Maxine

02/14/2005 Just wanted to let you know that I am doing very well in my forever home. I was a very good girl on the ride home yesterday, though by the time we stopped in Indiana I had to tinkle pretty badly. I barely hit the grass before I was going!! But then I settled down and watched movies on the DVD player in the car with Emily and Mathew. I preferred Star Wars to Harry Potter: the second one was a bit scary! Then I got home and everyone showed me where the "potty" is outside so I went there. Then we went to the backyard and played with the ball and Frisbee for a long time. Everyone seemed very proud of how good I am at catching the ball and the Frisbee. I also take it right back to the person that threw it. They keep telling me how smart I am and how much fun it is the play together. You wouldn't believe what they have here: the world's biggest bowl of water! They keep calling it a pool, but I'm trying to figure out how to get under the fence and get to it! I heard Mom and Dad talking about getting the pool builder to backfill the berm around the fence so I can't get in!!

After we played, I went inside and investigated my new house. My crate is in the family room in a nice quiet corner so I can rest if I want to, but I didn't want to all evening. I kept picking up my ball and giving it to someone to throw for me. A few times it bounced off things that could break so I have to teach Emily and Mathew where to throw it when we're in the house. I did have one little accident on the basement carpet but I was very sorry and apologized profusely. Other than that, no tinkling issues! I met Chablis and Chianti. They are the bigged puffed up things they call cats. I've never seen a cat quite so fluffy and with its back arched. They kept up higher than me and I would see them perched on tables or chair backs staring down at me. After a while they seemed to calm down a bit and wouldn't come near me. I cornered one this morning by accident and she jumped at me! Luckily she was declawed so all I got was a face full of hissing cat!! I am not really interested in them, but that doesn't stop them following me around the house!

I slept with Mom and Dad. Mom bought me a nice big fluffy bed to sleep on but I don't really like it. I actually alternated between the master bathroom floor: the tiles were nice and cool and the side of the bed. We had a big thunderstorm last night I was fine but Mom and Dad seemed like they were a little scared so every now and then I would go up to the bed and poke my nose in at them to make sure they were all right. Once they gave me a pat on the head I knew they were fine so I settled back down again. We also went for a long walk last night so I got to meet the neighborhood: lots of nice smells and things to check out. Today I'm doing well behaving in my crate when Mom and Dad went to work. Mom was home for a while at lunch and we went potty and then played with the ball and Frisbee again until I got tired and laid down. Everyone will be home soon so I know we're going for another long walk and then we'll play some more.

I'm adapting well: learning new things, remembering how to sit and stay and lay down and doing pretty well at it! As soon as Mom figures out how to get this big box she calls a computer working so she can hook the camera up to it, she says she will send pictures. If not she'll go the old fashioned and take pictures to Walmart for developing!

Talk to you soon,

Maxine

XOXOXO

Wilson

Penelope

04/17/06 I thought I would give you an update on the girls. They are getting on well, Penny has had a bath and is on vitamins for her skin. Her coat is beautiful and she has virtually no dandruff. She is on a once a week medication for her leaking problem and touch wood it is working well, no accidents in the last week. She has gone over to the same food as Pepper and her stools have firmed up very well. She sleeps where she wants, which is generally in our bedroom. She loves to be around us and seems to be getting more and more comfortable everyday. She is now realising that she is a part of our family. Pen and Pep look out of the front door and bark together at passing dog walkers. She loves the back yard and when we are out there is content to sit on the deck and watch us work along with her sister. She is a great addition to our family.

Maizie Louise

Bess

Cinder

11/07/2006 We would like to send a couple of photos of these beach bums! Cinder and Rodeo are doing great! These two love to travel! Rodeo has been everywhere from the south, NYC and Newfoundland Canada! Cinder will be going on her first Newfoundland trip next summer. Rodeo was adapted in Feb. of 2005 and Cinder was adopted in March of 2006. We love these two.

Dughall

04/02/06 I arrived in Taylorville, Illinois very happy to see my new forever home. I checked out the place right away but after about an hour my new owner was taking me to the basement. Boy what a noise there was outside! After a while he brought me back upstairs and that enclosed back deck area they told me about was missing some huge fence boards. I could see out front very clearly and the back yard pool fence had quite an opening to see our neighbor's yards. The house was ok and they told me later that it was high wind damage ( not quite a tornado ) but close enough. Ironically the Taylorville High School Mascot name is Taylorville Tornadoes. Now I know what tornado means.

04/03/06: I learned that my new owners had another Border Collie before me. She sadly died of cancer and I saw her picture. Daisy was very pretty and I wish I would have known her. They found me the same way they found her so my owners and I thank all Border Collie Rescue people for finding good people to take care of us.

04/04/06: My new owners called my foster mom about how to turn-me- off. I am quite the energetic dog, but my new owners just want to take care of me the best they can. My foster mom is very good about reassuring my owners about how to take care of me.

04/11/06: Oh what a life! They bought me a doggie pool! I can't wait until June. My new home has a swimming pool and I'll let you know if I actually swim in it in a later report. It's not quite the lake I was used to (like this), but I like it.

04/15/06: I figured out how to jump the temporary storm damage fence in front today. I had fun trying to chase a squirrel but my owners figured I might get hurt, so no more of that. A chain-link fence doesn't fall down if I stumble, like a PVC jump pole does, so they set up all the loose fence boards so I wouldn't get any ideas again. I had fun for a while anyway.

04/22/06: My owners are going to repair their fence and it started today They are also going to buy some agility equipment so I can have safe fun: no more fence jumping, but that's ok. I like all of the Frisbee and tennis ball sessions since I've been here.

Clover

Sissy

Munch

04/15/2006 Munch has settled in quite well in his new home and bonded with his new forever family, John and Yumi. Munch follows John around everywhere and gets very upset when he can't be with him. John mowed the lawn today and Munch watched him the whole time out the window whining because he wanted to be with him. He has been a very good boy in the house and has had no accidents. When Yumi leaves, he sits by the door waiting for her to come back. They go for walks daily and have been to PetSmart and the groomers several times. They are going to sign-up for obedience classes after they get back from Mexico in June to finesse his leash walking. All is good in Munch's new home: they are thrilled with him.