What a Rescue is and What it is Not
23 Mar 2009
What Rescue is and What Rescue is Not
The following information may seem harsh, rude, and perhaps even ignorant. If you plan on pursuing adoption from rescue please continue to read no matter your opinion. The following things are meant as information only. These are not all truths in our rescue, but many of them DO fit, and we want you to be aware of the rescuer’s side of rescue.
We will spell this information out as plainly and distinctly as we can, so that hopefully it cannot be misunderstood or read incorrectly. You may not agree with some of the things said on this page, but please understand that these are the realities of many rescues. This is not to say that it should excuse rude or ignorant behavior, but it lets you have a behind the scenes view.
You may have encountered rescues who didn’t ever reply to your e-mail, never returned your call, never contacted you about your application, wouldn’t let you adopt a dog, wouldn’t let you foster a dog, or a rescue person who was impolite to the point of being rude. As you read the following page you will be given an insight to a rescuers day/week/month, and perhaps you will begin to see why so many rescuers are hardened, snippy, crabby people who don’t seem to be living in the same world as everyone else.
If you take offense to anything below we regret that, but if you are offended it may let you know a little more about yourself and your thoughts on rescue prior to reading it. We are not here to lecture anyone, and if you feel after reading this that you cannot for some reason adopt from our rescue, please find one that you feel you can adopt from.
When you are finished reading this you still may not agree with how some rescues handle themselves (and even many rescuers feel this way) but hopefully you will at least understand a little better WHY they are like that. Our goal is to help educate you about rescue….what it is and what it isn’t.
WE’LL START WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND
RESCUE IS NOT A SERVICE FOR YOU … PERIOD . NOT FOR YOU TO FIND A DOG, OR TO GET RID OF YOUR DOG.
Rescue is a service for the dogs. We care about them, the dog is who we are here to help. Helping you find the dog of your dreams is a result of that, but our main concern here is the dog and what is best for each individual dog.
RESCUE IS NOT A SHELTER THAT YOU CAN JUST STOP BY TO VISIT, PICK OUT A DOG, AND TAKE IT HOME WITH YOU WHENEVER THE MOOD STRIKES YOU. THERE IS NO PLACE TO DROP BY AND WINDOW SHOP, NO BUSINESS HOURS, AND NO TIMES WE ARE OPEN.
Rescue is a group of people that love dogs. Those people open their homes and hearts to the dogs, give them a place to live, and love them until they find a loving home. We take applications, screen them, and then have people come and visit with the dogs in our homes .. .. See …. no shelter involved. There is a volunteers’ home on the end of any phone number you are given. Please respect that.
RESCUE IS NOT DIAL A DOG, DIAL A PERSON THAT WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT MY TROUBLES, DIAL A PERSON TO UNLOAD MY DOG .. I’VE HAD IT FOR 10 YEARS AND IT SIMPLY DOESN’T MATCH THE FURNITURE ANYMORE.
Rescue is a phone number or e-mail that reaches right into the home of a volunteer who has little time to deal with the guilt you are feeling over giving up your dog or tossing them out like last nights leftovers. They have even less time to deal with you see-sawing back and forth between keeping the dog and giving it up. If you’ve taken the trouble to find a rescue and call or email, then 99% of people have their minds set on getting rid of the dog. Don’t lie to us or to yourself. Simply tell us the reason you are giving the dog up and answer the questions we ask. If we are going to help you the least you can do is help us speed up the process. Please do not think us cold or callus, but we don’t have time for every person giving up a dog to cry on our shoulders. We’ve heard all the reasons for giving up a dog before….. including;
- allergies, moving, housebreaking issues, money issues, new baby, too hyper, barking, sick, injured, nasty, uncontrollable, landlord doesn’t allow, parents said no, owner died and nobody wants the dog, divorce, marriage, too many animals, doesn’t like new dog, doesn’t like old dog, chases cars, chases cats, sheds too much, too much trouble, new job, wants too much attention
To the other extreme, which includes;
- it’s cross-eyed, it’s ears don’t stand up, it doesn’t match the new couch, it looks at me funny, he doesn’t like it here, and he’s told me he’s not happy.
