1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Happy Beginnings

 

Chantily Lace our 1st Adoption

Blanche had recently lost her 12 year old Sheltie. When Chantily Lace came into rescue she had just come from a puppymill and just needed someone to really love her. Lynn and Elaine delivered her to Blanche on Christmas Eve 1999 and it was the best Christmas present anyone could have. It was love at first sight. It was amazing to see how she understood immediately that this was where she belonged and she just made herself at home. It took her no time at all to decide that the place she wanted to be was in Blanche's lap and I am sure that is still her favorite place.

 

 

We had no intention of getting another dog, as we have a small Sheltie (Sugar) 14 yrs. old. Also another dog (small Akita 8 yrs old.) named "Boots". One Sunday, our son went by Pet Mart at Fair Lakes in Va. went in and saw Misty. He called us and said you have to see this dog, you really have to; my husband said "Why not, it's on the way." We inquired about Misty, but were told she had been adopted and her family had come to pick her up. But little did we know that a certain 8 year old dog "ITSY" by name would crawl into our hearts. She greeted us with a little bark (being debarked) we had no choice but to pet and talk to her, and she talked to us in return. One look at her beautiful face was all it took. We talked and talked about her to the marvelous people who rescue these animals. Yes we signed the papers and went to our luncheon. Itsy is a beautiful Blue Merle. She is now part of the family, she tells my husband when its time to eat, (she eats things like peppers, tomatoes, celery, lettuce even cukes). An apple fell off the table and she ate that too. Bananas are a no no with her. Too soft I think. She had been trained to walk along side and heels beautifully.

For anyone who is contemplating purchasing a pet, we encourage them to first investigate the possibility of adopting from other sources. There are other pets waiting at shelters, etc.. to be loved.

P.S. The day we adopted ITSY was also my husbands and my 50th wedding anniversary.

Misty was turned into NVSR by a vet because her owner didn't want to keep her. Her new Mom writes that it took only two days for Misty to completely steal their hearts. She's made many friends in the neighborhood of both the 2-legged and 4-legged variety. The children especially like her because she is so gentle and "looks just like Lassie". They can't imagine how they'd lived without her.

 
  Otae, a big, handsome, prime-of-life boy with great spirit and a lot of love to give was adopted by his foster family.

Josh is an owner turn in who can be a little shy at first but makes up quickly. Josh has found his Forever Home with a family in VA. They have two sons who both bonded immediately with Josh. They plan to do obedience with Josh, and also take him camping with them.

 

Pauly, the Sable/White in the middle of the 2 Tri Shelties
 Pauly was adopted by his foster family. When he first arrived at the foster home, he was afraid to come out of his carrier. They write: "during his brief months here, not only has he lost weight, grown coat (and how!) as well as gained spunk and personality, he has grown his own fan club and become Chief Foot warmer in our home. While a true "homebody", he does love other dogs and enjoys all of our Sheltie visitors." Read more about Pauly at: http://members.aol.com/khauser783/pauly.html

Luke was an owner turn in. He was only 3 years old, but had been in four different homes and had developed some bad habits. His family met and fell in love with him and were willing to work with him. They say that Luke has quieted down a lot, feeling like this is his home. He loves having Percy as a companion and Percy is crazy about him. They were pleased to see how much he enjoys being around large groups of people when they have company. The only big problem is his bad habit of digging in the backyard...they're still working on that one.

 

Percy and Luke 

  Susie came from the Washington Human Society (they had picked her up as a stray). She is a Sheltie-mix, but definitely has the Sheltie personality! She is VERY playful and loves to be petted and cuddled. Susie was adopted by her foster Mom who sent a picture of Susie trying out an agility course (without any training). Susie will begin obedience training this summer - starting with agility.

Dylan was our 11 month old heart murmur case from a county shelter. He found a wonderful home with a family who moved here from Australia. They have three children who just adore Dylan. The family writes: It was a case of double culture shock when Dylan first arrived at our house. Not only was there a family of recently arrived Aussies to contend with but there was a month old kitten who was currently queen of the house. Fortunately, after a few days he worked out that this was now his new home and that the petting, walking and fussing were a part of everyday life in the house. The kitten soon stopped hissing and spitting at him and found that his tail made a good play toy. Dylan is so good natured that he accepted the playful harassment of his offsider with good grace. Dylan now enjoys long walks through the streets and parks of Leesburg where he likes to catch up with the people and animals of the neighborhood. He loves to bark at joggers, as long as they're far enough away. He and the cat are now great "mates" who take turns chasing each other around the house and wrestling wherever and whenever the mood takes them. Dylan is now family and is greatly excited whenever anyone returns to the house after school or work.  

