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| Spirit's
Story
Here I was, a first time dog owner and really didn't know what I was in for but Spirit melted my heart and so our lives together started on July 8, 2000. He was about a year old when I adopted him but I soon realized that he hadn't seen the world. Everything was new to him which meant he was fearful of a lot of things. He barked at the TV, was terrified of skateboarders and men, and certainly didn't trust me. You could tell that he never bonded to a human before and wasn't used to the human touch. I was told that it was possible he spent a lot time in a crate. His canines were worn on the inside, showing that he chewed on metal bars. As time went on, I learned that he was a good escape artist and was not to be trusted outdoors, off leash. No way. He was so emotionally detached and it was as if he gave up on life. He didn't like me for a long time. He just tolerated me because I was there. Finally, one day, I got a sign that he was starting to like and trust me. I was walking around doing stuff and usually he could care less where I was or what I was doing but on this particular day, I noticed that he was following me. Of course the minute he recognized that I saw him, he wandered off into his own space. From that day on, our relationship blossomed.
Spirit and I had a rough start but with a lot of patience and love, Spirit transformed into a totally different dog.
He is not the dog I met in Petaluma. He's now 9 years old but still acts like he is a puppy.
He has endless energy, is super intelligent, wants to always play ball, squeaks his doggie toys, and wants to give love and affection.
He is eager to please and is ready to learn something new. He is confident and walks with his tail in the air rather than inbetween his legs.
He enjoys running off leash outdoors and probably could walk himself if he could have it his way.
Spirit is so very loyal and whenever I see him, even if only a minute has passed,
Adopting Spirit is the best thing I ever did. I'm so grateful to Hollie and North Bay Canine for giving me a chance with Spirit. I thought I was saving Spirit but in a way, Spirit saved me. He's taught me so much and I have a forever best friend. And Spirit got married two years ago to Mia, a red and white Border Collie mix! |
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| Elliot Tucker Clark |
Elliot (alias Tucker) came to us in November of 1993 from North Bay Canine R&P. We had only a couple of months earlier pulled our Kelpie/Border Collie, Rosie, out of pound in San Francisco. Being 9 to fivers, we were away from home all day and we felt Rosie needed a pal. Much to the chagrin of many, we wanted an Australian Cattle Dog. Several weeks later, after someone referred us to NBCR&P, and we passed the rigorous screening of the scrupulous Hollie Lama, we arranged to meet Tucker (now known as Elliot) so that he could meet Rosie and we could meet Hollie and she could meet us. That, dear friends, was Elliot's last day of bacon double cheese burgers from Jack in the Box, which, we were told, he got to enjoy on the way to our first meeting. But was it love at first sight? Hardly. In fact, as my partner and I were driving back to San Francisco after meeting Elliot and Hollie in Novato, I said to her, "Ooooh, he sure was funny looking. How come his head is so small and his body is so round? He looks like a sausage." I was feeling quite dejected and crushed: This was not the classic cattle dog that I had just seen in the movie Road Warrior. My partner looked at me and said, "You'll get over it." She was right, I did. And somehow, as time passed, magically his head and body grew into proportion to each other and he became the striking beast you see in the photo to the left. Elliot today, along with his sisters, Rosie and Rocket (our most recent addition/a ratty and quite comical miniature schnauzer) is an integral part of our family. These animals have taught us invaluable lessons about unconditional love and keeping our hearts open when sometimes we rather have them shut down. Thanks, North Bay Canine Rescue & Placement! |
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Gandolf Here lies a success story of a little border collie that almost didn’t make it except for Gertie (the Modesto dog's guardian angel) who first saw him in the pound and wanted to get him out; Hollie, who took the chance and spent the money to bring him back to health; and Patty, the foster mom gone mom, who saw him through the rest of the way! |
Thanks to them all, Gandy today is the dog he always wanted to be!! |
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It was a sweltering hot day in Modesto, California when Gertie called Hollie about another wonderful Border Collie, a young adult classic rough coat, probably a purebred, that was being held captive in the Modesto pound. With a few phone calls, a new foster home was waiting and, luckily for this little guy, he was to be saved! The wheels of the canine underground railroad were set into motion, and the relay set up to fetch him from afar went as planned. The first leg of the trip was about an hour and a half and the second leg about the same -- it was in the heat of the day and in commuter traffic to boot! When Hollie met this little guy in the
delta, he seemed a little down and listless. She thought it might be due
to the long and stressful day he had already had. Nonetheless, he was on his way to the vet to a neuter appointment
that had already been scheduled for him and he would get a good check up
as well. But by the time Hollie got half way to the vet, she knew that
this dog was seriously ill! His
breathing was become more labored by the minute and he was now blowing and
coughing up green mucous. She stopped on the road and called the vet to
tell him to cancel the neuter appointment but that she was still coming in
as an emergency case. When
she arrived the little guy was carried inside to the isolation, and was
diagnosed with an extreme case of pneumonia. Gandy, as he was later to be named, was given massive amounts
of antibiotics, subcutaneous fluids, and steroids to help his breathing.
