Please enlighten me - Page 1

It is sad ,that you can't trust the rescues anymore, when a owner surrenders their dog to a rescue I always believed that they suppose to Spay/Neuter the surrenders before placing them in to a new home for a donation to the rescue org. ???? Please enlighten me.

People, and their rescues are subject to the quality of their character. So, yes, they are not all equal. Due diligence is your responsibility. 

When will people realize rescues are a non-profit scam and moneys go where ever the shelter administration decides including so called expenses.

Like Peta they prey on peoples emotions.

Breed specific shelters, another contradiction.
One needy animal is just as deserving as another.

I've already had a bad day today hence the attitude.

I released a neighbors pet from a trap Friday and took the trap with me leaving behind a note to the trapper with my phone number.
This morning I get a visit from DNR accusing me of stealing multiple traps.
This after I myself called DNR Friday and gave this information to them.
I know in my heart the trapper would have simply shot the dog and no one would have ever known what became of it.

Trapping with blood bait along a public road should be illegal, at least there should be a rule about distance from roads or homes on public land but there is not.
The trap was returned, and the twenty something year old Game warden who came at me with attitude got it right back in his face.
I was the one who broke the law here.


So today I am a bit angry.
Moons.

 Two Moons ,sometimes you got to do what you got to do!!Hope the dogs okay.If we were all saints what would we need with any law enforcement ........ CHIN UP.

Why are people trapping animals in 2011?

I work for rescue and believe that spay/neuter laws are state dependent. You would have to check with the state. If there was a dog that was released without being spayed/neutered you might ask why... there could be a medical reason. If no medical reason then you should report them. Rescues try to do the best they can but with so many unwanted pets it sometimes gets overwhelming. I do rescue and I do compensate myself... why shouldn't I?? Dogs pee on my carpets, chew up my kids toys, dig in my yard. I buy them food, toys and chew toys. We also get them shots, spayed/neutered, any any other vet care they need. I spend countless hours cleaning poop out of the yard, trimming nails, giving flee baths, etc. We are a small rescue so there isn't any overhead but if you were to add up my "salary" it would probably be about 50 cents an hour. 

Without this non-profit scam where would all these unwanted animals go? There is a big enough problem with animals being dumped in dumpsters, out in the country, in a local neighborhood, behind my child's school, etc. Could you imagine what would happen if there weren't shelters to take in these animals. I hope everyone is prepared to start fostering animals if this happens or animal control will just start shooting stray dogs and cats. What other choice will they have... where would these animals go to be housed until owners come to get them?? Any suggestions Two Moons would be greatly appreciated.

Overhead costs are expenses that must be paid in order to operate. Not exactly the most glamourous category to contribute to, but vital, nonetheless. That is why people should look up a non-profits tax filing form 990, if they have a reason for concern and look for themselves to see where the money goes. There are red flags to look for so you are happy how your donation is spent, and some operators know how to stretch your donation dollars better than others. 

Give smartly during this season of Giving.

I'm in the UK and am assuming that many of you are in the US. I think we have the same basic principles here as you do with regard to the reasons and policies for shelters/rescues.

Over here in the UK we have small/medium rescues who use private fosterers many times. These are ordinary people who may or may not already have a pet of their own who are kind enough to open up their homes to a dog who needs looking after until they are rehomed. Living within a family environment means they get better socialised and trained moreso than if they're in kennels. Fosterers don't get paid for this but the rescue should really provide food for the dog and pay if any veterinary care is required.
These small/medium rescues also use private kennels that are usually reasonably local to the rescue area (within about 15 miles). The rescue will be given far lower rates per kennel per day but obviously at times such as Chrismas, some private kennels push for the rescue dogs to be removed to fosterers if possible as they can get far more money by having full rate paying private clients' dogs. However, most kennels aren't so heartless as to do this (although I do know of one locally to me that would do this).
These small/medium rescues do have a spay/neuter policy and for the most part, a dog will be altered before rehoming. Sometimes this may not happen but the agreement the new owners woul dhave to sign would state that the dog would be spayed or neutered at the earliest opportunity (at least within the first 6 monnths). When this happens, the rescue will also require proof that this has happened; ie a letter from the appropriate vet or at least a phone number they can call to check that the surgery has in fact been carried out as per the agreement.
Usually the donation for a dog will stay the same regardless of whether it has been altered or not. These rescues are run and staffed by volunteers. nobody has a salary and by usuing private kennels at low rates or fosterers, there are no overheads.

