Week after week, potential adopters scroll past the rescue brown and black dogs posted online. At the shelter, visitors walk past kennels with no kennel cards displaying engaging photos that would make them stop and take a second look.

Australian Shepherds did not originate in Australia. The breed was shaped in the American West by ranchers who needed dogs that could handle long days, rough terrain, and large flocks. In the nineteenth century, ranchers imported sheep from Australia, and the dogs that came with those flocks may have influenced the name. The herding dogs bred on American soil proved themselves in the field and gradually became known as Australian Shepherds. These dogs wake up ready for action

Birdwatching in winter connects people of all ages to nature, supports mental health, and helps protect birds through simple actions that anyone can take at home.