ISSUES IN RESCUE: The Plight of the Tan Mixed-Breed Adult Dog

There seems to be this issue...one that makes me very sad.

There is a large number of the best...the very sweetest...the most loving...the most loyal...dogs in the world winding up in shelters all around the country. To add insult to injury, these dogs are often medium or large, mixed breed, adult, and some color (tan and black are the most common) that people just don't seem very interested in. They are also often in decent health, with even temperaments, which believe it or not, can hurt them in the attention-getting department.

If I post a purebred husky, lab, or golden retriever up for the world to see, sometimes people argue over who will get to take the dog into their home or rescue, and I often get many emails even after the dog is placed. Post some purebred or close-enough puppies, and watch the threads light up with "don't kill those babies!" and "I will take them!"...often with those puppies' mom being left behind to face death because she is not easily "adoptable", what with those new-mom nipples and all. Post a sickly dog, or a highly misunderstood breed with a rough life story, and people really want to help.

Now, I am not discounting the people that help with the above situations (except those of you who take puppies and leave the mom - THAT makes me angry). But for those of us who fight tirelessly for the underdog...for the poor, scared, forgotten, abandoned, adult "mutt"...it hurts that our babies don't get the same attention. It hurts us on behalf of them...because they deserve to be saved too.

Here's a good example:

I was pulling a dog a couple of weeks ago for a rescue. He was a husky, and a beautiful one. I was very happy that he was going to be safe and in a home of his own soon.

In the same row of kennels as this husky, I saw a medium-sized, tan mixed breed girl dog. She was laying at the back of her kennel, seeming to have lost hope that anyone was going to save her. She had an adorable boxer-ish pout, and a little nub tail.

The caretaker asked me if I would like to take her out of her cage, and told me that she was a really sweet girl. She didn't understand why people were completely overlooking this dog...person after person had walked by her cage without giving her a glance. She was sad and stressed out. Her thread on my animal control Facebook page was nearly silent, except for the occasional "shared". Nobody wanted this girl to come home with them, and for her, that was going to mean her death the next morning.

I took her out and walked her around. She was polite, great on a leash, and seemed to be very attached to her caretaker. She walked around cautiously, as though she didn't want to get too excited that she was free for these few minutes. She was introduced to some cats, who she sniffed and then didn't give a second thought to. She didn't jump, didn't pull, and didn't bark. She looked like she had been fed consistently (was even a little chunky) and her coat was nice.

I looked at this dog...this dog with a great (but not flashy) personality...this dog who already knew how to be good with people, with cats, could walk on a leash and sit on command...this dog who looked like she had been someone's good girl before she ended up at animal control...and thought "How could no one want her? She's perfect! Don't people want a good dog?"

Unfortunately for her, a lot of people are more interested in getting a flashy dog, an expensive dog, a purebred dog, a pretty dog. I was reading Ashley Owen Hill's Lucky Dog Rescue Blog last week, and she made a good point...that it's because the potential owners think that these traits in their dogs say something about their worth. Well, let me tell you...buying a purebred dog says nothing about your worth, or the worth of that mixed-breed dog that died because you weren't interested. All it does is continue the cycle that gets these dogs killed in the first place.

But back to this sweet little boxer mix at animal control...

I thought about it. I have three large mix-breed dogs. Two of them are seniors, coming in at 10 and 11 years of age. That's a lot of walks, food, and vet visits, and I didn't know how fast I would be able to place this dog in the loving family she deserves.

But I couldn't leave her to die the next day because she was not a fancy, attention-grabbing dog.

So in the car she went.

She came home with me, nervous at first, and within a couple of days, blossomed into a happy, sweet, gentle, loving girl who loves to take walks, and wags her little nub tail (and her whole body) when someone talks to her or pats her on the head. She is the perfect dog for just about anyone.

That adorable boxer pout.

I have blossomed into a happy girl!

 And she was going to die.

This story ends very happily - within a week I was contacted by the mother of a great girl who had adopted another dog that I pulled a few months back...she wanted my little nubby girl to come live with her! See, all it took was being out of the shelter, being allowed to blossom into the dog she really was, and someone saw in her what I saw in her - a great dog that deserves a GREAT home.

But that's not the way the story ends for so many...it's a painfully large number of these dogs that never get the chance to show what super dogs they can be.

I would like to encourage you to give that non-fancy, non-pretty, non-elite mixed-breed adult dog a chance to live. Help to crosspost the ones who are being forgotten. If you can, rescue them or adopt to rehome. Offer financial assistance to rescues that will take a dog that might not be a show dog, but will show someone all the love in the world and then some.

