A Real-Life Lassie

This past weekend Elsa & I attended a “meet the breed” gathering put on by the Collie Club of New Hampshire and Collie Rescue League of New England at Pet Quarters in Manchester, NH. The goal of the event was to educate the public on how fabulous Collies truly are! It also gave us members a chance to mingle and talk Collie talk.

I met a lot of Collies during the event, but the most impressive was a real-life Lassie, named Jarrod.

Jarrod was picked out of a litter by his disabled owner, David, to be trained as a service dog. Though Jarrod’s breeder explained to David that her puppies had never been used as service dogs, David was certain that Jarrod would make a reliable, trustworthy companion. He was confident in picking Jarrod, he never expected his new pup would actually save his life. It was a year and a half later in snowy Hampstead NH when David was out on his porch with Jarrod, trying to reach up from his wheelchair to get snow off his roof. All of a sudden Jarrod was pushing David toward the stairs to the extent that David reluctantly went that way. Within seconds, the entire roof, a complete 4,000 pounds, collapsed where David had been sitting.

Jarrod went on to win much praise & awards for his heroism. I was thrilled to have meet both he and David, both were extremely kind and appreciative. My claim to fame? Well Elsa is actually a cousin of Jarrod’s! I am very proud to be the owner of a nearly-famous young Collie. Maybe someday her inner Lassie will come out as well!