BLOCK - PURPLE HAT SENIOR

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE EARLY 'DALE NO. 16 DRAWING!

#15A - JESTER EMBROIDERED DUFFEL BAG

WINNER:  MARTHA CALLIGAN, CINCINNATI, OH

#15B - CLINKER PROOF PAGE & 2013 NAR ORNAMENT

WINNER:  KARI RADOJEVIC, CHANDLER, AZ

#15C - SET OF TWO MUDPUPS BLACK & TAN GIFT TAGS

WINNER:  KRISTINE THOMASON, HOUSTON, TX

THANK YOU TO BOTH THE WINNERS AND INCENTIVE DONORS FOR SUPPORTING THE 2014 AIREDALE QUILT FUNDRAISER.

BLOCK MAKER: JEANNE ESMOND

ARTIST: JANE MILLER

Original Drawing

Quilted Block

Jeanne wrote: “The Purple hat is Katiedo, my old girl I lost last year. I call her block “When I'm old, I will wear purple”. When I got her, she was already 8.5 years old and her fur had faded to tan. By the time she crossed the RB, she was almost white.”

Ready to go to assembler

Closeup of hat

There is something very special about people who adopt the senior rescues.  They are willing to love them and care for them for as long as God let's us have them.  I know from experience the joys a person receives from opening their home and heart to an old dog. The dog just wants to be loved and it gives us back so much more than we give it.  I call these adopters "Aire Angels".

Katie's Story by Jeanne Esmond
Katie Swafford Esmond
June, 1998 – March, 2012 

Katie came into rescue around 2003 when she was 5 years old. There were no foster or adoptive homes for her, so our then rescue coordinator, Lou Swafford said, that he would keep her for himself. Lou spoiled her shamelessly and Katie ruled the roost and adored Lou.

Early in 2007 Lou fell and broke his hip while walking Katie. Lou was taken to the hospital and Katie was returned to his apartment to await his return. She was alone for 28 hours without an accident awaiting Lou. Finally, someone came and took Katie to a kennel for boarding while Lou recuperated. Katie was not a happy girl and attempted to chew her way out of her jail …I mean crate!

Pam McKusick called and asked me if my son Chris would foster Katie until Lou came out of the hospital. Chris had been without a dog for several years and longed to have an Airedale. He agreed to take Katie, just until Lou recuperated.

Chris LOVED Katie and Katie LOVED Chris! However, Chris’ roommates did not. Chris went through 3 sets of roommates. Katie got into the trash and recycling. No food was safe in the house w/Katie around; she was a champion countersurfer. She loved to chew socks! And to top it all off, she would bite you if you did something she didn’t like, like brushing her or trimming her toenails. He asked me if I would keep her until he found suitable living arrangements w/more understanding fellows! I agreed. I thought that these people just did not understand Airedales and it would be a snap for me to keep her until Chris was ready to take her back.

And so, Katie came to live with me.

Sandy and Katie got along from the start. Katie taught him to be a real Airedale. She taught him to bark at c*ts, the mailman and to keep his tail up. Katie was attitude on four legs. When Lou crossed the Rainbow Bridge to be with Vee Katie stayed with us.

Katie was full of Airedale Attitude and knew how to get her way. She adored men and I swear she batted her eyelashes, and pranced when she went to see Dr Hinn.

In 2010 she was diagnosed w/severe heart murmur. In 2011, she lost 20 pounds and the vet said she had Lymphoma and didn’t give her long to live. Nobody told Katie, however, that she was ill. She kept up her antics until the end.

Katie always had a smile on her face and enjoyed her life. In spite of all her antics or perhaps because of her antics, Katie is very missed around here by me, Chris and Sandy.

Don't forget that the Early 'Dale No. 15 Drawing takes place tonight at 8 PM EDT.

15A is the Jester Embroidered Duffel Bag
15B is the unframed Clinker Proof Page from Ann Curran's book, CLINKER THE COALMAN'S DOG, and the 2013 NAR Christmas Ornament.
15C is a Set of 2 Mudpups Black & Tan Gift Tags

Just a $5 donation makes you eligible for this drawing!