The Life of Rescue...

Did you know that in 2010 RDR took in 288 dogs!!! That averages out to 24 dogs a month or 6 dogs a week! AMAZING! We could not have done it without you - THANK YOU!

We adopted out 207 and began 2011 with 81 dogs! Yes, 81 dogs!

There is a lot more to saving a dog than just pulling it from the shelter. Below is just a brief checklist of what goes into "saving" a dog once it has been pulled, and quite honestly sometimes even pulling a dog can take a lot of time and involve many steps.

• Including being "approved" to pull from a shelter, which involves a lot of paperwork.
• Temp testing the dog, a huge thank you to Brandy and Ariela, Kathy,Melanie and anyone else that has temp tested for us!
• Coordinating a foster or boarding arrangement, includes multiple emails, phone calls, posting, and begging
• Screening foster applications includes hours of phone calls emails and coordination (home inspection, reference check, etc) Thank you Karen and everyone else that helps in this process!
• Coordinating the drop off, dog/cat/house intro, making sure they have a crate, martingale, leash, and RDR tag
• Coordinating a vet visit for vaccinations and spay/neuter, which includes hours of phone calls/emails to fosters, clinics, etc.
• Making sure the dog is integrated into the foster or boarding and ready for adoption. We are spending between $200-$500 a month on boarding alone!

And the fun doesn't stop there...we then have to manage the placement whether it be behavioral, medical, etc. which is never ending.

Eventually we get to that final adoption which will make all of this work worth it!

I really don't think many people realize all that goes in to rescue...they give us a hard time for not taking the dog they want us to take...

Let me just give you an example of a day in the life of a rescuer...today we had a dog bleeding from his neuter this morning and started getting panicked calls at 7:45 am. This involved having to find a volunteer to get the dog (Kim, you are a lifesaver), making a vet appointment, getting the dog there and taken care of, paying for the bill, and then getting the dog back. This all by 9am.

The day went on from there...a potential foster was driving from out of the area to meet one of the shelter dogs we were trying to get full. He is on the road when I get a message that the dog has been adopted. I have to tell him and ask to to look at someone else. Not sure if he took someone..on my to-do list for tonight. The kennel calls looking for an owner surrender form for a dog we're taking from another rescue that wants him to live in an outside pen. Again, on my to-do list for tonight. We find out a dog was taken into one of our foster homes via another foster that we aren't totally cool with. Have to address that ASAP..on my To-Do list for tonight. One of our dogs on a trial adoption "attacked" the cat...not really sure that stands but need to address it ASAP..on my To-Do list tonight. Help a previous adopter whose dog is marking and has submissive urination. Call another friend of a friend that is inheriting some dogs and needs training help.

So now I'm home after working 9 hours and get to start my To-Do list not including the emails (we get about 200 emails a day) and checking the Facebook page and responding there (thanks Martha for helping with the postings). Oh, and I get to pay bills, check the bank account and update, log donations and send thank you letters (thank you Karen and Nicole for helping with this!). I get to process all the merch orders and mail them, update Petpoint with any news dogs, foster home locations, and medical. Adoptions, trials, and fosters to follow up with and check on. State Vet Report was submitted and need to print papers from the SCC to update our new director, Nicole ;) Oh, and speaking of Nicole, the hours she puts into the website and her various other RDR activities is thankless.

Oh, and find some time to spend time with my family, watch TV, or relax...what is that anyway?

No matter how many we save and all that we do it seems like it's never enough. there is always some asshole that wants to make you feel bad for not taking their dog they no longer wish to be responsible for. I will never understand how people can expect us to save every unwanted pit bull there is. We simply can't save them all and having to pick and choose is the worst part about it! Do people really think we like responding and telling them we cannot help?! Why are you mad at me because you moved some where that wouldn't allow your dog and you cannot keep it? Why are you mad at me because you picked up that stray you didn't want to go to animal control but you're unwilling to foster it? Why are you asking me to take your pit bulls because the jurisdiction you work for won't adopt them out to the public! Change your policy!

Why are we always cleaning up other peoples messes??! I guess because that it what we do and we do it for the dogs, but sometimes I'd really like to quit or maybe even have a vacation, but who is going to keep all of my dogs (I cannot afford a vacation and a huge boarding bill)? Who would put out all the fires and deal with all the BS while I was away?

Please be considerate and cognisant of your fellow rescuer. This life is not glamorous or exciting. On the contrary it is very hard and depressing. It is busy and overwhelming. Please work with us and not against us. Let's do it for the dogs!