NEWS! WHAT NEWS!!
(Rescued brothers – Brody and River) DID YOU HEAR????
Max, gentleman dog, finds his furever home!
Maxwell, a sweet, bright, handsome, mild-mannered, 12-year old blue merle Sheltie, came into foster care in December. Maxwell liked being with his foster Shelties, but because of his occasional inclination to be Top-dog in the household, his foster mom thought it best for him to be an only-dog in his furever home.
Then along came Nancy, who was looking for a senior Sheltie-companion to keep her company on her walks. So, with Maxwell being in good health, loving his dinner time & occasional treats and short, daily walks, it seemed a match made in heaven.
We are very happy for Nancy and Max – her new, Sheltie gentleman.
To see Max with Nancy, click HERE, HERE and HERE!
Freyja has found her home-sweet-home!
We are over the moon to announce that our beautiful foster girl, Freyja, has officially been adopted!
From the moment she arrived in foster care, Freyja charmed us all with her happy wagging tail, gentle spirit and soulful eyes. While she waited patiently for the pe
rfect home to be available, she spent her days mastering her sits and leave-its, perfecting the art of the “butt scratches request,” couch cuddles and showing us just how much love one dog can hold.
Finding that perfect match was a story of timing and fate. Two months ago, we conducted a home visit for a wonderful family who passed with flying colors. While we didn’t have the right dog for them at that moment, they remained in our thoughts. They were ready to open their homes to another Sheltie in need after losing their previous beloved companion, and we promised we would be on the lookout for their perfect soulmate.
When Freyja arrived, we knew immediately that she was the one we had been waiting for. Today, she traded her “Foster” bandana for a permanent collar and the family she was destined for. We couldn’t be happier for her new humans, who are gaining the most loyal companion imaginable.
To Freyja’s foster family: Thank you for opening your heart and home to her. Because of your sheltie dedication, she will be able to thrive and find the perfect path with her forever family.
To Freyja: Happy tails, sweet special girl! May your life be full of “zoomies, hugs, kisses and endless love.
To see Freyja ith her new family happy, click HERE, HERE and HERE!
ADDIE – A Wonderful Placement!
At the end of July 2025, Addie was surrendered to Maine Sheltie Rescue and came into her first heat cycle. Once she had been spayed, she was adopted that November. As Addie is extremely active (needing consistent follow through with training), her adopter really tried, but felt Addie was just too much for her and Addie came back into rescue for a short stay.
Thankfully, we had an application waiting that looked like it would be a wonderful placement for her. After connecting all the dots, and explaining all about Addie’s needs, Liz and her family were willing to welcome Addie into her forever home.
Liz and her family are devoted to giving Addie her best life. She’ll have a new brother, an English Shepherd named Finn, to play and run with on 180 acres.
We are delighted how this all came together for sweet Addie!
To see Addie in their happy ending, click HERE, HERE and HERE!
AZZIE & CASPER – A Beautful adoption story!
Casper and Azzy are two bonded Shelties who recently joined Maine Sheltie Rescue after experiencing a significant loss. They had spent their entire lives with one devoted owner who was their whole world, and when he passed away, everything they knew changed. Suddenly finding themselves without the comfort and stability they had always relied on, they came into rescue shy, uncertain, and deeply bonded to one another.
With time, patience, and gentle care in foster, Casper and Azzy began to settle into new routines and show their personalities. Casper, the quieter and more reserved of the two, found joy in outdoor adventures and snowy playtime, while Azzy, a bit more adventurous and confident, made it clear she loved affection and being close to her people. What never changed was their bond. They were happiest side by side and needed a home that would welcome them together
Just in time for the holidays, that home arrived!
Their new family opened their hearts and their home to Casper and Azzy, who is now Addy, offering a calm environment, cozy couches, and the reassurance these two needed to feel safe again. Seeing them relaxed and content in their new space, enjoying life and staying close to the people they love, has been incredibly rewarding.
Casper and Addy are now settling into their forever home, where they can look forward to comfort, companionship, and a future filled with care. Their story is a beautiful reminder that even after loss, new beginnings are possible.
We are so grateful to everyone who helped get these two to their happy ending. Happy tails, Casper and Addy!!
