A rescue is a recycled dog that someone gives up, dumps at a shelter, or turns out on the street. 
“Rescuers” are all over the country; rescuers have a calling, a passion, an addiction to save as many dogs as possible. Often it is a race against time.
Rescuers are a little nutty to those non-rescuers. More often than not, rescuers are some of the kindest, most self-sacrificing people you will ever meet.
Rescuers would happily be put out of business if people would stop adopting dogs they can’t take care of and stop breeding for profit.
“Rescue groups” are what we call the organizations that sponsor dogs until they are placed. There are national breed clubs that have rescue arms, there are state and local rescues, many are non-profit. Some are independent. Many are excellent, some are not.
Not all dog people have good people skills. Sometimes working with other dog rescuers is a challenge. We jokingly refer to some of these rescuers as ‘alpha’ when they seem to be more about the ego than the dog.
But in general, I have the highest regard for our country’s countless rescuers or “dog angels”. Rescuers take on half dead, half starved, pregnant, abused or injured on the street. We ‘pull’ dogs from animal control or shelters, often at the 11th hour before they are euthanized, either by gas or lethal injection.
Rescuers seem to assign themselves one or all of the following roles, on a variety of roles, according to one’s time, tolerance for going into shelters and expertise.
What do rescuers do?
- Go into animal control facilities or shelters to alert other rescuers via email and photos.
- Transport. There are those who spend their free time and weekends, donating their cars, vans and gasoline to transport dogs from Point A to Point B. These are coordinated by rescue dispatchers, who have this down to a science.
A route is plotted, mileage and time assigned, cell phone numbers and license plates exchanged, and rendezvous points set up. This is all done by the clock.
Dogs can be transported from state to state in order to get a dog to a rescue group or to an approved foster or permanent aka “forever home. There are truckers who volunteer transport. And transport companies that you can pay to transport. Flying is not recommended as it is stressful and dangerous. Long distance rescues can work well but I always ask a prospective owner to drive to meet the dog. A long distance dog may steal your heart but if the reality isn’t what you anticipated, it can be heart wrenching and logistically frustrating for all to return a dog, as is usually required in a rescue contract.
- Foster homes. People who take care and rehabilitate dogs until a ‘forever home’ is found. This requires the donation of food and hopefully some basic manners. This is a very demanding and rewarding role for many. I have fostered many dogs and the feeling of healing a dog’s spirit and building is unlike anything else. It is very sad to let them go, but I have honed my skills as a good matchmaker. Many of the homes I have worked with still write me, sometimes daily, sometimes weekly, sometimes annually—to let me know how their fur children are doing.
There are few ‘no kill’ shelters. Most are kill or ‘high kill’. Being a rescuer is a thankless job most of the time, and we console each other by saying ‘we can’t save them all’ when we run out of refuge.
There are millions of dogs needing good homes. A site called www.petfinder.com has virtually revolutionized the search for dogs by giving shelters and rescue groups.
Advantages and disadvantages of working with a rescue group.
You will save a life. If your desire is to save a life, rescues take dogs out of shelters or take in dogs that owners no longer want for reasons having nothing to do with the dog.
You usually know what you are getting i.e., temperament, personality, good with other dogs, cats, children, health issues (if known) A good foster home will observe and share a prospective dog’s ‘issues’ and disclose all they know about the dog to you.
A foster home will provide a more natural environment for you to meet a dog than in a shelter, which is highly stressful and a dog’s real personality doesn’t come out in these brief encounters
A good rescue will take a dog back, no questions asked. They will not always refund your donation, but consider it a donation to a very good cause. Few rescues recoup their investments in a dog. Their veterinary costs are usually greater than their rescue fees.
Why do some rescuers make it so hard to adopt a dog?
Yes, you can probably adopt a child easier than adopt a dog from a rescuer. But they are trying to insure the dog’s future, so that it doesn’t wind up in a bad situation ever again. Some rescues insist on fenced yards. I think if there are children in a home, this is a good idea. But I’d much prefer an owner that takes their dogs on multiple walks daily for exercise, and mental stimulation.
Dogs get bored when they are left to sit in a yard. They dig or bark and then owners don’t take responsibility for entertaining their dogs, and complain about the dog’s destructive behavior.
What is an appropriate rescue fee?
Rescue fees vary from group to group. If you take a dog directly from a shelter, it may or may not have shots, tests, and spay/neuter as part of its adoption program.
A good rescue will take care of all of the above, and generally ask you for a $100-$150 fee. For this you should be adopting a clean, healthy, dog that is on heartworm prevention and usually flea and tick prevention.
Some rescues charge more money depending on the breed, age of the dog or the dollars it took to bring that dog to health; I’ve never met a rescue that asked someone to reimburse all of the vet costs. (which can be sizeable, especially when dogs are heartworm positive) But more and more groups, bogged down by the rising costs of veterinary care and gasoline costs.
Some breed clubs ask $200-$350.
There are some groups that ask $500 and $600 but most rescuers don’t agree with this policy; we are not trying to make money, or to compete with pet stores or breeders. We generally advise people to steer clear of groups asking these rescue donations.
If you love the dog you are adopting and the group’s policy is to ask a $100-$200 donation fee, feel free to donate an extra $$ amount either when you adopt or at holiday times. They deserve and need it to save other dogs.