My name is Sparky and I am a young lad of 2-3 years old. I just love human attention with lots of pats and I’d be happy to roll on my back for you if you promise me a belly rub! I am a very small, very sweet boy, only 10lbs, but would like to be the only pet in the house ideally, as I have been told I have a ‘high prey drive’. I like children over 10 years though! I am a healthy young smooth coat male with a strong impulse to bond with people. I was a stray in Kentucky and I was forced to scavenge for myself in trying circumstances for months! Despite this experience, my love and trust for humans has never wavered. I am a handsome cuddly dog, slowly unlearning my hypersensitivity to bicycles and fear of strange dogs. It will take a little time to teach me what it is OK to chase and what is not, and to trust I am safe, finally. I will thrive with lots of exercise, running freely or playing a wild game with a squeaky toy. I am learning to walk on lead and sit on command, and am crate trained and housebroken. I must be carefully introduced to dogs because I am still not sure if they will hurt me or not. I am a happy little guy who loves my squeaky toys and playing and loving with my humans! I am on grain-free food so please keep that up if you think I could put some Spark into your life!
For more information on Sparky and/or Jack Russell Terrier Rescue Ontario, please visit www.russellrescue.org or email adoptions@russellrescue.org
Jack Russell Terrier Rescue Ontario (JRTRO) is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding new homes for displaced Jack Russell Terriers. The rescue helps dogs who are in shelters and take owner surrenders. A focus is also placed on educational activities for the public about the breed and its temperament, characteristics and handling. All JRT’s are spayed or neutered prior to being adopted.
Toronto resident Jocelyn Dollack, founder of JRTRO can typically be found holding fundraising raffles at flyball tournaments (in between runs with her own dog), meeting and assessing JRT’s who have been abandoned at animals shelters, or manning the JRT Rescue hotline educating people about the breed, interviewing prospective adopters or offering others sound behavioural and training advice. “Jack Russell Terriers have become very popular over the last decade which is not always a good thing. Some people think that because they fairly small in stature that they are lap type dogs and do not require much exercise or training. Some people are under the impression that all JRT’s are ‘just like Eddie on the show ‘Frasier’. JRT’s were originally bred for hunting and are high energy, active dogs that require exercise, training, stimulation along with a good deal of human attention and interaction” says Dollack.
Many Jack Russell Terriers come into the care of rescue because their previous owners were not prepared for this tenacious little terrier. It is important to research any breed or breed mix of dog prior to considering adoption. JRT’s like Eddie (Frazier), Wishbone (PBS children’s show) and Milo (The Mask) were not born ‘trained’ to do the things they do. Countless hours of socializing and training (often years of) are required before a dog is prepared for TV or any type of performance work.
Jack Russell Terrier Rescue Ontario currently has many dogs in foster homes awaiting permanent placement and numerous other JRT’s in shelters waiting to go into the foster care program. Dollack says “we are in desperate need of people to foster dogs for our organization. We cover all veterinary expenses and are looking for people who have dog experience, have time to spend training and caring for a dog, preferably homes with a fenced yard, without young toddlers or cats. If our foster parents would like to join an obedience class, we will cover that expense as well”.