  Holly, a 12 year old little girl whose first owner had to give her up because he had a stroke and couldn't take care of her. She is a very sweet, but opinionated character who loves to be scratched around her neck and the sides of her face. She has a wonderful new home with a single mother.

Maui was an owner turn in because she had colitis. She loves adults and children, but only gets along with a few carefully selected dogs and cats. She's a big girl with lots of love to give and gives great big Sheltie kisses! She was adopted by a young couple who adore her. She is their one and only dog which is exactly the way Maui likes it.  

 

Dare (previously Toby) is a Sheltie/Border Collie mix, small like a Sheltie, very playful and sharp as a tack. He has found a home that will challenge his mind and use his talents. His new Mom says Dare "helps" her with everything and he likes to play mountain goat and the higher he can be the better. He should be competing in flyball this fall, and he's taking to agility too. He's come a long way from the dog that first came in the door that wouldn't even look at a ball, let alone go after it.

Update: Saturday, racing was excellent and Dare was awesome. No mistakes anywhere, he was perfect!!!!! and fast!!!!! To help you understand exactly how good he did, at the first tournament 2 months ago he only got 102 points, now his 2nd tournament he got 1016 points. His current title is now FDCH (Flyball Dog Champion) and is well on his way to FM (Flyball Master) at 5000 points. Dare's formal name (with titles) is Azure Dare to Believe FDCH.

The Key to Cody's Heart

This is just a note to let you know that I accidentally discovered how to open up the heart of Cody. I was listening to some CDs I just bought -- Vice Gill "Souvenirs", Mark Wills "Permanently", Mark Wills "Wish You Were Here". I started singing to the music. Cody got excited and started "talking" and trying to get onto my lap and started licking my hand. I can now pat and rub his head and scratch under his chin and "talk" to him!!! Now when I sit down to listen to some music he comes to me and licks my hand.

 

Mr. Trent and Purple Haze
Purple Haze, 11 years, is a very sweet, outgoing fellow. His new parents write: My husband and I are so glad we adopted Purple Haze. He is a very even tempered dog, who enjoys hugs and sitting on the couch. He has fit in well with our other two Shelties, Guin, our 11 year old, Alpha female and Trent, our almost 4 year old, male, Therapy Dog. Haze is a joy to own and take care of. It just demonstrates how much of a privilege it is to have an older adoptee. He might not hear well, but he comes when I whistle and is very affectionate. He likes Trent and they get along so well. One day, I watched as Haze stood quietly, in front of Trent. Trent was busily chewing on a chew toy. He looked at Haze watching him and slowly got up and deposited the chew toy at Haze's feet. I think he was really welcoming him into the house by sharing his chew toy. Haze has really become my Therapy Dog because he is good for me and walks a little slow like I do. We are well suited to one another. Purple Haze is currently learning obedience skills and may be trained so that he can become a member of Fidos For Freedom.

His Mom writes: When we got Darby, we had just lost our beloved 9 year old sable male Sheltie, Kennebunk, to uncontrollable diabetes. Kenny's companion, a 9 year old tri-colored female named Arundle, needed company. But we didn't think getting a puppy would be a good idea. We thought Ari would be more likely to accept another older male Sheltie - so we turned to NVSR. Darby was exactly what our family needed. Ari and Darby get along very well now.

Darby is a real sweetheart. We have slowly introduced him to friends and family over the past couple of months - he is friendly with people, and does not act aggressively around other dogs. Really a very easy little dog to love. He has his faults - he has become very attached to us and barks when left at home with Ari - and when he thinks they have been left behind too often he will try to bite the door through which we are trying to leave. He also barks at the telephone when it rings, thunder and lightening, and the can of lemon pledge. Also interesting is that we notice that his face is slowly turning more tan/sable with less and less white markings. Could the white have been the result of stress? Who knows. We take all this as a good sign - that he is as happy with us as we are with him.

  Eenie and Meenie have been adopted by a family with a 5 year old daughter. Watching their daughter interact with the puppies was really a great sight. Here is part of an email we received from them: "We've been keeping busy with these two girls!! They are wonderful!! They have adjusted well to the changes. We are having some housebreaking accidents, but other than that they are great. We have changed their names to Kiska (Eenie) and Daisy [Meenie). The trainers that we plan to use said it would be better if the names sounded different (I still like Eenie and Meenie) but if it is easier for the dogs, oh well. We gave them a bath and they tried to jump out of tub and run through the house!! They were very good about it though. Kiska (Eenie) seems to be afraid of getting brushed. Especially around her hind legs. Daisy (Meenie) just loves it. She will fall asleep while you brush her.

Shadow is doing great in his new home. He loves being lose in the yard and he runs around barking and seems really happy. When you turn to go in the house he runs up and barks at you, and then runs in circles. He's a real sweetheart.  

