Comments on: “Lassie Kills Chickens”

By: Country

Country — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 23:01:45 +0000

I can not put in words how much this whole thing has upset me the way the Weatherwax’s have been done! I do not personally know them but I can recognize when someone has been done wrong. I appreciate so much Bob Weatherwax’s web site and all the information there including the truth about what has happened! I know what it is like to be done wrong and how it can make you have problems trusting others again but I hope Bob knows as I know that there is still lots of decent, caring people in the world that would never do some of the things that have been done to him!! I could write lots on how much it means to me all the hard work that Robert Weatherwax and his family have put into all the Lassies but I won’t take up that much space. I just really wanted to voice myself on how much all of this has upset me and how much I appreciate all the hard work the Weatherwax’s have put into not only having the great Lassies but how much love and care they put into the animals as well. I don’t like calling any other animals names or belittling them but it doesn’t matter how smart or not the cooperate Lassie is!! Wrong is wrong and the person that used Hey Hey II for commercial gain has definitely done wrong as is everyone that is allowing that person to do so. I sincerely hope Bob Weatherwax is able to do something about it to stop it!!!

By: Jessica Nelson

Jessica Nelson — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 17:13:14 +0000

I looked up Bob Weatherwax on the internet after he went to Sacramento for the dog owners. I have so much respect for him for that. Jon Provost went there with him, but now I see he’s with the Lassie net people and the corporate Lassie! Classic Media should be ashamed of what it’s doing with these people and their smear campaign against Bob! That family member you talk about wrote a comment on an article about Bob and it was embarrassing to himself. They all have a corporate backer to make a smear campaign and they talk about Bob selling dog food to make money! There is nothing wrong with selling dog food, and I feed Bravo myself and it’s a good food and it’s not even a big company that makes it! The only REAL Lassie is Bob Weatherwax’s Lassie, and if the corporation feels so threatened by that, maybe they should just sell the whole thing back to Bob! It would sure make them look better than what they’re doing now! Shame on Classie Media and their Lassie net people, and shame on Jon Provost too! I will NEVER buy ANYTHING that has to do with the corporate Lassie!

By: Dianne

Dianne — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 03:52:45 +0000

I am going to open this post with a truism……….there IS no other Lassie than the Weatherwax Lassie.

Like Bob I grew up in a family where Collies reign supreme. My great-great grandmother, Bridey McGivern, brought one of her family Collies with her to this country (USA) from her homeland of Ireland. The Collie’s name was Bunnie and she, along with the Weatherwax Collies and A.P. Terhune books, have influenced myself and my extended family for generations upon generations.

No one in my family has been AS influenced by Bunnie, Lassie, or the Terhune dogs as deeply as I have. My entire life has been devoted to the memory and tradition of my family’s Collies, to this breed (which of course includes Lassie), and to dogs in general. Further, the all consuming dedication to the Collie that I was born with is still alive today as I continue to strengthen the Ravette family of Collies because they speak to me…..because they ARE the epitome of the breed as I perceive the standard.

So, I come to this….NO ONE, no corporation, no person…….no ONE aside from Bob can convey to us a true experience of who “Lassie” really is, or who he grew up knowing Lassie to be. We’ve all lived with Collies. We all KNOW they are magnificent beings. But not one of them IS Lassie. Not of them even aspires to BE Lassie. Yet, somehow even through the mists of time, Lassie embodies them all……….we are miraculously time-ported back to a day when a Collie could save the home, family, barn, etc., fetch the fire chief, and not be accused of running amok or threatening a neighbor.

Through the years I have owned over 20 Collies and one Border Collie mix. I can honestly say that four of my Collies exhibited “Lassie type” heroism. They weren’t trained for it. They weren’t encouraged to do it. They just DID it because they feared for my life and I am their love, I am their care giver……….they simply cared. That’s it in a nutshell………they cared what happened to me.

It is a sad state of affairs when the love a Collie becomes a commodity….when corporations think they can buy and sell on that love, devotion, and PASSION.

What Bob is talking about is what I know all too well……….these dogs are NOT “just” a commodity. They are the successes brought about by the blood, sweat and YES tears, of the PEOPLE (not corporations!!!!!!) who own them. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve never seen a dog love or protect a corporation. I suppose I could be wrong, but I doubt it, because I know dogs far to well………..I pity those of you who don’t.

JMO,
Dianne
Ravette-Jodevin Collies
Owner/Co-Founder: “JstSayNo2Vaccs” @ yahoogroups.com
Owner/Founder: “HolisticGroomer” @ yahoogroups.com

“It’s not enough to rage against the lie…you’ve got to replace it with the truth.” – Bono

By: Eileen

Eileen — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:55:12 +0000

There have been many corporations involved with the production of “Lassie” over the past 55 or so years. However, the actual dogs that played these roles were owned and trained, bred and loved, by the Weatherwax family. There have been a few rare exceptions where a different collie and trainer were used, but mathematically, they probably account for less than 5% of the total time Lassie has been in movies and television shows.

When I think of Lassie, the dog is owned and trained by Rudd or Bob Weatherwax. I don’t remember all the various corporations that have been involved in the productions over the past half-century, nor do I remember the owners/trainers of the other collies who “played” Lassie those few times.

