On March 1st, 2001, Cookie was rescued by PSSR after being dumped at a humane society by her breeder. After being at PSSR for about two months, Cookie started having seizures. Numerous times she had to be rushed to the Vet's office, or the emergency clinic, for intravenous valium to bring her out of her seizures. Finally, after months of adjusting her phenobarbital, the proper dosage was found and the seizures rarely occur anymore.

Do you remember seeing Cookie at PSSR? She's the little girl who would bust out the door barking her head off at you. Her bossy barking probably eliminated her immediately from your "possible adoption list". If this didn't, you probably eliminated her when you learned she has epilepsy.

No one ever took the time to get to know the real Cookie. Did you know that when she arrived at PSSR, she would run away from everyone who tried to pet her? If you even dared to try to pick her up, you better be ready for the fight of your life. She was scared to be touched.

Did you know that when Cathy had back surgery in May, that it was Cookie who took care of her when Pam was at work? The dog that would never cuddle with anybody, would gently climb up on the bed and snuggle right up against her. It was Cookie who kept reassuring Cathy that she would be okay.

Did you know that Cookie was at PSSR for 18 months to the day, before I adopted her? Did you know that 139 Shelties were rescued within that year and a half...and no one wanted her?

Cookie, with all her bad habits, was not the "perfect" available dog at PSSR to adopt, but I loved her from the minute I met her. She had been yelled at billions of times for all the barking, for stealing food out of the others' bowls, for her selective hearing, but the worst was for continually standing on the kitchen table (needless to say, sleeping there when no one was looking). Even with all her faults, I fell in love with her the minute I met her. I don't know why it took me so long to "officially" adopt her. Cookie is not homeless anymore. She will forever be "My Little Cookie Monster!"

Pam Lindner
Co-Founder of PSSR

I am sure everyone remembers "Tanner". On July 28th he found his forever home, which by the way he was the one that shot out of his kennel and would not let you come near him. He spent 16 months at PSSR. He was just too shy for everyone. I can remember Pam saying, "I think you have the personallity he needs." I spent a few hours there that day and seen everyone, but I knew that Tanner was the one for me. I wondered if he would come home and hide and had some doubts. Hoping for the best. He is still timid and frantic sometimes but he always knows that my lap is his safe haven and that I will never hurt him or neglect him in any way. It is hard to say what he has been through, I just know now how important it is to have socialization as a puppy. I often feel sorry for him but every day he shows a little more of himself to me. I know I chose the right guy or he chose the right mommy, which ever way is was. He is my sunshine.

I not only got my sheltie baby that day, I also gained a friendship with the two people that are very good to me and allow me to be a part of such a wonderful thing. I also have adopted Charm. I was told "they are like potato chips, you can't have just one." She has personality to boot. She also has found her forever home...... Thank You Pam & Cathy for letting me love my fur kids & your fur kids.

I would definately call Cody a success!!

I adopted Cody from Precious Secrets in February. I had long wanted to train a dog for obedience and/or agility. After talking with a number of people about the different breeds that are known to do well, I finally decided on a Sheltie. I contacted Sharon Brown with Precious Secrets because I had worked with Sharon a few times when we had *local* shelties that needed Rescue.

Sharon and I talked a few times about the right dog for me, and she offered me Cody, who was then called "Max". Cody had been rescued from a shelter where he had been turned in by his owners because he was too high energy.

Cody did well at obedience classes, which he started just a few days after he came home with me, but he really was just going through the motions. We had an issue for awhile with my fenced in yard, which is very large. Cody wouldn't come in out of the yard. Have you ever tried to catch a run-away Sheltie in a 3/4 acre fenced in yard? LOL! It's not easy.

Cody did well because he's a good dog, but his heart wasn't in it for awhile. In addition, he lost some weight because of all the running he was doing in the yard.

One day, and I can remember exactly when it happened, I was driving down the road with Cody beside me. Something just clicked in Cody and he realized that I was his Mom. More than that, I think he realized for the first time what a "Mom" is! I don't believe Cody had ever had a truely strong bond with someone before.

Now Cody and I are inseparable! Wherever I go, he goes. On the occassion when I can't take him with me when I leave (for his own safety), he is one upset and heartbroken boy! Cody goes to me work with me and is my constant companion at the office.

We are continuing the training, and Cody is an exceptional dog! Cody loves the training now and you can see the spark and energy when we work, which is much more like play for both of us. We have no more problems at all with him not wanting to come in out of the yard, or problems with him not coming when called. It all just changed during that magical moment when Cody realized how much I love him, and that he isn't going anywhere...he's home!

Cody, the unwanted and too hyper dog is my hero and my best friend. If I had a dollar for everytime someone compliments Cody's beauty, and especially his good behavior, I could retire!

I think I know now why your Rescue is named what it is.

Thank you Precious Secrets for letting me adopt Cody!

~~Debra

George and "Bucky"

Here is BBG (Big Bad George) and his buddy "Bucky". George is also our Foster Dad in Columbus and he is show here holding his newest addition to the family. George is married to Sharon with Minnie Mon, and Missy, 2 of our other rescues. They also have Petey, Reggie and Trixie the Collie!

Sparkle

Sparkle has been with us for a year now. She is the baby in our house. She has 3 fur-sisters, Lady (lab-mix), Rollie and Carley (both beagles) and a couple of cat friends. We lead an interesting life, here in the city, and plan to add more fur-kids when we find our retirement estate in the country!

Bev

Missy and Minnie Mon

"Missy" posing for her "professional debut" .... and Foster Mom Sharon and "Minnie Mon" Both are dogs we fostered, "Missy" we kept right away, but "Minnie Mon" has a story all her own ... the bottom line is "Minnie Mon" made it back to where SHE thought she belonged which is right by her Mom's side!

We were never so glad as when we found Pam and Sharon. We had one sheltie (Misty in black) and wanted another. We found their website and my daughter fell in love with Athena. I told her we would drive the distance (1-1/2 hr) to see all of the dogs, but that we might not get the one she wanted. We walked in and there she was. Athena was there to overpower my daughter with attention. She's the ultimate lap dog!! She had belonged to an elder owner so was still a tad overweight. We're happy to say, not only has she lost all the extra weight, but she's now even more active when she goes outside. She still grabs the first available spot on the couch, but she's a truly wonderful companion for all of us.

Thanks so much guys for all your hard work. Keep it up and if you need a hand here in Columbus, let us know!!!

Cindy, Bri, Misty, and Athena Shipe

Lady (a.k.a., Baby 2) Lady is not very bright, but she is absolutely the sweetest, happiest, most affectionate, snugly lap dog I could've asked for! :)

She always seems to be smiling and trying to snuggle closer. She loves to go for rides in the car, and accompanies my husband (and our other dog) to work every day. And she just loves to play fetch for hours with my 3-year-old nephew, who considers her his best friend.

Shelley R. Hahn (Behrman)

Diana and Wally

Diana and her new best friend Wally. Wally was found tied to a post in a Walmart parking lot. Diana has since been to obedience school with Wally and he graduated with honors. They are truly devoted to each other and each one helped the other overcome their shyness.

Ozzie

Ozzie and Santa. Everyone overlooked Ozzie for months because he had been shaved down and had no hair.......look at him now. Adored by Sharon Cron and his "furbrother" Jake!

In early November 2001 we lost our beloved 9 year old Sheltie, Kirbi, to a brain tumor. Ken and I thought we'd wait several months before we adopted another dog. But...in early December we decided to visit Precious Secrets and immediately fell in love with Patty; she came home with us the next day!

She goes with me to work every day. I own Wild About Birds, a backyard birdfeeding and nature gift shop in Milford, and Peppermint Patty has become the manager of customer relations. Customers just adore her, and being the "love sponge" that she is, Patty goes home at the end of the day exhausted from all the petting she gets...poor baby! She has become the light of our life - thank you Precious Secrets!!!

