considering all the flack over what i just wrote...
Carol · Feb. 8, 2008
i am in all fairness going to write an opposing view (except i will write it in a non personal, respectful manner)
i read the post below with interest. it must be exhausting, frustrating and disheartening to sometimes feel like the last or only resort for so many. but my personal experiences are different, i have always found breed specific rescues to try their very best. and sometimes there are reasons behind the decisions they have to make.
consider the bully breed rescues whose mandates are to revive the breed back into the good graces of society. some have decided the best way to approach this is only to rescue the very best representatives of the breed. they will probably concentrate on rock solid and re-homable dogs and since their mandate clearly states this, it should not be too much of a surprize.
consider also the breed rescues who are not regisistered societies. they maybe rescue one or two dogs from their homes while they raise their human families. they may not have the resources or time or experience to invest in a very difficult dog and so they choose to help the ones that they can reasonably hope to re-home fairly soon.
finally consider the dogs themselves. if rescue is the best possible resource for educated and careful re-homing. do not the perfect dogs deserve the same care and expertise as the not so perfect ones? does this not protect them in the future?
an interesting discussion thx for bringing it up.
(gee...after that more balanced perspective...i might just have to change my mind)
I agree with Carol that there are 2 types of rescue groups (I am know that most “dog†rescue groups are breed specific but I am going to throw in mixed breed into the mix too as I think we get the same 2 types here). I think I look at it a bit different than Carol though, I think the 1st group tries, when ever possible, to help a dog (old, medically challenged, behaviorally challenged) whenever they have the resources which includes having not only a foster home available but having the finances and the expertise (this is more for the behaviorally challenged) to handle a dog in need. I think the 2nd group has very specific guidelines about what dogs they will take into their care whether that is based on a temperament test, only taking puppies, only taking seniors, only taking dogs from shelters, only taking dogs from homes etc. (These are just made up examples on the spur of the moment – they do not apply to any particular rescue. I just wanted to give some examples) I do not have a problem with these rescues. They are upfront about what their mission is as there help is needed in a word where there are more dogs than are wanted (bad choice of words but to get my point across – excess surplus, not enough demand). We all know that there are some really good dogs that wouldn’t get help if it wasn’t for dog rescues so yeah!!! and good work. We all know that the hard to place dogs (seniors with medical issues and large breed mixed dogs and/or pure breed dogs that have any serious behaviour issues) are not generally wanted by the public no matter how much I would like that to change so these dogs are harder to adopt out.
Now my issues with dog rescues are not that they are group 1 or group 2. My issues are when a rescue publicly misrepresents itself on their own web site, on a message board, in an email, on the phone etc. They publicly say they will take on anything as long as they have the resources (and isn’t that a powerful tool to have – that word – resources). When it comes down to the crunch, the resources they don’t have available are for the very old/crippled, and very behaviorally challenged which often does include some kind of aggression in dogs. So yes everyone has the right to pick and choose which kind of animal you can take on but please be honest that you don’t really have the resources for the really hard to place/difficult ones. Honesty is always respected – misrepresentation of oneself just makes the public wary of you.
My opinion is based on my experience as a foster home for shelters and as a volunteer at a shelter where sometimes I have been involved in contacting rescues. It always disappoints me that a breed specific rescue comes back to me with negative comments about the dog I am fostering or when I don’t get any kind of response back at all or the worst is when they give you hope and when it comes down to the crunch and you send that all important email out, you just don’t hear back from them (this is for dogs who are at the shelter). I do, however appreciate the few breed rescues that have helped out by giving me invaluable information about the breed so I can understand and work with the dog in my home or at the shelter. I also appreciate the courtesy postings too as they have lead to a couple of adoptions.