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 About Us
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About Us
My name is Bettina Rister,
and I am 27 years old. Almost 12 years ago, I purchased a Scottish
Terrier from a "breeder" in Alabama. It turned out that "breeder" was
what most people refer to as a "puppy miller". She was breeding about
12 different types of dogs and didn't even allow us to see the mother when
we looked at the puppies. The puppy I bought that day, changed my life
forever. She had tons of medical problems, red mange, allergies, thyroid
deficiency, and eventually succumbed to cancer just a few short months ago
at the age of 11 1/2, far too young for a Scottie to be dying. She
taught me about training, she taught me patience, and she brought to my attention
the need for rescue. We spent untold sums on keeping her healthy, and
I often wondered what happened to her siblings had they gone to homes not
as dedicated as ours were or as financially able to provide for them.
It was this driving worry that prompted me to start doing rescue. STRNA, or Scottish Terrier Rescue of North Alabama was officially formed in 1995 and has since rescued and placed or helped in placing dozens of dogs in new homes. I decided to concentrate my rescue efforts and keep myself from being overwhelmed, so I dedicated myself to Scottish Terrier rescue. I rescued my first Scottie almost 6 years ago. She was a stray, and in terrible shape. I took her to the vet's office and she was running a very high fever. Her hair was missing from her shoulders back, she was skinny and covered in fleas and ticks. The vet's were worried that she might have distemper. It was nearly 3 weeks before she began to recover, but she pulled through very well. She now lives with her adoptive family and has a wonderful life. Her owners named her Madeleine. Since then I have rescued many more animals, not all Scotties, and found them permanent loving homes as well. Through the years I have gotten more involved in rescue, using my own funds, grooming supplies and time to save these dogs and find them loving homes. There are also several other people here in Alabama that help with rescue, and so together we all try to save as many Scots as we can. We try to network as much as possible with each other to keep those unfortunate ones from "slipping through the cracks." We keep in touch via email and an email list and now with our new newsletter The Woebegone. Together we form the Alabama Scottish Terrier Rescue Network. We also try to help other Southern Scottie Rescues if ever they are in need. Sometimes rescue is very demanding. Sometimes we get overwhelmed with phone calls and dogs. But if you ever look into the eyes of one of our rescue dogs, and see the love that lingers there, you will know that they are all worth it, and that they all deserve a second chance.
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