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Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue

Giving Shelties a New Leash on Life Since 1999

Find a Lifelong Companion:

Adopt a Sheltie in Virginia

Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue (NVSR) is dedicated to preparing the Shelties in our care for new forever homes through Sheltie adoption in Virginia and surrounding states. Since 1999, NVSR has rescued, rehabilitated, and placed almost 1,500 Shelties and Sheltie look-alikes in homes. Most of these Shelties have been relinquished to NVSR by owners who are unable to keep them. Others come from shelters. In relinquishment cases, we focus on what’s best for the dog and treat people with empathy, not judgment.
NVSR has no paid staff, only dedicated volunteers. Our work is funded by our generous donors.

Who We Are

Available Dogs

Our work depends on people willing to open their hearts and homes to one of our rescued Shelties. When our Shelties are ready to leave foster care, we carefully post a description of their personalities and what they need in a new forever home.
View Our Available Dogs

How to Adopt a Sheltie

Submit an Application
Are you thinking of adding a Sheltie to your family? If so, please read about our adoption process. You’ll see we are dedicated to providing the care each dog needs as we help them prepare for life as a beloved member of a family. Then we carefully choose the very best adopter for each dog. Ready to learn more and submit an application?
We’ve grown into a community of nearly 100 dedicated volunteers located throughout Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and Washington, DC. While our name says “Northern Virginia,” our reach—and our impact—extends far beyond. All our Shelties are fostered in NVSR volunteers’ homes (we do not have a shelter), so we get to know them, allowing us to make thoughtful, responsible matches with adoptive families.

Rehoming Your Sheltie

Do you need to find a new home for your Sheltie? We can help. It's what we do. We are here for you and your Sheltie, with compassion and lots of experience. We’ve rehomed almost 1,500 dogs in the last 25 years.
Learn More

What Makes NVSR Different

  • We place dogs thoughtfully, not quickly.
  • Our goal is lifelong placement, not speed. We take the time needed to match the right dog with the right home.
  • We understand the Sheltie breed and get to know our foster dogs well.
  • Shelties are sensitive, intelligent, and deeply bonded to their humans. Our foster program and experience with the breed allow us to find the best home for each dog.
  • We stay connected.

Our support doesn’t end when a Sheltie is adopted. We value long-term relationships with our adopters, and we stay in touch every year as long as the dog is alive.
NVSR is a proud affiliate of the National Sheltie Rescue Association. The National Sheltie Rescue Association (NSRA) supports Sheltie rescue efforts across the United States and Canada and establishes best practices that all member rescues agree to follow. As an NSRA member, we are a trusted partner with other regional Sheltie rescues and collaborate with them to screen out-of-state applicants, share knowledge, and support large-scale rescue efforts.