Fresh Start Sheltie Rescue

ADOPTION PENDING!!!

Little miss Hannah got her teeth cleaned (only had to have one pulled) a week ago and got 4 lipomas removed. She is healing well and feeling great! It's time to start the search for her forever home. Just a reminder, she is not a Sheltie. We have attached her DNA profile again. She is mostly a Chihuahua/Corgi mix (along with some other interesting breeds). She was found on the side of the road in HORRIBLE shape by a good Samaritan who took her to the vet to get started on the long road to recovery. Her forever home will be in for a treat. Hannah is a happy tail waggin' girl and just a sweetheart! She is housetrained; she is crate trained, too, but she is so good and well mannered she doesn't get crated in her foster home. The finder's vet estimated her to be 5 to 6 years old, but our rescue vet said she thought she was probably 6 to 8 years old. Her forever home will need to continue her dry eye meds for life in her right eye (1 drop twice a day) and feed her a diet that will keep her allergies (most likely the source of the bad yeast infection she had when she was found) in check. We are still working on finding just the right brand and formula. She is being fostered in the Memphis, TN area. For more information, email us at [email protected]. SHE IS A DOLL!

Meet miss Hannah! You might be thinking . . . that certainly is not a Sheltie, and yes you are right. When we got an email a few weeks ago that read . . . "I found a black and white Sheltie on the side of the road badly neglected." We asked for more information and pictures. Bless her heart, she was VERY badly neglected . . . horrible skin irritation and hair loss from severe yeast infection, ear infection, undiagnosed and untreated dry eye, fleas, ticks, matted coat, and several lipomas. The finder had taken her to the vet and got started on getting this girl back to health. She couldn't keep her and asked if we could take her. Even though we could tell she wasn't a Sheltie or a Sheltie mix, she was in such bad shape we found ourselves saying yes to her. This girl is the sweetest! She just wants to be petted and loved on. She is housetrained and just a well mannered girl. The finder's vet thought she was 5 to 6 years old; our rescue vet said maybe 6 to 8 years old. Sometimes long term neglect can make them look older, so we really don't know. Her ears have cleared up, she is on dry eye medication (she only has dry eye in one eye), and her skin is looking so much better. She is getting her teeth cleaned next week (on Tuesday) along with getting the lipomas removed. She is already spayed. She weighs 18 pounds. Help spread the word that this little non-Sheltie needs to find her forever home! Her new family needs to be committed to continuing her dry eye care and feed her a special diet. They will be highly rewarded!!!

As for what breed/breeds she is, check out the picture with her Wisdom Panel results. She is pretty much a Heinz 57 since she has 9 different breeder in her! We were guessing Cavalier/Dachshund mix (she does have a longer body and short legs), but she has no Cav and no Doxie in her!

For more information, contact us at [email protected]. She is being fostered in the Memphis, TN area.

Hi everyone! Some of you know that we rescue and place mostly Shelties, but we also have been known to place a Collie or two along the way (or 5 or 6).

Back in 2019, we got this 5 month old Collie puppy whose owner was having major health issues. We found the most awesome forever home for him a few months later. His dad has been awesome in keeping in touch with us over the years. He recently sent us this great picture of him and Moab (was Harley in rescue with us). They were certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and are now a therapy dog team at Northeast Georgia Hospital in Braselton. Moab even has his own ID badge! We love that they are bringing smiles and helping people during difficult times. What a GREAT update on a FSSR alumni!

Temp foster found - thanks Rachel!!!

In great need of a short term foster in the Memphis area for a few days starting tomorrow. This is a 20 pound female about 5 to 6 years old. Send an email to [email protected] if you can help us out! Thanks in advance!

Guess what today is? It is the 2 year 'Benniversary!' It was 2 years ago today that we took Ben into rescue - all 63 pounds of him! He could barely walk. He needed help getting into a standing position, and he needed help getting up and down a couple of steps. He was very close to being totally immobile. Many of you followed (and donated toward) his journey to get healthy. He was diagnosed with low thyroid, Cushings's disease, and a back hock issue that required surgery at a specialty hospital.

He was adopted last year by his foster mom. He has a guardian angel in Texas who donates to help with the cost of his medications. He continues to look and feel great. He is maintaining a great weight of 30 pounds and just look at him! He is looking fabulous!!! WE LOVE YOU BEN!!!

One of Fresh Start Sheltie Rescue's 'missions' is to be a 'safety net' for Shelties that really need help. In a case earlier this year, it was because an owner died and left behind 3 Shelties. The family was able to provide a home to one, but that left 2 others that needed somewhere to go. We stepped up to be the 'safety net' for these 2. Jackson is 10 years old, and Windy is 3 years old. Upon arrival into rescue, it was discovered that Jackson had a bladder stone, as well as being intact. The bladder stone was successfully removed when he was neutered. This was also during an unusually winter weather event for this area, and we had to board both dogs a few days. With testing, 2 surgeries, lab work, x-rays, pathology results, etc., Jackson's vet bills reached almost $3,000. Windy's were more average, but we still spent more money on her vet bills that we did on adoption fees. We did get a donation from the owner's friends as well as a national Sheltie organization, and that covered about half of Jackson's expenses. As we said in a previous post, we usually spend more on Shelties than we get in adoption fees. Again, just trying to explain why we need to ask for financial help from time to time.

