You must complete an adoption application with WBCR before we will consider you for one of our Border Collies (under the “adoption” link). Then go to our PayPal link to pay the $15.00 application fee. One of our volunteers will check your references, and then another will come to your home to meet you & your family in person before the board will vote on your application. If you are approved, we will arrange a time for you to meet the dog(s) you are interested in. If you decide he/she is perfect for you and the board agrees, we will schedule a day for you to pick up your Border Collie, sign adoption paperwork, and pay the $350 minimum adoption donation. This whole process may take a month or more, as all WBCR members are volunteers and we’re committed to making a perfect match for our border collies. Thanks for your patience!
Please contact Amy/Fran for more information on AJ – 10 Year Old Male (Rochelle, IL)
December 21
AJ went on a field trip to the North Pole and met Santa! As long as Santa pet him, he was super happy. If Santa stopped, AJ wandered off, looking for someone else to pet him. AJ doesn’t present as excited – he doesn’t jump on people or run from person to person – but to those of us who know him best, it’s obvious how much he adores people. He has a very calm disposition and simply wags the tip of his tail when he’s happy. I’m fairly positive AJ told Santa he wants his own family for Christmas. We’ll see if Santa can deliver!
October 31
AJ had 3 different families all set to meet him, and none of them turned out to be his family. He’s so ready to have his very own people who will love him and pet him and adore him forever. In the meanwhile, another dog has joined his foster family, and AJ adores him. Percy is bringing out the “puppy” in AJ! With AJ’s physical limitations due to his hip dysplasia, he can’t play as hard or as long as Percy would like to, but he certainly tries! This was recorded the first time they met: https://youtu.be/qsOi2oXWF_0
October 9
AJ continues to worm his way into our hearts. We’re seeing more & more of his personality as he gets comfortable here in his foster home. I’m not sure if it’s the cooler weather or the anti-inflammatories or a combination of the 2, but he’s been getting the zoomies a lot lately! They don’t last for long (5-10 min), but it gives me the giggles every time. He has such a playful heart! See for yourself: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FGDctGNY1uc&feature=youtu.be
My own dogs are quite bonded to each other and therefore don’t always let fosters too deep into their “circle.” However, AJ is not only tolerated, he’s accepted. I love finding them sharing a bed or leaning in together for scratches. I can’t emphasize enough what a sweet boy he is!
September 3
I typically foster the wild & crazy Border Collies, and AJ is an incredibly delightful change to that. Normally, when we don’t know where a new foster dog is in our house, we assume they’re into something they shouldn’t be. With AJ, we simply assume he’s napping.
As with all Border Collies, AJ has his quirks. I love that he often crosses his front paws when he lies down. He just looks so refined – like he needs a top hat. And, although he’s perfectly capable of climbing our stairs now, when I go upstairs, he stands at the bottom and barks up at me. If I invite him to come up, he says, “Nah,” turns around, and goes to lie down. I’ve learned to invite him as I go up the stairs to preemptively keep him from barking. As long as someone (human or canine) stays downstairs, he doesn’t bark 🙂 Every once in a while, I’ll hear AJ barking when my husband comes upstairs, and I say, “You forgot to invite him.” Such a silly guy.
AJ went for a vet check-up the first week he was here, and he was totally relaxed the whole time. Well, except when he saw other dogs. He wagged his tail so hard and wanted so badly to go make friends. There was also a toddler in the waiting room whose parent asked if she could pet AJ. I explained I didn’t know how he’d react since he was a new foster, so I managed AJ on leash while she managed her daughter. AJ thought the tiny human at his eye level was pretty fantastic. He got his vaccinations updated, and got microchipped. His senior blood panel came back completely clear; AJ is completely healthy. However, the weakness in his hind end appears to be a combination of hip dysplasia and early stages of neuropathy. The vet recommended we continue our strengthening plan with AJ as well as start him on some anti-inflammatory meds and joint supplements. AJ won’t ever be a sports dog, but he is the sweetest companion. His sole purpose in life is to get you to pet him. If you need a buddy, AJ is your guy!
August 6
AJ is the sweetest senior boy! At 10-years-old, he has a hard time hearing, but he wags his tail every time you make eye contact with him. He loves other dogs, although he’s been a bit pushy about being in their personal space during individual introductions to his foster siblings, so we’re taking things slowly. He’s currently living with 5 other Border Collies – both male and female – but no cats or kids. That’s not to say he can’t live with cats or kids; he just isn’t currently.
AJ (short for Andrew James) came up from Kentucky where he’s been staying with a kind-hearted woman who pulled him from a shelter last year. He was picked up as a stray & never claimed, covered in feces and urine with matted fur and diarrhea, and he was absolutely emaciated. He was only 36 lbs then, and she got him back up to a healthier 50 lbs. AJ is a taller boy with a bit of weakness in his hips that we’ll work on strengthening. He obviously had never used stairs before (forgetting to pick his back feet up and falling forward – or laying down – with every step) but in just 12 hours, we’ve already taught this old dog a new trick 🙂
He came with a “puppy cut,” so his fur needs to grow back out to look more like the Border Collie he is. At his age though, he doesn’t have the crazy, endless energy that BCs are known for. AJ just wants someone to take him on walks, pet him as much as possible, and give him lots of treats to remind him he’s a good boy. He isn’t interested in toys, but he’s completely housebroken and easily relaxes in his crate or at your feet.
He just arrived at his foster home last night (August 5), so there’s lots more to learn about this guy. If you have lots of love to give, and hands to pet a sweet dog for hours on end, AJ is the dog for you! He deserves to live the rest of his life with his very own family.