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Airedales Out My Ears

Many dog-owners are seasoned dog people. They've participated in rescue and know the realities dogs face when they've wandered away from home, become the victims of divorce, job changes, a new baby, or the Lassie syndrome.

Some dog owners, however, may not be aware of the need for volunteer help for purebred rescue groups; I certainly wasn't aware of the extent of that need.

Volunteers help out in a variety of ways. Fostering, transporting, evaluating dogs and screening adopters are all important. Administrative duties for webpages, publicity, finances, and databases have to be covered.

The best advice I was given: Make the contributions about which you feel comfortable and capable. Taking on too much too quickly can result rapidly in guilty burn-out and a lost volunteer.

Different groups operate differently, too. Plenty of money, good administrative skills, and cooperative networks aren't necessarily found in every group. Sometimes a "group" is a one-man operation doing its best in an overwhelming situation. Fortunately, web searches will usually turn up a number of groups for any given breed. With a little research, the new volunteer can identify a well-run, reliable operation--or that individual with great intentions and a serious need for additional help.

Each time I browse through the "Spare-dales" on ATRA's website, I'm simultaneously thankful that Desi has a good home and mindful of what might happen to him should he lose us for some reason. Then I'm thankful for the opportunity to have Airedales coming out my ears.

Rescue Tips and Observations

Dogs in rescue have already lost one home. A reliable organization will make every effort to place the dog with a "forever" family.

If you've decided to adopt through a rescue group, consider fostering for the group you're working with until "your" dog comes along.

Each group has its own rules and regulations. Many groups engage in a screening process which requires filling out a detailed application that may include questions about your home, life-style, family, other pets, fencing, and previous pets' histories. You may be asked to provide personal, work, and veterinary references. An interview and home-visit are often part of the process.

In some groups, the foster home may participate a great deal in matching a dog with a home. Other groups may have particular members who match dogs to homes.

Many rescue groups try to have each dog in a foster home for at least two weeks to help evaluate the dog's health, temperament, personality, and ability to live with other pets and with children.

Some groups have a set adoption fee, others have a sliding scale or a voluntary donation. Adoption fees and donations help pay for food, health screenings, spaying and neutering, vaccinations, heartworm and flea medications. Rescue organizations may also foot the bill for surgeries and medications for injured or sick animals.

While some dogs lose their homes due to their behavior problems, my personal experience has been that many times the original owners did not pursue obedience training and when the foster home did provide training,

the problem behaviors were eliminated. However, in some cases, the owners have made tremendous efforts in training without resolving the issues. Such rescue dogs are often restricted to adoptions by very experienced families who are capable of taking on special challenges.

Dogs wind up in rescue for a variety of reasons. The owner's death, divorces, and job changes are among the most frequent reasons. Lack of time is also a common reason for surrendering a dog to rescue. The important thing to remember: many dogs come into rescue through no fault of their own. There are many wonderful, friendly, trainable, happy dogs who are just waiting to be a member of a loving family.

Occassionally puppies are available through rescue but the average age of a rescue dog is probably between two and six years old. Older rescue dogs (8 to 16 years old) have often lost their homes due to an owner's failing health or death.

Purebred or mixed breed?

If you don't have a lot of specific expectations for a dog in terms of temperament, size, or activity level, a mixed breed may be the ideal companion for you. If you do have specific ideas about a dog, consider reading up on the various breeds. There is sure to be at least one that has everything you're looking for in a dog.

Health issues: I've heard people say that mixed breeds are healthier -- but I haven't seen the research to support that and I have known mixed breeds who did have hip dysplasia, arthritis, skin allergies, and other serious medical conditions. As one of my friends said, "It may be that purebreds aren't less healthy, you just know more what health problems to expect so there are fewer surprises."

Breed specific rescue or general rescue?

Consider all of your options when you are looking for a new pet. Even if you decide on a purebred rather than a mixed breed, you aren't limited to a breed specific rescue group. Some general rescue groups may operate on the same premise as many purebred groups and will utilize foster homes rather than a kennel situation. And remember, rescue isn't limited to the canine species. That dog you think you want may in fact be a cat or a rabbit.

Shelters

Purebred dogs have been found at shelters. Some shelters do an amazing job with their animals. They may do intensive screenings for health and temperament problems. They might provide some training. They might have a well-informed staff who really know one breed from another. Or they might not. Investigate your local shelters and find out what they provide for their animals and for adopters. If you have other pets already in the house, explore the health of the shelter environment. Ask your vet if he or she has had many clients from the shelter; what health issues are common with shelter animals and what you need to do to limit health risks brought in by the new pet.

Breed-specific groups

They know the breed, both benefits and drawbacks. Having lived with the foster animals, they are likely to have a better idea of each animal's personality in a home environment. Plus, a good rescue organization can provide assistance and advice when the animal first comes home and after the adjustment period. If you go through a breed-specific group, you are likely to find yourself with a whole new set of friends as well as a new pet.

Breeders

One other option if you're interested in an adult purebred: retired show dogs. Even if you aren't interested in a puppy, contacting breeders can lead to finding an adult dog who has finished its show and breeding career. If you choose this option, remember to research the breeder carefully, ask for health records, meet the parents or off-spring of the dog you're interested in, and ask for references. While it is important to find a home for each dog in rescue, it is equally important to save a dog from ever having to be in rescue in the first place.

Locating a rescue group

Web searches will turn up many rescue groups. If you are having trouble locating a group for your breed, visit the American Kennel Club website. There you will find contact information for breed clubs who will be able to put you in touch with their rescue organizations.

If you're still in the breed research stages, you might want to join a breed-specific listserve or chat room--a great way to learn about the realities of life with a particular breed and a way of locating rescue groups.

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