SUZANNE'S CHRISTMAS PHOTO “Thank you so much for supporting Border Collies In Need’s efforts in rescuing these amazing souls featured in this year’s Happy Collie Days. Wishing you all the joy and merriment this holiday season and best of health for 2018.” ~ Suzanne Strauss and Hope (L), Manny (C), and Sadie (R) ~ Founder

GUNNAR formerly known as Gunner “Attached is a photo of our Gunnar. We are very grateful to BCIN for the opportunity to adopt Gunnar in May 2016. Thanks to BCIN Gunnar has healed our broken hearts after losing our previous Border Collie, Piper. He's the light of our lives and keeps us on our toes and laughing 24/7. We can't imagine our lives without our handsome, blue-eyed boy. We also love the opportunity to volunteer to help these wonderful Border Collies find their forever homes.” ~ Lori & Russ Bledsoe ~ BCIN Volunteer

FLASH GORDON & DARLA “The one with blue eyes is my current foster dog and her name is Darla. The other one is my personal dog and his name is Flash Gordon. We will be spending the holidays in a cone this year :) don't they look cute as Satellites?” ~ Arbi Barkhordarian ~ BCIN Volunteer

OSO & LADIE formerly known as Oso & Ladie “Oso and Ladie have made it a Christmas tradition to dress up in an ugly sweater in the days leading up to Santa dropping off treats for them under the tree. I adopted Oso in late 2008 and Ladie in early 2011.” ~ Greg MacDonald ~ BCIN Volunteer

THE HOOPERS “ Wishing all of you a Magical Merry Christmas and a New Year full of Love and Wet Noses.” ~ Rocky, Tasha and Tiny, Sue and Larry Hooper ~ BCIN Volunteer

BODIE formerly known as Roy Rogers “Happy Holidays! This is Bodie formerly known as Roy Rogers! Bodie is so wonderful and loves his life with his little Aussie brother! Thank you all so much for everything you do!” Love, ~ The Kayattas ~

JACK formerly known as Van Gogh “Hi Suzanne - this is Jack. He was Van Gogh when I adopted him almost 2 years ago. He certainly keeps us off the couch - a very smart, happy and much loved addition to the family!” ~ Claudia Mielnik ~

COLLETTE formerly known as LUNA “This is Collette, formerly Luna. Living happily ever after in Anaheim Hills. Enjoying her daily pursuit of squirrels.” ~ Susanna Riley-Graham ~

DASH formerly known as Ace “This is Dash. When we adopted him his name was Ace. Dash is the best companion. He is always excited to go on walks or take a trip to the market. He sleeps with us and is ready to go when morning comes. He is very healthy and has gained considerable weight since he was adopted after spending years on the street. We love him and the feeling is mutual. Merry Christmas and thank you for providing pups like Dash with homes and people who love them.” ~ Joe Kerwin ~

COOPER formerly known as Chipper “We adopted Cooper March of 2011 and he is thriving with our happy family! He now has two human brothers. He takes his current “job” of watching over the kids very seriously and never lets them out of his sight! I couldn’t imagine any other dog with our family, he is an absolute perfect fit!” Love, ~ The Westley’s ~

SWEEP formerly known as Sweep “I’ve been meaning to write to you for a while. Unfortunately, I had to euthanize Sweep a couple months ago. He was 14½ years, and there were just too many things wrong with him. I miss him terribly! He was a truly wonderful friend and he was there for me after my husband died. I am truly grateful to you for letting us have him. I’m not yet ready to think about the possibility of another dog, but I will stay in touch and will of course, continue to support your organization. Happy Holidays to you and your family!” Forever grateful, ~ Susan ~

MOSS & TESS formerly known as Gin and Moss “Ventura beach vacation November 23rd 2017. Happy holidays!! Thank you for our babies!!” Warmest regards, ~ Alla ~

JINX formerly known as Jinx “You inspired me this am to take a snap of Jinx --we kept the name you folks gave him even though he's more compliant then truly mischievous. If memory serves correctly, we got him from you in 2010. The vet at the times estimated his age to be between 2-3, which means he's now ca. 9-10 years more or less. Still playful enough that some folks ask if he's a puppy, but also increasingly mature. He gets lots of compliments for his handsome looks, to which I - now a widow :( - always reply on daily walks, the important thing is his sweet temperament! Thank you BCIN from me & Jinx.” ~ Sally Stein ~

LUCY formerly known as Meadow “Here's some pictures of her now. She is about 8 years old and going strong. She's a master at Frisbee catching, trail hiking in the Santa Monica mountains and all around great companion to our family.” ~ Ralph Bogeberg ~

LUNA formerly known as Misty “Luna continues to bring joy to our lives and keeps us very active. She loves walks on the beach, hikes through the mountains and more than anything else in the world, tennis balls. She is looking forward to spending another Christmas in Germany and seeing her extended family. She wishes all the dogs and volunteers at Border Collies in Need a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” Hello from Santa Barbara, ~ Michael, Paul & Luna ~

DELILAH formerly known as Loretta “Delilah is doing fantastic. It was one year ago she had brain surgery at Colorado State Vet Hospital. Diagnosed with a brain tumor behind her left eye in 2016 she was declining rapidly. Luckily CO State stepped in with brain surgery at no cost in return for clinical trial tumor slides. She recovered in two weeks but they couldn’t get much of the tumor and gave us 6-12 months. A year later she is still running around after the neighborhood kids. She takes anti seizure and pain meds but otherwise perfectly normal. We plan to enjoy her soft fur, ball playing, photo posing and all around amazingness until she shows significant signs of pain. Then we will celebrate her magnificence forever. In 2012 named my jewelry brand LilahV in her honor.” ~ Amanda Uber ~

