Flock of shepherds
Aussies reunite with people who saved them from hoarding
Thirteen young dogs had a recent romping, rollicking play date at The Dog Stop North in McCandless, quickly running in and out of the play area. The owners who recently adopted them were so happy to see the sheer joy exhibited by their own dogs, but all were waiting for Conquest — a special dog who arrived a little late and then hung back from the others, clearly afraid to join the event that was billed as a “reunion.”
Conquest was happy to enjoy the kindness of the human strangers he has never met because “Conquest loves people,” said Erinne Lawlor, who took him into her Eastern Pennsylvania home on Nov. 2.
Dogs at the Jan. 26 reunion — Conquest, Cory, Coach, Oggi, Henry, Rocky, Oakley, Finn, Squirrel, Winnie, Murphy, Pepper, Tovi and Zina — were among the 92 dogs and 25 puppies removed from a house in Ross on Sept. 11. Their rescuers wore hazmat suits because the house and the canines reeked of feces, urine and ammonia.
The dogs and puppies — including females with nursing puppies — had to be hosed down before they could be put into the small confines of vans and other vehicles. The ammonia fumes could have overcome the drivers who took them to the Animal Friends shelter in Ohio Township.
All of the dogs were grossly underweight, filthy and flea-infested. They had flea anemia and skin conditions from being constantly soaked in urine. Many were shy and fearful. Conquest and others had bite wounds and abscesses because they had been attacked by dogs who were fighting each other for food and for the attention of females in heat.
Conquest had the worst injuries and needed extensive surgery. When I first saw him on Oct. 1 at the shelter, his ears and the bite wound on the back of his head were covered by a yellow bandage, and his head was circled by one of those e-collars to prevent him from scratching at the stitches.
Most dogs would go nuts with that apparatus, but Conquest cheerfully greeted me and the photographer. He stood up, put his front paws on the gate, wagged his tail and cocked his head in a winsome way, inviting attention and “asking” to be petted. He made intense eye contact with his startling eyes — one blue, one brown.
Conquest was painfully thin. His blue merle coat was thin and patchy, with multiple bald spots.
Because he had been attacked by dogs, Conquest was segregated from them. He was happy to live in the office of Maddie Aicher, who at that time was an
admission officer.
Animal Friends had never taken in so many dogs at one time, and these dogs had many special needs. Conquest and many others are Australian shepherd mixes, and many more are border collie mixes. Both breeds are smart and highenergy, and not everyone can handle them. Animal Friends wisely sought advice from groups that rescue those breeds.
None of the dogs had been neutered or spayed, and none knew how to walk on a leash or play with toys. Because they had lived in filth, they were especially difficult to housebreak. For staff and volunteers, picking up, mopping and sanitizing were nonstop jobs.
The dogs were given names that started with “C,” including Coconut, Chassis, Costello, Cosette and Caraway.
“They were a joy to take care of. It was so rewarding,” said Debbie Thomas, a volunteer on the dog behavior team. “They came so far so fast. All were adopted, and none have been returned.”
“We like to see the happy endings,” volunteer Karen Grant said. “These dogs are Animal Friends’ greatest success story.”
The reunion was arranged by Mike and Kathy Oldaker, who fostered 15 of the dogs at The Dog Stop North, which they own and operate. The Oldakers adopted one of the fosters, Cory.
Ms. Lawlor brought Conquest to the reunion from Pottstown because she knew everyone wanted to see him, and she wanted to see the other dogs.
The scars behind Conquest’s ears are largely hidden by what she calls “an amazing comb-over.”
Animal Friends staff thought Conquest was 5 years old, but Ms. Lawlor said her veterinarian thinks he is 2 or 3 years old. He weighed 17 pounds when she adopted him, and he is now a trim and healthy 33 pounds.
“He has been a lot of work, but he is so lovable and it is so worth it,” Ms. Lawlor said. “At first, there was a lot a weird behavior because of anxiety,” but now he happily accompanies her on shopping trips. He gets along well and plays with her other dog, Boddington, who is a Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler and coonhound mix.
Conquest loves her two daughters. Morgan is a Michigan State University student. Ms. Aicher, who is now the volunteer coordinator at Animal Friends, shared her office with Conquest during his recovery and gave her mother daily updates on his progress.
The two-hour reunion was a blur of spotted and freckled Aussies and a number of black and tan dogs. Here are a few I was able to single out:
Rocky is a blue-eyed Aussie who is just 4 months old. He was adopted by Sally Winner, of Ross, who lives near the residence that some call “the hoarder house.”
Another neighbor, Gail Love, adopted Murphy, who is black and tan. Rocky and Murphy have frequent play dates in the neighborhood where they had such an unlikely upbringing.
Bethany Ferrari, of Mt. Lebanon, brought Oakley. Finn, the dramatically spotted red merle Aussie formerly know as Cheddar, had a great time. Kelly Cabbarria and her husband, R. J., brought Coach and fantastic people-food from Broadway Brunch in McKees Rocks, which they own and operate.