Southern Ontario Border Collie Rescue is made up of volunteers. The volunteers in the SOBCR are dedicated to assisting Border Collies in need to the best of our resources and ability. We enjoy participating in activities and training with our own dogs ranging from Agility, Disc and Flyball to herding livestock and goose control. We volunteer in the general area in which we live and primarily cover South/Central Ontario and as far East, West, and North as we can co-ordinate transportation. We do not adopt outside of an area where we can comfortably travel to conduct home checks. FOSTER HOMES ARE NEEDED! We need experienced breed knowledgeable foster homes. People who are patient and willing to use positive training methods to correct any wanted behaviours (ranging from housetraining to car chasing), are always in short supply. If you feel you can help, we'd love to hear from you and send you a foster application.
MATURE DOGS NEED LOVE TOO! We often are contacted about older dogs who need our help for a variety of reasons. Some are owner surrenders due to lifestyle or health changes, some are unclaimed or dumped strays in shelters. This can be tough, as dogs over 6 years or senior dogs are often passed over for adoption at shelters in favour of adolescents or puppies and are at greater risk of being put down, even if healthy. When we can pull them, they can tie up a foster home indefinitely. But a mature dog can still be very rewarding to someone who loves the breed but no longer has the energy for a young dog. They usually have fewer issues, more moderate exercise needs, and still have plenty of love to give. Border Collies can live to 12 - 18 years. Please consider giving a home to a mature companion.
ABOUT BORDER COLLIES:
This is a breed that can make a challenging but rewarding pet. A young dog in need of training it will always be a worker first. It can transfer its inbred desire to chase, gather and control moving objects to kids, joggers, cars or whatever it can fixate on. It must be trained to learn self-control. Several levels of obedience classes are necessary, with ongoing reinforcement in a fun and positive way. Border Collies need constructive outlets for this drive with plenty of ongoing training in appropriate activities. Whether you adopt a dog or choose to buy a puppy, a contained, structured environment with clear boundaries and lots of training and socialization is what a Border Collie needs if it is to be a happy member of it's family and community. Being left in a big yard or loose on a farm or a rural setting is not recommended. Border Collies allowed to roam will chase cars or livestock and are likely to end up dead at the side of the road or from a bullet from a farmer protecting their livelihood. If left to it's own devices or left alone for long periods it can easily become stubborn, destructive, fearful, neurotic, or obsessive/compulsive, and many end up at shelters when this happens, and they do not handle the confinement well. They are often put down as unadoptable if a rescue group or adopter is not found to take it out and work with it.
YES, BORDER COLLIES CAN BE “REGISTERED DOGS”
Many rescued Border Collies are not registered dogs or their background is not known, but the breed does have recognized Border Collie Registries. The Canadian Border Collie Association and the American Border Collie Association (CBCA and ABCA) are the Border Collie registries most commonly used in Ontario. Both will provide you with a 5 generation history of your dog and further breed records and information upon request. While having a registered dog does not necessarily guarantee perfect health or temperament, it does mean that the breeder took some interest and (ideally) some responsibility and provided a record of your dog's genetic background. This can be useful in tracking health and behaviour trends, and gives you a link to the fascinating history of this breed and other Border Collie owners. The Border Collie is bred for it's brain & ability rather than for conformity of appearance, and ongoing efforts are underway to keep this as the main focus. The American Kennel Club does register Border Collies, however AKC registered dogs of all breeds are also found in puppy mills in the U.S. and Canada, so beware. Avoid buying a Border Collie pup from a pet store either! Breeders are prohibited by reputable breed registries from selling puppies to pet stores, and will have their membership revoked if caught.
DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO BUY BORDER COLLIE PUP OR MIX FROM A PET STORE OR PUPPY BROKER. You are taking a great risk and the money you pay just goes back into producing more puppy mill dogs. Try to ensure that both parents are available to be seen and assessed for health and temperament. An overly aggressive or shy nervous dog will produce similar offspring. That, combined with inadequate socialization and training can creat a dangerous dog. We also try to assist Border Collie owners in understanding their pet's unique behaviours and wherever possible work to help keep them in their home and try to suggest resources in their area to assist them with training. We get many calls from mixed breed owners also but cannot take mixes in - the numbers are just too overwhelming. If a dog is of good temperament and has not bitten, and has been spayed or neutered it can be posted to the list and assist the owner in rehoming that way.
Adopting a Friend
CRITERIA FOR ADOPTION - What we are generally looking for in an adoptive home is a commitment to making the effort to learn about and understand why this unique breed was developed, it's quirks and sometimes intense behaviours. Having a secure, safe, fenced area and being happy to give a generous portion of your daily time to your dog's ongoing training and well-being is also an important consideration. Most of the Border Collies that come through rescue are adult dogs of varying ages although very occasionally a pup needs a home. All Border Collies fostered by SOBCR are assessed by a Vet, and spayed/neutered prior to placement. Every effort is made to assess their temperament and document personality quirks or issues. We are up front about them and try to work on modifying those that may have got out of hand. While nipping can be a BC characteristic and will be assessed, for safety's sake we will not take in an aggressive dog that has inflicted a bite. All Border Collies placed by SOBCR are initially placed for a two week trial-placement period, to ensure that both owner and dog are happy with the arrangement. For this reason, we rarely place dogs out of areas we cannot reach in the event that the dog must be returned to us, and rarely transport across the border. Due to limited foster homes, often the dogs available will remain with their owners until a suitable placement is found. If a dog is posted and remains with it's owner, the arrangements for it's adoption remain with the current owner. The only thing we ask is that all dogs placed on our referral list be spayed or neutered, the owners be honest about the dog's personality and that they not be "for sale". Border Collie Rescue is not for profit. We rely on volunteers, donations and fundraising to care for the dogs and keep the organization going, and the adoption fees go back into the fund to help the next dog through.
Come Visit Us!
There is no central shelter facility where the dogs are kept. We all volunteer from our homes and can each only foster one or two at a time. Arrangements must be made with each foster home to meet a dog.
Our web site address is www.bcrescue.info.
Our list of available dogs is updated regularly, however those who have already submitted a completed adoption application will be given priority if the dog is a suitable match, and those dogs may never be posted as available.
Southern Ontario Border Collie Rescue Mount Albert, Ontario
mailing address 2255B Queen St. E., Toronto, ON M4E 1G3
Phone: 905 473-9050
Email: Click here for a list of pets at this shelter
