*** NOTE: Because WBCR is a small organization with few volunteers, we only adopt to families in Wyoming, Colorado, and immediately surrounding states.
Adoptable Dogs | Dogs Not Yet Ready for Adoption | Courtesy Listings
The Adoption Process
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.
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!
Online Adoption Form
Adoptable Dogs
Cam – Adoption Pending
Male
Cooper
Male
Just arrived from a rural Utah shelter, this very flashy boy is social with people and other dogs. More info coming soon.
Currently fostered in SLC, UT
Duke 2
Male
Handsome, classic rough coat Duke and his brother Tank are both exceptionally nice, sweet, well-adjusted 4 year olds who were surrendered to WBCR through no fault of their own. They have lived peaceably with other dogs and cats, too. More info coming soon.
Currently fostered in Denver, CO
Echo
Fiona – Adoption Pending
Huey – Adoption Pending
Male
This handsome classic rough coated boy just arrived to WBCR from a Utah shelter. He’s apparently quite a friendly, happy, playful guy! He’s the one in the video that is more black than white. More info coming as we get to know him.
This boy is proving to be an absolute prize. Friendly with all he meets both human and canine, good with cats, and not super high energy either! He goes to work with his foster mom at her store and is a star as a shop dog!
Currently fostered near Colorado Springs, CO
Koby
Male
Koby is a fantastic young character, a funny and good-natured boy. He came to us from a Utah shelter, and is a typical BC: athletic and energetic. He is also one of the more socially outgoing members of the breed, and is quite friendly with people, adults and children alike!!
Currently he lives with 6 and 11 year old kids in his foster home, and we think he could be an excellent family dog for an active family. He also lives with another young BC and a dachshund, loves to play with other dogs, and would be happiest with another playful dog in the home.
Koby is definitely too interested in cats or livestock to live safely or share a home with either. He loves to run and play, go for long walks, and enjoys chew toys too. He’s house trained and sleeps in his crate overnight.
Koby was originally surrendered to the shelter for escaping his yard and he is clearly well practiced in clearing or climbing fences, so he’ll need a situation where he’s not left unsupervised in a fenced area and where he can safely be contained using methods other than a fence, such as a cable tether in the yard or a covered kennel run, and a leash or long line out in the world, until his recall is more reliable. But with such a marvelous fun and friendly personality, he’s totally worth the extra effort!
Currently fostered outside Denver, CO
Link – Adoption Pending
Male
Little Link of the L puppies is proving to be just a delghtful young chap! He’s bright and attentive, enjoys other dogs, is learning about kitties, and is coming along with all things puppy raising. He is going to make a stellar addition to a BC loving family!
Currently fostered newar Leadville, CO
Mav
Male
We are so pleased to be able to finally formally introduce this marvelously charismatic, sensitive, handsome young tricolor, Mav. This boy came to us from a Utah shelter as an overwhelmed adolescent who struggled to trust and who was very defensive about his space.
Fast forward 10 months, and thanks to the efforts of his incredible and dedicated foster family, the help of some very special foster sitters while his fosters were out of town, and the support and input of a behavior pro, Mav has learned to fully trust his human family and friends and has blossomed into the best kind of goofball; always ready for a walk, a romp with another dog, or a bunch of random sprints and leaps in the backyard.
In short: Mav is definitely an introvert and very slow to trust new people. Once you’ve won him over, he’s cuddly, attentive, and affectionate, but it takes time for him to trust, and Mav doesn’t want to be touched by anyone he doesn’t trust or hasn’t given consent to. People who are not in his trusted circle should not be touching him until he gives that consent.
But that’s just one side of him. On all other fronts, Mav is a pretty confident pup. He is really comfortable out on walks in the world and in new situations (he generally ignores people, but tries to say hello to ALL of the dogs). He is SUPER playful with other dogs and lives with 3 others in his foster home. He’s a moderate energy boy who shows some herdyness; he’s definitely too intrigued by cats and livestock to share a home peaceably with them, and given his sensitivities, Mav needs an adult-only household. He’s athletic, curious, learns new things quickly, and is filled with potential. He is house trained, crate trained, and has a sense of the basics.
Mav will prove a delightful companion for a patient BC lover who understands and appreciates the breed’s quirks, who have shy or fearful dog experience, and who live a relatively quiet life. The ideal family would be one who understands that he needs to be given time to warm up and that they can start building a fun interactive positive relationship with him through food. He needs to be thought of as a friendly introvert who doesn’t want to be touched by anyone he doesn’t trust or hasn’t given consent to. The ideal family is one who is also up for a happy, bright, funny, and playful young BC! Mav could be happy in a home with another playful dog, or as an only dog, and we intend to provide behavior support for any adopter via the BC-loving behavior pro who has met and worked with Mav so he can be set up for success.
