Herd About Rescue

27/07/2025

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

We have made a very (very!) difficult decision to close the rescue. Rescue is hard work, it’s a calling that is harder to stop and NOT do than it is to continue on, but it’s time. It’s now 21 years later and I am so very tired. Health issues have impacted how things have been run the last two years and it’s been a slow process to realize, I’m not so young anymore. There are many new rescues cropping up, full of youth and energy and they are doing amazing things out there. And there are several, older, well-established rescues with amazing reputations.

We are working with Speaking of Dogs and Southern Ontario Sheltie Rescue (both of whom have been around longer than we have!!) to help with the closing of Herd About Rescue. Things like taking over care of the Furever Foster dogs, helping if there are any dogs in need by year-end (the official time we plan to close), among other things.

To that end, we will not be taking any more dogs into care with HAR. A firm intake hold. We will be referring Collies to both Speaking of Dogs and Southern Ontario Sheltie Rescue, and any all-breeds to a select list of rescues we know to be ethically run who will do best for the dogs out there (PLEASE do your research before picking any rescue to work with!).

If you have ever wanted to foster before PLEASE reach out to:

Speaking of Dogs

https://www.speakingofdogs.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076242694838
Southern Ontario Sheltie Rescue

https://www.sosr.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/southernontario.sheltierescue

They will need your extra support now more than ever!

I can’t even begin to thank all the folks who have impacted my life through rescue. I have lifelong friends who understand my soul and that’s just such a gift. The incredible volunteers, the foster homes, the contacts, the incredible vets and clinic staff at places all over Canada, other rescuers, the amazing shelters we’ve worked with. The list is enormous after 21 years. Love and grace and happy tails to each and every one of you.

Jenn MacDonald

Collie Rescue Network (2004 – 2025)

Herd About Rescue (2022 – 2025)

12/05/2025

Ontario:

Name: Ballou
Age: 5-6 years
Breed: Chihuahua mix
Weight: 9 lbs approx.
Dogs: NO
Cats: NO
Kids: Age 16+ please
Special Needs: No other animals in the home

Ballou couldn't be cuter if he tried!! This adorable little guy is approx. 9 lbs and needs to find himself someone who understands the quirks of a Chihuahua. He's so very typical Chihuahua in so many ways that anyone familiar with the breed will go down his checklist of needs, likes, and dislikes and nod their head all the way through!

Ballou NEEDS to be an only pet. No dogs, no cats. He gets very protective of his people and also of his things (from other animals, not from people). He also tends to mark everything he thinks is his if other animals are around. It's best all-around if he's an "only child" to help set him up for success from the start.

He is a happy, goofy, prancy little boy who will have his new family in stitches every day! He would love to go places and explore with you, cuddle on the couch with you, snooze in your bed, under the blankets all cozy and warm. He's affectionate and loving and truly wants to be someone's Special Boy.

Ballou is p*e pad trained but we suggest belly bands too as a precaution while he transitions to a new home. Like so many small dogs he IS housetrained but it might be a titch wet outside, or windy, or he's tired, maybe a little grumpy.......small dog people.....you know what I'm talking about!

He is cute as a bug, that's for sure, but like most small dogs, good things come in small packages - but if that package is a Chihuahua, be ready for quirks and big dog attitude along with the love and fun!!

Adoption Process at www.herdaboutrescue.com

30/04/2025

Herd About Rescue T-shirt fundraiser. See link below!! Great new tees available!

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Herd About Rescue - fundraising T-shirts - NEW! - Custom Logos - 2XL at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

28/04/2025

Looking for help with ONE leg for a transport for Willow, an approx. 10-month-old Smoothie who is being adopted this weekend (yay!). She is a lovely little girl and we are just missing the middle part to get her to her new mom! If you can help, please email [email protected] with your full name, vehicle make/colour, plate number, cell number, and email. Posts here may be missed, email is quicker. Thanks!!

Fournier - Kingston (6:30 am - 9:00 am) - Filled by Foster Dad

Kingston - Belleville (9:00 am - 10:00 am) - Filled by Shayna

Belleville - Cobourg (10:00 am - 10:50 am) - NEEDED

Cobourg - Harwood (10:50 am - 11:20 am) - Filled by Adopter

31/03/2025

BIG tail wags of thanks to Cynthia Rheaume for running a bottle drive to raise funds for the dogs in care with Herd About Rescue last week. She raised $994.10 by collecting bottle returns on our behalf! Woot! Way to go Cynthia Rheaume!

19/03/2025

Nova is an 11-week-old Border Collie/Golden/Spaniel mix (best guess) who is looking for a furever family to love her to bits and get some training under her wee puppy belt. She's doing well learning to potty outside now, is a happy, active girl, and has been in foster care with other dogs, and kids.