We’re not cold hearted, we simply have too many things to do and not enough time to do them all and still listen to how sorry you think you are about getting rid of your dog. If you have done everything you could do before coming to rescue, you should not feel guilty. We understand things happen in people’s lives that make hard choices a necessity. We are not judging those who have done everything they could yet still have to give up the dog. We just want those who haven’t taken the responsibility seriously to understand that we are not here to offer emotional support to them when they’ve made a stupid decision and refuse to take responsibility for it.
Rescue should be one of your last resorts. Try obedience training, try crate training, try everything you can before you make the decision to give up your dog. When you’ve done all that you can, then call us and let us know why you’re giving up the dog in the least amount of words you can. We’ll ask questions, you answer them. Quick, Simple, and Honest.
RESCUE IS NOT A PERSON SITTING AT THE COMPUTER OR PHONE ALL DAY JUST WAITING FOR YOU TO CALL OR EMAIL. WE’RE ALSO NOT RUNNING HOME DAILY HOPING WE’LL HAVE LOTS OF EMAIL AND ANSWERING MACHINE MESSAGES. WE’RE NOT RUSHING TO RETURN YOUR CALL OR EMAIL.
Rescue is a group of people who already have a life, a family, a full-time job, their own dogs, foster dogs, 50 e-mail a day looking to adopt or give up a dog, 20 phone messages a day looking to adopt or give up a dog, calls from shelters needing a rescue to take a dog who is about to be put down, not to mention applications to process, vet appointments for foster dogs…..and countless other things that rescue involves.
Of course, this does not include the volunteer eating, sleeping, and having a life, I almost forgot.
RESCUE IS NOT A WAY FOR YOU TO FIND A PUREBRED DOG FOR LITTLE OR NO MONEY
Rescue is a safe haven for dogs , with people that know and understand the quirks and personality of each dog, and have the knowledge needed to handle a particular breed, it’s medical requirements, and who can access an application to be sure it would be an appropriate home for that breed.
RESCUE IS NOT A BABY-SITTING SERVICE FOR YOUR DOG, A KENNEL, OR A PLACE THAT WILL TRAIN YOUR DOG
Rescue is a place that dogs who are homeless, about to be homeless, or in a shelter, come into where they will receive the medical attention, physical attention, and behavioral attention they need. Rescue is most times the only thing standing between a dog and a lethal injection.
CAN I GET A DOG FROM YOUR RESCUE THAT IS NOT SPAYED OR NEUTERED?
Rescue is not a place where you can pick up a “girlfriend” for BUTCH or a “boyfriend” for FIFI so that you can irresponsibly mass produce puppies, sell them to homes that may very well want them for Pitbull bait, toys for the children, something for the kids to take care of, or something to neglect and then later abandon.
All rescue dogs are spayed or neutered before adoption so that no “Accidents” happen. You won’t get a dog unaltered, don’t even bother to ask.
RESCUE IS NOT A PLACE THAT WILL TAKE THE MOST VICIOUS, NASTY, AGGRESSIVE DOGS AND KEEP THEM FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES, LIVING HAPPILY EVER AFTER IN THEIR OWNERS MIND WHILE THE DOG IS MISERABLE.
Rescue is a place where the nasty dogs that are not safe for anyone to own, handle or be within 5 feet of are humanely put to sleep where they will be happier, and people will be safer. If YOU don’t want to deal with your dog that bites, whom you’ve loved for 6 years, what on earth makes you think that someone else would want it biting them or their family?
We do work with every dog to see if they are just frightened, or have an issue that is fixable, or if they are just nasty. Those who are scared or have an issue that is fixable we work with and allow them time to adjust and overcome their fear. Those who are nasty are put to sleep – PERIOD. Some people think a rescue that euthanizes is horrible, and that’s fine, but let us fill your house up with dogs you cannot sneeze around without getting bit and let us see you still save the lives of 200+ dogs a year.
RESCUE IS NOT A MAIL ORDER SERVICE TO FIND YOU THE DOG OF YOUR DREAMS, THE DOG THAT LOVES KIDS, CATS, EVERYONE, DOESN’T BARK TOO MUCH , IS PERFECTLY HOUSEBROKEN, IS 3 POUNDS, DOES TRICKS ON COMMAND, AND KNOWS HOW TO ACT IN EVERY SITUATION.
