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.
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What can you say about Sarah, the most chatty Collie in town? She is a love, pure and simple.

Sarah has a condition called hyperhidrosis (damp skin all over), causing her skin to break out with yeast and bacterial infections.   For the 3 months after Sarah came into our home, Sarah was on antibiotics and anti-yeast medications and required weekly baths to rid her of her pyoderma and and folliculitis, which is now 100% gone and the yeast infection is more than 90% gone..

Sarah is an enormous amount of fun for our family. Sarah loves to join in the playful antics of our other dogs. She loves to go for car rides and walks and lets you know by hopping, dancing and barking for joy. She hops up and down at the shear joy of being fed twice a day. And, if you are too slow preparing her meals, Sarah lets you know by yipping and whining.

Because Sarah was found as a stray, no one knows how old she is. The shelter thought she was about 10 years old. Some say she is “ancient”. But, to me she will be forever young in her own noisy, appreciative and playful way
Sarah
Sarah
Sonoma
October 2007
Sonoma
I believe that some things are meant to be.  I was discussing with my wife how neat it would be to have one more male Collie like the two we had in the past. Collie's personality are so special and like no other dog.  She said "well maybe someday, one special Collie will come along that needs a home and we could adopt him".  We put our name on a waiting list for a collie at our local no kill shelter, where we adopted our Sheltie, Shelby.  We also checked the paper and breeders' web sites but we were not interested in a puppy. Time passed and then I remembered the two Poodles we rescued in the past came from a poodle rescue.  That was the wake up call, so I went to the computer and put in collie rescue, and then I clicked on NorCal Collie Rescue, and right before my eyes was Sonoma.  Well the rest is history.

Preparing to pick up Sonoma at Karen’s, we had assembled all of the water, wipes,towels, two seat covers, and the harness needed to bring home an apprehensive, possibly car sick new dog.  We leave Karen's and about 1/4 mile up the road Sonoma gives Pauline a big Collie Kissie and lays down on the rear seat and sleeps most of the balance of the 3 1/2 hour drive.  Obviously HE was more comfortable than we were.   Pauline and I were very surprised that Sonoma seemed to have no apprehensions at all with his new home.  Sonoma checked out the entire yard and all of the rooms in the house and seemed very comfortable.  The first week he was very regal and on his good behavior.  Sonoma made friends with our old Poodle (who has since passed) and tried to befriend our Sheltie.  Shelby the Sheltie is a dog snob and making friends with her would be a real challenge for Sonoma.  However he was very successful because they  now play together and pal around together and on occasion sleep together.   Shelby at first wouldn't pay any attention to Sonoma and now she will give him a little nip to get play chase started.  Both of them spend time in the back yard playing chase and other dog things.  Sonoma likes us to play catch-it which is a throw toy like a frisby.  Sonoma has become totally familiar with his surroundings and the Collie personality has come into full bloom and is he a corker.   Sonoma is very bright and catches on very quickly. We no longer need an alarm clock because Sonoma gives us a Collie Kissie at wake up time every morning.  The expressions he gets on his face, and in his eyes are just priceless.  When he doesn't agree with you on something, he will look you right in the eye and discuss it with you.

Sonoma has been going to obedience class on Saturdays for some weeks.  Of course he is the talker in the class.  What is very amusing is when the instructor selects Sonoma to show us what he wants the class to do, Sonoma becomes very regal and not a peep out of him.  I think he enjoys being the center of attention.  This might be a coincidence, but on Saturday mornings about 1/2 hour before class, Sonoma goes to the back garage door sits and waits.   Sonoma loves to ride in the car.  One day he and I were in the garage and I had the doors open on my car and I look around NO DOG.  PANIC after a quick survey Sonoma had curled up in a very little ball on the passenger's seat ready to go; this is a Corvette and that was quite an accomplishment for a Collie his size.  Sonoma is a comedian just full of antics and once in a while (THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT) comes to the surface, but he is so playful it is impossible to get mad at him and there is not a mean bone in his body.  Sonoma and the grand kids get along just fine and if they get running too fast he herds them back to grandma.  Sonoma is the original Velcro dog but what is really interesting is he is my dog during the day and Pauline's dog in the evening.  There is a chair in the living room that was originally mine but Sonoma likes very much.  Trying to preserve it for company and keep Sonoma from sleeping in it, my wife put pillows on it when not in use.  Sonoma managed to get into the chair and not disturb the pillows (how creative).  Sonoma and I have come to a compromise; the chair is now covered and we share it.   All I can say is Sonoma is just wonderful and we are so lucky that he selected us to be his puppy parents.  We are looking forward to a long and fun filled relationship with Sonoma.

