HSS is a 501(c)(3) Charity
Organized Nov. 4, 1998
Number of
Shelties Rescued by HSS since 1998:
924
total /
10
in 2010 / 160
in 2005, our record year
due to intakes from Hurricanes Katrina & Rita
Ways to Help HSS Fund Raising
Please mail your tax-deductible check or money order to the address in the sidebar. Encourage your friends, families, and co-workers to make us one of their charities. We will send a note and tax receipt for donors' records.
Have your Randall's Card programmed to our charity number 8533.HSS has been approved for Kroger's new share program. Go to: www.krogerneighbortoneighbor.com and click on "Find Your Organization." Type in Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, print out the letter with our barcode and present to the checker, along with your Kroger Plus card. HSS will then be linked to your Kroger card.Additionally, when you shop on line through IGive, a percentage of your purchase is paid directly to Houston Sheltie Sanctuary. Click on the graphic below and look for your favorite merchants; then click through to them from IGive, and you will automatically be helping our Shelties while you enjoy your shopping.
Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc.
PO Box 840235
Houston, TX 77284-0235
Please click on this link to
read
about our foster emergency
and help us. Our sweet, beautiful dogs need you! If you have applied,
our deepest thanks. We start our new families with 'easy' fosters, but have
had a lot of sick dogs lately remaining in clinics or needing to go
to foster homes experienced with heartworm disease.
We will definitely be contacting you.
Updated
03/07/10 08:07 AM
Only if we help shall all be saved."
- Dr. Jane Goodall
2010 Houston Sheltie Sanctuary Events:
HSS Spring Picnic
Bear Creek Park -- Saturday, April 10, 1:00-4:00, Pavilion 5 [Rain date
April 17, Pav. 6]
Google or Map Quest for Directions
This is a pot luck picnic: please bring your drink and a
favorite dish, dessert, bread, veggie plate etc.
HSS Picnics are private get
togethers for our program members, foster and adoptive homes, and their
family & friends!
Additional HSS Adoption Events are being Coordinated for this year -- Watch for new announcements coming soon!
Our Shelties
Available for Adoption
Or Going Through Rehabilitation
Page 2
To completely understand how HSS works, be
sure
to carefully read about our rescue
Program
Before you make an adoption decision, please read
Connie's brief article about special needs
Shelties
and Joan's article about
senior Shelties.
HSS always needs foster homes: please read the description of Foster Home Responsibilities, and if you think you can provide a temporary home for one or more of our Shelties, please complete the Foster Application.
[Sheltie Standard from the AKC Page]
The Shetland Sheepdog
Coats
One of the most beautiful, intelligent, active dogs in the canine world, Shelties can have "coats of many colors" and thicknesses, though the AKC Standard is double-coated, dense, and flowing. The coat needs thorough brushing at least once a week. Due to their thick double coats, our Shelties must live indoors in Houston's hot, humid climate. Color Codes: S/W (sable [tan] and white; usually just called a sable; there are many variations such as mahogany sable and white, shaded sable and white, golden sable and white, etc.; this is the color most people regard as 'like Lassie'; the shaded and mahogany sables are not Tri's); TRI (black, white, and sable; many people confuse this color; the dog is mostly black and white with a bit of tan, usually on the face and forelegs); BI-BLACK (black with white markings; there is no sable in a bi-black); BLUE MERLE (usually called a 'merle': 'blue'/silvering pattern on tri or bi-black genes, some tan; often with blue eyes or one blue and one brown eye); SABLE MERLE (mostly sable with merling effect); DOUBLE MERLE (two merling genes; lots of white with the rest of the colors diluted); BI-BLUE (no tan); WHITE FACTORING (more than 50% white); CHW (COLOR-HEADED WHITE) (body is white-factored; head is 'colored'). See Athro Limited for explanations of genetics and examples; Kyleah's Sheltie Coat Page and Dogpatch's The Sheltie Photo Album for more variations, information, and beautiful full-color examples.
