All Dogs
Adopt a Loving Border Collie
Thank you for taking an interest in our organization and this special breed!
Under All Dogs you will find all of our current foster dogs. You can view the information and send an email to the listed contact for more information and ask questions. You must be an approved adopter in order to meet the dogs. The application process can take a couple of weeks to be completed and you are not guaranteed the dog that you are interested in. We often get multiple applications for each of our dogs and choosing the new family is entirely up to the foster home. This decision is made in the best interest of each individual dog and not based on the order in which an application arrives. Click Here for the Adoption Page.
Next In Line are dogs that are currently being relinquished and are approved to come to our rescue. However, they have not yet been placed with an approved foster family and so they are not covered by our organization’s policies. Any interest in these dogs is done so at your own risk. Please view the guidelines before inquiring.
Happy Endings are all of our dogs that have made it to their final destinations with a new FUREVER home! Take a look at all of the smiling faces that have made their journey through our ranks.
In order to adopt a dog from us, you must first submit an Adoption Application. To submit your application, you may apply online by clicking here. If you have any questions please email us at adoption@mwbcr.org.
Thank you for considering rescue first, and for opening your heart and home to a Border Collie in need.
Meet Our Available Border Collies
They are waiting for your love.
Jesse
Age: 1 year
Breed: Border Collie mix
Sex: Male
Weight: 40 lbs
Energy Level: Moderate/Still building confidence
Jesse is a tenderhearted young Collie mix who recently made the trip from Kentucky to his foster home in southeast Michigan — where the snow was a big new experience! Despite all the changes in his world, Jesse has shown himself to be incredibly gentle, quiet, and people-oriented. He’s especially sweet with kids and builds trust quickly with calm, patient humans.
Jesse is naturally curious but still finding his confidence. He isn’t quite ready for full walks yet, but he uses a leash well for bathroom breaks and is gradually learning that the world outside is a safe place. With encouragement and routine, he’s already making steady progress.
He is crate-trained, sleeps quietly through the night, and has done very well when left alone. This boy is also potty-trained and knows basic cues like “sit” and “no.” Jesse is very food-motivated, which makes training rewarding and fun.
Jesse is one of those rare, young dogs who comes with a naturally calm, gentle presence. He’s affectionate, eager to learn, and incredibly resilient for all he's been through. With time, consistency, and love, his playful personality will continue to blossom, and he’ll repay you with loyalty, sweetness, and endless cuddles.
Neutered and up to date on vaccinations.
Jesse Facts:
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Very quiet; not a barker
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No chewing tendencies observed
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Good with baths and handling
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Nervous in new situations but adapts with support
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Good history with other dogs (per previous foster), though he hasn’t met any in his current home yet
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Jesse has shown some herding/prey-drive behaviors toward cats, so he would do best in a cat-free home
Location: Ypsilanti, Michigan
Contact: team@midwestbordercollierescue.org
Jillian
Age: 5 years
Breed: Border Collie
Sex: Female
Weight: 46 lbs
Energy Level: Moderate
Meet Jillian! This charming blue merle girl will melt your heart with her bubbly personality and beauty! Jillian loves meeting new people and treats every person as if they were her long lost friend. She loves following her foster family around the house, snuggling with them, or napping at their feet.
Outdoors, she enjoys playing tag with her male BC foster brother, but she does not like to interact with the foster family's female dog, so she would be best in a house as an only dog or with a male.
Jillian knows basic commands such as sit, down, and shake, and she is learning to be crate trained. She is very food motivated and loves getting her reward treats! Jillian does well on leash when heeling and is enjoying her daily trail adventures with her foster family. She can pull when excited by other dogs or prey animals, and her foster family is working on this through recall practice with treats. She has a strong prey drive and some herding tendencies, so she will do best in a home with no small children or cats.
Jillian is current on vaccinations and is spayed. Keep an eye out for updates as her foster home gets to know more about her!
Location: Wisconsin Dells
Contact: team@midwestbordercollierescue.org
Barney
Age: 3 years
Breed: Border Collie Mix
Sex: Male
Weight: 48 lbs
Energy Level: Moderate
Barney is a 3 year old border collie mix. He came to us on October 18th from a shelter in KY. He spent the last 8 months in the shelter and supposedly hasn't seen sun or grass in those 8 months. When he arrived there he was feral and no one could touch him because he was so shut down and scared. After gaining trust with one of the volunteers, he slowly came around and has blossomed into an incredible boy. He is a very friendly and loving dog. He loves going on walks and exploring. He is a little cautious when approaching new surroundings. He will slowly investigate and determine a course of action. He is the same when meeting new people. He loves to play with tugs and acts as if he is still a puppy.