GENTLE BEN formerly known as Ben “Merry Christmas and Happy Howlidays to everyone at Border Collies in Need!! We got “Gentle Ben” right before Christmas 2010. He was at his foster Mom Valerie’s house which is outside of Alpine in San Diego. Ben was picked up by animal control as a stray in El Centro. I still think about how scared he must have been. Valerie gave him the name “Ben” which was quickly modified to “Gentle Ben”. He IS the most mellow Border Collie. The left photo shows him alert and in the right he is searching for lizards. Look at those eyes!! Well I can’t believe we have had Ben for so long. He is so mellow that nothing has really changed over the years except for some white hairs popping up along his face. His energy level is still good, he runs with me almost every day and likes to ride in the car to take my son to school too. When Ben doesn’t want to run with me anymore I will be contacting BCIN for my next running partner. Thank you for everything that you do for the wonderful dogs, we don’t know what we would do without Ben. He is a best friend, companion and watch dog for our family.” The Lai family ~ Jackie, Wilson and Andrew ~

BLEU formerly known as Bleu “Here is Bleu (adopted name and current name). He has been with us five and a half years now (adopted June 2012) and is as sweet as ever! He is still very healthy and beautiful and gets compliments whereever we go. He loves to just be around us and always wants and needs affection. He loves to give "hugs" by standing on his hind legs and wrapping his paws around his person's waist and then burrowing his head. ” Sincerely, ~ The Aston family ~

TEDDY formerly known as Norton “Adoption was 3/15/2011. His name was Norton and he was 7 mo. old. He was being fostered by Valerie and I still remember driving out to her home off the Ortega Highway to meet him. We lived in Fallbrook at the time on 3 acres. We renamed him Teddy which seemed to suit his personality. We have since moved and Teddy now lives on a lake in central Arkansas where he can hike and swim and kayak whenever he wants. He is very well traveled as he also enjoys many RV trips all over the country. Life is very good and we are so happy to have him in our life. Best wishes to you all and thank all the volunteers for their dedication and hard work.” ~ Melinda and Chuck Alvord ~

RADAR formerly known as Rex “Happy holidays to everyone at BCIN. Radar (BCIN name was Rex) is doing beautifully. He has been healthy and happy; he has calmed down but he hasn't slowed down. He still gives big smooches right on your mouth and he still doesn't want to play fetch. He will play tug of war but his favorite game is to take a piece of wood in his mouth and run around growling happily. He loves to be chased during this game, but if no one chases him, he plays it all by himself. Go figure! Our other wonderful dog, Imp, is now 13½ years old and is very arthritic and completely deaf but he is still happy and full of wags. Nevertheless, we know that's old for a border collie so we may be seeing you again before too long. Warmest thanks to BCIN for this wonderful addition to our family.” ~ Susan and Dave ~

HENRY formerly known as Ranger “This is Henry. Formerly Ranger. These ears wake us up every morning. Peering at us from the edge of the bed. Henry is just the sweetest boy. People often stop us on walks to comment how happy he looks or just laugh at how much fun he is having. Thank you for all you do!!!” ~ Jamie and Ben ~

BODHI formerly known as Bowie “Attached are a couple of photos of Bodhi, the border collie we adopted October 1st 2016 in Upland CA. He is one smiling dog and is living the life. We’ve taken him out to herd sheep a few times and he is a natural. Bodhi never nips or bites the sheep, he just rounds them up and keeps them together. He is a fun dog and we thank BCIN for providing him.” Merry Christmas! ~ Stephen Conlan ~

HOPE formerly known as Jewel “Hi there and Happy Holidays from Hope and her family! There's not a day that goes by that we don't look at that sweet, wonderful dog and wonder what would have happened to her if you all had not stepped in and saved her. And not a day goes by that we don't appreciate that somehow you got her to us, because of all of your efforts. We wish you could see how happy she is. Wish you could see her race her BC "brother" every morning doing laps on our 4 acres, and her smile and her looking up at the sky and herding the birds while she leaps and jumps in the air. And wish you could see how happy she makes people she visits while in her official "job" duties as a Therapy Dog with Love on a Leash. And how patient she is with her 15 year-old senile BC "sister" and her bratty Sheltie "sister". We love her more than words can say. And we appreciate you all and we hope you have the most wonderful Holidays. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for what you all do and for bringing Hope to us!” ~ Dan and Mary Asmus ~

MITCH formerly known as Mitch “Hi there and Happy Holidays from Hope and her family! There's not a day that goes by that we don't look at that sweet, wonderful dog and wonder what would have happened to her if you all had not stepped in and saved her. And not a day goes by that we don't appreciate that somehow you got her to us, because of all of your efforts. We wish you could see how happy she is. Wish you could see her race her BC "brother" every morning doing laps on our 4 acres, and her smile and her looking up at the sky and herding the birds while she leaps and jumps in the air. And wish you could see how happy she makes people she visits while in her official "job" duties as a Therapy Dog with Love on a Leash. And how patient she is with her 15 year-old senile BC "sister" and her bratty Sheltie "sister". We love her more than words can say. And we appreciate you all and we hope you have the most wonderful Holidays. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for what you all do and for bringing Hope to us!” ~ Dan and Mary Asmus ~

WYATT formerly known as Wyatt “Hi, here is Wyatt on the bike path near Marina del Rey. He participated in his first agility competition in June 2017 and he did great. He continues to take weekly agility classes and he is the social butterfly of his class. He is the cuddliest, sweetest boy and he gets along great with our Aussie girl and our 20-year-old cat.” ~ Sandi Figge ~