Size
As one of our veterinarians once remarked, Shelties can be "gazelles or tanks." These differences are not necessarily because of breeding but of genetics: the Collie, Sheltie, Border Collie, and Australian Sheepdog all descend from the same working dog in the Shetland Isles; then there were many breeding experiments to produce the breeds we see today. The AKC Standard for American Shetland Sheepdogs is 13-16" tall at the top of the shoulder. The correct way to judge the height is with a wicket. The AKC does not specify weight, but most in-size Shelties are 15-30#, though we've seen them as small as 8-12# and as much as 40+#. Most Shelties fall in the taller range, though some are certainly smaller. The smaller Shelties, though adorable, are under-sized. There is no such dog as a 'miniature' , 'mini', or 'pocket' Sheltie. Any breeder claiming to breed 'miniature' or 'pocket' Shelties would not be recognized by the AKC or ASSA and is undoubtedly contributing to genetic and health problems in this kind of breeding. Over-size means the Sheltie grew out taller than 16"; and some Shelties do approach the size of a small Collie, but Shelties are not 'miniature Collies.' The best way to tell the difference is to note that the Sheltie's head is more wedged-shaped, the muzzle is shorter, the stop (point where the muzzle meets the crown of the head) is more pronounced, the body is more compact, the legs shorter.
Temperament
Shelties are sweet, gentle, alert, extremely intelligent, loyal, eager to learn and please; they are also very comical: enjoying fun times and jokes, followed by their famous "Sheltie Spins and Smiles," floor pats, leaps, and requests for tummy rubs. They can also be shy with people they do not know and should never be forced as they will warm up in their own time. If they don't to a particular person, then there may very well be a good reason! Most Shelties adore children and get along well with other pets; sometimes they delight in herding family members and cats, but it's all in fun, as one sees in the bright eyes and famous grin. Some descriptions of our breed claim they are not 'guard dogs,' but many Shelties are extremely protective of their families and terrific 'alerters' to anything they don't feel should be in their territory. This is why they are frequently regarded as 'barkers,' but they were originally bred as herding dogs: hence the barking and protection instinct, which we in our program regard as pluses in their behavior. Most Shelties can be trained to quiet on command after being praised for alerting the family.
NB: Prospective adoptive homes, please remember that the nature of Shelties is to be shy with people they don't know; most warm up quickly, but adoptive homes should be aware this can take 2-3 weeks, especially with rescued Shelties, many of whom have been through abuse, neglect, trauma, and medical problems. Owner relinquishments can also be vulnerable to shyness because they are going through enormous changes in their lives; they do not understand why they have lost their homes and often need special understanding. We always keep our Shelties in foster care for at least two weeks to assess their temperaments and behavior. Because our Shelties are rescues needing special understanding and care, to protect both our dogs and very young children (the coordinators are parents as well as dog lovers), we do not adopt to homes with children under age five. After adoption, patience and TLC will bring your Sheltie out, and you will be rewarded with a wonderful companion dog. Also, a lot of applicants want youngsters and the newest dogs as soon as they come in. Please remember that all our dogs, including the delightful seniors and special needs Shelties, are wonderful and need loving homes.
If you are unfamiliar with Shelties or would just like to learn more about the breed, see The American Shetland Sheepdog Association, The American Kennel Club, Commonly Asked Questions about Shelties, and Beverly Miller's Sheltie FAQS.
Summer in Texas: Please read about Leaving Dogs Alone in Cars
PET THERAPY
Shelties makes great Therapy dogs! Pet Therapy is a wonderful volunteer program training owners and their dogs to work in hospitals and assisted living environments to bring a little sunshine to the lives of patients and senior residents. This one offers free CGC [Caninc Good Citizen] training classes to prepare them to take the test required for Pet Therapy.
Faithful Paws Pet Therapy Group [Church's
Web Page]
http://www.umtv.org/archives/faithful_paws.htm
Vickey Willard's webpage for the group [Vickey is an HSS volunteer and trainer]
http://www.geocities.com/vwillard61/FaithfulPaws_Pet_Therapy.html
Paws4Love/hphp
www.paws4lovehphp.com
[See the side bar of the main page for more links to boarders, groomers, trainers, etc.]
Prospective adopters must carefully read about our program, have the application completed, and the home visit done. For the reasons we explain in the program description, we do not adopt out of state.
Codes Below: OR (Owner Relinquishment to our program); OTI (Owner Turn In to area shelter); Vetting/Clinicals (dog is in one of our clinics for work-ups); UTD (dog is Up to Date on vaccinations and heartworm preventive); HW+ (dog tested positive for heartworm disease and is going through treatments; should have a re-check 4-6 months after adoption); HW- (dog tested negative for heartworm disease and is on preventative; should have a re-check 4-6 months after adoption); Split Treatment (HW treatment injections are being split over a month in a severe case of the disease--a bit easier on the dog who is 'loaded' with heartworms or otherwise medically compromised); URI (Upper Respiratory Infection); UTI (Urinary Tract Infection); Hooks and Whips (worm infestations); PB (the Sheltie is a purebred; all our Shelties are PB unless otherwise indicated); Sheltie X (the Sheltie is a Mix, which we determine as best we can with our veterinarians); yo (year old; example: 3yo); mo (month old; example: 6mo).
