Published: November 28, 2008 04:53 pm         

No trip too long to find perfect pet

DANVILLE — Some people will go to great lengths to find their dream dog — even traveling 411 miles.

Sue McFarland has never regretted making the six-hour or so drive to Minerva, Ohio, to pick up Ben, also known as Gentle Ben this summer.

“When we pulled up, Ben jumped into the back of her car like he knew he was going home with us,” said Phyllis Thomas, a friend who made the trip with McFarland.

Since he’s been in Danville, the border collie-husky mix has had a busy life. He’s ridden in McFarland’s 1968 Cadillac convertible as a grand marshal in the Labor Day parade, and has earned his canine good citizen award. In October, he won the pet fashion show during Dog Days in the Park.

And he’s only been in town since July.

A longtime animal lover, McFarland started looking for a dog last summer to serve as a companion to Kirby, a 14-year-old shepherd/beagle mix.

She scrolled through http://www.Petfinder.com, spending hours looking at the border-collie mixes because she had had a border-collie mix in the past.

“I must have sat there for four hours looking at 400 pictures before this ad jumped out at me,” she recalled.

The ad read: “This is one sweet dog and believe me we have put him to the test his very first day here! Ben is great in a car, no motion sickness, loves to ride, and jumps right in. He loves his crate and goes right in without issue. He is toy, food, other dog, people and cat friendly. He loves to be bathed and groomed including tooth brushing and nail trimming. He stood perfectly still for us to do a blood draw snap test. And this was all on his first day. Oh, he snores too.”

“I said, that’s my dog,” McFarland recalled. “It’s only 411 miles from here.”

She convinced Thomas to travel with her in her SUV, along with Kirby. She wanted to make sure the two dogs got along. She also has two cats.

Before leaving town, however, she had to go through the application process and send in letters of reference. The trip went well, except for an incident around Crawfordsville, Ind., when Kirby got loose. But the old dog didn’t get too far.

The trip also gave McFarland a chance to meet with her sister, who lives in Bridgeport, Conn. They set their GPS units for Minerva to get Gentle Ben and have a little vacation with each other.

They arrived at Indian Summers Border Collie Rescue, which had rescued Ben from the pound. He had been on the run a couple of months before he was captured and taken to the shelter.

Ben, who is about 2 years old, looked like a bear when he and McFarland met because he hadn’t been groomed yet.

Before leaving Ohio, the three women and two newly acquainted dogs sought out picnic tables and hiking trails. They also toured a Cambridge, Ohio, glass factory and Roscoe Village in Coshocton, where the waiters in an outside café served people and their dogs.

Returning to Danville, McFarland and Thomas discovered that Ben doesn’t like “whiny women.” When Kirby whined every time McFarland left the car, Ben pounced on the old dog, but didn’t hurt her.

“He was showing her who was boss,” McFarland said.

He was aggressive only during the trip, but has been wonderful with Kirby since then.

A typical border collie, he’s full of energy. One time, McFarland was missing her purse, but noticed a small calendar in the middle of the living room. She looked further, and discovered that Ben had dragged her purse through the doggy door and scattered its contents across the back yard.

He also takes her shoes outside and tosses them into the air for a game of catch. He doesn’t tear them up, however.

McFarland recommends rescue dogs to others. A big plus is that the dogs usually are in foster homes, and the temporary owners are familiar with the dogs’ personalities and quirks.

Overall, she’s pleased with Ben, saying, “He loves to be petted. He likes that as much as food.”

She summed up her adventure: “He was worth the drive.”

If you’re in the market for a dog and want a particular breed, the Petfinder Web site is an excellent place to start. The site lists both mixed- and full-breeds.

Like McFarland, when you find your dream dog … you’ll know it.

FYI

Find out more about Indian Summers Border Collie Rescue by going to the Web site http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/OH480.html

You also may write to the rescue at 2550 Fox Ave. SE, Minerva, OH 44657

If you would like to have your pet featured in this column, contact Mary Wicoff at 477-5161, send an e-mail to mwicoff@dancomnews.com or write to Commercial-News, 17 W. North, Danville, IL 61832.