Niko

Looking for a fun-loving active companion?  Niko might be the dog for you!  He is a wonderful three-year-old Border Collie X Australian Shepherd (plus) mix who is on a journey to find his perfect forever home.  He has had a bit of a bumpy start, but oh my, the adventures he has had!

He must have been a darling puppy, but I am guessing that he may have grown into a naughty teen-ager and ended up being thrown away.  Niko was abandoned near a migrant worker’s camp, where the workers loved him, fed him and taught him Spanish!  Unfortunately, they were not able to protect Niko from harm.  Niko contracted heart-worm and was injured in a dog fight.  He ended up at the shelter and in need of veterinary assistance.  

Niko’s injuries were severe and left him in need of special care.  The shelter provided the veterinary care for Niko’s injuries, a neuter surgery and a supply of medicine for his heart-worm treatment.  As luck had it, Niko was able to recover under foster care.  He was fostered and then adopted.  Unfortunately, again, this was a mixed blessing, more of a recipe for disaster. 

Take a young herding dog undergoing necessary exercise restriction (a“Jack-in-the-Box”).   Add an owner who worked for law enforcement, on call most of the time, who also had chickens and ducks.  The result?  After the third dead chicken, it was time for another new chapter in Niko’s short life.  

In stepped the Carolina Border Collie Rescue, where his new foster family said “welcome to our place, Niko — no chickens here”!  That was about two and a half months ago.  When he arrived, Niko was kind of skinny and harboring a fair number of parasites: hookworms, tapeworms and heartworms. The intestinal worms were easily eliminated but the heart-worm was going to take some time.  Two and a half months later, Niko is wonderful and healthy (except for that one little thing – undergoing treatment for heart-worms).  Niko will not be available for adoption until mid-January.  In the meantime, his foster family is thoroughly enjoying his company.  Niko is smart, treat-motivated and loving.  He will be so happy to be able to get back to his active self, once his heart-worm treatment recovery is over (just a few more weeks, Niko).