Responsible Rescue
Practices
During
the past 20 years or so, rescue groups have blossomed across the
country. This is an excellent thing for homeless animals.
While we only can save a small percentage of the animals who make up
the enormous pet overpopulation problem in the U.S., every little
bit does help.
There are groups
who follow many different philosophies and points of
view concerning rescue. Likewise, many follow different politics
concerning rescue. Some are idealistic crusaders, some are
devoted to no-kill sheltering, some are involved in animal welfare,
some in animal rights, others quietly rescue without fanfare and others
are continously tooting their own horns. Whatever your personal
beliefs concerning the issues of animal welfare, there is a rescue out
there that is a good fit for your politics.
Unfortunately,
there are rescues out there that follow no strict code
of ethics. There are some who are actually exploiting the title
of rescue to support a hoarding habit or to make a profit off of the
animals they "rescue".
Be a smart adopter,
just as you are a smart consumer. Don't be
shy about checking out the rescue you are planning to adopt from.
You may be dealing with them for some time and it makes sense to know
who you are dealing with. Call the shelters and humane societies
closest to the rescue and ask if they have heard of them and if they
are on their recommended rescue list. Contact the rescue's county
animal control officer and ask if the rescue is known to them as
abiding by state and local regulations. Ask the rescue to provide
the name of their veterinarian and ask that veterinarian if the rescue
is providing adequate care for their animals. If the rescue is
local to you, try to arrange a visit to the rescue's home base to see
for yourself what the conditions are. Few, if any responsible
rescues would have any objection. Remember, you are looking for a
new family member. It makes sense to understand where that family
member is coming from.
Using some of the
established codes of rescue ethics out there, I'd
like to help you, the adopter, recognize what makes a responsible
rescue...well, responsible. There are some hard and fast
rules we all seem to follow, no matter what philosophy we
espouse. Knowing this will
help you have a positive adoption experience.
Rescuer's
Code of Ethics
1.
Animal rescue is strictly a non-profit endeavor. All volunteer
rescue work is conducted on a voluntary basis without regard for profit
for any individual or organization.
2. No intact dog or cat should ever be placed in a home unless
there is compelling veterinary medical reason as to why the animal
cannot be spayed or neutered. If such a reason exists, it is
preferable that the animal be placed in a permanent foster care
situation in which the foster parent is duly advised as to precautions
to keep the animal from breeding. The rescue will maintain contact with
the foster parent or adopter of any intact animal to ensure that animal
is not being bred and if the medical reason is resolved, that animal
will be spayed or neutered. Spaying and neutering
becomes doubly
important when a known genetic flaw(like dysplasia, deafness in certain
breeds or albinism) is present.
3. Breeders who also practice rescue agree to not allow their
rescue activities to be used to sell puppies or kittens and to keep
breeding and rescue separate endeavors and not use their rescue
activities to bait and switch.
4. To house all animal in clean, sanitary conditions that meet or
exceed state and local regulations. To pay attention to and to
meet each animal's emotional needs in the rescue. Provide a
secure, stable environment for the animals and will interact
one-on-one with them as much as possible, in order to properly assess
their temperament and special needs for placement.
5.
To not
knowingly place a vicious or otherwise seriously temperamentally
unsound animal in an adoptive home.
6.
To provide necessary veterinary care and appropriate routine
veterinarian care for animals in the rescue as appropriate to the breed
or species of animal. To the best of the rescue's abilities and
resources, it will provide appropriate medical care and training
towards the goal
of putting each animal in the best possible condition for a permanent
adoption.
7.
If an animal comes into the rescue’s care with registration papers or a
breeder’s microchip is discovered, the rescue will make a reasonable
attempt to contact the breeder to inquire about return of the animal,
and/or assistance in placing the animal. The animal would
be spayed or neutered before being returned to the breeder, and
the breeder would be asked to contribute to that expense.
Provided it does not violate state or local regulations, an attempt
would be made to return a breeder's personal dog intact.
8. The rescue will euthanize animals that are determined to be
unadoptable due to serious health (which impairs the animal’s
quality of life) or temperament problems. Animals that are
euthanized will be humanely euthanized by a veterinarian or
certified euthanasia technician and properly disposed of. Animals
that are deemed unadoptable due to serious health issues may be placed
with a
humane and knowledgeable hospice care provider, when
available.
9. To
thoroughly
evaluate potential adopters utilizing a combination of
written applications, home visits, checking vet references,
telephone interviews, face-to-face interviews, and personal reference
checks, as appropriate, with the goal of placing all animals in
homes that are appropriate to the species or breed and specifically
appropriate to each individual animal's needs.
10. To utilize a written adoption contract for each rescue animal.
11. To fully disclose all relevant information that is known at
the time of placement or adoption regarding the health and
temperament of each rescue animal.
12. To provide each adopter with information on the animal in question,
common diseases, appropriate training, housebreaking, and
appropriate standard of care.
13. To provide follow up advice and assistance to adopters.
14. To require every adopter to return the adopted animal to the rescue
if he/she can no longer keep it. A responsible rescue will
always accept and insist upon the return of a animal that has been
adopted from them. The adopter should agree not to sell, trade,
transfer ownership, abandon or dispose of the animal in any way, but to
notify the rescue group and relinquish custody of the animal back to
the rescue. This includes family members.
15. A
responsible rescue is aware of all local animal control laws and shall
be responsible for obeying those laws.
16. Requires that all adopters be of legal age.
17. Requires landlord's approval for any adopters who rent or lease
their home.
18. Requires that any registration papers be withheld to prevent
unlawful use, even if the animal is sterilized.
If you, the adopter, only adopt from reputable, responsible rescue
organizations, we will be well on our way to promoting a healthy,
ethical rescue community.
That's good for you, good for the
animals, and good for rescue.
Our Support
Rosie's Cocker Rescue Referral is
supported by the artwork of
Rosie Griffeth, the delicious jams, jellies and goat milk fudge
produced at Old Maid's Aerie Farm and
Jammery, Rosie's hand-crafted all natural soaps and the kind
donations of people just like yourself. Please consider sponsoring
one of our special needs dogs or donating pet supplies to RCRR. If
we don't have need of it, we are happy to send it on to another
responsible rescue who does!
