Herding Home Animal Rescue - HHAR

12/02/2024

Purebred Australian Shepherd puppies were born at the rescue!

Mama was surrendered to us underweight and heavily pregnant. She gave birth to 9 puppies in the comfort of a foster home: She had 4 boys, 4 girls, and one angel baby.

They just turned 4 weeks old, and their personalities are starting to come out. In the next week or two, we will begin evaluating their temperaments, and start matching puppies to adopters based on personality and lifestyle.

They've been raised on Puppy Culture and Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) from birth, and raised in a home with cats, dogs, and visiting grandchildren. We never dock tails, as recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Scientifically proven benefits of ENS:

- Increases neural connections in the brain by up to 200% and better brain cell survival
- ENS improves cardiovascular performance/stronger heartbeats
- Greater tolerance to stress
- Stronger adrenal glands
- Greater resistance to disease

Why behaviorists recommend Puppy Culture:

- Shaping manding (desirable) behaviors
- Aggression prevention
- Early socialization
- Confident startle recovery
- Early litter training, leash introduction, etc.

We do offer out of state adoption, with the adopter covering the cost of transport. To learn more or to fill out an application, visit our website at herdinghomerescue.com

11/01/2024

Happy Howl-o-ween from some of our adopted dogs 🎃

May your night be full of tricks and lots of treats!

10/26/2024

Look who made it out to our adoption event!

Jewels the tailed Australian Shepherd has come so far in gaining weight and confidence while in foster care. We were worried it’d be too high traffic of an event for her, but her foster says she’s been the “perfect girl”!

She was surrendered after developing an abscess where her face ballooned twice the size, then popped, leaving a hole in her neck the size of a silver dollar.

Prior to her abcess, she lived outside and had a body condition score of 1. She quickly adjusted to life as an indoor dog, ignoring the foster cats and excelling in treat puzzles and scent games.

If you would like to learn more about this beautiful girl, come to today’s adoption event at Hollywood Feed in Austin Tx. We’re here until 3!

Hollywood Feed
9901 N Capital of Texas Hwy
Ste 150A
Austin, TX 78759
United States

10/26/2024

Need puppy cuddles? Join us today at our adoption event!

We’ll be out until 3pm! Small breed puppies, medium breed puppies, and adult dogs, all looking for their furever homes! Feel free to bring your own dog, and spoil them with treats and chews from 🎃

Austin, Tx - Gateway location, near WholeFoods and REI

Hollywood Feed
9901 N Capital of Texas Hwy
Ste 150A
Austin, TX 78759

10/11/2024

Adopted - Meet Yellow 💛

This happy-go-lucky pup has an easygoing vibe most of the time, and her absolute favorite thing is being close to her humans. Snuggles? Yes, please! This tender-hearted cutie is all about soaking up affection and will gladly curl up next to you for hours of pets.

But don’t let her mellow side fool you—Yellow loves a good adventure, too! On walks, she stays right by your side, exploring new scents with curiosity, but always keeping close to her handler. She’s the perfect mix of active and relaxed. Whether it’s heading out for a hike, playing in the yard, or curling up on the couch for a cozy movie night, she’s down for whatever her humans are up for.

This gentle, loving girl is ready to be someone’s loyal companion and would thrive in a home that loves both adventure and cuddle time!

10/11/2024

We still have two of our sweet girls from the “buried alive” litter, and they’re now about 13 weeks old.

This is Pink, our energetic little “Sporty Spice”! This girl is full of life and loves to be on the go. Whether she’s zooming around the yard with pure joy or proudly showing off her tug-of-war skills, Pink is always ready for a game! Her playful energy is contagious, and she’s happiest when she’s running, jumping, and playing. If you’re looking for an active pup who can keep up with your adventurous lifestyle, Pink is your perfect match. She’d thrive in a home with someone who enjoys outdoor activities, canine enrichment, and plenty of playtime.

As much as Pink loves to play, she has an incredibly sweet and soft side, too. Once the fun winds down, she transforms into a total cuddle bug. She loves being held close and will gently shower you with kisses, soaking up all the attention she can get. If you want an active day on a hiking trail followed up by an evening of cuddles, Pink will always be by your side.

10/04/2024

Breeders are realizing it's time we focus on protecting the Aussies that are already alive, vs creating even more of them.

10 years ago, you had to spend thousands of dollars and join months-long waitlists to get an Aussie. Now, Aussies burden at-capacity shelters and regularly find their way on to euthanasia lists.

Breeders hanging their hat is a huge win for the rescue community: 40 dogs spayed/neutered prevents hundreds of prevented future litters from competing with shelter dogs.

But 40 dogs is also a massive financial undertaking.
We already started dividing the dogs up based on need, taking in the sick and injured first, and shipping the healthiest around the country to our out-of-state fosters and rescue partners.

There were 5 urgent medical cases. We've already spent thousands hospitalizing Rory, Jewels, and Zoomer. They are still undergoing treatment, so their bills will continue to grow.

