What Is Rescue?, A few thoughts I put together today Options

[Mother Moocher]

The following is probably not exhaustive and I know it has been done in bits and pieces before, but I think it is timely to have it brought to the fore again.


SO YOU WANT TO RESCUE A DOG FROM A POUND . . . . . . .

The first thing a person wanting to save the life of an impounded dog needs to know is that “Rescue” is much more than releasing that dog from a pound. “Rescue” means that a whole series of events, all for the benefit of the dog, need to be undertaken.

A rescuer needs to plan ahead, to have the physical and financial resources to be able act quickly, and to ensure that they are doing the right thing for the dog.

When you release a dog from a pound, the following steps need to be taken:

1. The dog should receive immediate veterinary attention, a check up, vaccinations brought up to date, worming and any obvious wounds treated.

2. If the dog has any sort of infection, skin lesions, or similar, he or she should be put on a course of antibiotics or other appropriate veterinary treatment.

3. Desexing shouldn’t be undertaken immediately unless the dog is obviously in good health and condition. Dogs should be given time to recover from whatever trauma (psychological or otherwise) they may have experienced from being lost or surrendered and ending up in a pound; they should be given some time to build up their resistance to the impact of surgery and anaesthesia. If a dog needs to regain health and weight prior to desexing, the dog should not be rehomed until it has been desexec.

4. The dog should be either quarantined or not leave the premises where he or she is staying for 2-3 weeks. If foster carers don’t have the facilities to keep foster dogs separate from their own dogs, their own dogs should not leave the premises for the same amount of time. Naturally, a foster carer’s own dogs should be fully up to date with all their vaccinations.

5. All foster carers should be given as great if not more scrutiny as you would a prospective home. All foster carers should be given a foster carer contract for each and every dog (or a contract covering all fostering) which plainly sets out obligations and responsibilities as a carer, and, just as importantly, the obligations and responsibilities of the rescuer. Foster carers need to guided and trained and given full support by the rescue organisation.

6. Careful consideration of the dog's personality needs to be given and various tests need to be carried out. For example: how well does the dog walk on a lead, how well does the dog behave when he is in public, how does the dog behave around children, cats, other dogs, birds, etc etc. As much information as possible needs to be gathered to inform prospective new owners. You NEVER EVER EVER withhold information about a dog, simply to get him or her into a new home.

7. To match a dog to a person and a person to a dog requires experience. A newcomer to rescue needs to be with another experienced rescuer through several rehomings to learn about this skill. This is vital for the happiness of the dogs and the people alike. The modus operandi of some rescuers seems to be based on getting the dogs into homes whether appropriate or not. This sort of behaviour can bring huge sorrow on all sides. It is not fair on either the dog or the people.

8. A home visit should be carried out before a dog is placed in a new home. If a prospective new owner objects to this, well don’t rehome the dog there.

9. An adoption contract should be issued, again showing what the rescuer expects of the person adopting the dog they have rescued and what support the new home can expect from the rescuer.

10. Rescue is not taking a dog out of one cage and putting him or her into another. If you can't foster the dog yourself or don't have a foster carer lined up or have no prospect of finding a foster carer, don't release the dog. Having access to a quantine period in kennels is a huge advantage to rescuers, but to leave the dog there for months on end or leaving the dog there if the dog becomes a difficult rehoming prospect is a gross dereliction of duty of care. Kennels offering this service are suffering the same as some bording kennels do: people decide just to dump the dog.

11. For the ongoing safety of the dogs (and because it is a legal requirement), appropriate paperwork MUST be completed.

If someone wants to rescue, but doesn’t feel capable of meeting the above criteria, attach yourself as a foster carer to a reputable rescue organisation which is doing all the above. If someone wants to rescue, they have to be prepared to organise everything for the dog: from the time the dog is released from the pound until the time the dog goes to his or her new home ....... and this could take many many months.

The following list was posted on DogzOnline some time ago and I saved it. I’ve forgotten who posted it so I can’t acknowledge them, I’m sorry. (I'm told it was Warley - thank you Warley.) It is worth taking a look at some of the unsafe, unethical and illegal practices of some rescue people and groups and making sure you are not doing any of these:

• aggressive dogs being pulled from pounds
• aggressive dogs being rehomed
• dogs rehomed undesexed
• bitches rehomed pregnant
• countless number of dogs found and never taken to a pound
• suggestions that people should steal others dogs
• dogs pulled from pounds one day and rehomed within a few days
• blatant abuse of what was Clause 17, now Clause 16D
• people offering to temp care or transport, not being informed of the dangers to their own dogs
• emotional black mail
• adopters lied to about the mental and physical state of their newly adopted animal
• a lack of temperament assessment
• dogs that have bitten children and rehomed again by the rescue
• rescues not taking dogs back
• pressure on foster carers to take “just one more”
• foster homes at breaking point due to high numbers and a lack of support from the rescue organisations
• people offering temp care for a certain period only to have the dog dumped there
• pulling dogs from pounds without arranging transport or care
• pulling dogs and putting them straight into boarding kennels
• little understanding of disease or quarantine

This post has been edited by _Cynthia_: 13th Dec 2009 - 01:37 AM

[tdierikx]

I love the rescue I foster for... NSW Animal Rescue does pretty much all of the above good points... and none of the bad ones...