Dogs like Ava, heartbroken and alone at HCAC in Sebring, FL. She is so gentle, she let a little girl paint her nails.

Or this sweet girl, waiting for help that may never come, at the same shelter.

Or Channel, set to die soon because nobody wants her, despite a $175 sponsorship to rescue, at Collier County Animal Control in Naples, FL.

I can guarantee you, there is no feeling that matches helping to save a dog that looked like it was doomed to die because it wasn't born fancy. Trust me, the dog doesn't forget it either.

Today Was a Bad Day.

I am so sad and angry and hopeless today. They killed 5 very sweet, adoptable pups, some who had less than a week to impress a potential adopter or rescue with one picture and some vital statistics. Several were abandoned to die by the people that they loved and trusted.

Why can't people just want a GOOD dog - not a breed of dog, not a size of dog, not a fancy dog to show off to their fancy friends...but a GOOD dog? So many good dogs die while people are off at the pet store picking up a puppy-mill special because it's "purebred". People seem to want dogs as status symbols - "look how tough I am", "look how much money I have", "look at this rare breed I was able to get ahold of" - and then they dump them when the dogs don't live up to their ridiculous expectations. Didn't you realize that a dog is not a Prada bag? Getting sick of a Prada bag doesn't condemn a thinking, feeling, loving, caring creature to death.

Why can't people spay and neuter their freaking animals? Why aren't they mandated to do so when they ditch puppies to go to their deaths at animal control? How hard is it to say "we are going to do a home check and require sterilization, because obviously you are not responsible"?

Why can't people commit to their dogs? Nobody said you HAD to take that apartment in that new city that said "no dogs"! Your "lack of time" is way better to your dog, who LOVES YOU, than death! Your allergies can be treated, but no, you'd rather dump your dog than spend the miniscule amount of money required. Your "lifestyle change" is nothing to your dog - if you were broke or a millionaire, he would chose life with you over death ANY DAY! Yeah, it may be hard on YOU to watch your senior dog have more and more trouble getting around, but imagine what it does to HIM when you ditch him in an unfamiliar place with concrete floors and stressful sounds, all alone, to DIE! All because you were such a fairweather friend that you couldn't be bothered to be there for a friend when he needed you. Especially when that friend would have stuck through ANYTHING for you.

I really hate people right now. I hate them.  I hope that people who brought Xena in to Animal Control realize that they signed her into death. I hope the person who is responsible for dropping Max off suffers the kind of sadness and aloneness that he did at the end. I hope the people who are breeding and creating all of these dogs like Edward and all of the other curs that died today come to a bad end caused by someone else's irresponsibility...the same end they damned these dogs to experiencing by letting them breed and not giving a shit what happened to them.

I wish I was a good enough person to be more forgiving, but today, I am not that person. Not at all. And this is why:

RIP: Xena, Edward, Max, Cindy, and the 10 month old black lab pup who died nameless. We are so sorry.

TIPS AND TRICKS: Information, Please!

I love that so many people are so passionate about posting urgent animals on Facebook, and sharing them with others that might help. Some of these cats and dogs would not have a chance in the world to be seen if it wasn't for the hard work of volunteers and crossposters.

Sometimes, however, the passion overtakes logic, and pictures get posted with a lack of information. Think of posting and crossposting as a form of marketing - would you put a great picture of your product up on the internet, and then not tell people how they can get it or where it's located?  I have seen many caring people post pictures of pets on Facebook, with a big HELP! and no vital information. People need to know, in a concise manner, the W's of the situation.

WHO? 
Who can potential adopters talk to for more information? Who can help a rescue or adopter arrange to get the dog or cat to safety? Who will know what options are available for transport? Who is allowed to pull from this shelter? Answering these questions ahead of time can prevent the dreaded "I want to help, but I don't know who to talk to!" problem.

WHAT?
What breed of dog is it? How old?  What do you know about his or her temperament? Good with dogs/kids/adults/cats/none of the above? Does the dog or cat have any special needs? HW status, health status, shots, spay/neuter status are all very important too, if you have them. These are all questions that help rescues and adopters make the decision on whether or not a pet is right for their situation. If the information is not readily available, they may move on to another animal.

WHERE?
Where does this pet currently reside? Shelter name, address, city and state are very important. This way, a potential rescue or adopter can figure out what will need to be done to save the animal, or if they even can do so.

WHEN? 
When is this pet going to be killed? When is the shelter open so that someone can save the pet? 

