Order a new collar and leash, an "Udder tug", or a "rescue ribbon" for your car -
and 10-50% of your purchase will go to Starfish Border Collie Rescue.

IMPORTANT: You must indicate Starfish Border Collie Rescue
in the message section of the check out process.

Last Updated Janury 29, 2010

All dogs available for adoption are spayed/neutered, brought up to date on age-appropriate vaccinations, have been examined by a veterinarian and deemed healthy, and have been microchipped.

Dogs listed as "not yet available" are not available for adoption at this time. These dogs are being evaluated and/or rehabilitated and we do not yet know what their needs will be. Please do not apply to adopt one of these dogs as we will not be able to review your application. Feel free to check back for updates, though.

Please read the Adoption Process page before applying to adopt a dog.

Max ...

Max (female) was rescued from a shelter in Georgia a couple of months ago. She has been fostered in Ocala since arriving in Florida. Max is young - probably around 1.5 - 2 years old. She is a semi-rough coat, black and white border collie with two pretty blue eyes.

In her foster home, Max has thrived. She did have some issues early on with thunderstorms. She also would occasionally have anxiety attacks for no apparent reason. When she began acting panicked, her foster mom would crate her. Though she sometimes continued to be frantic in the crate, her foster mom learned that Max would settle down on command and would then be fine in her crate. Max can now be safely crated and will settle once in there.

Something that seemed to help Max's mental state tremendously was being introduced to sheep. In her foster home, Max has the opportunity to work her foster mom's sheep every day. Her foster mom said that Max really settled down once she began working her on sheep. For that reason, we would ideally like to see Max go to a home where she will be able to continue to work sheep, even if just for hobby. But, Max's foster mom says that Max would probably excel at dog sports, too, with the right handler. No matter where she goes, Max will need an experienced handler. She is not a dog for a first-time border collie owner.

Here is what Max's foster mom has to say about her:

"Max is the kind of border collie that true border collie lovers adore. She is extremely intelligent, slightly willful, and great fun. She absolutely loves herding sheep and thinks this is why she was born. Not only does she have brains but she is also a beauty. She is house trained, crate trained, and gets along with all of the other dogs. She comes off leash right away, unless there are sheep around, and she wants to please her owner. Max deserves a smart loving owner who will give her a chance to use her talents. If you feel like this lucky person please fill out an application and come meet her!"

Max is spayed, up to date with vaccinations and heartworm preventative, and is microchipped. If you are interested in adopting her, please fill out an application from the "Adoption Process" page. There will be a $200 adoption donation and you will be required to sign an adoption contract.

PLEASE NOTE: Max is being fostered in Ocala, FL. You will need to be willing/able to go to Ocala to meet her.

Buddy ... (Not yet available)

Buddy is new to rescue and is still being evaluated. He is not yet available. Please check back for updates on Buddy.

Nash a few days after arriving.

Nash doing one of his favorite things - enjoying a romp on the beach.

Nash ... (Not yet available)

Nash is new to rescue and is still being evaluated. Nash is very skittish and unsure about people and new things. He will require some rehabilitation before he is made available for adoption. Please check back for updates on Nash.

Update 12/13/2009: Nash continues to make progress, though very, very slowly. He is still very nervous about people and will spook, if someone, including us, tries to approach him. But, he will come to us and sometimes strangers, if we sit down on the ground or in a chair and let him approach on his own. If we are sitting on the couch, he will usually jump up and sit next to us hoping to be scratched on the throat and chest.

Despite his fear of people, Nash is a pretty happy guy and seems truly greatful to have a safe and loving home. He loves his routines. He knows that he gets to go to the park every day after work to run around and play with the other dogs and chase rolling Frisbees. He is most happy when he has another canine buddy to hang out with. Right now, his best buddy is our other foster dog, Domino.

Nash is also battling some health issues. When he first came to us, he was treated for the typical intestional worms that dogs in his situation almost always have. He was tested for heartworms and, thankfully, tested negative. He was covered with ticks and fleas and we treated him for those. We brought him up to date with his vaccinations and had him neutered. But, a few weeks later, we began to notice that he was loosing fur in patches all over his body. So, it was back to the vet where he was diagnosed with demodex mange. This is fairly common for shelter dogs and strays, so we weren't too surprised. They also found that he had bacterial and yeast infections on his skin and that he had a bad case of ear mites. This poor kid can't seem to catch a break!

He's been in treatment for the mange for the past month and will be continuing his treatment for another two months. His most recent vet check up was very positive. The fur is starting to grow back, so he will hopefully have his beautiful coat back again soon. He will be so handsome.

Nash has a lot of work still to do. He is not ready for a new home, yet, and it may be many more months before he will be. There is a chance, also, that Nash will never be rehabilitated to the point of being adoptable. But, he will never be homeless again. He is welcome to stay with us for as long as it takes, even if that means for the rest of his life.

Rue ...

Rue is a tricolor Border Collie [mix] who came from a kill shelter in Georgia where her time was very short. Escaping this horrible situation was her first lucky break. She is young, about 2 years old, and still very much a puppy. She is an exuberant spirit, loves her people, and knows basic obedience commands. Rue may have some sheltie in her, as she is the best watchdog her foster family has ever had (including the obligatory bark at the doorbell on TV, of course!). Rue will need additional training and plenty of exercise, but has the foundation to be the perfect family dog, whether playing fetch, going for rides or just lounging on the couch having her belly rubbed.

Rue will chase a tennis ball and walks very well on a leash. She is a fast little girl, and may have a future in agility or flyball. She is definitely on the small side at a svelte 28 pounds. We use a Gentle Leader EasyWalk Harness, which she has taken to well, and would be given to her adoptive family. She is fine with cats and older children, but her exuberance has scared small children, so she cannot go into a home with toddlers or small children. She will mouth your fingers if allowed to, but has never bitten.

She would do best in an active home with other smaller, submissive dogs, but in her heart would love to be the only-dog-princess she is in her dreams. While we initially were only going to foster Miss Rue, she weasled her way into the household and has stayed longer than any other foster we've had. Unfortunately, two of our other dogs have decided they do not want to tolerate Rue's puppy antics, and keeping Rue in this situation isn't fair to her or them.

Rue is up to date on her vaccinations and heartworm prevention, and is microchipped. She has never had an accident in the house, and will sleep in a crate (but secretly wants to be in bed with her people). Rue is currently living in Haines City, FL, and potential adopters would be subject to a home visit, and vet/reference screening.

Rue is being rehomed privately, but you will still need to fill out an application, which can be downloaded from out "adoption process" page. Or, you can email us at Mary@starfishbcrescue.com and we will send you one. Once we have received your application, it will be forwarded on to Rue's foster mom for her review. If you have any questions about Rue or the adoption process, please don't hesitate to contact us.