We wish to thank NorCal Collie rescue and especially Karen for all of the time and love they gave Sonoma.  Sonoma, as we understand it, was a disaster. Very sick, a skinny skelaton, and filthy with fleas.  The shelter was going to euthinize him. Thanks to Karen's love and efforts he is a healthy and regal Collie. 10.2007.
Sonoma
Sonoma
Sonoma
What can I say about the crazy collie?  She loves to lounge on the floor, the bed, or the couch with her head on my thigh.  If I sit on the floor and it's late at night, she'll saunter over and sit on my lap, like a cat. When she's asleep she's about impossible to wake up.  She loves everyone, and most of all enjoys running through people's legs.

It is impossible to spray water into the garden or the pool without her trying to attack and bite the stream of water.

Most of all she likes to play with and chase humans. 09.2007
Pepper
Pepper
September 2007
Davey
Davey
August 2007
I had been thinking about getting another dog for several months. Since I'm older I was looking for a dog that could fit into my slower life style and get along with my two cats.  I have adopted cats and dogs before and know that working with a Pet Rescue is the best way to go.  Still, I was having a hard time finding the right dog because of my cats.

Then I saw a description on the Internet that really stood out!  It said that "Davey", a smooth coated collie, was 6 years old and LOVED cats.  Not just got along with them, but loved them.  I didn't know there was such a thing as a 'smooth' coat collie so I did some research on them.  From what I read the breed had many of the traits I was looking for, so I contacted Cathy of NorCal Collie Rescue. Cathy and I emailed back and forth, talked on the phone, and then set up a time to bring Davey to the house.

He was so handsome!  He was sweet and well behaved, but most of all he was great with my cats.  I knew I wanted to give him a home.  When he came home with me he was so patient with my cats.  His tail would wag like crazy when they came in the room, but he would wait patiently for them to come to him.  In only a week they accepted him completely.

I think Davey is "taking over" very well.  He has staked a claim on the curved part of the couch.  When a visitor sat in his spot he laid down next to them and wedged his nose behind them.  Then he kept pushing until his whole head was behind them.  They finally got the message and moved.  Davey scooted over and settled down with one of his big moan/sighs.  No question whose couch it is.

As always there were some adjustments, but they were pretty minor.  Cathy was there to answer any questions and make suggestions.  I see changes in Davey every month.  He knows now that this is his home and he isn't going any where.  He is such a love bug.  A lot of people think you need to raise a dog from a puppy to have them bond with you.  I have found adopting to be much better.  I don't have to go through all of the chewing and potty training, and they are extremely loving.  The two cats, Davey and I are a very happy family.  I think he is the perfect addition to our home.  Thank you to Cathy and everyone else at NorCal for taking such good care of him until I could find him. 08.2007
Davey
Davey
Trace is wonderful.  Every week seems to bring out a more playful aspect of his personality.  While at first I thought of him as regal, I now think as I look back there was a little piece of himself he was holding back in reserve.  That's melting away.  He and Maggie are great friends.  Maggie just adores him.  They play for hours together tugging on a sock.  He went through dog training class and last night Trace graduated from the beginners class.  He seemed to know most of it all, at least while in class.  Its been good for us.  I think that the one-on-one attention has helped him develop a stronger bond with me, which I think gives him confidence that all is well with the world.  We couldn't have asked for a more wonderful dog.  He's even friends now with the cat.  Our only challenge is getting through his next grooming appointment.  He's being given one more chance before they oust him.  I guess he likes holding the groomer's arm in his teeth when she tries brushing him out. 08.2007
Trace
Trace
August 2007
Trace
Danny
Danny
We were thrilled to find darling, quirky Danny, a bundle of pure puppy joy with crooked ears and an overshot jaw. Still very much a baby at 4 1/2 months, Danny loves to chew and delights in the endless supply of oak sticks and acorns on the property. There are at least 20 sticks, 3 boxes and 2 chew ropes underway at any one time, along with one terry squeaky roll that cracks us up each time we hear it (which is often!).

We have a full, happy house with 5 beloved rescue pets:  2 older collie beauties, Belle and Wanda, and 3 adorable young cats. But having lost 2 older dogs in the past few years, we kept talking about adding a youngster to the mix - and we're so glad we did! Big sister Belle at age 12 is still a puppy at heart, and both responds to and initiates snout fencing and chase and bark games several times each day. Lanky, loopy and all paws and nibbles now, the cats can't wait until he's a little older so that they can include him in the mutual love fest they have with the girl dogs.

