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Sophia
is now 6 years old going on 2 and has fit right in
since the day she stepped foot in her new home. We did discover
just how smart she really is. She is quite an escape artist
and I only mention this due to the fact she is extremly
smart about it. She will climb a fence and then sit on the
front porch and bark at the door so to let us know, Ha Ha
I did it again. My screen door from the outside I discovered,
will pop open with two swipes of a paw to let herself in.
She is very well behaved and the kids adore her as much
as she adores them. She sleeps on my 4 yr old sons bottom
bunk with him at night. She follows me around the house
during the day, she does not like to be by herself much
and will frequently put her head on my foot as reassurance
that I'm there. My oldest son who is 11 takes her out daily
for a run around the block. As soon as she see's her leash
she runs up to him and sits right in front of him waiting
anxiously to get going. She also loves to go "bye bye".
She rides very well in the car or in my new truck. There
have been times she will run out the house to jump into
the truck when she see's the truck door open. Sophia is
a true collie at her finest. She is intelligent, caring,
very affectionate, good natured, well behaved, loves children
and even the family cat. In fact we can't see ourselves
without her and wonder how we ever got along without her.
There has been talk of adopting another dog here in the
household. We think Sophia would like the company of another
dog but I think we would compare it too much against her.
We were very fortunate in finding her. 11.19.2004
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Laddie
-
(unlike Paisley, who
was very camera-shy), stepped over to the greenest part of my
garden, and actually posed for the pictures with his front paws
on the stepping stone, then turned for a profile pose!! Laddie
had to get a summer "crewcut," but his coat is growing
in, and starting to look beautiful again. He was so patient
with my grandchildren when they visited last summer. They do
not have a dog, and he was brushed and pulled out of the bedroom
and fussed over by them, but took it all in stride, and seemed
to enjoy it at least for a short while, then he would go back
to his bed. When I come home from work, he sometimes leaps with
joy to greet me, and he is learning to wait until we get inside
the house to "speak" to me. He sleeps peacefully at
my bedside at night, and helps motivate me to walk every morning,
and seems to be in good health for his 11 years of age.
Today
we went to Grace Cathedral in San Francisco for the annual St.
Francis Day blessing of the animals. There had to be over 100
dogs and cats, and 2 horses there! I got lots of nice comments
on how beautiful, and how well behaved Laddie was (he was the
only Collie!). I told everyone that came up to him about NorCal
Collie Rescue, and how great it is to adopt an older dog. He
got a special blessing from one of the ministers, but I am the
one who feels blessed to have him.
Thanks
for all the work you do to rescue these special dogs!
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Riley
has been with us for about 5 months
now and is a happy and spunky member of our family. He's
smart as a whip, and though not too much of a barker,
does enjoy running off the back deck to bark at any squirrel
who has the audacity to wander into our yard! Everybody
loves him and he's become part of our much missed Sheltie's
old group of doggie pals. Although no dog could replace
Max in our hearts, Riley has been a wonderful new furry
face in our home and a welcome addition to the neighborhood.
Riley
jumps on the bed when invited, sits, stays, does high
5s and high 10s, and is improving on his recall at doggie
parks like Point Isabel. At home, nothing makes him happier
than a Trader Joe's knuckle bone. In fact, he gets quite
"put out" thinking that one of our Russian Blue
cats is going to steal his bone. When he sees a cat approaching,
he'll give the cat "dirty eye" and follow him
around until satisfied the cat isn't going to take it.
(Though it probably weighs as much as he does and the
cat has not the slightest interest in his bone!) I won't
say there haven't been a few bumps in the road -- like
the day Riley stole two sticks of butter off the counter
and ate them in less than the time it takes to say, "got
butter?" (Let's just say that a steam cleaner is
a great appliance to have around!) But, the endearing
qualities far outweigh the challenges of a zippy youngster
like Riley. And if we had it to do over, we wouldn't change
a thing. I'm proud to say he's my new fur-kid and we both
love him to pieces! 11.8.2004
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Buster
- Here is a picture of Buster and
Kubby his Collie buddy taken at the beach when we were camping
this year. Kubby (our 7 year old Collie) was looking for a friend
to pal around with and when we took him to meet Buster (about
the same age) they hit it right off. We changed Charlies' name
to Buster after a few months because he needed a stronger name
to match his personality. He responded right away, so maybe
it was a name he had known in his previous life. We also discovered
that he is very visual and using hand signals when a command
is given has been really helpful. Buster is very loving and
giving and after he knew he was loved and secure in our home
he settled right in. He's even become good friends with Jazzie,
one of our cats (that took a little time & patience on Jazzie's
part). Buster came from a wonderful foster home that was full
of love and also spent some time with a dog trainer before he
came to live with us. Thanks for sharing Buster with us, he
is definately part of our family and Kubby is happy to have
a special pal. Buster is on the left in this picture.
