My husband and I adopted Jesper from the Glendale Humane Society on July 4th.  He is a big (70 pounds) fluffy Aussie.  We got him as a companion for our Great Pyrenees Mix but he hogs all of the attention.  He follows me everywhere.  He is very sweet and just wants belly scratches all the time.

This is Chance, we adopted him from the Lancaster, CA. shelter, just about a year and a half after adopting Clooney, from the same shelter (his story is below)     I saw Chance on the shelter website, while I was browsing for pictures to send to Karyl for this website. We had no intention of adopting another dog, and I wasn't looking, but when I saw that his markings were almost identical to Clooney's, I couldn't believe it. Hubby said not to even show him the picture, don't even think about it, LOL, no more, we have 2 already ! So, of course I called...and was told he was due to be euthanized and that so far noone showed any interest !

Hi my name is Brittany and my boyfriend Cody and I just adopted an aussie and collie mix from the Mon County Adoption Center. I was looking through sites because I wanted to see where my dog (Chance) got his reddish fur...and I saw a bunch of different colors and patterns. I can definitely tell that my dog is half aussie from his face and fur...Chance's story is ..well...Cody and I were talking about getting a small dog because we live in a townhouse, so one day while Cody was at work I went to a few shelters and and saw a lot that I liked but when I went to the canine adoption center of Mon County I saw Chance, who at the time had no name...

We are so blessed to have found Riley and he fills our days with laughter and smiles!  Here he is and we hope he makes you smile as well!

Janice & David Jeng
Yorba Linda CA

Rescued from: Ojai Animal Shelter Ventura County California

New family: The DeSanto family, Almere, The Netherlands

One day, when I still lived in Ventura; California, I had the very strong feeling that I had to go to the animal shelter. I went and found Clyde, my dog, the one I had seen in my dreams for a while already. We took him home and he never left my side from that day on. He moved with us to my native country, Holland, where we took long walks every day. He loved it. And we love him so very, very much.

Ingrid DeSanto

I was searching for at least a month for a Catahoula to rescue. I found this Adorable Aussie listed on the East Valley website and she looked just like our Catahoula. My husband adopted her the day she came available . Her name is Holly. She gets along great with Boomer and Cricket. 

Sue In Quartz Hill CA

Adopted From:  Camarillo Shelter

New Home: The Stires family in Simi Valley.  Joins, Tank, Trinket and Whisper

Frodo has a sad story to tell with a happy ending.  He is eleven years young and just moved into his third and final home.  When we discovered him on the website we weren't sure whether we could have another dog.  We already have Tank & Trinket, listed 4 happy endings down and baby Whisper,  All Aussies.  We went to the pound to meet him anyway and fell in love with him. 

Britney Stires
Britney's Trinket Bell "Trinket"
Lakehill's Whisper 'N the Moon "Whisper"

Hi, Just wanted to share our story of our "Lethal White" boy Dugan. We had been thinking about adding a dog to our family as a friend to our Saint Bernard, Benny. We came across Dugan's picture quite by accident, but fell in love with him! I knew nothing about him, or the "lethal white" syndrome, when I first emailed Laura (Animals Rule Placement) regarding this beautiful pup. She had rescued him from the Norco Animal shelter. After learning about his vision difficulties (he is mostly blind) and doing some research, we wanted to adopt him even more!

So, we brought Dugan home in December 2004. He is now about 7 months old and a wonderful addition to our family. He and Benny are the best of friends! Although the vet says Dugan has very little vision, it is difficult to tell- well, except when he is chasing a ball- you can't throw it very far :). We are so happy with our little Aussie boy!

Kathy Busam
Wrightwood Ca

Shelter: Ark-Valley Shelter, Buena Vista, CO

Family: The Wissels, Arvada, CO

Our family adopted a beautiful red-bi Aussie from the Ark-Valley shelter in Buena Vista, CO. 

Penney was found as a stray a few days before Christmas.  We had just lost our almost 16 year old Aussie, Murf.  I was heart-sick and didn't know if I should adopt a new dog so quickly. Moses our 8 year old Border Collie was depressed, hanging out by himself.  I began searching Aussie rescue sites and found Penney listed through Save-a-Pet.

I couldn't get to Buena Vista until the weekend so the shelter kindly put a hold on Penney.  My husband and I made the 3 hour drive to the shelter on Saturday. (Did I mention that my husband didn't think that we needed another dog?) 

Penney is a clown that loves to laugh.  Her Aussie smiles are contagious. Penney is playing more and more with Moses. They love taking their *walkies* together.  Our resident felines weren't thrilled and it has taken about three weeks for us to train Penney "No Chase" and "Leave It".  But I'm seeing positive signs that a few months from now everyone will be integrated.

