5 Things to Know About Rescue Groups
Louise Louis
What to know before you get a dog from a rescue group.
Over
the past decade, breed rescue groups have become a major force in
dog adoptions. These rescue groups limit their effort to a
particular breed of dog, concentrating on purebreds.
This is a help to people who want a certain breed of dog but
can't or don't want to pay a breeder's price or want to
circumvent the waiting lists common for difficult-to-breed dogs.
To make the best use of a rescue group, however, there are a few
things to keep in mind.
1. Watch out for scams. Some wholesale breeders and brokers who
can't meet federal and state laws advertise themselves as
"rescue" organizations. Crooks have even collected money for
non-existent rescue groups.
Unlike animal shelters and ASPC or humane societies, rescue
groups usually do not have storefronts. They are a collection of
breeders and breed fanciers who perform their services from their
homes.
Ask any rescue group if they are incorporated or registered as a
nonprofit group in your state.
The best way to find a rescue group is to go to the American
Kennel Club's (AKC) website at www.akc.org and search under the
breed you're interested in getting. If no rescue group is listed,
contact the national breed club and ask for recommendations.
2. Don't trust everything a shelter tells you. In some areas, the
county or charitable animal shelter feels they're in competition
with rescue groups and take pains to color these groups as
irresponsible.
Some people who volunteer at shelters are animal rights
extremists who despise anyone who breeds dogs to serve as pets.
This is a source of tension as many rescue group members are
hobby or professional breeders.
Some rescue groups have made this worse by advertising how they
"rescue" dogs from the shelter implying they are the guys in the
white hats.
A further issue of contention between the groups is the fee
charged to obtain a dog. Some rescue groups deliberately undercut
the fees the shelter's charge. Shelters may be limited by law or
organization rules to charging a certain amount and can't compete
on price with rescue groups.
3. Ask about foster care for the dog you're considering.
Responsible rescue groups place dogs in foster homes to assess
the dogs and determine what behavior problems, if any, exist with
the dog.
This information is crucial to determining what type of permanent
home would be best for the dog. For instance, one without
children or one with a lot of activity.
Be leery of a rescue group that is trying to place a dog that it
has just obtained without having an interim placement.
Not all dogs should be rehomed. There have been instances of dogs
that seriously attacked people but were offered for adoption by
rescue groups that wanted to promote their own "no kill"
reputation.
4. Expect to be interviewed. Responsible rescue groups do attempt
to match a dog and his personality with an appropriate owner.
They can only do this by asking questions including what your
experience is with dogs, what you know about the breed and what
type of lifestyle you have.
Please do not be offended. I would never accept a dog from a
rescue society that did nothing more than ascertain if I could
pay the fee they want.
5. Be prepared for anything. There are no overarching laws,
regulation or oversight of rescue groups. Some are run very
professionally and some are basket cases. Unlike shelters, they
are rarely subject to any state or local licensing.
You may call a rescue group and never get a response. Part of the
problem is the rapid turnover of volunteers involved in rescue
groups. Realize that you may need to be very, very patient when
dealing with a rescue group.
Always ask how the dog came into rescue. Some well-meaning group
members "rescue" any dog, especially a neglected looking dog,
they find outside without an owner.
The dog may or may not be abandoned but some rescue do not make
much of an effort to try to find owners especially if in their
opinion the dog does not appear to be well treated.
Find out if they check for microchips or tattoos and if you do
get a rescue dog, have your vet check them right away for this as
well as diseases.
You may expose yourself to emotional trauma and even liability
issues if you wind up with a lost dog whose owner tracks him back
to you.
As a final caution, it pays to make two or three visits with the
dog you're considering adopting before making the final decision.
---- Ms. Louis is a certified canine specialist and all around
dog person.
A former breeder and ardent dog-person, Louise Louis now runs a
website dedicated to helping people select the right Toy breed
dog for their lifestyle.
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