Photo above is from our very first Scottie meeting, 2001
History of the Scottie group in Canberra Written in 2005, with some later edits.
Canberra Scotties is a group of people who are owned by Scotties. We like to show off our beautiful dogs, rather than show them. We act as a support group for each other and provide an opportunity for our dogs, most of whom are single Scotties, to socialise with others of their breed.
But how and when did the group come to be? Canberra is still small enough to be the sort of place where, when someone says “I know someone with a Scottie” the chances are you do too. For some time I had been hearing of a lady who ran a group (now known as PAWS – Pets are Wonderful Support) to look after those pets whose owners are unable, because of age or illness, to do so themselves. This person was regularly seen in the company of a Scottie, and we kept running into each other at functions where dogs were permitted. This was Jan Phillips, and at one function, we both mentioned the possibility of a social group for Scottie people. We exchanged addresses, worked out which Scotties we knew and let the local groomers and vets know our details in case they knew of others.
The first gathering of the group was held in December 2001. There were about 12 Scotties there, and remarkably, they all lined up for a photo. Email addresses and phone numbers were collected and a contact list and email list established. From the first meeting it was obvious that this group had a future. People were happy to keep doing things together and Jan (who was always the one with ideas of ways to participate) took on the role of convenor. I volunteered to co-ordinate the email list. We decided to call ourselves the Canberra Scottie Club. We also decided to undertake Scottie Rescue.
Our first big outing was to Brigadoon at Bundanoon the following April. It was a huge success. We hired a tent, had a stall, took part in the grand parade and raised quite a bit of money for the local RSPCA. The most popular activity was “Have your photo taken with a Scottie”, in which people paid a gold coin to take a picture with their own camera! Everyone had a ball, and most of the Scotties slept very soundly on the way home. Sadly Jan’s Jamie, who had been battling cancer, died the following week.
Other events followed, including the annual Million Paws Walk and the RSPCA Christmas Party and Open Days, where we regularly run the Dog Café and make a mean Doggacino (and homemade dog biscuits, of course!) We have become a fixture at Bundanoon, where our tent is full of Scottie things and our Scotties proudly wear their Canberra tartan bandannas as they prance behind the bands in the parade and soak up the attention. We took part in the Celtic Crossroads where the dogs and our new Scottie Club T-shirts were the brightest part of a rain-soaked evening. But we did make $900 for the RSPCA – people will buy when they’re bored and wet and an appealing pair of dark eyes gaze soulfully at them. (Nothing does that as well as a Scottie!).
We have been contacted in our capacity of Scottie Rescue and have placed 4 dogs. Jan and Zoe found each other only a short time after Jamie’s death, whilst Jock, another PAWS dog with a big personality, went to Jan’s sister Judy in Sydney. We were notified belatedly of another Scottie at the Pound, but by the time we had heard about it, he had been placed. A number of STC members are also part of our group. This is how the STC Rescue placed the beautiful Monty with Judy after Jock died.
Since its inception, the group has continued to meet throughout the year. Now renamed “Canberra Scotties”, we include people from the surrounding region as well as Canberra. We have people who travel from Sydney, Wollongong area, Goulburn and the Coast for meetings and other activities. Our contact list numbers about 24 (2005) (now in 2020 = well over 100!) and we often get 15 or more Scotties to our events. Visitors (human and dog) are always welcomed.
Our members have found friendship and support in times of animal and human trouble. When Jan was evacuated during the 2003 firestorm, she knew she and her animals would be welcome at the home of another member. We have mourned the passing of several of our Scotties (vale Jack, Jamie, Jock, Ecosse, Angus and Zoë-With-The-Floppy-Ear), and farewelled Fraser and his family, who have moved to the South Coast. We have welcomed several new pups to our members (Sadie, Harry, and Fidget) and now the brand-new Murray and his humans. Jan, who has recently had a career change and is training to be a celebrant, held a moving naming ceremony for Fidget and Harry, and recently, a 12th birthday for Zoe at our last, rain-soaked meeting. We exchange information on grooming, products, health issues and dog boarding. Generous people have donated their time to help us groom and learn more about our wonderful breed.
Our human members come from many stages and walks of life. We have children who mix happily with the adults and are always happy to hold someone’s lead, teenagers who forget about being bored and cool when in the company of Scotties and older people who like the company of people and dogs. We include people who have lived with Scotties for many years and those who are discovering the delights of their first one. We have those who come to every event and those who appear occasionally. Most of us, like our pets, enjoy good food and our meetings usually bring homemade goodies and good wine, and will usually feature some of Alan’s home-grown produce (love those raspberries!). Our members are generous of spirit and pocket, supporting each other and others when needed, and welcoming newcomers and visitors with warmth. We have been delighted to meet members of the STC who have visited and shared their time and knowledge with us.
We are always on the lookout for new places to visit and things we can share with our hairy friends. We love showing off our Scotties, wearing our Scottie tshirts, and raising awareness of this special breed. If anyone would like to contact us, please email me (Eileen) at: [email protected] or [email protected] . If you place a dog with anyone from the Canberra region, please let them know that we are here if they wish to join us.