If you aren't sure about adopting a shelter dog, especially an older dog, my experience is it is tremendously rewarding.  I believe they are always grateful for a second chance at love. We had challenges integrating our pack but we got a lot of good ideas from the shelter.  Use them as a resource.

I am still grieving for Murf but Penney showers me with love - just like an Aussie.  She has become a part of our family.

Thanks so much for the shelter staff  and rescue folks.  As someone else said "you help make miracles possible."  Thank you for rescuing and caring for our beloved friends until we could find them.

God Bless,

Cheri Wissel

Rescued from: LA County Animal Shelter, Baldwin Park, CA, August of 2004

Now: The Queen of Everything in Altadena, CA.

Here's our story...
I had been looking for a dog to go hiking with me in our local canyons and had always wanted an Aussie.  After reading every rescue website looking for the perfect match, I walked into some local animal shelters.  I must have looked at a few hundred animals before my heart was stolen!  A stray, a big Blue Merle (with a long waiting list) wanted to be my dog.  She was the only dog not barking at the shelter that day!  I waited for a week, calling the shelter every day to see if she was still available. By Saturday, no one had claimed her, even the Rescue lady forgot to pick her up!!! 
 

Thank you for your good work!
Everyone should rescue a dog--they will thank you every day :-)

Sincerely,
Cydney & Stella
Altadena, Ca.

Adopted From:  Trinket came from the Castaic Shelter, Tank from the Aussie Rescue
New Home: The Stires family of Simi Valley

We got Tank in August of 2000 from you guys at the aussie rescue a few months after our Golden Retriever passed away.  He was a big boy with huge paws and a lot of fur.  Thats why he was named Tank.  He is a very loving dog who loves nothing more than to protect his human and animal family (including the cats).  If one of the cats accidentally gets out, he will bark until someone comes and brings the cat back inside.  He has taken a few agility classes but its not as much his thing.

The other dog in the house is my new puppy Whisper.  She was born on September 12, 2004.  Trinket loves her like she is her own baby and is very patient with Whisper.

Thank you so much for my wonderful Tank.
Britney Stires and the Stires family

I just adopted my Aussie "mix" from the Lancaster, California shelter. I am sending along the picture that I spotted on the web site 10 seconds before I ran out the door with my bank card ! I had a Sheltie for 16 years, and recently lost him to kidney failure, so I wasn't planning on getting another dog, as we already have a 5 1/2 year old 122 pound red Aussie/Malamute mix. But when I saw his picture I fell in love ! My husband and I drove there, and as soon as we saw him we had to have him ! We brought him home and he has been just perfect ! He understands basic commands, goes to the door when he wants out, and is the most loving dog I ever met. Not to mention that everyone describes him as being as soft as a bunny ! This is him, his name is Clooney (our other boy is named Sinatra) and the vet says he is just about 4 months old.
Clooney was found wandering the streets in Lancaster, and although two other people had put a hold on him, they did not return to adopt him. Clooney came home with kennel cough, but is on medication, and is almost all better ! He has now been neutered, microchipped, and all up to date on his shots ! His new home is with us, the Donahue family, in Lancaster, California. Clooney was adopted from the Lancaster shelter.

Hi there....
Just thought I'd send along some more recent pictures of Clooney, the Aussie mix that I adopted from the Lancaster shelter a little over a year ago. The picture on your "Happy Endings" page is from the time I adopted him, at age 5 months.
Here are a few recent pictures, as you can see, he is clearly enjoying his life with us.
He has grown to be such a devoted family member. No matter where he is, all I have to do is say "cuddle" and he will run full speed into my room, jump on the bed, and curl himself up next to me and put his paw over my chest and "hold" me ! Adopting an Aussie from my local shelter has been a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun loving, energetic companion ! Here he is, a little more than a year later...

Leaving The Pound:
"Oh yea!  I'm 'lucky' -  I'm
goin' home!"

  We bought a Blue Merle Aussie from a breeder about 13 years ago and she was such a joy!  We were crushed when she passed away 2 yrs. ago of cancer.  Six months later, we decided  we were ready to get another Aussie, so I started looking on the internet.  We found a breeder in Norco and on a Saturday we were on our way to see the puppies, when we decided to stop at the Orange County Animal Shelter. 
    Boy! were we "lucky"!  Just begging to be adopted was a very friendly, beautiful,  2 yr. old Aussie!  They had just picked him up on Friday!  We fell in love with each other at first sight!  But the clincher was when we were playing with him at the shelter.  My husband tossed a stick and as the dog and I ran to retrieve it, I fell down.  Much to our surprise, the dog stopped running, turned around, ran back to me and started licking my face - like "are you okay?"!  Needless to say, we had found our dog! and put a deposit on him immediately and brought him home on Monday.  (We never made it to Norco!) 
It was like he'd been ours forever! - except no name!  After about a week, our grandkids were visiting and the 6 yr. old said, "You're so 'lucky' to have such a good dog" and our 2 yr. old excitedly started jumping up and down, clapping his hands, yelling, "Lucky, Lucky, Lucky!".  My husband and I just looked at each other and then he reminded me that I was always telling the dog, "You're so lucky - we're so lucky", etc.  You guessed it - he finally had the perfect name - Lucky!  But, we're really the "lucky" ones!  Even though our first Aussie, Katie, will always be in our hearts, Lucky has definitely filled the void!

