A 501(c)(3) Charity
Organized Nov. 4, 1998

Total Number of Shelties Rescued: 772

"Sheltie Kisses"
Ladybug and Mitch

"Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things,
man will not himself find peace."
~ Dr. Albert Schweitzer

Updated 05/02/08

Description of our Rescue and Adoption Program
 

Research the Breed

Before considering adoption of a Sheltie, first research the breed to make sure this is the right dog for you and your family. The adoption application puts the adoptive home in the 'hat' for one of our rescues, but since our first concern is a good match between family and dog, we do not adopt on a 'first come' basis, but on the best match for all concerned. We especially look for homes that are knowledgeable about or have researched Shelties, i.e., that they are long-haired, double-coated dogs needing weekly brushing and in-door homes to maintain their beauty and health; intelligent working dogs (they are in the Herding Group along with Collies, Border Collies, Shepherds, Corgis, and Aussies); sensitive, loyal companions, but sometimes shy with people they don't know; and that they have a reputation as 'barkers' due to their breeding as herders. Not all Shelties bark, and most can be trained to a "no-bark" command after they have appropriately warned their owners of whatever they are concerned about. Shelties are extremely intelligent: ranked by Stanley Coren, author of The Intelligence of Dogs, as 6th in the top 10 brightest dogs with respect to obedience and agility commands; they are among the best dogs in these competitions. Shelties are also popular, ranked #16 on the AKC's top 50 breeds in America, but because many owners do not research the breed, the Sheltie, like most purebreds whose owners do not understand their behaviors and needs, too often finds himself in need of rescue. To begin research on the breed, the best book is Sheltie Talk, usually available on Amazon. One of the best Sheltie sites on the Internet is Mary Jo Sminkey's Dog Patch, especially her Sheltie FAQS page: http://www.dogpatch.org/sheltie/sheltieq.cfm  For care of your rescued Sheltie, see our guidelines at http://houstonsheltiesanctuary.com/adoption_tips.htm

Adoption Restrictions

After research and determining the Sheltie is the dog for you, please understand our restrictions for adopting rescued Shelties. Though most Shelties love children and are terrific with them as well as with other animals, we do not ever adopt our Shelties primarily as "gifts" for children or primarily as "buddies" for current resident dogs, though we certainly encourage adoptions of dogs to be companions for family members and one another. We also do not adopt our dogs as gifts through family members or any third parties: families wanting to adopt our dogs must go through the same adoption process as all other applicants, completing the application and arranging for the home visit. Because our Shelties are rescues sometimes needing special understanding and care, we do not adopt to homes with children under age five; this is also the policy of reputable breeders and other rescue groups. Shelties are herding dogs. With children, this sometimes translates into following them around, herding them, occasionally mouthing gently at their heels. Although the dog is not biting, this can frighten small children, and their responses can be unpredictable. Screeching, crying, running etc. actually makes this shepherd dog believe her attentions are needed even more urgently, and she redoubles her efforts to “help” the child. 

Finally, although most Shelties are intelligent, loving companions, and make wonderful service and therapy dogs, as well as traveling companions, our first concern is that they will be adopted as companion dogs. Our Shelties need stable, loving homes where everyone in the family is interested in helping our rescues and wants them first and foremost. If you are looking for an adorable companion dog and want to offer a new life to a rescued Sheltie, that is what our program is about, and we are here to help. If you want a Sheltie puppy (they are rare in rescue programs; most people don't give up cute puppies), then check our web site often but also contact one of the reputable breeders linked from our main page. Please never buy any puppy from the roadside, a pet store, or a trade show: too often, such puppies are poorly bred and prone to disease or behavioral problems, ending up in rescue later. Buy your puppy only from a reputable breeder you have carefully researched and who is willing to provide health records and pedigree in addition to vaccination documents. With Shelties, you want proof that the parents and the puppies have been cleared for hip, eye, and heart disorders.