To see Addie and Casper in their happy ending, click HERE, HERE and HERE!
BUY and SUPPORT!
Please note we have some items for sale that help support MSR.
Our CALENDAR has beautiful pictures of all 31 of our 2025 foster Shelties! Check it out HERE!
And we have a couple intresting LOGO ITEMS that you and your friends will love! Check those out HERE!
Happy shopping!!
OLAF’S JOURNEY TO HIS FINAL HOME
Meet Olaf, a nine-year-old Shetland Sheepdog with a heart as big as his story. Olaf is a double merle, a genetic outcome that occurs when two blue merle Shelties are bred together. Sadly, this often results in serious health challenges—many double merles are born blind, deaf, or both. Olaf was born with both disabilities and spent his entire life with a breeder before finding his way to Maine Sheltie Rescue.
When Olaf arrived at his first foster home, he was in rough shape—physically and emotionally. With time, veterinary care, and plenty of love and cuddles, he began to blossom and quickly stole his foster mom’s heart. But as winter approached, concerns about a woodstove in the home led Olaf to his second foster family, who had prior experience with double merle Shelties. There, he settled in beautifully, bonding with their two Shelties and adapting to a new routine.
Then came the moment that changed everything: a former adopter reached out, feeling a connection to Olaf’s story. After thoughtful conversations between themselves and the foster family, Claire and Rich decided to open their hearts and home to this special boy. Today, Olaf is thriving—receiving the one-on-one attention and unconditional love he truly deserves.
We couldn’t be happier for Olaf and his new family. Thank you, Claire and Rich, for giving this sweet soul the life he’s always deserved. Olaf has truly hit the jackpot!
To see Olaf with Claire and Rich, click HERE and HERE, and HERE!
MANDY HAS A NEW HOME!
Mandy came into rescue, along with KC and Olaf, a dirty, matted mess. Years of living outside had not been kind to her.
Mandy’s foster mom, with help from a friend, immediately gave Mandy a nice, warm shower with good smelling soap, taking the time to trim the mats and debris out of her
fur. A week later Mandy was groomed and looked like a million bucks – the smile on her face showed how good she felt!
Mandy got along well with her foster mom’s Shelties, Max and Buttons. Since July Mandy has learned to relax in her surroundings, knowing she is safe. Her foster mom fell in love with Mandy, so after a family meeting between her foster mom, Max and Buttons, it was a unanimous decision to have Mandy become part of their family on November 9th.
Mandy is currently in training with an instructor and her mom, learning basic commands, and doing very well. She also looks forward to her nightly couch cuddles with her mom.
Though Mamdy still prefers to eat at night, after everyone else has gone to bed. Mandy is at last in her own loving home and we couldn’t be happier for them!!
To see Mandy with her new MOM, click HERE and HERE, and HERE!
KC HAS A NEW FAMILY!
Sweet KC is a 9 year old, sable Sheltie.
When she came into Maine Sheltie Rescue, she was so dirty her foster family gave her
a bath right away to help her feel better. Her coat was so matted that it made it difficult to walk and she needed to be groomed. Shaving her coat was the only option.
KC was also very heavy – 52 pounds was way too heavy for her small frame. Her foster family worked on her weight loss so she could be spayed. The day came to be spayed only to find out that she already had been spayed! How horrible that KC had to go through this! We didn’t know, there wasn’t any tattoo mark or paperwork to know that she had been spayed. We felt horrible!
Once KC healed, we felt she was ready to be posted for adoption. It was months that she was available. Then one day we heard from Morgan, who said she saw her post over a month ago. She couldn’t stop thinking of her, but the timing wasn’t quite right.
Then it was, so Morgan called and was delighted to know that KC was still available. We did their home visit and everything checked out. Then they visited with KC. It was love at first sight – they were smitten! They had to wait, because KC had one more vet visit and it all went well. They said KC was perfect.
Morgan grew up with Shelties and wanted one of her own. Plus their Golden Retriever, who had had elbow surgeries, needed a low key friend. It all fell into place effortlessly! We couldn’t be happier for KC and her new family Mogan, Remington, their handsome Golden, Ryder!