Warren and Paula
Garden Grove

I was stationed in Albuquerque, NM, in the Army and, when was settled into my new house, decided to adopt a cat from AAR-PACA, the animal prevention society in Albuquerque.  I found a beautiful orange and white American shorthair male cat, AND a beautiful Australian Shepherd puppy found me.  Miko was nine months old, blue merle with brown, and her previous owner had been committed to a mental hospital.  She convinced me I really needed her, and  I did adopt the cat, Colby, and Miko the same day.  I found out later they had both been in the same foster home, and they are best friends.  Miko is wonderful, loves other animals, kids of all ages, and is very socialized.  She can spend hours playing catch, and has more energy than any dog I have ever seen!  I had never been around Aussies before, and I am now in love with the breed.  Miko is the smartest dog I have ever owned, she learned to open the back door in one day, and understands all I say to her.  She is now 6 1/2 years old, and hasn't slowed down a bit; we are now retired and home, in Southern California, with her "brother" Colby, "and sister" Poppy, another rescue dog, a Beagle/German Shepherd mix.  They all travel wonderfully, and love to go anywhere with me.  P. McCrea

Jonah, a 2.5 year old red merle male who now lives in Clovis, CA. 
Bailed out of the Fresno SPCA Feb. 2004. 

    Abby's peaceful existence in our home ended on December 22nd of 2003. The tiny deaf and almost blind blue merle rescued from a cold, damp Bakersfield shelter 3 yrs. ago paid us back each day with her love and gentle way. She was probably 17 yrs. old but we were only blessed with her presence the last three.Rest In Peace little "screen saver". 
   This void left my grumpy Australian Cattledog (not to mention the humans here) a bit lonely. Though "Dot" would never admit to missing Abby, she did..and very much so. It was time for another save. We mourned our loss for months, but were ready to search when February rolled around.

DEWEY was adopted from the Santa Barbara Humane Society in 1993. 
She lives in Santa Barbara with her best friends, Kirk and Marla. 

My husband is an international Master Mariner. He had been gone for two months and was due home from the Bering Sea, Alaska, on his 40th birthday in 1993. The plane was late, and the airport is near the Santa Barbara Humane Society, so to kill time, I paid a visit to see the dogs. There she was in a cage--barking non-stop, a tri-colored ball of energy. It was love at first sight AND the perfect birthday surprise: our girl, Dewey!  That was over a decade ago. Dewey turned 12 on December 8, 2003, and ever since that fateful late-plane day, she has never left our side. At home she keeps a watchful eye out for coyotes as she protects her eight chickens, two turkeys, two burros and a horse. Visitors, in turn, know to protect their shins from her frequent log-weilding mouth. Six times a year, Dewey accompanies us to LAX where she eagerly jumps into her airline crate headed for Baja California Sur, knowing there will be warm weather and water at the other end of her two hour entrapment. She is an official frequent flier, complete with membership!  Dewey is slower now, and grayer, but her bark is just as strong. Every single day we marvel at the love and friendship we have with our girl Dewey. 
 

I adopted Nina and Ginger from Apple Valley Animal Shelter in 1992 and 1993.  They have been the best dogs I've ever had.  They are both aussie mixes and have been loving and obedient companions.  I have since had two children and they have been wonderful with my boys.  They are gentle and allow them to lead them around and play with them.  Nina has always enjoyed going on trail rides with me and my horse.  Ginger enjoys staying at home and protecting her domain.  Now that they are getting old and coming towards the end of their time with me, I know I will try to find aussies at our local shelters again when they are gone. 

-Donna F.

Adopted From:  Camarillo Shelter 
New Home:        The Miller Family and Jetta 

I had been looking for a second Aussie as a companion to our 12 year old Aussie Mix, Jetta, for several weeks when I came upon Reese's picture (then known as "Chivo") on the Aussie Rescue site.  He looked like he would be a perfect fit with our family, past the rambunctious puppy stage and well socialized with other dogs. 

