Every so often we are approached by other rescues, organisations or even individual owners concerning a collie that needs urgent veterinary, or other financial help, and through one reason or another that money is not available.

We have usually offered to take the dog into our centre knowing that due to the goodwill of our vet we may be able to deal with the medical issues a lot cheaper than perhaps elsewhere.

That's all well and good where there is no owner and the dog can be moved to our centre, but how do you help in those situations where there is an owner who may face having to consider euthanasia for their pet due to an inability to pay or where a collie cannot be moved and requires immediate or emergency veterinary care.

To celebrate our 10 year anniversary at Colton in 2007 we introduced our own Collie Care Fund, its aims are simply to assist any collie in need of urgent veterinary or associated care where its owner is unknown or unable to fund all the cost. Funding is being utilised from the commission we receive from PetPlan Insurance as a result of owners of dogs homed from us taking out an insurance policy.

The resources of the fund are limited and will be subject to careful scrutiny. Written advice must be obtained from the Vet concerned outlining the needs of the collie, the total cost (and the proportion being provided by the owner, where an owner is known).

If you, or someone you know, wishes to apply for support from the Collie Care Fund please contact our office Monday to Friday between 9am and 3pm on 01889 577058 to discuss your situation further. At weekends and bank holidays all phone calls are diverted to our answer phone. However, emails are monitored and responded to seven days a week.

After the Border Collie Trust offered assistance to the owners of Lily and they sent us the following thank you :-

March 2019 - Apologies that it’s been a while since we last spoke and I am happy to report that Lily is doing great and back to her old character.

I would like to take this opportunity to express mine, and my family, overwhelming appreciation to all of you at Border Collie Trust and thank you for the empathy and help which has meant that our beloved family of, Lily, is not only still with us but in great health and back to her loving character.

If it had not been for your kind advice and generosity we would not have managed to cope with a very difficult situation with a surprisingly large vet bill at the end of last year.

Lily is well loved and a central part of our family.

Jonathan, Fiona, Phoebe, Tristan and Robyn.