Barney needs work with basic commands but knows "no" and "leave it". He doesn't know "heel", but he is a dream on a leash, and doesn't pull or lunge. He loves to play with people or other dogs. He has been on walks and encountered deer, cats, dogs and has had no reactions. Saw a squirrel and did want to chase it, but did not pull. He would be a perfect companion for a house with or without dogs as long as there was plenty of time for him to be with people.
Barney is up to date on vaccines, microchipped and neutered.
Get your application in on this guy ASAP as you will not want to miss out on such a sweet boy!
Location: Chicago suburbs
Contact: Stan, sgierczak@comcast.net
Finn
Age: 5 years
Breed: Border Collie Mix
Sex: Male
Weight: 63 lbs
Energy Level: Moderate
Meet Finn, the sweetest boy with the brightest smile!
Finn is a friendly, playful Border Collie who’s ready to bring joy and energy into his forever home. He’s fantastic with other dogs and would love a canine buddy to romp around with—but he’s just as happy being your one-and-only adventure pal.
This smart guy is fully housetrained, eager to please, and quick to settle in once he knows he’s safe. Finn adores walks, follows along beautifully, and lights up when it’s time to play with toys—tug, fetch, squeaky toys… he’s not picky, he loves them all.
Finn recently met a couple of cats and did really well. He was curious, respectful and then quickly interested in other things!
He also does well with older kids (age 12+) and loves to get lots of attention and snuggles.
If you’re looking for a loyal companion with a sweet heart and a happy-go-lucky spirit, Finn is your dog. He’s ready to explore the world with you, snuggle after a good play session, and become the best friend you’ve been hoping for.
Finn is waiting to meet you—come say hello!
Location: Minneapolis area
Contact: cparmley11@gmail.com
Milo
Age: 1 year
Breed: Border Collie
Sex: Male
Weight: 43 lbs
Energy Level: Moderate
Milo is a striking traditional black-and-white Border Collie with a refined elegance and a gentle spirit. While he may take a moment to warm up to new people, he soon reveals his affectionate nature and endearing, playful personality. As a devoted companion, Milo thrives on close connection, making him the ideal "Velcro dog" who finds true contentment by his person's side.
Milo arrived at the shelter when his previous owner, facing significant health challenges, could no longer provide the care he deserved. Fortunately, his owner invested substantial time in his training, which is evident in his current foster environment. Milo demonstrates impressive obedience, including sit, down, paw, stay, come, and additional commands we are continuing to discover. He has prior experience with clicker training and agility work, and was even trained for off-leash reliability—though we have yet to test this in a controlled setting. These skills position him as an exceptional partner for active, engaged households.
Milo exhibits exemplary house manners. He has had no accidents or marking incidents, and he efficiently completes his outdoor routines before promptly returning indoors.
He interacts harmoniously with other dogs, showing respect and deference to his foster housemates. During cat introductions at the shelter, Milo displayed indifference, and in one instance, appeared mildly cautious toward the feline.
Milo enjoys leisurely walks and maintains excellent leash etiquette. He can become mildly enthusiastic upon spotting other dogs, an area we are addressing through ongoing positive reinforcement training.
Travel poses no issue for Milo; he rides calmly and contentedly in the car, often appearing to relish these outings.
Due to his innate herding instincts, we recommend a home without children under 10 years of age to ensure a smooth transition for all.
We continue to learn more about Milo each day, so please check back for updates. If you have an approved application on file (valid for two years) or have recently submitted one for another dog, we invite you to contact tlb145@aim.com for additional details and next steps.
Location: Northeast Ohio
Contact: tlb145@aim.com
Shadow
Age: 2 years
Breed: Border Collie
Sex: Male
Weight: 51 lbs
Energy Level: Moderate
If you're looking for a dog who's got the biggest heart wrapped in a fluffy, huggable package, allow us to introduce Shadow, a super sweet boy.
This guy has had a tough start—spending way too much time cooped up in a kennel, which left him with some elbow sores (all healing up nicely now!) and a case of serious noise anxiety. In a town environment, every car horn or distant bark sends him into jumpy mode, like he's auditioning for a surprise party he didn't sign up for. But here's the magic: Take him out on quiet trails or just beyond the city limits, and he's your dream hiking partner! His foster family has been strolling those peaceful paths during camping trips, and he struts along like a pro—ears perked, tail wagging, totally in his element. Weekends away? Golden. Busy days with traffic and crowds? A work in progress, but oh, the potential!
