Thank you for your interest in a rescued Border Collie! Please review the application process below before submitting your application. Please remember that every person working with WBCR is a volunteer, doing rescue in his/her “spare” time, so the first part of our adoption process (our reference checks and home visit) can take 2-3 weeks or longer depending on the dogs in our program. If you’re unwilling to wait that long, we hope that you’ll consider adopting a shelter dog in need, where the wait is much shorter.

*** NOTE:  Because WBCR is a small organization with few volunteers, we only adopt to families in Wyoming, Colorado, and immediately surrounding states.

Step 1: Do your homework!

If you’re considering/looking for your first Border Collie, please do your homework FIRST! While we think Border Collies are the greatest dogs on the planet, we equally believe that they’re not the dog for everyone. Please read our “About BC’s” page to begin learning more about Border Collies, their temperaments, needs and whether a BC is the right dog for you.

Step 2: Complete & Submit an Application

Please answer all questions completely; incomplete applications will not be processed. Our initial review of your completed application will help us decide whether we may have a dog for you. We know our application is long and detailed, but this information is very important to help us determine if you might be an ideal home for a certain dog in the program. The more information you give us, the easier it will be to do that. Please remember that our top priority is to serve the dogs, and to find the most suitable home for each of the dogs in our rescue. While we enjoy meeting border collie loving applicants, the interests of the dog come first.  We don’t have many dogs in our program, which means a waiting game for many qualified applicants.

Step 3: Reference Checks

Once we receive and review your completed application, it’s assigned to a volunteer for reference checks – we will call the references listed on your application, so you’re welcome to let them know that we’ll be contacting them. This initial step typically takes 1-2 weeks, so please be patient!

Step 4: Home Visit

Once the reference checks are complete & approved, a WBCR volunteer will contact you to schedule a home visit. This is an informal chance for us to get to know you, your lifestyle, home environment and determine which dog(s) in our program might be a great fit. The HV volunteer will discuss what personality traits you’re looking for as well as general breed traits and what to expect when bringing a Border Collie home. He/she will also do a short walk-through of your home and yard to ensure its safety and to advise on any areas of concern. All household members must be present for the home visit. Please understand that the HV volunteer may not personally know any/many of the dogs in our program so may be unable to answer questions about specific dogs. Once the HV report is received by WBCR, it may take a few days for us to collate & review all of the information and get back in touch with you.

Step 5: Matching / Phone Interview

Once an application is processed and approved, now comes the fun part! While it’s easy to fall in love with a picture, it is the dog’s personality & temperament that determine whether it may make a great match for you. During the matching process, a WBCR adoption coordinator will contact you to discuss specific dogs within our rescue. We strongly encourage applicants to write down questions they may have about Border Collies, and discuss these questions with the assigned coordinator. We work hard to match your desires with the traits and personalities of our dogs.

Please understand that we only want what is best for our dogs, so if we don’t think a specific dog is a good fit for you, we’re not passing judgment on you/your family but are drawing on years of experience with Border Collies, and, more importantly, experience with the dogs in our program. “First Come First Served” doesn’t apply here as we match each dog in our program with the most appropriate home for him/her, whether that home comes next week or next year!

Step 6: Meet(s)

Once we’ve talked with you on which dogs might be a suitable fit, it is time to set up a meet/meets! Your adoption coordinator will facilitate arranging a meet with your household members, your current dog(s) and the rescued dog. We have experience introducing new dogs, so will help with the introductions of your dog to the rescued dog if applicable. During the meet, keep in mind that rescued Border Collies may be rather aloof/timid at first meeting. While we have seen many meets where there is an “insta-bond” between the new dog and the adopter(s), many times that kind of bonding takes time. The meet is a great time to get any/all questions answered on the dog’s temperament, likes/dislikes, and what will be helpful in establishing a wonderful relationship with your new dog!

Step 7: The Adoption

If both you and the WBCR representative feel the dog is a great match for you, the adoption may be completed after the meet. An adoption contract must be completed, signed and the adoption fee paid to complete the adoption. Please review our contract before your meet; it is available on our website or by clicking here. Please note that if at any time during your rescued dog’s life you cannot/no longer wish to keep it, he or she is required to be returned to WBCR.