08.22.2004
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Honey's
parents dropped us a quick note to let us know how she is
doing in her forever home. Like always, she is curled up
sleeping by the desk, under-foot, and guarding the door.
She is a lovely and loving dog whose dark past, though present
in her still timid nature, is diminishing on a daily basis.
She is happy and healthy. She follows our other dog Lady
like a shadow, and they commune marvelously. Like sisters,
really. She will literally stand over Lady, while she's
sleeping, for 30 minutes or more, without moving or making
a sound. Something Lady used to do for our dear departed
Lab, Old Yeller.
She has absolutely no aggression and she never snaps or
looks at anyone sideways, even when being groomed of painful
mats. She eagerly meets new dogs, and again never acts tough.
When she meets a new dog, she acts like a very young Collie.
To all, thanks! 07.24.2004
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Cody
is a beautiful mahogany sable and white male, 5 years old,
who was found by collie rescue in a Northern California
Shelter. He fell in love with his adoptive parents right
away - it was Collie magic like we have never seen before.
Cody is a great dog, and he will get lots of love and attention
with his new family. They have no other pets, so Cody will
be # 1 in their lives. His adoptive dad has taught him to
go get his own leash! Cody goes and gets his leash then
takes it to the front door, drops it, and waits there for
it to be clipped on for his morning walk. Cody was already
partially obedience trained and has now been taught to sit
and stay on command.
We are truly glad that Cody is now in his forever home.
He has that wonderful Collie trait, of wanting to please,
which makes him a pleasure to be around, indoors and out.
11.20.2004
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Sky
& Belle
were adopted together, though they came from different
circumstances. They are really perfect for each other and
they have a mother/son relationship which works well for
both of them. Belle is very serious, no time to play because
she has her watch dog job to do or a beauty/power nap to
take. She is a bit of a Diva, in charge of everyone and
everything. Her favorite thing seems to be hanging out in
the front yard and barking at people! "Come pet me," she
demands! Extremely confident, fearless, friendly and sweet.
My friend calls her "The Belle of the Ball" because she
is very elegant and seems to know just how beautiful and
special she is.
Sky is blossoming every day. His coat is filling out and
he loves to play now. He is so much fun. He has a collection
of stuffed animals, balls and stuff he keeps on his bed.
He tries to add to it all the time and has even tried to
take the TV remote control. He especially loves my son's
socks and I even found an old sprinkler head in the pile
one day. It's quite funny! 9.7.2004
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Max.
We are sending a little update on Max and a photo
of the big boy with our son. Max has settled in to our home
and is having a good life, as are we. We are so grateful
to have him in our lives.
Max
seems to be very happy and well-adjusted. I have never met
a more mellow and loving animal. We want to thank you once
again for bringing him into our family.
9.5.2004
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Jenny
is doing just fabulously!!! Recently,
I needed to go in to work on a Sunday, so I decided to
bring Jenny along to keep me company. She is as happy
as a little clam being at my side
all day. There is an enormous difference in Jenny from
the first time I brought her to work till now. For example,
now when I go get something to drink, I don't need to
put her on a leash. I just ask her to heel and she stays
by my side.
Then when I go to our refreshment room, she just sits
and waits for me without a single command! She seems just
to be happy to be with me and knows
what makes me happy as well.
I
must say that Jenny is the
Collie I have dreamed of having my whole life. Last February,
I began my midlife crisis, and decided I had enough love
for two dogs and did not want to leave this world without
seeking the Collie of my dreams. I am so fortunate to
have found the dedicated and patient ladies in the California
Collie Rescue that led me to the Collie of my dreams.
My life is now fulfilled with Shelby, my Golden Retriever
and Jenny, my gentle Collie. BTW, Jenny was born on my
father's birthday and
Shelby is just ten days younger than Jenny. I LOVE HER
SO MUCH and things just keep getting better!!!!.
9.2.2004. Updated with sheep herding picture on 11.4.2005.
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Taylor
is a 13 year old collie, so we are told. But he is
very active and the vet thinks he is no more than 10. Never
the less, he is an older guy with a very sad story. Taylor
was in an abusive situation with lots of yelling and still
gets very upset at loud voices...still! Taylor was relinquished
to collie rescue when his family could no longer care for
him. Taylor's foster mom will keep him for the rest of his
life. He is a totally happy guy now. He loves his daily
runs in the nearby orchard with his other new dog friends.
As a matter of fact, his foster mom also kept a Golden Retriever
that was also relinquished from the same home. So he still
has one of his old friends with him.
Taylor
is very well mannered and loving, and although was depressed
for a few days, is now just as happy as can be in his new
home, where he gets nothing but love and attention. Like
a true collie, he has absorbed the love that he needs, and
has bounced back to be the kind of guy he was meant to be.
