Some of the dogs that come into Rocky Mountain Collie and Sheltie Rescue are at the beginning of a long journey. If the dog comes to us from a background of neglect or abuse, we must understand how to be in sync with the dog and how best to meet their most immediate needs. Lucas arrived from the parking lot of a puppy mill auction in Kansas. He displayed all the classic behaviors of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which we see in a puppy mill survivor’s complete lack of socialization with humans and a desperate fear of hands. In a puppy mill, when human hands reach for a dog, it is to drag the dog out of a tiny wire cage for some awful purpose. The hands are typically covered with long and heavy gloves to avoid sharp teeth from the terrified animals. The dogs are then handled like inanimate objects to be tossed or shoved somewhere else painful and unpleasant. (For an in-depth discussion of “puppy mills,” please go to our Resources page and/or read The Diary of Lucy Blue, a real eye-opening expose of life for a puppy mill survivor.) One of the perks of being the Director is that when a tough case arrives, I get called on to foster. And that was the case with Luke. He has been with our family since November 2011. Having Luke off leash in a fenced backyard was out of the question. A large space and a dog without any concept of his name would combine to set up a disaster. And having a leash around his neck made Luke collapse in panic. Dragging a thin kennel lead behind him in the house for a few days began an understanding in him that we were attached in some way. Since then, in countless ways he has progressed in baby steps. One step forward and three steps back. On and on until . . . VOILA!! One morning we are privileged to see who this little man is becoming. Lucas is a 2½ year old neutered male Sheltie with a lovely shaded sable coat. His fur is now silky and soft to the touch. He is as cute as a Sheltie can be and totally unsure of himself in relation to humans. Luke has learned that we go outside to go potty and has even mastered our doggie door at least to come in. He enjoys the company of other dogs, both large and small, but absolutely prefers the company of other Shelties. When two of our favorite Shelties in the universe came to visit Luke, he looked at Maxi and Sammie as if to say, “Where have you guys been?” That was the day that Luke started the most important step of his life. He started to become a real dog. Miracles do have some limitations though. We don’t know how long it will take for Luke to find comfort in human companionship. If and when he does, we will be looking for a very specific family situation for this dog. Someone needs to be his primary person, the center of his universe. We believe he will chose a woman for that honor and she will need to be a gentle and loving, stay-at-home mom who allows Luke to bloom a tiny bit each day. With tons of love and support, he may turn into a well-balanced dog, but it will take a huge commitment on the part of his humans to give him the countless hours and countless kisses he needs to blossom. We will show preference for a family with at least one other well-adjusted Sheltie that can show Luke the ropes. A busy household with kids running in and out would be too frightening for this pup. Many dogs will thrive in that kind of setting. But not Luke. This is something we see often with the survivors of commercial breeding facilities. Luke’s humans must be accepting of a dog that has had the rockiest of starts and celebrate his progress rather than expect him to be someone he is not capable of being. And as all of our adopters must realize, this is a lifetime commitment, and not just a lark until the going gets tough. As is always our standard of care, Luke will go to his “fur-ever home” with a file containing all of his records including vaccines and microchip information. He will bring with him some of the things that make him comfortable and a ton of “do’s and don’ts” from his foster family. They will be able to coach you through his transition, and that is a gift that our volunteers give to the new family. What you need to add is stability and love. Please begin the process for adoption by going to our website at www.CollieSheltieRescue.org, reading our Policies & Guidelines and, if we sound like the right group for you, proceed to the online Adoption Application. From there, our receipt of your completed application will be confirmed by email. You will receive a follow-up phone call if we feel you are a good potential applicant for the dog. Lots of good conversation with the foster family, a reference from your veterinarian, and a home visit round out the screening process. We take dog adoption very seriously. Please put a lot of thought into why you want to adopt a dog, and help us make a good match for your family. We appreciate your taking the time to visit with us. We will look forward to hearing from you as well.

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Please begin the process for adoption by reading our Adoption Policies and, if we sound like the right group for you, fill out our online Adoption Application. From there, our receipt of your completed application will be confirmed by email. You then will receive a follow-up phone call if we feel you are a good potential applicant for the dog. Lots of good conversation with the foster family, a reference from your veterinarian, and a home visit round out the screening process. We take dog adoption very seriously.  Please put a lot of thought into why you want to adopt a dog, and help us make a good match for your family. We appreciate your taking the time to visit with us. We will look forward to hearing from you as well.

 

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