The Collie Nose

Unfortunately, their high hopes were dashed. No longer able to care for her dog, the owner did not want Bailey returned.

Little did Bailey know, she was in an uncertain predicament because she had been officially abandoned. She was nobody’s dog at the most vulnerable time of her life. The poor old girl’s very existence was in jeopardy.

Maybe it was this very vulnerability that convinced a kind shelter volunteer to take Bailey home. Wanting this deserving collie to have another chance, the volunteer helped Bailey rehydrate and take in some much-needed nourishment. The sweet old girl gained some strength. The kind volunteer contacted Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois, trusting she would find some help.

This is when CRGI stepped up. We promised Bailey a better life. Our partner, Lizzy’s Fund, wanted to help her get well too. We could depend on them for financial support.

Bailey was welcomed into the most loving foster home with Phyllis and Erik, who rolled out the red carpet and began pampering her the minute she arrived.

Bailey’s healing journey was just beginning. She was not only painfully thin, but X-rays showed she’d suffered a significant injury in her past. Broken ribs hadn’t been given medical intervention and they had been left to heal on their own. The old girl’s X-rays indicated she had lived a past filled with neglect. Her injuries had been incredibly painful. But Bailey’s past did not diminish her sweet temperament and she never lost that collie spirit.

It isn’t unusual for one of our senior intakes to be in dire need of dental care, and Bailey was no exception. But her case was especially difficult due to the extent of decay requiring many extractions. In fact, so many teeth needed removal that the procedure needed to be accomplished in an atypical two-part procedure.

Bailey was a trooper. With only a very few teeth remaining, she continues to thrive and thankfully looks forward to each and every meal.

“The old dog had accepted her impending fate.”

Even though Bailey had not known the kind of love most of our pets have been lucky enough to know, Bailey’s gentle collie nature persisted. She was so grateful and showed her fosterers her appreciation every day.

Bailey needed lots of tender loving care before she’d be ready to find her forever home, but she was in the right place. She won Phyllis and Erik over. Bailey’s wonderful fosterers offered her a pampered forever home. She’ll live out her golden years with the people she has grown to love and trust. The feeling is mutual. Bailey is loved lots right back and she’s making up for lost time.

No longer wondering if she’d need to scavenge for her next meal along a roadside, Bailey now eats scheduled meals consisting of specially prepared softened food. She’s been given a cozy warm bed, slow and easy walks, and all the affection any dog could ever dream of. AND, when the storms roll through, Phyllis holds Bailey close, giving her reassuring comfort.

CRGI is happy we were her salvation and so thankful for Phyllis and Erik, her amazing adopters.

There are always those dogs whose stories catch our attention. Their tales tug at our hearts just a little bit more. Their rescuers are often just ordinary people, who become heroes in our eyes once they’ve gone the extra distance.

Every senior collie Lizzy’s Fund has helped shares a special story. But Bailey’s is truly one feel-good story that has an amazingly “happily ever after” ending. AND all this good happened for one old collie because a few kindhearted teenagers did not turn a blind eye.

Phyllis and Erik were among the CRGI senior dog rescuers recognized at the picnic this year by Lizzy’s Fund.

Phyllis shared the touching letter she sent to the young person who saved Bailey. By chance, Phyllis made a connection with one of the good Samaritans named Annie through her proud grandmother on social media. Phyllis needed to send the young girl an update. Phyllis’s words in that letter are so heartfelt and a reminder that there are kind people out there. Phyllis’s letter is too sweet not to share.

July 7, 2026

Dear Annie,

I am the adopter of Bailey, the dog whose life you saved last November. My partner Erik and I took her in as a foster about a week or so after you found her. She had a really hard time for a while, but she is doing so well now that she’s a different dog. The only thing that hasn’t changed is how sweet she is.

After you lifted her into your car because she was too ill and exhausted to stand, her whole life improved. When she arrived at the shelter the next morning (and I know you were all worried she might not survive the night), they took her straight to the emergency room. Here she spent 36 hours being treated for starvation and dehydration, among other things. A member of the board of directors at the shelter then took Bailey to her home for the legally required stray hold period, even though you found out that her “owners” did not want her back. She was then transported to Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois. Our previous collie, who we found through the same rescue group, had died in August and it was the first time since 1984 that I did not have any pets in the house, and I hated that. They knew we were looking for another small, senior collie. They sneakily asked if we’d foster her. Of course we would!

“Some people say teenagers are selfish, but you and your friends prove otherwise.”

Bailey arrived the weekend before Thanksgiving.

The volunteers, Laura and James, who delivered Bailey to our home parked and let her out while we sat waiting for her on the porch steps. They dropped the leash, we called her, and she came running to us. I knew we would be adopting her. I cried happy tears and Laura cried with me. She could see that there was a good chance we’d be keeping her. Laura has become a friend.

Bailey was a physical mess. I’m not sure how much money the rescue group spent on her, but they had help from a different non-profit geared towards medical costs for seniors. I’m guessing that they spent almost $4,000 on her, at discounted rescue prices. She had two dental surgeries: they pulled 11 teeth from the right side of her mouth, and 16 from the left! Yes, they pulled 27 teeth! She now associates the car with post-op pain and it’s hard work to get her acclimated to the car again, but it turns out that going out for ice cream is the best possible medicine. Unfortunately, she’s not done… she went into heat in April, and to avoid pyometra, she was spayed.

Because the rescue has paid for all her medical bills, I can get her other things that help: a big smooshy bed, a coat (when she weighed only 39 lbs., but she hated it and refused to walk in it), glucosamine for her arthritis and probiotics for her coat, a Thundershirt, a fancy velvet collar, a vagus nerve stimulator to help with her horrendous fear of thunderstorms. She is more afraid of thunderstorms than any dog I’ve ever had: she gets so scared she emits this really foul odor, drools, paces, and tries to get into my lap. The trazodone really helps. She’s getting better, although slowly.

She does not like being outside alone, and races in and out to do her business. At night I usually go out with her with a flashlight because apparently something out there scared her once. She loves short walks; bits of Erik’s salmon, eggs, and other food; all dogs and people; belly rubs, of course; morning snuggles in our bed; visitors; and so on. Erik is trying to teach her to catch treats he throws for her. Not working out great, but she makes a good effort. She weighs a healthy, beautiful 49 lbs. I am retired and home all day, so she is rarely alone.

Did I mention her full name is Bailey Baby Beep Beep? I made up a song from her name and sing it to her all the time.

Friends tell me that she looks like a different dog from the time she arrived; her body condition is perfect, she has a lovely coat, her eyes aren’t excessively goopy anymore (eye drops twice a day), and she displays an absolute spark and joy for life. Okay, she’s around 10, she sleeps a lot, but you know what I mean! I cover her head with kisses every day. Bailey is the sole object of our attention.

And all this happened, all this happiness on her end and ours, thanks to you. I cannot tell you how grateful we are to you, how much we love her, how much she has improved our lives, and—obviously—how much her life has improved. All because you decided to pull over and see what was happening. The idea that you and two other 16-year-olds skipped shopping and a meal out to take care of a miserable, dying stray dog on a cold night brings me to tears. Some people say teenagers are selfish, but you and your friends prove otherwise.

The photo was taken on her official adoption day in late March, but really, we adopted her the day she arrived. She is so sweet and trusting, and I love her beyond measure.

You will be in my heart forever, Annie, and I will always be grateful for your kindness and willingness to act. This act of generosity for another living being defines you, I believe, as a good person, and you will always be one. I like to imagine what a strong, positive impact you will have on the world.

Thank you for everything!

Phyllis

This December, we're telling that story together, in a house.

On December 1, Giving Tuesday, the Collie House opens its doors on our website. It's a tall paper house on a snowy night, with candles glowing on the steps, a memorial tree in the yard with an angel on top, and twelve little doors stacked up its front like an advent calendar. Behind each door waits a collie from our rescue family, but not quite as you know them. They are toys: plush, button-nosed, sitting very still with a red bow, waiting.

“None of them were made Real. It happened to them, one walk and one evening and one head in your lap at a time.”

DA

Each of those twelve families has given a gift to lead the way. The rest is up to us. Every gift to a door helps match that family's gift, and every gift puts a star in the night sky over the house. As the stars gather, the toy begins to stir. When friends have matched the family's gift, the nursery magic happens: the toy becomes the real dog, right there in the doorway, and their little film plays.

DA

One door opens each day from December 6 to December 17, so there's a new collie to meet nearly every morning. And no one is left waiting in the cold. On Christmas Eve, with the help of our Christmas Angel, every collie in the house comes home.

There's room in the house for everyone. Light a candle on the porch in memory or in honor of someone you love. Hang an ornament on the memorial tree for a collie waiting at the Rainbow Bridge, painted from your own photo as a glass portrait or a tiny plush. Hang a stocking on the mantel for someone special, and they'll receive an e-card of their stocking, with a toy collie peeking out of the top. Or give your own collie a window on Collie Lane, the snowy street behind the house, where their toy portrait glows in the window. When the lane fills up, the next house opens.

DA

Every mark you leave makes the house a little brighter, and every gift goes to the care of the collies still waiting in our foster homes. Local businesses can join as Toymakers, with a gold star of their own in the sky; visit collierescue.org/collie-house/toymakers if you are a business interested in sponsoring our Collie House.

“Your collie is already Real to you. This Christmas, let's make them Real to everyone.”

Would you like your collie behind one of the doors? Entries open November 2 and close November 16 at collierescue.org/collie-house/enter.

DA

You'll share a couple of photos, pick the story that fits your collie (Loved into Real, It Takes a Long Time, Left Out in the Cold, Loved Off, Christmas Morning, or your own words), and give $50 or more to lead the way. The ten largest gifts become doors, and two more go to collies with a big cheering section. Every other collie entered gets a window on Collie Lane, so every dog who enters is part of the house. And you'll never owe more than your gift.

Near the end of the book, the little rabbit is worn and forgotten at the bottom of the garden, until a Fairy finds him. "You were Real to the Boy," she says, "because he loved you. Now you shall be Real to every one."

Your collie is already Real to you. This Christmas, let's make them Real to everyone. We'll see you at the Collie House on December 1.

And kudos to our online navigator "AI GaiL" for keeping us in the know with updates as the day approached and even on the day. Actually it’s John Juris who was the mastermind behind the Picnic Hub. We have him to thank for making all communication, ticket ordering, and merchandise purchasing so efficient, not to mention John’s fun Bingo. Those custom tee shirts were the best souvenirs ever! It was fun seeing everyone’s dogs displayed on the front of their shirts. Caroline Lewis, who organized past picnics with Tina Kiselka, Founder and President, for 25 years, attended again this year. Caroline had a great time and gave the event her two thumbs up — and that is high praise!

Did we mention that thanks to John Juris the event was streamed for folks who couldn't attend? Nothing like technology we guess! But it’s always humans who champion the day. Big thank-yous are in order:

Thanks to the CRGI Board, Tina, Ewa, John, Maureen, Tracy, and Sandy for all the planning and behind-the-scenes work it takes to make one very special day.

Thanks to those who arrived early in the damp drizzle to meet John Juris and help with setting up — you made the day.

“But has the rain ever stopped the fun? Of course not!”

Thanks to Sandy Prisby, our treasurer, for running the registration tent and welcoming everyone with her sunshiny smile.

Thanks to Sue Juris, a.k.a. “THE Raffle Queen” — thank you for not only organizing the raffle table, but bringing some amazing prizes!

Thanks to everyone who donated to the raffle. We had some outstanding baskets and items this year. Our volunteers are SO wonderful! We’ll add that the creativity award was given to Mary and Herman Zwirn for their “trash or treasure?” garbage can. It was complete with a very ripe banana peel hanging from the lid. Naturally the trash can was full of treasures!

Thanks to Maureen Joyce for being the face of CRGI and welcoming everyone. She also did a bang-up job presenting the partnership award to Lizzy's Fund's Ted and Bernie Slupik — Maureen explained how important it is to get our collies in good physical shape in order to get them adopted, especially the seniors. Lizzy's Fund helps us with this. As CRGI’s adoption coordinator, Maureen appreciates their partnership.

Thanks to Jason and Brandi Hansas and their daughter for helping set up beforehand and staying afterwards to help clean up.

Thanks to Kailey for helping run the hot dog dunk — she's got it down to a science. She and her sister have been helping run that contest since they were knee-high to a grasshopper.

Thanks to Robin Meek for handling the delivery and set up of the sound system.

Thanks to the many volunteers who signed up to help run the event smoothly.

Thanks to Karla Paschon, our fantastic volunteer and great dog trainer, for judging the Twins and Triplets contest. AND of course she judged the Best Trick contest.

Thanks to Ted Slupik for presenting the Lassie Look Alike winner with a trophy and ribbons. Ted’s judging was based not only on the collie that looked the most like the famous movie star, but he also looked for the collie whose character best captured Lassie’s spirit.

“Those custom tee shirts were the best souvenirs ever!”

Thanks to Thom Higgins who beautifully captured the day from behind the lens of his camera. Pictures will always tell a thousand words and forever keep our cherished memories. Enjoy those images in this edition!

Thanks to the most popular volunteers at the picnic — Maureen Joyce, Nancy McLennand and Jason Hansas — we all appreciated their supervision of the food tables. They kept all the yummy stuff well stocked and kept the line moving.

Thanks to those who brought a dish to share — we thank you! Whether picnickers chose Italian or Mexican, the food was as always outstanding and the homemade side dishes and desserts added to our delicious feast.

Thanks to Dawn Higgins. She and Thom were last year’s 1st time ever winner of the Naughty Collie Award. It seemed only fitting she be this year’s judge of the "Naughty Collie Award.” Some funny and entertaining stories were entered. But, Tracy Wonderly’s naughty collie tale featuring her fostered dog, Murray, took the cake — or should we say, "took the cookie?" Dawn read Tracy’s winning submission describing her cookie thief’s sneaky kitchen escapade. Dawn presented Tracy, via streaming, the Cookie Monster Award. Read Tracy’s cute story in this issue.

Thanks to Gail Diedrichsen for organizing the contests and supplying all the prizes, ribbons, and awards. The real Gail (not the AI one) was the emcee and kept each event rollin’ along with John Juris keeping her focused on the schedule. That was not an easy task!

Thanks to everyone who stayed until the bitter end to pack up the leftovers and help clean up — THANK YOU! This is the least glamorous job, but it’s one that needs to be done. A shoutout to Jason who kindly hauled the garbage down to the dumpster on his way out.

And to everyone who braved the rain and went home with wet collies — THANKS! We all gathered to celebrate our collies and we came from every direction. Some of us traveled from as far away as Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and of course from every corner of Illinois.

Last, but not least, thanks to Nancy McLennand. Every year Nancy gathers up all the serving utensils once everyone has had their fill. She takes them home, washes them, packs them up, and brings them back the following year.

We couldn't ask for much more...except maybe next year a little more sunshine!

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