Kamper Profile: Spencer Herlihy

Everyone loves a happy ending, right? (Just look at most of the movies produced for Americans in Hollywood for proof.) Well, we have a good one for you; a story with, if not a happy "ending," a happy "to be continued."

To the left, you can see Spencer Herlihy’s adorable face. As near as can be told, he appears to be a Border Collie/Labrador mix. He came from a shelter in Alabama to Maine at six months of age through Canine Commitment Rescue in March of 2009 (and you may recall his picture from an info feature we did on CCR in April '09), first spending some time as a temporary resident at Kamp K9 after his long trip, and then to the home of Aleece and Joe Herlihy of Gorham. He was one of the lucky ones; he was brought up to Maine a week before he was scheduled to be euthanized. (Repeat after me: Spay, neuter, spay, neuter...)

The thought of him being euthanized is absolutely heartbreaking, particularly if you know him at all. He’s a playful, fun-loving, even-tempered guy who took a little time to come out of his shell, but has really blossomed over the past nine months. As his mom Aleece says, "It is hard for me to believe that an animal with so much love, dignity and intelligence was almost lost."

Not only does he live with his human mom and dad, but he also has a pair of young boys to keep him company, for him to entertain, and from whom he can get his pancake fix. Yes, this guy is addicted to blueberry pancakes (but then, so are we here at Kamp K9, so who are we to judge?) and cheese toast, and the boys, ages 2-1/2 and 3-1/2, don’t mind enabling their furry pal. A quote often heard in that house is a proud "Mommy, look, I’m feeding Spencer!"

Of course, he IS part Border Collie, and as such, he has a really sharp mind, which can sometimes turn to mischief. Another quote heard in Spencer’s house is "Uh-oh, look what Spencer’s doing." When those words are spoken, it usually means that something is being chewed to bits (any humanoid toys and action figures have to be identified by dental records after Spencer’s through with them). However, that brain is sometimes used for good, and his mom proudly reports that Spencer "has done great with any training I offer to him. He did a great job in a "Just for Fun" agility class that we took this summer with [trainer] Carolyn Ross."

Other things he enjoys are running on the beach, patrolling for cats and squirrels, and playing at Kamp K9. We love him here; his mother states that "Spencer makes the world a better place and I am grateful that we get to take care of him." She pretty much took the words right out of our mouths.

In Other News

The day this was written, it was after a morning of torrential rain with an afternoon high of 65 degrees...on an early December day. That’s messed up!

It makes it strange, then, to start talking about Christmas, cold weather, and what to keep in mind in terms of keeping your pals safe during both. However, it IS December, and therefore Christmas and snow/cold are fast approaching. Rather than devote more articles to Holiday and cold weather safety, which we’ve done in previous editions of The Straight Poop, we’ll simply refer you to those past issues to refresh your memory. The first is in the January ’08 issue, with info on how Kamp K9 handles winter. (The dog door shown there has long since been updated to a real, commercial double-flap insulated portal.) The next is December of ’08, which contains info on Holiday health hazards.

Lastly, we’ll refer you to some cold weather tips on the ASPCA’s web site: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/pet-care-tips/cold-weather-tips.html

We would add to that list making sure you clean off any ice or snow that accumulates in between your pet’s foot pads during and after walking/playing to prevent discomfort or painful damage to the pads.

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