WHY?
If the dog or cat has a story, it's VERY important to tell it! This can differentiate your urgent animal from another. If you don't have a story, try to take the information you do have, and make the plea more personal. 

HOW?
How much is the pull fee, and what does that include? How can an out of state adopter or rescue save the available animals? How can one pay the pull fee - over the phone, or does it have to be in person? What payments does the shelter accept? How is the dog handled after that - does it go to the vet for a spay, or is it available immediately?

It helps to post all of the information on each picture...that way, crossposters do not have to hunt down details to add to the picture in order to generate interest in the animals.

Posting as much information as possible is the first step in saving these animals lives. 

Some great examples of posts that have the info needed:

Kristin Kucsma, North and South Carolina kill shelters
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.544707235369.2055330.19802242

Petra Kleber Keim, Heard County GA
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1717898661715.2085897.1065694329

Greenville SC Urgent List
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.201057003262674.41760.153272091374499

Urgent Part 2 NYC Area
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.206358356043718.56767.152876678058553

ISSUES IN RESCUE: The Cost of Out-Of-State Rescue

I really feel like I want to tackle this topic, because it seems to come up a lot. On my rescue album on Facebook for the Highlands County Florida Urgent Dogs , I list out what it will cost to save a dog from the shelter, both for local and out of state adopters. I have been asked many times lately, "Why do they charge so much for out of state rescues? I want to save a dog, you want it safe. Can't you do it for less/free?"

The answer is, no. And the reasons are all practical, not greed-related (at least for the good rescues out there).

Let's say you want to rescue a dog and you are local. That's awesome - that's what I want! I want that dog to go to a good home. You can come to the shelter, pay the $75-85 pull fee...this comes with rabies vaccine and spay/neuter surgery. You can also opt to ask for a heartworm test once the dog is at the vet, which will cost another $40. In the grand scheme of things, $115 for a neutered, vaccinated, heartworm tested dog is a pretty good deal...it would cost you a lot more at your vet.

Now, let's say you are an out of town adopter, and you contact me, asking me to get a male dog to you. This is where it gets trickier. This means that you are not able to come to the shelter yourself to do the financial transaction, and you are not able to pick your dog up from the vet. Here is a breakdown of what it costs to save your dog:
- Gas to get to the shelter: $varies (and I have never asked anyone for gas money, even though I am 2 hours away.)
- Pull Fee: $75.
- Post-surgery Pain Meds: $10
- Heartworm Test: $40 (and if your dog comes up heartworm positive, I have then taken on the risk that you no longer want the dog, which is now my responsibility...but let's say he's heartworm negative.)
Then, the dog needs an Interstate Health Certificate. This requires:
- Wellness Exam: $28
- Parvo/Distemper Test: $17
- Fecal Flotation Test: $14
- Deworming Medicine: $45
- Interstate Health Certificate Issuance: $12

So far, this is $241, and every step of the way I shoulder the risk that you may change your mind on saving the dog (it happens way more often than you would think).

Then, we have to figure out transport. Let's say you live far away, and it is best to transport the dog via flight. Let's assume that flight costs $300 (I have never had to pay for a flight for a dog, so I am guessing here). Let's say that the next flight that your dog can catch is 3 days after his neuter procedure, and you do not have a local foster in place. This means $15/day for boarding...which comes to $45 total.

Then, someone has to pick up your dog from the vet and transport them to the airport, which is usually Orlando airport in the case of the dogs at Highlands. This is a 3 hour drive round trip, and costs gas money as well. There will also have to be a travel kennel purchased...let's say that's $100.

So in total, assuming that the dog is healthy, assuming that you keep your end of the bargain and don't decide at some point that you have changed your mind...the grand total cost for an out of state rescue (under the given circumstances) can be around $686. If you have asked me to pull this dog and change your mind at any time, disappear from contact, etc...then I have a large financial bill to cover (remember, it's $241 before he even gets on a plane) AND a dog who is depending on me to find him a place to live that is NOT back at Animal Control.

I hate to say it, but I don't know any rescue that can consistently afford to take on $700 per dog bills on behalf of people who only have to say "never mind" when the going gets tough. I know I can't. As I have said many times, animal rescue is not an endeavor that makes any legitimate rescuer money. There are no stockpiles of unused donations sitting around, and whenever I let people know how much it would cost to save a dog - I am NOT embellishing. I am NOT demanding gas money or mileage or repayment for my time, and most of us don't. I am ONLY asking for the hard costs of getting that dog to safety, and I can't afford to cover them, even temporarily, for someone who's only commitment is saying "I want that dog!" on Facebook.