He had already been listed on the rescue site for a couple of weeks by the time I called the shelter and I was surprised that he was still available. My daughter and I jumped in the car that Saturday morning and made the 1 1/2 hour trip (so much traffic on a weekend) to the Camarillo Shelter.  When we got there another couple was looking him over in the exercise pen and I was sure they would take him.  He was bouncing around with all of that Aussie enthusiasm and a great big happy smile on his face. His deafness was not an issue for us, but apparently it was for the other couple.  Or maybe it was because his hair was matted and he smelled, whew! really bad.  At any rate, when I checked back a while later with the office, they said he was still available.  I paid for him on the spot and brought him home following his surgery.

Reese has been home for two months now and what a delight he is.  Someone, somewhere spent a great deal of time working with this dog.  He knew at least five different hand signals (I was the one who had to do all the learning) and I have never seen a more perfect gentleman on a leash.  Because he is deaf, his visual perception is extremely acute. He takes notice of every little leaf fluttering in the wind, any change in a family members usual appearance.  Anytime any of us come into the house wearing a hat or carrying an umbrella, Reese will invariably give us an up close and personal look over, usually preceded by a couple of barks. He and Jetta have become fast friends, and he takes his watch dog cues from her.  If she runs to the door, he is right behind her, following her every move.  Most days they can be found napping next to each other, waiting for Mom to come home so they can go to the park.   He has one amusing habit.  He "collects" things he finds around the house and puts them in his crate.  At any given time one can find missing hair scrunchies, socks, brushes and pens stacked up in the back of his crate.  Nothing is ever damaged, and he seems giddy with delight that someone would notice all of his "treasures". 

Anyone interested in getting a dog should really consider a shelter animal.  There are so many pets in need of homes, and the Aussie Rescue site is a great way to find out what dogs are available. I'd also like to mention that the staff at Camarillo shelter were great.  They clearly have an interest in the welfare of the animals that come under their care. A special thank you to Karyl with Aussie Rescue for coming to my aid with information and suggestions those first few days of Reese's homecoming. 

The Miller's 

Adopted from: California City Animal Shelter 

Forever home: The Jarratt family of California City, CA
 
 
 

Surf Dog was a 10 week old puppy when I first saw him at the shelter where I volunteer. Having lost April, our 12 year old Aussie/Flat-coated Retriever mix almost a year ealier we were sort of (but not seriously) looking for another Aussie or Aussie mix, then I saw this little bundle of fur in Kennel # 9. I told husband all about this adorable little Aussie/Border Collie mix puppy I had fallen in love with at the shelter and how I wanted him to meet the puppy. We went to the shelter and immediately the two of them bonded. The next day Surf Dog was adopted. 

We look forward to spending many happy years with him! 

Thanks to Karyl at Aussie Rescue So Cal! And thank you to all of the people that open their hearts and homes to adopt shelter animals! 

Glad to hear Yozzie, Charli and family are doing well! And yes it was a very hot day! :) 

Brownie was a Mommy with a litter of puppies who was dumped (abandoned) with her puppies at the South Central L.A. shelter in summer of 2000.  The puppies got adopted out immediately, but Brownie was on death row, and Nancy saved her, and put her in a foster home. No one wanted her. She was skinny, haggard, and had all her teats hanging low from her recent birth. 
    We found Nancy by accident on the web, we were looking to adopt a young female, but had never even heard of aussies before! Nancy responded to an e-mail and said: "I have the perfect dog for you! An Australian Shepard mix!" I went on the web and looked up Australian shepards. They looked so big, so regal, like too much for me, Nancy said, trust me, this dog doesn't look like the purebreeds on the site. 
    Well, she sure was right! We went to see Brownie in the foster home in Tarzana, and my 10-year old daughter and I both said "Oh, look at her punim!" (that is a Yiddish word for face). Her body was awful, but her face was so beautiful.  We played with her for about an hour and we were hooked.  Nancy had her spayed on Wednesday, and we picked her up from the vet's office on Friday. 
    That Friday night Brownie ate her first bowl of Jewish chicken soup with rice, and she laid on the couch on top of me for hours. She was post-op, and post-traumatized.  It was obvious that she had been very abused (it is so unthinkable to me, I cry at the thought of it), and afraid of men, especially men of color.  I have 2 teenage sons, who worked on winning her heart, now they are her best friends.  My husband, who never had a dog, and was not keen on the whole dog thing, is now, after 3 years, madly in love with her. When he comes home, Brownie goes crazy, cuz she knows she'll get treats. 
    The first week we had Brownie, a friend introduced me to hiking Fryman Canyon in Studio City. It is a 3-mile walking trail with some steep hills, very picturesque and country-like, in the middle of the city.  Brownie and I go almost every day, she is a regular there.  People constantly stop me to tell me how beautiful her face is.  This has become a recurring joke with all my friends, who think I am way "too in love" with my dog! 
    We also go to the track at the local park, and she chases squirrels and birds. She is 100% trained off-leash, and would never leave me.  She thinks she died and went to heaven, to be a dog in my house, trust me, that's heaven!!!  I only buy steak with bones, so she can have the bones.  I have trained my friends to save rib bones and soup bones for my Brownie.  She gained 10 lbs., has a thick winter coat, and I have her professionally groomed and shaved in the summer, so she can be comfortable in the Valley heat. 
    I am now a total Aussie-mix fan/fanatic and am directing all my friends to your site!  Keep up the good work! 
Jennifer Niman, Sherman Oaks 