Peggie & Ken Flierl

Part 2

The previous “Success Story” was written in early 2002. By early 2003 I was thinking about adopting another Sheltie so Patty would have a buddy. After all she’s over 10 years old and I thought a younger dog would help her retain her “youth”. So naturally I called Pam and Cathy! Within a few weeks I got “the call” and Ken and I drove out to meet Zoey. She seemed very sweet but very shy.We loved her, so after thinking about it for a week we brought our Zoey home.It took us about 10 weeks to break through her shyness and convert her from an obvious outdoor kennel dog into a house dog. Now she prefers the comfort of our bed to the grass and dirt out side and exercises by running up and down the stairs (from family room couch to our bed!) rather than pacing back and forth in the back yard! Zoey comes to the shop with Patty and although she is still rather shy around customers (unlike Patty!) and spends more time in the back room, she’s a happy little dog and we’re a very happy family! In the picture below, Patty is on the left and Zoey is on the right."

Shadow, Grace and Tony

Shadow.....now in the loving arms of his new family, Grace and Tony.

Tommy and Chris

Tommy (aka B.J.) and his new Daddy, Chris

Toby

Toby was an 8-year old orphan with failing kidneys when he was adopted. His kidney problem has been successfully managed with a strict renal diet and he is feeling great. Currently, he is living in Bloomington, Indiana while his owner pursues a master's degree at Indiana University. Toby loves IU basketball and always wears his red IU sweater on game days. His best friend is his brother Milo, also a Sheltie.

Christmastime

Lady and her Mommy Caryn and Buddy and his Daddy Greg

Brittany, Keaton, Socks and Shelby

On February 8th of this year our family lost one of its members. Our beloved Malley , a 9 year old Sheltie was diagnosed with cancer that had spread throughout his body. Our family was grief stricken from this terrible loss. We were divided on whether or not to bring another dog into our house at least for a while. Despite the fact that we have two very energetic young children ( a 5 ½ and 2 year old) the house seemed quiet and very lonely after Malley's death. I happened to stumble across the Precious Secrets Sheltie rescue site and was drawn with my heart to investigate this place further. I found myself driving 2 hours to Middletown Ohio that Saturday morning. Once at the rescue site, I immediately fell in love with Socks, he was the first one to greet us at the door. Socks lost his beloved owner suddenly and his sweet eyes told the story of how much he missed her. I knew right away despite his age (11 ½ yrs) that he must come and live with us. Shelby was the second sheltie that we met and again my heart opened up and I wanted to take her home right then. I fell in love several times that day but unfortunately our home is only so big. On Sunday morning Sharon came to see our house and meet our family, by Sunday afternoon we were heading back to Middletown to bring our new family members home. Both Shelby and Socks have been complete joys since their arrival into our home. They have been wonderful with our two children and seem to fit into our family as if they have lived here forever. We will always remember Malley and no one will ever replace him this adoption however has given our family so much joy to share our lives and to provide a home to two other precious animals who desire one. We thank God for Cathy and Pam who took such wonderful care of Socks and Shelby, as well as all of the other animals in their care. We believe that these two special people are angels on earth. May God bless you both.

All Our Love,
Kevin, Darlene, Brittany, Keaton, Socks and Shelby Maisano

Here's our official family portrait. We wanted to update you on Thomas (formerly Vinnie). I'll identify them for you. On the left is Cleo (Havanese) was adopted in October 2001. Next to her is Jimmie (Sheltie) who we were fostering but he and Cleo got along so well, we added him to our pack. Then there's Lucy (mixed Bouvier) who unfortunately died this past Sunday; she was over 16 years old and a really great girl. And last but not least is Thomas. What a joy he's been since coming to us in December 2000. After his second cancer operation in January of '01, he's doing great. I call him "Thomas the Taliban" because he's our little policeman. When the other dogs are rough-housing and jumping around, he makes sure to keep them in line. He gives them his "snarly face" and they stop. Then he marches back to his favorite spot in front of our picture window to make sure nothing gets by him in the neighborhood. We love him so much. He can have a bit of an attitude but that's who he is. He is certainly loving and caring. We're so glad we drove the 5-hours to get him. It was worth the trip. Thought you'd like to see him and his new family. We'll continue to keep you posted. Thanks again for letting him be a part of our family.

Sincerely,
Pat Peterson

Greg and I would like to let you know the progress of adjusting to our new family member. Ben has such a beautiful spirit. He has adjusted very well. He sleeps with me in a big queen size bed. He follows us around everywhere we go in the apartment.

Ben is still very timid toward men when they are around and still has issues with strangers. He often likes to avoid coming back in the apartment when there are others coming out of the building. He's doing very well though with all other aspects. His favorite spot to sleep when we are out of the apartment is on the couch. We leave the TV on for him while we are gone. We thought it would be nice to leave Animal Planet on. For some reason, Ben doesn't like to walk on linoleum floors. He has just started to come in the kitchen and has even started to visit me in the bathroom on occasion.

Ben is the most wonderful friend to me. He fills the void that I had after the death of our beloved friend, T.J. He is a lover of attention and sometimes finds it necessary to wake me at 3:00 AM so that I can give him, what we call nubbins', or otherwise called lovins'. What a wonderful joy it is to have him as part of our family. We can't imagine how we got along with out his love.

Again, Greg and I want to thank you over and over for the tremendous gift of Ben. We will send pictures as soon as they are developed. Ben photographs well because of his beauty.

We have been spreading the word to everyone about our great experience at the Sheltie Rescue. We're hoping that maybe if we tell enough people, there will be more forever homes.

Sincerely,

Sheral, Greg and Ben (B.J.)

This is Kelly posing with Santa at Christmas time, We adopted her on September 27th for our daughter, Megan. When Megan gets old enough to be in 4-h, she wants to train in dog obedience, like her older sister, Tasha. Kelly isn't completely potty broke and she likes to chew the kid's toys, but she has proven that she can be a good dog. She is only a year old, so she is still just a puppy. We all love her and wanted to share her success story. She joins a family of five and another sheltie, Brady. Thank you Precious Secrets for uniting us with Kelly.

I had rescued Keely back in September. I have not been in contact with you all about her well being until this point. She is now healthy and her hair has grown out to where it should be for the most part.

Keely enjoys taking her throne on one of the two couches on a regular basis until I want to sit down and have to move her. She loves the snow and being able to run in it freely when I take her out. My entire family wants to take her from me to make her their own but I won't let them. I have included a picture of her from yesterday morning.

Ryan McAninch

After several weeks of looking for the right dog for me at local shelters, I was directed to PSSR. A friend who had adopted two dogs from there told me about it. I first checked out the website and applied to adopt a dog.

On a cold December day in 2002, about 3 days before Christmas, I headed 2 hours south to PSSR. Cathy and Pam were so helpful in helping me pick out the right dog. They had pre-selected several dogs for me, however I fell in love with Abby. Even though Abby is 9 years old, she still has a playful attitude. Abby is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. It is so nice to come home to something who missed you all day and is happy to see you. May God Bless!

Here is a picture of Abby and I at Christmas time.

Thank you PSSR,
Chad Whyte

My husband and I decided to adopt a sheltie for two reasons. The first reason is that I wanted to find a playmate for our current 10 year old sheltie. The second reason is that I believe all shelties should be in loving homes. I visited the PSSR website and was absolutely hooked in July 2002. I knew that I had to adopt a sheltie right away. I visited the shelties and then made a repeat visit with my husband and other sheltie. We decide on Griffin as he simply looked adorable and had such personality in his appearance.

We took him home and were hooked. We had a few house training incidents, but after a few days, Griffin remembered that you go potty outside and has done so ever since. For the first week, he would try to get our other sheltie to play, but our other dog was having no part of this. Finally, after one week, I heard what sounded like dogs playing in the living room and sure enough they were playing. They will start playing and play for about 1/2 hour and will do so more than once each day. I think they really enjoy tugging the bone back and forth between the two of them to see who will end up with the bone.

They are great playmates and I believe this has helped our other dog enjoy his days more. We have never regretted adopting Griffin and I am sure some day we will decide it is time to adopt again. Thanks for taking care of these wonderful shelties and making sure they find homes.

Lori Bird

This is another success. We adopted Athena (sable) 2 years ago. Then this past Jan. I "adopted" Manoli (the blonde girl in the front row) for the remainder of the school year. She was my exchange daughter from Mexico. She fell in love with Athena from the night she walked into my house. The feelings were mutual since her real mommy (my daughter Bri) was away at college. Then in April, Pam called to say she had me a "blue" and to come see him. We went, and he went home with us that day. No second guesses. We knew he had a home from the minute we saw him. He had been a stray and not house broken, but since being here he has started to overcome being so afraid. He was submissive at the start, but now is the "man of the house". He herds the two females and captures the hearts of everybody who sees him. He's a beautiful dog and will only get better with time.

