Smudge is a sweet, sweet boy who is going to make a fantastic dog for someone.

Cattle dogs are not for everyone.  They take time and commitment and require lots of exercise to be happy. Here is an excellent description from the Australian Cattle Dog Rescue of Illinois site, along with the link to other informational websites.

The Australian Cattle Dog is a breed of herding dog developed in Australia for driving cattle. Cattle dogs are medium-sized, short-coated and are athletic and agile which makes them excel in many areas. Most Australian Cattle Dogs have a stripe or spot of white hair in the center of the forehead called the Bentley Mark. This mark can be traced to a purebred dog owned by Thomas Bentley of Australia. According to legend Tom Bentley combined different breeds to produce a breed that met the expectations of the drovers in Australia. His dogs passed on this distinctive mark to all Australian Cattle Dogs.

Cattle dogs come in blue, blue mottled, blue speckled, red, red speckled, and red mottled. ACD's don't come in blue merle. This breed is known by several names: Australian cattle dog, blue/red heeler, Queensland heeler and Bluey's. A cattle dog is supposed to have a tail. The tail is used as a rudder when working cattle or doing agility.

Cattle dogs have high energy levels and active minds so they can easily be trained for any activity. They are all around dogs but need to participate in dog sports or other activities that excercise their body as well as their minds. These dogs are naturally cautious towards strangers. So they need to be well socialized. ACD's are often called the "velcro" dog because they are very loyal and want to stay close to their person. ACD's want to be involved in everything we do. ACD owners must be willing to learn about the breed, spend time and train their dogs, and be a "pack" leader.

 

http://www.australiancattledogrescue.net/education_training.htm

Clay County Animal Rescue & Shelter is located at 375 Water Elm Lane, Flora, IL. Our phone number is 618-665-3005.  We are renovating our shelter so hours are by appointment only. 

The typical adoption fee for dogs is $150.  It includes vaccination, deworming , spay/neuter, heartworm testing on dogs of age and microchipping, which is now mandatory by state law.  Some dogs we discount to as little as $50 due to sponsorship.  Some dogs we ask a higher adoption fee, which helps us recoup expenses on heartworm treatment on other dogs.

All cats are spayed/neutered/vaccinated/flea treated/dewormed and microchipped prior to adoption.  Cat adoption fees range from $60-$100.  We spay/neuter/microchip/vaccinate and deworm all kittens and cats, prior to adoption.  Our shyer/less adoptable cats are classed as "barn cats" and are free with a completed/approved barn cat application, which can be found on our website.

For updates on adoption events and more pics of pets available, go to our website, www.claycountyshelter.com or look for us on Facebook.