We're enjoying every moment with Danny and look forward to long, happy, fun-filled years ahead. Stay tuned for more pictures once he grows into those paws - until then, love from 8 of us at the beach! 07.2007
Danny
Danny
July 2007
Kipper
Kipper
Kipper, a smooth-coated collie, has been a perfect addition to our family.  Our daughters became
very interested in dogs and had learned much about them in the year prior to Kipper joining us.  Since we never have had a dog, we did a lot of research.  We ended up looking for a specific personality and character traits rather than a specific breed.  We needed a dog that would be good with our three young girls and our cats.  We also wanted a mellow dog that was housebroken.  We read books, looked at hundreds of dogs on-line and in shelters, and talked to people on the phone.

Then we read about Kipper.  He seemed to need us as much as we needed him.  It was a match.  The folks at Norcal Collie Rescue spoke with us on the phone, conducted a home visit, and we met Kipper at his foster home.  They took really good care of him.  He was so emaciated and sickly when they first got him.  Kipper had been debarked and has bad teeth.  They nursed him back to health and helped him through a broken toe from a horse stepping on him.  Though we were excited, we were also nervous at first when Kipper was delivered to our home.  He is the perfect older gentleman.  Our whole family loves him.  We walk him every day as a family.  Everyone loves to take care of Kipper and give him attention.  We even took him on vacation with us this summer.  Even one of our cats is taken with him.  She likes to share his dog bed and give him licks on his ears.  Our other cats are content that he is not a threat, will walk near him, and drink from his water dish.

After several months, we cannot imagine life without our Kipper-Doodle.  He is definitely one of the family!  We are very thankful to Norcal Collie Rescue and his foster parent, Karen.  She took so much time with us and truly cares about the dogs.  She has been so helpful and keeps in touch. 06.2007
Kipper
June 2007
Missy
Missy
June 2007
Missy has been with us a little shy of a year now.  She has had an interesting journey with us.

As you may remember, we found her during her first week with us on our bed trying to assemble a kite.  She did not have much success since her previous owners had removed her dew claws.  However, she was not deterred.  On several other occasions, she attempted to reassemble the kite until I think she just got frustrated with it and chewed it up.   Since it was a nylon and plastic kite, I think she developed a taste or fondness for plastic.  Either that or something is missing in her diet.

She has a fascination with plastic items.  Every day we return home, she has isolated and dissected some other plastic item all over the place.  Her toys are never dissected, just ours.  We have pretty much dog proofed the house, but she never fails to find something and prove that our efforts were not good enough.  Fortunately, she has never attacked any furniture, electric cords or Marietta's dolls.  We can always tell when we get home that something happened, because she has a guilty look on her face.  Don't worry, we have never gotten really angry at her, but we do take her to the scene of the crime, (and she looks really guilty when we get her there), and tell her that this was not a good thing to do.  She seems to realize this and has never gone after a similar item again.  I didn't know that there were so many different things made out of plastic!  She has really been teaching us a lot!
She now gets along well with Saber and a Pomeranian we recently rescued.  Initially, she used to snap and growl at Saber, especially at meal time, but now they eat side by side with no problems.  They play collie tag often with each other.  Saber and I used to play a game after our walks, called grab the leash and at first, Missy was really unsure how to play.  Now, she plays with us and looks forward to it after a walk.  She actually herds the Pomeranian and protects him when he goes out to the lawn to do his thing.  We have lots of mean skunks, coyotes, raccoons, and other wild life and she seems to be aware of that.

When she first came to us, you could tell for several months that she was very unsure as to her status in the pack, even though we all tried to reassure her.  Finally, one day, I sat down with her and had a little talk with and basically said that I don't know how she was treated by her previous owners, but she is a full member of our pack and will be with us always.  No one here is going to hurt or abandon her.  She seemed to settle down after this.  She loves her tummy rubs, but holding a 70 lb dog in your lap with her head on your shoulder and rubbing her tummy is not as easy as holding the Pomeranian.