Application Process

You have decided after research and reading about our program, including the restrictions, that you want a rescued Sheltie because this is the right choice for you, and you want to give a loving home to one of these dogs.  Please note that we do not have a central shelter location; nor do we bring our dogs to adoption days at PetCo etc. Our dogs are fostered in private homes, and serious applicants must use the application process below in order to see our dogs.
 

(1) Complete and send the application, allowing five business days for us to respond by phone or e-mail.

(2) Include the name(s) of dog(s) you are interested in on your application or call the Sheltie Line -- (281) 859-0146  -- or e-mail Joan or Linda or Connie when you see a dog that comes in after you submit your application. 

(3) Work with us to arrange for the home visit, which must be set up at the convenience of both the adoptive home and our volunteer. Please be patient as the volunteers have families with spouses, children, elderly parents, resident pets, and homes to take care of as well as jobs in addition to their rescue work, and we often have several applicants we are already working with. The home visits are very friendly, and applicants should feel comfortable when the volunteer comes to visit, often accompanied by a resident or foster Sheltie to both ease the visit and watch the interchange between family members and dog.

(4) Be sure you are seriously interested in continuing the adoption process. We will arrange the visit with the dog(s) only after application, veterinarian check (we need proof that current pets are up to date in vaccinations, heartworm preventative, and heartworm tests), and home visit approval. All of this takes our time, and when the process gets to the point of visiting the dogs in our private foster homes, we are asking volunteers to open their homes to prospective adopters and take their time to help both dogs and families to a good match. Also, if you have a resident dog or dogs it is a good idea to bring your dog with you when you visit the dog(s) you are interested in to watch the interaction between the dogs. Please Note: Applicants who schedule visits with the dogs in the foster homes need to keep those appointments as the foster homes get the dogs ready, often after they come home from work or on equally busy weekends with their families. They do this out of love for the dogs so they can present themselves at their best to possible new homes. Even if applicants decide on the first dog they visit, applicants need to call the next foster home(s) immediately to cancel. But we caution that all the dogs scheduled should be visited--both out of courtesy to the families and also to give every dog a chance to show that he or she might be the one for them. Once you have decided on the right dog for you, the foster family will take the final adoption agreement and adoption check. Though the foster family will let us know, we also appreciate hearing from you that you have made your decision.

(5) Bookmark and check the web site frequently as healthy rescues and owner relinquishments to our program are quickly adopted after home approval. Because we have many dogs coming into the program and many applicants waiting for them, it is best to submit the application and have the home check done even if you don't see the dog you would like to adopt yet. The right dog for you could come into the program any day; or upon careful review, you may decide a Sheltie who has been waiting for his or her home is actually the dog for you. Our adoption process may seem to take a bit longer than many anxious homes would prefer, but we do private adoptions only, for the best match of our dogs and families: this does take time, patience, and hard work; but the results are almost always to the advantage of both dog and family for a lifetime of companionship and devotion. Please understand that we do not become involved in time-consuming discussions about our dogs unless families are serious about adopting, i.e., they have read about the program and submitted an application for our review.

(6) If you do not get to adopt the dog you wanted, please understand and respect that we carefully match the dogs with their new homes. And everything happens for a reason. The dog you may have thought was perfect for you was actually perfect for the family he or she went to; the dog that is perfect for you is another dog in the program or one coming into the program. It is all good in the rescue business for both dogs and families. Our job in HSS is to insure the happiness of our dogs first and foremost; families who understand this are always blessed by the dogs that do come into their lives.
 

Adoption Process and Safety Requirements

After we rescue a Sheltie, we immediately get him or her to one of our clinics, where the dog is assessed and treated for whatever ailments/parasites he or she may have, then vaccinated and neutered. After medical care, the dog is placed with one of our foster homes who rehabilitate, socialize, and assess the dog for temperament, helping him or her get ready for adoption. The dog is in our foster program for a minimum of two weeks -- up to two months if going through heartworm treatment or surgical recovery. Once the dog is made available for adoption on our adoptions page, then we begin trying to match him or her with the best home for both dog and family.