  T.C. (Nancy) was found loose on Rt. 66. A man almost hit her so he pulled over and managed to catch her. She is full of energy and never seems to slow down. Her favorite sports are chasing cats and barking at cars driving by HER house. She is definitely a barker and when she barks she does it so hard that all four feet leave the ground.
To her nothing is more fun than chasing a cat or more frustrating than barking at a cat who just sits and looks at her like she is crazy. But when night comes she always manages to curl up with at least one of the cats that she has terrorized all day. They all enjoy the game and know she won't hurt them.
At night when she gets in bed with me the first thing she always has to do is rub her head all over my hair. Guess she is trying to let everyone know that I am hers.

For those of you who don't know Dude's (as in Handsome Dude) story he came from a puppy mill in West Virginia. He only weighs about 10 pounds and is short enough to run under some of my larger Shelties. When he first came into rescue it wasn't thought that he would make it but he did. He has been here since February, 2000 and still has a long way to go. When I first got him he wouldn't come out of his crate unless forced. If I took him outside he just sat in one spot and shook. The only way to touch him was to corner him which just petrified him. He is at the point now where he will tolerate being petted but isn't too impressed with the idea. He still panics if I pick him up but at least now I don't end up wet (or worse). He gets along well with all my dogs and cats. He loves running in the yard and barking with the rest of the crowd. He has become best buddies with MacDougal and every evening they race through the house chasing each other. It is such a joy to see a dog who once only knew the inside of a crate, experience the joy of running and playing. I know that one day he will get to the point where he accepts people petting and loving him.

 

 
 Blue Angel is an elderly Sheltie whose favorite pass time is sitting on the couch getting all the attention. While most of the other dogs like to play outside she wants to stay inside and be loved. She gets along with all of our other dogs and cats and has decided that she is "hall monitor". When she decides that it is time for everyone to quit playing and go to bed she stands in hall and barks at them. She came into rescue debarked so she has very little bark but all the others seem to accept her telling them it is time to sleep

Brandy was turned in to NVSR by an owner who kept her shut in a laundry room 12 hours a day and had neglected her to the point that hypothyroidism had nearly robbed her of her coat. Her sweet disposition and eagerness to play won her an almost immediate forever home with her foster family and two Sheltie siblings, all of whom enjoy helping her make up for those lost years.

 


MacDougal is one of the happiest dogs I have ever seen. He loves everyone, 2 or 4 legged. The only time I have ever seen him even get slightly upset with any of our other dogs is when he is trying to beat our Lab retrieving a toy and one of our other rescue Shelties is holding on to his tail. His special love is his stuffed bunny which he sleeps with every night. He definitely has multiple personalities. One minute he will be chasing cats and the next giving them baths.
I am hoping to train him in agility because he definitely has no fear of anything. If there happens to be an obstacle between him and where he is heading he just jumps over it and keeps going. One of his favorite places to sleep is on our patio table.

Bailey is a bundle of energy and livens up everything!! He loves to play toy (all the time) and has even gotten Plato, my other Sheltie, interested in playing toy. He and Plato (in the picture Bailey is the smaller dog on the right) have bonded and they love to take walks together, play toy together, and chase around the house together. I know that Bailey is wonderful company for Plato during the day while I'm working. And I love having another Sheltie in the house. Bailey is a loving dog and likes to keep close to his person. He never lets me far out of his sight. Thanks to NVSR for sending Bailey my way!!  


Fluffy has adapted so well that it seems she has been here forever. She has her moments were she just races through the house and wants to play. She loves to lay in your lap and just be cuddled. We sure do love her and wouldn't trade her for the world. She is definitely moms little girl. She follows me all over the house and only wants to stay outside when mom is out there. Here is a recent picture of Fluffy with a couple of her siblings.

Tipper was initially taken in by the Washington Humane Society because her owner failed to get the proper treatment for her after she was hit by a car which broke her left front leg. Consequently, the leg had to be amputated. But Tipper is still affectionate and loving toward everyone and certainly likes to speak her mind! She was fostered on a farm in Pennsylvania where she learned to move pretty fast on just three legs. Tipper was adopted by a young couple in Arlington. They were interested in one of our younger dogs until they saw Tipper's picture on the website, and knew immediately that she had to be theirs (and vice versa). They live in a ground- floor apartment in a very pet-friendly (and pet-intensive) building, and report that Tipper has settled in, met the neighbors, and shows all signs of being quite content in her new home.

ALL our rescue dogs are special, but Tipper's tragic history of pain and neglect makes her extra-special, and we're all delighted in this story's happy ending.

To see other pictures of Patchwork Sheltie Rescue Picnics, please visit: www.geocities.com/patchworksheltierescue

 

Tipper in the Patchwork Sheltie Rescue Parade

 

Happy Beginnings Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Sheltie bar by Michelle Worley Spot the Dog Graphics