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We are always in need of
loving foster
homes. If you are interested in
our foster program, please see the information in the side bar. We are in need
of foster homes both for the adoptable dogs coming in every week and also for
senior dogs and dogs with medical issues who will remain in our program.
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Have your
Randall's
Card programmed to our
charity number
8533.
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Kroger Community Share: Go to
www.krogerneighbortoneighbor.com and
click on "Find Your Organization." Type in Houston Sheltie
Sanctuary, print out the letter with our barcode and present to the
checker, along with your Kroger Plus card. HSS will then be linked to
your Kroger card. Your receipt will not specifically say our name, but
the Pepsi company which sponsors the community share program
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When you shop on line
through IGive, a percentage of your
purchase is paid directly to Houston Sheltie Sanctuary. Click on the graphic
below and look for your favorite merchants; then click through to them from
IGive, and you will automatically be helping our Shelties while you enjoy your
shopping. Like Good Search, next, IGive also now gives a penny for every
completed search through their
IGive Search Engine.
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When you search or shop
through the
Good
Search/Good Shop Engine, we also make money. Click on the link; it will take you to the
Good Search home page, Houston Sheltie Sanctuary as your charity cause; then
use Good Search as your main search engine. Scroll down the search page,
and you will also see the logo to click through for shopping. Donations
automatically go to HSS every time you search or shop the Internet through the
Good Search/Shop link. Save these links to your favorites, or you can
also click on the logo below, and save the link. Additionally, you can also download
the Good
Search Toolbar and use it for your searching and shopping. The toolbar
is a particular asset, and can be used as successfully as Google (Good Search
and IGive are both partnered with Yahoo). If you have any doubts about
how important searching and shopping through IGive and Good Search can be,
check their testimonials. HSS has earned thousands for our dogs, and the
potential is limitless. So please log on to help, and tell your families
and friends about both IGive and Good Search.
Program Description
Please Note:
We
welcome loving, qualified new homes for our beloved Shelties and have
successfully placed over 950 rescued Shelties.
The primary goal of our program is to focus with absolute priority on the
individual rescued Sheltie and his or her specific needs for a new forever home.
Therefore. . . .
Applicants wanting to adopt one of our Shelties must submit an application
linked in the sidebar.
Applicants wanting to adopt again must submit a new application.
Due to time constraints, we will not answer questions, either by phone or email,
about individual dogs without an application on file.
Additionally, we do not have time to read or respond to letters.
We do not change our program requirements for individuals who want exceptions
made, nor do we read or respond to complaints about our policies,
as they are completely in line with the National Sheltie Rescue Organization’s
standards.
Our dogs are loved and cared for in private foster family homes: we do not have
a central location or kennel for the public to visit.
Welcome
to
Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc. We are a
non-profit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity, serving the Greater Houston, Central
and Southeast Texas Areas. Now into our twelfth year, we are
the oldest Sheltie Rescue Program in Houston, the 2nd oldest in the State after
DFW, and one of the largest and most successful breed rescue programs in the
nation. We do not have a shelter location but are a rescue network of over
seventy Sheltie lovers and volunteers who have pooled our resources, energies,
time, and homes to rescue
our Shelties. Through our work
and the generous financial donations of Sheltie lovers, we provide our rescues
with the following assistance: transports to our clinics from shelters, owners'
homes, finders' homes, and roadsides where they have been lost or abandoned;
excellent medical care, including vaccinations, spay/neuter, heartworm treatment,
tests and treatments for other illnesses, and various surgeries; experienced
private foster homes where they receive nutrition and vitamin therapy,
unconditional love, socialization and training; and eventual adoptions to new
homes who want to help our Shelties and enjoy their companionship. Our work is
indeed a mission that we are all committed to. If you think you can assist us,
we would welcome you to our program: please click on the appropriate links in
the sidebar and let us hear from you. We hope you enjoy visiting our web site:
please bookmark us and come back often for updates which are almost daily.
The Rescue Story
"Every
day, an old man walked the beach with a pail, picking up the starfish that had
been washed in by the tide, and throwing them back into the sea. One day a
young boy stopped the old man and asked, 'Why do you throw starfish back? It
doesn't matter. They will only wash up on the shore again tomorrow.' The
old man picked a starfish out of his pail, threw it as far as he could into the
sea, and replied, 'It mattered to that one.""