Cindy, Bri, Manoli, Misty (tri), Athena (sable), Milo (blue)

(and Grandma)

On December 23, 2002, one of our little shelties, "Lady" was hit and killed by a car at the end of our driveway. The neighbor boy had come over to borrow something for his mom, and we were unaware that she had snuck out with him. She was a car chaser and was only allowed out back in the fenced yard. She was only out 5 minutes. We live on a dead end and never expected to lose a pet this way. It was devastating to the kids and my husband and I, and did not make for a happy Christmas. We also have Shelly, our 8 year old Sheltie, and it didn't take long for us to realize that we all missed having a second dog. I had heard about PSSR on the internet, and in January, my kids, my niece and I took a drive to PSSR.

We were there for 3 hours trying to decide, and at the last minute, Cathy and Pam opened the basement door and a few more came out. One of them was Lucky and he had only been there a week. He immediately chose us! He went right to Shelly and started to play with her, then he jumped up on the couch and lay by the kids. We took him home (here is a picture right before leaving PSSR), but he did not tolerate the 4 hour ride well. I had to stop several time to clean up various "accidents". Here is also a picture of the next day at home with him making himself comfortable on my new couch that was supposed to be off-limits to dogs (oh, well). We were not having any success housebreaking him, but after a few trips to the vet, we found out that he had a stomach infection. After a course of antibiotics and steroids, he has been great and is almost completely housebroken. He loves kids and women, but is leery of men. He is afraid of blowdryers and vacuums, and is a real howler, especially when my daughter plays the flute. He loves to attack feet under the bed covers (like a cat). He is adorable and we love him, and I think he loves us!!

Jon and Susan Fields, and Shane, Hailey, Bradley & "Shelly" Fields, and Maria Chewar.

I don't know what I would have done without PSSR. My loveable sheltie, Taylor had been with me for 11 years. He had seen me go through a lot of changes, divorce, my only child (RENEE) leaving to go away to college. He was the one that was there through it all, always waiting for me to get home from work. It was hard to come home to an empty house, but I had him. We ate dinner together, I talked to him. When I would sit and feel sorry for myself and cry a river, Taylor was the one there to let me cry on. He would lay his head in my lap and let me cry.

Three months ago I had to have my angel put to sleep. That was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I held him as he went to sleep, whispering in his ear he would no longer be in pain, now he would be in perfect health and happy from now on. My life was truly empty, my home was empty, my heart was empty I could not stop crying. Everywhere I went, outside the house or in the house, I would always see him out of the corner of my eye, or hear him or check to see where he was, only to remember that MY ANGEL WAS GONE.

Then a friend told me about PSSR. I called the very same day. It took a couple of days for me to get the application through. Pam was great with me. I couldn't wait to go to the shelter. I wanted another angel. My daughter, a friend, and myself set out for the shelter, which was about 45 minutes away. When we got there, Pam greeted us and took us to the barn where the shelties were.

It was hard to make the decision on which to take. We all three fell for Tara. She loved to play fetch with balls. I knew that she would take up some of my empty time playing ball with her. We knew she was going home with us. But then another one caught my friend's eye. He was a bit timid, his little tail just a wagging, thin and a little underweight. He was a cutie. I wanted them both, Domino and Tara. Two days later we went back to pick them up. Tara is easy going, just goes with the flow, she fit into our home immediately, she made herself right at home. Domino was another story. He is my wild child. He would not go inside the house. I finally picked him up and took him in to let him know it was okay. Gave him and Tara some snacks. He tried to hide from us. I just worked with him, let him set his own pace of trusting us. I really felt he had been caged up in a small confined area. He did not like to be in the back yard where it is fenced in. He would run if he saw me going toward the gate. I was patient and just let him know he could be out all the time. I would leave the garage door up for him and Tara to come in and out as they wanted. Tara really led the way, little by little he began to come around. Now he is just one big laugh and one big teddy bear. He loves to be loved and played with. Tara taught him how to fetch and play ball, and how not to be afraid any more. He, too, has made himself at home. I don't think we could have picked out two angels so different from each other, but give back the same kind of love. My heart is not empty any more, Yes I still miss Taylor and still mourn his passing. 11 years is a long time to spend with someone and not miss them for all time. But now I get double the love, and I have more than enough love to share with each of my angels. They each sleep in the bedroom with me each night, Tara on one side and Domino on the other. They depend on me as much as I depend on them for love.

THANK YOU PSSR for full and happy hearts again.

Linda Bailey, Norwood, Ohio

Teddy is approximately 2 years old and was rescued from a possible abusive situation in a puppy mill in Licking County. A local lady, an undercover vet, and another woman went to the puppy mill where there were approx. 150 various animals. They saw this Sheltie penned up with wolves and coyotes in a large dirt-only pen. The male owner was mad at him for not breeding as often as he thought he should breed, so he put him in the wolf and coyote pen! He was called 'Stupid.' The rescuing ladies talked the wife of the owner into letting them buy him for $30 to help herd sheep. The lady vet immediately took him in for an exam and neutering and discovered his testicles were atrophied so he was physically incapable of 'doing it'. He did not do well with the sheep-herding job with border collies, but buddied up to one of the dogs.

The final rescue done by Precious Secrets about a month later was by foster mom, Sondra, who was on her way to pick up another Sheltie who was being euthanized at the local dog pound unless someone came and got her. Teddy was added to the 'pick-up' by the lady who owned the sheep. She dropped him off so he could be taken away with Precious Secrets and the new female rescue.

Teddy (his new name) did not like people at all, but soon buddied up to our blind 3½-year-old Collie, Daisy. They became inseparable over the next few weeks. Due the loss of Daisy's sight, she has problems with depression and has had no one to play with except her Mom or Dad. The other rescues in our house are senior Shelties who don't play, but they love to boss Daisy around. Then Teddy came along and helped to get her physically active again by playing puppy-like chewy games and run-and-play games in the backyard. They walk side-by-side on daily neighborhood walks. If Daisy goes out the doggy door to do her business in the back yard, Teddy has to follow, and then he comes in when she comes in. They are best friends now.

Teddy has been slowly getting used to us people and is a bit more trusting of us, but still needs more time to gain faith and trust in us people. He has had a remarkable turn around, though. We adopted him because we couldn't let him go, for Daisy's sake or his, as they need each other very much. We love him and know that we need to give him room to grow. He is showing tremendous progress, but we still can't catch him to bring him up on the couch for our family bonding time with Daisy. He just runs in circles whining in jealousy, but darts out of the room or out the doggy door if Norm gets up to pick him up to put him on the couch with us. One day maybe he can let us cuddle with him and not cower away from us in fear of being hurt. He is a handsome little guy who is shy, but very sweet, and there is no aggression in him at all. He is a follower, not the boss of Daisy, which is what made him a perfect fit into our fur-family.

Norm & Sondra Titus
Marion, Ohio

We took Baron home from the 2002 PSSR picnic. Baron had been returned to the shelter after being adopted for being too active. We had a one sheltie, Carrie, and wanted her to have a buddy. We decided to give Baron a try and he has been a true blessing. He is always excited to see us and never meets a stranger. With Baron around it is hard to be down because he is always there for us with his tail wagging and a playful bark. Thank you PSSR for taking Baron in until you found us for him.

Randy, Joan, Amelia & John

Haley and Harley were adopted in February 2002. I wanted only ONE sheltie for my daughter for 4-H. While waiting for the right match to us, this pair came in and we were told they would be perfect for us. Little did Cathy and Pam know how perfect of a match they were making! Not only did it give two shelties a new home, but it also gave another daughter a 4-H project!

Their first year with their shelties put them at the Ohio State Fair. Cathy and Pam were very proud and made the trip to Columbus to watch them. Both girls went again to the State Fair this past year in Obedience (Harley), Showmanship (Haley), and both in Agility. The shelties keep the girls active as you can see by the picture. Thank you Cathy and Pam for talking me into the TWO of them. It wouldn't have been the same with just ONE sheltie!

Kim, Katie and Miranda

Hello. You may remember me. My name is Amy and I am one of the puppy mill rescue dogs. My before and after picture is the first one in the list on the PSSR website in the "Puppy Mill" tab.

Here is a more recent photo.