It seems the current corporation owns the trademark “Lassie” and now any collie can and will be used. At least three collies were used in the last movie, all portrayed as Lassie. Now, there’s another owner/trainer with her collies to “act” as Lassie. Sentimentally, however, it just won’t be the same.

By: Samantha Martel

Samantha Martel — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 03:09:02 +0000

Here, Here Darlene! Very well stated and very well explained! Classic Media may think that any collie trained by anyone is Lassie – but all they have to do is continue along with what they are doing and they’ll soon learn it’s just not the case.

IF someone in Corporation would simply realize there is more money to be made through reality then an “immitation” of the real thing, then they’d cut their losses and their ties to people who obviously can’t honour their word or a simple agreement.

By: Sandy

Sandy — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 01:54:50 +0000

There will always be only one Lassie in my heart and that will be the collie that is owned and trained by Bob Weatherwax. The Lassie’s of my youth were trained by the Weatherwax family and they were beautiful, intelligent and exemplified the type of collie I wanted in my life always.
The Weatherwax collies as Lassie made every child want his or her own collie. Thanks to Bob and Laddie for carrying on this tradition.

By: Darlene Kerr

Darlene Kerr — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 22:32:40 +0000

The ‘corporate Lassie’, Hey Hey II is a half brother to Bob Weatherwax’s Laddie. Hey Hey lacked some of the necessary requirements to become the next in a long line of collies who starred as Lassie, all bred by the Weatherwax family..either Rudd himself or his son Bob. All puppies that don’t have the primary requirements which include not only high intelligence and superior temeperament, but also must have the markings of a full white collar and a full white front along with the trademark white blaze on the face..but they must also be beautiful..not SHOWRING beautiful necessarily..but very attractive dogs that are pleasing to the eye. These puppies that do not meet ALL, not SOME but ALL of the criteria, are placed in loving homes and all that is asked is that they not be bred or used commercially, but be loved and cared for all their lives..if something happens and the dog cannot be kept by the person to whom it was entrusted, then it is to return to the Weatherwax’s. The “corporate” dog, pictured on Lassie.net, call name Hey Hey while a very nice dog had a dreadful flaw of the head..a ROMAN head!! Something that is simply NEVER to be accepted in this breed. Thus the dog was given as a gift to someone Bob trusted and thought was a close friend, who had worked with him for some years. This trust was eventually betrayed when the woman did some things with this dog commercially without Bob’s sanction. This behavior amoung other things resulted in her being fired. Now, some say Bob should have repossessed the dog. But he didn’t, simply because as his first concern was and always has been the animal itself. the dog was happy, being well cared for and obviously loved his owner. Bob did not think it fair or right to upset this dog. Thus Bob allowed her to keep the dog which was a gift from him despite their differences. Since then she has abused this trust and today this dog is being touted as the REAL, the ONE abd ONLY Lassie. This could not be further from the truth. While it is true, due to the fact that Bob did not like the way that Lassie’s image was being promoted and felt the personna of the dog along with all the dog had stood for over the years was not being properly handled..he sold the NAME and the TRADE Mark of LASSIE to Classic Media. But he never sold them the RIGHTS to that particular line of dogs. Bob retained full ownership of the LASSIE bloodlines. The dog BOB himself chose to continue on that line is the dog Bob has. He is a beautiful , highly intelligent and wonderful tempered collie named Laddie. Laddie son of Lassie # 8, is the true Heir apparent, not his flawed half brother Hey Hey II. Yet these two people, one a wanna be insider..the other a fired and disgruntled person to whom Bob entrusted Hey Hey as a PET only are now trying thier level best to smear the Weatherwax name and the wonderul and beautiful Laddie who is and should be the NEXT Lassie and the ONLY one that should be bred to produce the NEXT generation of Lassie. Bob, not THEY OR Classic Media owns that bloodline, BOB, and/or his father Rudd (now sadly deceased) bred, raised, selected for the next in the line of Lassie’s and trained every single Lassie and have done so for some 60 years total.
If you who are reading this, feel as I do and as so many of the people the world over who grew up loving Lassie do, feel that what these two wanna be insiders are doing is wrong. If you feel that the line of Lassie’s should continue as always with a collie BRED, RASIED, TRAINED, and SELECTED by the Weatherwax’s..if you want Laddie to take his rightful place as the CHOSEN (by BOB himself) son of Lassie..then please make yourselves heard.

By: Erin

Erin — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 22:22:47 +0000

These people remind me of that woman who kept stomping around on David Letterman’s roof. Something with the perception of reality is way off, but there comes a point when you can’t just ignore it. Classic Media needs to get their own reality check. I shall not be supporting anything at all that involves the corporate Lassie.

By: Michele

Michele — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 19:32:49 +0000

Hi
So what if Bob was from a disfuctional family most of society is from one now adays and even The waltons if you whatch them close enough had a few disfunction too.

But in general I never met Bob But from what I had seen and read etc.. I believe him to be a good person and as a Lassie fan you can tell when it’s not a weatherwax Collie playing Lassie. The one now is dumb he is always looking for his next Q and he doesn’t have that Lassie Thing if you know what I mean

Michele

By: Karen Pfeiffer

Karen Pfeiffer — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:53:52 +0000

I am so glad to see the truth about the corporate Lassie and the troublemakers who do nothing but bash Bob Weatherwax. Keep publishing the truth!