About Adopting a Collie

Meet Jessica Chen

I have been coordinating transport for rescued herding dogs since 2016. What started as a single favor for a friend at a local Collie rescue turned into a passion that has shaped the last eight years of my life.

As the transport coordinator for Herding Hearts Transport, I have helped move over 600 rescued Collies, Shelties, Border Collies, and other herding breeds from overcrowded shelters to rescue organizations and forever homes across the United States. I have seen dogs arrive terrified and leave transformed. I have watched families fall in love at first sight. I have also seen adoptions fail and had the difficult conversations about what went wrong.

This experience taught me something important: successful adoption depends on preparation and realistic expectations. The families who thrive with rescue dogs are the ones who went in with open eyes, understanding both the challenges and the rewards ahead.

Why This Resource Exists

This site is not affiliated with any single rescue organization. I created it because I kept having the same conversations with potential adopters, answering the same questions, addressing the same misconceptions. I wanted a place to collect everything I have learned, presented honestly, so that people considering Collie rescue have the information they need to make good decisions.

I am obviously biased toward rescue adoption. I have dedicated years of my life to this work. But I also believe in honesty over advocacy. Rescue is not right for everyone, and that is fine. What matters is that you make an informed choice.

My Collies

I live with two rescued Rough Collies of my own: Maple, a seven-year-old sable and white who came from a hoarding situation in 2019, and Cedar, a four-year-old tricolor who was surrendered when his owner developed health issues. They are the best dogs I have ever known, and they came to me as adults with histories I will never fully understand.

That is the reality of rescue. You do not get a blank slate. You get a dog with a past, and you write the next chapter together.