Foire aux questions

Victor's story

by Aileen Murray
Quebec Director's Report November/December 2003

I thought I would give my own tales (tails?) of woe a rest for this issue and tell you about one of our adopted rescues.
Victor is a 3 year old male who came into Secours Golden Retriever Rescue Quebec earlier this year and was placed into one of our foster homes for further evaluation. Fully trained in obedience and Agility (with a clicker), he was being given up because the owners have 6 dogs (not Goldens) and Victor was very nervous and stressed around all the dogs. He also seemed to require a lot more human attention than they were able or willing to give. We were told he was afraid to be alone but not destructive, very submissive and would cower at raised voices. Victor was adopted by a lady courier who happens to make deliveries to the foster mom’s office everyday. The courier always spends about 15minutes playing with the Goldens who are lucky enough to accompany the foster mom to work.
Then, one day the courier arrived at the foster mom's office and was obviously very upset. Her own dog had just passed away and she and her husband were devastated. She had seen a few of the rescues and had always wanted to adopt one, but her husband wasn’t ready. Our foster mom knew that we would be getting Victor, and since they lived very close to the courier and her husband the offer was made to stop by with Victor after he was evaluated.
The day of the "visit" arrived and although Victor is a little nervous with men, he went right over and sat on the steps (you know that human -like sit with the bum on one stair and paws on the other) next to the husband! Then got the man's sandals one at a time and dropped them in front of him! It was as if he knew that the husband was the one that really needed him! That was it, they both agreed he wasn't going anywhere!
Recently on a Sunday, about 5 months after the adoption, at about 4:00am Victor woke up and started going crazy running all over the house and barking. His new owner thought this was very odd as he usually sleeps through the night. She tried to calm him down and go back to sleep but he kept barking and running to her bed licking her. The heavens were wide open and it was torrential rain that morning. The courier finally let Victor out and he took off to the horses pen, a spot he normally avoids. His new owner was calling him and calling him but he refused to come back, so she got dressed and went to get him. She arrived at the horses enclosure and to her horror she found one of her horses lying on the ground having convulsions. There, sitting right next to the horse, was Victor. She managed to get the horse to his feet, walked him, put him in the stable and went back in the house to call the vet. Once again Victor started going ballistic, she said he was literally bouncing off the walls. She quickly ran out to the stables and discovered that the horse had gone down again. This time Victor wouldn’t leave his side. The vet diagnosed a severe case of colic and sadly the horse had to be euthanized. As so often happens when a large animal passes away they had to wait for someone to come and remove the body. As this all happened on a Sunday they would have to wait until the next day, so she covered him with a tarp and moved the other horses into another enclosure. The next day she let Victor out for his morning constitutional but he did not return for his breakfast! She ran out searching for him and finally found him at the end of her property, just sitting next to the horse's body. She couldn't pull or lure him away. In the end he remained by the horse's side all day!!! His new owner said that if Victor hadn't woken her (even though at first she was a little ticked at him for waking her up) the horse would have suffered all night.
Victor continues to amaze us. Our rescue group was unsure how he would be in a home with children due to his nervousness. Then, just last week Victor and his new family were having a quiet afternoon in the house when once again Victor ran to the front window and started barking. His new owner's first instinct was to check the horses again, but when they went outside Victor took off and ran to a nearby house. The neighbours 4yr old daughter had fallen out of a tree and hurt her leg. Not able to find any relatives the courier and her husband took the child to the hospital where it was discovered that the leg was broken. This is a relatively wooded area and if Victor had not alerted someone to the child's plight she might have lain there for hours before being discovered! Way to go Victor!!!!!!!!!!

Now for the few brags that I have. Ch. Majesty's Tea For Two "Hunter " now 3 Best in Shows, over 60 group placements (including 41 group 1st) this year! Ch. Sunset Over Dudley "Dudley" just got a Best In Show this past weekend at Club Canin Chomedey. Hopefully I will have many more brags for the next issue as the GRCQ's Regional Specialty will be held at the UKC show at the end of November.
And to prove that there are no slouches in the obedience rings either I received the following brag from owner/breeder Rosanne Chayer. Amidor's Lili of the Field CDX , AgI " Lili" achieved her CDX title at the LDTA trials on the morning of April 12 under judge Norma Hamilton, then went on to win HIT that afternoon with a score of 197 under judge Paul Oslach. At the CVKC trials in Ormstown, Lili received 3 more HIT's : Saturday afternoon, July 5,under judge Don Wallace with a score of 198 1/2; Sunday morning, July 6 , under judge Paul Oslach with a score of 197; and Sunday afternoon, July 6,under judge Paul Oslach with a score of 197 1/2. Then it was off to Halifax, and the Maritime Golden Retriever Club Specialty on August 30th, where Lili obtained another HIT, this time under judge Reta Boyd with a score of 196. Not one to rest on her successes Lili then competed at the Ottawa Valley Golden Retriever Club trials and garnered another HIT on November 2,under judge Delvyn Lunn with a score of 1961/2. All in all, since achieving her CDX in April, Lili has attained a HIT in three different Canadian provinces. What a great season of trials!

Congratulations also go out to Helen Walker and her "Maggie" OTCh. Shaynedoro's Peaches and Cream who just wrapped up a wonderful year by achieving her American CD, placing high in the classes every time and keeping everyone in suspense as she sat on the highest score in trial for most of the day with her final leg. Hmmmmmmm do I smell an American CDX in her future? ;-)

Our sympathies are with Susan Laidley who just lost her old Golden girl "Jennie". Here is what she wrote to me: "Montecho's Cotton Jennie CD, CGC July 1991 - October 2003 Jennie, was quite simply the "sweetest" Golden I have ever had the privilege to have in my life. Jennie loved to do her Pet Therapy visits that she started at the tender age of 6 months old. Jennie was a constant visitor at many Hospitals and Seniors homes in the Montreal area bringing her special ray of sunshine into the lives of the residents. Cuesta and I miss Jen enormously but take comfort in the knowledge that she is now in that special place running free like the wind through the golden fields of the Autumn sun. Susan & Cuesta"

We would also like to extend our condolences to Diane Partington and Diana Severs who shared and lost their lovely "Tender" boy in October. BISS Ch. Stoneleath's Fabulous Tender Boy GRCC SDHF was the #5 Golden in Canada 1998. Gentle and loving, Tender was bred and owned by Howard & Diane Partington.

Hug your Goldens, young and old, and to all of you Happy Holidays and a thoroughly Golden New Year! Don't forget to send in your brags and do an ad every now and then ….. I am sure everyone would love to see more dog pictures in our National Newsletter!!!!!

L'histoire de Victor

Par Aileen Murray
Quebec Director's Report November/December 2003

Version française à venir.