All Dogs
Adopt a Loving Border Collie
Thank you for taking an interest in our organization and this special breed!
Under All Dogs you will find all of our current foster dogs. You can view the information and send an email to the listed contact for more information and ask questions. You must be an approved adopter in order to meet the dogs. The application process can take a couple of weeks to be completed and you are not guaranteed the dog that you are interested in. We often get multiple applications for each of our dogs and choosing the new family is entirely up to the foster home. This decision is made in the best interest of each individual dog and not based on the order in which an application arrives. Click Here for the Adoption Page.
Next In Line are dogs that are currently being relinquished and are approved to come to our rescue. However, they have not yet been placed with an approved foster family and so they are not covered by our organization’s policies. Any interest in these dogs is done so at your own risk. Please view the guidelines before inquiring.
Happy Endings are all of our dogs that have made it to their final destinations with a new FUREVER home! Take a look at all of the smiling faces that have made their journey through our ranks.
In order to adopt a dog from us, you must first submit an Adoption Application. To submit your application, you may apply online by clicking here. If you have any questions please email us at adoption@mwbcr.org.
Thank you for considering rescue first, and for opening your heart and home to a Border Collie in need.
Meet Our Available Border Collies
They are waiting for your love.
Laika
Age: 3-4 years old
Breed: Border Collie
Color: Black/White
Sex: Female
Weight: 36 lbs
Activity Level: High
Note: Laika and Layla were found as strays in rural Iowa. They can be adopted separately or together.
Laika is 36 lbs and 3-4 years old. This sweet girl loves chasing and often retrieving balls in the house and outdoors. She loves to sniff around off-leash in a fenced back yard. Turn on your garden sprinkler and she will be entertained and exercised. Laika initiates belly runs and gives kisses to her foster mom as a thank you. Laika is more dominant than Layla and has a strong herding drive, so we recommend a home with no children, cats or small critters. She's a little nervous meeting new people and dogs, which we are working on.
Laika is spayed and fully vaccinated. She will need a fenced yard and an experienced handler with a strong understanding of the breed and a willingness to provide lots of exercise and tennis balls.
Location & Contact
Location: Southeast Wisconsin
Contact: team@midwestbordercollierescue.org
Layla
Age: About 7 years old
Breed: Border Collie Purebred
Color: Black/White
Sex: Female
Weight: 38 lbs
Activity Level: High, Strong Herding Drive
Location: SE Wisconsin
Know anyone who is looking for a belly rub lovin' best friend? Layla is ready for her forever home!
Layla came to MWBCR as a stray from rural Iowa. She is a high energy freight train on four legs, but is totally content to be a couch potato, as long as she gets enough exercise throughout the day. Her foster mom currently ensures she gets two or three 30-minute exercise breaks per day - her very favorite workout is chasing the spray from a garden hose!
Still a bit shy around new people, Layla does make fast friends after a short visit and some high-value treats. She loves belly rubs and booty scritches and will smooch her foster mom repeatedly as a thank you. She is a big snuggler, but often on her own terms. When she's not lounging on the sofa, she does have a very strong herding drive (hence her love of the garden hose spray). She runs circles around other dogs and people and will sometimes muzzle punch your leg to get you to do something… especially to throw a ball. She does sometimes do the typical herding "nip," but has never bitten.
Layla is house-trained but may have an occasional (rare) accident, which is understandable for a dog that may have lived exclusively outside before being rescued. While she definitely prefers to be out and with her people for most of the day, she does settle nicely into her crate and will sleep 7-8 hours through the night in it. She would do best in a home where someone is home most of the time. She also does great in a hard-sided crate for car travel after she's had a good game of fetch or chasing the hose.
One of Layla's biggest victories in her foster home has been her progress with the vet. When she first came into rescue, she was terrified and aggressive at the clinic, and she could not be seen without heavy sedation. Her foster mom has been taking her in for "happy visits" once a week for many months and she now happily trots in to accept snacks and praise from the staff. This has shown us that with a little work, she can definitely overcome fear of new places.
Prior border collie or working/herding experience is required to adopt Layla, as this special girl definitely needs a home with a job, a solid understanding of the breed, and lots of patience. A fenced yard is preferred, but a family who makes the commitment to visiting a private park or other secure space for playtime may be considered. As a note, we very much know she will not be a good fit for a family with other smaller pets or young children. After proper introductions, she would probably do fine with a larger dog that can tolerate her herding tendencies.
Like any new rescue, Layla would benefit greatly from time with a behavioral trainer, especially to work on her leash skills. She's a very strong girl who is reactive to moving vehicles, people, and animals. Layla has made incredible strides in her foster home and we know she will thrive with a forever family dedicated to helping her be her best self.