Leash manners are another area his family is working on—he starts off like a champ, walking politely by your side, but a sudden noise can make him bolt for the safety of the car (which, fun fact: He used to dread car rides so much he needed a little chill pill, but now? He's begging for joyrides! His foster dad Dave's truck is his safe haven on wheels. 🚗💨)
He's been a total gentleman with other dogs—super passive and easygoing, letting the bossy ones (looking at you, resident Border Collie) take the lead while he chills and finds his own fun. Men? Instant fan club—his foster dad is his hero.
He's been great with kids, including toddlers! He's a little too interested in cats, so a household without them would be preferred.
Bottom line? This boy has zero formal training under his belt yet, but with patience, positive vibes, and lots of those quiet trail walks, he's going to blossom into the most loyal, affectionate companion. His foster family is totally smitten. "I've fallen in love with him," they confessed. "He just needs time to trust the world again." And trust us—he's worth every gentle step.
If you're a calm household with a yard for decompression, a love for slow-build adventures, and room in your heart (and on those trails) for a dog who's equal parts velvet cuddles and untapped explorer, could he be your guy?
Shadow is vaccinated, HW negative and neutered.
Location: NW Missouri
Contact: kelly@w5accounting.com
Buddy
Age: 3 years
Breed: Border Collie
Sex: Male
Weight: 35 lbs
Energy Level: Moderate
Buddy is a very very sweet and shy boy. He is settling in extremely well in his foster home on a small horse farm. He especially likes Daisy, a recently adopted MWBCR dog. He is also getting along extremely well with with the foster family's two other dogs, Rambo (German Shepherd) and Jana (BC). When family members visited recently for two full days/nights his family found that Buddy LOVES kids!!! This was HUGE for him to undergo such a big change, travel, large family and KIDS in just a few days.
Buddy spent all day with the family on the farm on Monday and Tuesday and was outside both days at the barn while his family rode horses. donkeys and visited the ducks several times. He absolutely loved it and stood right by side on the long lunge leash. He is AMAZING on the leash and is already trained to sleep in the crate at night. This boy is really something and he is going to be a GREAT dog, once he completely comes out of his shell.
His family plans to gently expose Buddy to as many things as possible to help him adapt to almost any family!
Buddy is vaccinated, HW negative and is scheduled to be neutered.
Location: Chicago Area
Contact: deedee2210107@gmail.com
Nylah - Adoption Pending
Age: 2 years
Breed: Border Collie
Color: Tri-Color
Sex: Female
Weight: 70 lbs
Energy Level: Moderate
Nylah is a gorgeous tri color with the sweetest personality and absolutely loves people. Her favorite place to be is with her humans.
She gets along well with other dogs and loves to play while at the same time is fully respectful of the older resident dog in her foster home.
Nylah is a bigger lady and needs to work on losing weight - she is currently on diet food and doing well working towards this goal. She LOVES going on walks and is doing well on a harness but is working on her leash manners overall.
She is fully housebroken with zero accidents and knows sit and has decent recall. We are working on lay down to curb her enthusiasm (aka jumping) and she is doing very well with that. Basic obedience reinforcement is in progress but she is learning quickly and highly motivated.
She loves ball and playing fetch, and is quite fast for her larger stature - she loves playing with her people and other dogs and has some puppy energy still so reaching her weight loss goals shouldn’t be an issue with consistency.
Nylah has a great “off switch” too and is happy to curl up at your feet or lay nearby and relax when playtime is over.
She does have some separation anxiety that shows up in crate training and we are actively working on that. She does sleep though the night in her crate fine though may whine a bit at first. She tends to be upset when leaving. She is making progress as she learns to trust all the new situations she has been in recently.
She has not been around cats but has shown some prey drive towards the neighborhood squirrels. She loves kids (though I haven’t personally had her around any really small ones) and all people in general - pets are her fav ❤️ she adjusts well to new environments and does well in the car, too.
Overall Nylah is just the sweetest girl with a lot of love to give and will make a wonderful addition to her forever home.
If you have an approved application on file or recently turned one in for another dog (they are general approvals and good for 2 years), be sure to reach out to: team@midwestbordercollierescue.org to connect with her foster home.
Location: Chicago Area
Contact: team@midwestbordercollierescue.org
Ghost - Adoption Pending
Age: 2 years
Breed: Border Collie
Sex: Male
Weight: 48 lbs
Energy Level: Medium
This handsome red and white gentleman will steal your heart with his sweet personality and stunning unique look. Ghost is turning 2 years old this weekend and is good with kids and other dogs. Cats are unknown. He can be a little shy at first but then warms right up and will want to snuggle with you. He does well on leash and likes going for long walks. He enjoyed a bath yesterday and playing out in the sunshine. If you are looking for a cool dude to be your buddy - he is it!
Ghost is current on vaccinations and is scheduled to be neutered.
