Another Breeder/Importers Dog coming into Rescue - Page 18

* "Give me a break. You think it's all so easy, why don't a few of you naysayers try playing the rescue game for a few months, without charging for the dogs or asking for donations." *

-- Actually, I am playing the game. For example : true story.

A few months ago an elderly lady's home was in multiple violations of the housing code, she was forced to retire after working 60 hours a week, she is disabled, one working hand, 67 years old, very slow when mobile and had back issues. She has 16 cats and her household conditions went into a serious violation not only for the animals but for her well-being. The code inspector called the ASPCA, the ASPCA removed all the cats and set traps for those they couldn't find in the house. These are the types of things I remedy for both the human and the animals.

I and a few other people got together and stripped this house bare down to the wood floors, threw everything away but the things she needed to live. She allowed us to do this. We refurbished the entire house inside and out, brought it up to code in less than a week on our dime. 

She called the code inspector daily and he faithfully visited daily to see how things progressed. He himself couldn't believe the effort. Finally on the 6th day he passed the house to code. Mentioning he has never seen in his 20 years of public service what has happened during that week with those conditions. He called the ASPCA, the ASPCA didn't wanna return the cats. Now mind you, they took the cats because of the house conditions and code violations NOT because she was abusive, didn't feed or vet the animals.

This caused a public gathering of minds and a few visits to the ASPCA, you see they thought they was Federal and they are NOT.

Anyhow, she got all her 16 cats back and now has time for the much appreciated upkeep. She calls me every now and again for coffee,  I see 16 happy cats running around with a grateful owner, in a house I cannot believe a human lived in under the previous conditions.

My point here is this: after all the romper room with the ASPCA .. they did the right thing. They gave the cats back and never asked for a dime. I've never asked for a dime either and my helpers volunteered. This is what's it's all about to me. Some appreciate that some don't.

I'm not saying do everything for free, but to point source naysayers and like Hodie did to me, say I do nothing .. is really just a fabrication and a simple not true.

I'm finished with this thread. Good luck to the dog.

As a breeder in Oregon I am contacted from time to time from shelters or from owners of dogs looking for a rescue.  I am responsible for my own dogs ...... but when contacted about others I usually refer to the "Rescue" listed in my Breeder Directory .......  only one listed. 

When I became confused was when twice I had the shelter and/or owner call me back to say the rescue would not accept their dog?  Too old?  No papers?  A few reasons that didn't make sense ....... and in one case the dog was going to be "assessed" first to see if the rescue would take it -

So I called the "Rescue" # listed with the lady's name ..... the # I was then directed to was the "Pet Village".  In a later directory it does list Ray Reid ..... on line there are many listing under German Shepherd Rescue for either # (the one that goes to the employee or to Pet Village under Ray Reid's name).

My guess would be there is a business in these "rescues" that are "rescued" only if there is value in reselling them ........  Perhaps this hard to handle male is actually a rescue himself .... not for the first time?  I don't know -

I don't know - but again not all rescues are alike - nor are all breeders or all importers .... BUT if you care about the dogs you are breeding/importing or rescuing ..... you would have it in the contract that they MUST come back to you and you would immediately contact the rescue contacting you or the owner if a problem arose.

I appreciate all the kind things you did for this woman BE.  Sounds like you put a lot of heart and soul into the job.  You should have been a little more realistic when it came time for her to recover her cats, however.  It's obvious she is a "collector" and it is just a matter of time before she ends up in the same situation.  It is a mental illness and if she couldn't properly take care of them when she had a job, how is she going to take care of them now?  Are all the animals spayed/neutered?  Just what were the coding violations that endangered her and the cats.  She should have been allowed to have a couple of her cats back, fixed of course but 16!  Unless she is being monitored closely she will just end up in the same mess she was in before.  Sad. 

Deb

Oh, and sorry Molly.  I recognized your name but knew you were not in the rescue business so just assumed it was someone else all together.  My bad for not looking into it further regarding T-Rex.

 

vomwaldhimmel, you are correct that some rescues, legitimate ones too (and again I will stress that this has nothing to do with the folks mentioned here), will first evaluate and not take all purebred (their breeds whatever the rescue may be) dogs brought to their attention.
And if you want to be very sarcastic (not saying that you personally are) then yeah, some of it has to do with turnover. But certainly not with profit. Rescues do heavily depend on relatively fast turnover of animals. They do not want to keep animals in their care any longer than needed. The faster one leaves the quicker another one can be pulled from deathrow!  A dog with huge issues (history of biting, major medical issues, etc.) is a huge strain on rescues that many of them simply can not afford to put themselves under. Not to mention the liability issues. And some rescues have great supporters that allows them to do more than others. Also, keep in mind, the folks adopting out of rescue are also clients. And depending on what has a history of being esier to adopt out, drives what the rescues choose to pull from shelters. I know one local lab rescue that has a pretty darn good grip on what is in demand and will pull either more yellows, chocolates or blacks, depending. Not like there is ever a shortage of either unforunately.
This may not sound good to some but it is the hard truth. One more thing I also want to add, there are legions of normal folks that are willing and kind enough to foster for rescue. Rescues depend on them a lot. And not all of those foster homes are homes that can handle a dog with huge issues. So that I belive is a huge consideration as well.

This past year I have been involved with three outside rescues ...... one of which took just over a year to place (Rottie mix).  I do understand why she was less desireable and required more time/money/training/vet care to rehome.  I am not a rescue ... but I am glad we could afford to give her what she needed.

I do understand charging more for a more desireable dog/puppy .... reducing the cost on something harder to place ....... although I think it is very sad that it has to come to this.  That is what our local shelter (and many others plus rescues have to do in order to keep cost down).

It doesn't appear this dog had to be assessed - Kudo's to Steph for setting an example and going above & beyond to truely rescue ........  I have no problem with her re-homing him for $10,000 or $10 - just appreciate she can evaluate him and get him in the appropriate home ... and of course be there for him if he doesn't work out.

Would love to change the heading of this thread to read:  "Another Breeder/Importer/Rescue's Dog Coming Into Rescue"

PS   I can assure you I no longer forward anyone there  ;)

BabyEagle, my apologies.  From your statements, you didn't sound like you'd ever been involved in rescue, and I'm glad to know that you understand the situation, the difference between the ASPCA, which has a lot more funding than small operations like Steph's rescue, and Steph's operation, which isn't funded nearly as well.  She doesn't have a veterinary staff to cut expenses, she doesn't have a lot of volunteers, advertising campaigns, all the things that make the ASPCA such a profitable and well funded organization. 

You said they returned the cats to her and didn't charge them.  Well, since the cats belonged to the lady originally, and they were being returned, not adopted, then I can't see why they would need to change for the return of the cats.  I should think that most rescues, if your dog ended up there, (say, slipped a lead, ended up in the pound) would return them to you free of charge.

Thanks to all who do rescue, who have done rescue.  All who have adopted a rescued dog, cat, horse, whatever.  You have kind hearts.

Crys