rescue thoughts

I imagine that some rescues can be unreasonable with their demands. But look at it from our side. We talk to people over the phone and they tell us oh yes we do have a fenced yard and the dog will be completely safe.. Then we go to the home and there isn't a fence in sight. We do not recommend electronic fences for rescued shelties. Some peope will say anything to get a pure bred dog that is fully vetted at a cheap price!

Our contract is mostly common sense dog care but if we don't write it down we can't enforce it. When we say the dog should go to obedience classes it's not because we feel the new owner isn't capable of training the dog its' because the dog needs confidence in itself, and it is a great way to help a new dog bond with a new owner. Rescue is all about the dog not the adopter. Most people don't understand that. We interview clients to understand what their lifestyle is like and then suggest several dogs that will fit their home and family taking into consideration size, sex and color for the client. Just as it is with the children in one family, all shelties are not alike.

We do insist on good quality food as well as a regular regiment of heartworm meds as well as flea and tick control. What you use is your choice, we only suggest to our clients what we find works best for shelties.

If you have ever nursed a dog after it has gone through the imiticide treatment for heartworms you would understand how painful it is for the dog as well as the fact that they have to be kept quiet for a total of 8 weeks to allow the heart muscle to heal.. It's heartbreaking to listen to a dog that feels fine but can't run and play because it's heart has been damaged by the worms.

There are times that we fight like demons to save one of these precious souls. I myself have spoon fed a starving dog every two hours for three days in a row just to keep him alive. Gladly I can say he survived and is very happy in his new home. These dogs mean a lot to us and we want the best for them.

I have been involved in rescue for ten years (five in Florida alone) While I understand your feelings there is always another side to the story.

I invite you to check out our website and read the educational information we have provided there for our sheltie loving clients.

Thank you for listening
Judy V.
Mid Florida Sheltie Rescue
 
I surely didnt mean to upset anyone in rescue, just the journey is a hard one. I also am old fashioned enough not to want to jump through hoops which I know are in place for a reason, just some go way overboard and behave like real horses rumps.
I worked for a vet so I have seen heartworm treatment first hand, parvo, cancer, amputations and so on. Not only from the backroom dogs treatment perspective but dealing with the owner's heartbreak, anger, issues with not wanting to spend the money on treatments, surgury etc. Even owners wanting their dogs to be put down because of accidents in old age. ( we never did we had the dog surrendered to be adopted out then)
I also worked 10 years ago with a group in two rescues. One was feral spay and release and another was from someone rich enough to create a rescue. I was the first and only employee when they didnt know anything about animals and hired me to care for their pet that they had no idea how to care for or what to do, then they became instant experts and ended up on boards of animals organizations and have their own non profit. The politics and things I saw behind the scenes were terribly upsetting and I have a LOW tolerance for dishonesty and lying so that was the end of that. I am more then very familiar with rescue on the cats side of things, and I say that with sadness, I wish I wasn't. I dont usually discuss this because it is highly political and I dont like being reminded of the how something simple and good hearted could be turned into something ugly and mean with other motives underneath it all in some places. It changed my life and not for the best. I was a huge supported, still am in donations, donated over 5300 pounds of cat litter last summer alone, and 1000 pounds of food and a couple hundred pounds of towels and pet blankies to the humane society, I sewed catnip toys of sausags and mice as well, but I dont do rescue work anymore.
I been approached about a spay and release here where I am now moved to and I just dont think I want to take another chance again. The person saw me moving a stack of kennel crates in my garage and must have figured it out. I have too many scars and dont want anymore heartreak or trouble.
I have 2 cats not 15 because they deserve my love and attention and the best care and foods. I can do that easily without hinderance with 2 now 15 and they wouldnt get the best of me or the costs to give them the best. My cats sit on the patio for fresh air but never roam the streets, they arent safe to me and they are too soft and couch potatoes to want to roam. I decided on a senior as I know there is expense but I thought with all 4 of us considered ( well not me exactly yet) seniors and the quiet of our home it was the best choice. I can still go get a puppy anytime If I wasnt picky, but I was trying to make a smart choice in what was best for everyone, us, the cats being older and how their lives will change, and the dog most in need and I believe a senior would appreciate a household like ours without chaos in it. It doesnt get more quiet and boring then here some days with everyone having naps in the afternoon.
I worked wth a gal at the vet who had 15 cats and thought she was a saint because of it ( I felt sorry for those cats), her cats lived in a filthy home, she always was broke and borrowing money to feed them, and her kids had no respect for them as there were so many they were like toys they played with and threw around and ignored most other times. She always told me I could have more cats, yes I could but the quality with them was what I valued not the quanity of how many I could or should have.
I will still persue rescue and see where it leads, I am sure I will find the rght dog from the right group and all will be just wonderful I am counting on that. I am glad as sunchaser has said they keep my preferences in line as I was told if a merle came up they thought was best then that is what I would end up with as if had no say in the matter. I still want to have a choice of the dog that speaks to me. I think we all know when we look in ones eyes there is something that speaks to us.
 
