Our Amazingly Dedicated Team
In 2010, six long-time rescue workers and cattle dog lovers shared a dream of working with a rescue that put the dogs first, valued their volunteers and supported their adopters far beyond adoption day. On one fall, Saturday afternoon, those 6 people became ACDR’s founding members and Arizona Cattle Dog Rescue was born. That dream quickly became a reality that we hold to this day. We have experienced much success over the years while holding true to the core values on which this rescue was founded. Best of all, we have grown to include many dedicated ACD enthusiasts who share our vision and together we hope to save cattle dogs for many years to come.
As stated before, Arizona Cattle Dog Rescue is a foster-home-based rescue. We do not have a facility or shelter where we keep our dogs, they are all cared for in foster homes throughout Arizona. While in foster care they are given an enormous amount of time, love and care. They are provided with many types of support they may require to help them become a happy, healthy, adoptable dog. ALL of our ACD’s are spayed or neutered, brought up to date on vaccinations and micro chipped prior to becoming available for adoption. Any other medical treatment that would be required to insure the health and happiness of the animal is provided as well. Because of this kind of personal care and training we are able to place our ACDs in homes that are well suited to their individual needs and to the needs of their future owners.
What is an ACD?
The Australian Cattle Dog has become quite popular in recent years. They are also known by many other names: Blue Heeler, Red Heeler, Queensland Heeler, Cattle Dog or simply Heeler. ALL of these names refer to one breed: the Australian Cattle Dog. Their intelligence, versatility and durability all lend to their popularity in several different positions, whether as a family companion to canine sports to professional jobs such as search and rescue, service dogs and of course ranch hands and herders. The Australian Cattle Dog has truly made a name for itself in the last decade.
Because of their reputation for being a very smart dog, people believe that translates to ease of training. To train a cattle dog correctly one must provide intentional and consistent direction as well as plenty of physical and mental stimulation. The average dog owner has no idea of what they are up against when they get a cute cattle dog pup! This is why the average age for ACDs in shelters and in need of new homes is 8 months to 2 years old.
Our volunteers are well versed with cattle dogs and their needs. We work closely with our dogs to ensure they learn proper boundaries and are given the correct direction in which to use their brains and their bodies. We strive to place each dog in its optimal home where its individual needs will be met. In doing so we hope to promise our dogs that they will never be part of the system again and both people and pup will be able to live a full and happy life together!
We are very fortunate to have a caring and dedicated team of volunteers, board members and supporters. We operate solely on public donations and fundraising proceeds. We exercise fiscal responsibility in handling our adoption fees, donations and other fundraising receipts to provide the maximum care for our rescue dogs and to ensure our financial viability into the future.