Shelter Abbreviations: HCAC (Harris County Animal Control--Houston), BARC (Bureau of Animal Regulation and Control--Houston), CAP (Citizens for Animal Protection--Houston), SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), MCAC (Montgomery County Animal Center--Conroe), VAP (Volunteers for Animal Protection--Kingwood), TF (Twyla's Friends--Kingwood), TLAC (Town Lake Animal Center--Austin)
Before adoption, all HSS Shelties are vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and treated for initial ailments as much as possible within the scope of our rescue program.
Sometimes we have dogs that cannot be adopted due to major medical issues or advanced age complicated by medical issues. We keep them in permanent foster care as program dogs as long as they need us. See Sheba's wonderful story of a shelter and volunteers who were determined to help her at http://www.houstonsheltiesanctuary.com/Program_Dogs.htm
Most of our rescued Shelties are older. Please read about the joys of adopting these wonderful dogs at http://www.houstonsheltiesanctuary.com/In_Praise_of_the_Older_Dog.htm and think about giving your home and heart to a senior dog who needs you and will give back so much.
We have a lot of males right now: even if you had always thought you wanted a girl, please consider one of these wonderful, affectionate boys as your companion dog. Visit them and talk with their foster homes.
Note about the popular small, young females: In the last few years, we've been taking in ~100 dogs/year. Of these, about 40 will be female - we tend to get more males. Of those 40, perhaps 12-15 will be 4 years old or younger - we tend to get older dogs. Of those 12-15, perhaps 6-7 will be on the small side of standard, or smaller - Shelties are notorious for going oversized. Of those, perhaps half will be temperamentally suited for a home not actively engaged in agility or a similar performance sport. 3-4 dogs out of 100, and "small young female" is our most often requested category of dog. Please understand that the more narrow your requirements, the fewer dogs that you may have to choose from. And there are so many males and older dogs of both sexes and all sizes who need loving homes.
Please Note:
We welcome loving, qualified new homes for our beloved Shelties and have successfully placed over 950 rescued Shelties.
The primary goal of our program is to focus with absolute priority on the individual rescued Sheltie and his or her specific needs for a new forever home.
Therefore. . . Applicants wanting to adopt one of our Shelties must submit an application linked in the sidebar. Applicants wanting to adopt again must submit a new application.
Due to time constraints, we will not answer questions, either by phone or email, about individual dogs without an application on file. Additionally, we do not have time to read or respond to letters.
We do not change our program requirements for individuals who want exceptions made, nor do we read or respond to complaints about our policies, as they are completely in line with the
National Sheltie Rescue Organization’s standards.
Our dogs are loved and cared for in private foster family homes: we do not have a central location or kennel for the public to visit.
Rescue Day: In Foster Care:   |
Ready For
Adoption!
Katie is an OR due to family circumstances. She
is 9 years old (DOB 8/29/00), 15 inches and 32
pounds On intake, she was not spayed, had
hookworms and whipworms, and was HW+. Katie is
now UTD, has been treated for her
intestinal parasites and heartworms, was
spayed and had a much needed dental. Katie
is being treated for some ear and skin issues
and making a remarkable recovery. They are a
result of allergies for which she will need
ongoing care, including special food and meds.
From
her foster mom:
Katie is a warm affectionate dog despite
some neglect and hardships in her past. She
is recovering from a
skin disorder but is growing in a
coat which will be a beautiful Mahogany
color in a little while. The coat is still
quite thin in a couple of spots from
previous scratching but should grow in just
fine with time.
As part of her treatment, Katie gets
frequent baths, which she loves. She loves
to be the focus of her human's attention,
whether it's for baths or grooming, and
absolutely groans with pleasure during a
belly rub. Kisses are freely given and she
looks attentively at you waiting for
whatever she can do to please. She sits
instantly for dinner, knows down and come
and walks well on a leash. Because of her
strong desire to please, she will make a
marvelous companion for some lucky someone.
Please
check back for further updates.
Prospective adopters must carefully read about our program, have the application completed, and the home visit done. Due to time constraints, we cannot answer questions about individual dogs without an application on file. |
   |
Adoption Pending! Emmy was returned to the program for personal reasons. She is one of several dogs who came to us from Kansas as a result of a breeder release. She is 5 years old, 14" and 18#. She is an affectionate little girl who loves to give sweet kisses on the nose. Emmy is HW-, and is now UTD, spayed and ready for her forever home.
