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Border Collie Rescue - On line - More About Foot and Mouth |
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This page is now part of our archive on the F&M disease crisis and is for information only. The program is now closed |
Foot and Mouth Program for Displaced Farm Dogs |
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Huntaway x border Collie Pups - Litter of 6 from Herefordshire farm - Photo copyright and courtesy of Guzelian Ltd |
Financial Contributions to our Welfare Fund F&M Appeal are listed on this separate page.
RESCUE OPERATION FOR SHEEPDOGS FROM FMD INFECTED FARMS A special sheepdog rescue service has been established for farmers with flocks slaughtered as a result of foot and mouth disease. The charity Border Collie Rescue, based at Richmond, North Yorkshire, has set up a registration system for sheepdogs which face being destroyed following the loss of flocks. Although it is not Government policy to destroy dogs, some farmers concerned about the possible spread of the disease have chosen to have the animals put down. Mike Cooke of Border Collie Rescue said: “Liaising with the MAFF veterinary officer in charge of each case, we will arrange for the disinfection of these dogs, removal from farms and placing in quarantine for three weeks before they are assessed and offered for rehousing. Most will go to another working environment, either on a farm or to police, search and rescue or another public service.” The scheme has full Government support, with information provided through web links between MAFF and the charity.
Foot and Mouth Program for Displaced farm dogsIn brief, the scheme works like this.
A register has been set up for farmers and stockmen affected by Foot and Mouth to provide details of any surplus or displaced dogs they have for re-homing. Dogs can be registered through a form on our Website. or - by e.mailing details to us at hq@bordercollieresscue.org or by fax on no fax available (24 hr line) or by post to our registered office address The information required is the full name and address of the owner and business/farm name where the dog is currently kept. Home/Business/Fax numbers if available. e.mail address if available. If the farm has been infected - the date of the infection and the MAFF / DEFRA case number. If the farm has been culled as a dangerous contact or under the voluntary culling scheme, the date of the cull. We also need the name and contact telephone number of the MAFF / DEFRA veterinary officer in charge of the case.
The dogs will remain in the charge of the owners and on the premises until BCR removes them.
Dogs from infected or affected farms are removed by Border Collie Rescue after liaison and approval by the MAFF / DEFRA vet in charge of the case or area. The dog is disinfected on the farm before we remove it and is then taken to a 'halfway house' where its veterinary needs are attended. Inoculations, worming, microchipping and Intrac respiratory vaccinations are given and upon completion of this process and when the dog is declared fit by our vets', the dog is disinfected for a second time and sent to a quarantine unit where it will remain for 21 days.
After this 21 day quarantine process the dog is given a third shampoo and moved into a foster home where we start assessment.
The assessment process will indicate to us the direction the dog needs to take for re-homing. Working dogs will be re-homed onto working farms and non stock workers as pets or another to working environment like the Police, Prison Service or Mountain Rescue (SARDA) as 'sniffer' dogs.
Applicants offering homes to these dogs can be assured that at least 6 weeks minimum will have elapsed since the dogs have been in contact with the Virus and they will have been bathed and disinfected 3 times during this process. We are assured that there is no possibility that the dog could be carrying the virus after this process and time.
Applications for these dogs are being taken and kept on file. We will not be hasty in re-homing these dogs to any sort of home and the applicant will be required to proceed through our normal methods of adoption and home checking. Successful applicants will be offered dogs suitable for their needs as indicated in their application. Working dogs will be offered on a trial period to ensure good bonding between the handler and dog.
To register to adopt a dog, we will need the applicants full name, address, postcode and home telephone number. These will be placed on file. As dogs become available, the applicant will be contacted by phone and a form sent through the post. The form will be our standard adoption application and we will need this filled in, signed and returned before we could proceed further. Upon the return of this form, the applicant will be visited by representatives of Border Collie Rescue. This home visit is the final stage of the adoption process and is usually carried out when we have a dog in mind. After successful completion of the home visit, the applicant will be invited to meet the dog or dogs we are sure would be right for their needs and circumstances. If they are happy with our choice, they can adopt the dog. If not we will seek another suitable dog for them.
During any part of this process, should an applicant find a dog elsewhere or change their mind, we ask them to let us know and we will close their file.
This process has been set up to enable applicants to adopt a dog from us with confidence that there is no danger of further infection from these animals. Dogs can not contract Foot and Mouth disease.
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An E.mail Message circulating on the Internet has been sent to us at BCR HQ. This message - from an American Vet who had been working in Cumbria for MAFF/DEFRA, assisting in the cull - to associates in the pet trade in the USA, has been written to draw attention to our efforts to assist the dogs in need on farms. |
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just returned to the USA after almost 90 days in Cumbria, UK as part of the US veterinary
delegation helping with FMD control As you probably
can envision, almost everywhere you turn in England's country side there are sheep.
Thousands of them. And with them, there are hundreds of working Border Collies. Watching
these dogs work with their masters in the flocks is nothing short of amazing. It is basically a close clip of the dog followed by a bath
in a safe and approved disinfectant. This procedure requires that at least 2 BCR
volunteers wearing the level 3 bio-protective gear required to enter an FMD farm,
disinfect the dog, and exit the farm under DEFRA supervision. It is a long and costly
process. A good $US50.00 is spent just on disposable supplies needed to enter a farm,
clean the dog, and remove it safely to non-FMD |
| We are grateful for the support this vet has given to the rescue program we are operating and for the information provided that gives a different perspective on the F&M situation. This message has reached us from 4 different sources. We have re-produced it as it came to us, with consent, and only omitted the name of the author and recipients. |
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To return to Archives - click here If you are interested in adopting a Border Collie from us, please do not write to us or email us - we want to speak to you before we start the process. Please phone us during office hours. Details here. Calls to our office and mobile will only be answered during our office hours |
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