JACK formerly known as Freddie “Happy Holidays to BCIN.” ~ Carla and Jack ~

JACK formerly known as Joker “I hope you and all of the volunteers are doing well! It has been a crazy year for Jack! He had surgery in July to remove a perianal tumor (non-cancerous, hurray!!) and stitches in November from playing a little too rough (a typical Jack move). Even with all of the vet visits, Jack ontinued to be his normal goof ball self. When he was not on bedrest, we continued to practice his passion--running. This year’s holiday card is a photo after one of our runs..such pure happiness. Wishing all of BCIN's workers, volunteers, and BCIN family members lots of joy and peace this holiday season. ~ Stacey and Jack ~

BELLA formerly known as Olivia “Hi Suzanne, we adopted Bella from you on 11/29/12, BCIN name was Olivia. She is now 8.5 yrs old. She is the queen around the house, very devoted to my husband Rick. She is healthy & very happy, she also rules the yard/neighborhood. We will always be thankful that you were there for all of us. Happy Holidays!” ~ Sandy ~

SAMMIE formerly known as Sammie “Sammie has been with us for a few years now and what a difference! She hid for the first 6 months and was such a shy girl. She is now confident, happy and engaged! We have really bonded through hiking, learning tricks and sleeping in between my hubby and I in our bed! She loves her fur-siblings and they play all day long. Thank you for finding this special girls for us...we are the ones who were rescued.” ~ Sherry ~

DUSTY formerly known as Dirk “Happy to share a photo of the "Love of My Life" aka "The Best Thing I Ever Did in My Life" aka Dusty! Or affectionately Dusty Dawg. His BCIN name was Dirk and Tammy fostered him. I adore this dog and have had him about 7 years now. Three years ago I met a great guy and Dusty has found his true love - he adores my boyfriend and my boyfriend adores Dusty. That said, everyone loves Dusty. Thank you, thank you.” ~ Eileen ~

ALLIE formerly known as Colby “Here is our picture of Allie (formerly Colby). She is now 5 1/2 years old and still a bundle of energy. She loves to travel in a car or motorhome. Especially going to Idaho where she can run with her "cousin", Molli, and her new friend Gunner. When we are home, she loves to run with her friends at Eastview park. She is the love of our life !!! Thanks again for Allie !!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family and the wonderful volunteers.” ~ Dave and Lyn Gilmore ~

GINA formerly known as Gina “Here is a photo of Gina on Halloween!” ~ Amy ~

WHISKEY formerly known as Hobb “Hobb, now Whiskey, getting ready to turn 5 in February, Whiskey still has all the energy of a crazy puppy. He’s super friendly with other dogs and loves his hikes, chasing squirrels, and playing fetch incessantly.” ~ AJ and Richard Scheitler ~

SAGE formerly known as Harriet “This is seven year old Sage. She likes to lie in the sun on cold mornings.” ~ Julie and Sage ~

JAX formerly known as Ty “ In June 2016, we adopted Ty, who now goes by Jax. Jax is doing fantastic. As expected, he took to his obedience training very quickly. Jax is very well behaved, both in the house and in public. He loves people young and old and is well socialized with other dogs. Jax enjoys his daily walks and hikes and loves to chase his frisbee in the backyard. We can’t thank you enough for bringing Jax and our family together. He has brought nothing but joy into our home. After our previous BC (Titan) passed away a couple of years ago, I did not think it possible to find another dog that could bring us as much love and joy as he did. Well, Jax has proved me wrong in a big way.” Happy holidays, ~ Larry, Mary & Jax Davis ~

TJ formerly known as TJ “ TJ and I have been best friends for 3½ years. My girlfriend and her dog Rocky (Great Pyrenes), and TJ and I moved in together in August. I was concerned about TJ getting along with another dog, let alone live with one, however Rocky and TJ are best buds. Happy Holidays and thanks for making a difference.” ~ Jeff and TJ ~

TJ formerly known as Heidi “ We adopted Heidi who is now Michi about 6 years ago. She just turned 7 years old. She is the love of our lives! She’s the most obedient dog ever! We rescued another female named Macy who is 10 or 11 a couple of years ago. They get along just fine.” Happy Holidays! ~ Shawn Morimoto ~

TJ formerly known as Shep “ Here is our amazing boy. There is little I can say other than we love Shep so much, and to again thank you for allowing him to come into our lives. He is dealing with a few health issues now that he is either 12 or 13(!) but the meds are amazing. We still do our agility classes, and he runs like the wind around the field and enjoys every minute. This year has seen the birth of our first Grandchild and Shep is absolutely wonderful with her. So gentle. The fact that she now can throw a ball somewhat for him, he thinks she is the best thing since dog treats!! Shep, you are the best dog ever and BCIN is the best rescue ever.” Happy Holidays to you all. ~ Hillary & Derek McGowan ~

EMME formerly known as Jesse “ My little Emme, (who was Jesse) is doing great. We got her from Wendy in June 2009. We recently moved from Santa Barbara to the Nashville area, so she's enjoying having a large yard to play in with her brother, 4-year old Rokkor. Emme LOVES to RUN and chase after tennis bals. She also loves to cuddle, have her belly rubbed, and snore. We love her to pieces... Thank you for all the great work your organization does.” Have a wonderful holiday season! ~ Lori ~

SHASTA formerly known as Hazel “ This is our beautiful Shasta, rescue name was Hazel. We fondly refer to her as our empty nester. Shasta is an amazing dog, very calm and loving. She loves to go on walks, hikes, or for a romp at the Dog Park. Her favorite thing in the world is to chase squirrels. Shasta has two kitty sisters who love her and enjoy snuggle time together. We often travel to Palm Desert for the weekend, Shasta just jumps in the car and we are off. We get many comments on what a sweet face she has. When out and about she will always stop for a pet from admirers. We are blessed with this magnificent dog.” Happy Holidays, ~ Karen, Steve, and Shasta Valentine ~

