Border Tails Rescue

Staff Favorites 🩺💙

This week: Nurse Matteo (Emily's pick!)

Looking for a personal trainer, spa specialist, and massive weighted blanket all rolled into one? Nurse Matteo is your guy.

Clocking in at well over 100 pounds, spending a break with Matteo is basically a full-body experience. First comes the arm workout, because walks with him are not for the weak. Then comes the personalized spa treatment in the form of aggressive face kisses and tongue baths. And finally? He transforms you into the world’s comfiest human couch.

Matteo operates on approximately one brain cell — and we say that with endless love. The problem is that this singular hardworking brain cell fully believes he is the size of a teacup Chihuahua. If you sit down, expect all billionty pounds of him to immediately climb into your lap with complete confidence and absolutely no understanding of physics.

Despite coming from a rough situation, Matteo hasn’t let his past dim his goofy, joyful spirit for even a second. He is playful, affectionate, hilariously unaware of his own size, and just so deeply happy to be loved.

He’s also incredibly food motivated, which has made working on his leash manners a lot easier (while simultaneously helping staff build upper body strength).

Because Matteo is still learning that he is, in fact, enormous, he’d likely do best in a home without tiny kiddos until he gets a better understanding of size ratios and the laws of motion. But if you love giant dogs with giant hearts and absolutely zero personal space boundaries, Matteo is ready to become your oversized best friend.

Physics is hard. Adopting Nurse Matteo? Easy. 🩵

You can apply for Matteo here: https://www.bordertailsrescue.org/adopt
📍Northbrook, IL
📞 847-813-5774
📧 [email protected]

Poor Vera just passed her 2-year anniversary with us and officially holds the title no dog wants: our longest-term dog. 💔

Vera has been waiting far too long for someone to see what we see every day — a sweet, affectionate, well-behaved girl who just wants a family of her own.

Vera is thriving in her foster home, where she loves to play, cuddle, and soak up every ounce of attention she can get. She adores meeting new people, happily asks for pets and belly rubs, and is always ready to show off her loving personality. She’s food-motivated, eager to learn, crate-trained, and sleeps through the night like a champ.

Her fosters say it best:
“Vera’s doing great! She’s gained some healthy weight and is having a blast in our cozy apartment. She’s been on a few long drives to my parents’ place, and she’s totally smitten with their bigger home and yard. She’d love a yard where she can run and play to her heart’s content and a home where there are multiple people she can show love and affection to. She loves to cuddle, but she’s also got good boundaries. If you ask her to stay in her bed, she’ll respect your space.

She’s super food-motivated, so treats are a must for working on her walking, good behavior, and tricks. She’s a pro at crating, and she sleeps like a baby through the night.”

Two years is too long. Vera deserves a home, a yard to zoom in, people to love, and finally, the chance to stop being our longest-term dog. Please help us share her story and find her forever family. 🐾

You can apply for this pup here: https://www.bordertailsrescue.org/adopt
📍Northbrook, IL
📞 847-813-5774
📧 [email protected]

Meet Ellie 🖤

Ellie is one of those dogs who loves deeply!

Outside of the shelter, this girl has absolutely blossomed. She is affectionate, emotionally connected to her people, incredibly loyal, and the kind of dog who just wants to be near you through every part of your day. Ellie forms strong bonds and loves hard — the type of dog who will quietly become your shadow and your best friend all at once.

She is smart, sensitive, goofy, and full of personality. Her foster absolutely adores her and has watched her continue to grow more comfortable, trusting, and confident in a home environment. Ellie is the kind of dog who makes you feel chosen.

Ellie does struggle with some reactivity around other dogs, especially in busy city environments where she constantly feels overstimulated. Because of this, she is looking for a home that can help set her up for success — ideally one with less dog traffic, a calm routine, and adopters who understand that some dogs just need a little extra support navigating the world.

Ellie would thrive as the only pet where she can fully relax, decompress, and soak up all the love and attention for herself. Underneath her big feelings is an incredibly wonderful dog who deserves someone willing to see her heart instead of just her challenges.

She is not a “project dog” to the people who know her best. She is a deeply lovable dog who simply needs the right environment to shine.

And when she does? She shines so brightly. 🖤

You can apply for Ellie here: https://www.bordertailsrescue.org/adopt
📍Northbrook, IL
📞 847-813-5774
📧 [email protected]

Meet Romina 🖤

Romina has been in foster care with us for almost four months now, and as we continue searching for her forever home, we want to be transparent about the type of environment where she will thrive best.

Romina is an incredibly smart, loyal girl who forms strong bonds with her people, but she is not the kind of dog who will succeed in every home. She needs adopters who understand dog behavior, management, and boundaries.

Romina may be able to live with another dog, and she does enjoy having canine companionship, but any resident dog would need to be very submissive and respectful. Romina has a strong personality and can be pushy around toys and resources.

She has shown a lot of patience in her foster home, but she can become overwhelmed when another dog repeatedly challenges or antagonizes her. Because of this, we are looking for a home that can properly manage introductions, boundaries, and interactions with other animals.

She is also nervous with new people coming into the home. When unfamiliar visitors first arrive, Romina may bark or growl because she feels unsure and protective of her space. However, with proper management, patience, and people respecting her boundaries, she is able to settle and relax over time. Her future home will need to advocate for her, move introductions slowly, and understand that trust is something Romina builds — not something that can be rushed.

Despite these challenges, Romina is deeply loving with her people and has made wonderful progress in foster care. She deserves a home that sees her for who she is and is willing to continue helping her feel safe, understood, and successful.

The right home for Romina is out there — one that will appreciate her intelligence, loyalty, and strong spirit while giving her the structure and patience she needs to thrive. 🖤

You can apply for Romina here: https://www.bordertailsrescue.org/adopt
📍Northbrook, IL
📞 847-813-5774
📧 [email protected]