Location & Contact
Location: Southeast Wisconsin
Contact: team@midwestbordercollierescue.org
Trevor
Age: 3-4 years old
Breed: Border Collie Mix
Color: Black/White
Sex: Male
Weight: 50 lbs
Activity Level: Moderate
Trevor arrived in July as a last-minute save from an Ohio shelter. While at the shelter, he was dubbed Cappy, but his foster home read him a bunch of names and he picked Trevor from the list. He was so excited when that name was read - it had to be his!
He loves being outside in the backyard. He will run and play but mostly just loves being around his people. He'll need some help with loose leash walking but otherwise, he's unperturbed by other people and dogs on his walks, although he does fancy birds.
This food-motivated boy is smart and eager to learn. He goes into his crate when asked, knows "sit" and comes when called. His house-training is impeccable, too!
In the house, he just wants to be with you. He will get upset when you leave the room, and he isn't able to follow you. He is such a sweetheart and wants to cuddle and give you hugs and kisses.
He is still slow to warm up to people he doesn't know. But once he does, he is good with them and shows them the same love and attention he gives his foster family.
Location: Ohio
Contact: team@midwestbordercollierescue.org
Chance
Age: 2 years
Breed: Border Collie Mix
Sex: Male
Weight: 40
Energy level: Moderate-High
Chance was a stray found in Louisiana. A smooth-coated mix, he has one blue eye and one brown eye. Chance is a sweet boy and is just now learning how to live in a home. He's good in the car and loves people! We'll add information as we get to know him better.
Location & Contact
Location: DeKalb, Illinois
Contact:
Maverick
Age: 2.5 years old
Breed: Border Collie Mix
Sex: Male
Weight: 39 lbs
Energy Level: High
Fence Required for Adoption
Maverick is 2.5 years old, and weighs 39 lbs. He is very energetic. He is a sweet boy who loves to play and run. He doesn’t like to be in a kennel, but is good in the car. He has had herding tendencies with small children, and will herd if you run.
He would be a good companion dog to play with in the yard until he can be trained to walk properly on a leash. He is an escape artist when it comes to harnesses and collars while on leash. He will need a secure fenced in back yard with a secure gate.
Location & Contact
Location: Northern Illinois
Contact: team@midwestbordercollierescue.org
Dixie
Age: 5.5 years old
Breed: Border Collie Mix
Sex: Female
Weight: 35 lbs
Energy Level: Moderate
Dixie is a 5.5 year old spayed female and weighs 35 lbs. She is a sweet girl. She used to live on a farm, and likes to play ball, roll on her back, and likes to have her tummy rubbed. She is a little sensitive to her surroundings, so be patient with her. Dixie's safe place is her crate. She would do best in a home with no young children, in a quieter neighborhood and if with another pet, a more submissive dog. She is good in the car, very smart and likes her treats!
If you have questions or would like to adopt please contact team@midwestbordercollierescue.org
Location & Contact
Location: Northern Illinois
Contact: mwbcr@mwbcr.org
Frankie
Age: 3 years old
Breed: Border Collie Mix
Sex: Male
Weight: 35 lbs
Energy Level: Moderate
Frankie is a three-year-old 35-lb sweet boy who loves to cling to his "person." His mom was a stray pulled from a shelter about three years ago, and she was 55 percent border collie.
He's reserved with strangers, but once you get to know him, you'll find that he's an endearing, happy-go-lucky character.
Frankie likes most dogs, although some annoy him, and enjoys playing fetch and inviting the foster family's other dogs to chase him around the yard to get the ball. He runs exclusively in his large fenced-in yard, where he occasionally gets the zoomies. A fence is required to adopt him.
Frankie is good in the car, crate trained and he sleeps in it at night with the inducement of a treat. He loves to chow down quickly and try to get food from other dogs in the family, so he has a slow, "puzzle" bowl of food in his crate.
An inveterate counter surfer, his family has learned to keep food out of reach! He also likes to jump on people, so we're recommending kids 12+.
Fence Required for Adoption
Location & Contact
Location: Northern Illinois
Contact: team@midwestbordercollierescue.org
Bruno
Age: 4 years old
Breed: Border Collie
Color: Black/White
Sex: Male
Weight: 36 lbs
Activity Level: Moderate
Handsome Bruno is 4 years old. He was pulled from a high-kill shelter in Illinois. He is shy at first, but once he gets to know you he is playful and loving. He likes to play with his stuffed toys and chew on his Whimzees. He also enjoys his yummy food. When he first came to us, he went into the laundry room, pulled the spare bedding off of the 2nd level of our metal rack and jumped up there to sleep. We put bedding on that shelf for him and he's slept there ever since.
Bruno likes to pretend he's invisible when he doesn't want to come in from outside. He freezes in place and doesn't move until I say something that makes him wag his tail, like when I call him sweet pea. He enjoys getting the zoomies out in our fenced in yard.
Are you approved to adopt? Email us at mwbcr@mwbcr.org and we can introduce you to Bruno!
Location & Contact
Location: Northern Illinois
Contact: team@midwestbordercollierescue.org