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"Wake me up when we get there." |
The Fable of Abel
My name is Abel and this is my story…. |
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I was born April 19, 1997. I had a very poor beginning and almost died before I was rescued by the North Bay Canine Rescue and Placement. They fed me, gave me medication, and found a foster home for me until I was well enough to be adopted. I was adopted into the Macdonald
family on July 3, 1997. We are a very happy family and do a lot of
traveling in our motor home. I help by being an alert navigator from my
position on the dash. So far, we have traveled a total of 33,131 miles!
We
have been as far east as Alabama, as far north as Canada, and as far south
as Port Lavaca, Texas. We even followed the old Rte. 66 from St. Louis to
Santa Monica. I received my "Obedient Dog" graduation certificate on January 27, 1998. It's on the refrigerator door for all to see. I know I am loved not only by the care I receive but also by all the pictures that have been taken of me. These are just a few of these pictures so you can see how handsome I really am -- everyone says so. My family and I want to thank North Bay Canine Rescue and Placement for what they did for me. We hope they continue in their efforts to help others in need. |
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Joker
. . .
One day, this fellow, Rich, called and Hollie gives him her usual spiel, "There's a lot of Aussies available, but you're probably going to see Joker's picture and want him." Rich did of course want Joker, but it was more than simple superficial physical attraction -- It was a match!! Joker now lives with Rich and May, his new sister, and goes jogging everyday!! And we're not kidding!! |
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 This
just in from Fiddletown, California . . .
about Joey, a once rather withdrawn Australian Cattle Dog who just couldn't find his niche until these swell folks came along. Jeff and Kim write: "He's doing very well. He's such a smart guy! The
five of us have been getting along wonderfully. Although he's still quite
serious, he seems to be coming out of his shell. As I write, he's trying
to entice me to go for a walk. Our trainer has fallen in love with him (it
may have something to do with a challenge). Jeff takes him to work nearly everyday. He has made a hit with all the ladies of the houses where Jeff works. He seems to like us and likes living here. We love him very much. Hope all is well with you. Joey was lucky to have found his way to you and so were we." |
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| Why is Penny so Perky? She found someone who thinks she's worth a million!! | |
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"Thank you for the special love and care you have given Penny. She is a joy and delight in my life. She's a marvelous supervisor at work and as you can see she loves the perks at one of my favorite gardens. We have started dog (owner) obedience and she is being wonderful. I look forward to each day as we venture forth." |
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 Maestro says, "enough already, let's go for a ride!!