ROCKY formerly known as Rockie “ We kept his name! He's our BFF -- here he is at Mammoth Lakes -- always enjoys an outing and everything else.” Happy holidays and a peaceful, healthy 2018 ~ Marcia & Ed Horowitz ~

CASEY formerly known as Casey “ This is our baby Casey Collins!” Happy Holidays, ~ Richard, Mary & Casey ~

LUKE formerly known as Lucky Luke “ This is Luke, looking for his evening Jazz Apple! He is fully recovered from his surgeries to remove several growths and an episode of middle ear disease, which left him confused and wobbly for a couple of weeks. He is enjoying walks and the good life in San Diego with his 21 yr old kitty brother, Sydney, while tolerating his 2 exuberant pittie mix yard mates!” ~ Rachel ~

ROSIE formerly known as Rose Marie “ Although this picture was very early on, it's my favorite Rosie picture. Her name was Rose Marie, now she goes by Rosie. She had a tough adjustment, but she's finally getting on track. She's a very sweet girl who only has eyes for her dad. She's very bright, loves her daily walks to the beach, playing Frisbee and following me everywhere I go. Hope you are well and want to wish you a Merry XMAS and a Happy New Year!” All the best, ~ Andy ~

KEVIN formerly known as Ripley “ Here's Kevin!” ~ Andy ~

KALI formerly known as Tashia “ For the Christmas card, here is a recent picture of Kali (her BCIN name was Tashia) and our granddaughters, Sabrina and Chloe. Kali has been enriching our lives for four years, and as the picture shows, she is still making new friends.” Best to you and all of the volunteers! ~ Jon and Marcia Mille ~

KIMI formerly known as Susie “ Happy Holidays! Kimi (formerly Suzie) is loving life in Sonoma County! She is my hiking, beachcombing, and exploring buddy. She is a true sweetheart: loves people, playing with other dogs, keeping me company around the house, and even likes her kitty sibling. Having her pick me at the adoption event 5 years ago was one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. Thanks so much for bringing Kimi into my life!” ~ Kris Gornick ~

BELLA formerly known as Missy Rae “ When we adopted her name was Missy Rae. We named her Bella. She has brought our family so much joy! She has such a cute personality- I am now hooked on Border Collies :)” Thank you, ~ Marleigh Gleicher ~

LUCY formerly known as Lucy “ Lucy had a big year. She obtained her first Herding title then dislocated her rear toe bolting after a Rabbit on a walk. We continued stationary Obedience training during re-hab with lots of walks and some swimming. After a couple of months of boots and taping, she was back to showing in Obedience with normal movement. We restart her Herding this month and the sheep will have to watch out! It's hard to keep a good dog down...” All my Best, ~ Gary Slayton ~

ELSA formerly known as Elsa “ Elsa is a wonderful, happy, frisky Border Collie mix. She gets along well with everyone including our senior dog, 10 today. She is everything we wanted in a dog – an affectionate, obedient, loving companion for our family. Thank you.” ~ Happy Holidays from The Shannon’s and Elsa ~

STELLA formerly known as Bunny “ This is Stella (BCIN name: Bunny) on an evening hike, 9 Dec, along the foothills of the Huachuca Mountains near Sierra Vista, AZ. She is so very happy and the vet says she has the heart of an athlete and can't believe she turns 11 in Jan 2018. She saved me after a horrible deployment to Afghanistan and a divorce. She is the #1 Girl in my life.” ~ Keith and Stella ~

TOSHI formerly known as Oz “ Here is Toshi/Original name OZ, adopted Sept 20th 2014. We moved to Huntington Beach April 2017. Toshi is doing well. I now work at a dog friendly art studio so he is welcome to come to work and sleep under my desk. We take breaks and walk around cute downtown Santa Ana in the afternoon. We go down to the beach weekly for a 3+ mile walk with friends. He likes car rides and being whereever I am. He is very well behaved inside and quiet with other dogs. He loves his Kong rimmed with peanut butter and jammed full of carrot sticks. At our old house in Laguna Niguel, coyotes were neighbors, so no cats would be allowed walking around. But here in Huntington Beach there are cats and squirrels that keep him alert while on walks looking for them on fences, under cars and in trees is a hobby of his. I am grateful for him every day. Thank you for letting me adopt him.” Happy holidays! ~ Michelle Sumi ~

YOSHI formerly known as Clare “ I have attached a few photos for your website. Yoshi is a pleasure. Always has been. When we first met, Yoshi was so quiet and shy. She is now a very social and very vocal big girl. She gets along with all dogs and she and our male Chihuahua / min pin play every day and night. About 8 months ago, she had a seizure and then in the hospital about 6 more. She was diagnosed with epilepsy. She is on phenobarbital and levetiracetam every day 2x a day. Since then, she has had no more seizures. She's very happy and very well loved. And very assertive...(vocal) We are so happy she is part of our family. We have a 15 yo boy and his friends are over often and they just love her and want her near when they are in the house. We want her near too...Thank you!” ~Rebecca and Randy Hoag ~

SKYLAR formerly known as Diamond “ Merry Christmas, Woof, Woof” ~ Skylar ~ “PS - You never know where you may find a friend.”

