On November 15, 2001 the twenty-one Shelties seen here were finally granted their freedom! After 20 months of hard work by many dedicated people they were awarded to the Asheville Humane Society and were immediately released to the rescue organizations that had provided for them since the seizure in March of 2000. There are many people to thank for this wonderful outcome!

First, thank you to all the people who contributed to this fund. Specifically, thanks to Dorothy Christiansen the Coordinator of National Sheltie Rescue who distributed the over $7000 that was raised and which provided the much needed veterinary care. This money went to the state rescue organizations that fostered these dogs and who arranged for their care. The following organizations participated in this rescue success.

Triangle Sheltie Rescue of North Carolina
South Carolina Sheltie Rescue
Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue
Middle Tennessee Sheltie Rescue

The foster families with whom they've spent the last year and a half have now been allowed to adopt these wonderful Shelties. They have been well cared for and they have and will always be cherished and loved!

Two of the older Shelties did not live long enough to see freedom, they are missed terribly by their foster moms who remember them as special boys who lived each day with wagging tails and a sweetness that will be long remembered.

Next, thank you to all the foster and/or adoptive families who cared for these dogs and worried about the outcome all this time. Those of us working towards this goal appreciated your patience. Also, the follow-up stories and pictures submitted by the foster families were a huge help in convincing the judge that these dogs are now in a better place.

If anyone would like to submit a follow up picture for this web site, please identify the dog by her/his chip number and send to ashevilleshelties@rescue-works.org along with a few words about how they are doing now. The original pictures that were sent have been held as evidence and are not available.

A huge THANK YOU to the Director of the Asheville Humane Society who was hired several months after the seizure took place and immediately began working towards this day. She did a tremendous amount of research and collected an astounding amount of evidence. This would not have happened without her. Thank you to both of the Animal Control Officers who testified at the hearing. Their testimony about the conditions of the dogs and their living situation was crucial. They did an outstanding job!

Thanks to the Asheville Kennel Club for their support and to their members who fostered some of the Shelties and testified at the hearing.

It was a long and frustrating road, but worth it.

THE ASHEVILLE SHELTIES ARE FREE!

Moreen Jacobsen
Debbie Baranauskas
Elaine Wymer
Vicky Lacy

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