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!

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! 

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. 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! 

Thanks to them all, Gandy today is the dog he always wanted to be!!

"Wake me up when we get there."

The Fable of Abel 

My name is Abel and this is my story….

 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.

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.

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!!

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:

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."

"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."

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."

Hopper . . .

"Once again, we can't thank you enough for joining us with Hopper! He is such a fabulous, sweet presence in our family, and he is dearly loved.  We hope you enjoy the photos and if you don't mind, we'll send more now and then, just to keep you up to date!"

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

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.

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. 

“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."

Rescuing a wonderful dog like Bullet is not only about saving him from a bad, life-threatening situation merely out of pity. Like so many dogs who are rescued, Bullet’s story is just as much about giving him the opportunity to make the world a better place for someone.

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.