In order to adopt, a prospective family first reads about our program and available dogs, completes and sends the ADOPTION APPLICATION, and allows a home check by one of our volunteers. One of our members will visit the home to meet the family and check on safety, recommending any needed changes before one of our dogs would be adopted to the home. Examples of our safety requirements are as follows:

(1) The home is not directly on a busy major intersection or thoroughfare. 

(2) There are no dangerous objects or containers with anything poisonous within the dog's reach in the home or yard. 

(3) The back yard is fenced with at least 5' height, with no holes in the fence, low spots, or broken boards; or a 4' wrought-iron fence with narrow spacing -- we would need to match that with the dog, as some of the larger Shelties could jump over it. We recommend a padlock for the gate(s). There is no exception to the required fencing of yards, including country homes. Our dogs live indoors only; we do not allow them to be kept exclusively in the yard or in outside pens or in the garage. If there is a doggy door, it must open from the house (not the garage) into the fenced yard only. We do not place our Shelties in mobile/trailer homes because of the danger from high wind storms. If you live in an apartment / town home, there must be a safe place to exercise the dog on lead.

(4) If you are renting an apartment, condo, or single-dwelling home/duplex, you must provide written, signed permission from the landlord to keep this Sheltie on the premises. If there is a pet deposit required, it must be paid by the prospective adoptive home with copy of both the permission and the deposit receipt included with the application. We will not contact the manager for these required documents. 

(5) Food and water dishes must be available and clean; dog's sleeping area must be shown to our volunteer.  

(6) Unless the adopter is a professional breeder, all resident pets are neutered or spayed. All resident dogs and cats are vaccinated; all dogs are on heartworm preventative.

(7) Please understand that our dogs are very precious to us, and many have been through terrible experiences in their lives we never want repeated if we can prevent it. So please do not request a home visit unless you meet all of the above requirements before the visit.

(8) This program is about our dogs and a great match with wonderful families who want and need them. We are committed to adopting our dogs to loving, carefully chosen homes; therefore, because of the efforts we take, 99% of our adoptions are successful. However, Houston Sheltie Sanctuary will refuse adoption of one of our dogs if we feel the home situation would not be a safe or happy one for our dogs. We will reclaim our dog for the same reason if we discover the applicant has misrepresented the conditions or is not taking care of our dog as promised.
 

The Home Visit and Adoption Finalized
 

Our representative will bring a Sheltie with him or her to see how the family and any resident dogs interact, will see where the dog will sleep and ask questions about where the dog will be housed when the family is away, will answer questions about feeding, grooming, exercise, veterinary care, etc. (we provide the dog's vet records after adoption). The representative will also make clear our program policy that except for play, exercise, and elimination time, our Shelties are inside dogs only. Even though our dogs are house and crate trained, able to behave beautifully indoors, and we recommend regular brushing of the coat to keep down excess shedding, some people contacting us, who don't want accidents or fur in the house, will insist that Shelties can live outside because they are "herding dogs in the Shetland Isles." Houston is not the Shetland Isles, and these dogs were not bred in that climate. Furthermore, the American Sheltie's coat is generally much thicker than his British cousin's. Not only do Shelties need to be protected from the heat and humidity in Texas (dogs can develop heat stroke and die within minutes), but also a lot can happen to a dog confined in a back yard. We've had more than our share of folks who call us to report that their Shelties have been lost or stolen from the yard while they were at work or on vacation, or while visiting someone else where the dog was left outside. The same stories of loss come from homes in the country where people thought their pets were perfectly safe on unfenced acreage. We have also had reports of poisoning incidents and utility people leaving the gate open for the dog to escape. Additionally, the weather can turn nasty quickly, and the dog would be stranded outside. Even if shelter is provided, Texas storms can be violent and frightening for the dog kept outside. If a dog escapes from an unfenced or poorly fenced yard, he can also be picked up by people who sell dogs to laboratories or use them as bait in pit-bull training. Even if none of these horrors occurs, not everyone who picks up a loose dog will return that dog, even though that is theft. In short, our rescued Shelties, many of whom have already been through far too much in their lives, are to be adopted as companion dogs the families will cherish and protect.

