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11/14/25 Jackie picked up Jack and brought him to The Pet Hospitals-Poplar @ Massey, 18 S. Byhalia Rd, Collierville, TN 38017, (901) 457-2995
Neuter and microchip scheduled for 11/17/25.
Notes from Mary:
Applicant(s): Shari and John CageInterview Date: 11/07/2025
Status: Move to Home Visit
Notes: Both John and Shari participated in the call. It was very clearly talking to them about their previous and current dogs that they dearly love them and that they are treated very well. This was definitely backed up by both their references. Shari shared many fond memories of her, and her and John’s, past dogs. Their current dog, Tillie, is a 16 YO wire-haired dachshund.
The Cages live in a rural NC subdivision not far from a lake, with lots of wooded areas. They themselves have about a ¾ acre lot, with about ¼ acre of it fenced; the rest is mostly woods. The vet is conveniently located just a few minutes away at the entrance to their subdivision.
Shari’s family had an Airedale Terrier when she was a child. She doesn’t remember how she passed. Since then she’s had a Malumute, a Wire Fox Terrier, a Yorkie. The Wire Fox (Madeline) passed with she was 12 due to in inoperable tumor; she lived about 6-8 months longer than expected. Their more recent dog, Isaboo the Yorkie, also had a tumor, passing in Shari’s arms as they were on the way to the ER. “She was the heartbeat of the house,” Shari told me.
Additionally, their daughter has a 14 YO boxer and a pittie, who do come to visit. Both John and Shari are pretty active. John works from home and Shari is home most days. They plan to have a tracker for the dog, in addition to having the dog chipped, if s/he is not already. Shari is a former dog groomer so is used to handling a variety of different dogs in stressful situations. Shari’s Facebook page has lots of photos of their dogs.
I followed up with Shari when I realized I’d forgotten to ask about kid-friendliness and that the vet didn’t provide info on flea/tick. She responded within minutes and thanked me for “being so thorough! It is good to know how responsible your rescue group is!” It’s nice to be appreciated : ) but it was great to see the quick response and her understanding that we need certain information to make informed decisions, rather than getting impatient at being asked for more information.
Vet Report: Pine Hills Vet Clinic sees their current dog, Tillie the Dachshund mix. Tillie is kept up to date with all vaccines and gets ProHeart 6 for Heartworm; last shot was July 2025. The Cages use Frontline or generic Pet Armor for flea/tick.
References:
Julie Cage:
Good Morning Mary
We have known John & Shari Cage since 2007 we lived across the street from them in St. Louis and they always have had dogs. I worked and trusted Shari with taking care of my pets (2–4) over 18 years. We moved first to North Carolina and they now live nearby and we still watch each others dogs. We have a very large back yard and we let our dogs run and play she walks hers religiously for exercise. She has a fenced in yard and she gives her pups medical care to ensure they have the best lives. Over the years they have volunteered at pet rescues to help animals in need in our community. Hands down she is the best with animals and I trust her with our fur babies too! She has two daughters and they also rescue animals and the family are good people! If you need anything else don’t hesitate to call or reach out … we are not related it is just ironic we have the same last name.Julie Cage
636-357-8386Jessica Cummings:
Good morning, Mary! Thanks for reaching out and for the work that you do ! John and Shari treat their dogs like family absolutely (some would say TOO much like family. But what pup doesn’t need their own doggie plate for birthday parties?) their dogs have been very healthy living through their teen years and getting regular check ups multiple times a year and even more if there is a random lump or bump found. They are very athletic and take their pup on 3 walks a day and are always out in the yard with them gardening or doing yardwork.
I have two dogs that they care for regularly, both of them take daily medications and one has limited mobility due a stroke and they are treated better than royalty ! Sometimes we call it doggie boot camp with all the steps they get (mine have fi collars to track their activity !) they are SO excited when we pull into their driveway !
Shari and I both have volunteered for the animal protective association of Missouri dog walking. We are passionate about rescue dogs and love that there are breed specific organizations such as yours. Shari has a passion for terriers and has an impressive wire fox terrier collection.
They’re the only people we trust to watch our pups. Even after we’ve both moved to different parts of the country, we’ve flown them in to care for our dogs (which might seem extreme but that’s how much we trust them)
They would be a wonderful couple to give an Airedale the life of a king or queen.
Shari also has experience in dog agility, training, and grooming!
They really are top notch !
Please don’t hesitate to reach out for any follow up or specifications 🙂
Dog Requested:
The Cages do not have a specific dog in mind currently. They are looking for a female and would like a dog who is 1-4 years old so they can spend a lot of time walking and being generally active with the dog.
Shari was adamant about not wanting a jumper. She clearly is very worried about the dog being an escape artist or jumping the fence and getting lost, especially as there are a lot of deer in the area and with all the woods, other critters as well.
They also require a dog who gets along with other dogs since there are a lot of dog walkers in the neighborhood and their 16 YO dachshund needs to be safe, as well as not wanting issues with their daughter’s boxer and pittie. And although there are no grandchildren in the future, they would like a dog okay with kids since there are some in the area.