You can tell when she looks at you that she wants to be a good dog, but plastics seem to have an intoxicating effect on her, sort of like catnip.  All humor aside, I think that at first it was separation anxiety, then it just became sort of a habit with her.  But she is a good dog.  Every morning when I get up, she is ready to go outside.  About 6 months ago, she saw a cat out the front door (I always let her out at 5:30 AM and if I don't, she reminds me what time it is), and she went after it.  Since then, she always runs out the front door when I let her out looking for that cat.  Saber just looks at her as if he is saying "get over it".  Saber is our sentry, always alert for problems and letting us know when something is out of the ordinary, such as someone walking by, a blue jay on the fence, grass growing, things like that, but Missy is our guardian!  The second Saber sounds the alarm, she is out there with him making sure the person is either escorted to the house (or run off like she did when someone tried something that shouldn't have), telling the blue jay to get off the fence, or coating the grass with plastic pieces in an effort to build a green house.  We have never had any problems with her or the gas or electric meter readers since we still get bills and have found no remains of them buried in the yard.  Hopefully, none of them will ever have plastic limbs.  We are glad we got her.  Thank you all for finding her and rescuing her for us. 06.2007
After losing our family corgi over a year ago, I began to yearn for another dog…I had always had a dog in the house.  I noticed Chloe last August in a search of shelters and rescue organizations, but my husband preferred a smaller dog.  At that point, as we couldn’t agree, I gave up the search.  Then in February, I noticed Chloe yet again.  I posed the question to my
husband, and he said, well if you have to get a dog, go ahead and get her!  It was then that I contacted Cathy Toft at NorCal Collie Rescue, and the conversations began.  When Cathy brought Chloe to us, she said “let’s get all the warts out.”  And so the conversation began on the various health problems of this dog.

We have had Chloe since the first weekend of March on a trial basis, and it feels like she has been a part of our family for years.  She is a wonderful animal - a friend, a joker, a sweet and loyal “Velcro” dog, and an actual A Capella singer!!!  At first she followed my husband everywhere, but since has adjusted to singing to me on my return each day from work.  She cheers my 85-year-old mother up and receives my two children with kisses and songs on their return from college.  In addition, I take her into my dad’s rest home, and there she is a natural - she knows which patients need her more and tends to spend more time with them.

At times I feel like a “dispensing” pharmacist for all of her different ailments that she has, but every day brings us new joy.  I am so grateful for all the folks at NorCal Collie Rescue who took Chloe from the Sacramento shelter when they received their call.  They put in so much effort, love and care into this dog.  While she may not have the life expectation that a normal dog would attain, we will enjoy each and every moment we have with her on this new adventure! 6.11.07
[Chloe passed away from her lupus shortly after this update was posted]
Chloe
Chloe
Chloe
June 2007
Chloe
Chloe
Chloe before and after!

Chloess former owners abandoned her by tying her to a lamppost, in the condition you see her in (right), and left town. Our NCR adopters are truly angels, taking in and loving these "imperfect" dogs so that NCR volunteers can carry on their work.  Chloe found the perfect home and an NCR foster home is open for the next needy collie.  The love between Chloe and her new mom jumps out from these pictures. What a success story!

We at NCR cannot thank our adopters enough!!
Chloe as she arrived in NCR from the shelter
When Macy arrived home, it was love at first sight. She has truly found her forever home. She is really a gem and we are so happy to have her as a part of our family. She is adapting well and does not seem to be having much difficulty making herself right at home! She is a great car traveler, a good eater, and a pure bundle of energy. Macy is as loving as all heck! Thank you for parting with her and allowing us to adopt her. We are forever grateful.

    Macy is giving the old guy (Mac) a run for his money and keeping him on his toes.  She gets him going once or twice a day and the 12 year old plays like a puppy again.  Macy is recovering well from her surgery.  After a good night sleep she was back to herself in the morning.  She and our son are taking weekly Saturday puppy training class together and she is definitely the Star Pupil. She has been so great. She can sit on command, shake, lay down, and speak. We are working with walking as she likes to walk us!! 04.07.2007.
Macy
Macy
April 2007
Macy
Macy
Macy
Shane is such a love, we already feel like he's one of the family. He's a doll, and he is so comfortable here you'd think he was born here. He and Sonoma the cat are best buddies. 03.15.2007
Shane
Shane
March 2007
Shane
Cody Bear
January 2007
Cody Bear
Hi!  My name is Cody and I want to tell you how great life is since Nor-Cal Collie Rescue saved me.  One day I was just walking down the street in San Jose (I’m not going to tell you how I got there - that’s another story) and an officer picked me up and put me in jail. They were very nice to me there but who wants to spend a lot of time in a jail cell!!   Any way one day a nice lady named Andrea came and sprang me.  She took me back to her home and I had a sleepover with her dogs Peter and Vinnie. I thought it was great fun - they didn’t!  The next day another nice lady, Vicki, picked me up at Andrea’s house and took me to Davis to visit with yet another nice lady named Cathy.  There some guy picked me up and said he was taking me to my forever home in Auburn, which was far away.

