Our vet costs are mounting. If you would like to make a donation to help us to continue to provide second chances for these dogs, you can make a donation via PayPal to
Mary@starfishbcrescue.com.
Tennessee Border Collie Puppy Mill Shut Down!!
On September 25, 2009, the Humane Society of the United States and the Sumner County Sheriff's Office entered the property of Richard Swafford to remove 108 border collies that were living in appalling conditions. Swafford is a volume breeder and runs Border Collie Rescue of Middle Tennessee. Many of the dogs in Swafford's "rescue" came from his own breeding program, however. Swafford agreed to relinquish 55 dogs, which were sent to several rescues in the east, north, and south. Three of those puppy mill dogs ended up here at Starfish BCR. Another 53 dogs were seized and held as evidence in the County's animal cruelty case.
On October 6, 2009, Swafford pled guilty to two counts of animal cruelty. As part of his plea bargain, he was allowed to have four of his house dogs back after they were spayed or neutered. He is on probation for two years and is not allowed to be involved with any other animals over the next two years other than his four house pets. The remaining dogs and puppies that were seized are being distributed to various rescue groups now.
The three dogs in our care are in generally good health, though one has some eye issues that we are working with our vet to address. Their biggest issue is their mental health. The social neglect and prolonged confinement that they experienced has done a number on their mental health. They are all very sweet dogs and, thankfully, do not have any aggressive behaviors. They are mainly very timid, scared, and anxious about new things. The degree of fear and anxiety varies among them. But, all will require quite a bit of social rehabilitation so that they are able to function in the real world. This is what we will be focusing our efforts on over the coming weeks and months. We will try to update our website periodically to report on their progress.
If you would like to make a donation to help pay for the care and rehabilitation of the three puppy mill survivors just click on the PayPal button at the top of this page.
Meet the Survivors . . .
Who We Are
We are a registered 501(c)3 non-profit rescue group in the Vero Beach, Florida, area. We typically only have a few rescues in our program at one time. This allows us to focus on the individual needs of the rescue dog so that they can find their perfect forever family. We can also help you to "rehome" your border collie, if needed. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions.
Adopting a friend
The adoption fee for pets adopted from Starfish Border Collie Rescue varies from $200 - $300 depending on the needs of the dog.
The adoption process for Starfish Border Collie Rescue is a follows:
First, you will fill out an adoption application, which can be downloaded via the link at the bottom of this page. ALL questions must be completed on the application before it will be reviewed. You may fill out an application before or after finding a dog that you are specifically interested in adopting.
Your application will be reviewed as soon as possible. This process usually takes a few days and sometimes up to a week while references are checked.
If you have shown interest in a specific dog, his or her needs will also be taken into consideration to see if they will fit your lifestyle and home.
You will be notified as soon as the application has been reviewed. Once a completed application is on file and approved, you are welcome to set up a time to meet any dogs that we feel would suit your family and home.
Next, an adoption contract must be filled out and signed in order for the dog to leave for its new home. While adoption applications may be sent through e-mail, contracts must either be sent through the mail or signed in person. If we have approved a dog to be transported to its new home, the adoption contract must be received before the transport can take place.
That's it! If any problems should arise, Starfish Border Collie Rescue is always here to offer advice or aid whenever and wherever possible. Please consider us a lifelong resource for any questions or concerns you may have with your adopted dog.
If at any point in the future you cannot keep the dog you have adopted, you MUST return it to Starfish Border Collie Rescue unless you have discussed an alternative plan with us. This allows us to find another loving home and to keep track of the dogs we have placed.
To apply to adopt one of our dogs, download and complete the application form available on our website at www. starfishbcrescue.com and email it back to us.
