A breed club, beyond all our myriad responsibilities, is nothing if we do not prioritize the health and welfare of the dogs first and foremost. The USEC was established in 2005 after the NEAC forged the path for the breed within North America. From our earliest days as an organization, we have held that the rescue and welfare of Eurasiers is one of the integral pillars of the club's functionality.

In 2024, we were fortunate to assist three Eurasiers in finding their forever homes. While three may not seem like many dogs, for a breed as rare as the Eurasier, this is an unusually high number given that all three dogs were unrelated cases (despite some amusing coincidences and connections they shared along the way).

The first dog, Frankie, belonged to a woman who loved him very much. He was her working service dog, but as her health continued to deteriorate, she and her support system felt it was best to find him a new family. Frankie was imported from France, and his breeder was too far away to lend support. However, one of our members and club directors, Maureen Schwarz (Thank you!), was able to offer months of online support and training before the final decision was made. We found Frankie a home where he is thriving today.

The next two cases were brought to us by coincidence alone: both dogs were located in Monterey Bay, California. The first, Denji, a young male, was the product of a non-USEC breeder in Washington state who did not offer any support when Denji's owner reached out for help. She had fallen on difficult financial times and moved in with her brother. These financial difficulties, combined with increased feuding between the resident dog and young Denji—and given that there were children in the house whose safety was a concern—forced his owner to find a new place for him. The USEC connected with Denji's family, and through our Rescue Coordinator, Jackie Murtha, we had Denji neutered through the Monterey Bay SPCA at a discounted rate and placed him in a new home.

Days after we were notified about Denji, an employee at the Monterey Bay SPCA informed the USEC that a Eurasier had been dropped off at their shelter and was not doing well. Initially, we believed this new, cream-colored Eurasier was Denji— but no! In a tremendous plot twist, this was a female Eurasier from Canada, completely unrelated to Denji except for living in the same city. This dog, then known as Tashi, was a neglect case where her owner's failing health, combined with fractious interactions with their other dogs, led to her being surrendered to the shelter.

Through CKC's CanadaChip program, we connected with her breeder and learned more about her history. The SPCA's behavioral team assessed her, as she was quite stressed in the shelter. Fortunately, the SPCA staff, a USEC member (Tami Pires - Thank you!), and numerous others provided the support she needed. After a thorough grooming and treatment for fleas and foxtails embedded in her skin, she is now well on the path to recovery. As Tashi was somewhat of a special case, the USEC, ECC, and her breeder, Margaret Knight (Naku Eurasiers), worked together to have a volunteer fly to California to meet Tashi and then drive her to South Dakota, where this foster home is hopefully well on its way to becoming her forever home.

All in all, these stories, each unique and special, and representative of dogs who deserve only the best lives ahead of them, are ones we as a club and community should be proud to tell. However, these rescues were not easy on the pocketbook (even sharing expenses with ECC & Margaret Knight for Tashi, now known as 'Janice'). As such, we are putting together this auction as an opportunity to gather donations so that we can continue to help Eurasiers in need.

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