The English shepherd, also known as the farm collie, is a relatively rare breed of dog related to (and often confused with) the border collie and the Australian shepherd. Bright, biddable, and loyal, the English shepherd makes an amazing pet for those who understand the breed's intelligence, drive, and need for a "job."

Unfortunately, the English shepherd's rarity hasn't insulated it from tragedy. In Ballantine, Montana, nearly two hundred dogs were removed from puppy-miller Linda Kapsa's property in December 2008 after she was charged with two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty, two misdemeanor counts of having a dog at large, and two misdemeanor counts of failing to provide rabies information. The dogs that were still alive were found extremely malnourished, in some cases sick or injured, and almost entirely unsocialized; the dogs that had died before authorities arrived had been left unburied, both outdoors and inside Kapsa's residence. One deceased dog was discovered lying next to the woman's bed. Reading the charges filed by Yellowstone County is guaranteed to turn the stomach of anyone who loves animals, and it seems obvious that Linda Kapsa should never own another pet.

The seized English shepherds are currently being held as evidence in Montana and cared for by a host of wonderful volunteers. Due to many of the females being pregnant when they were rescued, the dogs' numbers are growing -- already, more than fifty puppies have been born, with more on the way -- and, if Linda Kapsa is found guilty of the charges against her, they'll all need to find new homes.

That's where the National English Shepherd Rescue (NESR) comes in. This non-profit organization's mission is "to see that no English Shepherd is unwanted, unloved, or destroyed for want of a good home," and it will need all the help it can get to foster and place the Montana dogs.

And this is where I come in.

To raise money for the NESR, I'm selling fleece hats inspired by the English shepherd. Like the English shepherd, the hats come in four color patterns: black and tan, black and white, sable and white, and tricolor.

I'll be uploading a couple of examples here on deviantART; the rest can be viewed (and purchased) at http://jesspark.etsy.com if you're interested.

Each hat features faux fur ears that are poseable to best capture the low semi-prick carriage typical of an English shepherd -- and to allow you to change the ear set if you so desire! Every one is handmade, meaning that your hat is one of a kind, and handsewn elements add charm and uniqueness.

These hats are designed to fit small- to medium-sized adults, with a band circumference of 22-23". Given the nature of the material, the fleece will comfortably stretch a couple of inches beyond that.

A portion of the proceeds from each fleece hat sale will go to the National English Shepherd Rescue to assist this breed in need. For more information on the NESR, the Montana dogs, and English shepherds in general, please visit the NESR at http://nesr.info and the English Shepherd Club at http://www.englishshepherd.org.

Thanks for looking!