In this picture I am seen with my friend and mentor, Morgan, a Rough Coat Collie. Our humans sometimes refer to us as Me and Mini Me. Morgan assumed the big-sister role after she figured out I was home to stay. I learned a lot from her. Kind of like monkey-see, monkey-do. If Morgan did it, I wanted to do it too. When we are out in the yard, I hang pretty close to her. It annoyed Morgan at first, especially when I exercised my herding instinct on her. But now, she is accustomed to having me shadow her and I think she would miss me if I were not there with her.

You'll notice right away that, compared to the original photos on the web site, my eyes are much brighter, my coat is shinier, and I no longer show any signs of fear. Not noticeable in the picture is that I love to run and play. This is in spite of a slightly deformed left rear leg and severely displaced patella in both rear legs. Some thought I would never be able to walk correctly. But my humans, Vicki and Bob Libbin, showed infinite patience as I grew stronger and learned there was nothing to fear at my new forever home. Some say it is an absolute miracle that I can walk so gracefully and run so fast.

I must confess that I am a typical Sheltie; very intelligent, possessing a strong herding instinct, and I have recently discovered that I can bark. In fact, the first time I barked, which was at least 8 months after my adoption, Bob called Vicki at her work to announce the good news! He was so excited because it demonstrated I was asserting my independence and feeling like a real member of the household. I don't understand why, but Vicki was not excited to hear this news. Perhaps she feared I would turn into a bark-bucket but I know not to use my bark unless absolutely necessary….like showing my excitement at dinner time or announcing someone's presence at the front door.

At first, virtually everything was new to me and some things were pretty scary like being outside in the yard. But eventually, I learned to enjoy new activities include riding in cars, camping, and going to places like shopping centers and art fairs or dog shows. At events like these, Bob likes to carry me while Vicki shops because he knows I'm a 'chick magnet' and everybody has to stop and check me out because I'm so cute!

I don't know where I would be right now had it not been for PSSR. Testing positive for heartworms, having a feces-matted coat and with leg deformities that prevented me from moving very much, I did not seem very adoptable. My friend Jacob (who's before-and-after pictures can be seen on the web site just below my pictures) has already passed away due to heartworm complications and I'm sure the same fate awaited Star, myself and many others had we not been rescued from that horrible puppy mill.

Pam and Cathy, you rescued me and promised a forever home. I promised to get well and get stronger, to be a wonderful companion and to give more love than I receive. We both fulfilled our promises. Thank you for giving me a new life.

We had already had 3 large mixed breeds and two Shelties (a deaf sable female named Meg and a senior gentleman sable named Newman) when we heard about Precious Secret Sheltie Rescue. We were interested in adopting another, younger female but Pam said the only available female they had (a 2 year old Sable named Baby ) was on her way out the door with her new adoptive family as we spoke. One week later the Baby was returned and back on the PSSR adoption list. She was a rather neurotic, very yappy little girl with an extreme fear of men. My husband, always up for a challenge, wanted her the minute he saw her. It took nearly a month before he could even get close to her and almost a year until she was settled and socialized. Amazingly, she is now a real Daddy's girl. Each morning, triggered by my husband's alarm clock, the Baby (now named Baby Julie) hops into bed and climbs on his chest for a snuggle. When he comes home from work, Baby Julie flings herself into his arms for a hug. After 4 homes in two years, the scared little Baby who hated all men is happy and settled in a big house on 10 fenced acres with brothers and sisters, a mommy, lots of toys and her favorite person in the world - her Daddy.

Baby Julie was a real project. We swore after adopting her we were at our limit. Then Pam and Cathy put out an urgent call for foster families. We volunteered and told them, since they knew our dogs and situation, to pick any Sheltie they thought would be best fostered in our home. They chose to send us Bear, a 2 year old Tri Color male. Bear had been at PSSR for over 7 months, routinely passed over because he was not very social or housebroken having apparently spent his entire life chained outside to a dog house. Something clicked with Bear and me almost immediately. I knew within weeks he was staying with me forever. He settled in right away. He came out of his shell, exhibiting a rowdy personality (we call him the Punk), a love of very noisy squeaky toys and a real willingness to please by quickly learning tricks. He loves a warm bath and a ride in the car to anywhere. He loves to be hugged, and not just petted, I mean really held and snuggled. My husband has such a way with our dogs, they adore him. But Bear is a Mommy's boy. It took seven dogs, but I finally got one of my own.

I guess you could call our association with PSSR a triple success story. In addition to adopting Baby Julie and Bear, we also became friends with Pam and Cathy. You have enriched our lives beyond measure!

Steve and Linda Wasson

My husband Rick and I both came into this world with dogs. There has only been a short period of time that we haven't had a dog or two. So it goes without saying our children all were raised with dogs, cats, parrots, and reptiles.

On March 28, 2003, our beautiful silky terrier Munchkin passed away. We were heart broken. I called the shelter in Zanesville and they had just received a Sheltie. Rick and I drove over to meet her, and ended up signing the adoption papers. On April 2, 2003, the Andermatt's became Sheltie people.

In February I started talking about getting another Sheltie. I called another rescue, but they didn't have any females so they told me about PSSR. We thought we wanted a female 2-4 years old, and small like Sophie. We saw a wonderful bi-blue named Lacy. Cathy told us her sad story, and we knew she didn't belong in a rescue. A little while later we were on our way home with a ten year old who had won our hearts.

While there Cathy and Pam had told us about Oreo. Oreo's foster Mom was taking her to meet a family, but that didn't work out. So the next morning when I called Cathy to tell Lacy was doing great. Cathy asked if I wanted to meet Oreo. Without a second thought I said, YES! Oreo and Cindy live close by so they came over. Oreo hadn't been in our home ten minutes before I knew she belonged here. Now the only problem was.... talking Rick into three furkids. The next day when Rick got home, Oreo and Cindy were right behind him. Rick was standing at the sink, Oreo walked right over and sat down and looked at him as if to say "Hi, I'm home." Oreo's adoption papers were signed that night!

We now have 3 wonderful furkids. Thank-you to all involved; Rick (I love you so very much), Jenifer, Sharon, Pam & Cathy (thank-you for all the wonderful work you do for these dogs), those of you who aided in paying for Oreo's surgery, Cindy & Bri (I still don't know how you let her go). Our girls will want for nothing, I promise you all. Shelties are like potato chips; you can't have just one! I'm thinking four a great number but Rick's thinking I'm nuts! We'll see what happens down the road.

Pictured are Lacy, Sophie, and Oreo.

Rick, Vickie, Rick, Sophie, Lacy, & Oreo Andermatt

We lost our beloved sheltie, Tessa, two years ago. How saddened and crushed we were to have to let our good girl go. She was just days away from her 12th birthday. It still seems like yesterday. Browsing the web one day for sheltie rescue centers, "just looking" we said to ourselves, we ran across PSSR, just an hour away in Middletown! After the paperwork was completed, we received a call from Cathy and Pam. That very weekend we went to visit. Now we had it in our minds to adopt a young sheltie, as wanted as many years as possible with her. HOWEVER, Misty girl came right up to us, and laid her nose in our hands, tail wagging. Such eyes! She was ours. No matter she was 6 years old and a little underweight. We took her home that day, May 23, 2004, and she has really blossomed in the past 2 months. While her confidence still needs a little work, we are patient. She doesn't seem to know how to play, but the other day, she was chasing her tail! Maybe there's hope. We'll keep encouraging her. We love her any ol way. Such an affectionate dog, too! Thank you, ladies, for allowing Misty to come into our lives. With her here, there a lot more smiles!

John & Terry Vigus
Enon, Ohio

I adopted Angel in Sept. of 2002, after losing my Maggie, my first and wonderful Sheltie. She was a sweetheart. She was hit by a car in front of my house and my heart was broken. I am single and thought it best that I not get another animal because I am gone so much. However, I couldn't stand it.

I had had 2 Poms covering the span of 21 years. But with the neighborhood I live in, I had thought I should have a larger dog. That's when I got Maggie. After she was hit, I wanted another Sheltie. I learned form the internet about Precious Secrets. I contacted them and eventually went down to see about Angel after they had sent her picture.

