MONTE
August, 1991 - July, 2008

Many years ago, Rusty LaFrance introduced herself to the Airedale Rescue Network as a new volunteer and included the following:

The king of the pride is Monte (Field Marshal Montgomery). Monte is 6 years old and is the sentinel for the ranch, house, car, cabin, horse trailer, etc. ~ just plain king will do. We have had Monte since 6 weeks old. Currently he is our only Airedale.

I discovered "Rescue" when I was looking for a grooming table ~ Monte size. So, I can safely say, Monte got me into "Rescue" in more ways than one. I have such admiration for him ~ I couldn't stand not to help if I could ;^)

When Rusty (now the Nevada Airedale Rescue coordinator) was reminded of this after Monte passed, she said,

funny thing was ~ he hated that table and I never used it on him, just the rescue guys went on the table ;-)

Monte never was a play-with-toys kind of Airedale (except for an occasional slip when I would catch him tossing a toy in the air and entertaining himself). He would take each Rescued Airedale that arrived here at the ranch, and show them each corner of the property ~ I always got a kick out of watching him do that. Some Rescues "listened" to him; others didn't have the attention span ;->. You could see that thought bubble over his head when he had a youngster that wouldn't listen to him. He would just lower his head and walk away, as though he was shaking his head and saying "youngsters ~ sheeeesh". He was the best herding Airedale !! He would put up any horse that got loose and hold them there in the breezeway until I caught up (after hearing his "OHMYGOD-OHMYGOD-OHMYGOD" bark). He guarded the horses as though they were his. My stallion grew up with him and they often played for hours in the arena. He was one of a kind ;-) and I counted on him.

At 17 years of age, Monte couldn't get up, wouldn't eat, was losing his hair, wouldn't let me cut his toenails ~~ but he continued "working" the ranch right up until his last day. I let him sleep on his favorite clover covered mound and do his sentinel work one last time before we took the last trip to the vet.

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