JAGGER formerly known as Jagger “ Attached is a picture of JAGGER (which is still his name :) with his famous head tilt. He is doing great, extremely sweet (to us), and enjoys long bike-runs.” Love, ~ Joe & Libby & JAGGER ~

MICKEY formerly known as Mickey “ Merry Christmas to BCIN, Suzanne, all the wonderful fosters, and volunteers! We adopted Mickey, always known as Mickey, on the left, at the Upland Petsmart in January 2011. He's 7 years old and loves his big sister Paige,8. He loves his daily walks and barking at the mailman. All we can say is we love these 2 dogs and they bring us so much joy.” ~ Dallas and Vickie Jones ~

MICKEY formerly known as Bo “ Thought this was cute, Bear enjoying Mammoth Lakes in the mountains! As you know his name was "Bo" at BCIN. Bear is enjoying life and most of all visiting Mammoth Lakes and hanging out with his sister dog "Kuna". Big hugs and love.” ~ Pauline Casbon ~

TREY formerly known as Trey “ Here are our two, Trey is on the left. Trey (FKA Trey) was adopted on Labor Day in 2008. Hard to believe he has been with us for 9 ½ years. Kathy R was his foster mom. Trey is amazing. He is just so happy to be here. He is always ready for anything – particularly if it involves car rides, playing in the sprinkler or so old fashioned snuggling. A man of simple pleasures Trey just needs a little food and some loving and his is good to go. He is particularly fond of his sister Grace. They do everything together from walking on a single lead to sharing a dog bowl. Trey is a gentleman (and the beta) and he always lets is sister go first. He has been a remarkable addition to our lives and we can’t imagine being without him. Thanks for all you do.” ~ Michael & Cindy Lewis ~

ZOIE formerly known as Nina “ Zoie and I are still doing great out here in Georgia, we are just 5 min from Chattanooga, TN. This was last Friday we got a surprise snow day. The other was her trying to help make the bed” Happy Holidays, ~ Dan McCarthy ~

CHLOE & OZZIE formerly known as Betty and Fred “ Chloe and Ozzie enjoying the beach on a hot summer day (formerly known as Fred and Betty) These two fur kids became the loves of our lives in December of 2010. We are so blessed to have them in our family! Chloe and Ozzie as they are now known love going to the beach, fighting with our cat, and herding our horses.” ~ Rhonda Brennecke ~

SCARLETT formerly known as Scarlett “ It’s always so nice to hear from you and Border Collies In Need. We adopted our dog, Scarlett, from you eight years ago this month, we actually picked her up on Christmas Eve. You had named her Scarlett and we felt that was very appropriate because of her coloring and kept the name. We try to do family (Scarlett, me and my wife) things often and last summer we took a road trip to the Mississippi River where we rented a house boat and spent some time on the river. Attached are a few pictures of Scarlett from that vacation.” Sincerely, ~ Steve and Darcy Potvin ~

CODY formerly known as Tank “ The following pictures show the black/white larger dog, Tank, as he was named at the time, with his forever family. We adopted him from BCIN in July 2012. He joined a female Border/Shepard mix Shelby. Shelby is approximately 14 years old now and formerly Tank, now Cody, is between 6-7 years old. Cody and Shelby are bonded dogs and have been since shortly after Cody joined the family. Cody has lots of personality and is always at my side. I’m his person and take both dogs for walks daily. Cody is super adorable and we love him so very much. As Shelby is getting on in years we have already decided we will rescue another dog when the time comes. I think of you and BCIN and have referred folks to inquire about border collies and border mixes. Merry Christmas and thank you for allowing us to adopt Cody. He is a blessing to our family.” ~ Chris, Mona, Tyler, Diana, Shelby & Cody Rieger ~

SKEETER formerly known as Skeeter “ Skeeter McCarthy is still enjoying his adventures in the barranca and evening frisbee. He loves visiting the grandkids and they love him. Skeeter is eagerly awaiting Santa. Merry Christmas to all!” ~ Claire & Mike McCarthy ~

NIKA formerly known as Nika “ Nika has been with us since May 2015. She came at a very tragic time in our lives and has been a Godsend. She's a senior dog, but very sweet and trainable. She loves watching TV still. It's allowed, as long as she does not bark or jump at the TV. This has been an interesting behavior to cope with, but she is a great learner. The other night she stepped on the remote in the middle of the night and I caught her watching the Three Stooges. I'm still laughing at her reaction. Thank you all for all you did for Nika. We still play tennis ball every day, she looks forward to this. Happy Holidays to all the wonderful volunteers at BCIN.” ~ Carolyn Canfield ~

SASHA formerly known as Blacky “ You may recall, earlier this year we adopted from you a dog named Blacky, now named Sasha. She had OCD and anxiety issues. She’s been quite a package, and we’ve loved integrating her into our pack – I’m happy to say, she’s very loved and always on the go, and while her anxiety has not disappeared completely, we’ve developed tools to distract her and keep her engaged. Still, she can spin out at times, but it’s nothing we can’t help her to quickly overcome. Sasha loves to go on walks and does an excellent job at keeping pace with us while on a leash. Her favorite activity is going to the dog park and playing fetch – she hones in on the task and will go full speed for as long as you let her. We limit it to 30 minutes and she’s typically tired and ready for a rest at that point. Also, her vocabulary is constantly expanding and currently has about 15 words she’s mastered. Thanks for all you do to place BC’s in homes around Southern California. To show our appreciation, my wife, Izzy, and I have sent a donation via PayPal.” Our best, ~ Steve Hermosillo ~

JACK & JILL formerly known as Jack and Jill “ Happy Holidays! Attached are a few photos of our two BCIN pups, Jack (adopted December 2010) and Darby (adopted March 2010). We now live in Michigan and have two daughters/playmates for the dogs. Jack is still ball-obsessed and will run himself ragged at every opportunity (even in the snow!), and Darby can't get enough of chasing and barking at the wildlife in our neighborhood :) The photos are from when they're actually lounging! They're healthy and happy and we're very thankful BCIN brought us all together.” Warmest wishes, ~ Cynthia and Colin Burton ~

GATSBY formerly known as Rufus “ Here are a couple of recent pictures of Gatsby. Gatsby has been a member of our family for almost 3 years. We think he is between 4-5 years old. He lets me know when he is ready for his daily walk by wagging his handsome tail, faster and faster. Gatsby is the sweetest, most gentle dog ever and we love him dearly. He willingly plays “the 65 pound child” to his canine “28 pound mother” Scarlet, a 9.5 year old Irish Terrier. They both love to chase each other and play “tug o’ war” with toys, usually late at night, much to my chagrin.” ~ Margaret Furbank ~

