A Story with a Happy Ending

A terrified young dog in a pound in Missouri, scheduled to be euthanized Monday morning. No good reason. It's just that the pound doesn't do adoptions, doesn't keep strays for more than five days, doesn't make exceptions. Wendy and Connie decide they want to save his life. The first thing they do is give him a name. From now on, he's not a number, he's Jasper, and Wendy posts his plight on the Border Collie Boards.

There's something about his face that speaks to me. Though he's clearly tense and frightened, his face looks too familiar to be passed by. He looks like Daisy.

I contact Wendy and offer to sponsor Jasper. Debbie offers to foster him in the Ruff Mutt Border Collie Rescue, where she can evaluate him and find him a permanent home. Now Jasper is a dog with a future. Connie and Wendy set the wheels into motion. Connie, who is the driving force behind an authorized rescue organization called Southwest Missouri Canines -- SW MO K9s -- tags Jasper as a dog she'll pull from the pound before he can be killed.

Jasper is in Springfield, Missouri, and Debbie and her Ruff Mutts are in Garland, Texas. Wendy creates a chain of connection. Connie will pull Jasper from the pound and take him to the Angel Animal Clinic to be bathed, vetted, vaccinated, and neutered. After this is done, Connie will bring Jasper to Carthage, Missouri, 65 miles away. Wendy will drive the 90 miles from West Fork, Arkansas, to meet her there. Jasper will spend the night with Wendy, and early the next morning he'll be sent with Wendy's friend Mike, who's heading down to a motorcycle swap meet in Sherman, Texas. Debbie will drive 60 miles up from Garland, Texas, to gather Jasper there, and bring him to his new foster home with the Ruff Mutts.

Jasper doesn't know about all these people working on his behalf. He does know that when he's at Wendy's, he is brought out to a sunny lawn, where he is spoken to kindly and stroked gently, and he likes it. (Thanks to Wendy for the next three pictures.)
He's gentle and submissive, and he just can't get enough loving. He meets a neighbor's dog, and his good manners with other dogs start to become evident.
Jasper's just so sweet and friendly, Wendy cries a bit that early morning after Mike picks him up to take him to Texas. Jasper spends the morning at Mike's booth at the swap meet, where he charms everyone who comes by. Mike's comment: "I think I want to keep him!"
Soon, Debbie brings Jasper to his temporary home with the Ruff Mutts. This is an important transition for Jasper -- will he be able to integrate into the pack? A dozen or so dogs is a lot of new dogs for one young pup to meet all at once. But Jasper LOVES all the other dogs. He takes to them all almost instantly. He's playful and well-socialized. The future is looking bright for this sweet little dog, thanks to some amazing people who were willing to put in the hours to save his life. I stand in awe of their work and feel lucky to have had a chance to play a small part in it. Rescuers, you are truly amazing!