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Border Collies originally came to America to be an important tool for
farmers and ranchers to herd sheep and livestock, just as they had in
Scotland and England for hundreds of years. The breed is critical to
successfully managing herds over large acreage, successfully doing in
minutes what would take a man a day to do. They have always been invaluable
to a farmer. Border Collies were bred as a working dog only, unrecognized by
the AKC. |
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was no need for rescue until the mid-nineties when the breed was
recognized by the AKC and shortly thereafter catapulted into the spotlight
with the movie, “Babe”, and their overwhelming success in sports
competitions on shows like Animal Planet. As their popularity soared,
these dogs landed in tiny urban lots, suburban neighborhoods, and
apartments, all poor choices for a dog that is bred to work 1000 acre
farms. And, increased popularity led to over-breeding by backyard breeders
and puppy mills, saturating the marketplace with a challenging breed, thus
the birth of rescue.
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Their working heritage produces
a highly intelligent, highly driven, high energy, intensely focused dog:
characteristics that do not fit well in most homes. The dogs are
misunderstood and penalized for their behavior, leaving thousands of dogs
abandoned at shelters or relinquished to rescue. The lack of education
about the breed as well as general misinformation has resulted in greater
and greater numbers of dogs in rescue year after year. The growing problem
is inherent to the |
| breed itself, misfit
from a historically appropriate working situation into more often than
not, a totally inappropriate situation. The breed is now one of the most
frequently euthanized dogs today due to behavior issues arising from this
misfit. Often described as ‘hyperactive; neurotic; quirky; obsessed;
frenzied and tireless’, the breed is in serious trouble. Glen Highland
Farm is meeting a need that is growing exponentially rather than
declining. |
Glen Highland Farm is a 501c3, non-profit corporation, established in January 2001 by Lillie Goodrich and John Andersen. Throughout the year, Glen Highland Farm (GHF) operates a Sanctuary and Adoption program (Sweet Border Collie Rescue) for Border Collies age 10 and up., Homeless, unwanted and abandoned, these dogs find refuge at GHF. They are evaluated, treated medically and adopted into new lives or become residents in the Sanctuary. Funding to support the programs at GHF must be raised charitable contributions of money, services, and product by individuals, companies, foundations and groups/associations.
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