← Back to All Quebec Dogs

Shetland Sheepdog Adoption Quebec

Adoptable Shetland Sheepdogs in Quebec, gathered from Montreal, Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke and Gatineau rescue organizations and refreshed regularly.

None listed in Quebec right now. New Shetland Sheepdogs are added regularly.

No dogs in this category are available right now.

Listings refresh every few days as shelters update their sites.

No Shetland Sheepdogs listed on LocalPetFinder right now

That just means none are on the site at the moment, not that the breed is unavailable. New listings arrive from rescues and local owners all the time. Be first in line, or help one find a home.

Have a dog to rehome?

Rehoming a Shetland Sheepdog in Quebec?

List your dog free. Local adopters browsing Quebec see owner listings first: no shelter, no fees, you choose the home.

List your pet free →

Takes 3 minutes. You stay in control of who adopts.

Not seeing one yet?

Get notified when a Shetland Sheepdog is listed in Quebec

We'll email you the moment a Shetland Sheepdog is listed in Quebec on LocalPetFinder, from a rescue or an owner rehoming.

One email when there's a match. Unsubscribe anytime.

For rescues & shelters

Are you a Quebec-area rescue? List your adoptable dogs free.

Free shelter account: your dogs appear here and across LocalPetFinder, with analytics and adoption applications included.

Create a shelter account →

Adopting a Shetland Sheepdog in Quebec

Shelties are uncommon in Quebec rescue. They are small herding dogs, highly trainable and deeply attached to their households, and the single thing that most often ends a placement is the barking.

The barking is the breed, not the dog

Shelties were bred to work at a distance and to alert, and they are among the most vocal breeds there is. They bark at movement, at sound, at visitors, at other dogs on screens, and at things you cannot identify. It can be reduced substantially with training but not eliminated, and in a Montreal plex with shared walls it is the most likely source of a neighbour complaint. Consider it seriously before adopting.

They are also sensitive and sound-reactive, so fireworks, construction and traffic noise affect them more than most. A quiet home suits them far better than a busy downtown street.

Herding drive, coat, and the MDR1 test

This is a herding breed in a small package and it needs the mental work that implies: training, scent games, agility. They are exceptionally quick to learn and take genuine pleasure in it. Without it they become anxious and noisier, and they may start herding children or chasing bicycles.

Shelties carry the MDR1 gene mutation at meaningful rates, which affects how the dog processes several common drugs including some parasite treatments and anaesthetics. A cheek swab settles it and the result should reach your vet before any procedure. The double coat sheds heavily and needs brushing several times a week; never shave it.

What adopting a dog in Quebec actually involves

Quebec dog rescue runs through a handful of regional shelters rather than a dense network of breed-specific groups. The Montreal SPCA is the largest, and the SPA de la Mauricie in Trois-Rivières and the SPA de l’Estrie in Sherbrooke carry most of the rest. Expect the process to run primarily in French, including listings and application forms, even where staff are bilingual. Say at first contact if you would rather work in English, and ask for the adoption contract in a language you can read before signing.

Housing is the step rescues care most about. Most Quebec households rent, often in a plex or a walk-up, and the shortage of rentals that accept animals is one of the reasons shelters cite most often for surrender. Get your landlord’s permission in writing before you apply. One piece of local context worth knowing: since 2015, animals in Quebec are not property. Article 898.1 of the Code civil du Québec describes them as sentient beings with biological needs, which is the backdrop to how rescues here write their contracts.

Looking more broadly? Browse every adoptable dog across the province on Dog Adoption Quebec.

The rescues that most often list Shetland Sheepdogs across the province are SPA de la Mauricie, SPA de l'Estrie, and Montreal SPCA. For breed-specific background, the Canadian Kennel Club is a useful reference.

