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AN
INTEGRATED APPROACH TO
HUMANE RELATIONSHIPS WITH DOGS
Sweet
Border Collie Rescue...
Canine
Country Camp...
Camp Border Collie for Kids
At
Glen Highland Farm, people are given an opportunity to see dogs from a different
perspective. In our conversations
with adopters as well as on our website, we spend time sharing our philosophy
that dogs are teachers, offering a way for us to experience simplicity, trust,
freedom and life in the present moment. They open our hearts to a greater level
of love, which in turn, changes our lives.
We see this happen with the inner city children who come to Camp Border
Collie for Kids as well as the adopters as well as people coming to learn at the
summer camp, Canine
Country Camp.
Adults and children alike are being touched by this new approach to
dogs/animals as they come to the Farm through whichever venue they enter.
We are like a doorway to greater caring and understanding, a more humane
movement.
No
matter how they find us, the message is always about educating everyone to more
caring and kindness and respect.
Our
philosophy is to offer information to educate people toward more humane
treatment of dogs with a greater experience of the human/animal bond. Whether it
be in therapy work or agility, helping broaden awareness can help end cruelty to
animals, which then impacts violence in our culture.
We find that the ignorance of owners leads us to receive relinquished
dogs at an alarming rate, some tied out on chains, others neglected for 10 - 12
hours, others just unwanted and emotionally ignored.
We spend time sharing these stories with everyone who comes in contact
with the Farm in order to help shift understanding and create a more humane
treatment of animals, especially dogs. Many, many people continually share their
disbelief with these facts and find they transform their own knowledge of what
is happening, which then allows them to tell others, which ultimately impacts
everyone. They also find a place to be active, volunteering at the
Farm, in order to help.
Our
ongoing web column addresses the relationship between guardian (not owner) and
dog, with new ‘editorials’ shared each month.
Additionally, stories from adopters are ‘published’ online to share
perspective on building relationships with dogs. Many adopters have other dogs in their homes and are adding a
border collie or border collie mix so they invest time in discussion with us on
the aspects of each dog and what is most appropriate to their situation.
Since we are one of the very few rescue organizations accepting border
collie mixes, our knowledge of dogs extends beyond the Border Collie purebred.
When we take people through the adoption process, we explore the various
breeds and how they match together with activity levels, with children and with
time needs. Our primary goal
is a successful interaction between people and between dogs and between dogs and
children. A great deal of
information about dog handling and training is given in order to support this
success, as well as trainer referrals, reading referrals, etc.
The
Border Collie is a difficult breed yet very popular so many, many people find
themselves incapable of managing the dog or knowing what to do.
As a Border Collie rescue Farm, we are continually educating people who
have the dogs, may adopt the dogs or need to give up the dogs.
These breeds are highly intuitive and intelligent, specifically bred with
sharp instincts tuned to being a full partner with a human being.
Their instinctive capacity closely parallels our own intuitive nature,
creating a complex relationship. Aware
of every nuance, move, intonation and activity, they are ready to participate
with heightened understanding to ‘do’
whatever is needed. They must have
jobs to do or the human/dog relationship will go askew. We become a resource to thousands of people who are in need
of help each year, receiving 3 - 5 emails daily on problems that need solutions.
Our adopting population come from the northeast regions but our website
interactions are from all over the U.S.
We
receive countless emails and calls from people who visit the site, either
accessing us through the rescue program or through the vacation camp and they
tell us over and over again, that they are learning about the breed and what
works best for dogs in general ; they purchase books from our recommended
referral reading list; they follow up with instructors from the camp and pursue
the ideas given to them - tellington touch massage, animal communication,
holistic nutrition, and more. They
are so appreciative of finding a resource to improve their understanding of
their dog(s). Many, many people express confusion over information on caring for
their dog and find our site with it’s variety of educational avenues to be
very helpful. We are touching
thousands of people - professionals, families, children of all ages and most
importantly, the countless dogs that visit the farm through rescue, the camp and
adopters. The circle includes every
being.
As
part of our adoption process, there is extensive follow-up with contact made at
least 6 times a year, plus each year we hold a rescue reunion for all adopters
with trail walks, games and training information. Our primary focus is to support the dogs’ life within the
home, once adopted so we act as a resource of continuing information.
In addition to the rescue reunion, we hold occasional workshops and
seminars onsite so that adopters may learn more and improve their dog to human
bond. Many of these events are
free, other times we accept donations to cover expenses of teachers and
speakers. Our facility is uniquely
created so that people may choose to camp at the farm, sleeping with their dog
or attend a workshop, staying at a nearby hotel.
These events are intended to support the adoptions.
The
amount of information available about dogs - the rescue program and the camp -
is changing the way people relate to their furry companion.
We also spotlight our inner city children’s program, Camp Border Collie
for Kids which stresses the relationship between animals and violence.
Again, education of the connection of these two is prominent in our
efforts, focused on inner city kids. We strongly believe
and scientific studies support this - that the more we can reach children (inner
city and suburban), the more we can help end violence which always starts with
animals.
Unlike
many rescue organizations where dogs are fostered one by one in a private home,
Glen Highland Farm is a venue for people to come and learn.
They interact with the farm on an ongoing basis, volunteering with the
dogs, working in fund-raising, helping with booths at events, handling mailings,
posting flyers in their region and referring adopters. They also attend Canine
Country Camp
in order to continue the development of their dog
skills and interactions within the family, with a portion of the proceeds going
to rescue.
An
example of how integrated the programs are is as follows, based on our recent
summer: Adopters are attending Canine
Country Camp
in order to
better relate to the dogs they adopted at the Farm, some are bringing their
entire family, others are single or couples who want to know more and discover
new information which they feel is uniquely offered at the Farm.
We are actually assuring that adopted dogs remain in their new homes by
solving problems through information provided at the Camp.
Out of 50 attendees at Camp in 2002, over HALF are adopters, the rest are
the general public. Out of 110
adoptions this past year (2001), every single one of them wants more information
and connects to GHF has a source to help them.
They find this assistance by seeing the integrated programs on our
website.
Camp
attendees are adopting while they participate in the camp, actually having time
to meet a rescue dog, spend quality time with them and decide to add them into
their lives. We expect this to
continue to grow tremendously. For
those unable to adopt, they choose to Sponsor a dog, becoming a Border Collie
Angel, helping in the care of the dog while they wait for adoption. Thirty percent of attendees at the June 2002 camp, sponsored
dogs they cared about and wanted to help, providing funds sorely needed for
medical needs as well as special behavior training.
The Angel program is critical to the success of the Rescue program.
Camp
participants are now in communication with the Farm and the ongoing Rescue
efforts, due in large part to the obvious relationship between these programs.
They value the educational elements of what they are given for their own
dog but want to do more. 20% of the
people attending the June 2002 camp volunteering to help transport dogs from one
location to another in order to arrive at the Farm and 50% offered to help in
their regions to find dogs in need, work at booths to help find homes and
publicize the rescue effort. While
these people came to the Camp for their own information, they also want to
participate in the efforts to save dogs and end cruelty.
People
are coming to the Farm with a need to improve what they do and what they know.
The Farm is becoming known as a resource for dog lovers where helpful
information is available, as well as dogs in need of homes.
The focus is on allowing the dogs to share their wisdom with humanity.
Note:
Canine Country Camp was solely created to support Sweet Border
Collie Rescue. The projected camp
sessions (2) will allow 30-35 people per session to visit the Farm in the summer
and learn about their dogs and rescue. The
main focus is to generate interest in adoptions, inspire people to volunteer,
and foster interest in helping the cause of ending inhumane treatment of dogs,
as well as other animals. The Camp sessions will always be small as education
and learning are the vital result of attendance.
We have no interest in large masses of people (like some camps with 200
people EACH session) because the Camp is focused beyond Fun… the focus is on
changing relationships with living beings into something that changes our
culture. Canine
Country Camp
is unique in the size and purpose, completely
different from other vacation camps.
Integrating
the Camp, the Kids’ Camp and the Rescue effort allows us to achieve success on
levels greater than when standing alone. Our
message can reach thousands who want to learn and many, many of them will carry
that new understanding into their communities and lives.
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