Before the British Bossyboots declared that Lancashire Heelers needed to go extinct, the American Kennel Club had already declared that Lancashire Heelers were an endangered breed. There aren't a lot of show quality Lancashire Heelers and there's real danger of inbreeding for dysfunctional traits just because the population is so low.
Pity about that, because if dysfunctional traits aren't systematically bred in, the Lancashire Heeler seems a functional breed. I never heard of it until this year. To American eyes it's not the best looking breed; looks like a cross between a Black and Tan Hound and a Rat Terrier, not that that's bad. It is typically a tough, healthy, clever little dog, bred to be bold, smart, and fast enough to herd cattle while also small enough to snuggle on your lap. For a "toy" size dog it has a large head and sturdy build. It does well in actual herding and in "dog athletics." It may weigh less than 20 pounds, but it's good for a ton of fun for other dogs and children who want to run about and play in the back yard. Only one dysfunctional trait has so far been linked to this breed. They usually live "well into their teens."
If you find it hard to lose weight because of your metabolism, this is one of the dog breeds that could be right for you. Lancashire Heelers are small enough to get adequate exercise just trotting through the corridors of an apartment building, energetic enough to want that exercise often, and small enough that a trot or even a run for them is a good brisk walk for a human. Don't kid yourself, though. Someone who wants to rev up per metabolism and become a fit, active person can benefit from owning a very energetic dog. Someone who'd rather stay on the couch and get fatter will only reject the dog. Energetic dogs often land in shelters because their original owners were too lazy to keep up with them. Lancashire Heelers are good for people who can't just get up and run a few miles, ideal dogs for helping those people gradually build strength and energy, but like other herding dogs they're not for the lazy.
Show quality Lancashire Heelers stand up to a foot high at the shoulder and weigh between 9 and 17 pounds. Shelter dogs are likely to deviate from the standards for show quality, even to be crossbreeds, so they may be bigger.
An appealing quirk of this breed is that, more than other dogs, they really do pull back their lips in a "smile" when it's reasonable to imagine that they are pleased. They like to have a job they can do along with their humans, and have fun doing it. I've seen terriers, collies, and Chihuahuas smile too, but reportedly Lancashire Heelers are the masters of this crossover into human body language.
On the cat side, since the genetic problem that's (still rarely) associated with Lancashire Heelers is loss of vision, why not consider the cats who often inherit partial or complete lack of vision? While many cats have the "dominant white" gene that produces a mostly white coat with colored spots, the minority who have complete albinism, completely white coats, often fail to develop sight and/or hearing, apparently due to the same genes that make them fail to develop color. Though it's obviously a good idea to keep a blind or deaf cat indoors, they learn their way around their homes and may lead long, apparently satisfactory, healthy lives. They can hunt, and keep a low-clutter basement rodent-free, using the senses they do develop completely.
Zipcode 10101: Sarah from Louisiana by way of Sewaren
Petfinder is showing the effects of sabotage by Militant Stupidity. If you want a breed of dogs to go extinct you want them to be adopted from shelters where they've already been spayed. Petfinder is showing eight listings for Lancashire Heeler crossbreeds seeking homes in or near New York City, and all of them are Sarah and her brother Donald.
Sarah is a crossbreed, possibly even with Blue Heeler ancestry. Though young and slim, she weighs more than 25 pounds and obviously stands higher than 12" at the shoulder. She is still a small dog. She's wary of other dogs and would probably be happiest either as the only pet, or adopted together with Donald. She likes to run, jump, bounce, chase things, then snuggle up beside a human and rest.
Zipcode 20202: Todd from Gum Spring
Todd had a difficult early life, was not well socialized, and can panic when things get chaotic. He is not for adoption to families with small children. Normally Lancashire Heelers are good with children but Todd has a troubled past to overcome. He's thought to be a Lancashire Heeler crossbreed based on his look and temperament; his actual ancestry is unknown. He weighs 33 pounds. He is friendly and fun to know--especially for someone who has experience helping shy, wary dogs build confidence.
Zipcode 40404: Lucky from Mount Sterling (Kentucky, near Berea)
Thought to be a mix of Blue Heeler and Lancashire Heeler, Lucky is also more than twice the size of a show quality Lancashire Heeler but has that sort of pawsonality. Not much is known about him but he seems healthy and, because he's not yet run up a big vet bill, his adoption fee is nice and low. (Do not be deceived. You will take him to the vet before you take him home. It's only that a county shelter is funded to wait and make sure you pay that vet bill. A munificent person could, however, improve Lucky's chances of finding a good home by sponsoring that first vet visit.)
Zipcode 10101: Eclipse (and Domino) from NYC
Her web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/eclipse-c90b25fe-f344-4570-be3d-f002986a92d4/ny/new-york/anjellicle-cats-rescue-ny488/details/
Every time I think that we ought to feature white cats here, I'm remnded why I don't do that often. Petfinder does not have a way to sort out the really white cats from the ones with one small white spot on one paw. Eclipse has the pink skn and mismatched eyes, anyway, even if she has black spots. She travels with a brother, Domino, who has a similar pattern with slightly different spots. Spring kittens, they're likely to be bigger by next summer.
Zipcode 20202: Alaska Lacey from DC
Her web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/alaska-21dd6d64-a2ae-4e6a-a795-89bab774e54a/dc/washington/lucky-dog-animal-rescue-dc20/details/
Through one of those glitches that occur when different shelter workers randomly assign names to animals whose names they don't know, Alaska was originally recorded as Lacey. Will she answer to either name? Find out. She is thought to be five years old and likely to get along well with other animals, even children.
Zipcode 30303: Zuri from Alabama by way of Atlanta
Zuri is one of those cats who, possibly because they lost their original humans, become very clingy and want to follow their humans everywhere. Beside you on your bed at night's not good enough--she wants to sleep right on top of you. If you can stand a bit of clinginess while Zuri relaxes into a purrmanent home, adopt her.
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