The last 2 medical dogs (Rhonda and Casper - not pictured in this reel) were transferred to North Texas Australian Shepherd Rescue, so be sure to follow them to hear about their stories.

We're a small rescue: Before this, the most we've ever taken in at one time was 14 shelter dogs. 40 is a lot to manage, and we are grateful for any followers, donors, rescue partners, and fosters willing to help.

(Keep it kind in the comments. We appreciate people who can admit when they need help and are trying to make things right)

09/13/2024

This 20 lb Pocket Heeler is a survivor!

Teddy’s organs are back to where they belong, and he’s on his way to a full recovery.

He won’t be available for adoption for another couple weeks, but now would be a great time to apply for preapproval.

Background: Teddy was hit by a car, which caused his diaphragm to tear open. His liver, spleen, small intestines, and part of his stomach made its way to his chest cavity!

He needed quite an extensive (and expensive) surgery to correct this: his tab is over $7600! We’re still fundraising for his medical bills, but the surgery couldn’t wait.

Teddy is 1 year old, and has a shy and sweet personality. He’s quite snuggly, loves attention, and has the cutest awoo. He’s been neutral or playful with other dogs, even intact males (though he will tell them when they’re being too obnoxious).

At the shelter, when he was freshly injured, he was scared, snappy, and insecure. The first few days with us, he was completely shut down and wouldn’t even leave his carrier. He’s feeling a lot better now, and has so much more confidence. He’s now happy to be the center of attention.

09/11/2024

Today, we light a candle in honor of our sweet boy 🕯️

Otis was part of our buried alive litter, brother to 7 rambunctious siblings.

He was a clumsy, he was barky, but most of all: He was very, very loved.

ER vets couldn’t explain what happened to him; he declined quickly, and coded unexpectedly while they were drawing blood. He had no sign of disease, and nothing remarkable on his tests or ultrasound. His stomach was firm; their best guess without knowing for sure is bloat.

Our hearts are broken, and this comes to a shock to us all… Please be patient as we process adoption applications for the rest of his litter.

We wish this sweet baby had more time with us, but he’s so lucky to have experienced puppyhood in a home where he was comfortable and loved 🌈

09/04/2024

Why is his liver up by his lungs??!

Teddy is a Pocket Heeler with the most unfortunate luck. He was hit by a car, and wound up at the shelter.

While undergoing his routine neuter, vets noticed he was having trouble staying oxygenated, which prompted them to take chest x-rays. What they found wasn’t good.

His diaphragm tore open, and his abdominal contents (liver, spleen, small intestines, gallbladder, and part of his stomach) spilled into his chest cavity.

His organs were in all the wrong places. He was struggling to breathe since his abdominal organs were pressed up against his lungs and heart.

A specialist put humpty-dumpy back together again, but not without some obstacles. Teddy had trouble coming out of anesthesia and needs to be hospitalized overnight to monitor his lung reexpansion.

We’re not out of the woods yet; if we can get past these next 24-48 hours, he’s likely to make a total recovery. Can you help with Teddy’s care?

08/21/2024

Almost buried alive? 😱 Rescuers had to dig this puppy out with their bare hands.

These 8 puppies (and mama) were dumped on a ranch in the middle of nowhere, in the heat of a Texas summer. If that weren’t bad enough, one of the wandering, unsupervised puppies fell into a pit underneath a pole barn, and was trapped there for over 12 HOURS!

When help finally arrived, they had to dig the puppy out with their bare hands.

The puppies had fleas and ringworm; Mom had skin-deep matting and was covered in ticks. We knew we had to help them.

Mama is a tiny little girl, weighing just 31 lbs at 1-2 years old. She is a snuggler and loves kids. 4 puppies are boys, and 4 are girls.

The puppies are currently 4-5 weeks old and little, with the smallest being under 4 lbs and the largest being almost 5 lbs. Despite their size, they are mighty! These are some playful, spicy heelers, full of energy, grit, and drive. Now that they’re in our care, they’ll be raised with Puppy Culture.

If you would like to apply for preadoption, please email [email protected] — they’ll be ready to go home end of September at very earliest.

08/13/2024

Congrats to Taylor and HHAR Alumni Milo (now Draco), for earning 3 AKC titles today!

-AKC Canine Good Citizens
-Advanced Canine Good Citizens
-Urban Canine Good Citizens

Just a few months earlier, Milo was surrendered to our rescue as an adolescent, overstimulated, bitey Aussie.

Taylor (of Proper Paws Dog Training LLC) adopted Milo as her demo dog, and mastered countless skills within 8 short weeks. If you'd like to make similar achievements with your own dog, follow their training videos on social media, and book a virtual coaching session with Taylor directly.

Thank you Taylor, for trusting us with your out-of-state adoption! You two were meant for each other.

08/12/2024

AVAILABLE - The shelter was going to euthanize Ollie for space, so meet our newest intake!