If our representative thinks this would be a good home, either the family will visit the dog in the foster home, or volunteers will bring the dog to the home to see if this is a good match with the family and other pets. If so, the day of adoption, the new owner signs a final adoption agreement and pays a $240.00 adoption fee for adults age 1 to 9; $150 for adults age 10+; $275.00 for puppies up to age 12 months. We will provide copies of medical records and a receipt. No adoption is final until the paper work and fee are tendered, and no HSS dog will be left with the adopter until these requirements are taken care of. This adoption donation made out to Houston Sheltie Sanctuary goes directly to our program and helps cover Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc. Rescue Program expenses in rescuing and getting our dogs ready for adoption. Because all our rescues involve enormous amounts of personal time and expense for the volunteers as well as program expenses in phone calls and e-mails; maintaining our constantly updated web site, phone line, and business mailbox; logistics and transports often across many miles; extended foster care; and all of our dogs are vaccinated and neutered; many treated for heartworms and/or hook and whip worms, coat problems, fleas, surgical needs, and other maladies when they first enter our program -- the average rehabilitation expense is $300-400. Your donation brings you a healthy, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, vet-cleared, rehabilitated purebred Sheltie who will be the Sheltie he or she was meant to be; keeps our program viable; and helps the next Sheltie in our program. The average price of a purebred companion Sheltie from a reputable, AKC and ASSA affiliated professional breeder is $600 (some major breeders are now charging $800), plus the owner's first-year veterinarian expenses, so the new owner of a rescued Sheltie from HSS is getting a great dog at an extremely reasonable cost. After adoption, we recommend the adoptive home take their precious new Sheltie to their vet to set up a file and be microchipped, which is the best protection for your dog against accidental loss. We also recommend the Sheltie be tested for heartworm disease in 4-6 months, especially if the dog was treated for heartworms and tested negative, just to be on the safe side. Even dogs who test negative when they come into the program can test positive a few months later as it takes 4-6 months for the microfilaria to become adults. This is extremely rare, but we want our homes to be aware and take those steps. After adoption, the Sheltie's picture and brief story will be placed in our adoptions photo gallery, and the new family is invited to our bi-annual reunion picnics (watch the web site for picnic announcements). HSS families become part of a supportive network of Sheltie lovers who look forward to seeing the dogs and sharing their stories; we also welcome new pictures of and updates about our Shelties.

Adoption Area. We prefer to place our Shelties locally; however, if a good prospective new owner lives outside the Houston area, but in Texas, the prospective owner must submit the application, provide references, and allow a home check by one of our rescue affiliates in that area. The approved new family must then come visit the dog in the foster home, submit the final agreement form and adoption donation, and provide transport back home at owner's expense. Also understand we are Houston Sheltie Rescue: while we will adopt outside our metropolitan area within Texas, out-of-towners are always at a disadvantage if they cannot quickly come to our area to visit the dogs, particularly when other approved applicants may very well be ahead of them. Applicants are especially at a disadvantage if they only want a certain age, color, or gender, as many of those dogs, especially the younger ones, are generally snapped up by approved families who live in the area or who immediately arrange to drive here. All that said, we are happy to work with out-of-town Texas applicants who are willing to work patiently with us to place the right dog with them. We do not adopt our dogs outside of Texas because it is too difficult to monitor their progress or recover them if the adoption does not work out. Because our goal is to place our rescued Shelties in loving homes as quickly as possible, Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc. Rescue Program will not place holds on our dogs.