From her foster mom:
She loves to walk and stays very nicely on the left without tugging at the lead. She has even become a bit of a jogger if I lead her. She loves riding in the car and going outside. We're just working on her to get out of her "comfort" zone a little more. She will make a great companion but will probably do best in a house that isn’t overly active and where she is the only pet. Please check back for further updates. Prospective adopters must carefully read about our program, have the application completed, and the home visit done. Due to time constraints, we cannot answer questions about individual dogs without an application on file. |
   |
Adoption Pending!
Cutie-patootie Chloe is 9 months old and is an OR. She is 16" and a
lean, puppy-like 17#, UTD and now spayed.
Chloe is absolutely
adorable. Smart, full of
fun and kisses, she loves
people, especially
children. She was
relinquished to rescue to
find a home because she is
deaf - but in her mind,
that's no problem! Her mom
uses a laser light to catch
her attention, and uses hand
signals to teach her basic
obedience skills,
including "sit,"
"down," "come," "stay," and
others! She learns fast,
is fabulously responsive and
thinks it's all a fun game.
She has started on basic
agility, and is amazingly
fast!
From her foster mom:
What a fabulous pup!
Besides being incredibly
cute, Chloe is one of the
best behaved fosters I've
ever had. In just a short
period of time, she was
crate and house trained, and
has learned sit, down,
shake, come and stay. She's
very smart, and learns very
fast. We're having a lot of
fun with her!
Please check back for further updates.
|
  |
Sadie is an OR due to family circumstances. She is 6
years old, 15 inches, 21 pounds, UTD, spayed, HW and
fecal -. Sadie will be available for adoption ~3/15.
An update from Sadie's foster mom:
Although shy at first Sadie has adapted to her
foster home. She is housetrained and there seems no
need to crate her. She runs and plays with the resident
Sheltie, plays ball and enjoys walks. Sadie is very
sweet, loves to be petted and often stays close to me.
She is sensitive to loud noises and doesn't adapt easily
to men or young children. Sadie would do best in an
adult only home. She will make someone a very loving,
loyal companion.
Please
check back for further updates. Prospective adopters must carefully read about our program, have the application completed, and the home visit done. Due to time constraints, we cannot answer questions about individual dogs without an application on file. |
Rescue Day:  In Foster Care:   |
Ready for
Adoption!
Belle is a 5 y.o. OR for personal reasons. She
is 16-17" and now a nicely-proportioned 34#. She
is up to date on vaccinations, heartworm
negative and now spayed.
From
her foster mom:
Belle is a delightful girl who loves attention. She quickly becomes her human's new best friend, following happily wherever you may go. She is the first to greet you at the door, and even the quickest glance in her direction is rewarded with a flip over to her back, begging for tummy skritches. Belle is housetrained, walks well on a leash, and loves to go for car rides. Outdoors, she loves to run and play. She gets along well with dogs and cats, although she will herd them (and small children!) if they will play along with her game. Please check back for further updates.
|
Rescue Day:
 In Foster Care:   |
Sensational
Senior!
Josie is another one of the
dogs who came to us due to her owner's death. She is
~ 10 years old, 13 inches, now down to 22 pounds, and
UTD on vaccinations. Josie
has finished HW treatment, had a much needed dental and
was spayed.
You can easily see the significant improvement in her condition in Josie's
updated photographs.
She's a lovely girl and is now available for her forever home.
An update from
Josie's foster parents:
Josie has lost about
5 pounds and needs to lose
some more. Josie
is house-trained and came
through HW treatment with
flying colors. She is one
of the easiest heartworm
dogs we’ve ever had. Her
foster dad calls her “Huggie
Bear”, because of the
snuggling you get when
carrying her.
Josie’s
response to getting touched
is to drop to the floor and
go limp as a noodle. She
does not like to walk in the
grass and will follow the
path around the yard where
the grass is shortest.
Josie
very much likes her naps but
does get animated when
feeding time arrives or we
return from work. She is a
quiet dog and does not bark
much – unusual for a
Sheltie. She has lost quite
a bit of weight and now
needs to work on toning and
firming. With her loss of
weight she has become more
active and her activity
level should continue to
increase as she loses weight
and can now exercise, having
completed heartworm
treatment. She would like a
home where she doesn’t get
bothered by the other dogs
or little children, but does
like to get her share of
loving and cuddling.
