Southeast Border Collie Rescue League Successful Adoptions Banjo and Jet

Southeast Border Collie Rescue League, Inc.

The Tail of Two Dogs

Written by Doug Little

In February of 2003 there was a coming together of three special people, one with four legs. Bandit had been with Jerri Carter for almost three years and was a special needs dog. He was extremely thunder phobic and had the scars and broken teeth to prove it. Jerri also had the stories to confirm it. He would destroy his crate and anything near it during a storm. He also was not socialized and had a great deal of difficulty playing. Bandit also had heart worm. Jeannie had just lost her companion of 15 years, Mushu, who had died only a few weeks earlier and left a huge void. It was a coming together of three great hearts. Bandit's life was about to change.

After a very tearful goodbye he got a new home but kept his Houdini proof cage. In the next week he was given a new name, Banjo, and he began his heartworm treatments. The next several months were spent learning about each other. The next big change happened for Banjo, he became a snowbird. Like all good snowbirds he went north for the summer escaping the heat and storms of the Central Florida summer. At his summer home North of Chicago he has several acres to play on and his favorite cat Tuxedo to play with.

Being the bright Border Collie that he is, he needed to learn. So he started school. He took courses in obedience training, agility and did some therapy work and earned his HIC in herding. All work and no play would even make a border collie dull boy. Sailing on Lake Michigan and socializing on the dock filled the summer. Banjo was becoming a happy dog. He loves people of all ages and loves to be petted especially by strangers. However, he still was very idiosyncratic. He would sleep in the basement at night and only on the concrete floor. He would not sit with us but near us. He was friendly with other dogs but didn't know how to play with other dogs. He loved long walks in the woods but didn't like to walk with us. He was always a little ahead or behind. He just wasn't one of the pack.

Another year passed of sailing in the summer and living in Florida the rest of the year. This fall Banjo started his classes with Jerri. Hurricane Katrina had left Jerri a lot of animals in need of rescue. A few days later we were with Jerri and a little black puppy caught our eye. Cinders was born the day of the storm and was found floating down the street with several of her littermates on a couch four days later. Cinders came home with us at Thanksgiving. She was still so young that we would get in the middle of the night to walk her. Her only skills were that she was crate trained and lovable. Banjo and Tuxedo tolerated her.

Just after the New Year I heard a terrible noise in the living room and went to investigate. The furniture was askew there were magazines everywhere and in the middle of the mess were two dogs playing. A little black dog dripping with Border Collie saliva and a black and white dog was having its ears nipped by a little black dog. Somewhere between Christmas and New Years Cinders was renamed JET. Banjo has taught his little sister the basic commands (come, sit, down). As Jet has grown she was able to jump on the bed and play. She taught her older brother to do this. She taught her older brother to sit with us in the evening. She taught her older brother to walk with us in the woods. She taught her older brother how to be one of the pack.

The Story of

Banjo & Jet

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SEBCRL is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization

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It is uncommon for Southeast Border Collie Rescue to place a border collie with young children. If you would like to adopt a border collie, and have young children, please refer to the Adoptions page before contacting us.