I have had many dogs in my life...many fantastic dogs of all sorts of breeds.  Amongst my favorites was a cattle dog/coyote cross, he was to be put down at 10 months old, bad attitude and not trainable they said.  Always up for the challenge I took him on.  Boy were they wrong, he only needed to know what no meant and from then on we were friends for life, until the person that I trusted to watch him while on vacation let him get killed by a car (so she says), I have spent quite some time looking for a replacement, I bought a Ridgeback (OOPS) love him to death but he is a hound.  As a herding breed lover I wanted another but being pregnant thought a cattle dog to be a little too much (they are such one person dogs)  a friend called me and said that there was a little blue merle aussie pup at the shelter in Petaluma Ca.  Being 6 months pregnant I was not sure I wanted another dog, after all I did still have a 1+ year old 85 # ridgeback.  As my ridgeback grew more and more protective of me and my belly it was recommended that I get him his own friend.  So off to the shelter I go, and lo and behold after 2 weeks of putting it off the little aussie pup and her brother and sister were still there.  I looked at all three and decided on the blue merle only to find that she was adopted and waiting to be spayed with a waiting list a mile deep.  I talked to the lady at the shelter who was concerned about my "condition" and ability to care for a puppy, I explained to her about Faeden (our Ridgeback), she said to go ahead and put my name on the list.  Two days later she called and let me know that the people who had originally adopted her did not want her, and that they had not been able to reach any of the other people on the list (oh darn).  2 days later I brought home my 3 month old cotton ball and quickly learned why she came back, we named her Felice, she should have been Houdini.  She is 3 now and is the love of our life, we are still trying to keep her in (good thing she likes to stay at home and only enjoys the challenge of escaping.  Her and her large friend are the best of buds, and our now 2+ year old son and her are inseparable, she is a pillow, stepstool and friend.  We love our Ridgeback but our Aussie will always warm our heart. 

The Scalese Family

Name:  Holly 
Adopted By:  Dave & Cara & Quasar Fusinato 
Adopted From:  So. Cal. Aussie Rescue 
Location:  Clovis CA 
 

Having heard about how perfect "Aussies" are, I decided to adopt one to tame my Siberian Husky.  The local paper had only a few ads for Aussies, but one was the most compelling.  A foster mom advertised a year old female. 

I went to her house, and unloaded the husky who was a year and a half old.  They played until they couldn't and then each rested, panting--then went off again as soon as they caught their breath.  The foster mom was very responsible, and interviewed (grilled) me for an hour and half.  It became clear that Lovey would mourn the loss of her new found playmate, so I told the foster mom "I think this is my dog."  Lovey hadn't come over to introduce herself, so I had the foster mom put her in my car.  She immediately got in the husky's seat (front passenger), something he took in stride.  Lovey, who is "scary smart" waited until the first stop light, then put her head on my leg.  She was my dog from then on. 

She fit right in, knowing right away what her role was with regard to the husky.  He had a cat-like personality, so he slept where he wanted, and she slept on the bed.  When the golden retriever moved in next door and the family promptly tied him up on their deck, we did daily "doggie day care" and Lovey added another "charge" to her responsibilities.  They all played in the snow together, although Lovey thinks "fetch" is stupid. 

Lovey has recently been diagnosed with bone cancer.  The vet has found a new treatment which has been successful in reducing (NOT CURING) the size of bone metastases in humans.  Oddly enough, it's the common antibiotic tetracycline.  She has been on it for two weeks and her tumor (which is on her wrist) has shrunk by 1/4 cm.  I don't know how long we have, but she isn't having to understand the horror of chemotherapy, and is being given a little more time.  Is it enough?  Of course not, but I'm not giving up without some kind of fight.  Whatever happens, it's enough just to have known her. 

God bless, 
Arlene Hill

Adopted From:  Animal Rescue of Fresno                                                                                                      New Home:  Dave & Cara Fusinato, Clovis, CA. 
 

