving him a much-needed haircut and taking him to their vet for an exam and bloodwork, and for keeping him until they can transport him to his foster home here with me in New Mexico this coming weekend.

Blu should be available for adoption in mid-April, so if you would like to be considered as a possible home for him, please fill out a USKBTC adoption application from our Club’s website at www.uskbtc.com and submit it. At just over one page it’s fairly short, and there is no charge to apply to be considered for a rescue dog. (A donation is requested at the time of adoption.) As always, primary consideration will be given to applicants within driving distance of where the dog is. (New Mexico/Colorado)

Lisa Frankland
USKBTC National Rescue Coordinator
Albuquerque, NM

Last Updated: 04/26/2012, 5:52 pm