NorCal Collie Rescue

A Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Organization

Serving Northern California
and Surrounding Areas

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* NorCal Collie Rescue is California non-profit public benefit 501(c)(3) corporation C2798651 EIN 20-3381549.
Your donations are fully tax deductible.

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Jackie
December 2005

Just want you to know that Jackie is doing great. She loves to travel in the truck or car. We took her to Morro Bay in March and spent a few weeks there. She is a great traveler! 12.17.2005

Pink
December 2005

A Pink Christmas. Checking in to tell you what a wonderful time we all had with our new family member in Tahoe for Christmas. We had a place on the lake with 14 people and 3 dogs. The dogs all got along incredibly well, not a hint of trouble. Pinky blended so well with everyone, and smiled for 4 hours straight. Everyone there was very much captured by Pinky's grace and her adoption story. My daughter just loves her and was totally taken by her immediately. Pinky has really bonded with us as well. She is doing VERY well and is in VERY good and LOVING hands. Here is Pinky and our 16 year old cat George... 12.10.2005

Kami
December 2005

After spending a week and a half with Kami, I understand how difficult it must have been for you to part with her. Please know that she is very, very much loved and well taken care of. She is sooooo wonderful! She had a great weekend. On Sunday she had a play date with my step son's 2 yr old lab mix. They had a great time together and played and played and played. They ran and ran and hurdled the low rock wall and embankments in our yard. Their play date lasted about 5 hours. Of course they weren't running the whole time, but they rested together and enjoyed each others company. Hopefully they'll have another play date together this Sunday.

She's also been playing with the Grandkids. On Saturday she met Anna, the 3 yr old. At first Anna was afraid because Kami, being her affectionate puppy self jumped on her. After a while Anna was taking Kami around the house (inside) on a treasure hunt. It was the cutest thing you'd ever see! Kami just followed her when Anna called her, stopped when Anna stopped, etc. The other 2 kids came to see her at work last week, then again came over with their dog on Sunday. Garrett, age 5, got along great with her from the get go, Brianna, age 8, was skeptical, but soon took the leash and was walking Kami all over, (within range). For one who's afraid of dogs, she did very well. But really, it's because Kami is such a love.

My customers all love Kami. Two ladies went to get their husbands out of the car to come in and see Kami. They of course fell in love, as have most of my customers. People have come in to say hi to Kami, and not even to shop! Good and bad. But whatever, as long as my beautiful girl is getting and giving love, it's all good.

On Sunday I plan to leave Kami at home for a couple of hours. The Vet and Trainer both said to be careful about separation anxiety. I don't want Kami to ever fear me not coming back to her, so I will practice leaving her for a couple hours when I can. I love her more than I can say, and thankfully, I know she loves me just as much. We are a great pair. 12.01.2005

Macy is five and a half months old, and has been a great addition to our family. She is a sweet, kissy, bouncy, SPOILED baby girl. Our six month old English Setter Brody is loving his new best friend. The two pups amuse us for hours, as well as each other. Our older dogs have welcomed her as well. The cats are not convinced that two puppies are fun, but are getting used to the idea.

We feel very fortunate to have found the Collie Rescue site, and a special thank you to Karen for all your time and effort to place all these wonderful dogs in their new homes. 10.28.2005

Macy
October 2005

Shadow joined us only five months ago - seems like almost forever. He is a very different dog from the one we met on that October morning…

In some ways, it should have been very clear from the moment we first saw him that he was not acting like a real Collie (running, eating, jumping, etc.); he was probably a very sick Collie. He fooled at least one Vet along with the rest of us. In just two days, he turned from lackluster to lethargic with a raging fever necessitating hospitalization for a day. He quit eating and drinking, and even moving for that matter; he needed subcutaneous fluids to prevent dehydration. The fever broke after 10 days of administering fluids, and then force-feeding him for 5 days. Finally, he asked for and took his first piece of chicken! At that time we were desperate for any sign that this story would end happily, but Shadow's recovery was agonizingly slow. But as his appetite increased each day, we knew he'd finally turned the corner. His illness turned out to be a severe case of Bordetella; while usually not fatal, it did almost kill him.