Adopted from: Lancaster Animal Shelter 

New Home: R and R in Palmale, CA 

I set out to the shelter to find a playmate for our 4 year old Golden Retreiver. His best buddy left for the Army, and as much as the cat loves him he really needed someone closer his own size to play with. 

When I got to the shelter I was hoping to find an Aussie. We had one years ago (another adoptee) and just loved him. I was excited to meet this sweet little lady. She seemed a bit scared from all the noise, and took comfort by putting her nose under my arm and getting as close to me as she could. Needless to say, I had to bring her home.

We had a recent scare, thinking we'd lost her. Construction workers left our gate open and she took off into the desert nearby. After searching all day we decided to place some water out, just in case, and after many prayers went to bed hoping she would come home safe. We knew she would not approach people she didn't know, but hoped if anything we might get a call saying she'd been found. 

To our great surprise, Wiley was waiting at the front door when we opened it this morning!  Our sweet puppy found her way back to her loving home! Prayers answered! 

What a joy and blessing Wiley is to our family!

Adopted From: Orange County Animal Control and Los Angeles East Valley Animal Control 

New Home: Ventura County, CA 

We adopted Max (Aussie mix) in March '01 from the Orange County Animal Control. I found him on your website listed as available in the shelter. We left work immediately and went to look at him. We had his ID number and cage number but couldn't find him at first. Finally we found him. He was so traumatized that he had curled up in the back of his cage. He was bigger than I thought, but we couldn't leave him there. After bringing him home he slept for 2 days straight because he was so tired. Since he was a stray we didn't know much about his past, but found that he was probably abused. It didn't take him very long to adjust and he is by far the "BEST" dog. He is extremely smart, loyal, and loving. He never does anything bad! 

I wanted to write in to spread the word to other people thinking about either purchasing a purebred dog or adopting. I had always had puppies from breeders, and had the same hesitations as many people do. These dogs 'know' that they were saved and are the best! I tell everyone to adopt! Thanks for all your work and posting these dogs on the website....you do make a difference! 

Schwartz-Reyes Family

Adopted From: Shelter in Tempe, AZ 

New Home: Tempe, AZ

One week later, I told Joe I was going to get my dog. He protested, but in the end, he agreed that if she was still there, it was meant to be. Sure enough, Sophie was waiting! She never barked until I put her back in her cage that day. She had to wait until after she had surgery to come home. 

She has been with us for almost six months and my kids just adore her. My 2 year old calls her "oaphie" and just loves to pet and hug her! 

The Olsen-Salonis Family

Adopted From: Unknown 

New Home: Unknown 

This is a true Valentine story, we adopted our "Blue Boy" last Valentine's Day.   He was the coolest dog we had ever seen!  They had him in a cell with a St. Bernard of all things.  He made eye contact with me and that was how he stole my heart.  He was just a skinny little bone and the shelter said he was in real bad shape when they picked him up.  There was no calls on him so we let them know we wanted to be his new family.  What a sweetheart he has turned out to be.  After seeing the Vet and feeding Blue some top notch food he picked up and now weighs 57 pounds.   He is full of energy but very well behaved, potty broke from day one.  Took to the grandbabies crawling around like a bee to honey.  I feel so blessed to have this dog, he is just about perfect. Don't be afraid to take a chance with an Aussie!

Adopted From: Pets-N-Pals in Lathrop 

New Home: Carmichael, CA. 

Here is Yogi, our little bear that we adopted from Pets-N-Pals in Lathrop. He is 50% aussie and 50% chow, and 100% lover boy! Thank you, Pets-N-Pals for saving him just for us! 
>Jim and Lynne in Carmichael, CA.

Adopted From: Pasadena Humane Society 

New Home: Altadena 

Seven years ago, in October 1995, I adopted Billie from the Pasadena Humane Society. She was approximately 18 months old at the time. She must have been abused, because it took her a long time to trust that she would not be hit or abandoned. She is getting better as she grows older. She is very protective of me, "her" cat, and our home. She is extraordinarily vigilant, obedient and affectionate. In spite of some unbreakable habits (compulsive licking, excessive whining) I'm really grateful that she's my dog. I couldn't have a more loyal companion. 

Barbara & Billie of Altadena

Adopted From: Rick Dawes STAAR RESCUE (via The Downey Shelter) with tons of great help from Luanne Burton 

New Home:  Dana Point, CA 

Ringo was saved from the Downey Shelter and life is so GOOOOOOD! Our Daughter had to wait for 10 years for a dog. She read about EVERY breed and had a dog walking business for years before finally having her very own doggie! They are inseparable and everyone has fallen in love with Ringo! He is the fastest dog at the dog park and all of the other dogs LOVE his tail! Rescue is the way to go! 

