The Many Friends of Rescue

Dog rescue is hard work. 

Well, there it is.  It takes a LOT more time than anyone ever imagines. It requires a lot more knowledge of dogs than most realize. To be a really effective foster person, you've got to have a pretty strong command of a wide range of canine behaviors, and know how to respond to them accordingly. It is much more than just feeding the dog and making sure it has a warm bed.

To administer an effective rescue operation you must be a good administrator, a good manager, an effective screener and communicator, and a bit of a psychologist - in addition to knowing a lot about dogs!

And then there is the pay for all those hours spent...zero!  That's right, if you're lucky you make zero dollars and break even! That's actually pretty darn hard to do. If every dog that came your way was 100% healthy and immediately available for adoption, you might be able to do it. But that's just not the case. 

Once you pay the veterinary fees required to substantiate the dog's health and current vaccination status, have it spayed or neutered, you hope you can recoup those costs from the adoption fee. But all it takes is for one dog to be heartworm positive and you've got a long road till you break even.

Yes, it is tough to be an independent rescuer, but the non-monetary rewards are what it's all about. We meet SO many wonderful people, both in person and via the internet. People who are willing to go the extra mile...and then some, to help a dog that otherwise wouldn't have a home. 

This week we found two Great Homes!

Guiness will be heading to southern California, where he'll be  The Man of the house. He's just about the nicest Pem we've ever seen and his new home is perfect for him!

And for Dolce, the busy little girl we posted a couple weeks ago who really needed a place to to run. She's about to get just that! Dolce will be going to a home in New York where she will have a pasture in which to run, and her own agility course, since her new dad is a professional trainer. What could be more perfect!

Dolce's new mom sent us these gorgeous photos of their existing/former dogs in the snow. Photos like these are another one of the special perks that go with being a corgi rescuer. We get tons of great photos, and wonderful letters to go with them!

These look like calendar shots! Beautiful!

And then there is this photo (below) - one of my personal favorites. 

This is Ziggy, a dog we placed last November. Ziggy's parents are very special people and we're delighted that they're so great about staying in touch. Ziggy is a gorgeous little fluff coat - probably one of the prettiest dogs we've placed, with a personality to match! BTW, April 8th is Ziggy's birthday - and we were invited to the party! Sadly, NY is a bit too far to go right now, but it is definitely the thought that counts. And you know we'll be thinking of the Zig Man on his big day!

So this week, we've got two incredibly excited adopters, about to take possession of their new family members. Yes, it takes a lot of hours, and there are so many that we can't save. But next weekend when we get to meet Guiness' new owner in person, and see her face when she meets her new boy...  And in the near future when we hear about Dolce's exploits on the A-frame...no one can put a price on those moments - and they belong just to us!