All that being said, though, for those who are truly committed...for those who are willing to contribute to the safety of their future furry children (or start a chip-in themselves to raise money to help defray the rather large cost involved)...for those who plan their transport without demanding that someone else take care of it for them...for those who are willing to take on a dog that may need some extra care, even if they weren't expecting it...I am at your service, and I know several people who feel the same way. Because our goal, above all else, is to get these dogs and cats to homes that really care about them, wherever the location.

Speaking of which, I would like to give a shout out to Wendy Lorden, who rescued one of the Highlands dogs recently. Wendy asked me to pull Diamond, an American Bulldog mix, for her. When I called to give her the awful news that Diamond was heartworm positive, she didn't flinch. When her transport plan fell through, she paid for Diamond's boarding and then drove all the way from Tennessee to Florida to pick up her new girl. She never gave up, or demanded that I figure out how to fix things. That's commitment!

All of us rescuers are committed to seeing every one of these dogs safe. But although it would be nice if it wasn't, money is a factor. Please keep this in mind if you are considering rescuing from out of state, and the whole process will be easier for all involved. :)

My Three Favorite Dogs This Week at Highlands County Animal Control (Sebring, FL)

This is turning out to be a rough week. I crosspost a lot of different shelters' animals, but my pet project is a rural high-kill shelter here in my home state of Florida - Highlands County Animal Control. They are in Sebring, FL, and their pets get relatively little exposure without the intervention of some dedicated employees and volunteers that are willing to take the information they are given about each animal and post them in Facebook albums. Their dogs are not on Petharbor, and they are not on Petfinder. These dogs and cats have a very low chance of being seen by rescuers or adopters, which is sad, because many of them are fantastic - my Lindy among them.

I crosspost daily, and of course every week I come away with a few dogs that I just can't stop thinking about, and can't stop posting, until I can see or post "SAFE" on their pictures. So today I am going to talk a little bit about my three favorite dogs that are currently on death row at Highlands County Animal Control, and why you should check them (and their fellow inmates) out in the albums I have posted on Facebook:

DOGS

CATS 

 This is Two Face. I met him last week when I went to help an adopter (my sister) pick up her new friend from Highlands County Animal Control. Two Face is beautiful - the first thing you notice about him are his really cool facial markings. He is a 4-year-old Cur Mix who seems like he has been largely ignored throughout his life, but still has hope that someone will give him a chance. He is calm and loving, and waits for you to extend your hand and calmly accepts any love you might offer him. He is on the bigger side of medium, and would make a great, loving, calm family dog and a devoted best friend. Two Face will die on Wednesday morning if no one steps forward for him.

This little boy is so alone in the world that he doesn't even have a name. He is a 2-year-old Cur Mix who still carries all of the hope in the world in his heart. This is amazing, considering the fact that he is underweight and his nails are long, showing a short life of not being cared for. When I walked up to his cage, he sat and wagged his tail, and as I put my hand through to him, he leaned into it, just so relieved for a person to be touching him in any friendly way. I scratched his face and he sat there, soaking it in like a parched sponge that has never seen a drop of water. This poor little boy is so sweet, but is a total underdog - not a fancy, flashy breed, not gravely ill, not the type of dog that it is popular to rally around...just a great, but overlooked, brown dog full of love that may be snuffed out on Wednesday. 

This sweet boy's name is Rocket, and he was abandoned at Animal Control by his family, who said that they were losing their home to foreclosure and just didn't have time to find him a home. Considering how long a foreclosure takes in Florida these days, the "I don't have time" argument doesn't fly with me. But they couldn't have cared much. Rocket spent all of his days being passed around and living outdoors, getting love where he could. He is low-key and gentle, and wants nothing more than to be petted and to lay at someone's feet, INDOORS, who really appreciates his beauty (both inside and out!). Rocket is on his second week (most never make it that far) and likely has no chance of making it past Wednesday without an adopter or rescue.

My work with this shelter, trying to help save dogs and cats that have no voices of their own, and very few advocates, can be very hard emotionally, as anyone who takes on a similar "pet project" can attest to. You get to know the dogs, either through pictures and descriptions, or in person, and you get attached. You take them into your heart and when they lose their lives due to the moronic actions of their owners, or their bad luck, not for anything that they have done...it cuts deep. Especially when you have poured your soul into saving them, in every way you can. I can't imagine what those who work at the shelters daily must feel like.