Step 8: Follow Up

To ensure a successful adoption, we have a network of volunteers happy to answer any questions/help you work through issues that may arise while your new dog is transitioning into your home, or ten years down the road! We are committed to each and every dog we rescue for the rest of his/her life, so please stay in touch with us. Plus, we love getting updates!

Adoptable Dogs

Male

Male

Just arrived from a rural Utah shelter…Kramer (on the left) came to us with who we think is his brother Cosmo. We believe Cosmo is a rough coat BC and Kramer a rare bearded BC. (For more about bearded BCs, visit here)

These boys are both kinda shy/timid but learning about how kind people and the world can be in their foster homes. More info coming soon.

Currently fostered in Durango, CO

Female

Adorable Libi was rescued from a crowded shelter in Utah after being picked up as a stray and never claimed. She is roughly 5 months old now.

This little character is a bit on the shy side and she will do best when provided slow introductions to new people, but once she’s comfortable she LOVES humans and is quite the charming and affectionate pup. She does well with dogs, again, as long as she is provided slow, well managed introductions. She will definitely be happiest in a hone with an older, confident dog to model off of – and if they love to play, she’ll be all the happier! 🙂 Yep, she really enjoys playing with her doggy friends. Libi is currently fostered in a home with five children ranging in age from 5-16 years old, so she is a candidate for sure for homes with kiddos! She loves to play and is figuring out how to fetch. She is quite the active girl and does wonderful on walks, already going about 2 miles a day.

Libi is incredibly smart and a fast learner, and is already housetrained and cratetrained.

We’ll post more about this little lass as we get to know her!

Being fostered in Cheyenne, WY

Male

Thanks to the unbelievably tremendous efforts of a whole bunch of dedicated, big hearted people – one in particular who lept into action to make it happen and devoted hours and hours to their cause in the last few days – three feral pups in a Colorado shelter escaped euthanasia by less than 24 hours. Two have landed safely with WBCR. Handsome Rip is a young male who is learning about the good life and starting to trust people.

Currently fostered near Durango, CO

Female

Adorable little smoothie Sis recently came back to WBCR after her owner’s work schedule dramatically changed and Sis was alone far too much. We’ll be posting more as we get to know her.

Currently fostered in Wheatland, WY

Male

Sonny is ready for a family to call his own! We rescued this young smooth coat fella from a Utah shelter in quite literally the nick of time. The shelter staff put out a plea for help because they found him such a super dog, and they are right! Sonny has so many of the traits we love about the BC breed: brains, focus, sensitivity, attentiveness, athleticism – with just a dash of quirky-ness for good measure. His BC intensity shows around a ball of any kind or a flying disk; he is quite a fetchaholic, eagerly returning the ball to you to throw it again, and he’s game to play with anyone! He’s pretty athletic too, and we think he’d excel at dog sports in the right hands.

Male

Little Splash is one of the S puppies who has come back to us because the resident dog in his new family turned out to be really unnerved by a puppy in the house. So, he is back looking for a family to call his own! We’ll post more about him as we get to know him.

Currently fostered in Durango, CO

Adoption Pending…

Female

This flashy little tricoloed female came to us as an owner surrender….victim of a divorce and subsequent unexpected life changes. She was a well-loved dog and it shows. She’s got all kinds of skills and is a BC through and through. We’ll post more about her as we get to know her.

Currently fostered outide Jackson, WY

Male

Calling all senior lovers! Gus is an 11 year old prize of a BC who came to WBCR because his family has fallen ill and they reached out to us for help. This handsome classic boy is wonderfully agreeable, has lived with cats and older kids, and seems to be quite relaxed around other dogs.

Male

This handsome tricolor fella came to us from a Utah shelter and is proving to be quite a gem! He has a lovely nature and is social with people, playful with his foster sister (another BC), and ohhh so handsome. More info coming soon.

If you have any questions about any of the dogs in our program, please don’t hesitate to reach out. WBCR is a volunteer-based nonprofit, and if you feel inspired to donate, your support will help us continue our work.