Currently fostered in SLC, UT
Mimic
Female
Another beautiful young lassie now available for adoption – meet Mimic! She arrived has a very scared and overwhelmed little girl, and has really blossomed into a beautifully rounded dog. Still cautious as a baseline so she’ll probably do best with a confident doggy sibling to model off of, but she’s snuggly and sweet with human friends, pretty agreeable with other dogs, plus potty trained, crate trained, walks nicely on a leash, plays fetch, LIVES to tug, and settles nicely inside. She’s come so far thanks to her fabulous foster family and is just really an amazingly potential-filled pup.
Currently fostered in Denver, CO
Nat
Male
Nat is one of three very scared brothers that came to WBCR from an Idaho shelter. They came in as strays and were never claimed. Nat is proving to be just a marvelous young dog who gets along with humans and dogs alike. More info coming as we get to know him.
Currently fostered near Parker, CO
Newt
Male
Newt is one of three very scared brothers that came to WBCR from an Idaho shelter. They came in as strays and were never claimed. Newt is proving to be just a marvelous young dog who gets along with humans and dogs alike and is quite a snuggle bug! More info coming as we get to know him.
Currently fostered near SLC, UT
Ohto
Male
Meet our O Puppies: Ooni (female with upright ears) and Ohto (male with floppier ears). Although they are almost all white, they don’t seem to have any vision issues and can seem to hear some. Foster mom has been working with hand signals and that has been working well. Both puppies LOVE snuggling with people and dogs alike. They are currently living with two young children who are very involved with their care and a female adult border collie. They are learning basic commands (sit, wait, come) and have started walking short distances on leash. Like any puppy, they are teething and learning what are appropriate items to chew.
Currently fostered in Cheyenne, WY
Ooni
Female
Meet our O Puppies: Ooni (female with upright ears) and Ohto (male with floppier ears). Although they are almost all white, they don’t seem to have any vision issues and can seem to hear some. Foster mom has been working with hand signals and that has been working well. Both puppies LOVE snuggling with people and dogs alike. They are currently living with two young children who are very involved with their care and a female adult border collie. They are learning basic commands (sit, wait, come) and have started walking short distances on leash. Like any puppy, they are teething and learning what are appropriate items to chew.
Currently fostered in Cheyenne, WY
Ping
Male
This charming young boy came to us from a farm in Utah thanks to the help of some good folks who stepped in to help.
Currently fostered outside Colorado Springs, CO
Pong – Adoption Pending
Male
This charming young boy came to us from a farm in Utah thanks to the help of some good folks who stepped in to help.
Currently fostered in Montrose, CO
Sis
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
Skye – Adoption Pending
Female
This flashy little lassie is quite the little dynamo! Skye came to us for being unable to live peaceably with the other female dog in the home, which isn’t unusual for this breed. She’s just about a year old and oozing with potential. More info coming soon!
Currently fostered in SLC, UT
Sonic
Male
Update 4/22/23: This flashy and fun one year old smooth coat is a bundle of energy and intenseness – a super quick learner so you’ll need to have your A game on and to be physically active on an almost daily basis! He is pretty confident, loves to play tug/fetch, and go for outdoor adventures skiing, biking, hiking…he is off leash in safe areas and at home, currently living in the country on a 5 acre hobby farm. He is friendly with humans and has had a few experiences around kids; he could be OK with kids as a playmate on a short term basis but not a good candidate for a busy household as this sensitive boy who is quick to turn on feeds off his environment quite readily. 🙂 He does have a great off switch when in a quieter adult household as long as he’s had his energy burned in appropriate ways. He’s friendly with other dogs and would love to have a doggy playmate to live with. Sonic came originally from a ranch so we are not surprised he has some natural herding instinct, which turns on quickly…but he has been learning quite successfully at his foster home how to behave appropriately around livestock/cats/chickens. His foster is working on how to harness his instinct without his having to be being banned completely from being around the livestock. Overall Sonic is pretty well-adjusted – loud noises, machinery nor sudden bangs don’t seem to faze him, and he has traveled quite a bit on multi-day road trips, stayed at hotels and seems to roll with the situation without showing any signs of stress. House and crate trained, and he does fine staying in the house alone or with the other dogs while the humans are gone. Puppyish behavior and growing into teenage years are where he’s at mentally but sure acts like a grown dog when looking at his size and behavior. If you love BCs, this guy has all the makings, plus a great start thanks to his foster mom, on how to be an upstanding social pup ready to be someone’s best friend!
Meet Sonic! This super friendly, flashy smooth coat BC is not quite a year old – he was born in March of 2022 – so he’s very much an adult-looking dog with a puppy/teenaged brain. He came to WBCR from a Wyoming shelter; he was originally from a ranch.
If you love all those special traits of the breed, Sonic has that and more. He is an optimistic, confident, and social young lad, friendly with both people and other dogs. He loves to snuggle with his fosters and like a typical BC, once he’s part of a family, Sonic will really look to be around his people. He is totally up for playing with dogs who are game! While he enjoys wrestling and playing with other dogs if they are up for it, he also follows the lead of the other dog to not play if they won’t. Given his nature, he’d probably be comfortable living with older kids. He’s waaaay too interested in cats to live safely with felines, and he’s not a safe bet with livestock either.