JANE formerly known as Lita “ Wanted to check in and let you know that Jane (Lita) is still doing GREAT! We have relocated permanently to Arizona (the area to the east of Phoenix near the Superstition Mountains) and she is loving the outdoor life as always. She now has four pup sisters, including two Aussie mixes, a Husky/Lab mix, and a Xolo mix who I rescued during a vacation to Mexico).” ~ Andrew Evans ~

BLACK BEAUTY formerly known as Sugar Plum “ We adopted our "English Shepherd", Beauty in December 2016. She is the sweetest dog ever! She is a real "Momma's girl", very protective and faithful. We take her everywhere, but when we do have to leave her at home, she has a doggie door to go in and out to the fenced yard, but really prefers sleeping on her "Mom's" bed. We love her and hope for a long, long life for her. Attached is our "family portrait". Have a Happy New year!” Black Beauty loved SantaPaws day! ~ Betsy & Stan Smith ~

BLACK BEAUTY formerly known as Lucy “ Well, all is going well with Lucy and the Mortons. She is, I believe, as happy and healthy as the rest of her family (Mom and Dad). Attached are three pictures of the "Princess" Lucy. Hope all is well with BCIN.” ~ Jim, Charlene, & Lucy Morton ~

GOOSE formerly known as Chaz “ We rescued Chaz (aka Goose) about a year and a half ago. He has bonded well with our older shepherd collie mix, Harper, really well. He continues to be a total goof ball and makes us laugh all the time. He is healthy and happy pup who gets along with everyone... except the neighborhood cats and squirrels! Goose went on a big camping trip up the cost to Oregon with us this last May, both our pups loved it! He absolutely loves the dog beach, we usually take him to the one in Long Beach and Huntington Beach (picture is at Long Beach, where we live). We are expecting out first child and Goose has been getting extra training on how to walk with a stroller, and understand designated baby spaces. He is a fast learner, and doing well. Here are a few pictures of him!” Best, ~ Lindsay Sienkiewich ~

STITCH formerly known as Stitch “ Hello there! Stitch is better than ever, totally spoiled and living the good life. He sleeps in my bed every night and him and Bailey are the best of friends. With consistent exercise he is now able to use his injured leg about 90%, he runs and sprints and jumps with all the joy in the world. My sweet boy is the love of my life and our bond is unforgettable.” ~ Robyn Riggs ~

GRACIE formerly known as Grace “ This is Gracie formerly Grace relaxing at home” ~ Laura and Dennis Hughes ~

DUNCAN formerly known as Duncan “ I am sending along my photos of Duncan (I kept his BCIN rescue name). Duncan is doing great! We are still in Arizona where he loves his mountain hikes, walks through the desert, and even a little play in the creek when it's hot (which is a lot!) He continues to be such a sweet dog and loves to snuggle- he even lets us bring him under the covers! His favorite things are walks (highest priority), playing in the yard with his toys, chewing on cow bones from the butcher and then hiding them in the office (it is now known as the bone yard instead of the office), and learning new behaviors and tricks (because he is a border collie after all!). He recently made a new friend name Nash who is a Queensland heeler/lab mix puppy. Nash is my aunt's dog so he and Duncan have frequent play dates which involve wrestling in the grass, playing tug of war with any toy, chase, and going on the pool steps. It is so fun to watch them play! and the puppy can keep up with Duncan's energy which is a big plus!!! I hope you all have a happy holiday season and sending all my positive vibes out there that more lovely collies get adopted soon! Thank you and the volunteers for all you do, and for helping me find such a perfect pup - he is my sweet angel.” Best, ~ Caroline ~

JUDY formerly known as Tulie “ Merry Christmas to you all at BCIN! Judy (formerly Tulie) is doing wonderful and we just adore her. We've been working closely with her and a dog trainer in improving her recall, fetching, and manners. Judy and our shepherd mix Lucy are inseparable and love to chase the ball on our property every day. Judy does very well with our 7 month old and 2½ year old children, giving them lots of kisses and attention. Thank you for everything you do.” Love, ~ The Humpherys ~

KUMA formerly known as Ryan “ We wanted to share a few photos of Kuma. He is doing well, and gives me good dog therapy every day.” ~ Jin Pedregon ~

BORIS formerly known as Nitro “ Here is an update on our Australian Shepard, Boris (current name), formerly Nitro (BCIN rescue name), and a photo. We've had Boris for a year and a half and he has given us so much joy. He loves to walk around San Pedro, scare cats, and sleeps at the side of our bed. We are so grateful the he is part of our family.” All the best, ~ Robert and Joanne ~

FRANKIE formerly known as Liz “ This is as good a holiday photo as we could get of Frankie this year... She is now 11 years young, healthy, happy…and still obstinate!” Happy Holidays to BCIN, ~ Noël ~

TIM formerly known as Tim “ This attached photo is Tim. He was adopted in February 2016. Tim is my life. He is my BFF. He is funny and makes me laugh every day.” ~ Richard G. Bourgeois ~

FINN formerly known as Apollo “ Happy Holidays to BCIN! We adopted Finn (formally Finnegan, formerly Apollo) in 2016 and still can't believe anyone ever let this wonderful guy become a stray. He is very sweet and mellow, and has that wonderful BC energy and focus when learning something new or being a ball-catcher extraordinaire. He is healthy and happy, and has added much joy to our lives!” ~ Joe and Geri Maddern ~

BUDDY formerly known as Ritchie “ Happy Collie Days to you too! Buddy is the sweetest dog ever. A total momma's boy. He is doing well, has calmed way down and is enjoying life in Lake Forest. He has a flashing lighted collar and went to a doggie birthday party last week!”