Thank you! 

Sincerely, Lauren, Ringo and family

Adopted From: The SPCA of Monterey County 

New Home: Carmel Valley, California 

Suzie was surrendered to the shelter at the age of 1 1/2 years by her owners.  They had purchased her from a breeder as a puppy and had kept her as a backyard dog.  She had never been trained, or been an integrated member of a family.  She was 12 pounds underweight and had no hair at the time of adoption.  She and I together have now successfully completed two levels of obedience training and she is an AKC "Certified Canine Good Citizen."  We are rarely apart from each other (I'm blessed to have her come to work with me every day.)  She loves people, kids, cats, other dogs, and life in general.  She has those beautiful aussie eyes and that big aussie grin.  She is the very best dog in the whole wide world.

About two years ago we adopted KATIE through a rescuer who bailed her out of the Oceanside CA shelter.  KATIE (on the left) was fat, head-shy, and somewhat confused by the number of people who had been her guardians in the time between her owners. 

Annie Kolls

Adopted from:  West Los Angeles Animal Shelter 

We adopted Dawson from the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter.  When we saw him, we immediately fell in love with him.  When we looked on the cage to see his age and breed, the card said he was 6 years old and he was found wandering.  He had such a wonderful personality and was very loving.  We couldn't imagine why a person would give up such a good boy. 

We headed directly to our vet so the doctor could check him out and we asked him how old he thought Dawson was.  He said he was about 1 1/2 yrs.  We told him what the animal shelter said and they were surprised.   We were so happy to know he would be in our lives for many more years! 

Dawson gets along really well with other dogs and loves people.  He has a brother, Casper who is a Maltese and a sister, Kanani who is a Lhasa Apso   He is extremely smart and always wants to please us.  Dawson would never hurt a fly...literally!  He is so afraid of flying insects.  Whenever he sees a fly in the house, he immediately runs to the bedroom and hides in his crate.  He's such a gentle creature! 

We are so happy to have Dawson in our lives...he has made our family complete!

Adopted from:  VAP (Volunteers for Animal Protection), Humble, Texas 

New home:  Spring, Texas 

"Hi, my name is Jewel, and my mommy and daddy (Maxine and Sam Fortner) got me from VAP (Volunteers for Animal Protection) in Humble, Texas. I was only 3 months old and one of 8 puppies that my homeless mommy had. Now I am 5 months old and I have a new mommy in Spring, Texas, with a big back yard and lots of doggy friends to play with that live near by. I love my new home and I am learning how to be a very obedient girl, and my mom says I am very smart and sweet! Soon I am hoping to learn agility sports! For now fetch and frisbee are my favorite games, and a big black lab named Russel is my best buddy!"

Adopted from:  California City 

New home:  Lake Arrowhead
 

Next challenge is getting him to fetch. 

Charli and family

Adopted from:  Lancaster 

New home:  Los Angeles 
 

Anita and Gena 

Adopted from:  SPCA in New Orleans 

New home:  Doggie Heaven 
 

Adopted from:  Corona Shelter 

New home:  Norco, CA 

We have two adult Aussies that we got from Aussie Rescue, so we didn't need another dog.   Then we saw the beautiful black tri at a Pet Adopt-A-Day in Norco so we just stopped to talk to the Animal Control Officers in charge. "Taz" was a 4 year old male who lost his entire family in a tragedy and he was taken to the Corona Shelter.

Thank you Aussie Rescue!!

Gary and Ruth Roquet

Adopted from:  L.E.A.F    Animal Friends of the Valley! 

New home:  Pala, CA 

Charlie is a 1-1/2 year old male. We rescued him to be a companion with our 14-year old Aussie Bridget, also a rescue. They are the best of friends. We couldn't be happier.
The Stockton Family.

Adopted from:  L.E.A.F    Animal Friends of the Valley! 

New home:  Canyon Lake, CA 

Here is a picture of our 40 lb. baby Brandi! She is a doll! I am sorry to announce that our little girl had been abused or traumatized before entering our home.  She has been with us for exactly 1 week today and she is already doing so well! 
    She is a Mommy's girl this is for sure! I adopted her from L.E.A.F. which is also known as, Animal Friends of the Valley! I knew the minute I saw her that I wanted her. I was disappointed to say the least when I found out that there was a hold prior to the hold that I placed on her. The next 5 days were horrible for me. I just know I had to have her so I could give her lots of love and help her to gain her confidence! 

Adopted from:  San Diego Humane Society 

New home:  San Diego, CA 

My husband and I adopted our sweet boy, Clarence, from the San Diego Humane Society a year and half ago.  I found him on the Aussie Rescue site and he was right up the street so I had to go see him.  A few days later, he came home with us.