She appeared to be very sweet and I went ahead with the adoption. She was quiet for about 3 weeks, and then she was wild. She jumped (and I don't like that), chewed everything in sight. I was anticipating taking her back and would have if it weren't for friends who encouraged me. I took her to obedience school and continued with some classes afterwards as well. v She is now the sweetest dog. When I first got her, she wouldn't let me hold her. Now she is very cuddly. She has turned out to be the best dog. She can be a little mouthy, but she is a Sheltie!

Hi, my son Patrick and I visited Precious Secrets in November 2003 to find a sheltie to adopt into our previously cats only home. Cats are fine, but you can't play catch with them out in the yard. As soon as we walked in a larger Sheltie came right over to where I was sitting and laid his head on my leg. Well, with al the shelties to choose from and meet, we lost track of this lonely fellow until much later in our visit. His name was Rocky, and he and his sister Shadow had been rescued from a pound in Northeast Ohio where they only had one day left. We loved Rocky, but couldn't separate them and so brought them both home. Rocky had such a severe long term ear infection, that in January he had a double total ear ablation. He is a much happier dog since although he is now deaf.

Shadow is the watch dog of the property and chases all the birds, bunnies and our one resident ground hog every chance she gets. We did fence in our back yard, and this has been a definite plus, especially with Rocky's deafness. I also enjoy the extra security the fence provides The dogs were 8 when we got them. We never had any sort of housebreaking problem, and they get along great with the cats. We enjoy them every day, and are grateful PSSR saved their lives for us.

Well as you all can see from previously written success stories we already have 2 Shelties adopted from PSSR (Athena mahogany sable) & Milo (blue merle) and we also have Misty (tri) who was not adopted from PSSR. We have yet again added to our little gang…Hanky P (sable and white). If you have kept a close eye on the website you might have seen Hank on here. We first fostered Hank when he came to the rescue being heartworm positive. I will say that I was not happy when my mom said that we would be fostering him, I did not think I wanted another dog running around the house (especially one not house broken). After fostering Hanky for 3 days I had fallen in love with this little guy.

Hanky P. is the first dog that we have EVER had that is truly MY dog (all the others my mom & I share). Hanky sleeps with me and is spoiled rotten, even more so than the rest of our dogs. I can dress him up and take him anywhere and people just love him. Note: Hanky P. is also the PR Dog for Columbus and you can see him on the Donate to PSSR Page at the top, sporting his handmade jacket. Hanky says to make sure his Auntie Pam & Cathy know that he loves them and he's thankful for his new home.

500 dogs and still counting… We all love you Pam & Cathy!!

Hanky P. Tank (#413) & Bri Shipe

We wanted to tell you just a little bit about how well Tori and Tate have been doing since they came to live with us this past April. They are adapting really well to our home. Once Tori chewed up 4 or 5 pairs of really good shoes and boots, we finally learned to keep leather out of reach! They have traveled with us in the motorhome, and this summer they made a trip out to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, through Maine and back home to Michigan. They did really well, and it was fun traveling with them. They seem to love traveling and get excited whenever they see the motorhome parked out front, and the clothes and boxes of food getting loaded. They have now completed 2 obedience courses, and earned their AKC Good Citizenship awards. We are currently taking them to an introduction to agility course, which they really love, too. It's fun to spend the training time with them, and they really enjoy it when they know they've done something correctly. We are blessed to have Tori and Tate sharing our home with us, our travels, and our snowstorms!

Thanks, Precious Secrets Sheltie Rescue!

Dan & Geri Cogan

Phyllis

I always read the success stories on the web site and keep thinking someday I'd write one. Well, I guess its time. I had worked for several shelters and rescues, and totally believed in the work they do. When I started watching the PSSR website, I already had 3 shelties, and a Lhasa, all rescues. Having worked at the local shelter, I realized the tremendous amount of love and work it takes to maintain such a wonderful undertaking as these two great ladies had achieved. Of course, living in Gahanna, I was too far away to physically help, but decided fostering might be my way of contributing. My Uncle and I ventured down to Middletown one frigid February morning, with the intent of bring home one of the dogs we had seen on the website. We spotted Johnny, and it was love at first sight. For some reason he just melted my heart. He had been there for over a year, and everyone kept passing him by. Well, needless to say, I don't foster very well, because Johnny is now a treasured member of my household, as well as Penny, another PSSR girl, I tried to foster. Johnny has turned out to be a wonderful companion, and probably the best behaved and most loving of my brood. I'll bet that raised a few eyebrows, for those of you who knew Johnny at the farm. They tell me he was a bit rambunctious. If you have ever passed a dog by, because you thought he was a bit too wild or he didn't quite look the way you expected, look again. Those dogs are just waiting to show you what they can really be, given the opportunity. I have enclosed before and after pictures. Quite a difference! Thanks again Cathy and Pam, for all the love you have added to my life.

Kat
Shammy, Bryann, Meghan, Tigger, Johnny, and Miss Minnie Penny

3-1/2 years after losing our beloved Sheltie, Cocoa, of 15-1/2 years, I happened upon PSSR on the internet. Russ and I decided it was time for another furkid. A visit to PSSR yielded several possibilities, one very high on the short list was Indy (fka Becky). She was on the mend from heartworm and weighed only 12 lbs and had a very thin coat. Now 2-1/2 years later she's a healthy 22 lbs with a thick beautiful coat.

She loves to be held and cuddled. Indy is a very low key kid who never learned to play. She likes walks but car rides are not to her liking. She gets alittle barky at times now but blames that on "the new kid".

And then along came Blue! On our way home from vacation in 2004, we attended the PSSR alumni picnic. Indy was still at the boarding kennel until Monday so we were flying solo. Pam and Cathy insisted we foster parent for the day and Blue was that furkid. (Method in their madness.)

Within 2 weeks he became a member of our household. Indy is still abit jealous but each day she's more accepting. Blue loves to play and is becoming a real cuddler too. He tries his best to get Indy to play but to no avail. He's devilish at times and when Indy shows him who is boss, he seeks protection behind one of us.

They are two very different personalities and such a joy to have in our lives. Thank you Pam and Cathy for all that you do and for bringing these wonderful, loving little creatures into our lives.

Russ, Jo Anne, Indy and Blue

Hello! We wanted to send you a short note thanking you for bringing Maizy (aka Sugar) into our lives. She is an absolutely amazing dog and we count our blessings every day. She is a wonderful addition to our family and we couldn't be happier. Yesterday (04/21/05) was Maizy's 1-year adoption day and we celebrated with her. Here is a picture of us with our girl on her special day. Thanks for doing the tremendous work you do and know how very much it is appreciated!

Laura and Steve (Maizy's Mom and Dad)

If you ever had any thoughts about fostering or adopting an older dog let me tell you about Sally a thirteen-year-old tri-color (that is still full of piss and vinegar) that we decided to foster. Sally who taught our other dog, Ralphie, how to bark at people walking on the sidewalk. Sally, who also showed him how much fun it is to bark when the phone rings. I end up talking to people in the bathroom with her scratching at the door. Sally who knows where every dog in the neighborhood lives and gets revved up for a confrontation a few doors ahead of time.

The two of us have gotten into a spat a few times. I growl at her she growls at me. Two bitches going head to head. Soon I'm scratching her behind the ear and she's nuzzles up to me. All is at peace once again.

So here we are with our two dogs, Ralphie and Sally, twice the fur in the house, twice the clean up in the backyard, but twice the love. How many more years do we have with Sally? Can't tell. I sometimes think she'll out live us. Like I said if you ever had any thought about an older dog let me introduce you to Sally.

Let's get a dog," he says. "Why?" I ask. Not that I have anything against dogs, I've just always been a cat lover. To me dogs are more work.

He finds PSSR website. E-mails Cathy & Pam for a few weeks. "Let's go check it out," he says. 'What can it hurt', I think. "OK", I said. One Sunday we took a trip to Mason.

Now, mind you, my understanding was 'check it out' not 'get a dog'. "Which one are you interested in?" says Pam. 'Interested in!!' I think. Long story short Ralphie came into our lives. Ralphie, a seven year old tri-color. You couldn't ask for a better dog.

Everything was fine. He had his dog to walk. I had my cat, which, by the way, didn't like the dog so I didn't see the cat for months.

"Foster a dog." he keeps saying. "Ralphie needs a companion." "Two dogs? Are you nuts? I still can't find the cat." I say. Another long story short Sallie came into our lives. Sallie a 12-year-old tri-color. If you ever thought about adopting or fostering an older dog let me introduce you to Sallie.

