Central Ohio Sheltie Rescue Adoption Information
SUBMIT ADOPTION APPLICATION
Please read through this whole page. It should answer any questions you may have about adopting a rescued sheltie from us..
As you work through the adoption process, please understand that our primary concern is the happiness and welfare of THE DOG.
Is the Sheltie Right for you?
Shelties have many wonderful traits ....
They can be very loving and attentive.
They are smart. Sometimes they are too smart for their own good and that of their owners! You will often see this breed competing in Obedience, Agility, Rally, and Flyball just to name a few! We’ve also had them visiting nursing homes and certified as therapy dogs. These activities help to strengthen that human/canine bond too!
They can be protective and cautious of strangers notifying you of any unwanted guests.
Shelties also have some not-so-wonderful traits…
1) Shelties are barkers. Contrary to what you’ve heard, they don't bark at everything.... but a sheltie will warn you if the UPS man arrives, or someone walks into your yard....or if something is 'not right'. If a barking dog will bother you, this may not be the right breed for you. Keep this in mind if you live in a condo or apartment as well. Will that be a problem for you?
2) Shelties shed. This is a double coated, long haired breed. Their coat does need a fair amount of care. A good brushing at least once a week and a bath once a month will suffice. Yes, they will "blow" coat at least twice a year. If dog hair is an issue for you, then this may not be the breed for you. A good professional grooming once a month to blow out that undercoat can make a world of difference. SHELTIES ARE NEVER TO BE SHAVED. If long, shedding hair would be a problem for you, do not get this breed.
3) Shelties can be very shy with strangers. A sheltie will be very affectionate and loving with its owners, but may be very shy with strangers. If you are looking for a dog that will run and greet everyone who comes to visit you this may not be the breed for you. Often, a sheltie will hide when a stranger comes over. Please consider this if you plan on hiring strangers to care for your sheltie while you are gone.
4) Most rescue Shelties are NOT good with toddlers and small children. We suggest you wait until your child is at least 7 or 8 years old. We will sometimes have a Sheltie available that would do well with toddlers, but this is not the "norm". If that should happen, it will be advertised as such. Most Shelties are somewhat noise and movement sensitive so unless your child is unusually calm and quiet, we discourage it. "Lassie" was great with Timmy...... but Collies are NOT the same as Shelties. They are a totally different breed, TRUST US.
5) Shelties are a herding dog. They herd small children, squirrels, bunnies, etc. Unfortunately, some Shelties also enjoy herding cars! That is why a fenced yard is so important for the dog’s safety. It only takes a second and they are gone. Opening and closing doors must be blocked for their safety as well.
6) Shelties have those beautiful begging eyes. They will use them too! Therefore, they have a propensity to gain and gain weight. This is not healthy. They will need to be in a home that will control that intake of food for them.
We are not trying to discourage you, but we do want you to be educated and aware of the many traits of the sheltie. Once adopted, we encourage you to stay in touch to allow for continued education and assistance for both parties. Who knows, you may learn something that will help us too!
What age Sheltie would be best for my situation?
Please consider this.... Many people buy a puppy........and then work and work and work to get that puppy to behave like a mature adult. A lot of times that puppy ends up being rehomed. Please consider the chewing, the housebreaking accidents, the crying in the crate, the constant attention a puppy needs when making an adoption decision.
Work all day / Gone a lot? A young dog or puppy will not do well in this environment, however a mature/senior dog usually will. Please consider the welfare of the dog, and adopt a mature or senior dog if you are gone all day. A senior dog will likely come already housetrained and can be trustworthy alone in the house. In some cases, you have to consider that you just might be too busy to add a furry child to your family.
An average Sheltie will live 13-15 years......so what age dog is best for you?
Puppy through 1 yr. old.........Lots of chewing, not reliably housetrained, needs much attention and training, not good choice if you are gone all day. Boredom can cause puppies to become destructive.
1-3 Yr. old........ Still acts like a puppy, may or may not be housetrained, will still chew, needs lots of playtime to burn energy, will become bored easily if left alone too long…..will chew or dig from boredom. Good choice for someone who is gone only part of the day and loves to interact to ensure the exercise need is met.
3-5 Yr. Old.......Able to be trusted alone in the house for short periods, needs several hours of playtime daily, will become bored easily, will chew or dig from boredom.
5+ .... A perfect dog. Past the chewing stage, reliably housetrained in most cases, content to sleep while you are gone, will want to play for a few hours, but will be ready to sleep again when you do. Best choice if you are gone all day long.
Rescue dogs range in age from puppies to 13 yr. olds. Everyone seems to want the young dogs,.so please consider opening your heart to an older dog. They are so much harder to place, and most often they are the best behaved. They need homes just as much, if not more, than the younger dogs. What rewards you are given when you realize that there is still a lot of love left in them and they never hesitate to share it with you! Older dogs are the best! We take extra care to try to ensure you are getting as healthy of a senior as you can get. We do blood work on all seniors and keep them with us a bit longer than the young ones so that we can see if there is anything going on that the blood work may not have picked up. We think our seniors are truly special and deserve only the best! Is that you?
