Houston Sheltie Rescue Program Charter

Houston Sheltie Rescue is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity comprised of volunteers who give of their time, their talents, and their homes to help place needy Shelties where they will be loved and well cared for. HSR had its beginnings in January 1996 when Joan McAninch Samuelson began rescue work privately, allied with Dorothy Christiansen and ASSA; further assisted by Dallas-Fort Worth Sheltie Rescue. In Nov. 1998, Tracy Crane assisted Joan in formally establishing Houston Sheltie Sanctuary, Inc., which Joan directed for twelve years. In August of 2010, Joan and approximately a dozen talented, experienced rescuers left HSR to found Houston Sheltie Rescue, thus widening and deepening Sheltie rescue work in the Greater Houston and Texas Gulf Coast areas.

These founding members are Joan McAninch Samuelson, Jean Berthold, Julie Alber, Carroll Hebert, Karen Taylor, Dawn Spencer, Doug Hebert, Tony Bessette, Patti Arlan, Darlene Kanuth, and Peggy Glover. Our goals continue to be the same: rescue and rehabilitation of Shelties already here, education to prevent irresponsible breeding, and education of the pet owning public in use of heartworm medication and spay/neuter of pets. We work closely with shelters, other rescue groups, private individuals alerting us to needy Shelties, and owners needing to relinquish their dogs. As part of our outreach, we also have an active Lost and Found division which helps to reunite Shelties and their owners.

Several types of assistance are offered to Shelties and their owners:

Physical Rescue: This includes taking in the Shelties from shelters/pounds, taking in those who are found/injured/sick, assisting in catching lost Shelties, and assisting owner-surrendered dogs into new homes. If we perceive that a situation involves abuse or severe neglect, we will take in the dog. Any stray we receive will be held while we attempt to find the owner. Our primary geographical area is the Greater Houston and Texas Gulf Coast area, but we are here to assist any Sheltie in need and have rescued dogs from all over the state of Texas and as far as Louisiana.

Rehabilitation: Houston Sheltie Rescue provides physical, medical, surgical, and behavioral rehabilitation for Shelties that are rescued. At the time a dog is placed in a new home, the adopter is fully apprised of the dog’s condition and history, as we know it.

Foster Care: We are not a kennel or shelter, per se; we are a rescue organization. We work on a foster home basis with HSR volunteers providing loving homes for rescued dogs until permanent homes are found. We are always looking for good foster homes. When a Sheltie is accepted into the HSR program, he or she is immediately evaluated by a veterinarian and is given vaccinations and medical/surgical care as needed. The dog is then placed in a foster home where he or she is evaluated for temperament and is rehabilitated, if necessary. Our dogs are always neutered before being adopted.

Adoption: Adopters are thoroughly screened, and dogs are carefully matched to the best home available. HSR can boast a 94% adoption success rate. Adoption fees help defray the costs of medical care and allow us to save more lives. We also welcome donations.

Lost and Found: We encourage anyone who has lost his or her Sheltie to contact us immediately, as many such dogs will sooner or later find their way to us. We will be happy to carry a description and photo of the lost Sheltie on our web site and do we can to assist in the search. We also request that anyone who finds a Sheltie please contact us as soon as possible. The dog you have found may have physical or medical needs and will certainly be grieving for its home.

Education: Members of HSR are always available to provide help and assistance to all Sheltie adopters and any other Sheltie owner. We are more than happy to advise or provide referrals on nutrition, health care, grooming, behavior problems, and other needs. Our web site includes many helpful essays on dog care, but of course we always refer medical inquiries to veterinarians. Along with our clinics, two of our most important crusades are to educate the public about the dangers of canine heart disease and distemper, and to discourage casual breeding of purebred dogs.