She still has enough fight in her to take on a pit bull. She taught Ralphie that he could bark at people who walk on the sidewalk next to our house. I won't go into what goes on around here when the telephone rings.

The two of us have butted heads a few times. (Two bitches duking it out.) I tell her to behave. "One word from me and your back at the shelter," I say. Does that faze her? Not that old broad. Sallie, who knows where every dog is in the neighborhood and gets revved up before we get there for a confrontation.

So here's our family, two dogs and a cat (he comes out evenings). There's fur to clean off things. (Are you sure they only blow their coats twice a year?) A back yard with its "packages", but we have more love than we can ask for. The other day Sallie actually licked my hand for the first time. Licked my hand!

Do I ever regret getting the dogs? (Refer to "packages" in backyard) Besides that no. Do I want to make it three? (OK, right now you think I'll say, "How great it is to own a dog" and I'll say, "Yes." NOT. (Cathy & Pam no more sending Ralph home with dogs)

Ralph, Kathy
Ralphie, Sallie & Shadow (the cat)

My husband, Eric, and I had two dogs, Hershey and Mallory, for a long time. But in March of 2005 Hershey died from cancer. It was so sad. We were both heart broken and still miss her very much. Hershey was my husband's best friend. She was so loving and loyal to him. He took the lose very hard. He swore we would never get another dog. (Ya, right. Not if I had anything to do with it.)

Then, a guy at Eric's work had dog that needed a home due to a divorce. We discussed taking in the dog for about a week. But, decided this was not the dog for our family. I really wanted a sheltie. I had a sheltie growing up and if we were going to get another dog, it had to be a sheltie. I told Eric this and he agreed.

So, I started searching the internet for sheltie rescues. Hershey and Mallory were rescued (off the expressway) and we wanted to do the same for a sheltie. I found a couple rescues in Michigan, near my home, but they did not have any shelties that got along with children. We have a 2 1/2 year old daughter, so we needed a sheltie that would tolerate kids. Then, I entered Ohio into the search. Well, I found PSSR. I started looking over the dogs that were available. I saw Belle and fell in love with her little face. I showed her picture to Eric and he thought she was so sweet.

I called PSSR that night, Friday, and spoke with Pam. Told her what I was looking for and about Belle. I was looking for a female Blue Merle, which they did not have. But, I really liked Belle too. We started the application and home study process so that we could visit on next Saturday. Then, Pam called me, said they had just got a male Blue Merle and sent me pictures. He was so handsome. I really was having a hard time deciding which one I wanted. I figured I would know when we got to PSSR and met the dogs.

Saturday morning finally came. We left our house at 4am, so my daughter would sleep through the trip down; which was 3.5 hours. We arrived bright and early at PSSR and met the dogs. Eric fell for Belle right away. He knew she was the one. Jackie, my daughter seemed to like Belle also. Belle did not seem afraid or aggressive toward her. So, we were on our way home by 9am with Belle.

Belle travels great! She loves the car. She curled up in the front passenger seat and slept most of the way to her new home. Once in awhile she would peak out the window. But, mostly, she slept.

When we arrived home, we let Mallory out into the backyard. Then introduced the dogs between the fence. They did not grawl or show any signs of aggression towards each other. So, we brought Belle into the backyard. It was like they were long lost buddies. They ran and played for an hour. Poor Mallory is old and not used to that high of an activity level. So we brought them into the house for some rest and water. No problems in the house either. We did have to teach Belle that it's ok to sit on the furniture. She learned quick! Now, they like to hang out on the couch or on our bed together and bark at people, cars, dogs, squirrels etc. They like to chase each other in the yard. Sometimes a bunny or squirrel with come into the yard and quickly be chased off also. Belle has only been with our family for five days. But, she acts as if she has lived here her whole life.

Thank you Pam and Cathy for all the wonderful work you do. We are so lucky to have Belle in our life. Belle is a joy to have an watch! We will give her a loving, safe home and a great life.

Sincerely,
Jennapher, Eric and Jacquelyn Smith
Mallory and Belle too!
Livonia Michigan

This gorgeous diva is Geena Louise (aka Geena), adopted from PSSR December 2004.

Geena is a part-time therapy dog with fur-cousins Penelope, a petite tri-color sheltie, and Zoe, a lovely sheltie-wanna-be, bringing happiness to Alzheimer's patients.

When she's not on duty, her mischievous and spirited personality shines. Of course, this behavior is not only tolerated but encouraged. For example: herding overstuffed recliners; daily rounding-up and relocating slippers, shoes and boots; nipping me while we're both running at full speed, often resulting in torn clothing (much to the amusement of other park-goers); proudly alerting neighbors that "Geena, Warrior Princess" is strutting fearlessly down the sidewalk, willing to protect me at all hours of the day. If I happen to be sleeping when Geena feels the urge to strut, she wakes me up by gently pulling mouthfuls of my curly hair.

Geena's hobbies include barking, being bathed and fluffed, riding in the car, swimming in her pool with Penelope and hiking.

When Geena makes a new human friend, they often refer to her as An Angel. This must be why she drank the Holy Water during this past year's Feast of St. Francis Animal Blessing when the priest knelt and turned to bless her fur-cousins.

Thank you Pam and Cathy for introducing me to this eloquent, spirited soul.

Kim

After listening to my wife all summer talk about missing Bris and seeing little puppies, and even though she and I had agreed there would be no pets for a couple years, I finally decided I wanted to try helping some of the poor pets that were victims of Hurricane Katrina. I started making some inquiries about abandoned pets, but figured we would have to have a Sheltie if anything. I checked several web sites and finally found PSSR. Although not abandoned pets from Katrina, they stole my heart anyway. I finally let my wife in on what I had been doing. We looked through the dogs available for adoption and found two little pups less than a year old. We made our application for adoption and were approved.

The middle of September of 2005, we made the trip to PSSR. We arrived at the Rescue sometime before noon on the 19th and were totally amazed at all the dogs. After having the two pups we were interested in being pointed out to us, I started having second thoughts about the age. The ENERGY!!! I knew I wasn't going to be able to keep up with them. We were shown some other Shelties and my wife and son fell in love with Jessica, a 5 year old Sable. While they were playing with her, I was kicking around a soccer ball and some little tri-color fur ball named Mocha, came over and wanted to play soccer with me. I'd kick the ball, she would go after it. We did this for about 15 minutes. At about 7 years old, she was a joy to play with. Well, that did it for us; we'd picked two middle-aged dogs rather than two pups. Cathy and Pam were both sad to see Mocha go. She had come in almost a year before with several patches of fur missing, they never dreamed someone would want to take her to a different home.

It's been almost 5 months now and you couldn't have found a better fit - for our furkids and for us. Whether it's going for walks, playing in the backyard, relaxing around the house or going for rides, the "Girls" look forward to spending time with us and vice-versa. They've helped heal the wounds from our loss of Bris. Now, THEY have taken our hearts.

Larry Gyger
LaVale, MD

We wanted to let you know that Duffy (his name is now Bear) has adapted so well to our home that you would think we had raised him from a puppy. After our 15 year old Sheltie "Boomer" passed in September we came to PSSR to find another Sheltie and my wife fell in love with Duffy. He's quite a character and gets along quite well with our other rescue Sheltie "Bailey". After we adopted Bailey from a Nashville rescue it took her a while to learn to trust us and become a member of the family. Not Duffy, he seemed to be familiar with the house, and us, from the moment we brought him home. Thank you both for taking care of Duffy until he could find his forever home and you can count on our support for many years to come. The photo is of Bailey (sable) and Bear (black) at Christmas in our home. Thank you again.

Sincerely,
Brent, Jodi, Bear, and Bailey Kluksdahl

My wife, Erin, and I had recently moved into our first house in northwest Ohio. Since I was out of the house during the week working at my old job in Sandusky, we rescued an abused and brain-damaged chocolate lab mix as a guard dog for my wife and the house. Haley worked out alright except when we left her alone during the day or went to sleep at night. She would chew things (a whole set of coasters), shred things (kleenex spitwads all over the place), and was pretty destructive in general. We debated what we were going to do about her and I suggested that since dogs are pack animals that we should get her a playmate.

Since we had success with our two rescued cats (Gus and Rocky), Erin looked for dogs online and fell in love with a sheltie at PSSR.