I feel very well cared for as a foster carer and volunteer... and the dogs/pups benefit from that!

T.

[Powerlegs]

V quiet in here.

10. Rescue is not taking a dog out of one cage and putting him or her into another. If you can't foster the dog yourself or don't have a foster carer lined up or have no prospect of finding a foster carer, don't release the dog.

Shelters can be done properly though. And have saved many lives without too much distress for the dogs involved.

I have kenneled mine as a quarantine and stop-gap until I can bring them home. I'd rather that than foster numbers I can't handle or see a dog I could help pts due to timing. Overcrowding in the home can cause squabbles, fights and stress so if it's a choice of kenneling one temporarily compared to upsetting the group, I'd choose a good kennel every time.
I've heard of foster carers being so overloaded or pressured to squeeze in one more when there are other ways of doing things.

It would be worth noting though: don't just leave the dogs in kennels and forget about them until they become institutionalised. When adopting a dog out straight from kennels a home visit and proper paperwork can still be done by the rescuer if they cannot attend the handover in person.

3. Desexing shouldn’t be undertaken immediately unless the dog is obviously in good health and condition. Dogs should be given time to recover from whatever trauma (psychological or otherwise) they may have experienced from being lost or surrendered and ending up in a pound; they should be given some time to build up their resistance to the impact of surgery and anaesthesia.

Desexing is a must before rehoming.

disclaimer: Just my opinions .

oh and the original point-form list was a Warley post and scarily accurate.

[Mother Moocher]

Yes, both those points need some adjusting. Thanks

[shmoo]

V quiet in here.

Several rescues do not act in accordance with these steps. So yes, this thread will be quiet.

[tdierikx]

I think this would be a good opportunity for all to share their experience - and to debate any points that they don't necessarily agree with...

T.

[shmoo]

I think this would be a good opportunity for all to share their experience - and to debate any points that they don't necessarily agree with...

T.

We've done that.. again and again.

[Powerlegs]

I think this would be a good opportunity for all to share their experience - and to debate any points that they don't necessarily agree with...

T.

We've done that.. again and again.

Feeling despondent Shmoo?

[Just Andrea]

I think some of these points listed are not quite black and white as they would outright suggest but some have already been debated to death and I for one do not have time to go over the same ground, but some of note include:

• aggressive dogs being rehomed - depends on what the aggression is, and the level of aggression and whether it actually is aggression per se (diagnosed by a professional or not), whether it is DA or HA or both etc
• dogs rehomed undesexed - some groups rehome on desexing contracts, BIG difference between rehoming undesexed and with a desexing contract because of age or whatever reason at the time and ensuring it is done later then someone just blatantly rehoming all animals undesexed as part of normal practice
• a lack of temperament assessment - I'm not sure if this pertains to dogs coming into foster care or out of foster care - if it is regarding dogs coming into foster care - some pounds give rescuers limited temp info and there is little that can be done about that due to distance - people must decisions based on what info they have if they chose to rescue from these pounds
• rescues not taking dogs back - under the trial period - most certainly yes it should be done, but no-one can honestly say that if several of the 100's, 1000's etc of dogs you rehomed came back 1, 2, 5 etc years later at once you could take every one back instantaneously......rescues who give these dogs a second chance are not oblidged to instantly take back every dog we rehomed the second someone wants to dump them again when their situation changes - yes we try and accomodate them as we can but we do have other dogs and our circumstances change also

Haha...........just noticed Shmoo's comment - exactly! I think debating the same stuff over and over again achieves nothing!

This post has been edited by Just Andrea: 30th Oct 2009 - 06:53 PM

[shmoo]

I think this would be a good opportunity for all to share their experience - and to debate any points that they don't necessarily agree with...

T.

We've done that.. again and again.

Feeling despondent Shmoo?

Perhaps

[shmoo]

I think this would be a good opportunity for all to share their experience - and to debate any points that they don't necessarily agree with...

T.

We've done that.. again and again.

Feeling despondent Shmoo?

Perhaps

Sorry Cyn didn't mean to rain on your thread.

[Powerlegs]

but...If you could have say a ten point post of just the rescue basics, like the one that's called 'so you want to rehome your dog' & Shmoos pinned thread, what would the most important points be?

I ask, because so much knowledge is being lost as people come and go. It may be a done-to-death topic and have a few grey areas, but mistakes are being made - & there is not currently a basic easy reading single-post summary of what to especially for people just testing the water so to speak.

eta I'm coming from the point of view that if Pound List and urgent posts could link to one advisory post as part of each thread it would be helpful for everyone.

This post has been edited by Powerlegs: 30th Oct 2009 - 08:21 PM

[tdierikx]

Some good points there Just Andrea - how can we expand on some of the "grey" points with helpful advice to make the list better?

I reckon some "done to death" topics still could do with a good airing on a regular basis - if not to just keep us all honest - so to speak... *grin*

T.

[shmoo]

I reckon some "done to death" topics still could do with a good airing on a regular basis - if not to just keep us all honest - so to speak... *grin*

DOL doesn't make a difference to the dishonest people in rescue.

[tdierikx]

I'll agree with that Shmoo... but still, some still need it reiterated just to keep pricking at what consciences they may have... *grin*

T.