Rescue Skye in France or Whimzy's story....

What is it? 

Everybody knows what rescue means in English, and rescue Skye is only for the breed we love. This association has been created to help poor Skyes in danger to find another family, another home to spent happy days. We are working in France and abroad. Rescue Skye exists in America and in England, from what I know, they are very dynamic, and do a great work to help poor Skyes every year. In France, the association is bound to a law of 1901 (non lucrative association), that means that we don’t accept monetary gifts, only personal gifts : attention, observance and vigilance…

To help us, we need every body to pay attention during walks, and in the course of every day, with the aim of possibly noticing a Skye terrier in danger, because in some cases it can be a question of days… This battle must be won in order that we don’t want to accept monsters working on unprotected dogs. 

Why rescue Skye?

The kennel of “The Vallées Engissoises” has been be the direct witness of a few cases of wrong treatment on dogs, and saved a few of them in horrible circumstances.

This association founded (for the French organisation) in memory of Whimsy and her daughter Thea, some extraordinary courageous bitches. Whimsy died in our kennel, in spite of a lot of intensive care during three long months, after she had bad treatment, horrible bad treatment during a period of a few years. She was only three years old. Thea died in Spain, alone, abandoned by everybody,  in a small kennel. The second owner who took her with rescue Skye, had abandoned her as well. She was only one year and a half years old. In France, near your home, a super Skye (we don’t say the name of this dog and the name of her “owner”, because it’s unfortunately too late, we are not in a tribunal). No place for him in his house after six years, he was put down, he was only six…

If we don’t want to see anymore of these sorts of horrible stories, we don’t want other dogs knowing  the same horrible life as Whimsy, her daughter and the others had known, we must react…

We can’t forget them and per the association, we keep their memory alive, we must never accept a Skye Terrier, a real Prince of dogs, can die in these conditions… 

And the law? ( in France)

Even if the dog is considered like a piece furniture in French law, you can be fined for mistreatment of animals and sometimes even jailed. I few years ago I got a German Shepard’s owner to face a tribunal. He had to pay a fine of 600 euros, the payment of all the vet’s  bills and a jail sentence of six months if he re-offended. That was ten years ago. Now laws are stricter and it’s common practice.  

What can we do to stop it?

Everybody has a responsibility in a case of bad treatment of a dog. 

The breeder must be very carefully when he finds a new family for his pet.  He must follow the dog as often as possible. When we have a litter, we are responsible for it for life, if we can’t, it’s maybe time to the thing that one loves doing. 

We have many responsibilities regarding our pets: our work doesn’t stop the day we receive the money for the baby. We must realize that the sale of a pup is not a way to become rich. We are all passionate people. The money given in exchange for the pups must be the reserve of money necessary to help with the up keep of the others dogs in the kennel. The professional breeder can think differently because his proper job and he must live off the money he earns.

The breeder must work out if the future owners have real reasons for having a pup. We must ask ourselves if the owner can take this kind of long-term commitment.

We must do a lot of investigative work.  With the puppy the maximum of information on the way to care for a pup must be given. The best way to bring it up, and a lot of other information about food and health etc… You must tell the future owner that he can call you often, when he needs some more information. It’s good to propose him the chance to lend you the pup during holidays. You must follow the dog often, but you mustn’t be a burden in his owner’s life, you can call for example in the teeth’s change, in the moment you receive the official paper for him Etc..

If you have no news for a long time, give him a call, you can work out if everything is OK for the pup. Tell them in the beginning, that we never know what life may bring and if they have a problem, you’ll be there to take the dog back. It’s better for the breeder to find himself a good new family than settle for second best.

The second actor is the owner. A dog is a long commitment, 15 years in general. 15 years of care, of love, of patience etc… When you take a dog you must be sure you can give him happiness, cares and security. A dog is full of pleasure but also some obligations. Holidays for example, it’s a different organisation. If you are working during the day, and think about your dog, it will be always alone in the house. You will have to go for walks when you come back home even if you are tired. This thing must be done every day, even if the weather is horrible, even if you are ill, sad or tired…You’ll have to spend some time with it even if friends are at home… When a dog is alone, sometimes he is becomes bored and starts doing curious things, so you must learn that you can lose your preferred cheese because he ate it, even if you are angry, you must remember he is not the one responsible. Don’t take a pet for your child if you are not ready to do the work yourself, a child is not able to care for a dog alone, he needs you for a lot of things. Your child will become a teenager and he will prefer to go out with his friends than stay at home with his dog. A dog costs considerable money for food and for veterinary care. In the best case, one vaccination per year will be OK and a few medicines, but unfortunately sometime he can need to be operated on which is very expensive and never at the right moment financially. 

If you are able to do all this things without problem and if you want a dog then you are ready to have a dog.  

Having an animal is simple and pleasant if we take time to study all the questions… 

What positive things has Rescue Skye France brought about?

Some few dogs have been saved who are very happy in France.

Made in Finland, Finnsky Viceroy, La Pera del Rincon de Iguna and Poesa eres tu etc… 

Rescue Skye in future may no longer be needed in the future if every body becomes concerned a dog’s living conditions and Whimsy may sleep in peace: her friends will be safe…..

For all of them, Thank you...

"To my Whimzy, to never forget her ..."

For Whimzy, it was too late. Full of destress in eyes, she decided she wanted to die ...

All the pain and the horror covered her body ...

FINNSKY Viceroy (09/2000), two months after his rescue ...