There is hardly a day in my life when people do not e-mail me photos of dogs in need of rescue, especially border collies in trouble, of whom there are many. That’s why I was so wary when Karen Thompson e-mailed me about Red nearly two years ago, and told me God wanted me to have him. It never dawned on me that she could be right. This evening, I was just putting up a blog post when I started receiving a stream of messages and photos about this dog, a border collie named Sebastian, pulled out of a shelter by a rescue group called bigfluffydogrescue.com.

I think I got about a 20 messages within a few minutes, all from good people strongly suggesting that this was a dog for me, a dog right up my alley. I am not looking for a dog, I have a lot of dogs. But I have to confess this dog caught my eye. He reminded me of three border collies I have had – Orson, Rose and Red. He is almost a dead ringer for Rose, and that surely touched my heart. Orson, you may remember, was a dog I loved dearly, a dog who brought me into the world of border collies and writing about dogs. He was euthanized after he bit three people, including a child, a decision that many people – especially rescue people –  feel was wrong. I do not feel it was wrong, it was my coming of age as an animal lover.

I was more successful with my other border collies,  all of whom were crazy in one way or another, and I have come to love and understand the breed, something that is helped by being somewhat autistic,  having sheep, other dogs, fenced-in yards and a life that combines work and home. If you study attachment theory, you will know there are good reasons for my love of crazy border collies, it says much more about me than them.

I know Bedlam Farm is a good place for a dog, dogs do very well here,  and I know that I could help Sebastian – the problems attributed to him are pretty standard for many border collies, who suffer shyness, fear of objects raining down on them (not always a sign of abuse) and strange and erratic behaviors. I learned a lot from Orson, I am learning still. My dog Red, who arrived with some of the same behavioral issues Sebastian has, is still terrified of linoleum floors, thresholds between rooms, water bowls that glint in the sun, and shovels. So be it, we work around it.

if you don’t have a sense of humor, an appreciation for bright oddballs and a lot of patience, messed-up border collies are not for you. They definitely are for me. Border collies are not like the other children.

I am up to my neck in animals and work – three dogs, three donkeys, three hens, two barn cats, a bunch of bred sheep. Plus blogs and books to write, photos to take, a farm to help run. But I have to be honest, for the first time in two years, I was moved to send an e-mail to the rescue group sending out an SOS for Sebastian, I asked a bit about him. I saw from the list of requirements that my farm and life and training philosophy qualifies on all counts.  I see from the Facebook messages that scores of people want him, and I am certain he is spoken for by now, or I wouldn’t even be writing this. No one has gotten back to me, I am off the hook.

I think I would be relieved to hear that Sebastian is already on his way to somebody’s home. I told Maria about this and she asked me if I thought we needed another dog now in our farmhouse, and I looked around at the room filled with sprawling dogs and dozing cats, and I said no, absolutely not. Nobody ever needs another dog, what does that have to do with it? I didn’t need Red either, and he is one of the best things that ever happened to me.

I can imagine taking Sebastian out to look at sheep, showing him how to be calm, letting him learn from Red and Lenore, finding work and exercise that he loves – the key to any border collie’s heart and soul. But I also know there is no limit to the animals one can rescue and acquire, and I am happily up to my neck in love and life. Sometimes you love your own life by saying no.  I wish Sebastian great luck in his new home.

I am writing about it because is interesting to ponder why this dog, of all those offered to me and run by me, would touch my heart, and I know the answer because I write about it all the time. I was a lonely and abandoned boy myself, I hid and growled and ran from the world for most of my life, I know too well what it feels like to live in terror and confusion and have large objects hurt and frighten me. My wish for Sebastian is that his new owner understands that and slowly and carefully and lovingly shows him what is good and safe about the world, finds work for him that will empower and enthrall him, and show him every day how wonderful it can be to be a crazy dog loved by a crazy human.

There are few border collies that cannot be healed by good and regular work, it pulls them right out of themselves.

Still, this is the first time in two years that I have responded to any of the stream of photos I see on-line, in my inbox every day of my life. I am careful about the rescue thing, I have two rescue dogs, a rescue donkey, rescue chickens barn cats and sheep. I don’t even like to use the word, the animals don’t need it.

But I am grateful so many people read Sebastian’s story and thought of me. It is a good sign for both of us.