DOLLY formerly known as Dolly “ Attached is a picture of Dolly (adopted 2011). We've kept the name she came with. She is such a love. She LOVES water; dog beach is her favorite place to go where she can fetch balls. She gets along with our other dog Dixie and tries really hard to be the alpha dog, but fails. She is definitely the annoying little sister to our other dog. She goes on daily walks and is obsessed with chasing balls.” ~ Kristen Toblesky ~

GRACIE formerly known as Cowgirl “ Greetings to all! Attached is a photo of Gracie (formerly Cowgirl) and her brother (also a rescue) Tucker. Since last we updated you, Gracie has had some dramatic changes. On a family trip to the East Coast, she was chasing a ball down uneven terrain and hyper flexed the ligaments in both front legs. We took her to the vet hospital in Auburn and she had arthrodesis on one leg at that time. Once she’d had a chance to recover a bit, we drove back to Auburn, AL for the second surgery. We wanted the consistency for her. The good news – she has recovered well and despite not being able to run like she used to, she still plays and chases squirrels! At one point during her recovery, she got so depressed being confined to her crate – we came up with an idea to cheer her up and it worked! We’re sending a second picture of Gracie in her wagon being wheeled around the neighborhood. She got to know the neighbors and they followed her recovery. Gracie is 12 now and doing very good. She continues to bring much joy and love to our family. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all and thank you for what you do to help these precious animals.” Blessings, ~ Richard, Bridget, Gracie & Tucker Cooper ~

COOPER formerly known as Cola “ Merry Christmas to all the wonderful volunteers at Border Collies In Need! Cooper (formerly known as Cola) and I had a wonderful year together. He is such a happy boy! He loves to travel and explore. He is my constant companion. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!” ~ Lori Crickett ~

COOPER formerly known as Molly McGee “ Maggie was adopted on November 9, 2013 from the NKLA Adoption Weekend at the La Brea Tar Pits...after following another rescue for over two years. She was listed as Molly McGee but I settled on Maggie within a week after adoption. I drove two hours that morning to make certain to be the first person there to show interest. Maggie was listed as 4-5 years old but my vet said she was probably 1-2 years. She has been in great health with the exception of her bad teeth...probably from an infection as a puppy and chewing on metal. She was good at Gentle Dental until this past summer. At that point she decided she was not going to open her mouth any more. Maggie has only barked four times in the past four years. She can obviously bark...she just doesn't. Maggie is not your typical rambunctious border collie. Because she was so shy at first I took her to work with me at the office the first week. She has accompanied me to work every day since...by request of my boss! At first she would dig through everyone's trash cans but everyone learned not to leave food in their trash cans and life was cleaner for everyone! Maggie has her favorite people and will come out to see them but mostly she just stays under my desk...unless I leave the office. She keeps me in her sight at all times. Maggie is also low-key at home. Upon first meeting the cat she refused to make eye contact and has ignored him ever since. He has tried to engage her in play but to her....he simply doesn't exist! Maggie does have a dual personality. She is not interested in toys, balls, or even her food. A lot of times she will wait until the middle of the night to eat the dry food in her dish. She does, however, come alive at the dog park. We went to the dog park 3 time over a six month period. Each time she followed me as I walked the perimeter of the park. She totally ignored all of the other dogs and people there. On our fourth visit she saw a blue heeler race across the park...she looked at him and went off in the same direction. I was hoping she was going to finally engage in play... but no, she had found herself a job. Her job is either to keep a group of dogs circled and in a pack or her favorite thing, is to run in front of a dog who is chasing a ball and follow the same dog back to its owner. Her favorite breeds are Labradors and golden retrievers. Actually, they are the ones who really don't care what she is doing...others, like German Shepherds, get irritated because they think she is after their ball. When at the dog park and on the job Maggie's focus can not be broken. People will step in front of her, wave their hand in her face, call her name,etc. She will NOT lose her Border Collie Stare! I can call her name and she will look at me for a second and go right back on task. Somehow I learned that if I whistle (a skill I had to work on!) she breaks the focus and will come to me immediately. Once on a leash Maggie returns to being a shy and sensitive dog. The scariest thing about Maggie is that she hits a fright and flight mode when she hears fireworks, motorcycles, or certain high pitch noises like fire alarms, or certain cell phone tones. The vibration of a muted cell phone will send her in the opposite direction. A fire engine or ambulance siren does not affect her at all. I have a large backyard but Maggie does not want to spend any time out there. In the summer I have to insist that she goes outside, we live in the desert so I can't blame her. After four years, now in the "winter" at 70 degrees she will sometimes spend 15 minutes outside before sitting at the door patiently waiting for me to notice her. Under no circumstance will she ever bark or scratch to let me know that she is there! Maggie also does not lick faces or hands. She acts as though she would like to but has somehow been trained not to ever do it (must be like her "no-bark" rule. Maggie has had an interesting life before she came to Southern California from Madera...it's unfortunate that we will never know what she knows! She is a sweet but quirky little girl! Even if we are too late for the greeting card I'm glad I finally took the opportunity to update you on Maggie's last four years.” ~ Rita Gustafson ~

SAVANNAH formerly known as Savannah “ My apologies that it took some time, but here are a few pics and update! Candy and I adopted Savannah a few years ago and she helped us as we were married this summer! Savannah joined us in the wedding :) Sorry for brief update, glad you guys reached out! Have a good Christmas and New Years!” ~ Patrick Green ~

