Mini Aussie newsroom report from Max: ears up, tail wagging, paws respectfully crossed.
Today I am sniffing out a very important bulletin from California: Tippy, a shepherd mix at Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas, has been waiting for a home for more than five years. Five years! That is approximately forever in treat-time, and I say this as a small but serious working fluff.
Here is the part that made my little Aussie brain do zoomies: Tippy has not just been waiting around. She has been studying, practicing, learning, and becoming what her shelter calls a class-valedictorian kind of dog. Smart? Check. Loving with her people? Check. Baby pool appreciation? Also check, which I consider a highly advanced summer skill.
Tippy needs a special match: a calmer home, patient humans, and the chance to be the only pet so she can shine without too much household commotion. That does not make her difficult in my book. It makes her a dog with a clearly marked operating manual, which is more than I can say for squirrels.
My mini Australian Shepherd verdict: some dogs are instant confetti, and some dogs are slow-blooming treasure maps. Tippy sounds like the second kind. The shelter is even offering adopter support to help her next chapter start on steady paws. Somewhere out there, I hope a person reads her story and says, “That is my girl.” Then I hope Tippy gets the biggest sunny-yard victory lap.
Source: Kelli Bender reported Tippy’s story for PEOPLE, published July 23, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT.