Dog needs eye op

By MEGAN GILLIS, The Ottawa Sun, Thursday, July 19, 2007

Allistair can barely see but you can feel the hurt in his big, brown eyes.

"You see that look in his eyes: What did I do wrong?" said Jennifer Montague of the SPCA of Western Quebec, who is raising money to pay for expensive eye surgery for the abandoned pup.

"He is so distraught."

The 11-month-old Gordon Setter was born with an eye disorder -- likely the result of irresponsible breeders at a puppy mill -- that will cost about $2,400 to fix. Until then, his eyes ooze and cloud his vision and he can't find a new home.

HEALTHY DOG
But he's an otherwise healthy dog who will make a wonderful family pet for anyone who doesn't mind a little drool.

"He is a gentle giant," Montague said. "Very tall, very sleek, very long-legged. He tries to get on your lap. He kisses you. You'd think he was a Pomeranian -- he just wants to be held."

Shelter workers are determined to raise the money to pay for Allistair's surgery, however long it takes.

He has captured their hearts, Montague said.

"Not a lot of dogs do that," she said. "He is special."

To help Allistair, call the Alta Vista Animal Hospital at 613-731-9911 or the SPCA of Western Quebec at 819-770-7722.

Help for poor Allistair

By DONNA CASEY, Sun Media, Saturday, July 21, 2007

Dozens of Ottawa dog lovers have come to the rescue of an abandoned pup needing surgery for a rare eye condition.

Since the Sun told readers of Allistair's plight earlier this week, donations have flooded into a local animal hospital for the 11-month-old Gordon Setter dog, who needs expensive eye surgery.

"If Allistair could thank everyone, he'd whip his tongue right across their face," said Jennifer Montague of the SPCA of Western Quebec, where the pooch has been sheltered.

Over two days, dozens of people dropped off cheques totalling $1,600 to the Alta Vista Animal Hospital to give the pooch a chance to see clearly again.

In a few weeks, an opthamologist will examine Allistair and perform the operation, animal hospital director Steve Sidoli.

Shelter workers hope to hook up the pooch with a happy, caring home before the surgery to cure his case of bilateral entropia -- a genetic defect that's likely the result of breeding in a puppy mill.

A Sight for Setter's Eyes

By MEGAN GILLIS, Sun Media, Thursday, August 30, 2007

Generous Sun readers are the best friends of this abandoned pooch.

Allistair, an 11-month-old Gordon setter, can see again after donations poured in to pay for expensive eye surgery, which was performed Tuesday at the Alta Vista Animal Hospital.

"He's in discomfort and he has some stitches in his eyes but he's going to be okay," said Jennifer Montague of the SPCA of Western Quebec.

He's even got his natural exuberance back, she said. The pooch, who is happily settled in a new adoptive home, is determined to ditch the collar he's wearing to keep him from disturbing his stitches.

"Allistair is quite the handful," Montague laughed. "He's a big, big puppy. He's going to spend the next 10 days trying to take it off."

After a story about Allistair appeared in the Sun, donations from dog lovers poured into the animal hospital totalling $1,600. Two generous people donated $500 each, Montague said.

It's made Montague feel like the shelter can rescue more dogs with serious, but treatable, problems who would otherwise be euthanized at other shelters. The SPCA of Western Quebec is a "no-kill" shelter.

Allistair needed surgery for bilateral entropia, a genetic defect that's likely the result of breeding in a puppy mill.

"We have a lot of animals with serious problems," Montague said. "We feel like we can keep saving these dogs, they won't have to be euthanized for something that is fixable.

"It makes us feel great."

Our thanks to the Ottawa Sun for these stories.