So You Want to Start a Dog Rescue Group | Tips from the Rescue Workers

photo: David Michael Morris

When we moved into our house, my boyfriend offered to build kennels on the property so that I could rescue dogs.   I think it’s crazy romantic when he gets me.  But I rescuing dogs isn’t where my strengths are, but I know that there are plenty of people out there who are considering getting knee deep in rescuing these amazing souls and this is for everyone who would like to start a dog rescue.

I’ve had a great time this week connecting with rescue workers locally, across the country and in Canada and I learned that starting and managing a dog rescue is like starting a small business.  What I love is that there are so many similar answers and  many things to consider.  I hope this is helpful…

Jamie, Motley Zoo Animal Rescue, Washington

Rescue volunteers wear many hats.  It’s important to understand budgeting, marketing and PR, leadership, diplomacy, perception and organization.

Choose a name that will stand out.  I met the Motley Zoo crew in 2009 and I’ve always remembered them, because of the name and everyone was wearing black, their banner was in black, and they were an amazing bunch of cool, animal loving “rockers.”  Although a cute name may be popular in the group, a name that has that type of impact is going to be remembered by potential contributors and sponsors.

It’s important to learn from mistakes.  The Motley Zoo Animal Rescue adoption application is 5 to 6 pages long and it’s due for an update.  Every single item on the application is important and I was happy to fill it out.  I was impressed with how thorough the group’s application process is and every question was developed based on their experience with animal rescue.

Motley Zoo spays and neuters the animals that come in and before adoption and puppies are quarantined for a week and tested for parvo.

Rescue workers don’t get a day off.  There may be a call on Christmas Eve and they have to stop, drop and roll out of there to help an animal (or animals) in need.

Not every day is a great day.  There are days when you’ll want to bag it all.  But then there are days when it’s wonderful.  What I found interesting is that Jamie and the people she works with are heroes to me, but they see themselves as people who wanted to make a difference.

Ellen, Project Animal Worldwide, New Jersey

Realize that all dogs bite.  Know how to read a dog’s body language.

Have a veterinarian lined up who will work with you on fees. You must bring every rescued dog to a vet for a checkup and rabies vaccination.  Bills will quickly add up. Try putting together a budget if possible.

Spay or neuter the rescued the dog before adopting out. 

Do not get overwhelmed. When first starting up everyone has an abundance of enthusiasm. If you let the animals consume you, you will quickly burn out and not be any good to your family, the animals and, especially, yourself. Put yourself first, your family second and the animals third.

*You cannot save everyone*. Do not let this get you down. 1 rescued dog is 1 dog saved, and that 1 dog will be forever grateful for his/her life that you saved.

Stephanie, HeavenlyCreatures, Canada

Agree how the rescue will operate so that you have procedures to follow when emotions run high. For example, feral cat trap-and-release programs are often controversial and the arguments can actually cause rescue groups to fall apart.

Since images are crucial to successful fundraising and foster/adoption efforts, get a good digital camera and learn how to use it. Ensure as many volunteers (including foster homes) are willing and able to take good pictures and email them to you.

Approach local vets, pet supply stores and news outlets (TV, radio, newspapers). Have hand-outs and business cards ready.

See if you can get cooperation from established rescue groups in your area. For example, Heavenly Creatures would contact Beagle Paws (a beagle-specific rescue) when they knew about a beagle in need. Sometimes the animal would be fostered by Heavenly Creatures until such time as Beagle Paws had an available home.

There will always be an emergency. Strive to have an empty room in your house and an extra foster home available at all times.

Gisele M. Veilleux, The Dog Liberator

Always tell the truth about ever dog you have in your rescue.  Share as much as possible.  Observe your dogs, introduce them to new environments, and if the dog has no history, find out as much as you can about him.  If the dog has a bite history, you must share that.  If the dog has been exposed to Parvo, you must share that as well.  You must be honest in rescue, or you are doomed!

Spay and neuter every animal immediately.  Never allow any animal to leave your possession without being spayed and neutered.  Do not give the adopter six months to return the dog, do not give a vet’s voucher or discount coupon for future spay/neuter, you must do it yourself.  People do lie, so if you’re not sure if your female dog has been spayed, your vet can shave her belly and look for either a spay scare of a tattoo.  If you have to schedule a surgery for a spay, and you find out after the surgery that the dog had been spayed already, too bad!!!!

Treat your volunteers with respect and appreciate them constantly.  Learn to be an effective communicator.  Be available to answer questions and make decisions.  Returning phone calls is your job as a rescuer.  If you treat your adopters professionally, after all, they are your clients, and you follow-up with them, you will get referrals.  The ultimate compliment in rescue is when a person continues to adopt from you, two and maybe three times.  I have learned that most of my most dedicated volunteers are my adopters!

If you can afford to microchip your animals, microchip them in your name only.  If you want, your adopters can be the secondary contact, but if dogs are returned it will be costly to change the registration.  All of my dogs are micro chipped to my name with no exceptions.  If your adopters are on vacation, and the dog is found, you can pay for boarding, get the dog yourself, and find a volunteer foster in the area to take care of the dog until their owners return.  If the dog continues to escape, you can reclaim the dog and void the adoption contract.

