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Post by AmyJo27 on May 29, 2010 22:48:09 GMT -5
Not sure if this is the right place to put this thread...If not, Mary feel free to move it to OT.
This weekend Heather (The lady I am interning with-Dog Grooming) is away camping and I am ‘in charge’ of her acreage which includes dog boarding, dog grooming, and horse boarding-Plus she has 3 dogs, 3 horses, 2 baby goats, and a bunch of cats.
This morning when I went to her house to take care of everything there was a dog tied to the door handle to her grooming building. She appears to be a purebred yellow lab, had a choke chain on and has recently been spayed (Stomach is shaved). I called Heather and her and I agreed that the dog should be scanned for a microchip. Well, I took the dog to a local vet and there was no chip.
I have the Lab at my house now and she is a perfect dog. She seems very young (Maybe 9 months), she is trained (House and knows commands), she is good with other dogs, horses, goats and she is good with kids. I actually already have someone very interested in her (One of my dads good friends that has a older male lab) and I cant imagine a dog like her remaining ‘homeless’ very long.
Anyways, I have really been considering having a building built with a few runs for strays. Kind of like my own rescue but I would only take in local dogs that ‘come to me’ and not advertise. I’d only have a few dogs at a time (5 would be a maximum).
Heather and I were talking about it on the phone and she said that if I do want to she would help me to set something up like her boarding kennels (Which are very nicely set up…I will try to remember to take pics tomorrow). I was just wondering what you guys think of this idea. I understand that some of my ‘rescues’ might be permanent and that it would require money that would never be repaid. I am willing to accept both of those consequences.
Just looking for opinions and advice!
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Post by SunraysPitBulls on May 30, 2010 9:29:59 GMT -5
I think it is a wonderful idea. BUT even without advertising it may become overwhelming. If dogs are already being dropped off there, and just one person finds out it will spread and you may become a hot spot for drop offs! Not sure if you have local animal control or dog wardens who could help investigate if it gets CRAZY!
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Post by AmyJo27 on May 30, 2010 13:33:44 GMT -5
I really think we may do it.
I will have to ask the local animal control if they would be willing to help if things would get crazy.
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Post by adoptapitbull on May 30, 2010 13:51:19 GMT -5
I would just be very sure that you can do it financially. If a dog gets sick, can you spare a few hundred-thousand? Right now for Snorts demodex treatment we've already spent $300, and we're not nearly done. That's not even a life-threatening condition or anything that involves surgery. Chances are people who dump their dogs have not had them vetted, so just to make sure they're healthy you'll need an exam, rabies shot, vaccines, and possibly a S/N. One dog's one visit may be over $300, and that's if the dog is in perfect health. I think if you want to do this, at least attempt to get the 501c3 tax exemption so you can accept donations and not have to pull everything out of pocket. Of course I don't know your financial situation, but I'd suggest being more "official" if possible. You can help tons more animals that way!
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Post by suziriot on May 30, 2010 15:38:45 GMT -5
I think it's a fantastic idea, Amy Jo! But ditto to what Sonya said. Even if you intend only to take in the dogs that come to you, it may quickly turn into something much more. Talking to your local AC should be the first step. I think that if you take things slowly and do it right, you can prevent it becoming a drop off nightmare. Starting off in rescue, even with something like this, is really overwhelming. But we will be here to support you!
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Post by melonie on May 30, 2010 21:43:07 GMT -5
If you have the time and energy, the space and the resources, I say go for it! Learn to say NO though. Otherwise, you will end up with more animals than you can handle on your own. . I think if you want to do this, at least attempt to get the 501c3 tax exemption so you can accept donations and not have to pull everything out of pocket. Of course I don't know your financial situation, but I'd suggest being more "official" if possible. You can help tons more animals that way! I think you can set up as a non-profit and accept private donations. You need to file for tax exempt status and get inspected and licensed with your state. At least where I live thats the way it is done. Becoming a 501c3 allows you to get corporate/business donations. *I think* anyways, thats the way I understood it. You then have to have board members etc and more financial accountability. There is a lot more to it, but I can't recall it all with out looking at the papers. If you want to stay small and in control of how you handle everything, then go with tax exempt/non profit for now. Maybe later if it really looks like it could take off and you have the support system there to help care for more dogs, more kennnels etc, then step up and go 501c3.