Then of course we have small(ish), albeit well known rescues such as the local Dogs' Home. Here in Birmingham, they don't spay/neuter as standard but will request that it is done within 6 months and that proof is submitted to them. If the new owners of a dog don't actually do this, the Dogs' Home don't bother to check or take any action against the owners (for example, taking the dog back) if they don't. Furthermore, they don't do home checks as standard. I had Yiannis from Birmingham Dogs' Home - no checks. They just asked if I had a garden and was it secure. No questions about where he would sleep, eat, walk, be trained etc. Absolutely no interest was shown for the dog's welfare. They were only interested in offloading him.

Then we have the medium/large rescues that are usually breed rescues. In the UK, I'd say 2 of the largest rescues are for the GSD and SBT (Staffordshire Bull Terrier for those who don't know). These rescues work on the same principles as the small/medium rescues, with most if not all of the staff being volunteers with very few overheads, if any at all. uaully the donation required is a little higher if you get a GSD, for example, from the breed rescue as opposed to a local small rescue but the agreements are generally the same.

Then of course we have the large rescues that also do a lot of other charity work for animals. The 2 that spring to mind in the UK are the PDSA and the RSPCA.
I currenlty have a dog undergoing treatment with the PDSA and I know that any money I donate will in fact go to the dogs or other animals in need.
With the RSPCA, if I donate remotely - for example, by direct debit, my money goes to the "suits" who sit in their multi-million pound headquarters and other new offices, drawing large salaries from thoughfully given donations. this is something I ind absolutely disgusting. Very little, if any of the money donated by direct debits or standing orders goes to the animals who need it. It goes to pay for offices, salaries, CHristmas parties etc.
But the good thing is that there is a way around this. If you wanted to donate money to such an organisation, then you could take the money or write a cheque and send or deliver it directly to the RSPCA hospital or rehoming centre local to yourself. thsi way, it ensures the animals get the money, not the humans.
Having said that, they do apaprently spay and neuter before rehoming but I don't have any proof or personal experience of this myself.

So to a large extent it really is down to the individual policy, funds etc of hte rescue in question. There are no laws in the UK that requires a rescue to spay/neuter a dog before rehoming and I think if legislation was passed making this a legal requirement, the smaller rescues would disappear. I don't honestly think some of them could survive when the donation for a dog can be as low as £80.

The characters and policies of rescues are as diverse as the population. Some are very good and ethical, dedicated to helping animals, and some are just awful, self-serving people looing for a way to scam people via emotion and sentiment.
As you would invest in anything else, donate wisely.

-edited for typo

I cannot speak fo every rescue out there but I can comment on the way the rescue I work with does thins.  First off we rarely if ever take owner surrenders, our primary focus is on pregnant shelter dogs.  The Moms come here either before delivery or shortly after.  They are housed in foster homes where they get accustomed to normal household noises and being handled by people.  They recieve wormings every 2 weeks and vaccinations at 6, 9, 12 and 16 weeks (if they are still with us).  Depening on the breed/size of puppy they are spayed/neutered between 8 - 12 weeks.  Yes I know there is a big divide between people who belive in early spay/neuter and those who do not.  What I do with my personal dogs is vastly diffeent than the rescue kids as I have to follow state law with the rescues.  Every single rescue dog who leaves us IS spayed or neutered before they go.  If anyone thinks our adoption fees which range from $150 to $250 is going to make anyone rich try doing it yourself.  We pay the same as everyone for dog food, we do get discounted spay/neter fees, We buy vaccine in bulk throughour vet at his cost, same with syringes, HW preventtive and other meds.  However for other vet work, broke legs, HW treatment, c-sections and on and on we pay the normal price less a 30% discount.
Right now I have 7 5 week old Chihuaha puppies, so we can compare - buy one from the paper for $350, it has had one or two vaccines.  Add the balance of vaccines at $35 each, wormings at $20 each and a spay or neuter which will run between 120 - 160.  Or adopt one of ours for $250 - all vet work done, they are pre spoiled and usually healthier than those from a BYB.