As his condition improved (eating more, sleeping less, and becoming more active) we learned that this dog did not know how to run, did not know how to walk on leash, did not know how to play, and did not know how to jump up (thought all Collies were born with that trait). In his past life, he had eaten himself into a 72 lb. hulk. When we first saw him, we were concerned about his crippled rear leg. A chiropractor thought the leg damage was so serious that Shadow might never be able to walk normally. Well, Shadow proved us wrong.

Armed only with glucosamine, we started his re-training. The first time we tried to take him for a walk, we got about two houses away and he quit. Within a week or two he was staying somewhat close to heel and soon he walked our normal 0.4 mile trek to the top of the hill. Of course, he was strongly influenced by being clipped to the same leash as our other two collies! His weight dropped by 6 pounds during his illness, and he lost 2 more pounds as he got into shape and onto a decent diet. A few weeks later he attempted to run, but only a few feet. We thought that the problem was the crippled leg, but over the next 3 months, he got stronger and gradually ran a little more. Now he runs, just for the shear pleasure of running.

We suspect that he was just a big overweight dog with atrophied muscles, perhaps due to little exercise, few walks, no room to run, and no dogs to play with. In contrast, he knew how to act inside; he knew that he wanted to get inside; and he knew how to stay there.

Although Shadow watches the other dogs play, he does not yet know how to play. The other dogs sometimes try to get him involved with their romps, but he is usually on the sidelines with that, what are they doing(?) look on his face. At least he shows a few playful sparks like grabbing a rope toy and trying to shake it to death. He now also jumps a little bit, runs to people for attention, and runs in circles when he gets excited. His reduced weight and renewed strength successfully hide problems from his damaged leg.

A special thanks to those involved with collie rescue for your help and encouragement through this very difficult time of Shadow's recovery. We'll never know what kind of a life he had in the past, but each day we learn a little more about him and how he wants to live. 11.30.2005

Shadow
November 2005

We first met Robbie through Collie Rescue; the idea of getting a Collie through Rescue was suggested and encouraged by our Vet after Holly, our previous Collie, had died. The minute we saw him it was love at first sight; we knew he was the one for us. Robbie is a 3 year old smooth haired male; we had never had a smooth haired before, but we liked the idea of getting a "smoothy", as a contrast to our last dog who was a rough, because his coat is easier to take care of. We quickly got used to the smooth look, and believe us, he is all Collie; all the usual mannerisms, the long nose, the inquisitiveness, and yes, the quiet stubbornness. Robbie is the friendliest dog in the world; he hasn't met any dog, or person, he doesn't love instantly, and, amazingly, he is so non-threatening that he rarely upsets others dogs. He has a weekly play date with Aki, another smooth haired Collie who lives close by. He doesn't seem to mind being on his own when we have to go out and he is not destructive. But he does have his quirks: he is very reluctant to get in a car, and he won't come up to join us in the loft when we watch TV. Initially, he was rather shy and spent a lot of time in the computer room, which he appropriated as his, so it appears that he brought some baggage with him, and we found that it took a bit of time to get him acclimatized.

All in all, he's a wonderful creature, and we are very grateful to Collie Rescue for finding and taking care of him until we bonded together. 10.18.2005

Robbie
October 2005

Emma
September 2005

Here is a picture we took today of Emma recently. She loves going for rides in the car, playing with our 3 other collies, visiting my mom and her dog Dottie, going for walks, and doing the agility course. She likes peppermint lifesavers, chasing the deer, and barking just to voice her own opinion. We enjoy having her in our lives. She is my best friend. Thank you for bringing her into my life. 09.17.2005

Snowy
July 2005

Snowy, our 10 year old Rough Tri, was rescued on July 28, 2005. She came from a terribly neglected situation, covered in ticks, fleas, and filth and she was underweight. Some parts of her fur needed to be shaved off.