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Maestro found a little slice of heavy when he
went to live with Dayton and Diana in Washington state. Dayton writes, "One day, I clicked onto a site called North Bay Canine Rescue & Placement and there he was, Mr. 'special Aussie' himself, Maestro. After several weeks, many emails, a couple of videos, and a few phone conversations, a plan was hatched to transport Maestro to our door 700 miles away . . . On October 7th, they pulled into our driveway and we had our first face-to-face with with Maestro. He is everything we hoped for and more. He does everything with style and enthusiasm. Our love for this wonderful friend grows with each passing day. Hollie was right when she described him as a sweet, sweet boy." |
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Jake was a rescue who was returned more than once because he "had too much energy." Now he has two agility championship titles and gets lots of squeaky-toy time. |
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Balou: Third Time�s a Charm Balou lost his home three times in a row. But then he got some special help from us when we posted his picture on our web site. He is a classic blue merle Australian Shepherd with a docked tail and he appears to be approximately 7 years old. A local couple here in Rohnert Park, California spotted his picture and bio on our webpage and just knew that he was the dog for them. Even though Balou was living at the Best Friends Animal Society located in Utah, the Maxtons decided that they would make the long trip out and bring him back themselves. Turns out it was a perfect match for both dog and new owners and Balou has found himself a permanent forever-home. Here�s what the proud new owners had to say: We must thank NBCR&P for posting Balou's picture and story on behalf of Best Friends Animal Society. Utah was a long drive to pick up a rescue dog, but Balou was SO worth it! What a sweetheart he is. He's so loveable (a "Velcro" dog), sweet, mellow, intelligent, and fits in perfectly with our family, which includes 2 other rescue dogs. He is remarkably well-behaved and well-adjusted for a dog that has been abandoned 3 previous times (we'll never understand why). With your help, he's now in his forever-home. Thank you, Jean, Hollie, Abbie, and all the NBCRP volunteers for the wonderful work you do!!! Sincerely Ellen and Emil Maxton |
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The Heart-Warming Story of Bullet |
 �Frank�
was a scared little Cattle Dog who came to the shelter. He had been
shot in his back right leg, but was still able to walk. He was only
there a short while, when Hollie took him out of the shelter and
placed him in a wonderful foster home. Frank had surgery to remove
his bad leg, and was re-named �Bullet�.
He began to flourish and fell in love with his new family, the Simons. The feeling was mutual and they decided that instead of just fostering Bullet, they would adopt him.
With the love and guidance of his new family, Bullet now runs with Ready, one of their other dogs, and loves to play ball. Bullet and Ready are now best buddies and love to run and play Frisbee together.
�We all think Bullet is a terrific member of our family! At least every couple of days I tell Steve --- I LOVE this dog!!!!! Bullet truly warms my heart in that special way in which certain dogs touch us sometimes. How "win-win" can you get?!?!!� Not only has Bullet won the hearts of the rest of the Simons� family, but he has a special place in the hearts of two of the Simons� younger boys, Zachary and Jacob. Both boys, who suffer from Down�s Syndrome, find hours of love and companionship with Bullet. "Zachary and Bullet are totally bonded. Bullet is so gentle and walks so nicely that Zach loves to be the one to hold his leash when we take our strolls through the neighborhood. As for me, Bullet is a real source of comfort -- he has the most endearing way of quietly sitting next to my chair and carefully giving me a little tap with his nose, just to let me know he's there, in case I need some love." Bullet is one of our best success stories. Going from a scared little boy to a happy camper in just a few short months, made all the difference in the world to him. |
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A NEW LIFE FOR MISS ROSEE AND THE TAKAHASHI'S-A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN In the words of Miss Rosee's new Mom, Robin Takahaski:
Imagine our grief when our little Sheltie moved on to greener dog parks very suddenly at the age of 13. We were utterly devastated. All the more so since he had been an extremely important part of my therapy as an insulin-dependent diabetic as he had accompanied me on my 4-5 mile walks daily. When he was gone, so was my will to get out and walk. However beautiful of a city San Francisco is, I just did not have the will to take my walks without my friend. About two months later, I realized that I would have to have some serious motivation to begin walking again. Nothing for it but to get another family member who would need a walk, too! I heard from an acquaintance about North Bay Canine Rescue and immediately looked them up on the internet. among their top listings, we saw Miss Rosee. "I don't know...she's already 8 and maybe that's too old". Our previous dogs came to us as puppies. We didn't have experience