Judy, Austin Dog Alliance, Texas

Money. More rescue organizations fail because of poor money management than any other factor. Vet bills are expensive. Medications are expensive. Lawyers, insurance, office expenses, website expenses, advertising, it all costs money. You are continually weighing the needs of one dog against the needs of your organization as a whole. Making good monetary decisions will be the deciding factor on whether your organization lasts a year or a decade.

Fosters. Most rescues start out utilizing fosters as homes for their dogs. One of biggest problem rescues face are where an how to recruit fosters. You are limited in the amount of dogs you can help by the number of temporary homes that you have for them. Fosters are the backbone of any rescue operation. Where to find them, how to recruit and train them and how to keep them are aways on our minds. Having an excellent relationship with your fosters is paramount. Having rules and procedures written down in a foster manual is very important to keeping things running smoothly.

Dog Rescue is not for the faint of heart. Dog rescuers work 365 days a year 24/7. Most adoption meetings happen on the weekend. Dogs are not on a schedule for getting sick. Spays on Friday afternoon will always go bad over the weekend when the vet is closed. Some poor little puppy will always come down with vomiting and explosive diarrhea on Christmas Day and nip a stranger on the day of your son’s high school graduation. Fosters will call on Friday morning to tell you they are going out of town for the weekend and need to move the dog tonight. Can you deal?

Melissa Berryman owner and author of People Training for Good Dogs

Learn how to handle dogs safely-you will be dealing with a wide range of issues from terrified expressed as biting or catatonia to animals who won’t take kindly to your mistakes. Love and a good heart does not mean you can handle a dog.  Dog behavior is a reflection of your ability, the situation and the dog’s pack position. What one dog does with you, it may not do in another situation and vice versa. Often dogs are conveyed as behaving in a certain way based on breed stereotypes and independent of situation and context.

Adoption is a supportive endeavor that doesn’t end when the dog goes to a new home. Most dog adopters are beginners and need your help to ensure the transition is smooth. Arrange with area professionals to meet with potential adopters to ensure the relationship begins positively.

Many dogs shipped from other areas are diseased regardless of what you may have been told. Many dogs will test positive for heartworm. Just the stress of transport can also bring on latent issues. Ensure you have the funds to cope with the vet bills and a veterinarian willing to help out.

The adoption process should be a process. Many folks who want to adopt often bow out with a few days of filling out their application. Charge money. People are paying over $1000 for dogs today. Spay/neuter and vaccinate all pets adopted out before they go (or charge a refundable fee) and then cover your costs. Money adds value to the animal vs. “giving them away” to a new home. When people will dole out thousands for an intack and unvaccinated puppy then they can certainly pay to adopt a rescue dog.

Robert Baker, The Tundra Siberian Husky Rescue

What will be the terms of your adoption contract? We require adopters to sign a legally binding contract saying that the dog cannot ever be sold, given away or turned in to a shelter without first giving us right of first refusal to bring the dog back into rescue. We recently added a clause requiring adopters to decide in advance who will get the dog in the event of a divorce. If at all possible, the contract should be reviewed by an attorney.

Will you charge a fee to adopt from your group? When we bring a dog into rescue, we take them to the vet and have them neutered if necessary (we will not adopt out an unaltered dog) and brought up-to-date on all their shots and blood tests. We then ask for a donation of $350 from the adopter, which basically covers our vet fees.

What will be your follow-up procedure after the dog is adopted? Will you simply walk away, or will you follow up at regular intervals? We follow up with a telephone call the next day to see how the dog did during its first night with the adopters, then call 3 or 4 days after that, a week after that, a month after that, etc. We call every one of our adopters at least once a year to make sure the dog is OK and there are no problems. We know where every one of our adopted dogs is today and over 95% of those still alive are with the people who originally adopted them.

How will you go about fundraising? This is critical, as there is no way your adoption fees will cover all of your expenses, especially if you encounter any unexpected veterinary expenses such as heartworm treatment, orthopedic issues, etc. We not only regularly attend community events where we have a booth, but also sell breed specific merchandise such as Husky mugs, Husky tee shirts, stuffed Huskies, etc. We also have an annual Tails On The Trails Husky Hike (our main fundraiser of the year) for which I will gladly provide details to anyone who may be interested.

Thank you!!!

Thank you to all the rescue workers who took time out of their very busy schedule to help me compile this list.  Please reach out to these rescue workers and offer whatever support, money or time that you have to spare.  Every little bit counts!

Jamie, Motley Zoo Animal Rescue, Washington

Ellen, Project Animal Worldwide, New Jersey

Stephanie, HeavenlyCreatures.ca, Canada

Gisele M. Veilleux, The Dog Liberator

Judy, Austin Dog Alliance, Texas

Melissa Berryman owner and author of People Training for Good Dogs

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