To see KC with her new family, click HERE and HERE, and HERE!
GLORY IN HER NEW HOME!
Glory, a 10-year-old mahogany sable, came to Maine Sheltie Rescue in early August. Having been spayed and had bad teeth removed, Glory moved into her foster mom’s house, ready to show off what a wonderful Sheltie girl she is. Her beautiful eyes match her beautiful personality.
There was a lot of adoptive interest in this Glory. The perfect home arrived – Deb’s – who fell in love with Glory’s picture and profile the minute she saw her – love at first sight!
We are wicked happy for Deb and Glory! It does the soul good to see them so happy together!
To see Glory with her new Mama, click HERE and HERE, and HERE!
BRAMBLE ADOPTED!
In March, Bramble, a 7 ½ month old “shy male tri-colored Sheltie”.
Imagine their surprise when the transport volunteers arrived with a very oversized and terrified Sheltie. His foster family worked long and hard with Bramble. In many ways he has been a challenge. He is truly terrified of humans that he doesn’t know well – and it takes him a very long time to trust. He is suspicious of human motives to be sure. He is afraid of any changes in his environment – anything!
His foster Moms’ have over 40 years of rescue work and dog training, Bramble was the
hardest to win over and remains the greatest flight risk they’ve known. It’s helped that he loves to run with their other dogs, he plays very hard, and likes to carry a toy everywhere.
By October, rather than worry about him getting away and lost or worse, they felt it was best to consider Bramble a “foster failure” and adopt him. They are very happy to have made that decision!
To see Bramble with his new family, click HERE and HERE, and HERE!
SPARKLE ADOPTED!
When Sparkle arrived at her foster home, her Foster Moms’ were all instantly smitten!
Sparkle is a little mite – less than a year old – cute, sassy, and full of the dickens. She is by far the smallest in their pack. She is also the most accomplished counter-surfer and thief. She plays incessantly with their other Sheltie, Jingle. They just can’t get enough of each other!
Tail curled over h
er back, on stubby legs (which thankfully have straightened out with time and exercise), Sparkle chases after the other two young Shelties – bounding like a bunny. She is smart, a bit stubborn, a cuddly lap dog, and keeps them laughing every day. Once she gets over being carsick on every trip – she will no doubt enjoy some doggie sports and adventures.
They are so happy and really couldn’t love her more!
To see Sparkle with her new family, click HERE and HERE, and HERE!
MOXIE ADOPTED!
In February, Lexi arrived at her foster family’s home. They knew she would need time as she was so fearful, running out of any room they walked into. It took months for her to relax; her foster family’s Shelties helped her with that. Lexi figured out that they were fun to play as they ran around the yard.
The day Lexi actually took a treat from her foster parent, it made them smile. They knew Lexi’s new home had to have a Sheltie friend and her write-up was clear on what she needed – a home with a secure, fenced yard as she is a flight risk, so Lexi’s safety was extremely important. She also needed a home with someone who would continue to
train her, be patient and love her as her foster family have.
Lexi was posted for quite some time, then, one day, the perfect application came in – it was everything her foster family wanted for her and more! Lexi now has a new family with a brother, Mortimer; a sister, Mavis, and a new name – Moxie!!
We at MSR couldn’t be happier. It truly was worth waiting for!!
To see Moxie with her new family, click HERE and HERE, and HERE!
HAZE ADOPTED! Here is his story, written by his Foster Mom!
Haze is Home,
According to his previous owner, and for reasons that remain unknown, Haze has shown signs of trauma since he was 12 weeks old. Whether a traumatic event at the start of his life, or something medical or genetic that precipitated this issue, it is unlikely we ever know the true cause.
When he came to Maine Sheltie Rescue, he exhibited signs of ‘failure to thrive’ and over the weeks, little signs of his coming around. We lovingly called him 50 First Dates. For the three months that we fostered him, whatever progress we seemed to make over the course of a day would be gone the next morning, and it was like every day he would start over again, meeting us for the first time. He would scurry past us to get into the house like he didn’t know who we were. We reached out to our vet for some help with his anxiety and trauma. After six weeks of medication, and all the love and patient support we could provide, we decided he needed to find his home so that gains could be captured in his permanent home and not lost after his final transition.