He is full of all of the wonderful collie traits that are
the reason we love collies so much. 8.24.2004
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Angel
came to collie rescue when a shelter
worker contacted us about a purebred, elderly Collie in the
shelter, one he thought was too sweet to die. And was
he ever right. Every collie rescue volunteer who came
into contact with Angel fell in love instantly. In fact, we
all fought over who got to adopt her. At a likely 11 years
old, her chances of getting adopted were remote...but once you
met her, well, let's just say that two volunteers independently
came up with the name "Angel" for her.
Angel
had had a hard life, for sure. She was picked up by animal
services when their truck hit her. She looked like a coyote
when she arrived in collie rescue, with years of undercoat still
there, full of dirt and foxtails. Yet, her sweet Collie
nature overwhelmed us all, and there was no doubt whatsoever
that she would have the best rest of her life that anyone could
humanly offer her. See? Isn't she sweet? A
real angel. Count the love, not the years. 7.26.2004
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Jayda
got a new lease on life when she was found
by another rescue who asked collie rescue to place her.
We were delighted to help because we rarely get young
dogs and we have a long waiting list of wonderful adopters.
Jayda's
new family adores her as you can see. Jayda gets
daily walks and gets to go to "work" everyday
with her person (who's doing the working we ask??). You
can see that Jayda is full of joy and love of life. We
are so grateful for the happy endings that our adopters
are able to provide these needy dogs. 8.1.2004
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Riley
has a very very sad
story, with a wonderful happy ending. He is a 5 year old
Tri colored collie that was hit by a car. He suffered,
in critical condition for a week, then, when he was at
death's door, he was taken to an animal shelter. The animal
shelter called collie rescue to pick him up when they
realized that he would need more care than they could
provide. The Veterinarian at the shelter did not expect
him to live through the night. Riley's foster mom, immediately
took him from the shelter to her vet. That vet also agreed
that he might not survive. He was in very bad shape with
a bruised liver and 6 inch abrasion on his leg. He could
barely get up, or walk and was terribly matted, dirty,
and stinky. Riley's foster mom and the vet did everything
they could to save his life. Within a week he was feeling
better and within two weeks was much better and adopted
to a wonderful home! His adoptive parents fell madly in
love with Riley as soon as they set eyes on him. He still
needed TLC and medical care, but they have huge giving
hearts and wanted to offer their home to this needy dog.
He was also welcomed to his new home by his now two best
collie friends Morgan and Sunny. 6.12.2004
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Sassy
At 11 years old, "Big
Sass" lost her owner who died after 8 happy years together.
We were blessed to find someone who would take in this older
dog, abandoned in later life by tragedy. Sassy has settled
in beautifully with her new family and their human and animal
family. She delights in hanging out (so Santa Cruz!),
and both loves and is loved by all, including the 3 cats.
There's never been a cross word or look between Sassy and
Belle, our alpha merle -- Sass even seems to be growing
a big new coat to mimic her new big sister. Sassy has a
special fondness for Kitty Scarlett, and even fell into
the pool not once or twice, but 3 times as she walked the narrow
coping in pursuit of Scarlett's company (the pool is now safely
fenced against that possibility!). 6.14.2004
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Many
of the collies rescued are older dogs and we cannot express
how grateful we are for the many adopters who come to us willing
to adopt an older Collie, abandoned in their golden years through
no fault of their own. Please consider adopting an older
collie! Count the love, not the years!
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Paisley
was discovered in a shelter by a friend of collie rescue.
Because she was an older dog, she was difficult to place.
Paisley's forever home person began to look for a dog when
she tragically lost her own rescue dog while traveling (her
dog escaped from the pet sitter!). When she found
the picture and notes about Paisley on Petfinder, she thought,
"There is a dog who needs me as much as I need her."
She felt such sympathy for her to have lost her owner at
her age. She wondered what would happen to her if she was
not adopted, and realized most people would want a younger
dog. So she read up on Collies and decided she would
like to meet Paisley. Although Paisley tired easily
on that first walk, her new person found Paisley to be sweet
and calm, and it was obvious to her that the two needed
each other. Paisley is thriving in new home, able to walk
much farther and to play games and act much younger than
her age. Paisley's personality has come out with her
new owner and they both feel lucky to have each other.
6.6.2004
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Daisy is
an energetic young Collie whose elderly owners had to
relinquish because they were moving out of state.
Daisy was adopted by a wonderful family with three children
and two other dogs. Daisy's family says that "A
gentler soul never lived and she has been a welcome and
joyful addition to our family." Daisy and Duke (left)
are sharing a bed at last! We are thrilled to see such
a happy dog, obviously taken into the heart of both the
human and dog members of the family. 2.1.2004
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