Keep an eye out for updates as his foster home gets to know more about him as he only arrived recently.
If you have an approved application on file or recently turned one in for another dog (they are general approvals and good for 2 years), be sure to reach out to: team@midwestbordercollierescue.org to connect with his foster home.
Location: Chicago Area
Contact: team@midwestbordercollierescue.org
Blue - Adoption Pending!
Age: 8 years old
Breed: Border Collie Mix
Color: Black/White
Sex: Male
Weight: 60 lbs
Activity Level: Moderate
Blue is a smart, affectionate, and endlessly charming doggo who’s searching for a forever home where he can truly thrive. Poor Blue lost his home and his best friend when his owner passed away from cancer.
Blue is the total package – highly intelligent and eager to please, he picks up on training like a pro. He is very treat motivated. Blue is 8 years old but don’t let his age deter you. Everyone he has met thinks he’s 3 or 4 because he is so energetic. He is very affectionate and just enjoys being around his human whether relaxing and watching TV or going on a run. He is house trained and has never had an accident while I have been fostering him.
He’s incredibly social and playful with other dogs, making him a great addition to a multi-dog household.
That said, Blue isn’t a fan of cats and would do best in a feline-free home. Because he thrives on companionship, Blue is best suited for someone who has a multi-dog household or who’s home most of the day – whether you work from home, are retired, or just love having a dog by your side as much as he loves being there.
Blue’s heart is as big as his personality, and he’s just waiting to share both with someone special.
Location: Champaign, IL
Contact: Abhi, atangada@gmail.com
Minnie - Adoption Pending
Age: 1 year
Breed: Border Collie
Color: Black/White
Sex: Female
Weight: 45 lbs
Activity Level: Moderate
Minnie update from her foster home! Although quarantined due to her heartworm treatment, she has been such a trooper. Minnie is now deemed clear of her quarantine and able to run and play. There are no apparent long term or residual effects from her heartworm disease.
Minnie is happy go lucky, has been excellent with kids of all ages including our toddler. Our toddler is pretty low key does not pick and pull, but does give her hugs every night and she loves it, she follows him to bed and is always checking in on everyone. No matter where we are, she is right there by us. Minnie does show some fear of larger/tall men she becomes timid, growling, hackles up and skittishly runs away. She also has a high prey drive to the point she ran/ broke out of our patio door to get a squirrel.
We had Minnie around a cat twice now (our neighbors) and she actually did well around the cat. We are trying to get that exposure in a safe controlled environment and she did well. The cat she bolted after was a stray outdoor cat that was running through the yard. When outside, Minnie is just in high prey drive so I wanted to see how she did in the home of our friend who was willing to volunteer her cats! The Vet Clinic also stated that she did well with the clinic cat and did not have any desire to go after him (he is also old and not running around). So I am hopeful and will keep working with her around cats!
Minnie could use a good yard to zoom in, she needs a fenced yard due to the high prey drive and her recall has been slow for her to pick up. Minnie is not really treat motivated when it comes to distractions and she does not really understand how to fetch a ball nor does she have much desire to. Minnie has been excellent with other dogs, she has been around some quite low key dogs along with some high energy dogs just recently and she has been very tolerant.
Her spay has been scheduled for October 31st so she will be available for adoption after she's healed.
Previous update:
This sweet girl has been through a lot in the last 6 months, going from being a stray, discovering she was pregnant, taken in to have her litter of puppies, then off to a shelter where the Midwest Border Collie Rescue was contacted. All but one of her pups found homes so Minnie made the journey with her puppy Charlotte to a Midwest Border Collie Rescue foster home.
Prior to her move to WI she was examined, updated on vaccinations, fecal and heartworm testing performed. She wad found to have heartworm. At her followup exam to establish care and assess next steps, she was found to have a skin infection along with an ear infection, both very treatable. She is going to require a very activity-restricted lifestyle for at least 3 months once she starts heartworm treatment, let alone the injections are quite painful. Soon we hope that her struggles will be over and she can live her life in the comfort of a beautiful family where she can finally be pampered!
Minnie has taken everything in stride, adjusting well to being an indoor family dog and is coming out of her shell more and more each day. Minnie at this time has not had direct exposure to other dogs, when she has seen them outside she barks and appears nervous. More to be assessed after she undergoes her heartworm treatment. Although she is a little shy she is a gentle soul, loves snuggles and is often checking in with her foster parents for a little extra love and affection. Minnie seeks out approval from her foster mom when new people come around, she hides but as long as her foster mom deems them safe she opens up. She has also been around a 3-year-old and has been exceptional with him!
Location: Wisconsin
Contact: team@midwestbordercollierescue.org