S.M.A.R.T.
STOVERLY'S MINI AUSSIE RESCUE TEAM

SMART is a team of volunteer Mini Aussie owners and enthusiasts who want to help other mini aussies in need. Many are owners of puppies I have produced who are willing to open up their home to help another mini aussie. Our team members take these dogs into their homes at their own risk. The team members help transport dogs as needed, get them to and from appointments or from one location to another. Team members take the dogs in and help socialize them and evaluate them in different situations so we can place them in the most suitable home for each dog. They help with basic manners and obedience skills.

When a breed of dog becomes popular it is inevitable that some of those dogs will end up in need of rescue. While good responsible breeders always take their dogs back for any reason with no questions asked, and are there to help and support their puppies new owners, that is not always the case with lesser breeders. When a breed becomes popular there will always be people who breed their dogs just to have puppies and make a few dollars. If the families run into problems with those puppies the breeder is no where to be found and the dogs often end up in shelters.

We would like to be an alternative to a shelter. Aussies are not for everyone and we understand the breed completely. We are equipped to deal with many different behavior problems in the breed and have a wide network of people to help us locate the best family possible for any dog surrendered to us.

There is no charge to surrender your Mini Aussie to us, however we must make it very clear that we DO NOT purchase rescue dogs and we do not BROKER rescue dogs.You may surrender your dog to us but there will be no compensation for you to do so and we do not keep in touch with previous owners. Dogs surrendered to us deserve a fresh start in life and their new owners do not deserve to be bothered by previous owners.

We will ask relevant questions that will help us take care of the dog you are surrendering, and ask you to sign an acceptance of Surrender form found below.

When we place a dog it is placed in the same manner any rescue organization would place a dog.

• The dog will be fully evaluated so we know the dogs personality and what type of family it would fit in with the best.

• We will asses the dog's temperament to see how it behaves with other dogs, other animals and children.

• We will ensure the dog is up to date on all medical needs prior to being placed.  

• We will ensure the dog is spayed/neutered prior to leaving if it is old enough.

• We will place pictures and a description of the dog and it's needs on the website.

• Any one interested in one of the rescue dogs will be interviewed and must be approved for the adoption of that particular dog.

Adoption costs will be kept to a minimum but nothing is placed for free.
The average price for a rescue is $500. This covers our time evaluating the dog and providing any and all medical treatment necessary such as vaccinations, worming, flea and heart worm treatment if necessary, spay/neuter and microchips. As costs go up to care for the dogs, so must the sales price. We are not a non-profit, we do not get donations, all costs come out of our pocket so we have to recover those costs when
placing the dogs in new homes.

We do sell collars, leashes and Tug toys to fund the rescue operation and keep costs as low as possible.

If you have a dog you are considering surrendering, please let us know and read the Surrender form below. 

If you are someone looking to adopt a rescue dog you need to be honest with yourself about many things. First realize it is extremely rare for a dog to be surrendered if it is similar to Lassie or Benji in personality, happy go lucky, friendly, well trained dog who love kids and other animals don't need rescue. If the owner can not keep then friends and family are usually more than happy to take them in. 

The dogs that do end up in Rescue are usually closer to Cujo on the personality scale. So you must ask yourself the following. 

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1. Are you willing to take a dog that is aggressive with other dogs? Many aussies come into rescue because they are not a social breed and they do not get along with other dogs, they are not dog park type of dogs and when normal aussie personality scares the owner, instead of working with a behaviour specialist they avoid confrontation and make the dog worse.  

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2. Are you willing to take a dog that is aggressive towards children? While a lot of well bred and well socialized dogs are good with kids, we do see a fair number who are not. They are either from poor breeding or improper upbringing and do not like or trust children.

3. Are you willing to take a dog that is aggressive towards other adults such as strangers? Again aussies are supposed to be reserved with strangers and if we do not work with them and teach them proper behaviours that reserve can turn to aggression. We see this a lot in dogs who come in as rescues. 

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4. Are you willing to take a dog that has severe separation anxiety and will do damage to your home if left alone? Society has this warped idea that putting a dog in a cage is cruel and leaving them alone is cruel, and so they becomes spoiled and unable to function on their own, they become dependent on humans for security. Specially with the pandemic happening and people being home more than normal, we are already hearing and seeing a LOT of separation anxiety. This is hard to work with and is completely owner induced and while it can be fixed it is a long road. 

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5. Are you willing to take a dog with known medical issues? A lot of people get dogs thinking they can get by with minimal finances and then when the dog is sick or injured they can no longer care for them and dump them in rescues. These dogs still deserve love and care and families of their own who can and will care for them. 

These 5 reasons above are the top 5 reasons dogs come into rescue. These are the types of dogs we are working with as a rescue and trying to find homes for. If you are a buyer and are looking for a Lassie type personality, please go to the puppy page. If you have experience with Aussies and other herding breeds, are willing to put a lot of time, effort and love into a dog who deserves it, then you are welcome to contact me to discuss any rescues we may have or may have coming in.