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Western Colorado Sheltie Rescue Mission Statement |
 Tidbit
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The goal of Western Colorado Sheltie Rescue is
to
help Shetland Sheepdogs who turn up in shelters, are found lost on the
street,
are no longer wanted by their owners, or whose owners can no longer
care for
them.
We place Shelties found in shelters or elsewhere
into foster homes where they are cared for as a member of the family.
They are
then more likely to be successful when the right adopting family is
found,
because they are accustomed to a home environment rather than a kennel
environment.
We also diligently search for possible owners of
lost Shelties, while our foster Sheltie lives in one of our foster
homes.
Our ultimate goal is to ensure that all
"homeless Shelties", most of whom have been badly neglected and/or
abused, are placed in permanent, loving homes as a special four-legged
member
of the family. Many of our Shelties are recovering from being
neglected,
abused, and/or abandoned by people the dog loved. Our primary concern
is
placing each Sheltie into an environment that is most likely to be
supportive
of that particular dog’s physical and emotional recovery. As with us
humans,
these needs vary from Sheltie to Sheltie.
To achieve this goal, we have our foster homes
evaluate the physical and behavioral characteristics of our Shelties.
All known
medical problems are addressed while the Sheltie is in our care.
Behavioral issues are also observed and are an
important consideration when evaluating whether a particular home or
family is
likely to result in a successful placement. For example, we observe how
the dog
gets along with other dogs in the foster home and how it gets along
with
children of different ages. Is the dog fully house-trained? Can it be a
good
canine family member, or does it need training to help it integrate
into a
family successfully? Is the dog very social or shy, timid or
aggressive,
fearful or calm?
We strive to have your family and our Sheltie
rescue dog happy and content with this adoption. To this end, we are
ready to
provide ongoing support to you after the adoption, as needed. Adopting
families
have varying degrees of experience with and knowledge about dogs. We
are here
to help you learn. If you have questions about training, grooming,
nutrition,
dental care, nail care, behavioral issues, or health questions, we can
help you
or direct you to resources in the community who can help. If the
adoption does
not work out, we readily accept the Rescue dog back. In fact, we
require that
the dog be returned to us if the adoption doesn’t work or cannot
continue for
any reason.