She will make a great addition for a young family or someone interested in doing any of the available doggy sports with her. Nova needs someone home part time as she is much too young to be alone all day yet. Another dog in the home would be beneficial to keep her socialized with dogs.

If this cute as a button girly girl is what you need to complete your family, please apply at www.herdboutrescue.com . Please fully read our adoption policy before sending inquiries.

08/03/2025

Save a life! Foster today!

We are asked daily to help with dogs in Ontario and Quebec. And daily, we say, sadly we cannot help. We don't have a foster open to take another dog into care. Many of these dogs we say no to are then euthanized because no one has room for them anymore.
Fostering right now literally will save lives.

We NEED herding experienced homes. Border Collies, Aussies, Shepherds, Collies, mixes thereof....all are finding themselves homeless and then with a death sentence through no fault of their own,

If you have ever thought about fostering, NOW is the time. Save a life and foster today.

https://www.herdaboutrescue.com/foster-home-application

06/03/2025

How Does a Foster-To-Adopt Work?

When we have puppies who are too young yet to be spayed/neutered we hate to see them sit in rescue until they are old enough, missing that important bonding time with what could be their new family instead! So Herd About Rescue does something called, Foster-To-Adopt.

The adopter becomes the puppy's foster home, and in that way they can have the puppy in their home, bonding and learning and being loved with their new people. The family signs a contract stating they understand the puppy is still the legal property of the rescue and will remain so until the (agreed upon) date where they puppy will be spayed/neutered.

In the meantime, the rescue pays to complete the vaccination schedule for the puppy, ensures they are microchipped, dewormed, and any known medical issues are dealt with, while the new family agrees to pay for the puppy's day-to-day care/costs (food, treats, toys, any vetting that comes up beyond what's been agreed upon in the contract).

The Foster-to-Adopt is a win-win for the puppy and the new family!

06/03/2025

Meet Willow

If you feel Willow is your girl, please fully read the Adoption Process found at www.herdaboutrescue.com and fill out the Adoption Application before submitting an inquiry.

Fostered in: Ottawa area
Adoptable to: Ontario/Quebec

Name: Willow
Breed: Smooth Collie mix
Gender: Female
Age: 8 months
Dogs: Yes
Cats: Yes (may chase)
Kids: Yes (8+)
Special Needs: None
MUST haves: Fully fenced yard, must attend a basic obedience class, someone home part time

Meet Willow! She is a Smooth Collie mix puppy who is truly just the nicest, sweetest little girl in all of puppyville at the moment. She would love to find a laid-back family who understands she IS a baby and will do goofy baby dog things, like chew shoes, toys, other random things she deems worth her chew time. Willow needs loads of appropriate toys she can chew on and a plan to keep other things out of her reach until she grows up some more.

She is good with other dogs but can be overwhelming when she discovers a dog will let her be The Boss. She gets intense in her play with those dogs and pokes their buttons if she can. She is not aggressive in any way, she just needs to learn how to play nicer if the other dog allows her to be overbearing. That said, if a dog puts her in her place, she is content to play nice and listen to their cues.

Willow is great with the foster home's children and would be fantastic with kids 8+ in her new home. She takes her treats gently and would love to follow your kids around to aid in their snack consumption! She is good with cats but will likely chase if they run so dog savvy cats will work best.

Willow is low-medium energy for her age/breed. A good walk each day along with play time in the yard and she's ready for a good, long nap! Her favourite place to nap is with her foster brother, cuddled up together on the dog bed in the living room. She is, though, crate trained and can be crated for 3-4 hours at a time (again, she's a baby and needs out more often than adult dogs, and needs to stretch her legs). A work-from-home family, or a mid-day dog-walker would work for her.

While Willow is crated, she cannot have a bed - she will shred it! She really loves to chew and needs appropriate toys to chew at her disposal at all times. She likes to saunter over to other dogs and slowwwwly pull their toy out of their (shocked) mouth and wander off with it.

She is truly an all-around nice, quiet, sweet, funny girl who will make an excellent family dog for a home who has a sense of humour with her puppy antics and is looking to make her a real family member and take her on their adventures with them!

If you are interested in Willow, please visit the HAR website at www.herdaboutrescue.com and fully read the Adoption Process and fill out the Adoption Application before sending an inquiry.

06/03/2025

Meet Loki

If you feel Loki is a good match for your family, please fully read our Adoption Process and fill out the Adoption Application found at www.herdaboutrescue.com before submitting inquiries. Thanks!