We have had great success with our senior for senior program where a senior citizen can be matched up to a senior dog and avoid an adoption fee. We stay in the background just in case we are needed. Feel free to ask us about it!
Other Considerations
Appearances! Oh yeah, this breed is absolutely beautiful inside and out. We do ask that you keep an open mind and heart when looking at the photos of the available dogs. We always seem to have a few folks that fall in a love with a photo because it reminds them of a dog that has passed. Sometimes they insist that it’s the dog for them. We have to caution you that this is not the best way to pick your next best friend. That loved dog of the past cannot be “replaced”. It’s not fair to the new one to be expected to be the same as the previous one either. Each has their own personality and habits and should be loved and accepted as such.
We place our dogs in homes based on their temperament and habit and how well they match your lifestyle. Our favorite scenario is when the dog truly chooses you instead of the other way around! What happens if you have your mind set on a particular brown dog and it’s either already adopted or when you come to visit us, a black dog chooses you instead? Do you walk away because it wasn't the one you wanted and miss out on the best companion you could have ever had?
Something to consider isn't it? We've seen it happen. We've seen a dog choose the owner, only to later save that owner's life when they were headed into a diabetic episode in the middle of the night. That dog woke everyone up in time to treat it and turn things around. So, would you walk away from that black dog that chose you instead of the brown one?
A Sheltie is a very loving and loyal dog, that needs attention and affection. A Sheltie will want to be with the family, wherever that may be. We will only consider those homes who want a Sheltie as an indoor family member. A Sheltie would be miserable as an "outdoor" dog, therefore we won't even consider it. A sheltie forced to live outside away from the family will bark excessively and become destructive. Not a good situation!!
Our Shelties can come from a variety of situations.....We get dogs out of Shelters, owner turn-in's, dogs found running loose, dogs who are abandoned because of their owners death...etc..etc. Rather than leave these dogs to die in a shelter, we take them in and address their needs. We will treat any medical condition the dog has as long as it’s in the dog's best interest. So far we've not had one that we couldn't treat.
We are a sanctuary as well as a rescue, therefore we treat everything we can and strive to return the dog to the optimum of health. Each decision is made on a dog by dog basis. Then we spay and/or neuter every dog, bring them current on all shots, and begin it on heartworm and flea protection. The dog is bathed, groomed, and put into a foster home for evaluation. Each dog stays in their foster home until the temperament is known and a good match can be made. We do not place aggressive dogs or known biters. But some dogs may have some "issues" to work through. We always try to advise you of any known "issues" a dog has prior to you adopting it. Rescue dogs usually have plenty of love, affection and gratitude to give back and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you saved a dog or maybe it saved you?
We do not have a shelter. Our whole organization is made up of volunteer foster homes. We have dogs in foster homes all over the state. So...it is not possible to go to a "shelter" to view all our dogs. We ask that you submit an application first, and once you are approved to adopt, we will suggest a few dogs that we feel would be a good match then make arrangements for you to meet them. For the safety and protection of our volunteers, these meetings will be arranged for neutral locations.
Sometimes we have to say “no”. It isn’t something we like to do, but as always we have to make our choices for the Dog first. We do not place dogs in homes that we do not believe will work out.....so please respect our decision and our advice.
Adoption is for the rest of the dog’s life; period. It should never, ever be based on your convenience. So, If you are unsure as to whether you can commit to a dog for the rest of its life, (regardless of whether you move, change jobs, or get divorced) then please rethink your decision to adopt a dog.
Please contact us if you are interested in becoming a foster!
Our basic rules on adoption.......
We are looking for excellent pet care providers to welcome our precious furkids into their lives and homes. Therefore, we must be able to verify all your previous and present pet care including the veterinary care and the use of preventative maintenance medications.
If you own your own home, we prefer that you have a physical, secure fence enclosing your back door and yard....ie: a fenced yard Since a physical fence shows us the commitment to a dog’s safety that we need to see in an adoptive home, if there is none please explain why and how you will exercise the dog.
If you live in an apartment or condo with no fence, we will consider your application for adoption ONLY with a dog we feel would do well with the apartment style of life. We will need you to explain to us how you would exercise and allow for elimination during all types of weather.
We prefer to place our Shelties within our own state. We feel that since there are sheltie rescues in almost every state now, that we would rather refer you to a rescue closer to you. Most States have very deserving shelties needing homes so it makes much more sense to help those closest to you. Moving a dog across state lines can be very traumatic and dangerous for the dog.
We do our best to assist you with matching the right dog for your family and lifestyle. We take into consideration your entire family (and their ages), other pets, lifestyle, etc. But the most important thing is the needs of the dog. We do not want our dogs homeless again. We do not want them passed around from person to person. Therefore, our contract clearly states that if you can no longer care for the dog you’ve adopted, then the dog comes back to us. We will try to give another member of your family the first right to adopt the dog in order to make the dog’s transition easier. The dog always comes first and we take responsibility for them for life.