This leggy boy will make a great active companion – he loves hikes, skiing and snowshoeing right now and did do a little bike riding before winter hit. He loves toys, especially food puzzle types, playing tug, and he might be a dog sport prospect too, given his smarts and athleticism. Sonic is a moderately high energy kiddo, who will need a good bout of vigorous exercise daily to be at his best. He rests relatively well when inside but has to have something to chew on if he hasn’t yet had his bout of being outside on a daily adventure yet.
His foster has been working quite a bit with him and Sonic is almost house trained, totally crate trained and sleeps in a crate overnight, and is close to perfecting his recall so he can be off leash when adventuring outdoors. He’ll sit and wait for meals and inside of his crate until released to eat or come out. He is familiar with sit, touch, spins, sit close to your leg and will switch sides when asked. His foster mom is working on duration for staying in place or position and increasing distance from him…and as icing on the cake, he rides well in the car, too. Sonic is a super fast study and just thrives on the attention to learn new things or be interacting with his people!
All in all, if you are looking for a young BC oozing with potential, eager to learn, and with a social and outgoing nature, Sonic may be the one for you!
Currently fostered outside Lander, WY
Not Yet Available
Frankie
Female
This marvelous middle ager is Frankie, and she came to us thanks to some good folks who found her wandering and lost in rural CO. No owner was found, and Frankie landed with WBCR. We’ll post more as we get to know her!
Currently fostered in Denver, CO
Gus
Male
This big, strapping, handsome lad is Gus. He was picked up as a stray in a central Wyoming town and never claimed. Some fellow rescuers took him in, got him neutered, tended to his disastrous mouth filled with broken and infected teeth (owww! 14 extractions!!!), and then transferred him to us. (Thanks a ton, you guys!)
This big softie is a quiet and sensitive boy, and thanks to his painful mouth and pacing a lot from being stressed, he came in pretty underweight….but he’s settling in to his foster home, now eating well and gaining some much-needed weight. He seems to be social with people and other dogs and we suspect he was a working dog….he is reeeeeally interested in the sheep at his foster home and he’s showing some good herding potential. But if it’s not a sheep, he’s not interested….in fact he’s pretty laid back around most everything else with just a few exceptions that really worry him which probably stem from what seems to be never living indoors before (big flights of stairs, slippery floors, certain sounds). We have no idea how old he is with that set of teeth, but best guess is a few years perhaps? He’s now house trained at his foster home, loves the crate, and walks nicely on a leash, trots nicely alongside a bike, and showing just a glimmer of goofily being interested in toys. 🙂 We’re just getting to know him and will post more as we learn it.
Currently fostered outside of Jackson, WY
Malin
Female
We are thrilled to share the news that we found that very special foster family we needed to be able to save this special girl, and so lovely Malin has landed at WBCR! This is the little girl that a Wyoming shelter reached out to us about. She is a sweet and friendly girl, just 6 months old, and she also has been diagnosed with likely megaesophagus. This can be a life-threatening condition if not managed very carefully. We are working to get a more complete diagnosis to see what the best options are for her to live the best life possible. We’ll share more as we learn more, but let’s just say we’d love for everyone to cross their fingers that there is a possible surgical solution. Stay tuned.
Mira – Adoption Pending
Female
This beautiful little girl sat in a Utah shelter with an injured leg for many weeks before we heard about her and pulled a plan together to get her into WBCR in 24 hours. She is proving to be just the sweetest little thing – 25 pounds! – and we are working to get to the bottom of her leg injury. We’ll post more as we learn more.
Currently fostered outside Las Vegas, NV
Mouse
Male
Little Mouse of the M puppies is just a happy, sweet, and social little guy, and he apparently makes a great head rest for his foster brother 🙂 – but he has some health issues we are trying to get to the bottom of. We’ll post more as we get it.
Currently fostered in Albuquerque, NM
Nye
Male
Nye is one of three very scared brothers that came to WBCR from an Idaho shelter. They came in as strays and were never claimed. Nye is definitely the most fearful of the three but is learning to trust his foster mom. More info coming as we get to know him.
Currently fostered in SLC, UT
Paddy
Male
This super timid teenager came to us from a Nebraska shelter…we’ll post more as we get to know him.
Currently fostered in Loveland, CO
Sprig – Adoption Pending
Female
This petite little girl came to us from a Utah shelter…we don’t know much about her past, but she is a very unsure and timid girl at the moment, and she’s not yet landed in long term foster care. More info coming soon.
Currently fostered in Utah
Tell – Adoption Pending
Male
This little squirt just arrived to us from a Utah shelter. He’s only about 4-5 months old, and a touch on the shy side at the moment, although he does enjoy other dogs! We’ll post more about him as we get to know him.
Currently fostered near Colorado Springs, CO