Eileen, 2005
Canberra Scotties is a group of people who are owned by Scotties. We like to show off our beautiful dogs, rather than show them. We act as a support group for each other and provide an opportunity for our dogs, most of whom are single Scotties, to socialise with others of their breed.
But how and when did the group come to be? Canberra is still small enough to be the sort of place where, when someone says “I know someone with a Scottie” the chances are you do too. For some time I had been hearing of a lady who ran a group (now known as PAWS – Pets are Wonderful Support) to look after those pets whose owners are unable, because of age or illness, to do so themselves. This person was regularly seen in the company of a Scottie, and we kept running into each other at functions where dogs were permitted. This was Jan Phillips, and at one function, we both mentioned the possibility of a social group for Scottie people. We exchanged addresses, worked out which Scotties we knew and let the local groomers and vets know our details in case they knew of others.
The first gathering of the group was held in December 2001. There were about 12 Scotties there, and remarkably, they all lined up for a photo. Email addresses and phone numbers were collected and a contact list and email list established. From the first meeting it was obvious that this group had a future. People were happy to keep doing things together and Jan (who was always the one with ideas of ways to participate) took on the role of convenor. I volunteered to co-ordinate the email list. We decided to call ourselves the Canberra Scottie Club. We also decided to undertake Scottie Rescue.
Our first big outing was to Brigadoon at Bundanoon the following April. It was a huge success. We hired a tent, had a stall, took part in the grand parade and raised quite a bit of money for the local RSPCA. The most popular activity was “Have your photo taken with a Scottie”, in which people paid a gold coin to take a picture with their own camera! Everyone had a ball, and most of the Scotties slept very soundly on the way home. Sadly Jan’s Jamie, who had been battling cancer, died the following week.
Other events followed, including the annual Million Paws Walk and the RSPCA Christmas Party and Open Days, where we regularly run the Dog Café and make a mean Doggacino (and homemade dog biscuits, of course!) We have become a fixture at Bundanoon, where our tent is full of Scottie things and our Scotties proudly wear their Canberra tartan bandannas as they prance behind the bands in the parade and soak up the attention. We took part in the Celtic Crossroads where the dogs and our new Scottie Club T-shirts were the brightest part of a rain-soaked evening. But we did make $900 for the RSPCA – people will buy when they’re bored and wet and an appealing pair of dark eyes gaze soulfully at them. (Nothing does that as well as a Scottie!).
We have been contacted in our capacity of Scottie Rescue and have placed 4 dogs. Jan and Zoe found each other only a short time after Jamie’s death, whilst Jock, another PAWS dog with a big personality, went to Jan’s sister Judy in Sydney. We were notified belatedly of another Scottie at the Pound, but by the time we had heard about it, he had been placed. A number of STC members are also part of our group. This is how the STC Rescue placed the beautiful Monty with Judy after Jock died.
Since its inception, the group has continued to meet throughout the year. Now renamed “Canberra Scotties”, we include people from the surrounding region as well as Canberra. We have people who travel from Sydney, Wollongong area, Goulburn and the Coast for meetings and other activities. Our contact list numbers about 24 (2005) (now in 2020 = well over 100!) and we often get 15 or more Scotties to our events. Visitors (human and dog) are always welcomed.
Our members have found friendship and support in times of animal and human trouble. When Jan was evacuated during the 2003 firestorm, she knew she and her animals would be welcome at the home of another member. We have mourned the passing of several of our Scotties (vale Jack, Jamie, Jock, Ecosse, Angus and Zoë-With-The-Floppy-Ear), and farewelled Fraser and his family, who have moved to the South Coast. We have welcomed several new pups to our members (Sadie, Harry, and Fidget) and now the brand-new Murray and his humans. Jan, who has recently had a career change and is training to be a celebrant, held a moving naming ceremony for Fidget and Harry, and recently, a 12th birthday for Zoe at our last, rain-soaked meeting. We exchange information on grooming, products, health issues and dog boarding. Generous people have donated their time to help us groom and learn more about our wonderful breed.
Our human members come from many stages and walks of life. We have children who mix happily with the adults and are always happy to hold someone’s lead, teenagers who forget about being bored and cool when in the company of Scotties and older people who like the company of people and dogs. We include people who have lived with Scotties for many years and those who are discovering the delights of their first one. We have those who come to every event and those who appear occasionally. Most of us, like our pets, enjoy good food and our meetings usually bring homemade goodies and good wine, and will usually feature some of Alan’s home-grown produce (love those raspberries!). Our members are generous of spirit and pocket, supporting each other and others when needed, and welcoming newcomers and visitors with warmth. We have been delighted to meet members of the STC who have visited and shared their time and knowledge with us.
We are always on the lookout for new places to visit and things we can share with our hairy friends. We love showing off our Scotties, wearing our Scottie tshirts, and raising awareness of this special breed. If anyone would like to contact us, please email me (Eileen) at: [email protected] or [email protected] . If you place a dog with anyone from the Canberra region, please let them know that we are here if they wish to join us.
Eileen, 2005