Hello Internette

First of all I am not upset about your posts. Let me make myself perfectly clear. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I respect yours. There is another avenue you could explore with the Mid Florida Sheltie Rescue. We would love for you to foster a sheltie or two for us. We provide everything the dog needs, food heartworm prevention, flea and tick meds as well as any vetting. All we ask you to do is to love and care for the dog (including grooming and training) as though it were your own dog. If you fall in love with the foster, so be it, we will allow you to adopt it for a nominal fee (usually what ever we have paid for the vetting of the dog) It's a win win for everyone including the dog. Give it a thought...
 
I understand what you mean Internette. I tried to go the rescue route when getting my sheltie. Started the adoption process back in June or July. Finally ended up with a nonrescue in September. I ran across a lot of good and bad rescues. I went through all the hoops with a couple different ones and was finally approved with one in Georgia, but they didn't have one for me at the time before I found Beignet. The lady I talked to with them actually talked to me on the phone the night and day after I got Beignet. She helped me a lot and I ended up donating a little money to them for the help. They are good people doing what's best for these poor little animals.

It's a long road to adopt, but I fully understand their need to make sure they provide these poor pups a loving home that fits both the dog and the owner.

Sounds like Sunchaser is willing to work with you, maybe you two can talk and work it out.
 
Sunchaser has a wonderful idea. I suggest to people all the time to foster. It's like test driving a car. When you find the right one you know. In the meantime you have helped other wonderful animals get a bit of care they so deserve. My neighbors were interested in a gold retriever & I got them one to foster for our humane society. 2 months later they adopted Grace & she has become a wonderful addition to the doggy pack in our neighborhood. Let us know how it goes.
 
A retired lady in our building has now adopted three older shi-tzu rescues. The first one had one eye and could barely walk, but the lady took her out every day like clockwork. The dog passed away about a year ago... very sad. She lived to be 17. We used to see the two of them walking around outside. I was so happy they found each other.

She had a bit of a hiccup finding another dog. The first new dog was a bit too clingy and had severe separation anxiety. But she has a sweet dog now who is also a bit older. She is such a good dog parent and I'm glad these dogs found homes after having such tough lives.

I would suggest maybe doing a younger senior—like 7 or 8 years old. Then you might have a few more years with your dog. Look for one that fits your lifestyle and be very clear about any limitations or preferences you have. (For example, you may not want to do a puppy mill rescue if you're not familiar with the issues.) If you are worried about it you might want to make sure there's a plan set up for your dog if anything happens to you.

I hope you find your dog soon! I am sure you will. It took us 9 months to find ours and it seemed like forever at the time. The right one will be worth the wait.
 
You sound like the type of person I looked for when I was still breeding dogs. If you were here in Canada I would be in your corner with the rescue. I'm with the rescue here and we have a policy of fence requirements - mostly because we have found that surrendered shelties as well as shelties from bad backgrounds are flight risks for at least the period of time it takes for the dog to become bonded to the owner. Even as an emergency foster I had to show that I had a fenced enclosure. It wasn't a fenced yard but it was a secure place to ex Tinsel in. How lenient they would be about this, particularily with a senior dog I don't know but I do know that our coordinator is a smart cookie when it comes to placing dogs and really wants the best for every dog she places. I'll have my fingers crossed that you get the companion that you are looking for. I didn't know that I would end up with a sheltie - fate stepped in. By the way, kudos to you for all you do for cats and for recognizing that they need more than food and a place to sleep. Good luck in your search.

Joanne
 
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