| When animals can no longer be kept by their owners, many owners are reluctant to take their animal to a shelter. They contact a rescue for their breed and ask them to
place the animal in a new home. Most pure breeds have rescues. Some rescues only work with one breed, some with several.
A rescue does not usually have puppies, is not a breeder and is not a shelter or a kennel, so they do not have an "inventory" of dogs the way a shelter does. The dogs available through a rescue are adult dogs who need new homes usually because of some unforeseen problem with their owners, such as death, moving, divorce, etc. When you contact a
rescue, unlike a shelter, you are usually contacting a person's private home. Be aware of this and realize that you may be calling during the person's dinner, children's bath or bedtime, or during some other private home issue. You are NOT calling a shelter office. There are no shelter visiting hours. Sometimes an animal is in this home, or in another foster home, or still in it's original home waiting for a new one. Sometimes they don't have any for adoption, but will add your name to a
waiting list. The rescue will usually want an application from you, either by mail or over the phone, and each has their own requirements regarding your suitability to adopt their breed, depending on their breed characteristics. There is always an adoption fee or "donation" requested.
For an excellent book to read on rescues and rescue dogs, please get Save That Dog by Liz Palika. If it is not in your library, book store or pet store, you can get it through
Howell Book House, A Simon & Shuster Macmillan Company, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. It costs $14.99 and explains everything about rescues, rescue dogs and what to expect.
For more information go to : www.Petsville.com
Author: Barbara Ross
Date: 08/04/98
Article Name: What is a Rescue?
Category: Shelter & Rescue Issues | |