The great news is that both Shelties were adopted by their foster homes. They are both doing very well!

Okay, we will admit this was an epic fail. What sounded like a fun idea to raise some money just didn't pan out . . . like in zip . . . zero . . . nada entries. NONE.

The reason we need to raise money on a semi regular basis is that in about 90% of the dogs we rescue, we spend more in expenses than we get in adoption fees; sometimes the difference is MUCH more. We will give an example in a separate post about 2 Shelties we took into our rescue in early February. Stay tuned to hear about Jackson and Windy.

Pic to grab your attention (2025 FSSR alumni Dillon - Sheltie and 2018 FSSR alumni Ringo - Collie).

Are you ready for spring? We are! How about a contest to liven things up?

For a nominal $5 donation to Fresh Start, you might win a prize! We have some donated things that would make lovely prizes. Here is what we are thinking:

We will have 2 first place winners - one will be a Fresh Start Sheltie Rescue 'alumni,' and the other will be any other Sheltie. The same for second place; one will be a Fresh Start Sheltie Rescue 'alumni,' and the other will be a non alumni. Is that clear as mud?

Here are the basic rules -

Email us at info@mysheltie with pictures of your Sheltie(s) dressed up for spring or in a spring setting. Send in $5 for EACH pic entered (payment options below). Contest starts now and ends at 12 noon central time on 3/24/26. We will select a panel of 5 judges to pick the 1st and 2nd place FSSR winner and 1st and 2nd place non FSSR winner. Winners will be contacted via email and posted on our page! Prizes will be mailed to the winners.

Here are the payment options:
* PayPal to [email protected]
* Venmo to
* Mail a check to Fresh Start Sheltie Rescue, c/o Kim Fike, 9255 Forest Wind Drive, Collierville, TN 38017

Let's have fun and show us some cute pics!

Update 3-09-26: ADOPTED!!!

Our sweet Lily is still looking for her forever home. This happy little girl is going to be a wonderful family member with the fortunate home she becomes a part of.

Lily came from a life in a commercial breeding facility. She is extremely happy now living inside as part of the family. She has made this adjustment quite well! She is 4 years old and will be 5 in April. From day one, Lily has never met a dog she doesn’t adore. She is very playful and will need a home with another playful dog. Miss Lily is crate trained, leash trained and loves pack walks with her foster siblings. She is also house trained. Many of the Shelties we get in from a commercial breeding facility are shy. While not shy at all around other dogs, she is a bit tentative with new humans, yet warms up quickly. She came into rescue a little chunky, has lost most of her weight and looks forward to a home that will continue her on a good nutritional path. We are looking for a home with a securely fenced yard and a playful, friendly dog in the home, NO exceptions! She hasn't been around children that we know of, so we are looking for an adult home or one with older (10+ years old) children in it. She is being fostered in the Huntsville, Alabama area, and her potential adopter(s) must be willing to drive there in person. We do not ship our dogs, and we also do not place our dogs too far away from TN, AR, MO, MS, and AL. All inquiries need to be emailed to [email protected].

NOTE: ALL inquiries must go to [email protected]

Meet Lily. She is 4 years old and will be 5 in April. She came from a life in a commercial breeding facility. She seems extremely happy to be now living inside as part of a family! The day we got her, she ran and played like crazy with the 2 other dogs in the household. It was so beautiful to watch!!! Miss Lily is crate trained, leash trained (could use some practice), and hasn't had an accident in a couple of weeks (so close to being 100% house trained). Many of the Shelties we get in from a commercial breeding facility are shy. Lily is more skittish than shy. She just hasn't been there, done that yet. It just takes time, love, and patience to see them blossom. She came into rescue a little chunky but has lost a couple of pounds and probably has another couple to go. We are looking for a home for her with a securely fenced yard and a playful & friendly dog in the home. NO exceptions to the fence and having another dog requirement! She hasn't been around children that we know of, so we are looking for an adult home or one with older (10+ years old) children in it. She is being fostered in the Huntsville, Alabama area, and her potential adopter(s) must be willing to drive there in person. We do not ship our dogs, and we also do not place our dogs too far out away from TN, AR, MO, MS, and AL. As stated above, all inquiries need to be emailed to [email protected].

One of our special 'alumni' gained her wings a few days ago. Some of you may remember in the summer of 2023 a 14 year old tri female named Lola who found herself needing a new home. She found it with some very special people that didn't hesitate to adopt a very senior girl that needed a soft place to spend the rest of her days. Here is what they wrote about her:

Time flies when you are living the dream, and it flew much too fast for our sweet Lola who we adopted from Fresh Start in August of 2023. From running the streets and homeless at 14 to being the queen boss in charge of her back yard, she was our show girl and made her way to the beaches of the Jersey shore as well as learning to be a best boat-mate in Destin. She was the big sister to Gracie (also from Fresh Start) and tried her best to be a good influence for her in all things that earned extra treats. Mostly, she was the queen of the castle and maintained a regal watch over all things human and otherwise! Unfortunately, she crossed that rainbow bridge last Friday so fast we could not believe it. To all that came in contact with her and helped her on her journey to us, we thank you for this wonderful spirit that spent too short of a time with us. Never doubt the powers of a senior rescue to fill your heart and home with so much love!