Program Charter
Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity comprised of volunteers who give of their time, their talents, and their homes to help place needy Shelties where they will be loved and well cared for. HSS had its beginnings in January 1996 when Joan Samuelson began rescue work privately, allied with Dorothy Christiansen and ASSA; further assisted by Dallas-Fort Worth Sheltie Rescue. In Nov. 1998, Tracy Crane assisted Joan in formally establishing Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc. We quickly set up our charity status, recruited Sheltie lovers, established an e-mail list, and developed our web site. Linda Parlapiano came on board almost immediately, also in 1998; Connie Goedecke, and Jeany Berthold-Belote joined us the following year, quickly followed by original volunteers, Dawn, Bill & Nancy. We now have over 70 volunteers who rescue Shelties, foster them, coordinate picnics, adoption venues, and anything else asked of them or they come up with themselves. We are still growing and welcome new volunteers. The program coordinators are Linda, President & Business Manager; Connie, Adoptions & Foster Homes Coordinator; Jeany, Volunteer and Webmaster; and Joan, Founder, Director, & Webmaster, all assisted by our hardworking volunteers. Our goals continue to be the same: rescue and rehabilitation of Shelties already here, prevention of irresponsible breeding, and education of the pet owning public. We work closely with shelters, other rescue groups, private individuals alerting us to needy Shelties, and owners needing to relinquish their dogs. As part of our outreach, we also have an active Lost and Found division which helps to reunite Shelties and their owners. We are particularly proud that we have been able to assist Houston Collie Rescue and Austin Sheltie Rescue as they organized--paying it forward as Dallas-Ft. Worth and Southern California rescue groups helped us.
Several types of assistance are offered to Shelties and their owners:
Physical Rescue:
This includes taking in the Shelties from shelters/pounds, taking in those who are found/injured/sick, assisting in catching lost Shelties, and assisting owner-surrendered dogs into new homes. If we perceive that a situation involves abuse or severe neglect, we will take in the dog. Any stray we receive will be held while we attempt to find the owner. Our primary geographical area is the Greater Houston area, but we are here to assist any Sheltie in need and have rescued dogs from all over the state of Texas and as far as Louisiana.Rehabilitation:
Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc. provides physical, medical, surgical, and behavioral rehabilitation for Shelties that are rescued. At the time a dog is placed in a new home, the adopter is fully apprised of the dog’s condition and history, as we know it.Foster Care: We are not a kennel or shelter, per se; we are a rescue organization. We work on a foster home basis with HSS volunteers providing loving homes for rescued dogs until permanent homes are found. We are always looking for good foster homes. When a Sheltie is accepted into the HSS program, he or she is immediately evaluated by a veterinarian and is given vaccinations and medical/surgical care as needed. The dog is then placed in a foster home where he or she is evaluated for temperament and is rehabilitated, if necessary. Our dogs are always neutered before being adopted.
Adoption: Adopters are thoroughly screened, and dogs are carefully matched to the best home available. HSS can boast a 94% adoption success rate. Our adoption fee is $225.00 for dogs under age 10, $125 for senior dogs over age 10, and $250 for puppies under 12 months. These adoption fees help defray the costs of medical care and allow us to save more lives. We also welcome donations.
Lost and Found:
We encourage anyone who has lost his or her Sheltie to contact us immediately, as many such dogs will sooner or later find their way to us. We will be happy to carry a description and photo of the lost Sheltie on our web site and do we can to assist in the search. We also request that anyone who finds a Sheltie please contact us as soon as possible. The dog you have found may have physical or medical needs and will certainly be grieving for its home.Education:
Members of HSS are always available to provide help and assistance to all Sheltie adopters and any other Sheltie owner. We are more than happy to advise or provide referrals on nutrition, health care, grooming, behavior problems, and other needs. Our web site includes many helpful essays on dog care, but of course we always refer medical inquiries to veterinarians. Along with our clinics, two of our most important crusades are to educate the public about the dangers of canine heart disease and distemper, and to discourage casual breeding of purebred dogs.Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc.
PO Box 840235
Houston, TX 77284-0235
FAX: (281) 497-6895
or
(281) 859-0146
SHELTIE LINE:
(281)-859-0146
E-Mail: Connie /
Linda /
Joan
Adoption Program I Adoption Application I Foster Application I Donations