Ember - A Campfire Survivor's Story

In the words of Ember's mom, Julie:

"Ember came into the NCBCRA family from the burn area of the 2018 Paradise Camp Fire, with the help of many cooperating angels, organizations and efforts.

Ember’s rescue happened thanks to the North Valley Animal Disaster Group (NVDAG), who had teamed up with International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to search for animals left behind after the panicked evacuation on November 8, 2018. 

One week after the fire scorched through, 7 month old Ember (then “Opossum”) was found with her pack in Concow, where the burn scar was still smoldering. Ember was discovered huddled at the bottom of a 7-foot hole she had dug in an effort to escape the heat and flames. 

Ember’s human family were contacted. But like so many others, they had lost their home and possessions in the fire, and were not in a position to keep or care for Ember. They made the decision to surrender Ember to the Valley Oak Veterinary team overseeing her treatment. 

The Valley Oak team was itself in a quandary, however. Ember’s burns required round the clock oversight, and all of the veterinary facilities were overfull with critical patients. They could not reasonably send Ember to convalesce at the crowded and chaotic emergency shelter at the airport.

Finally, one of the Valley Oak vets reached out to a family member, already a longtime NCBCRA foster parent. With fast action from NCBCRA, Ember found herself in a soft bed on the night of her rescue, and NCBCRA’s generosity supported Ember’s daily burn care for the weeks and months following.

Now, Ember is healthy, social, full of sass, and in love with her human family and her adopted brother and sister, also from NCBCRA. Ember graciously allows her humans to share the king size bed, as long as they pretzel themselves appropriately so her chosen position is not disturbed. She lives to chase squirrels on her fenced acre, and loves to run with her adopted siblings in the miles of orchards behind her home.

We are so grateful to NCBCRA for this sweet addition to our fur family."

And we at NCBCRA are so grateful to Julie for giving her a chance at a new life and for being a repeat adopter!

Allie is a Flyball Girl!

Allie was adopted in Nov, 2022 at 5m old. She is now 2 years old.

Here is an update from Allie's mom Claudia:

"I wanted to let you know Allie is officially a Flyball dog! She had her debut this past weekend in Oregon! Our team name is Silver Streaks. She is a wonderful dog she does everything we ask her to do, she gets along with all other dogs, and loves people! We love her so much! Thank you!!"

We at NCBCRA are so happy to see the wonderful lives our dogs go on to live.

Daisy's Story

Daisy was adopted in Oct of 2022 as an adult. Here is an update from Daisy's mom Rebecca:

"We lost our beloved border collie in January of 2022 and needed some time to regroup prior to opening our hearts to a new dog. After our period of mourning, we decided we wanted another border collie. 

Daisy (formerly Harriet) came into our lives in October 2022 and we haven’t looked back since. Picked up in Northern CA, Daisy was rescued from the shelter by NCBCR and sent down to Folsom to be fostered. She had only been with her foster mom a week prior to our meeting. It was just our luck to meet this beautiful mixed-breed herding dog (she’s a really interesting combination). Daisy is the perfect size dog at 40lbs, and is a very sweet, very active, little beauty! We were smitten.



It took almost a month before she realized that we were her family for life, and she gave us more than one panic attack by taking off. Now she knows we all belong together and this is her home. Daisy loves playing at our local dog park, keeping watch over the neighborhood from “her” loveseat, playing catch and fetch, spinning on her hind legs, chasing rats and squirrels in our yard, sleeping on our bed, and nose kissing. She recently discovered her toy box and takes out every toy before deciding which to play with. (We will have to teach her to put them back!) This year we are taking her camping, and we are looking forward to introducing her to the beach. 

Needless to say, she has us hook, line, and sinker. Many thanks to the NCBCR for rescuing her and letting us all fall in love."

And thank you Rebecca for giving her the best forever family!

Pepper Update ❤️

Pepper was adopted in Aug, 2018. Here is an update from Pepper's mom, Melissa:

"Pepper is doing great! 

We moved to Mexico City in 2022 and he is now a pro at flying in cabin. He got to learn Spanish and loved living in such a dog friendly city. 

We are now back in San Francisco living with my boyfriend who is Pepper’s best bud. 

Pepper is such a sweet and gentle dog and he brings so much joy to our lives. 

I just wanted to let you know that he is thriving and I always feel grateful that he had you as a foster mom." 

These kind of updates are what make fostering so rewarding. Knowing that our dogs are living their best life.

In Memoriam - PT

One of our long time foster families recently lost their beloved boy, PT. Adopted from NCBCRA, he helped them to shepherd many fosters along the way.

From his mom Carol:

"Our beloved and beautiful boy has crossed the bridge – F Cancer!

PT (Plush Toy) – 8 years old – NCBCRA alumnus. Much loved and missed. The squeaky toys are finally safe, the paper shredder can run with abandon, and the sprinkler has no friend to jump at the raindrops."

Fire Season - How to be Prepared

Disasters can strike at any time. In our area we must be prepared to leave our homes at a moment's notice. Do you have a list of the items you’d need?

The following list of recommended items has been developed by the North Valley Animal Disaster Group (NVADG) to help you help your pets.

• Take your pet with you. If you must evacuate your house, do not leave your pet behind. Once the roadblocks go up you may not be allowed back into town. If it isn’t safe for you to stay, it isn’t safe for your pet either.
• Make a list of friends and relatives who could care for your pet for an extended period of time if you lose your home.
• Create a list of boarding facilities within a 100-mile radius of your home. Identify nearby hotels that accept pets and under what circumstances.
• Ask your local animal shelter if they have an evacuation plan for animals, and if they would be able to care for your specific type of pet during an emergency.
• Have your pet microchipped for easy identification.
• Place an out of the area emergency contact name and number, along with your own, on your pet’s ID tag.
• Pack a plastic crate or box with your pet’s leashes, extra ID tags, water, food, water/food bowls, medications, your pet’s health records, and a photo to prove ownership if you are separated. If possible keep a photo in your wallet.
• Have a portable carrier large enough for your pet to stand up in and turn around.
• Have an animal first aid kit.

Another very important tip is to check your microchip registration and be sure its up to date. If you need to register it, you can do so for free at - https://www.my24pet.com/

Fostering Border Collies

Being a foster saves lives! We cover all medical costs, and provide dog supplies as needed. You can foster as much or as little as it works for you. Even short term vacation fostering would be very helpful. Our fosters are the backbone of our rescue and we could not save these dogs without them. Even if you are just curious about it, lets talk.

Donations

100% of your donation goes directly to caring for our dogs. Adoption fees do not cover the medical costs that most dogs incur. Donations help us to keep our adoption fees low and bridge that gap so we can continue to provide all our dogs with the medical care they need. You can donate to celebrate a birthday or commemorate a life by dedicating the donation in their name.

You can donate via PayPal, Amazon wish list or by mailing a check. 

Thank You! We could not save the lives of these dogs without your help!