We arranged to come down and bring Haley along to see how she would mix with our potential adoptee. One Monday, we packed up myself, my wife and Haley into the car and drove three and a half hours to Middleton.

When we got there, Haley didn't seem too interested in my wife's first choice. We kept looking for the perfect match. There was a young male named Sully that Haley absolutely loved. The two of them tore around the yard like a couple of nuts. My wife liked an older merle with two different colored eyes (like my wife), but she wasn't too interested in Haley either. Finally, an older sable named Winnie kept trying to play with Haley, and she was so sweet that we fell in love instantly. We decided to get Winnie for my wife and Sully for Haley... (A dog for the dog. It makes sense to us.)

As we were walking inside to sign the paperwork, Pam looked at the merle and said, "Say goodbye to your sister, Pebbles." My heart broke at that moment. I had to ask if the two were actually sisters. Pam explained that they were in the same house where a family split and nobody wanted or could take care of them, so they both ended up there the previous Friday. Well, I couldn't split up a pair that had been together their whole lives. I talked to Erin provately and when we turned, Pam had a look of fear in her eyes that we were only going to take Sully. I asked if Sully would be easier to place than the two older dogs. She said, "Yes."

"We'll take the two older dogs, then."

Pam started to cry for joy and told us, "Nobody wants the older ones..." She was overjoyed that we would take them both. So we ended up with Pebbles (6) and Winnie (7). I can't extol the virtue of adopting older pets enough. In our private conversation, Erin and I decided that the puppy and our 2-year old lab mix would destroy the house together. Maybe the older dogs would calm Haley down?

On the trip home, Erin and I agreed that from now on, we would always adopt from rescue shelters like PSSR. Since that time we have adopted a horse (Patronis) from a rescue in Michigan. Winnie loves to chase the horse around the field while my wife rides. Pebbles greets me when I come home, and has become quite vocal. Our two "sheltie princesses" have really made an impact in our lives. We have really fallen in love with the breed. We have also decided that we will always have a sheltie, and PSSR will always be our first choice, no matter where in the country we may be.

As for Haley, her destruction stopped almost immediately. All she needed was a calming influence and she settled right into the pack.

Thank You,
Erin and Matthew Bohne
Gus, Rocky, Haley, Winnie, Pebbles and Patronis Paulding, OH

Jasper (sitting up) joined our family a little over two years ago (They think he was 1.5 yrs at the time.). Now a healthy 42 pounds, he was below 20 lbs when PSSR got him. He was terrified of everything, and I don't think he had ever been walked or enjoyed any normal doggie activities. On our first day, walking around Landen Lake, he jumped into the lake to get away from an oncoming stroller. He barked at all signs, mailboxes, benches, etc.

He is still a bit skittish, but has developed into a very happy guy. He plays with his dog sister and two kitty sisters as much as he can. His perpetual motion and jumping over things led me to take him to agility classes. To my surprise he wasn't scared of the obstacles. He seems to learn things through osmosis. He enjoys romps on the farm and being by my side always. We all really love him and thank PSSR for helping us get the right dog!

Thanks, Melissa

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Since the adoption, Dusty and I have been very busy! We "graduated" from obedience class and make frequent trips to my parents' home in Indiana. (They affectionately call him their "grand-dog." How cute!)

I can't thank you enough for introducing me to Dusty. PSSR is truly a wonderful place and has touched so many lives. Thanks for leaving a special pawprint in my heart. I absolutely love Dusty and am grateful to provide a lifelong home for him!

Lisa Hanasono

Last January I lost my first dog (that was my dog not my parents) a basset hound named Harley. For a year I begged my parents to allow me to adopt another dog. Even though we owned a 9 year old golden retriever named Holden, I still didn't think my life or my families lives were complete.

After bugging my mother and father about allowing me to adopt a dog, my dad finally cracked. Now we had to work on my mother. We contacted PSSR and started looking at the dogs that were up for adoption. I wanted a sheltie because when I was younger my parents had a sheltie and I just remember how much fun that dog was. So one weekend after being approved to adopt a dog my dad and I went to the shelter to check out the dogs. We had one in mind. She seemed to fit the personality that we wanted (spunky, sweet, and loving), but as Pam and Cathey walked my dad and I around the barn with the dogs one dog stuck out to both of us. Scottie kept going around and around the dog house that was in his pin. He seemed very anxious and terrified that we were looking at him. Of course my dad and I had to take a look at this poor dog.

I got him out and took him out to the yard to get a look at him and see if I could earn his trust. Sure enough when I went to go get my camera out of the car to take pictures of Scottie to show my mom he sort of followed me to the gate and stood there watching me. Or so say my dad, Pam, and Cathey. I knew I had to take him home. He needed me as much as I wanted him. Scottie needed a home more than the other dog we were looking at. We knew she would be adopted quick and Scottie had been there for a year and a half.

So after bugging my mother for the longest time, she finally caved when she saw Scottie. Her heart busted open for him too. So on Mothers day of this year I got to take Scottie home! He and I instantly bonded. And to this day he prefers me over my family. He was scared of every noise when we first got him. But he is getting better every day. We don't even know what happened to him before he arrived at the shelter. I just know that since he has been in my home he is a different dog. He runs, jumps, plays, barks (the sweetest sound), and cuddles. Finally he is interacting with our golden retriever.

They are playing and its absolutly hilarious to watch a 110 pound golden play with my 27 pound sheltie. Scottie usually wins! haha! Even though we are still having probems with Scottie's eating habits he is doing great and I couldn't imagine life without Scottie. He sleeps with me at night, and sometimes he just lays there and puts his head on my chest and looks straight into my eyes and lets out the biggest sigh. I always choke up and say to him that he is home and I will love him forever. He is my best friend. A spoiled rotten dog, but he deserves it. The best gift to me though is when I come home and the reaction I get. He just jumps, dances, barks, and wags his tail. He just recently started wagging his tail. It is the best thing to see!

I just want to say thanks to Pam and Cathey, they do so many wonderful things for those dogs. Scottie and myself would have never found each other if it weren't for them! Thank you so much for everything you do!

Jenni Wagner

I first saw Newton when I transported him to the rescue for PSSR. Just how handsome he was everybody could see, but it really took me awhile to realize just how special he would become. I tried for several long months to help find him a home. I knew he was a great dog and I really didn’t NEED another one. When I got the call that he might be placed in Florida I had to do some soul searching. I even had Newton talk to the animal communicator. I knew he needed a real family, but I wanted to be sure he got the RIGHT family. Long story short… he’s now a huge part of my family and my life. He’s what a friend once told me was my “heart dog”. He is exactly just that. He’s my heart and soul. He loves and adores me just as much as I do him. Pam and Cathy saw it from the start, but as usually I was the last to realize it. I’m SO glad I did. He follows me everywhere. He seems to understand my moods and needs. He’s the best friend I needed. Thank you Pam and Cathy! We owe you more than you’ll ever know.

Cindy

After months of looking for the perfect companion for my petite sheltie Penelope, one day I walked into PSSR, saw Francesca (formerly called Dreamer) in a kennel and couldn't resist that beautiful face. I took her home on a "trial basis" since she was larger than I wanted…..Pam and Cathy both had grins on their faces as we discussed this because they knew exactly what was going to happen.

After only a week, Francesca was happily settled in and I knew she had a forever home. This photo was taken at this year's PSSR picnic. Pictured from left to right are fur-cousin Geena, fur-sisters Penelope and Zoe and Francesca. Geena is also a PSSR alum, her bio is listed above

Francesca has developed quite a personality and has learned various "tricks" from her fur-buddies. Geena has taught her which cabinet holds her treats and how to silently open the door, Zoe has introduced her to the wonderful taste of delicious ripe tomatoes, pulled fresh from the vine while Penelope is attempting to teach her the fine art of sporting a hat during their weekly therapy visits at an Alzheimer's Center (where she is affectionately called "Little Lassie"). Francesca also has the distinction of being the very first PSSR Alumni Picnic Queen!

Geena and Francesca have become great buddies. They cannot be together without playing and usually end up wrestling…you learn very quickly to get out of their way. When they're not wrestling, they seem to have a competition to see which one can come up with the most outrageous activity. Geena is leading in this competition and it's going to be hard for Francesca to beat Geena at nipping Kim on her butt when they're all playing and running! Sometimes I think Geena and Francesca should be renamed Lucy and Ethel. All you can do is sit back and laugh at their shenanigans.

