Tag: Cairn Terrier

Running a rescue takes a lot of dedication and organization to boot, but that key factor to many rescues is networking. If any organization is serious about saving animal lives, they’ll tell you that you have to constantly be meeting people and finding the really dependable ones. That’s what one rescue depends on and has built itself into a national, all-volunteer, breed-specific organization. It’s all started with a little Cairn Terrier named Colonel Potter. Read his story and more about the organization he inspired in the BestBullySticks Rescue Spotlight on the Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network.

When & Why did you start?

Col. Potter began as the result of ONE little Cairn boy (named Col. Potter) who was tragically killed. As donations in his honor began to come in from Cairn club members  – so many wanted to help – the process began so that the organization was formed and became a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) in October 2001. Since that time, over 3,500 Cairns or mostly Cairn mixes have been rescued and brought into CPCRN (Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network). Many of the dogs that we have helped have been what is considered to be "non-regular" Cairn rescues—those from puppy mills (the breeding dogs) and those who are purchased at auction. We also handle those with some health issues and the elderly. Several have had Heartworm and were treated for this. Some have had some behavioral issues, and are now great little pals in private homes.

What's different about your rescue?

Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network is truly a network of volunteers. We have 600+ members and 200+ active volunteers. We do not have a facility. We were the first non-shelter, all volunteer national online rescue group working across the U.S. and Canada. Our volunteers donate their time, homes, hearts, and money so that CPCRN can be the great organization it is. We are the largest single breed rescue and do not receive any corporate funding. All volunteers, including our Board of Directors and Officers, are unpaid. We have teams for all aspects of the rescue and adoption process: Communications; Home Visit; Foster Home; Match Maker (yes, that is right – matching the right home for the right Cairn); Contracts; Transport; Promotion/Fundraising; Medical; and the first stop for a rescue Cairn, the Intakes Team. Read more

If ever there were a dog trapped in the wrong body, it would be the Cairn Terrier. BestBullySticks.com is amazed at how such a lively, energetic being could be such a small creature! Read more about the Cairn Terrier in the BBS Breed Spotlight!

History & Background: Originating in the islands and highlands of Scotland, the Cairn Terrier was once grouped into the Skye Terrier family that included breeds such as the West Highland White Terrier, Scottish Terrier and Skye Terrier. These dogs were bred as working dogs, to chase and corner otters, foxes and other critters. This terrier was even named after the work that it did; chasing animals into “cairns,” which were piles of rock serving as memorials, but small creatures used them as dens.

By the end of the 19th century, Scottish Terrier breeders started breeding separate lines of the Skye Terrier family. There was some confusion at confirmation showings among differentiations between “Short-haired Skyes.” So, “Cairn Terrier of Skye” was suggested, then later shortened to simply “Cairn Terrier.” The AKC recognized this breed in 1913. This breed has also had quite a career in movies and literature. The most notable Cairn in media might be the dog of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Though Baum didn’t specify Toto as a Cairn, the book’s illustrator drew him as one, and a Cairn named Terry was cast as Toto in the film adaptation. A Cairn was also Little Ricky’s dog in I Love Lucy.   

Height: 9 to 13 inches. The Cairn’s height—being low to the ground—differs from other terriers and gives the dog a distinctive looked called “Cairishness.”

Weight: 13 to 18 pounds

Coat: This terrier has a double coat that is highly weather resistant. Cairns have hard and dense outer coats and soft, short and furry undercoats. This dog has bushy eyebrows and a furry tail. Read more