Ollie is a 1-2 year old fun-loving border collie mix. He's housebroken, kennel trained, and loves to go for walks. He loves playing chase with other dogs, and has befriended both males and females of all sizes.

Ollie is a snuggler and has loved every person he's met. He loves to play fetch, and he lived with both cats and kids in his previous home with no reported issues. He hasn't been child and cat-tested with us yet, but his reason for surrender was housing instability.

He's an excitable, adolescent herding breed working through basic manners like jumping and leash reactivity, but once properly introduced to other dogs, he truly wants nothing more than to play. We're still learning more about him since he's only been with us for 2 weeks, but we know he loves laying in the kiddie pool, was a gentleman with the vet handling his blood-clotted 🥜, and does well in the car.

He is neutered, and current on vaccines and heartworm prevention.

To foster (or foster-to-adopt), please email [email protected] with the subject like "[Your Last Name] foster Ollie". Fosters get first right to adopt.

08/05/2024

Thank you for the feature, Newsweek!

Click the article to read about how we built a nonprofit animal shelter from scratch.

"It takes a lot of sacrifice, physically, mentally, and financially. But I'm not doing it for me, I'm doing it for them," AmberLynn told Newsweek.

07/16/2024

2 weeks ago, he was an electrocuted, poisoned neglect case. Today, he is a taco.

It’s amazing what donations and vetmed can do. It transformed this tortured, dying puppy into a happy corn tortilla, with all the fixins’ 🌮

All jokes aside: We’re so grateful the community stepped up, after so many people failed him. As promised, any leftover donations will be used to save the lives of other urgent dogs. Everyone at HHAR is an UNPAID volunteer, so 100% of your donation will go directly to dogs in need, not oversight.

We had our Instagram followers vote on an official name for him, and the results are in! The top voted name was “Marvel” - due to the extraordinary feats he and his brothers overcame throughout their recovery.

07/07/2024

What a transformation! 🐾

In just 7 days, he went from knocking on death’s door, to a happy, playful puppy.

It’s hard to believe just a few days ago, he was receiving countless blood transfusions and bleeding out from all over his body.

We haven’t received the final bill yet, but it’s in the ballpark of $15,000! He’ll likely need his broken leg corrected, but for now we’re celebrating the fact he pulled through the worst of it.

His littermates were also rescued from that situation and given emergency care, courtesy of Poso Dog Rescue and NYC Second Chance Rescue. The puppies were so anemic (PCVs at 6 & 9%), they risked multi-organ failure or death. But like our kiddo, they both pulled through and are now in foster care. His brothers are being transported to POSO Rescue for the rest of their recovery.

Thank you to everyone that donated towards these puppies. They were very expensive, and took 3 different rescues spearheading this case. All of us drained our reserves, but you donors really stepped up to the plate. Thank you for believing in them, and believing in us to do what we do.

Our puppy has a really good prognosis going forward, but still needs several weeks of pampering before he’s ready for adoption. He still has a body condition score of 2/9 (meaning he is very, very underweight). We’re going to fatten him up a bit, deworm, and get him caught up to date on normal vetting.

Once he’s cleared for adoption, we’ll make an announcement. For those who already submitted an application, just comment on his future post letting us know you’re still interested, and that you already submitted an app.

If you would like to submit an app early, email [email protected], and download the adoption application linked in our automated welcome email. We are so busy with extreme medical cases right now, we do not have the time to respond to each individual message/comment/email like usual.

07/01/2024

⚡️Electrocuted, hit by a car, and starved ⁉️

This puppy has suffered such extreme trauma in his short life, it’s hard to even talk about.

We’ve already spent roughly $8000 on this poor boy, and he’s still in the ER. We’re running low on funds, but he’s still fighting with the will to live. We don’t want to give up on him, but we absolutely need donations to keep on going.

Since he was an owner-surrender, we had no pledges for him. No donors. No shelter funding. This is all from our savings, and after 48 hours, we’re going to run out.

At just 4 months old, he deserves to pull through and live a long, happy life. He deserves to experience a real family. Our fundraising goal is high, but after multiple blood transfusions, 3 separate ER visits, and consults with 6 different doctors, we need it.

We rarely take in owner surrenders, but his condition was just too poor to let him keep suffering. He had been like this for days, without receiving vet care. When he was hit by a car more than 2 months ago, he broke his leg, and his owners “left it in God’s hands and prayed” instead of bringing him to a hospital. Their second puppy hit by a car did not make it.

They still have 2 of his littermates, one of which has similar injuries and needs emergency care. We are struggling to afford saving this puppy alone, so we either need to fundraise twice as much, or have another rescue take them in.

This morning he receives his second transfusion. If his CBCs improve, then we’ll have an oral exam done under anesthesia to better assess the tongue swelling. For now, he’s medicated and being made comfortable; his tongue swelling is down 20% from yesterday.