Despite her Laurel & Hardy act with Geena, Francesca is a really special Sheltie. Zoe loves Francesca because Francie has never challenged her alpha status yet has taken over the role of watchdog which means Zoe can now retire to a life of leisure; the diva Penelope loves Francesca because Francie's bigger than Penny which means Penny is still the tiny, cute baby that everyone wants to cuddle; Geena loves Francesca because she now has a wrestle-buddy that enjoys playing as much as she does, but I love Francesca most of all because she's such a sweet soul with a heart of gold.

Thanks Pam and Cathy for the incredible job you do - you saved a precious gem when you rescued Francesca!

Cheryle, Zoe, Penelope and Frencesca (Kim and Geena, too).

After looking for several months for sheltie to do agility, I adopted Sierra (formerly Daisy) in June 2004. She is believed to be a blue merle border collie and not a sheltie. It didn't really matter to me though, I knew the moment I saw her that she was the dog for me. Pam and Cathy knew it also, they just smiled. She was beautiful, had a lot of energy and a good temperament and that has never changed. She loves everybody especially if they are in a car, she just loves to go bye-bye (she always thinks its time to go to agility class). During the day, she will come out of nowhere and give me a nudge, letting me know she wants some loving. And when she is ready to settle down, she loves to snuggle up, roll over on her back and get some belly scratches (her favorite). She is great playmate to the rest of my girls especially Kelsi who is also full of energy. They wrestle constantly; never a dull moment. Pictured are Ebony the black tri sheltie, Kelsi the sable sheltie, Sierra the blue merle border collie, and Tawney the tri-red aussie. Thanks Pam and Cathy, you are certainly two of gods angels for doing the work that you do.

Sue, Sierra, Ebony, Tawney, & Kelsi

I was fostering for Precious Secret Sheltie Rescue when PT (AKA Peyton) came along. PT born at Precious Secrets in 2004 and has been a wonderful addition to the family. He is an active go getter when playing fetch and the best cuddle buddy that you could ask for. I can’t imagine life without his cold nose poking me in the face every morning as if to say wake up it’s another wonderful day!

Tonya Halford

This is Nitro, the newest addition to my family. I adopted Nitro from PSSR in September; after he had been running lose in a park for a month or so. Pam and Cathy knew I was looking for another rescue to add to my family. As you might have seen from the Donations page, I lost the love of my life Precious Secrets Hanky P. Nitro has been the best dog anyone could ask for, after losing one that you never thought you'd have to live without. Nitro is getting used to wearing clothes, getting on the furniture (the chair is now HIS throne), and working on following in his brother's paw prints in becoming another PR dog for the rescue. Thank you Pam & Cathy… for finding me just the right dog to heal my broken heart!

Loyal Volunteer (When I'm in Ohio), Bri Shipe

After losing two of my best friends, a peekapoo and a Keeshond, I thought I would take a break in having four legged kids for awhile as I had a young daughter and thought I should focus on her. What I did not realize is my daughter who was not even 2 at the time had come very used to having our furry friends around. While at the vet with my sister’s dog I noticed a sign for PSSR on their bulletin board and immediately was drawn to completing an application and adopting a sheltie. Upon our initial visit Cathy took us to see several of the Sheltie’s. Cathy then mentioned they had just gotten a little sweet girl that had been left outside by her family and a good person noticing her wandering, found the owners discovered they did not want her anymore and so this very nice lady called PSSR. We asked to see her even known she had not even been groomed yet, immediately when she came out to visit with us, the bond was instant and April chose us to be her family. We had to wait 2 weeks until we could bring April home as she was so anemic and had so many parasites they could not give her shots right away, we had to settle with visiting her for those couple of weeks and we could not wait until we could take her home. Thanks Heaven for that kind person that called PSSR as my vet stated based on her medical condition and the severity of her anemia, she wouldn’t have lasted much longer. Pam and Cathy said that April probably would have had a hard time being adopted as she was in such bad shape and was estimated to be 11 years old, even though my first choice was not to have a senior dog based on the losses I had recently experienced, we are so lucky to have her and cherish every day we have with her!

Thank You Pam and Cathy for doing all that you do as April has brought great job into mine and my daughter ‘Summer’s lives!

Jacie Engle

Hello. Just a quick update and note of thanks for the opportunity for Zesta (a.k.a. Zesta Bean because she loves green beans!) and Murray (now called Murphy or Mighty Murph) to join our family. These two furkids have provided so much joy, laughter, and happiness over the past several months we just had to write and let everyone know the Zesta & Murphy story.

We came to PSSR last winter during a terrible snow storm and immediately fell in love with both Zesta and Murphy. When we arrived both these dogs greeted us as if to say "Where have you been? We have been sitting here waiting for you - now when do we go home?"! They ran around together played in the snow, loved on both of us and we instantly knew these had to be our Shelties. At the time the problem was, we had never had a Sheltie and being a one owner cat person for over 17 years, we had to make a terribly difficult choice -- which one to take home. On that particular day Zesta came home with us. What my husband doesn't know, is that when we left, I told Murphy we'd be back for him in a few days -- which is exactly what happened. A week went by and while Zesta moved right in and all was going well, I couldn't stop thinking about Murphy and upon his 1st birthday I told Jon we HAD to go back and get him. We called PSSR and then that following Saturday we did, again in another snow storm and we have never looked back.

Zesta is now 2 yrs old and Murphy is 1 1/2. The two have been to obedience school where Zesta developed quite a reputation due to her high level of energy or "Zest" as we call it. They discovered the lake -- they have doggie life vests and Zesta loves to swim especially if there are ducks she thinks she can catch. They love the bark park -- Murphy can outrun the big dogs, hence "Mighty Murph" because he runs so fast that if he had a superhero cape you'd think he could fly! Not to mention Murphy has developed a fascination with all things mechanical, leaf blowers, garden sprinklers, anything in the kitchen that makes noise, and the vacuum -- almost as if he has an engineering knack! They are truly like brother and sister, the little brother (Murphy) eggs on his big sister (Zesta) and she sets him straight, or if one is getting attention the other has to get right in the middle of it. They are too funny.

We can't thank PSSR enough for these two! At a time when we had experienced the loss of Jon's mother and my cat-companion for 17 years, we needed the kind of love these two have given us. Now we can't imagine what our lives were before they joined our family -- smiles all around. Enclosed is a photo; Murphy on the left trying to get Zesta to play and of course Zesta on the right just happy to be here. Thank you Pam and Cathy!!!

Stephanie & Jon
Huber Heights, OH

Thanks so much Pam and Cathy! Laddie is doing wonderful! He has made us so happy and know that he is definitely living the "cushy-pillow-life"! For X-mas I wanted to take him to see you guys, but we ended up being so busy that we couldn't make it. If you remember how he had trouble gaining weight,well, not anymore! We actually have to watch what he eats! The other day we bought him a new collar, because his old one was too small. He got a little scared because he didn't have his old one on and thought we were going to abandon him! But when Dad showed him the new one, he jumped up on me and happily nudged my hand. When Dad held it out, Laddie ran over and put his head through! The rest of the night, he strutted around like a show dog who had just won best in show! Sorry it's taken me so long to write the success story, I've just been so busy with school and drama and some many other things that would make your head spin! I'm only 13 years old, but what can I say. Life is hard. Again, thank you sooooooo much! I just don't know what life would be like now without Laddie!

Thanks for helping us find our angel,
McKinsey Miller

We had a major event at our house recently that we wanted to share with you. Damon & Camille had birthdays this month (February 2008), he's now 15 and she's 14!! We couldn't be more proud! And March will be our 1 year anniversary together, although it seems like we've had them forever (in our hearts). We had a little party, complete with hats as you can see. Damon insisted on wearing his to the side for a very unique look. And Camille actually let us take a few photo's. Treats were passed out in lieu of cake and everyone seemed to have a good time. To finish things off, Rodney the collie ate his hat. Thank you for making this wonderful day possible.

All the best,
Tim & Cindy Leachman and The Clan

If you adopted your Sheltie from Precious Secrets Sheltie Rescue and would like to have their photograph featured on our Success Stories page, simply email a photo of your pet, along with his/her name and a short biography to our webmaster at sue@matschca.com, and we'll be glad to add it to our page!

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