I had seen her in April when we had rescued several other dogs from the location. At that time this poor oldster could hardly walk and her head was hanging completely down. She was trying to come towards me and could not do it. There were too many dogs around and she was limping. The owner said she had suffered from a stroke which caused her disorientation. From that time onward, I had developed a soft spot in my heart for her. We could not get her out in April, as the owner would not give her up at that time, so she had to suffer an additional 3 months.

When finally Collie Rescue took her out, she was transported to Napa Valley where she stayed for a week, was cleaned up, and was checked by a vet. Instead of having had a stroke, she was diagnosed as having a very severe ear infection. This infection affected her balance and explained why she walked very wobbly and sometimes sideways. She was put on antibiotics. In addition, she had hundreds of ticks and fleas removed.

Since she would be a difficult dog to get adopted, we decided to take her in and give her a forever home. After taking her back to the vet, she was put on Baytrill for her ear infection. She also had all kind of worms that were treated. She started to put on weight. When her ear was cured and she was strong enough, we got her spayed. Also a fat tumor was removed from one of her nipples and she got her teeth cleaned. Tough little Snowy made it through all of this and recovered well. She is a very sweet dog and seems to be so happy with us. Now she is treated as a princess, has her own soft dog bed inside and dog house outside, and gets along well with our Sheltie and our other Collie. Her hair has grown back and looks so shiny. We are so happy to have her and I hope she gets to live some more happy years with us. She totally deserves it. 07.28.2005

Zoey
July 2005

Zoey is walked everyday - by myself and her 2 new brothers - my boys, 14 and 15, just love her so much, as do my husband and I. She is slowly coming out of her shell. I remember when my boys were babies each day I would wake up and be so excited to see them - and I feel the same about Zoey. She seems to be enjoying our morning walks - although, 5:30 am was a real shocker for her the first few mornings - she now greets me when I go downstairs for our walks - she has chosen the den downstairs as "her place" - her bed is in there also - plus one of the boys is still sleeping in the room with her until school starts just so she has company - I know, it sounds like a baby, but to us, she is!

Thank you again for being instrumental in our getting Zoey - she has been such a wonderful addition to our family! 07.15.2005

Mikki loves hiking in Auburn State Recreation Area, where I work. She is a wonderfully agile dog and can walk up the steep canyon sides, even offering help if I have trouble. She waits politely at the end of the leash while I catch up to her and will help pull me up if I am having trouble climbing the rocks. She is joyous and happy all the time and she is very good at herding our chickens and ducks back into their pens. She is just the best dog I have had since my border collie died when my kids (now 21 and 18 were little). I told my husband the other day that with a dog like her, you really only feel you need one dog, because it is the perfect dog. I think I am now spoiled for ever having anything other than a collie. 06/10/2005

Mikki
June 2005

Highland Barclay
May 2005

I am having fun in my new home, we go for several walks every day, and I usually go to the barn in the afternoon while Mom rides her horses (unless it's too hot). I bark at the cows filing past me from the horse trailer where I have a nice den. Dad takes me every morning to a nearby field for obedience lessons. I do a good job when there is no distraction, but I'm afraid I lose all my attention when other dogs walk by, or bicyclists, or anything. I graduated from puppy class, but I kind of blew my very last offleash recall because I needed to go wee-wee so I didn't sit. Dad says I need to repeat puppy class. The three of us went hiking at Marin headlands on Dad's birthday. I had a wonderful time hiking ten miles over the ocean cliff trails, smelling everything. We also stopped at the lagoon and I got to swim (don't tell Mom and Dad, I was chasing ducks). Then I rolled in the sand on the beach, it was lovely. The next day I was visited at home by the mobile pet groomer who gave me a complete bath and grooming. 05.29.2005

Nick is a blind, "double dilute" collie and is doing great! He is fitting in wonderfully... we don't know how we got along without him. Our pet sitter came by today to get a key and find out all the new happenings at our home. She fell in love with Nick and wished she owned her place so she could have him... we said sorry he's home where he belongs! We need to go to a graduation in Nevada this weekend so she will be here day and night taking care of our little farm. We are truly blessed in so many ways. 04.24.2005

Nick
April 2005

Chihiro, our Scottish princess, was given a Japanese name by our son who was fascinated by the Miyazaki film Spirited Away at the time that we adopted her. Chihiro (also known as Chi, Chi Girl, and Chi Chi), is named after the heroine in the film.