BULLSEYE formerly known as Bullseye “ I'm not sure if I gave you our new address or not...we moved 2 years ago now. Anyway, we relocated to Northern California where Bullseye and his sister Rigby have become "mountain dogs". They really do love it here. This picture was taken in April when there was still 15+ feet of snow on Donner Summit coming home from Reno. Neither the dogs or my husband had seen so much snow. The dogs LOVED it, it was hilarious. Happy Holidays to you!!!” Xoxo! ~ Bullseye, Julie, Scott and Rigby ~

SUNDAE formerly known as Rocko “ I hope this email finds you well. Thank you for the work that you continue to do for the beautiful border collies. I thought I would send a new picture of our dog that we rescued through you. Wishing you and your loved ones happy holidays. Sundae is doing great he is about 8½ years old now. We adopted him in July 2010 from BCIN. He's a loving family dog but does not like anyone outside of the family. He's very protective of us. We love him to pieces and feel blessed every day to have him.” ~ Ariella Reisner ~

SUKI formerly known as Cookie “ We've had Suki (formally Cookie) for just over 2 years now. Here are some pictures. She is a happy girl.” Best, ~ Sonja ~

HEIDI formerly known as Hattie “ Adopted Hattie, now Heidi, January 2016. My 7 yr old BC mix, Lucy, and I adopted a 2 month old from Riverside County Shelter. These two girls are the very best friends and we all share AM & PM daily outings. Now son Greg & Anita are in India, returning December 23rd. Goldie is the BCR in January 2016. Unfortunately, they will miss this year's calendar.” All the best & knowing All Is Well Happy Holidays, ~ Lou Fawley ~

MAIZIE formerly known as Ding “ This is for Ding, known as Maizie now. She is doing great - I have tried her on sheep a few times and she is definitely interested - more each time, tho we have not been able to be steady. We do go on long hikes every week and on walks all the time. She is a very physical dog - always wants to be petted. She will go full speed around our large yard playing ball - it's great to see her really get going. She seems very happy and we, of course, are thrilled with her. Thank you for what you do. Happy holidays to all of you!” ~ Lisa ~

MAISY formerly known as Boo “ We adopted two collies from you maverick and maisy. There were known as Eddie and Boo in the rescue. They are doing just fine. Maverick is an older dog but sweet as they come. Maisy has enough energy for the both of them. She has adjusted quite nicely. We love them both so much!” ~ Jill King ~

MAVERICK formerly known as Eddie “ We adopted two collies from you, Maverick and maisy. There were known as Eddie and Boo in the rescue. They are doing just fine. Maverick is an older dog but sweet as they come. Maisy has enough energy for the both of them. She has adjusted quite nicely. We love them both so much!” ~ Jill King ~

RODDY formerly known as Rory “ Thank you for all that you do for these remarkable dogs. Roddy’s (formerly Rory) life is filled with long walks, runs and frisbee catching in our local parks. Happy holidays from Roddy, Chris and the rest of the Binkley/Rubin family”

LILY formerly known as Onyx “ Lily is a mixed breed girl but definitely has the heart of a pure bred border collie. Adopted in December 2014, she has blossomed since that first day home. She loves to run and play in the backyard with her brother Jackson. Her agility and herding abilities are always on display. Despite her serious photo, Lily’s personality is infectious. Anytime she greets me, she wags her tail with such personality that her whole body wiggles. Sometimes I just call her “wiggle worm”. Lily is such a sweet girl and is a wonderful addition to my home. I cannot think of life without her. Thank you BCIN fosters for saving her life.” ~ Sandra Hrna ~

ZAK & ZOOEY formerly known as Mac and Ruby “ Zak (formerly Mac) and Zoey (Ruby) along with Sadie who we rescued from a shelter 2 years ago.” ~ Kimberly Ehret ~

CHERRY formerly known as Cherry “ Merry Christmas from Polli Glatleider and Cherry”

LUNA & FINNEGAN formerly known as Harmony and Scout “ Happy Holidays! Luna (aka Harmony) and Finnegan (aka Scout) are doing well. :)” Take care, ~ Eric and Barbara Hallman ~

RAIN formerly known as Reighner “ Paola and I couldn't be happier with Rain. She is just adorable.” Thanks, ~ Andrés & Paola Giraldo ~

GUNNAR formerly known as Guerin “ Gunnar and I are doing great. Here's a few pics of him.” ~ Anthony ~

GINNY formerly known as Lizzie “ We wanted a dog with lots of personality and Ginny has more than delivered! Part of our family for four months now, she entertains and delights us on a daily basis. We knew from the start she’d be a perfect fit for us and we think the feeling has become mutual; we realized she felt safe and comfortable in our home when she started doing “normal dog stuff,” like wanting up on the furniture or checking out the trash or getting excited about playing ball. There’s no doubt she loves to learn and she’s doing well with some basic agility training. Time will tell on the competition front, but she’s a winner in our book no matter what! Thanks to BCIN and especially Valerie for loving her until we could find each other. Thanks so much and happy holidays to you!” ~ Elizabeth LeBrun ~

IAN & HARVEY formerly known as Ian and Kato “ Jen and I weren't able to make it to the Strut Your Mutt this year. Between traveling for work and a baby due on 12/28/17, we just couldn’t get the schedules to work out and were sad we missed it! Attached are a few update photos or Ian (originally named Ian) and Harvey (originally named Kato). They are both wonderful and bring us such joy in our lives. Ian is obsessed with food and the typical Border Collie despite being smaller stature, he's always in charge. Harvey loves everything all the time. You can tell that he is thankful for being rescued and is always excited by everything. His greatest joy seems to be sleeping on the bed. Tagging onto what Barry said...We love these guys!! We asked that donations be made this year in lieu of gifts to Border Collies in Need so hopefully a few are coming your way soon. :) Hope you and all the dogs are well!! ” ~ ~ Barry &Jen ~

SUGAR formerly known as Ellie “ Gunnar and I are doing great. Here's a few pics of him.” ~ Anthony ~

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