When I got there I couldn’t believe my eyes!!  I had four acres to run.  And I have two brothers and a sister.  My sister, Kallie is a border collie and we play for hours on end.   One of my older brothers is a German shepherd and we play sometimes too.  My oldest brother is a Golden Retriever. He is too old and crippled to play but we love to curl up and sleep together in the family room after dinner.  After all, who doesn’t like a nice fluffy pillow!

My mom and dad are so nice to me and I get lots of attention.  Mom says I make her laugh, I do such funny things.  And they tell me what a good boy I am all the time.  Every morning when I wake up I am so excited that I am still here, and wonder if I haven’t died and gone to Collie heaven.

So there you have it - Thank you Andrea, Vicki, Cathy and everyone else at Nor-cal Collie Rescue that made my new life happen.

Oh, one more thing, my brothers and sister told me to just wait until the 4th of July.  We have an all dog birthday party!  Isn’t it funny all four of us have the same birthday?   We get lots of presents and goodies and play all day!

Bye for now!  - Cody Bear (also known as Coco Puffs) 01.31.2007
Kaiya continues to be very healthy and she seems very happy, too. Her coat is just beautiful and she's so elegant and well-balanced. Both our kids have been living with us over the summer, and Kaiya loves having them around -- for her, the bigger the "pack" is, the better.

Kaiya loves loves loves chasing a ball in the backyard, and sometimes will run around for several minutes with it in her mouth, as if she's doing agility training -- in and out among the trees -- before bringing it back for another toss. She also loves her toys; we gave her a 6-month birthday party with 3 new toys and she was like a toddler at Christmas, going excitedly from one new toy to the next. She still loves her original toys from when we adopted her, especially Sheep. She definitely understands the words "sheep," "chewie," "treat," "dinner," "crate," and our son is teaching her "big dog" (one of her newer toys).

What has surprised me the most about Kaiya is how smart she is. Our son just spent a couple months studying for the California bar exam and asked for quiet around the house. Kaiya seemed to understand that and padded around without barking. In fact, because she knows we generally don't want her to bark, she's developed a series of other noises she makes to get our attention.

She is a very affectionate dog who loves to snuggle. She spends a great deal of time nestled up against one of us on the sofa, leaning her head on someone's knee. She's a real cuddle-muffin and we are so happy she joined our family. Thanks again, Norcal Collie Rescue! 01.2007
Kaila
January 2007
Kaiya
Kaiya
Mac
Mac, along with Kayia and Baxter, was a member of the litter of pups who came to NorCal Collie Rescue in late December of 2006. Mac was very malnourished when he arrived in his foster home, but quickly overcame all the odds to turn into a “super pup”.


Mac was the first pup to be adopted and what a life he has had! Mac had one big Collie brother, two Collie big sisters to help raise him. He has been to puppy training classes and is scheduled for beginner’s obedience soon. And, although Mac is not enthused about traveling inside our pick-up truck, he has made several trips to Sonoma County to help work on a property there. He loves to romp through the redwoods, hide tools, run away with gloves and bark at rakes. He even helps move branches, but some times he moves them in the wrong direction. Mac loves to go for walks in the state park next door to his home to play with dog friends.


But most of all, Mac has enjoyed the company of other young Collies that have been fostered at his home. Mac has been a “garden gnome” with Macy and a “stick buddy” with Danny, both of whom he missed very much when they left to go to their new homes.

Check this website for updates on Mac’s progress and playmates.
Mac
January 2007
Mac
Mac
Baxter
Baxter
On Christmas 2006 Baxter came into rescue with 3 of his siblings at the age of 8 weeks old, along with a yearling male.  He had severe coccidia, but fully recovered in his foster home. He was  quickly adopted by a wonderful home that has adopted several other collies from collie rescue in the past, including Sailor, a Yolo dog who sadly crossed over the rainbow bridge, and  Merry.  Baxter is now the little brother of Merry who was adopted from Collie rescue a few years ago.

Baxter now enjoys the great outdoors with his family. They are into hiking and backpacking in the wilderness around the Tahoe basin near where they live.  Baxter even has his own backpack!.  Baxter enjoyed playing in the snow last winter when he was a baby and had a great summer in the woods.

Baxter is a year old now and is a feisty playful boy that is full of mischief.  But, his Mom loves him dearly and is so proud of the progress he has made in his puppy classes. 01.2007
Baxter
January 2007
Baxter
Baxter
Happy Tails  -- 2007

Stories of Adopted Collies
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