When Claire responded to his adoption biography post, we were thrilled. Claire was well known to MSR with experience helping dogs like Haze many times. In fact, her current dog Fancy, had challenges similar to Haze and had made amazing progress. The only challenge was that she now resided in South Carolina. When Holly shared this information with us, we were both excited and bummed at the same time. It just sounded like the perfect match for Haze. I couldn’t stop thinking about it all night. After sleeping on this information, the next morning I texted Holly “how strongly do you feel about her”? She answered with “VERY”. Well that’s all it took. We called Claire later that day to share what we knew of Haze’s story. After a couple days of careful thought, everyone agreed that Claire and Fancy could provide the perfect home for him. I just knew in my heart that if anyone could help him they could. With an adoption date scheduled for August 23nd, we started planning our journey to bring Haze home.
We had a week and a half till adoption day. We quickly booked hotels, rented an SUV one way to southern SC and booked a flight home. On Friday the 22nd after work we packed up all Hazes belongings and made a comfy spot for him to feel safe in his crate for the journey. We kissed our girls goodbye for the weekend (thank you Jean, Jack, Lilly and Zoey for stepping in and staying at our house with them) and headed on our 18 hour nonstop road trip. We sent Claire updates all along the way. She and Fancy were so excited and couldn’t wait for his arrival. At 12:09 on Saturday August 23rd, Haze was finally Home. It was a wonderful sight.
Needless to say, we were exhausted and needed a nap. We planned to stay in the area
on Saturday and Sunday to help him acclimate. We came back to Hazes house for dinner and an evening walk. We also returned the next day for lunch and another walk and afterwards said our goodbyes. Claire shares updates with us often and on Facebook; Haze is blossoming every day. It was so great to meet Claire and sweet Fancy, and we can’t thank them enough for giving this gentle boy the best home to spend the rest of his life. It was worth every mile driven.
To see Haze with his new family, click HERE and HERE, and HERE!
After a long and winding journey, our confident and curious senior Sheltie, Indy, has finally found his forever home!
Indy came to Maine Sheltie Rescue full of personality — independent and endlessly curious about the world around him. He was never a shy Sheltie, always ready to investigate new people and new places with his trademark sass and sparkle. During his time in foster care, Indy won hearts with his quirky personality and strong opinions, proving that senior dogs have just as much life and love to give as any puppy.
Now, Indy has found the perfect match in Father Roger of New Hampshire, a kind and
patient adopter who immediately understood Indy’s spirit. Indy will spend his golden years exploring the peaceful outdoors, lounging in cozy spots, and enjoying a calm, loving home that honors his independence and charm.
We couldn’t be happier for Indy and Father Roger — a perfect pair who found each other at just the right time.
To see Indy with his new family, click HERE, HERE and HERE!
had the pleasure of fostering Timber for several months. In that time, I learned what a sassy Sheltie girl she really is! Timber loves to chase and bark at the squirrels, chew on sticks and run after the ball. She would bark at me when it was time to be fed. When it was her bedtime, she would stand near the couch, staring at me, until I gave in and went to bed.
She let me know that she needed a forever home where she would be queen of the castle and that is exactly the forever home she got! Miss Timber’s new paw-rents fell in love with her the second they saw her picture. During the meet and greet, they sat on the floor, level with Timber, giving her treats and loving her up.
On adoption day, Miss Timber was so excited, she ran onto the porch and licked her new mom’s face. I shed tears of happiness that day.
I have since received wonderful updates from her new parents – they are over the moon in love with her, proving once again the right home is out there, it’s all in the timing. Tracey, Timber’s foster Mom
MSR MASCOT MISS KELLY BARKER crossed the Rainbow Bridge
On September 19th, our beloved Mascot, Miss “Kelly” Barker crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Kelly joined us in MSR in 2021 to be come our official Mascot in 2022. Please
read about Kelly HERE and see her Memorial photo HERE.
Kelly is featured on the banner of our webste. She also lives in our hearts! She will be greatly missed… She was a lovely dog and was everyones friend at MSR.