Why are rescues so difficult?

[justusnak]

As someone in the rescue field....and yes, we screen our potential adopters well. There is a contract, vet calls, house ( farm) check. Most of our animals come from a very bad place...and once rehabilitated, we want to make sure they NEVER go through that again. However....unless there is a large vet bill attached to a certain animal....there is no "set fee" for adoption. We ask for a donation to the rescue...but usually don't get one.:/
So, not ALL rescues are bad...altho...I have seen several "hoarders" / rescues.

 

[savingdogs]

Me, too. A good group will have ways of spotting it...

Many hoarders THINK they are rescuers is the problem so they try to align themselves with us.

 

[peachykeen]

I got both of my cats from the HS and I am so blessed that they are in my life. However I would never get a cat from there again. Second cat came home with a respitory infection. They tried to charge me for the vet care when I brought her back the next day. This is after spending 300 dollars on a kitten! (with taxes)

A family memebr got a puppy from the HS. It had parvo and she brought it back. She said if you are going to put it to sleep, leave it with me. They said no we will get it better and adopt it out again. She later found out they put it to sleep almost immediately. They went to a breeder after that.

 

[big brown horse]

I'm sorry for such crummy experiences.

I have only delt with two different rescue type places, "The TX St. Bernard Rescue" and "Houston's own ASPCA". I only have positive things to say about both.

I rescued one St. from the St. rescue and had a very positive experience. (Yes they did call my references but didn't do a home check until they dropped her off. I was able to see her at her foster home a few times to "try her out".)

Also the St. Bernard rescue uses HS to spay and neuter all of the St. Bernards that need it. "Kate" came home to me with her very own "tramp stamp" (tatoo) on her tummy to prove that she was spayed.

I have rescued a rabbit and a cat from Houston's ASPCA. I have also dropped off countless dogs there.* The Houston ASPCA is top notch in my book. The place looks like a million bucks. I only had to fill out one form...two pages max, and pay a fee. I think it was 75 for the cat and 15 for the bunny. Both came with shots and were neutered.

They even offered an older children's volunteer camp in the summer. I remember seeing actual children in the cages playing with the kittens.

AND(!) they had bunny-related get togethers to encourage more bunny adoptions. It was sooo cute!

*South TX has WAY more than it's fair share of stray dogs running about...it is just terrible. Most of them are pit bulls, which makes me think it is the reason why they are thinking of banning the breed down there. Not against the breed, it is the irresponsible "owners" that I'm against. And there are many irresponsible dog owners down there.

eta: I think I paid 75 to get my kitty.

 

[MsPony]

Sally, Houston has always seemed like a great place

Today we went back to look for dogs, I wandered over to the roosters in case they had a hen. I saw a polish, no waddles or saddle feathers so my mom ran to the office to see if she was a hen, I checked for spurs and saw a horrendous case of bumble foot. My mom came out and said she was a hen, and they weren't sure what was up with her feet. I go in, tell them what it is, how to treat and how she got it. The lady says she's a stray, they have to wait 5 days before treatment. So I ask if I can put my name down because I was interested in her, the lady says (snottily, again!!) That there's a man in hope ranch (richhhh area) but thanks.

I'm sorry I don't have millions of dollars, but I did know a hell of a lot more then them.

 

[big brown horse]

Not much else I can say "nice" about Houston.

That rescue place sounds bonk!

 

[savingdogs]

See this is the stuff that makes me angry. Why should an animal go five days without medical care? By then it might be unadoptable.

Cats catching respiratory disease in the HS is very common in my area too. Almost everyone around here knows if you get a kitten there, it is a 300 dollar project. So people get free kittens from a neighbor or whatever unless they are feeling like a Good Samaritan. But unless people invest in getting them spayed and neutered, the cycle begins anew, there are just too many already.

Sad. This is why I feel so strongly about spaying and neutering. I've spent a lot of time assisting people in getting their animals done. I consider it "saving" lives because the lives that would have been born would have taken up the space that the already existing animals need, especially when you are talking about cats, mixed breed and large dogs and pit bulls. Pit bulls do make up the majority of the dogs in shelters. The reason? Young people like to have them....the under 25 crowd. And many of them are not educated about spaying and neutering or have the means to keep their animal contained. I'm not sure why they are so popular with that age group but it does not help the breed most of the time. I'm not saying everyone under 25 is irresponsible, but .....

 

[MsPony]

No idea why I called you by your first name, lol.

I have always love the Animal Cops:Houston! Never the people (abusers) though :/

 

[MsPony]

They are taking the hen (after the 5 days!!) To my regular avian/chicken vet, who I see at least twice a month. Ill check up on the poor hen She has horrendous scale build and a bleeding infection underneath. Worst case I hve ever seen.

Pitties are wildly popular here, they have a FREE spay/neuter, vax and chip program w/ $10 reg w/ city. I was helping a guy one time, with my favorite (and good) HS worker in the same aisle...ge dropped the "I'm breeding here because she was $1500" and I thought she was going to murder him.

 

[savingdogs]

You have to tear me away from those people too. I have loved many pit bulls but people should not breed more. So many other great breeds without their issues. And I do not hate them....I have rescued many. I just don't think our society is ready for dogs like them. But unfortunately, if you banned them, someone in our society would just create a different breed just like it through selective breeding.