NorCal Collie Rescue: Adoption information

Thank you for considering a rescued collie for your next dog. We depend on people like you to realize our dream of caring for all collies, no matter what their backgrounds or circumstances. Please read the following information so that you know how collie rescue works. You also might find it helpful to read about breed rescue and whether a collie is the right breed for you.

Because we do collie rescue and are often overwhelmed by the many collies needing to be re-homed, we are dedicated to making sure that each collie's placement by NCR will be his or her "forever home". For this reason, we screen all adoptions carefully and ask for your understanding. We must ensure that a collie placed with you is the right decision for you both.

If you wish to adopt a collie through NCR, you must show us that:

You understand the responsibilities of dog ownership;
You are financially able to care for a dog;
Your living situation is compatible with dog ownership;
You have a veterinarian reference
You agree to contact NCR if you cannot keep your collie adopted from us

Collies are large, active, people-loving dogs. They must be able to live in the home with their people and have access to a fenced backyard and daily walks. Like any dog, collies need to have a foundation in pet obedience training, and we expect you to learn how to understand and communicate with your dog. The majority of dogs in the U.S. are re-homed because pet owners have an unrealistic view of dog behavior and are not willing or able to understand or deal with their dog's canine needs. We have experienced dog trainers and behaviorists on our staff who can help you and your new collie achieve a happy life together, and we will provide as much information for you as we can on this web site.

We emphasize to potential adopters that we have no control over the needy collies that come to us to be rescued. They come in all ages, although sadly many are older than most people want when they are looking for a new dog. They may be rough coated or smooth coated, or colors other than the familiar sable and white (click here for pictures). Most rescued collies have had hard lives, and they may therefore have special needs. If you can open your heart and home to one of these dogs, you will find yourself rewarded generously.

Finally, consider that responsible dog ownership is expensive. The adoption fee is only a small fraction of the cost of the lifetime care of your adopted collie.

NCR reserves the right to refuse adoption to anyone, if for any reason an area coordinator feels that a particular collie, or any collie, is not suitable for a prospective home.

Adoption fees are charged to cover the costs of rescuing and rehoming collies. The single major cost of rescuing and rehoming collies is veterinary, to cover spaying and neutering and basic health care. NCR does not yet receive enough funds in donations to defray these costs. In fact, currently NCR adoption fees do not fully cover the average cost of rescuing and rehoming each dog. Volunteers currently contribute nearly half of the cost of rescuing and rehoming collies with subsidies from their personal funds.

We have set the adoption fees to the minimum necessary to meet the needs of our collies and find them their forever homes. Our fee schedule is based upon the age and health care needs of the dogs in their new homes. The adoption fee for a young, healthy adult dog is $350. This fee may be adjusted at the discretion of the area coordinator, based upon age, adoptability, and probable health care costs or other extenuating factors. Adoption fees for dogs over 5 years old or any dog with health or other issues will generally be less than $350.

For puppies and young dogs under 12 months of age become available, the adoption fee will be higher and comparable to the purchase price of that dog. Generally, this fee will be $500.

Our adoption fee schedule is designed so that younger and more desirable dogs help to subsidize the care of the older, less adoptable dogs for which health care is expensive and reasonable adoption fees are limited. Learn more about our Angel Fund which also supports the health care costs of our older and other special needs dogs.

We appreciate any donations and financial support that the adoptive homes can offer to defray our real costs of rescuing and rehoming collies. To learn more about NCR's financial status and determination of our fee schedule, click here.

Adoption checklist

Click here for adoption application [MS Word document], or you can ask for a copy to be sent by snail mail.
If you see a dog on our website that interests you, contact the area coordinator by phone or email and send her or him your application. OR
If you are not interested in any of our available dogs, you can send your application to the area coordinator nearest you to be placed on a waiting list.
As soon as we receive your application, a volunteer will contact you for a home check so that when a dog for you is available, adoption can proceed right away;
Check out the web site frequently for available purebred collies from NCR and referrals (collies from other rescuers, collie mixes and other collie lookalikes)
As soon as you see a dog that interest you, call or email the area coordinator
You can contact the area coordinator nearest you at any time with questions about pending dogs.
When we have a waiting list, available collies may not make it to the web site for your viewing, so you may also check in periodically with your nearest area coordinator to remind her of your interest and what type of collie you are looking for. Our volunteers are good about keeping track of their adopters, because we are anxious to find the best forever homes for our collies, but we also appreciate the teamwork in hearing from waiting adopters.
You may also email adoptions@calcollierescue.org and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.