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Gun Penhoat
The Penhoats moved to the States from France in 1989. They have a multicultural household: Gun is Swedish, Jean-Pierre French and Paddington, Callista and Windsor (Winnie) all-American Rescued Airedales, and Lambert(c*t), a Rescued Southern Gentleman. They live currently in Ada, MI, and belong to ATRA’s adoption coordinator team in MI. Antosja, our Gordon Setter, went to the RB in 1997, and we envisaged a future with a smaller dog and our two cats, Bernard and Lambert. Fate intervened. A Monroe, Louisiana ad: “Airedale puppies for sale. LARGE.” 3 times we went, 3 times we said, “she will become far too big”. Then I went on my own and brought a carrier. Ursula du Bayou, our first Airedale, was a Mountain Airedale after Ouachita’s Teddy Roosevelt. Alpha female, she taught us the ropes by putting us through the wringer. After “soft” and malleable pets, Ursula’s non-cuddly character was nerve-racking, and panicked I was ready to give her back to her breeder. Then an internet Airedale community told me to take a deep breath, find a good obedience class, and to look forward to a rollercoaster ride, sometimes hair-raising, but also so much fun. Ursula reached 105 lbs, was lazy, people-loving but very aloof, and fiendishly clever. Her “laziness” was undetected heart disease, and she left us far too early, at barely 8 years old. Perhaps she intuitively knew how to pace herself. We moved to Georgia where I designed the Humane Society’s weekly adoption posters for the southern counties around Atlanta. Paddington arrived when Ursula was 2 years old. He became our first Rescue when Bill Austin of Dunwoody found him, 4 months old, languishing in a Petland store in Atlanta. Bill already had a house full of Dales and couldn’t keep him and our Ursula needed company. Paddington, is another Mountain Airedale with Ouachita’s Teddy Roosevelt in his paternal line, but also a puppy mill puppy who brought with him bilateral hip dysplasia, aggravated by sitting in a too small crate during an important part of the growing cycle. Paddington also lacks the social graces usually learnt with the help of littermates and mom. However, he has not met a dog he doesn’t like and if you’re family or established friend, he will try awfully hard to please. But, with strangers on his home turf he is a stressed-out vigilante. "Our Paddington left us suddenly for the RainBow in spring 2010 due to a fast acting spindle cell tumor. However, he will never leave our hearts." On our relocation to Mississippi Airedale Rescue contacted us. They had no Rescue representation, and a family in Jackson, MS, needed a home visit done. It was the day Jean-Pierre, instead of flying to a client meeting in Atlanta, drove early in the morning from Jackson, the back of the Bronco holding a litter of 8-week-old puppies, who had found homes in Atlanta, that Airedale Rescue became an inseparable part of our lives. We were incredibly fortunate in finding Major Teresa Gardner of Raymond, MS, who so enthusiastically accepted to collaborate with our Rescue efforts. She and her inmate/dog program SecondChancePetPartners still helps with Rescues who need that little extra help. Callista is our first adoption through ATRA. Exactly one week after Ursula went to the RB, we brought her home from Barbara Oimas in Midland, MI. Callista was 8 weeks old when her energy level made her owner regret his choice of pet. Callista is a miniature Ursula, but where Ursula was laid-back, Callista is non-stop, and where Ursula was non-destructive, well, Callista will chomp and rip at everything once, if no-one intervenes. Windsor came to us as a foster, at 10 weeks. She had been a gifted to a 72-year-old lady for company. The day Windsor was due to go up on the adoption website, Jean-Pierre couldn’t give her up. Windsor is the reason why we don’t foster. There is a 3-dog limit in Ada. The Airedale Rescue Quilt Raffle is very dear to my heart. After working in Rescue for many years, I’m aware of how important the funds realized from the Rescue Quilt Raffle tickets are, in what can be done to help Rescues. As my forte is knitting more than sewing and pattern making, I’m pleased to be able to help on the administrative side, in the effort to promote the Rescue Quilt Raffle Tickets.
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