Fostered in: Ancaster, ON
Adoptable to: Ontario

Name: Loki
Breed: Rough Collie / Border Collie mix
Age: 4 months
Gender: Male
Dogs: Yes (would LOVE a young dog to play with in his new home)
Cats: Yes, but will chase/herd
Kids: Unknown but likely good with kids 8+
Special Needs: None
MUST haves: Fully fenced yard, must sign up for basic obedience classes, someone home part time minimum

Meet Loki, a 5-month-old Border Collie/Rough Collie mix who is looking for a fun, active, patient home who is looking for a smart young boy with dashing good looks!

Loki is VERY much a puppy still and needs a home where someone is home part time. He cannot be left alone 8+ hours a day. A work-from-home family would work really well for him too! Someone who is ready for puppy antics (he likes to rearrange things like shoes, your toilet paper, etc.) and ready to keep his smart little brain thinking and active. He's too young yet to do long walks or running but eventually he will make a great partner for loads of outdoor activities.

He is a playful, fun boy who loves his toys (especially stuffies, be ready for stuffie brains all over the house!) and someone willing to toss his toys around and play toys with him will make him a happy camper.

Loki would love to cuddle on the couch with you, possibly snuggle on the bed too! He is, however, crate trained and can be crated for a few hours at a time. Being a baby, he needs out to p*e often right now (this is his first time in a house) but he's had no accidents inside, which is impressive when he'd had no training. He is a very Good Boy but a requirement of adoption will be that his new family signs up for basic obedience classes with him. It's a fantastic way to bond with each other, but also helps him become a good canine neighbour (and he could use a little leash work to be fair, he's never been on-leash and although he's not terrible, he needs practice)

If you feel Loki is your boy, please fully read the Adoption Process at www.herdaboutrescue.com and submit and Adoption Application.

02/03/2025

Ontario Foster Needed:

Ballou is a teeny (10 lbs) 6-year-old boy who needs an animal-free foster home (or foster-to-adopt). He is a lovely boy with people and would love to be your very special Good Boy.

He thinks other dogs (and cats too) are YUCKY and does not enjoy anything about them in his space, his house, his planet really. He would like to be the only animal in the home, thanks! This is a must, non-negotiable.

With humans, though, he's cute as a bug and is affectionate, loving, and sweet. With new people he would like to remind you he is tiny and may need a few sniffs to understand you're safe but give him just a bit and he'll be waggy tail with you too.

Like most Chihuahuas, Ballou is convinced he's suuuuuper fierce and scary. He will help ensure no burglars or murders sneak in to the house by barking them away to "Go Away Land".

If you can foster this teeny boy, let us know today at [email protected]!

25/02/2025

Meet Nora

If you are interested in Nora, please visit the Herd About Rescue website at www.herdaboutrescue.com and fully read our Adoption Process and then fill out the online Adoption Application before submitting inquiries.

Fostered in: Hearst
Adoptable to: Ontario

Name: Nora
Breed: Mastiff / Great Dane mix
Weight: 200+ lbs
Gender: Female
Age: 5-6 years
Dogs: Yes
Cats: Yes
Kids: Yes
Strangers: Yes
Special Needs: Minor allergies that have cleared up on a fish protein food
Must Have: Fully fenced yard (her recall isn't spot on)

Meet Miss Nora! This enormous love bug would love to saunter around the neighbourhood with you, slow and steady, a time or two a day. A nice nap afterwards and she's ready for some pets and loving.

Nora is laid-all-the-way-back. She's just a super chill girl who likes to cuddle on the couch, lounge on her dog bed, snooze in the sun. She is out-going and friendly with all the people she meets and is gentle and calm when taking treats. She can be bouncy and playful if her humans gets her wound up but calms down quickly. She's a pretty low-energy gal.

She is great in the car, although she would have you believe she's an invalid when getting in and requires a bum lift, or a poke in the bum, up to you. Once in the car she settles in and is quiet and calm for her ride.

Nora is excellent with all the dogs she's met but for ONE. The one was an intact male who was too interested in her bits, and as you can tell by her photos, Nora came from a place where she was bred non-stop for years. She was obviously triggered by this overly-interested male but she walked away when called back. She is good with the cats in her foster home, would be fine with kids (know though, she is HUGE, and the giant breeds can't always see where their back end is and little kids WILL be knocked over).

She's a quiet girl with little barking outside and almost none inside. If you are looking for a chill, laid-back girl to be your sidekick and the love of your life....Nora might fit that bill!

If you are interested in Nora, please visit the Herd About Rescue website at www.herdaboutrescue.com and fully read our Adoption Process and then fill out the online Adoption Application before submitting inquiries.