Dogs

Redwood Coast Cattledog Rescue

Bodega, CA

About

Mission: Rescue, rehabilitate and rehome dogs and occasionally other animals into suitable forever homes; educate about herding/working dog breeds particularly for owners and prospective owners and provide resources and referrals to trainers, classes and activities so that challenges and behavioral problems can be solved or prevented and ultimately reduce the demand of dogs needing rescue; aid in rehoming from private owners whenever possible to reduce the number of dogs being surrendered by owners to shelters; build a community of support and concern for the plight of animals in shelters with ways to volunteer and help; provide an ongoing overview of what rescue entails and how every single person who helps makes a difference; share joyful aspects of dogs and their abilities and the enrichment dogs bring to our lives.

Pets available

Dogs

Adoption process

We work hard to make sure of a good match for both dog and adoptive families (be it one person or a large extended family) so the match is good and lasting. We ask that applications complete a simple application, then we follow up with a phone interview. We ask for a Veterinary reference and also for three references if you live within the state of California. If you rent we need to verify that your landlord is fine with a new canine family member. Sometimes pictures and videos of outside and common areas help a great deal but we do like to have home checks as well. A home check is just checking the yard for any fence or gate problems and to go over things like making sure any toxic items are kept well out of reach, and a home is "dog friendly". This is to help, not hamper an adoption. We ask that applicants do have securely fenced yards, even if they live on a 1000 acre ranch or vineyard as this gives the family members and new dog a safe place to play, interact, train and for the new dog to go potty. Some Cattle Dogs have very strong herd instinct and will chase cars - so even on a ranch, a secure yard also provides an extra measure of safety in various situations. Once we go through the application process, if we have a prospective match, we set up a meet and greet. We ask that all family members (Adults, kids, dogs) come for the meet and greet. We usually meet in west Sebastopol, CA. We ask people to allow a couple hours to get to know the dog, take the dog for a walk, have other family members walk the dog and play with the dog in a play yard. If it looks like a good match, it's possible the dog could go home with the family that day, or the rescue could bring the dog to the home to help with the transition. This depends on what is best for the dog and the adoptive family. We do not adopt dogs that have not been altered. If they are puppies we offer a "foster to adopt" contract and after certain conditions have been made we complete the adoption. We ask that adopters are able to arrange for and take the dog through various training classes like puppy classes, basic obedience and strongly suggest people take their dogs through intermediate, advanced obedience classes. These classes are extremely valuable in bonding with the new dog and help set the foundation of the life long relationship. There are all kinds of good basic obedience classes out there that deal with positive reinforcement and light correction. We hope the best for these dogs - good full rich lives. If you are interested in adopting an Australian Cattle dog / Australian Cattle dog mix or any working breed dog, be prepared for a lot of daily activity including exercise, play, training, hanging out. Thank you again for your interest!