It’s very important that the dog is the right fit for their family and the Cages understand that sometimes it takes a bit of time to find that right dog.
11/6/25
Hello. Sarah and I had a session with Rudy today. All I can say is wow! You can tell he is feeling so much better. He was spunkier and more playful. The medicine is really working well for him. It was heartwarming to see this side of him.
We taught him how to Come When Called by using a clicker. That way he can follow our voices as well as the distinct, clear sound of the clicker. Once he caught on, he did a good job. He did get bored with it after a while so we went inside.
The next thing we taught him was Place. We lured him with the treat to get on his bed. Once he had all four paws in the spot, he was rewarded. He caught on to this quickly. He even started offering a Sit and the eventually a Down on his own. Sarah and I were so proud of him.
It is an absolute pleasure working with him and he is a fast learner. He thrives off of it. Sarah has been doing an outstanding job reinforcing and practicing all the cues we taught Rudy.
All the best,
TriciaPatricia Hall, ABCDT, CPDT-KA
Bone-A-Fide Dog Training, LLC
http://www.bone-a-fide-dog-training.com
706-248-DOGS (3647)Chris Fischer
Wed, Oct 29, 9:39 AM (4 days ago)
to me, Madeleine, ARG, Christina, Jo-AnneShe looks sweet! We are really excited!
On Wed, Oct 29, 2025, 8:37 AM Pat Hairston
Hello Madeleine,We have a foster willing to hold onto Mavis until a transport on 11/15.
She is a little timid. But she warmed up with the family that pulled her for us.
Pat Hairston
Via iPhoneOn Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 8:40 PM Madeleine Leith-Fischer
We would be happy to meet somewhere too. They wouldn’t need to transport all the way.
From: Pat Hairston
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2025 8:38 PM
To: Madeleine Leith-Fischer
Cc: ARG Team
Subject: Re: Mavis- 8/9 month old female Airedale spayedMadeleine,
Wonderful!! Congratulations.
Let me check with the foster to see if they are ok to hold her . The best opportunity we have is for a transport on weekends. More volunteers are available. So, looking at 11/15. Marietta GA to Pawley’s Island is 6 hours.
So we need a few helpers.We’ll be back in touch.
Pat Hairston
Via iPhoneOn Mon, Oct 27, 2025 at 7:10 PM Madeleine Leith-Fischer
We would like to adopted her and are very excited! Please let us know what the process is going forward. I am going to be out of town 11/5 to 11/10 so trying to figure out how that all will work since I will be taking care of her during the day. Thank you,Madeleine Fischer
From: ARG Team
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2025 12:12 PM
To: madilf@hotmail.com
Cc: Christina Prange
Subject: Mavis- 8/9 month old female Airedale spayedMadeleine and Chris,
A couple pulled a 8-9 month old female Airedale from Carrol County shelter in GA. She is sweet, still has some puppy in her. We have no idea how she is with cats, but being young, she might be ok. She is spayed, microchipped, dewormed, and vaccinated with basics. The photos are sent via FB Messenger are not the best. Foster mom said this morning “She did great. She is so playful and loving. We haven’t had any accidents in the house. We crated her last night when we went out, and she was fine being crated. She’s definitely a puppy with lots of energy and wants to play.”
Please let me know as by Wednesday, 10/29/25, if you would like to adopt her. If not we will move on to ask another approved adopter.
Pat Hairston
Airedale Rescue Group10/30/25 contacted about Dixie, but still had a nephew living with them and did not want to bring a new dog into the home with him there.
11/2/25: after mutiple communciations by email and phone messages with no response, ARG will wait to hear from this applicant
10/26/25 with Joyce Chandler
10/27/25 from Joyce “ Frances is doing very well. He has zero interest in cats. He has been very tolerant of other dogs sniffing his butt. Peed and pooped this morning. Did not eat last night and apparently I don’t have the correct kind of treats. He takes them very politely and lays them on the floor.”
Mavis- 8/9 month old female Airedale spayed
ARG Team
10/27/25 12:12 PM (0 minutes ago)
to madilf, cfischer1130, Christina, Jo-AnneMadeleine and Chris,
A couple pulled a 8-9 month old female Airedale from Carrol County shelter in GA. She is sweet, still has some puppy in her. We have no idea how she is with cats, but being young, she might be ok. She is spayed, microchipped, dewormed, and vaccinated with basics. The photos are sent via FB Messenger are not the best. Foster mom said this morning “She did great. She is so playful and loving. We haven’t had any accidents in the house. We crated her last night when we went out, and she was fine being crated. She’s definitely a puppy with lots of energy and wants to play.”
Please let me know as by Wednesday, 10/29/25, if you would like to adopt her. If not we will move on to ask another approved adopter.