Nicole A. Stone

Adopted from:  Rescue in Victorville 

New home:  With Nancy Gonzalez 

While travelling to a local shelter in Ontario to look for a bunny for my daughter, I noticed an unusual dog jumping frantically to get my attention.  She resembled an Australian Shepherd (as we already have a red-tri at home) She resembled a blue merle, but had short hair and the biggest ears I've ever seen on a dog.  I asked about her and the shelter folks said that she had already been returned twice by owners as they could not handle her hyper disposition. I was also told that there were several new families waiting to adopt her but they were going to be very careful before making a decision, based on her bad experiences so far.  Well, I brought my husband over and we filled out the paper work and then just waited. 

Adopted from:  Devore shelter in San Bernardino 

New home:  With Michelle (human) and Shealey (Aussie mix) in Huntington 
Beach 

I found Winkey by accident (but I think it was really fate) ... I had been checking out the Aussie Rescue website for a few weeks when I saw a blue merle at the Devore shelter.   I drove out there the next day, only to discover the merle had already been adopted.  Then I looked at the available dogs, and there was little Winkey-- an energetic two month old white and peachy-colored Aussie furball with one blue eye and one brown.  After a long drive home and a long bath during which I removed several ticks and fleas, Winkey got to explore her new home and meet her "big sister" Shealey, a five year old female Aussie mix.  They get along like peas in a pod; Shealey even readily puts up with Winkey's puppy antics-- her favorite being leaping off the bed onto Shealey.  Winkey is very smart and was housebroken easily and quickly.  She can
already sit on command, and walks well on a leash.  She is all signed up for puppy kindergarten next month.  She has also accompanied me at work, napping patiently while I was setting up my classroom for the upcoming school year.  Winkey enjoys playing with her impressive number of squeaky toys, and she also loves long walks at the beach or park, where she basks in all the attention from people.  She loves to sprint on the sand, racing like a rabbit with two legs in unison following the other two.  After all that activity, one of her favorite pastimes is dozing in her special sandbox in the backyard.  Winkey brings so much joy into my life and I am so lucky to have her.  I owe it all to the Aussie Rescue website; without it, I never would have found her.  Thank you so much! 
- Michelle Barker

<<< new picture as of November 2008!!

Adopted from:  Upland Shelter 

New home:  Chris Read and Family 

     I had been looking at local shelters for an Australian Shepherd since losing my beloved "Blue" in May of this year.   While feeling kind of strange about it, in late July I began a search on the internet and was amazed and saddened to see how many Aussies and other sweet pets were abandoned, but also touched and inspired to know that there are so many dedicated and wonderful people devoting their time to saving as many of these deserving lives as they can. To read the rest of Sunny's story, click here.

Adopted from:  Bakersfield Animal Shelter 

New home:  Teri of Clovis, Ca 

I made a trip south to the Bakersfield shelter to check out and possibly bail a few creatures for our no-kill shelter outside of Fresno. I had heard that there might also be a possibly blind Aussie female too. 

Adopted from:  San Diego South County Animal Shelter 

New home:  The Gallina Family in San Diego

SGT. PEPPER, who is called PEPPER by his many friends (human and canine), was placed in the shelter at 6 months of age.  I was looking for an Aussie and had been checking out the rescue web site regularly; I was almost ready to drive two hours north of my home to meet with a lady who fosters a variety of Aussies. 

Adopted from: Lake Elsinore Shelter 

New Home: the Dougherty family of Huntington Beach, CA 

The Dougherty family was looking to replace the void of a recently lost family dog, but Elsie instantly became a lot more than a replacement. Lucky Elsie was adopted on her last day at the shelter. Had she been there any longer, she would have been euthanized. To read Elsie's story click here

Adopted from: Norco Shelter 

New Home: the Hill family of Norco, CA 

The Hill family was looking for an Aussie high and low without much luck. Then they discovered through our web site that a handsome boy was up for adoption at their own local shelter. Now everywhere Mikee goes, he gets compliments, for they say he looks just like that dog in "Down and Out in Beverly Hills". To read Mikee's story click here

Adopted from: Tehachapi Humane Society 

New Home: the Mauser family of Bakersfield, CA 

Homeless Smokey was aimlessly wandering the Tehachapi Mountains with no family to call his own. A kind stranger who couldn't keep him took him in, but Smokey's original family was never found. He was then headed to the local humane society where he was destined to find his forever family. To read Smokee's story click here

Adopted from: ?? shelter 

New Home: the Smith family of Aussie City, CA 

Did you adopt an Aussie from a shelter? Share your story on our web site! E-MAIL US