Leading the Sheltied Life!
Featured Dogs and Their Happily Ever After Stories:

PATTY was surrendered by the family of a man who went to a nursing home and I got Patty started on her weight loss journey. She now lives in a quiet, yet active home and gets to go to the dog park all the time with her WSR sheltie sister Chibi. I can’t wait to see half of Patty at the 2012 reunion!

SASHA is the big eared mixed girl that we got from a humane society. She now has a wonderful home with a former grooming client of mine who likes sheltie mixes. She teaches piano lessons to kids, so Sasha will have lots of visitors and I’m sure she’ll be ‘announcing’ each one.

ARCHER came home from the 2011 sheltie nationals in St. Louis with us and has been here since April waiting for the right home. I’m so happy that he has a home with a big fenced in yard and two collie sisters to romp around with. I can’t wait to see him again at the reunions!
Visit our Adoption page to see more dogs waiting for a home.
About Wisconsin Sheltie Rescue
Wisconsin Sheltie Rescue has two main purposes:
- Find new homes for displaced Shelties.
- Educate the public about the Shetland Sheepdog breed.
Wisconsin Sheltie Rescue was founded by accident in 1995. A former roommate abandoned a sheltie with the founder, Lisa Martin. Not knowing anything about the breed, Lisa researched for information that would educate her on Shelties. Through email, she met Dorothy Christiansen, National Sheltie Rescue Coordinator, who started her with some guidelines and continues to mentor her today. The rest is history. Since 1995, WSR has rescued over 850 dogs and has mentored other rescue organizations through their own startup phase.
Wisconsin Sheltie Rescue is an all-volunteer group that grows every year by the number of adopters dedicated to helping dogs lead the “sheltied” life. All WSR dogs are beloved family members, some are also agility and obedience champions.
Shelties come to rescue at all ages, from puppy to 15+ years. The breakdown in age of WSR shelties is:
- 0-3 yrs. 15%
- 4-9 yrs. 50%
- 10+ yrs. 35%
No matter the age or background, each dog has the potential to "lead the sheltied life." There is a perfect home out there for each dog, and WSR helps that home find their perfect dog. Perfection in home and dog has little to do with housekeeping and adherence to breed standard. Perfection has everything to do with the “match.” WSR constantly strives to create that perfect match between human and canine.
General information about our adoption process:
Our mission is to find the best home for the dogs in our program, so they make a smooth transition to their forever home. Having an approved application on file is the best way for you to know of all the dogs in the WSR program, as well as for us to know of the greatest opportunities for the dogs in our care.
You can become a pre-approved adopter by completing an adoption application, even if you don't (yet!) see a dog on this site you like -- this will give you the opportunity to express your preferences for the kind of dog who will fit into your life and family. NOTE - all adopters are required to complete an application.
If you are interested in any of the dogs available through Wisconsin Sheltie Rescue, please fill out the application form prior to emailing or calling. We are an all-volunteer group and work full time jobs as well as run a rescue. We do try to respond to all inquiries promptly, but it may take a day or two. Any spare time we have is spent taking care of the dogs looking for homes. While most dogs who come into Wisconsin Sheltie Rescue are posted on this page, a few go right to success. The dogs who went directly to success went home to pre-approved adopters.