But I always say to myself, "If I stop acting on their behalf, that is one less advocate these dogs and cats will have, when they already have so few." If I can help save a couple more, maybe there will be more room and others can be held over, and I can try again next week. If I can help an out-of-state rescue take one of the dogs, that dog gets a new lease on life that he/she may not have had. If I can help connect people who want to help financially to those who want to help physically, more lives will be saved. My part may be little, but it adds to the sum of many amazing parts. Each of us put together - crossposters, donors, rescues, transporters, adopters, and rescue-friendly shelter workers make it possible for miracles to happen.

That's what keeps me going, even in the weeks where there seems to be no hope - the fact that I can do my part to help an animal live out a happy life that may not have had that chance. If you can help any of the Highlands County animals, please contact me. Thank you.

"Saving the life of one animal may not change the world, but the world will surely change for that one animal"

TIPS AND TRICKS: Find your strength, and go with it!

Everyone has their own set of strengths. The things that our friends are always saying "Wow, can you please show me how to do that?" or even, "Can you do this for me? You are so much better at it than I am." The things that we have going for us, the advantages that we were given in life, the skills that we have worked really hard to hone into expertise, the knowledge we have built up over time.

In crossposting, you can be incredibly helpful by identifying your strengths, and figuring out how to focus on those. By utilizing your strengths, and aligning with others that have different strengths, you can help save many more lives. For example:

* Do you have a way with words? Consider writing creative bios for animals that can be posted with their photos. A lot of ACs and rescues don't have the time to write up a really compelling story for each dog or cat.

* Are you good behind the lens? Consider going to your local AC or rescue and donating some of your time to take attractive pictures of the dogs they have available (a good picture can make a HUGE difference in how much attention is paid to a dog or cat online). Most ACs or rescues don't have access to the kind of skills and equipment a photographer possesses.

* Are you artistic? I have seen a few people add borders with information and adorable speech bubbles to pictures in an attempt to draw in the viewer, and it seems to really help!

* Do you have some money each month that you can set aside to help with emergency rescue efforts? Often when an emergency comes up (a senior dog, a sick cat), the rescues that would love to help don't have the money readily available to pay for transportation or surgery. People who help with the financial aspect of rescue are vital - remember that rescues are not businesses that make profit! Often, they are people with big hearts that are running on donations and credit card balances. Your $25 here or there can make a big difference.

**NOTE: Make sure before you donate that your money is going to a trusted individual or rescue. Unfortunately, there have been people out there that have used animal rescue as a front for deceit. PLEASE check out any person asking for donations BEFORE you give, so that you know that your money is going to the right place (helping animals)!**

* Are you good with organization and using Facebook? Offer to post animals at an AC or rescue in an album on FB and help keep track of their status. A lot of times, organizations don't have the time and resources to keep everyone directly informed of what is going on with the animals. A good photo album setup is a great start, so that crossposters can easily see the animal's information, location, and status. I will do a post about this subject later.

These are just a small number of examples of strengths that one can leverage in the pursuit of helping to save animals. What are your strengths? In what ways are you using your gifts to help save the lives of animals?

TOOLS AND INFO: The Rescue Shelter Network

Today I want to share a neat site that a fellow crossposter showed me a while back. It's called The Rescue Shelter Network.

The Rescue Shelter Network

It allows you to search a list of breed-specific rescues for all sorts of animals, based on geographic location. This allows you, as a crossposter, to not only share those pictures on Facebook, but to contact rescues that may be interested in that dog or cat directly.

For example, you see a Boston Terrier listed as urgent in a rural shelter in Georgia. You select "Boston Terrier" from the Dog Breed drop-down menu. This takes you to a page where you can select the state..."Georgia Boston Terrier Rescue Groups" (you can also select to see all groups nationally). Once you get to the Georgia page, it will tell you that there are no rescue groups for Boston Terriers in Georgia that are listed on this site, but it does give you links to the closest rescues to Georgia. You can then find these groups' contact information, and send them the information for the dog. Sometimes out of state rescues will be willing to help dogs in other areas, if they are a breed that fits their rescue.

Remember to be as thorough as possible when contacting rescues, as they sometimes don't have the extra time to look up information on a dog that they may be interested in, but came to them with limited information.
Making sure that you give a rescue all of the information they will need, even if you have to look some of it up yourself, makes it easier for the rescue to act on saving animals that they are interested in. And we all like to see "SAFE", right?

What tools do you use in your crossposting efforts? Give me a shout and let me know.