Cairn Terrier Rescue

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Rescue coordinator:

Danielle Burns - (708) 906-4017
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Additional contacts:

Roger Mills - rojom@msn.com

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Special Families Needed!! Rescue needs loving and supportive families willing to work with and nuture needy Cairns. Disabled, emotionally distraught, and under socialized dogs need your help. They all have the potential to become wonderful pets. If you care enough to save a special Cairn, they need you!

Program Information
Cairn Terrier Rescue is entirely a volunteer, not-for-profit effort. Breeders and owners volunteer their time and energy to find new families for homeless Cairns. The Chicago/Suburban Cairn Terrier Club Rescue operates under our parent club -- The Cairn Terrier Club of America.
Cairns that arrive in our Rescue Program come to us in a variety of ways. Most dogs come to us via animal shelters, where they have been given up by their owners or were found as strays. Others are turned over to us directly by their owners. Very often these dogs are given up due to no fault of the dog - the owner dies or becomes ill, the family has to move, or the owner is unable to properly care for them. When a rescue group such as Cairn Terrier Rescue takes over the placement of a purebred dog from a shelter, it frees up space and resources at the shelter for another dog in need.
Many of the dogs we take into our program have had little time or attention paid to them. However, we have found when they get into a home where they are wanted and loved, they return that love many times over.
The average age of a rescued Cairn is between three and seven years. We frequently have dogs older than that, and have been seeing quite a few younger. We seem to take in mostly males, but do get females on occasion. Most often dogs are spayed or neutered prior to being made available for adoption.
We know that Cairn Terriers are not the breed for everyone, which is true for every breed. We try to make sure you are educated about the breed before you make the life-long commitment to care and love this wonderful breed. Cairns require a good weekly brushing to keep mats out of the coat, and if you are unable to roll the coat yourself, we recommend having them stripped two or three times a year. Cairns are active dogs, but can be stubborn and vocal. On the other hand, they are usually good watchdogs, extremely loyal and very intelligent.
Cairn Terrier Rescue does not purchase or sell dogs. We do, however, ask for donations to help fund our program. These contributions, in the form of an adoption fee, cover some of the expenses we incur, such as veterinarian expenses (for shots and spaying or neutering), food and other necessary expenses. Our adoption fee usually falls between $150 and $300 depending upon the dog's age, health and other circumstances.
At the time of adoption, you are given all available documents pertaining to the dog such as, medical records, and information pertaining to behavior and temperament. Our rescue dogs are kept a minimum of one week so we can evaluate them for possible health or behavioral issues.
We also have a questionnaire for you to fill out so we can learn a bit about you and your family. This form plus a short telephone interview gives us information pertinent to placing a dog with you. If you have children or other pets, for example, it will be very important for the dog to be especially friendly and tolerant. Also, if you already have a dog, adopting a dog of the opposite sex is usually most successful, and we will probably recommend that to you.
We try to make the best match possible, and if you want it to work and are willing to put some effort into making it succeed, it will! Before bringing a new dog home, please purchase the proper equipment - good quality food (we will be happy to recommend some choices), bowls, leash and collars, safe and sturdy toys, and a crate. It is a good idea to already have a veterinarian selected before adopting a dog. We recommend you take your newly adopted dog to your own veterinarian within a week to 10 days following the adoption.
Consider enrolling in obedience classes with your new dog. Even well-behaved adult dogs can benefit from such classes. It gives you and your dog a common language so that your behavioral expectations will be clear to the dog. It's also a terrific opportunity for the dog to socialize with other dogs in a safe, supervised environment.
Many rescue dogs are already house-trained, but we don't assume it and neither should you. If this is an important issue for you, please mention it and we will tell you what we know with regard to house-training for each dog that is available for adoption.
Our primary goal of our Rescue Program is for the dog to be placed in a good, loving and permanent home.
Occasionally people contact us who have very strong preferences - about sex, age or coat color, for instance - that makes it very difficult to match them with a dog. The more open you are in regard to sex, age and coat color, the more likely we can introduce you sooner to a terrific Cairn Terrier. If you do have strong preferences, rescue may not be for you.
After the initial evaluation process, we try to place each dog as soon as possible. By quickly placing the dog, we are lessening any added stress to them.
When you get a call about a possible match, please try to make the necessary arrangements quickly. Your new friend may need you right away!