Pat Hairston
Airedale Rescue Group
http://www.airedalerescuegroup.com
Follow us on Facebook https://Health notes to/from Sarah Hemmings:
Sarah Hemmings
Tue, Oct 21, 8:39 PM (5 days ago)
to me, Christina
Thanks for your reply, Pat! I’ll give you a call to discuss before our next appointment with the Dr. He’s just very bare bones and a super cheap small town vet and tries to avoid unnecessary things to save people money. He was just like, why bother neutering if his hips will kill him before cancer ever did? Hence the hips xray we’ll be going for soon. They do have to sedate him mildly for that because he has to be on his back.Re the house behavior stuff, I still think neutering could be helpful, but unfortunately part of the issue that can’t be helped is that Artie is triggered by rugs, and Rudy needs rugs because he’s afraid of the wood floor. I’ve got like 20 washable nonslip rugs laid everywhere and am washing with an enzyme cleaner.
The vet wasn’t against neutering when we started discussing that and the dynamic with Artie and other dogs. It would give me more options re the dog park because he’s learned the fence there and does well with a few dogs, but he did get attacked today when he tried to hump a mastiff and I couldn’t stop it in time. He’s fine but yeah, the humping is an issue.
I think the vet just wants to see what we can expect from his hips so he can give us his opinion. I you and I can discuss before I go back in there to decide our position.
Thanks,
SarahOn Oct 10, 2025, at 5:52 PM, Pat Hairston
Sarah,You certainly have permission for X-rays. It will be interesting to know what is going on. It is unusual for a vet not to want to neuter. Did Dr. Cown have a reason not to neuter? Age, health concerns? Is the picture bigger than just Rudy?
My question is if he were neutered would that help to curb some of Artie’s aggression (note previous email over him biting you) and Artie’s marking?
I would just like to understand Dr Cown’s reasoning for not neutering. Because if you were not going to keep him (or your parents) we would have to revisit neutering.
Love the image!!
Thanks.
Pat Hairston
Via iPhoneOn Fri, Oct 10, 2025 at 5:20 PM Sarah Hemmings
Hi, Pat,Rudy had his appointment with my vet, Dr Melvin Cown at Athens Animal Hospital. We discussed neutering and Rudy’s back legs, and he referred us for imaging on his hips. He said there’s definitely something wrong there.
He renewed the flea and tick and heart worm medications and even gave us a free month of treatment. Do I have permission to book the X-rays at the partners clinic? I will ask if they give nonprofit discount. Dr Cown only charges $25 for office visit— he’s the cheapest vet I’ve ever had, and so good. They just don’t have an Xray machine in their small clinic.
Re neutering, Dr Cown was skeptical about why it would be necessary and wants to see his hips first to see if that’s more likely to end his life before testicular cancer ever would. We discussed the humping and Artie peeing, but Rudy did well at the dog park with about ten dogs this week, and it’s possible the training could help with that rather than making neutering the solution. I’ll see what he says when we do the follow up after the X-rays. Do you have any considerations re neutering that you want me to mention to him when we discuss the pros and cons further?
Thanks! Enjoy the photo. He basically looks cute in bed no matter what he’s doing, so I’m losing track of what I’ve already sent you, lol!
Sarah
Dog
Fri, Oct 24, 11:35 AM (2 days ago)
to me, SarahGood morning. Sarah and I worked with Rudy yesterday on leash walking. He did a fantastic job and he even made a human friend who thinks her mom might be interested in him. He was ready to jump in her SUV and go.
Rudy learned “Wait” which is two gentle tugs on the leash and he needs to stop. This is helpful when there is a lot of commotion like cars, strollers or bikes and it’s safer for him to stop and let them pass by.
“Be Careful” means heads up, get right by my side immediately. That can be if there is a drop off or hole in the ground, etc. Gently pull the leash toward you to get him near you.
“With Me” means walk by my side (doesn’t have to be proper heel position). We put a treat in front of his nose then hold it at our belly for him to follow the scent. When he walks by our side we reward him.
“”Slow” means don’t walk so fast. That is one gentle tug on the leash.
We will meet again next week to work on more cues. 🐾
Tricia
Patricia Hall, ABCDT, CPDT-KA
Bone-A-Fide Dog Training, LLC
http://www.bone-a-fide-dog-training.com
706-248-DOGS (3647)Training Notes:
Dog
Tue, Sep 30, 11:32 AM
to Sarah, TeamIt was a joy meeting you and working with Rudy. As you can see, my method of training is positive to encourage learning and Rudy did a great job. Pat, in our session, Sarah and I discussed the process and importance of positive training. Rudy learned how to Sit and he learned Touch. Touch is targeting, Rudy checking in with us by coming toward us and putting his nose to the palm of our hand. He physically checks in. Touch is always a positive cue. We never want to get a dog to Touch then reprimand them.
We would like to continue working with him on other cues like Place, Stay, Leave It, Leash Manners and Coming When Called. At least one more session would be very helpful. Ideally, a total of three would be perfect. Typically a dog learns 2-3 cues a lesson.
Also, after assessing Rudy I am not sure he is 10 years old. I’m thinking more along the lines of 7 or 8 years old.
Pat, I will Venmo request you. Would you like me to send you an invoice for your records?
Thank you for this opportunity to work with Rudy. He’s a sweetheart.
All the best,
Patricia Hall, ABCDT, CPDT-KA
Bone-A-Fide Dog Training, LLC
http://www.bone-a-fide-dog-training.com
706-248-DOGS (3647)
