Spotlight Terrier: Rascal

Miss Scrappy and Mr. Rascal were just puppies when their "Dad" adopted them into his loving home, about 8 years ago. They are as bonded as any real brothers and sisters can be. They lived a good life… happy, loved and well taken care of. They were beloved members of the family. All of a sudden their lives changed, recently, when their "Dad" lost his job and their home. He no longer had a place to keep Rascal and Scrappy, as he was forced to rent a single room to live in - it was all that he could afford. He knew that, without a proper home and no income, he could no longer give these precious terriers the home and the care that they needed… so, he made the difficult decision to surrender the dogs to Russell Rescue, Inc.

I am fostering these two wonderful dogs until Russell Rescue, Inc. can find a forever home for them. They will be adopted out as a pair, since they are so bonded to each other. To separate them, would probably break their hearts.

Despite all that these dogs have been through, they remain so very happy and loving. It warms my heart to see them so peaceful and content in my home. I am glad I helped this pair.

Rascal came to Russell Rescue, Inc. with only one eye, due to a luxated lens. His bad eye had been surgically removed about a year ago, but he seemed to get along just fine. He adopted an old chewed-up blue rubber ball that my other dogs had lost interest in. Every time I started petting him, his little eye would light up and in a flash he was gone and back with the ball in his mouth, tail spinning so fast he could almost fly. It was his favorite game. Most of the time he would hold it tight and shake his head and growl as I tried to take it, then he would loosen just enough so I could get it. To his delight I would throw it (like he trained me), and he would run to get it and bring it back to me so we could do it all over again. Such a clever boy!! Clever, kind and loving, that's Rascal. No wonder he had me eating out of his paw.

As I watched the pair that first week they were with me, I noticed how much Rascal depends on Scrappy. Scrappy is a happy-go-lucky girl who sometimes gets after Rascal for bugging her, but when he needs her - she's there. This little lady knows who she is and what she wants. Cute as a button, she will stand and dance in a circle for her treats - and I will laugh and give them to her (like she trained me). She's such a charming little sweetheart - as cute and animated as a Christmas toy! It's no wonder that Rascal loves her so much. She's strong and he knows he can count on her. He's strong when she's beside him.

One day I came home from work and went to let them out of their kennel. Rascal was acting strangely. He stood at the door squinting his eye, afraid to move. I realized that he couldn't see!!! The poor boy was blind, scared, and in a lot of pain. Later that night in the kitchen, he found his way to Scrappy's crate. She was lying in the back of her crate. He put his front feet inside the crate facing her. She licked his face and his eyes while he stood there with his head hung down to be close to her. She was giving Rascal what comfort she could. The next day at the veterinarian's office, my heart fell as I heard the words "luxated lens." Not another one! Poor Rascal!! I was so afraid he would have to have the eye removed - just like the other one. I asked the vet if Rascal's eye could be saved. To my surprise, he said "Sure." He told me he couldn't guarantee Rascal would be able to see with the eye after surgery, but that it would be much easier on Rascal to leave the eye in rather than to take it out. The fee was to be $1,100.

The surgery went very well and Rascal is now wearing a cone, he is on medication and I give him eye drops twice daily. He gets better and better with each passing day. His eye is no longer painful and I see signs that he has some vision. His eye is very fragile while it's healing. He is confined to his x-pen without anything in it that might bump his eye. The vet told me that Rascal has 50 tiny, fragile stitches in his eyeball, and that we have to watch it and be very careful, especially for the next 10 days. Each day I wake up and am relieved to see an eye that looks better then the day before. I pray everyday that Rascal will chase that old blue rubber ball again someday soon…

Progress updates are posted below.

Rascal and Scrappy have been on their "trial adoptive period" with their potential new "forever" family for a couple of weeks, now. Here is what their adoptive family has to say:

It has been challenging to be sure. Scrappy and Rascal have had a lot of turmoil over the last four years that they need to recover from and have shown some worrying signs of anxiety. They are really great dogs. Scrappy is a daddy’s girl, glued to Brad’s side whenever possible. She is a true princess, dancing in circles for treats, and pretty much laying down the law. She’s slowly learning that she isn’t in fact the princess/sheriff as much as she would like to think otherwise! Rascal is a gigantic love bug. He is especially snuggly in the morning. When I sit down to greet him he sticks his head in my lap and yodels with happiness. His tail is pretty much wagging 24/7. It will be a long road until they are fully recovered and comfy, but all the signs are there that this will happen over time.

We would like to officially adopt these two. It hasn’t been an easy two and a half weeks, but with the help of a trainer and lots of schooling in their future, we will make it work. are getting less and less anxious, which is great. They seem to be extremely happy (a little too happy – LOL), but such is the nature of JRTs. Turns out Scrappy has been holding out: she can sit, down, speak, dance, look, and beg (although we don’t ask for that one). Rascal is getting better at sitting, but can find his ball, bone, and toy on command and always finds the one you ask for. He is a love and a half. When our son plays his guitar, Rascal tilts his head to the music. Darn cute.

You should see Rascal. I believe he sees better then the day he came here. He's getting more confident everyday, although I'm really careful with him because I want to be sure his eye is healed... and I figure we have another couple of weeks for that. In the daylight, I let him run off leash out back. Yesterday, I watched him run from one end of the yard to the other, not full speed but really fast. I watched him slow down when he came close to something and I saw him move his head away when something was close and go around it. I believe in miracles and I believe I just witnessed one. It was like he knew, Scrappy knew and I certainly did. Scrappy ran circles like a little clown, then found a pile of dirt and started digging like crazy when I looked at her. When I looked away she would stop. It was like she was showing off and when I laughed at her, she dug harder. I'd laugh, she'd look up at me with that happy face and then hop to the other side of the hill and start digging there. She is funny! Rascal just ran and played and explored. Scrappy is so animated and Rascal is so loving and always ready to be petted and hugged. They are a great pair of dogs.

Someone is going to be very lucky to have them in their lives. When it's dark, though, I keep Rascal on leash. I'm not sure of his night vision and I feel better with him close to me. In time I will let him run at night, but not until the 4 weeks are up.