Tag Archives: Skeena

Skeena: a Cautionary Tale of Hardship and Luck

Airedale puppy Skeena was born in 2007. A year later, her owner developed an illness and subsequently lost his job. He could barely afford to feed himself. Providing his puppy with food became a nearly impossible task. Dependent on table scraps and dog food provided by his friends, Skeena survived but did not thrive. She became thin and her coat grew dry, her skin flaky and inflamed.  Desperate for cash, her owner decided to breed Skeena so he could sell the pups to earn some money. Fortunately, for Skeena’s sake, this plan did not come to fruition. Poor starved Skeena might have died giving birth to puppies; she certainly did not have the physical resources to feed them.

Enter a pensioner with little money herself – a friend of Skeena’s owner. Extremely concerned about Skeena’s condition, she managed to gather together a few dollars and offered to buy Skeena. The owner, luckily, agreed. This Good Samaritan took Skeena to the vet at her own cost and had her bathed and groomed as well. She planned to keep the dog but, in the end, was unable to do so. She offered Skeena to AireCanada.

Skeena turned up at my house to be fostered – an emaciated skin-and-bone skeleton covered in rough, wiry, brittle hair through which infected skin could be glimpsed. We promptly put Skeena on a diet rich in nutrients and protein. We urged her to play with our three Airedales to improve her stamina and develop muscle. She fell in love with our young male and the two bonded like littermates.

Throughout all her hardships, Skeena remained a bouncy, bubbly, happy little girl – one who was ball crazy in the extreme. Skeena chased a ball for as many hours a day as someone could be persuaded to throw it for her!  Fostering Skeena was guaranteed to result in a sore arm. Skeena was checked out thoroughly by our wonderful veterinarian, Dr. Pawel Cichon at Sunwood Veterinary Hospital. Once she was deemed strong enough, she was spayed. 

While Skeena’s medical bills cost AireCanada over $500, we were committed to helping her get ready for a better life. That life became a reality when a wonderful and Airedale-experienced couple adopted Skeena. They dote on her endlessly and care for her as if she were a very precious treasure. 

Despite a very rough start to her life, Skeena has found friends who genuinely care about her, who saved her from a painful death by starvation and now are ensuring she lives happily ever after. Truly, Skeena’s story is a cautionary tale of how life takes unexpected turns and knowing when to ask for help is so important to the whole household. When jobs are lost, the family pet can suffer equally along with other family members. Skeena was a victim of tough economic times and possibly one of the luckiest dogs we have ever fostered for AireCanada. 

Maureen Scott, AireCanada

Skeena – a New Start, a New Name and a Forever Home

Little two year-old Cia was near starved to death when she was rescued from an owner that couldn’t afford to feed her properly.  A Good Samaritan purchased Cia from the owner and turned her over to the AireCanada Airedale Rescue Network.

Cia - A close shaveWhen Cia arrived at AireCanada, she was seriously malnourished, had eye infections, ear infections, a bladder infection and skin lesions.  Yet while suffering all of that, she still showed great spirit.  Over the course of the next few weeks, she was treated for her various ailments and given nutritious meals.  Cia was on the road to recovery.

Meanwhile, my wife and I had been looking to fill an emptiness  left in our lives by the loss of our beloved Airedale Indy earlier in the year.  We wanted another Airedale…. in a real bad way!  Due to circumstances, we couldn’t bring a new puppy into our home and lives, so we decided to try to find an adolescent or adult.  We sent email to a number of Airedale breeders asking that if they became aware of such an Airedale, to please keep us in mind.  One of those breeders suggested we contact AireCanada Airedale Rescue Network.  We did just that.HappySkeena

We submitted an on-line application found on AireCanada’s web site and subsequently had a home visit from Maureen and Jim Scott of AireCanada.  It was not more than a few days thereafter that we got the call from Maureen.  She told us that she had a new rescue that just may be suitable for our circumstances.  Her name was Cia.

It was the day before we were to meet Cia that my wife lost her brother, Terry, in a tragic accident in Terrace, BC.  We left immediately for Terrace and would be gone for couple of weeks.  Upon our return, we adopted Cia.  We took her home and in honour of Terry we renamed Cia to Skeena for the beautiful river on which Terry loved to fish.

We’ve had Skeena for a month now.  Her health problems are almost all cured and she is looking and feeling great!  We are so happy to have her in our home!  We can’t thank enough all of the people that took part in Skeena’s rescue and for helping get her into our lives.   Moreover, we thank everyone who contributes to AireCanada Airedale Rescue, whether by volunteering their time or in good ol’ cash, for the sake of these wonderful animals!

Richard, Tammy and Skeena Blackwell

November 2009