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.

Rescue FAQS
 

We work closely with owners needing to relinquish their Shelties and with finders, veterinarians, other rescue groups, and area shelters in our efforts to rescue Shelties who need new homes. Some folks do not understand how animal rescue works: read about common misconceptions if you have any of these concerns. All breed and mixed breed rescue clubs are experiencing unprecedented numbers of dogs needing help and new homes, so please check back weekly. If you understand and love the Sheltie breed, but your application is not selected for the Sheltie of your choice, rest assured there will be more rescues in our program for you to consider. We also recommend you contact our sister rescue organizations around the state, linked from our main page.
   

Additional Adoption Notes
 

All Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc. Rescue Program Shelties have received necessary medical treatment, have been spayed or neutered, vaccinated, treated for heartworms/hookworms/whipworms, fleas and other parasites, and have been tagged with our own ID Tag, recorded by name and rescue number in our files. Because of the often deplorable conditions they have come from; their intelligent, sensitive dispositions; double coats; and the Texas heat and humidity, we require that our rescued Shelties be indoor dogs and never confined outside. Upon the dog's adoption, we require keeping our tag on the collar, and to further protect your beloved new Sheltie, we urge you to have your own ID tag plus Vet./Clinic tattoo and/or micro-chip. Please remember that if your Sheltie had heartworm treatment in our program, or even if your Sheltie initially tested HW- in our program, have a re-test done in 4-6 months to be safe, and then every year thereafter. Always keep your Sheltie indoors or behind a locked gate in a fenced yard when exercising, and on leash with a light choke/mountain collar when walking. And for increased pleasure in your Sheltie's company, we strongly recommend obedience training soon after adoption, especially in classes where you both receive the guidance of professionals and the opportunity for the dog's continuing socialization. Most Shelties are outstanding obedience dogs and are also excellent in agility and flyball: working in these sports with your Sheltie can provide years of fun together and help your Sheltie to be in top form as well as become the enjoyable, well-behaved dog he or she is meant to be. Under no circumstances do we support the use of shock collars to train a dog with any issues: kindness, obedience training--including reward-based training--are the correct procedures for our dogs.

Please read carefully: dog owners need to know that most heartworm preventative manufacturers will not cover the treatment if the pills are purchased on line and fail, as they have no way of knowing for sure those were actually their products. It is always best to purchase the pills from your clinic.

If at any time in the life of the dog the match does not work for any reason, or if for any reason the family must relinquish the dog, then the adoptive home returns the Sheltie to Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc. Rescue Program. Under no circumstances is our dog to be transferred to another party. If the adoptive home violates ANY section of this Description, the Adoption Application, or the Final Adoption Agreement, Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc. Rescue Program will take legal steps to reclaim the dog. We will ask for annual updates on each dog's well being, preferably on the dog's adoption anniversary date. We appreciate these very much and especially would like to have photos.

Euthanization:  If one of our adopted Shelties is being considered for euthanization by the family and their vet for any reason, Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc. Rescue Program must be contacted about the dog's condition. This is not because we wish to interfere in the decision between doctor and family, but because we love our dogs: they and our families are part of our program, and we would want to know if one of our dogs is so ill it is time for that decision. Sadly, though none of us likes to think about it, like humans, dogs have their appointed times, and eventually they, too, must cross over. The decision to humanely euthanize one of our dogs who needs to cross over would not prevent the family's adopting another of our dogs. We do counsel to wait a few days or  weeks to go through the grieving process and also so that the new Sheltie is coming into the family when they are ready for another joyous adventure with a dog who also needs them.

Now that you have read about our program, it's time to go see the dogs:

Our Shelties Available for Adoption

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Contact HSS Coordinators

Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc.
PO Box 840235
Houston, TX 77284-0235
SHELTIE LINE & FAX: (281)-859-0146
E-Mail: Connie / Linda / Joan