We found the most wonderful dog, Kallie, through the Southwest Airedale rescue group, and I can't thank Rusty LaFrance enough for all the info she provided when I first inquired about Airedales after finding the group's web site. My husband and I had decided we wanted a full-grown dog and not a puppy because we both work and don't have the time to do the 'puppy thing' especially after reading about the energy that Airedales have! I had always liked the looks the Airedales but didn't know anything about the breed, so I read all the info in the web site and decided to contact the Nevada coordinator, which turned out to be Rusty.

Rusty and I emailed back and forth for about a month and had narrowed our selection to a 7-year-old female in Las Vegas. She had been found wandering on the street and was caught and turned over to the rescue group. We filled out the adoption questionnaire, and we picked up our new girl in March! She was hyper as all get-out with all the dogs that were at Rusty's, but she has settled in so nicely and relaxed since she knows she's got a good home and she's loved.

Kallie wants to be where we are, loves her toys, and gets so excited when we say the word 'walk.' She came to us crate trained and with basic obedience (sit, lay down, stay). And she knew how to shake for her treats and was pretty good on the leash. Kallie loves to be brushed and stands perfectly still in the tub for her bath!

After about 2 months of having her, she had a case of gastric torsion and we rushed her to the vet, who did an emergency procedure and got her stomach flipped back into position. They x-rayed her stomach, naturally, and when the vet called us, he asked, 'Are you missing a watch'? We thought we must have lost a watch while at the vet's office, but as it turns out, there was one in her stomach!! We had ourselves a bona fide watch dog! She had it surgically removed a week later and apparently it had been in there for quite some time. I was in contact with Rusty through this whole ordeal, and she was so supportive and full of information. I hadn't owned a dog in 30 years and had never even heard of gastric torsion!

Kallie is doing very well after her surgery and they were able to tack her tummy to the rib wall to help prevent this from happening again.

This is a great organization, and you won't be disappointed if you get a dog from them! We now have a new 'Aunt Rusty' as she calls herself.

We love our Kallie Girl!