Please check back for further updates. Prospective adopters must carefully read about our program, have the application completed, and the home visit done. Due to time constraints, we cannot answer questions about individual dogs without an application on file. |
 In Foster Care:   |
Ready for Adoption!
Claire is one of several dogs who
came to us from Kansas as a result
of a breeder release. She is 5 years
old, 15" and coming down from her
intake weight of 40#. Claire is a
beautiful sable merle girl with a
gentle disposition. She is
conquering her fears, but
still needs reassurance that humans
offer security and love. She is HW-,
and is now UTD and spayed.
An update from Claire's foster mom: Claire is a very sweet Sheltie. Her first week with us was spent hiding under a desk, but now she is with us in the living room - sometimes behind the sofa, but she's learning! She comes to me and offers kisses, floor pats and Sheltie spins, although she is still wary of Bill. She is house trained, and is learning to walk on leash. She does well on our walks, even if a little cautious when strangers approach her. She will let them pet her but she is definitely not comfortable. We will continue to work on this. Overall, Claire is still unsure about people. However, she has made wonderful progress and I think she will learn that people are OK as she gets more exposure to them. She went with me on a home visit last week and took treats and accepted pets from the people we were visiting. Claire would probably do best in a quiet home, possibly without children. She will also need a family who will be patient with her. Please check back for further updates as we learn more about Claire. Prospective adopters must carefully read about our program, have the application completed, and the home visit done. Due to time constraints, we cannot answer questions about individual dogs without an application on file. |
  |
Special Needs
Monty is one of several dogs who came to us from Kansas as a result
of a breeder release. He is a small 5 y.o. male, 14" and 18#. He is
now UTD and neutered, HW- and has been treated for whipworms. Monty
is the most fearful of the 5 dogs, and will need the most rehab.
Monty is moving into foster care for further assessment. Please check back for further updates.
|
   |
Special Needs
Sarah is one of several dogs who came to us as part of a breeder release. 3
years old, 12" and 13#, she is HW and fecal negative, and now UTD and
spayed. Dainty and diminutive, Sarah has never lived as a companion animal,
and so has a lot to learn. Right now, she is responding happily to the other
dogs in her foster home, but is still frightened of the humans. She will
need an understanding home that will be patient with her as she learns to
live inside a home with people. We are working on housetraining and crate
training.
Please watch for updates as Sarah progresses.
|
   |
Special Needs
Jennifer is one of several dogs who came to us as part of a breeder release
with Isabel and Sarah3. She is 4 years old, 12" and 10#, she is HW and fecal
negative, and now UTD and spayed. Precious and pint-sized, Jennifer has
never lived as a companion animal, and so has a lot to learn. She will need
an understanding home that will be patient with her as she learns to live
inside a home with people. We are working on housetraining and crate
training.
Please check back for further updates.
|
  |
Special Needs
Isabel is one of several dogs who came to us
as part of a breeder release. 3 years old,
12" and 13#, she is HW and fecal negative,
and now UTD and spayed. Tiny and timid,
Isabel has never lived as a companion
animal, and so has a lot to learn. She will
need an understanding home that will be
patient with her as she learns to live
inside a home with people.
From Isabel's foster mom:
Please check back for further updates.
Prospective adopters must carefully read about our program, have the application completed, and the home visit done. Due to time constraints, we cannot answer questions about individual dogs without an application on file. |
Rescue Day:  In Foster Care:    |
Ready for Adoption!
Star is just that - a star! Everyone who meets this little girl comments on how sweet and friendly she is. She greets everyone as a long-lost friend, and is never without a smile on her precious face. Star is from the City of Conroe shelter. She is ~6 years old, 14 inches, now down to 40# on a program of diet and gentle exercise, although she still needs to lose about 15#. Star is UTD, spayed, and has successfully completed her heartworm treatment.
An update from Star's foster mom:
Star is a LOVE!!! When she is out in the front yard, the neighborhood children race over to pet her and play with her. She loves to play with all of her foster siblings and often instigates the play. She loves to take a nap with the resident kitty. When she wants attention, which is frequently, she sits up and paws the air and flashes a great smile!! She loves to have her tummy rubbed. She sits, shakes "hands", lies down and rolls over. She rides well in the car, and is leash trained and house trained. This little gal is one of the sweetest shelties we have ever had and will fit into any situation. What a precious dog!!
Please check back for further updates.
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More
Shelties on Page 3 |
HSS Coordinators
Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc.
PO Box 840235
Houston, TX 77284-0235
SHELTIE LINE & FAX: (281)-859-0146
E-Mail: Connie / Linda / Joan
