How to have your own dog rescue?

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   nataliemarie71posted 14 years ago

   Every time I see a dog wandering around alone my first instinct is to pick the dog up and take it home, but in reality I know its not possible because I couldn't fit that many dogs in my home!  And I don't think my husband would be real pleased.  I would love to open up my own little rescue, but I really have no idea how to go about it.  I often thought of just renting space say in a mall or shopping center, and opening a small shelter like that.  I don't know if that is a possibility?

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2. 56

   Dame Scribeposted 14 years ago

   I would suggest doing research into any animals act, talking to your local animal shelter, business plan, volunteering will help get experience. Just some thoughts. Not a expert either sorry.

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      nataliemarie71posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks a lot those are great suggestions! I will look into those.

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3. 82

   Whitney05posted 14 years ago

   I believe you have to get a business license, set up a kennel, etc. I think it's like setting up an actual business, but I'm not sure. I volunteered for a woman who after volunteering with another shelter opened up her own kennel. She was overrun really quickly with animals. She had to close the kennel because it was too much for her, her husband, and teenage daughter to handle. She was open for several years, and found great homes for many dogs and cats that were going to be put down by the local animal control.
   
   She set up a with Hills Science diet to get free dog and cat food, which you can do as long as you can prove you're a real animal shelter with proper papers and everything. I'm not a big Hills fan, but it's free decent food.
   
   Unless you have a lot of help, money, and time, I would just suggest volunteering, and trying to help those animals in shelters. See if you can take in a stray that you find to a shelter, foster it until you find a home for it. The problem with this is, by law you can't adopt out a stray animal until you can prove that the owner doesn't want the pet any more, via a public pound type program. The time frame may vary, but I have come across this. I found a stray, and the lady wouldn't take it until we proved that the owner didn't want the dog. The kennel owner was really close to me and a friend's mom, so she wasn't being rude to me, but staying legal to her kennel.
   
   It took a huge tole on this family, and although they had the money to do it, caring for these animals was very expensive. Remember that you have to have them fully vaccinated and spay/neutered, which is generally out of your own pocket. If you put it in the adoption contract that the new owner must spay/neuter the pet, you have to monitor and keep up with whether they did it or not within the time frame you allotted.
   
   You have to develop contracts, have them printed (which can be costly), and keep up with them. You also have to consider animal emergencies, contagious illnesses that dogs you bring in may have, and treatment for the animals.  When adopting a pet, this lady, and most shelters, have tons of papers that must be signed and agreed upon, you'll have to come up with your own TOS, as well, as pay for may copies to have on hand.
   
   You definitely have o know your local laws on animals and kennels. It's so much more work than just taking in a dog and rehoming it.

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