Rescue is the place that gets calls from shelters and owners who have a Dog in need. Sure, we may come across a dog like the one described above, but chances are it will be adopted quickly and it will be a long time before we see another one like it.
We work with each dog to make them better pets than they were when they entered rescue, but we aren’t miracle workers. Every dog has his own personality, and that is what matters. If you want a dog that fits a few certain requirements – okay, that’s realistic. But trying to find one that matches perfection is not going to happen anytime soon, and if one comes in that is perfect we have a line 5 miles long of people waiting for it…
CREDIT FOR THIS BLOG GOES TO ROTTIE RESCUE OF NY!
3 Responses
2009 Sep 03
A friend emailed me this and you hit the nail right on the head. This was the best reading I have done in some time. Most people just don’t GET IT!
2009 Oct 02
What breed rescue is suppposed to be is about people helping dogs and people helping people. It isn’t supposed to be about those doing breed rescue being so much “holier than thou” towards other people that those people who need the rescue group’s help are then going to become unwilling to respect or trust you, the so-called, “rescuer” of dogs that most people, in their heart…don’t always honestly want to part with but have chosen to do so. Maybe because they were completely unaware of what it means to be a dog’s guardian. Because if they had, they wouldn’t have gone to rescue. They would have instead given a beloved dog or cat to a family member or freind. My mom gave me her cat. I rescued him. He scratches and bites me. Because he’s playing, even though he’s about 2 years and a few months old….and he sleeps in my bed with me at night. Far as spaying or neutering goes, you don’t need to be self righteous about it. Just let people know that without it, there won’t be enough good homes for every single animal that’s brought into the world and because of the callousness of humans toward each other and other animals, our would suffers moreso. Rescue doesn’t work with nasty dogs or dogs that have issues. They do deal with people who have issues. The rescue groups who are the best….they may not be able to make animals become better because of doing “rescue” but they do make people become better people because of doing “rescue”. And if they don’t….they aren’t a truly great “rescue” group for dogs. Regardless of how beautiful the dogs they have look.
2009 Oct 02
We are actually an all breed rescue but I have worked with breed specific rescues. I am sorry your experience wasn’t pleasant. We have not found that to be the case.
For DECADES rescues have “just let people know about the need to spay and neuter” is hasnt worked. From Oprah’s special on puppy mill dogs to Bob Barker signing off , to Pedigree’s commercials to HSUS, the SPCA.The price is Right every day with “remember to spay or neuter your pets. What I think you fail to realize is that some people just dont care and us rescues can’y fix that. Unless these people have lived under a rock for the past 30 years pretty much everyone knows we have a BIG pet over population problem.
I guess all I can really say is yes many of us rescuers have little empathy for owners. However until you watch 2 dozen dogs die by lethal injection, or by heart stick or worse yet…………watch them be crammed into a box with 5-8 other dogs and watch and listen to them choke to death, which by the way takes approx 20-30 ( that is if the larger breeds in their confusion,caused by lack of oxygen, have not ripped apart the smaller breeds placed in the box with them) you couldn’t understand. Please keep in mind this happens 6-8 million times per year across our country. That translates roughly to 1 animal every 9 seconds.
As far as the time yes a rescuers time is very important between rescuing, transporting, vetting,placing,fundraising,bathing, poop scooping,screening applications,care for the elderly and infirmed ones in your rescue not to mention cleaning, fund raising etc. I have to agree with the rottie rescue ( who wrote this piece by the way). I have little time to listen to the woes of an owner who is surrendering their pet because it isn’t house broken afterall she can see a therapist for her issues the dog has only us and other like us. I have been at the shelter when folks bring their dog in for the most insane reasons. One day a man brought his dog in because it had ticks whose fault is that?? The dog should die because he won’t/can’t by frontline???
People make their own lives a mess. Animals have no say they are just victims of their owners. The only exception to this in our eyes is when the owners are facing forclosure, which sadly has become a major problem in this area as well as others. Yes I will grant you there is the occasional case that is aggressive through no fault of the owner and those animals need to be euthanized. I do still however,contend that for every animal sitting in a shelter on death row there is a human responsible.
In short I’m sorry you disagree with what the rottie rescue wrote, personally I agree with them.