Beardie Rescue... An Overview

Club members are working together to see that this very important function within our Club runs smoothly and to make improvements where need be. At present, BCCC Rescue Guidelines are being developed to be submitted to the Board. The purpose of these Guidelines is to explain exactly what BCCC Rescue does and what procedures it follows. This needs to be clarified to ensure that rescue operations go smoothly.

The following describes the various stages that a typical rescue case goes through and how it is currently handled. Normally a rescue situation is initiated by someone, who may or may not be a BCCC Club member, who has come across a Beardie (or very often a “Neardie”) in a shelter or who has seen an advertisement for one in a newspaper. Sometimes the person takes immediate action and takes possession of the dog himself. Most often they call or e-mail someone else to advise them of the situation. In either case they should notify the National Rescue Coordinator as early as possible so that all future action is well coordinated. Please do not post a message to the Beardie E-Mail Lists before making contact with the National Coordinator. This will save having 2 or 3 or even more different people working at cross-purposes. Coordination and quick action are of the utmost importance. 

The first step is to determine whether the dog is a Beardie or not. The mandate of BCCC Rescue is to find permanent homes for abandoned or unwanted Bearded Collies. Unfortunately, with our limited resources, we are not able to rescue all the other shaggy-looking Neardies that often turn up in shelters. Initially, the National Rescue Coordinator calls a Rescue Contact closest to the rescue location and ask them to go and see the dog to identify it. It takes someone who is very familiar with the breed traits to make a positive ID. Whether the Beardie was found as a stray or brought in by its owner it is important to look for a tattoo or microchip that could tell us who the breeder is. A call to the breeder usually ends our involvement when they take over responsibility for the dog they bred. 

If there is no tattoo or the breeder or owner cannot be traced the next step is to get the dog out of the shelter and to evaluate its condition and health status. This is where our foster homes come in. The local BCCC Rescue Contact is sometimes also able to foster the dog for a short time until a permanent home is found. If not, BCCC Rescue also has some names of people who have offered to foster needy Beardies. Some dogs are in good health and condition while others have been injured or abused. Coats may be terribly matted. It is best to have the dog evaluated by a Veterinarian. Depending on the situation, the dog may just need a good grooming or it may require major medical intervention. It is also BCCC Rescue policy to spay or castrate rescue dogs prior to placing them in their new homes. Because of all this it may be necessary to foster a dog for a few weeks. There is a waiting list of applicants for Rescue Beardies from across the country. Once a dog becomes available the National Rescue Coordinator reviews the waiting list and call, or the local BCCC Rescue Contact gets in touch with the most suitable applicants in the area. If a local home is not found for the dog we may have to arrange to transfer it to another area where a home is available. The BCCC Rescue Fund covers expenses incurred to release a dog from a shelter, for veterinary examination and treatment, and grooming etc. BCCC Rescue is financially sound thanks to several very generous donations and to the fact that it has been relatively quiet lately. A special thank-you to the Beardies of the World Calendar people for their recent contribution to our Rescue Fund. Donations are still gratefully accepted, of course, since a serious case requiring substantial funds could come up at any time. 

The BCCC thanks you for your strong support of Beardie Rescue! 

BCCC National Rescue Coordinators: