Rocky’s quality of life was diminishing, and the joy to chase squirrels and cuddle up to people was going downhill very noticeably. It seems like it was probably degenerative myelopathy, for which there's no treatment. It's progressive and just exhausting. Rocky began falling in the cart and didn’t want to go for walks any more. He always had such joy for life and now that was fading so Deb, his adopter, decided to not put him through any more tests and let him fall asleep in her arms one more time.
He had another year of life thanks to NS and most especially thanks to Deb - and a fine life it has been, with riding in her car on her rounds every day, to going to CGC, walks in the neighborhood and chasing squirrels in his cart, and all the love he could soak up! So we have to celebrate what he had as a result of NS and Deb, and know that nature pulled the rug out from under him and there was nothing better we could do for him than to let him go with love and thankfulness for having known him.
We were all richer for having known this great spirit.
Pam Caldwell
President, NS4AR
What we do: We evaluate Australian Shepherds and Australian Shepherd mixes from selected shelters and private owners no longer able to keep their Aussies. If we judge a dog suitable for placement with an average adopter, we foster it in private homes and get to know the dog. We then post the dog to our website and place it in an adoptive home where the energy levels, expectations and personalities are a good fit.
Think of us as a "doggie dating service"!
New Spirit 4 Aussie Rescue, Inc.
New Spirit 4 Aussie Rescue is an all-volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) organization serving Australian Shepherds and Aussie
mixes in the United States and Canada.
Don't want to adopt
but do want to help?
We depend on donations to supplement our adoption fees.
Sometimes, the cost to rescue a dog far exceeds our adoption fee.
We accept checks or Paypal.
You'll receive a letter acknowledging your gift for your tax records.
You can also help by visiting our Paws To Shop section.
Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Donate with PayPal
(You don't need to have a PayPal account yourself.)
You can do a little or a lot:
no experience necessary!
Make reference check phone calls, do home visits, help with transporting dogs, fundraise, maintain webpages, help at rescue booths, or become a foster home.
Your fellow New Spirit volunteers will be there to help every step of the way!
Donate in Honor or in Memory
of A Loved One
The New Spirit Aussie Ambassadors:
left to right, Kye, 15, Shasta, 4, and Ranger 2, appeared at many fundraising events in 2009 and thank you for your generous support of New Spirit.
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 20
Paws For A Cause
Cicero, NY
June 3
3rd Annual Tailwaggers Waggers’ Strut and Super Adoption
Washington Crossings, PA
June 16
Curtis Lumber's Pet-A-Palooza
Hamilton, NY
June 17
Polka For Pets
Lehighton, PA
August 4
Canine Carnival 2012
Liverpool, NY
September 22
Second Annual Pottstown Pet Fair
Free to the Public
Pottstown, PA
It was worth the wait...
Read our BIGGEST ISSUE yet!
A Tribute to Rocky
Rocky came to us from Bowling Green and was a terrific guy, but didn't have complete use of his hind end. For everyone who remembers that picture of Rocky at the Bowling Green shelter in May of last year, you saw a terrified dog with a filthy matted coat. That would have been Rocky's last day on earth if not for New Spirit.
Rocky At The Bowling Green Shelter
Rocky at Fun Day 2011 with Pam
Rock in is cart
"Rescue Rocky", Halloween 2011
was - we were all so happy he was getting his Canine Good Citizen® certificate and was set to start therapy dog training. Now he needed to be carried into the house and bowel and bladder control was deteriorating.
He was so sweet and so obviously deserving of a chance that we agreed to take him even though there wasn’t much, if any, Aussie there. When the Bowling Green (KY) rescue team asks, we take.
There wasn't anything obviously wrong on the MRI and the problem itself wasn't fixable. The neurologist said Rocky was stable so we got him a cart and off he went with a very happy adopter. We thought we'd pulled a miracle out of the hat on Rocky and that he had a clean bill of health for a good long, enjoyable life.
But a year later, his back legs gradually stopped working altogether and a return visit to the neurologist did not provide any answers. You can imagine how bummed his adopter