She is truly an elegant collie and a doll. We love her dearly and she has been a true delight -- we couldn't have asked for a better companion. Chi and our cat, Beau, get along absolutely beautifully as well. We have had a few behavioral issues on our walks to deal with, but she is still a young, whipper-snapper, after all. We have her in training and when the trainer is working with Chihiro, she is incredibly well-behaved and catches on so quickly. But, when David and I get her, she's a different dog! Bottom line, Chihiro is the well-behaved one; it's my
husband and I who need the training!

This photo was taken at the tree farm where we cut our holiday tree. Adoption date 04.10.2005

Chihiro
April 2005

Caspian is doing well. As I think you told me, it often takes a year for a rescue dog to show his "true" personality -- and I think we're seeing more of Caspian's now.

He has grown more comfortable around my son. He likes to "roughhouse" with me and romp with other dogs whenever given the chance. He also likes to play "fetch" with a stuffed animal, usually after dinner. He barks to get the attention of other people and dogs, but usually stops if they greet/pet him. Some dogs growl at him, and he always seems surprised by this. He's on a pretty regular schedule -- up around 7am, walk around 9am (except weekends and vacations), dinner around 5:30 pm. My daughter is now feeding him every night, so he's learning to look for her for dinner. He now sleeps in the children's room and goes to bed when they do (around 8:30 pm), which works out well for everyone. He was waking up and barking when he slept in the downstairs bathroom. Now he sleeps through the night.

His coat is still growing in and every week I can see it grow blacker. I think his previous owners must have left him outside mostly (where he likes to bark to communicate with other dogs) and rarely brushed him. He doesn't like being brushed, but he tolerates it even when I know I've pulled his hair.

In short, Caspian is a good dog who has become a part of our family -- our third child. He's a good dog -- remarkable, really, when we consider that we know nothing of his first three years and that we're at least his third owners.

Thanks for rescuing him -- and thanks for helping so many families find good companions. 03.17.2005

King Caspian
March 2005

Tuxedo and Dusty are doing great. We affectionately refer to Dusty as Lazarus. He still has his arthritis and weak hind end...and makes it thru the night without too many problems. He gets walks twice a day and guards the house at the head of the driveway. He loves being with all the guys and gets really upset if he isn't included in activities. We usually pair them - Dusty & Danny (the older gentlemen) and Tux & Brigadoon (the energetic duo). They get a beach trip 2-3 times a week. That's were Tux really lets it all out. We have trained him well on the lead and he is pretty responsive to voice commands. All dogs get along well.......sometimes Dan gets peeved at Tux but by in large its a happy and playful brood. Danny really looks after Dusty and he is truly a joy. 02.09.2005

Tuxedo and Dusty
February 2005

Merry and Sailor have been an incredible source of love and joy for me. I am amazed at how much they progress. The first time Merry went camping and hiking, she cried at every obstacle in her way. After a 5 day backpacking trip, she has become quite adept to the outdoors. She will cross streams, walks over tree bridges, climbs up and down rocks, climbs over down trees on the trails...all with a backpack on. She has come a long way. Sailor has always been very agile. During that same backpacking trip, he wanted out of the tent every couple of hours to patrol camp and make sure all was ok. I believe he chased away a few critters. He has become very inquisitive, which I hope means he's gaining more confidence in himself. They both listen well, travel well, and are so happy and full of love. I am so blessed to have two wonderful and amazing collies. By the way, they both received their good canine citizenship certificates! Now that's progress! 01.01.2005

Merry and Sailor
January 2005

Happy Tails -- 2005

Stories of Adopted Collies

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