Sheltie
fanciers frequently ask us why this beloved breed needs rescue and where our
dogs come from. It may be difficult for dog lovers to understand, but there are
rescue groups in every state for nearly every purebred dog breed, to say
nothing of the mixed breeds: that is simply a sad reality in our culture,
largely due to over breeding and human failure. In the case of our dogs,
Shelties are a popular breed because of their beauty, size, sweetness, and
intelligence. But not all owners understand the breed's characteristics or are
able to care for their dogs. Our Shelties come into the program through
shelters, found dog reports, and owner relinquishments. People give up their
dogs to rescue programs for a variety of reasons: a new baby, the desire to
have a puppy for the kids instead of the established dog, developed allergies
to the dogs, divorce, family moves, owners going into nursing homes, or owners'
deaths, with their family members unable to make room for another
dog. Shelties are turned into area shelters for similar reasons and also
alleged complaints about the dogs' behavior, which are usually unfounded in our
care. Sometimes, like most rescued dogs, Shelties need rescue because their
owners did not research the breed, purchased the dog as a cute little puppy for
children who lost interest when the dog matured, someone in the family does not
like the dog, or the family simply can no longer care for the dog as they would
like to and sincerely want their Sheltie to have a new life. Sometimes, in
abusive situations, the dog escapes, and the owner never attempts to find him;
or owners move, leaving the dog behind to fend for herself. We also
believe that occasionally something tragic happens to the owner who adored the
dog, and an obviously well-cared-for Sheltie that is found wandering alone may
have decided to seek help. Sadly, like other animals, some Shelties also fall
into cruel hands and are neglected, physically abused, and then abandoned to the
streets or escape the situation.
Fortunately,
we have found that for every desperate situation or human failure affecting our
own Shelties, there are also angels out there who want to help the Shelties
into rescue and a new life. Sometimes they are our own alert volunteers,
shelter workers, or rescuers in other breed programs who hear about or see the
dog in shelters and want the dog to go into our program because they know breed
rescue is a dog's best chance for a good home. Sometimes they are individuals
who take in these dogs from parking lots at work, church, their children's
schools, their neighborhoods, or even their own backyards where the Sheltie has
sought refuge. And sometimes--at great risk to themselves--these folks pull
dogs from swollen bayous or dash out to pull frightened dogs from busy
intersections or freeways. Like most rescue groups, we are also ready during
and after catastrophes: we rescued 10 Shelties from the ravages of hurricanes
Katrina and Rita. These wonderful rescue angels often start the dog's
medical care in their own clinics, give baths and cuddles, then call us to take
over because they know we can assist the dog on to his or her carefully chosen
forever home. Additional wonderful stories involve families who rescue dogs,
get in touch with us, and we are able to reunite these Shelties with their
worried owners, which is another important part of our program that gives us
particular joy.
The
stories of rescue are countless and heroic. All of these people know exactly
what they are doing: not only are their efforts a labor of love, but also, they
recognize that the dogs they are helping are classy Shelties who respond with
joy to being rescued. It is a touching experience to watch the shivering slowly
subside and the frightened eyes soften in trust. Rescued dogs almost always
understand that rescuers and foster homes have come into their lives to help
them; they are extremely grateful to have loving homes at last and respond with
a devotion that has to be experienced to be appreciated. A major part of
our mission is the forever homes we unite these dogs with: often the families
need our dogs as much as the dogs need them. The rescue efforts come full
circle in a blessing we have come to respect and feel honored to be a part of.
We hope you will discover that for yourselves by adopting one of our beautiful
dogs and joining our HSS family. Thank you for your interest in our rescue
program.
If I can stop one Heart
from breaking
I shall not live in vain
If I can ease one Life
the Aching
Or cool one Pain
Or help one fainting
Robin
Unto his Nest again
I shall not live in
vain.
~ Emily Dickinson
The number one killer of our
rescued Shelties is Heartworm Disease, yet it is preventable through a monthly
pill costing about $10.00.
Failure to give monthly preventative is abuse.
We require
all veterinary
records showing vaccinations given and heartworm preventative purchased for all
resident dogs.
If heartworm preventative is
purchased on line, we require copies of those receipts.
Please educate yourself and others about Canine Heartworm Disease
and read
Ike's story below.
If you are thinking of breeding your adorable dog, please read
"Just
One Litter"
Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc. is
a Member of
Some
Sheltie Graphics are from
© 1998 - 2010 Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc.
All rights reserved and protected by Federal Copyright Law.
Website created by Joan
McAninch
Samuelson
Maintained by Joan and Jean Berthold
Updated
02/28/10
