When NorCal Collie Rescue (NCR) was asked to contribute to Bay Woof’s Doggie in the Window column, we had to decline the offer because, as is often the case at NCR, we had no adoptable Collies waiting for homes.
How do we do it? Our solid foundation, which includes a waiting list of adopters and an established database of volunteers and repeat adopters, is key. Keep reading for more on how NCR got to this enviable position.
The “Collie Line” rang and jarred me awake at 7:15 on Sunday morning. This was my one day to sleep in, so I was not happy, but I always, always answer because this phone line is one of two numbers listed on the tags of our rescued Collies. I groggily answered and uncharacteristically barked, “This better be an emergency – you just woke me up!”
Then I heard the words I dreaded most, “Yes, this is an emergency. I have a one-year-old Collie…”. Oh boy, I thought, she’s got a Collie she needs to relinquish, but this time the caller simply wanted to know if she could give her dog an aspirin. When she couldn’t reach her veterinarian she’d called NCR hoping for advice. After hanging up, instead of being irritated, I felt gratified that the caller had actually found the NCR rescue number. I knew the work it had taken to establish our rescue and get our name and number out there so people could find us.
The California Collie Rescue Coalition (CCRC), founded in 2003, morphed into NorCal Collie Rescue in 2005. Prior to incorporating and obtaining our 501(c)3 status, two dedicated women, Jean Roberts and Ginny Whitman, had done pretty much all the Collie rescuing for about 20 years. With Ginny’s passing, Jean and other longtime breed devotees decided to form a real non-profit corporation to handle the task. I volunteered to be CCRC’s Adoption Coordinator and later became NCR’s first President.
Having a background in business and law, I wanted to make sure we built a foundation for a successful rescue, so I made the commitment to take on a very active role. I was very lucky to have some brilliant and talented co-founders and an amazing Board of Directors – all good-hearted volunteers who worked fulltime at their paying jobs and tirelessly at night and on weekends for NCR, as I did.
Considering that most rescues across the country run on shoestring budgets and operate pretty much the way Jean and Ginny did for years, doing everything on their own, I am very proud of the organization we’ve built and how many lives we’ve made better – canine and human. Finding loving homes for these ”throw-away” dogs is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in life and the thing of which I am most proud.
NCR rescues and re-homes approximately 40-50 Collies per year. Since 2003, we’ve never turned away a Collie in need, including older dogs who are dumped at shelters due to medical issues. Those are among the most difficult cases, because not everyone is eager to adopt an aging, expensive dog. Still, amazingly, we find wonderful homes for even the oldsters most of the time! And the ones who don’t get adopted become part of our “Senior Sanctuary Program,” paid for by our Angel Fund. We also have The Eddy Fund to financially help adopters who adopt dogs with genetic health issues that can be corrected by medical intervention. Our operation and these special funds are supported entirely through donations and adoption fees.
We rarely offer many dogs on our website because we maintain a list of waiting, pre-approved adopters. NCR has certain qualifications adopters must meet, and we do a home check on every applicant. We believe our most important job is to make a good match between Collie and adopter, since both parties have placed their trust in us.
We do not have a shelter facility, so every dog we take in has to be fostered by a volunteer. In fact, each dog is a huge investment of time and money, considering the initial intake costs, transport and veterinary care, fostering and training, applicant screening, adopter interviews, adoption procedures, and follow-up training and advice.
Other secrets of NCR’s success:
- We maintain good relationships with other rescue organizations.
- We’re all-volunteer and spend very little on operating costs.
- We seek discounts with veterinarians, which enables us to help the oldsters and dogs with health issues.
- We operate in a fairly affluent area and our adopters, volunteers, and donors have been very generous.
As a breed, Collies aren’t as popular today as they were in the Lassie TV show days. Still, there are plenty of Collies in need of our services. Whether it’s a litter of unwanted puppies dumped in a field; a group of tick-infested, starving dogs confiscated at a hoarder’s house; or a dog who knows life only from the inside of a crate in the garage, NorCal Collie Rescue is very proud to be saving lives in Northern California. And as long as we are, I’ll be answering the Collie Line.
Andrea Moss is a founding member of NorCal Collie Rescue and was President for its first six years. She shares her home with Peter Rabbit, one of 81 Collies rescued from a hoarding case in 2005, and competes in agility and obedience with her Collie, Georgia Brown.
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Main article photo by: Andrea Moss