adopting an older dog. Still, I looked at the pictures, I read the description, and somehow it felt right. I wrote to North Bay Canine Rescue and received very polite, encouraging responses. Ms Jean and Hollie spent a great deal of time answering all of my questions. After going to the ACC and SPCA and seeing several dogs, we decided to meet Rosee. We were amazed to meet such a friendly, outgoing, trusting, healthy and fun loving dog. Still, Hollie and Jean did not push us. Rather, they wisely encouraged us to go home and talk it over. My husband and I both felt the same...Rosee would be a most welcome addition to our household! It seemed like an eternity until Hollie had time to bring her to see the house and check out our future home in San Francisco, but, finally, the happy day came. Since living with us, Rosee has learned at least 20 expressions within two months. She has learned how to walk on a leash, she plays ball daily at Fort Mason besides going on longs walks and shorter ones to relieve herself. She is my constant shadow in the house, following me around even from room to room, loves to go on trips, basks in all of the attention she receives on our walks and from visitors to our home. Rosee is strikingly beautiful, so people constantly praise her on that account. I always reply, "Yes, she is beautiful, but what we love her for is her sweet nature and intelligence". In short, this is a marriage made in Heaven. I hope everyone looking for a dog will find the right dog. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ADOPT AN OLDER DOG. You can be hooked up with a wonderful friend who will dedicate their whole love and life to you! DO NOT DEPRIVE YOURSELF OF THIS OPPORTUNITY. ______________________________________________________________ What makes this story so wonderfully unique is that Miss Rosee, along with her brother Jake, spent most of her life in a chain-link kennel. She was more than ready to give and receive love. The love that the Takahashi's gave Miss Rosee was reciprocated, and both began new lives.
Robin, Fr. John and Miss Rosee Takahaski
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Last updated on: 01/05/2013
Visitors Since 10/1/08:
Back to the top
One day while I was surfing the web for available Border Collie's, I came across Spirit.
He had these big black ears and gorgeous blue eyes. I was immediately in love.
Who wouldn't be? I called Hollie at North Bay Canine and arranged to meet him.
I drove out to Petaluma to meet with Spirit's foster mom. When I met Spirit, he had no interest in me.
He only kept his attention on me so he could avoid me. I took 2 steps towards him and he backed up about 10 steps.
The only way I could get close to him was by taking him on a walk.
So his foster mom leashed him up and Spirit and I went on our first walk...
But still no real affection. He didn't care I was there.
His foster mom told me that Spirit got a lot of calls but when people came by to meet him, they were turned off by his personality.
And it's not that he was mean or aggressive but he just wasn't approachable and was very aloof.
So that was enough for me to say, 'I'll take him!' 
he always greets me with big tail wags and with a ball in his mouth. 
He had become so ill that the vet said that he might not make it through
the night – though he did. Hollie
nursed him back to health and he was eventually able to go to foster care.
The recovery process was a long one for Gandy and his foster family
became so attached to him throughout the process that they adopted him.
Gandolf now competes in the agility ring and quite often brings
home blue ribbons. Gandy has
started sheep herding and has a wonderful and natural instinct for it! 
It seemed like everybody wanted him
-- from Texas to Colorado to Southern California. Folks just
fell in love with his picture. Joker got all the calls. We even
joked that we should try to get a really bad picture of him so the
other dogs could stand half a chance. Joker was a little
hesitant with those he didn't know and yet he was such a joyous dog he
just had to jump in your face, which people found a little
overwhelming. Afterall, such puppy bliss is sometimes hard to take when it's that close to your face. It would take a while to find
just the right for this handsome pup.
Training-wise he is great.
It's just that he never seems to have any fun. He isn't interested
in toys or agility courses. He'll do a bit of rough-housing but we still
need more work on the "man" issue. (We
comment: Hmmmmm, he must find men rather delectable in a bite-em-in-the-butt sort of way.)
In
the words of Jo, his new Mom, �Bullet is thriving!!! He has
fit into his own special niche with us, almost as though there was a
Bullet-shaped space in our family, just waiting for him to arrive
and fill it! He looks great, his fur has grown back and you
can only barely make out where his leg was shaved. We are
successfully keeping him at a perfect weight. Bullet continues
to blossom, surprising us with new antics all the time. 
"Three years ago my husband and I
moved from Tokyo, Japan, which had been our home for 33 years. At that
time we had a cat and dog who had been living with us for 10 years. It
goes without saying that we could not leave them behind--after all, they
were half of our family! Thus, our little Shetland sheepdog and Japanese
housecat joined us in our move to the U.S.