Shetland Sheepdog Adoption FAQ — Quebec

Tap a question to expand

How many Shetland Sheepdogs are available for adoption in Quebec?▼
As of September 2026, there are no Shetland Sheepdogs listed in Quebec rescue on LocalPetFinder right now — Shetland Sheepdogs are among the rarer dogs in local rescue. Inventory turns over quickly, so setting an alert is the most reliable way to catch one, or consider an adoptable Shetland Sheepdog mix.
Where can I adopt a Shetland Sheepdog near me in Quebec?▼
LocalPetFinder gathers adoptable Shetland Sheepdogs from the Quebec organizations we track, including the Montreal SPCA, the SPA de la Mauricie in Trois-Rivières and the SPA de l’Estrie in Sherbrooke, into one list. Quebec dog inventory is small compared with its cat inventory, so this list moves and it is worth checking back or setting an alert rather than assuming nothing is available.
Do Shetland Sheepdogs bark a lot?▼
Yes, and it is one of the defining traits of the breed rather than a fault in an individual dog. They were bred to alert and to work at a distance, so they bark at movement, sound and visitors readily. Training reduces it considerably but does not remove it. In a plex with shared walls this is the thing most likely to cause trouble, so weigh it honestly.
What is MDR1 and does it affect Shelties?▼
MDR1 is a gene mutation, present in Shelties and other herding breeds, that impairs how the dog clears certain drugs from the brain. An affected dog can be seriously harmed by an ordinary dose of some parasite treatments, sedatives and anaesthetics. Testing is a simple cheek swab. Ask whether it has been done and make sure the result reaches your vet before any procedure.
How much does it cost to adopt a Shetland Sheepdog in Quebec?▼
Adopting a Shetland Sheepdog in Quebec typically costs $300 to $600, and puppies usually carry a premium at $500 to $900. The exact fee varies by rescue, and older dogs are often reduced. That fee is not a purchase price. It covers work already done on the dog: spay or neuter, vaccinations, deworming, microchip, and a basic vet workup, which would cost several hundred dollars more if you arranged it yourself after buying. Buying the same breed from a registered breeder generally runs well over $1,000, usually with a waitlist. Ask the rescue what is included before you apply, since a few include extras like a starter bag of food or a first-month insurance trial.
Can I get a Shetland Sheepdog free to a good home in Quebec?▼
Rarely, and it is worth understanding why. Rescues and shelters in Quebec charge an adoption fee rather than rehoming dogs for free, because the fee covers veterinary work already done — spay or neuter, vaccinations, microchip — and because a fee is one of the few filters against someone taking an animal they cannot afford to keep. Private "free to a good home" ads are the riskier route: they are a known channel for people who flip animals for resale, and the dog usually comes with no vet history, no spay or neuter, and no way to check what you are being told. If cost is the constraint, the practical routes are an owner rehoming a Shetland Sheepdog directly, where fees are often low or waived, and adult or senior dogs at a rescue, which are frequently reduced because they wait longest. Both give you a dog whose history someone can actually tell you about.
Are these Shetland Sheepdogs for sale in Quebec?▼
Not for sale, for adoption, which is usually the better deal. Every Shetland Sheepdog here comes from a Quebec rescue or shelter, not a breeder, pet store, or classified seller. Adoption fees are typically $300 to $600, with puppies at $500 to $900 and already include vaccinations, deworming, microchip and spay or neuter when age-appropriate, versus roughly $2,000 to $5,000 or more to buy a Shetland Sheepdog from a breeder. If you searched "shetland sheepdog for sale quebec" or "shetland sheepdog puppies for sale," adopting gets you a healthy, vetted dog for a fraction of the price.
Where can I buy a Shetland Sheepdog in Quebec, and should I?▼
You can buy from a registered breeder, but it is worth weighing against adoption first. A reputable Shetland Sheepdog breeder typically charges $2,000 to $5,000 or more and often has a waitlist, while a rescue Shetland Sheepdog costs $300 to $600, with puppies at $500 to $900 fully vetted and may be available now. Be cautious of cheap shetland sheepdog-for-sale ads on classified sites and marketplaces, which are frequently backyard breeders or puppy-mill resellers with unvetted, sometimes sick animals and no health guarantee. If you do buy, insist on seeing where the puppies were raised and getting vet records. For most families in Quebec, adopting a rescue Shetland Sheepdog is cheaper, faster, and gives a dog in need a home.
Are there free Shetland Sheepdogs in Quebec, or shetland sheepdogs under $500?▼
Adoption is the closest honest answer, and it is not free. A rescue Shetland Sheepdog in Quebec typically costs $300 to $600, with puppies at $500 to $900, so the lower end lands under the "$500" people search for and the rest does not. What the fee buys is work already done, the vaccinations, deworming, microchip and spay or neuter, which would cost more than the fee itself if you arranged it yourself, and it is still far below breeder prices. Be wary of genuinely free shetland sheepdog listings. An animal advertised free to a good home has usually not been vetted, and free rehoming ads are the route flippers and unregistered breeders use to move animals with no health guarantee and no recourse. Paying a rescue fee buys you a dog someone has already examined, treated, and been honest with you about.
Are there Shetland Sheepdog puppies in Quebec, or only adults?▼
Both, but adults far outnumber puppies, and it is worth knowing that before you start looking. Most Shetland Sheepdogs arriving in Quebec rescue are adolescents and adults, because that is the age at which first homes tend to give up. Puppies do come through, usually as accidental litters or with a surrendered mother, and they are typically spoken for quickly. Setting an alert beats refreshing the page. It is also worth asking whether you actually want one: an adult arrives with a temperament a foster has already observed and described, where a Shetland Sheepdog puppy is a prediction, and for this breed in particular knowing what you are getting is the more useful thing.
Where can I find a Shetland Sheepdog near me in Quebec?▼
Start with the listings on this page, which pull from Quebec rescues and shelters and are refreshed regularly, so what you see is what is genuinely available rather than a stale directory. If nothing suits today, that is normal for this breed: rescue intake is intermittent rather than steady, and a breed with none listed this week often has several next month. Setting an alert beats checking back, and it is worth widening to nearby towns, since most rescues serving Quebec will adopt out across a reasonable driving distance rather than only inside one municipality.

Popular dog breeds in Quebec

German ShepherdGolden RetrieverLabrador RetrieverHuskyChihuahuaGoldendoodleFrench BulldogPit BullBorder CollieDachshundRottweilerBeagleBoxerPomeranianPoodleGreat Dane

Shetland Sheepdog adoption by city in Quebec

Each city page lists only the shetland sheepdogs available from rescues serving that city, with local adoption details.

Shetland Sheepdog adoption in Montreal0

Need to rehome a Shetland Sheepdog?

If you can no longer keep your Shetland Sheepdog, you can list them for free on LocalPetFinder. Your dog stays in your home until you find the right family, you screen who applies, and there is no surrender fee. Not sure yet? Our guide to surrendering a dog in Canada walks through every option first.

List your dog for free →