You must be willing to train and work with any new dog. Perfect dogs are created, not born that way. Although we do our best to work with the dogs before you get them, they are very sensitive to their environment. Therefore, you should not expect the “perfect” dog immediately on delivery! Sometimes, we admit it does happen and to us, we feel they are all “perfect! But then again, we are a bit biased! We do our best to work with the dogs and ready them for their forever homes, however, it would be impossible for us to anticipate every scenario. So in most cases you will have to work with them and help them adapt to your lifestyle. This is no different than if you purchased a puppy from a breeder. You have to work with them and train them too.
Since we are looking for those of you that show proper care, responsibility and love for your pets, if your current pets are not spayed or neutered, and kept up to date on all shots and preventatives, we won’t be able to consider you for adoption. We would love to be able to just take your word for it, but since we have just been introduced to each other, it must be verifiable.
The fee's to adopt a dog are as follows.
Since we are a considered a 501(C)(3) charity by IRS code, you may always donate more than the stated amount. Please ask us about our opportunities for you to volunteer with us!
All fees include:
Spay or neuter on dogs and puppies over 6 months old (younger puppies have a
special contract)
One year rabies shot on younger dogs and 3 year rabies where permitted
Combination vaccine (either 5 way or 7 way) in most cases we now include the Corona virus
Heartworm Test (and treatment if needed)
Heartworm Preventation
Flea prevention treatment
Wormed
Groomed
Dental cleaning as needed
Treatment of any known medical issue as needed
Blood workup if indicated.
Avid Microchip
A medical history record comes with each dog.
pricing: (in most cases…some exceptions may arise) Repeat approved adoptive homes usually receive a 10% discount on fees. Adoption referrals welcome!
Puppies < 6 months old - adoption fee of $500
Puppies 6m - 2 years old - adoption fee of $400
Adults 2-8 years old - adoption fee of $250
Senior Adults 8+........adoption fee of $150
Senior to Senior Program …………...FREE
Since we are a sanctuary too, we would be interested in talking to anyone interested in our "Forever Foster Program" as well. Email us!
Rescue is about giving a dog a chance at their forever life who otherwise would not get one. If saving a Sheltie is what you have in mind……..then please contact us.
Ready to join our family of “owned by shelties”? We look forward to seeing your application!
The Process. Here is how things work..............
The first step to adoption is filling out an application. Submitting your application online is the easiest and fastest way to get things started. Also....we consider applications in the order that we receive them. Applications that are mailed in to us must be scanned or typed in and that takes extra time. Please be totally honest, as we match dogs based on what you tell us. If you have a specific pet-peeve or preference, please let us know. Placing the right dog in the right home is very important to us.
Once we review your application, and if we have a dog that is a good match.......we will begin calling references and your Vet. You must have a history of providing excellent health care for your current or prior dogs or cats. Yes, the vet care for a cat is just as important as a dog!
Next; we will have someone from our group contact you and set up a time to come to your home to meet you and your entire family. When we come to your home, we are not looking at your housekeeping or your financial status. Since we work primarily over the internet, we simply need to meet you and your family in person, confirm that you have an understanding of the breed, and your home/yard accommodate the needs for one of our dogs. Our representative may or may not have the dog you want with them for this initial visit. It depends on where the dog is and where you are and what is feasible.
Once step 1-3 are complete and you have been approved, we will set up a time for you to meet with us and begin meeting dogs. Our shelties are in foster homes throughout the state of Ohio We will make every effort to make meeting the dog as convenient as we can, and in some instances we may end up doing the home visit and adoption in one visit. Most of this planning will depend on where you live in correlation to where that particular dog is being housed.
If the home visit is done first, then when you come to meet the dog(s)........in most cases you will be able to adopt the dog (ie: take it home with you) that day if both parties agree that this is the right dog for you. At that time, we will sit down with you and go over the dog’s medical history and you will be given copies of all the dogs records. We will go over in detail how to care for your dog as well as answer any questions that you have. You will also be asked to sign an adoption contract and lastly you will be asked to pay the adoption fee for the stated amount (below).
All of our dogs leave here with a new leash and collar, our ID tags, some of the food they are eating and "How to Find a Lost Sheltie" instructions. We educate before you leave about how NOT to lose your sheltie. We strive to educate for the safety of the dog and your heart. Looking for lost dogs can be an expensive, tiring, heart wrenching endeavor that we hope no one ever needs to undertake!
We do ask that once leaving here that you do NOT stop to potty break the dog on the way home. Columbus is a central location in Ohio and as such any location is just a couple of hours away. This request helps us rest easier that the possibility of the dog getting loose at a roadside rest or strange town is greatly reduced.
Here are some things we insist on if you do adopt a Sheltie from us:
This breed spooks easily and will run off no matter how well you think you have them trained. The dog may never be allowed off a leash unless it is in a securely fenced yard. We aren’t just interested in our dog being allowed to run, but any dog you already have. All dogs deserve to remain safe!
The dog must be kept on Heartworm and Flea Prevention medicine every month of the year.
The dog must be an indoor dog and treated as a member of the family.
The dog is never to be left outside when you are not home.
The dog must wear it's collar and ID tags at all times.
The dog may only be fed premium dog food…..No generic or bargain brand dog food. (We see the damage done by cheap food only too often)
The dog must have regular Vet visits, and treated as advised by your Vet.
