Hi,
We are Border Collie Rescue in the UK, a charitable, voluntary organisation dedicated to the rescue and re-homing of Border Collies and Sheepdogs. We have been around in various formats since 1976.
We are Border Collie Rescue in the UK, a charitable, voluntary organisation dedicated to the rescue and re-homing of Border Collies and Sheepdogs. We have been around in various formats since 1976.
It's no coincidence that this was the year the UK Kennel Club first recognised the Border Collie breed, set up a standard, thus beginning the era of the Border Collie becoming popular as pets.
At that time, a lady called Hazel Monk forsaw problems would arise as more people tried to keep a working sheepdog breed as a pet and started the organisation.
Hazel's predictions proved to be correct and now, nearly 33 years later, we get a constant stream of calls from people wishing to re-home their Border Collies, sometimes as many as 200 in a week.
It was in 1995 that Border Collie Rescue first became a formal, incoprorated non-profit and registered voluntary organisation. By that time we had progressed to being more than a re-homing organisation and performed other public services to help people with the problems they were having with their pets.
In 2001 we ran a unique goverment approved program with MAFF (later DEFRA) to rescue redundant working dogs from Foot and Mouth infected farms.
In 2001 we ran a unique goverment approved program with MAFF (later DEFRA) to rescue redundant working dogs from Foot and Mouth infected farms.
In 2003 we opened a trial Rehabilitaion and Assessment centre using spare land and outbuildings at a farm in North yorkshire. The object of the trial was to see if such a facility could be run by volunteers. It could, providing the volunteers were dedicated!
In 2005 we moved to a smallholding near York, from which we now operate the charity. The facility has 10 acres of land for excersising the dogs and a flock of Swaledale sheep to assess them for working ability and drive. If a dog comes to us with problems based on its need to herd we can demonstrate this and re-home them to a working environment
This also means that we are not offering dogs as companions that should be working.
We also assess for Search and Rescue (SARDA) work, sniffer dogs for the Police and Prison service and other 'trades' that are of benefit to mankind.
The rural environment is fairly quiet and stress free which greatly aids the re-habilitation of dogs with behaveioural problems - something we are coming to specialise in.
We also give advice and offer work placements and work experience to students on approriate courses.
We have started this blog for a variety of reasons
To keep people in touch with what we are doing.
To talk about various matters that affect our work and the world of dogs, particularly Border Collies.
To spread a bit of cheer and share our joys and our freindships.
The posts may be a bit sporadic, perhaps not every day and the perhaps, like buses, several at once. Some will be serious, some less so, some short, some long. Constructive comments welcome. Abuse and spam deleted.
Oh yes, and you can follow us on Twitter if you are so inclined - http://twitter.com/BCRescueUK
or visit our youtube channels
As to the future - who can tell? Hopefully more centres like the York one.
Anyway it works out, we intend to carry on working for the benefit of Border Collies, Sheepdogs and their human companions.
You might like to visit our website where you can find out more about us, the work we do and the dogs we do it for. There are videos, stories, case histories and lots of advice.
We call it - Border Collie Rescue on Line. Hope you like it!
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