|
Post by Aussienot on Mar 28, 2004 21:58:02 GMT -5
If there ever comes a day when I'm not working most of the time, I think maybe I'd like to be involved in a dog rescue. So I'm wondering - how do you start?
How much space, kennels, equipment to you need?
How much time do you spend on dog care?
Where does funding come from - how much time is spent in fundraising and recruiting volunteers?
Stupid question - but where do the dogs come from? Pounds, individuals, other rescues? What is a good re-homing rate? Do you keep some of the dogs for life?
What kind of obstacles do you face from neighbors, local govenments, etc?
I realise this is a really broad topic, but I find the rescue discussions interesting and would like to know more about it.
|
|
|
Post by Brooke on Mar 28, 2004 22:12:07 GMT -5
My mother actually called me yesterday and suggested that I start a rescue or a kennel of some kind. I've actually seriously been thinking about it. I'd be interested in knowing about this as well...
|
|
|
Post by Brooke on Mar 28, 2004 22:14:32 GMT -5
I was wondering about the paws program as well... is it completely out of pocket? Veterinary care...training behaviorists??
|
|
|
Post by Laura on Mar 28, 2004 23:12:18 GMT -5
I'll try my best to answer this, but I hope Cathy pokes her head in and helps answer too ;D! You start by getting fed up with all the unwanted dogs that deserve a better break than what they've gotten. Ok, seriously ;D, starting out you'll need warm, alike thinking bodies, manpower and volunteers are what make it work. You need to have a solid network of foster homes, people willing to drive, to hold fundraisers, to work adoption fairs, etc. Without good people, you've got nada. A lawyer who's willing to donate time to the rescue is good too. And a vet who's willing to donate discounted medical services is a must!! Depends, really. Some fosters can take only one dog, some can take several. And I find it's good to have one foster family that have no dogs of their own to take in those dogs that aren't neccesarily dog social, a major reason for dogs being destroyed, or those that have medical issues that need to be addressed. If someone has the room on their property, you can erect your own kennels, within town limits of course. We, unfortunately, must use a boarding kennel that we pay for out of pocket for those dogs that we have no room for. Granted, at a discount, but not cheap either. A supply of leashes, collars, Frontline, food, toys, old blankets for bedding, crates, an x-pen for litters of pups is good, much of this can be donated from large companies if you ask! As much as you do on your own, if not more! Rescue dogs are a litany of vet visits, grooming, training, it's very time consuming. They probably require more attention than your own dogs do for the simple reasons why people got rid of them, lack of training first and foremost, grooming and shedding a close second with my breed . Most funding is gotten from the general dog lovin' public and patrons of the breed with nice deep pockets helps ;D. Car washes, bake sales, anything you can think of just to get you going to start up the rescue. Then the adoption fees, which are much higher than a shelters. Sometimes you get your volunteers from training facilities and dog events, most of them are usually people who've adopted from you before, they just get caught up with the idea of helping out. Oh, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are great for fundraising and helping out, we have our two local troops who help us out at every adoption fair. All of the above . If you're breed specific, you start up a network with the local pounds and shelters that are high volume, tell them you'll be willing to pull dogs from them, especially those who would be slated for euthanasia first, the ones who don't pass the temp test, thoses who have been there too long, the sickly that can be healed, etc. Although fair warning, I don't know about Australia, but the shelter system here is run by politicos with big egos and paper pushers who don't know an Italian Greyhound from a Min Pin . The dogs with limited time hanging over their heads get taken in first, owner surrenders last, unless the owner is in dire straights to move the dog. The rehoming rate is usually near 100% with a private rescue, since we have the resources to do background checks and can place dogs with the best matches possible, The dogs are also in better shape than shelter dogs since they are in a foster situation, and are well cared for, hence adopting them out at a faster rate. And yes, quite a few dogs that started out as fosters end up becoming beloved members of the family! Some of us just can't part with certain dogs, and take them off the market, so to speak . And some dogs who don't deserve to die, but just can't fit in with your ordinary family, will also be kept. Everywhere has different laws concerning this, so you'd have to some research on it. Rescues usually run with a 501 non-profit status, and that has it's own rules and regs to adhere to. County and state laws can cover everything from how many dogs you can keep on your property at one time to zoning to the board of health laws. I probably didn't even cover half of what you needed to know, but I hoped I answered some of it! Let me know if you need more info and I'll call Lor and ask her for info.
|
|
|
Post by amyjo on Mar 29, 2004 13:44:17 GMT -5
This is a really interesting thread... I have been thinking alot lately about starting to foster at least...Or another thing I was thinking about is just going down to our friendly neighborhood kill shelter and getting a black lab - putting a month or so of training into him and then trying to home him myself. It is unreal how many black labs are in the shelter.
|
|
|
Post by Laura on Mar 29, 2004 18:59:44 GMT -5
Amyjo, do it, you'll never regret it ! You too Brooke! But start off working with a local rescue group, offer your home and your time to foster, working with the shelters can be tough. Go on Petfinder.com and look up all the breed specific rescues in your state, and start from there.
|
|