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Post by erpitrescue on May 31, 2010 0:42:01 GMT -5
Rescue Matters is a good book for anyone starting a rescue or volunteering with one. It lays out many of the issues you should ocnsider before taking in your first dog. One of the things you'll need to consider in you "find me" model is are you counting walk up stray dogs? If so, there may be laws regarding how long you have to wait before the dog is yours, legally. i.e. the seven day hold at the shelter is for that reason. ou should consult an attorney to be safe on that issue. If you perform any medical services (medication, surgery, etc) on an animal that is not yet "yours", you could be in a heap of trouble- if you spay a dog, for example, you could be sued if the person is actually looking for their dog and finds it with you, for loss if income if it was a breeder. Remember, animals are viewed as property by law, and while we wouldn't think twice about spaying being the best thing for an animal, we have no right to alter/"deface" another's property. And if you give medication and the dog has an adverse reaction that leads to a compundment of medical issues or death.. that's a pickle too. I suggest doing the research listed above and talking to an attorney to make sure you are covered, or what you need to do to CYA. I think it is awesome of you, and I hope you've found a calling!
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Post by AmyJo27 on May 31, 2010 15:18:59 GMT -5
I plan on calling our first thing tomorrow. We don’t really have a 'professional' animal control, but the main local vet does pickups, adoptions, trap/release, etc. I really think they would work with me...They are always saying that this town is in desperate need of someone that will help. There is a lot that follows with helping but I am serious about it. I am definitely going to read Rescue Matters and get a hold of an attorney and see what all needs to be done legally. I DO want to do things MY way I just want a small set up to help in my area. I do have a lot of time on my hands… I just finished some classes and now it’s like, now what?! Gustavo is the only one who works and he does make enough money to support us and this. He is also hoping to get something started… he also wants to help. After seeing that dumped Pit Mix then this Lab and listening to stories Heather has told me about drop offs and strays she has dealt with I feel like I NEED to help. Yesterday I pulled 11 ticks off the Lab!!! And her neck looks pretty sore due to the choke chain-The hair has been worn off and her skin is quite red. I put a nylon collar on her so hopefully that wont irritate her neck. Tomorrow I am taking her to get vaccinated, heartworm checked, and the whole works and it just feels good and right. Alan (The guy who was interested in her) has decided that he would like to meet her and is going to come over tomorrow after our vet visit so maybe…
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Post by loverocksalot on May 31, 2010 19:23:10 GMT -5
I knew you were being led down the path to rescue. I hope things fall into place for you. Good luck.
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Post by AmyJo27 on May 31, 2010 21:55:32 GMT -5
Carol Ann...I believe you made a comment when that Pit Bull showed up, something about starting my own rescue and it has been in my head ever since. I think it is the right thing and Garland, thank you...I do feel like it is my calling. I have such an overwhelming feeling like I need to do something to help...Instead of continuing to fight the urge I am going to do what my gut is telling me. I’m sure many of you know exactly what I am feeling. I took some pics of Heathers set up because I really like the way she has things and we would like to get our set up started before the ground freezes…I know really short notice but I think its possible-My father’s friend builds for a living (Lester Buildings…Not sure if any of you have heard of them…They are pretty popular) and he said there schedule is really slow right now so I know we would be able to get it started this summer. Tomorrow when I go to Heathers we are going to sketch out some ideas. I will post some pictures of her set up to see what you guys think later. Im too tired to look for my camera and mess with photobucket right now.
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Post by michele5611 on Jun 1, 2010 13:58:27 GMT -5
Amy Jo...think it is pretty clear that you have a calling for helping and rescuing; and what an amazing thing for you if you are able to follow that calling! Good luck!
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Post by AmyJo27 on Jun 1, 2010 22:05:30 GMT -5
I talked to the vet center (The one that does adoptions) and they said that they would love to help. They said that they do a 10 day holding period to be safe so that is probably what I would do too. I still need to get in touch with an attorney. So that is on my To Do list and I am going to order the book from EBay. The Lab did well at the vet (Everything is good...Heartworm neg.) and Alan really liked her. I told him to take some time to think about it and to let me know whenever he has made up his mind. Here are some pics of Heathers set up, I really like it. There are some things I would change though-I would like to have a top on every kennel, and I’d put some kind of a cement slab on the bottoms of the outside runs so dogs cannot dig out. For the doggie doors to the outside runs she has a pulley system set up so you can open and close the doors as you please…I really like this idea because you can then mop/clean kennels in silence! I know some of you have your own rescues, therefore you have experience…Do you think this kind of set up would work good for a rescue set up?!
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Post by AmyJo27 on Jun 1, 2010 22:22:50 GMT -5
Kind of random but I have to post pics of these guys…These Boxers were so funny. The male (The young one) Winston was kind of a knuckle head…He would randomly run into stuff and would belch louder than any human and the female-Bailey was constantly licking the insides of his ears-What a pair! LOL! And this little girl…Just look at her face…I don’t have to say anymore!! She was a sweet heart, I never heard her bark once. This weekend I also develop a special fondness to a little Schnauzer named Lady. You can see her in the last pic on my previous post (In the background). I never really cared for this breed because I always thought of them as yappy little ankle biters…(Dont get me wrong...She was yappy but...) Well, that little schnauzer stole my heart. I would definitely own a schnauzer some day. She was sassy and sweet all in one and what a cuddle bug!
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