Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi everyone!

I wanted to introduce myself as I am new to the forums. Kim Jackson with For The Puppies Foundation Inc.  Five years ago, I found myself diving into the world of rescue. I fostered and trained dogs for a local rescue. From there, I became known as the trainer. I took that and formed a for-profit training business while also fostering and training for rescues in my area.  Over the last 5 years, I have been fostering dogs and training with positive reinforcement training.  We are currently in the process of going force free. July 2023, something major happened at our local animal shelter. I knew I wanted to help them but, was told no numerous time. No charge for helping fostering dogs. At that point, my husband and I decided to start our own 501 c 3 rescue organization to help the existing rescue community.  We received a lot of push back from rescue community when we did this. Long story short. We are now adopting dogs out ourselves. We have stated that we do not want to replace the local animal shelter. The shelter is partially funded by the city and county boards. Our Foundation is private with a board of its own.  The Foundation has a Guardian home program (foster) that includes training for dogs to help dogs stay with their new adopted family.  Leadership changed at the shelter and I can now volunteer there.  Currently, I volunteer once a week to train staff and volunteers on handling, training, and being force free. This was a request with both parties.  I have listened to a few of the pod cast that were posted for helping the shelter animals. I am doing most of those things  but, it seems as though it is falling on deaf ears.  No, I did not apply for or want to be the shelter director. Again, long story. Things are looking better for our local shelter but, they still need help. With that being said, we are in the process of leasing land to build an open intake, quarantine, and Veterinarian office.  Access to veterinarian care for rescue organizations would be at no charge. Public pet owners will also have access to veterinarian care for their pets but, they will have to pay a fee. Yes. It has been moving along faster than we thought it would. The issue with the existing rescue community is still there. We are at a loss of how to fix this situation.  We are offering free veterinarian care for rescue animals to be seen by a veterinarian.  A quarantine period to make sure dogs are healthy and receive care if they are not.  If anyone knows about the situation in the South, this is North Mississippi.   We have done one fundraiser so far with donations less than $4k. It is a start and we will take it to help make a difference. Any and all advice or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for reading this long post.

Hi Kim,

Welcome to Maddies!  First and foremost, don't give up!  I am in rural Northeast AR, and we have a similar story.  Something happened with our local humane society, and a couple of us felt the animals deserved better, so we founded a separate 501c3.  We are not in competition with the local humane society, but we are also not as financially solvent as they are.   
When you say suggestions and education are falling on deaf ears, can you change the audience?  I have noticed that sometimes, to get the knowledge I want the community to have, I have to find key people in the community and critical organizations - that can help change the culture. 
We are far from perfect - but we get up every day and try to do what is best for the animals. 

Hi everyone!

I wanted to introduce myself as I am new to the forums. Kim Jackson with For The Puppies Foundation Inc.  Five years ago, I found myself diving into the world of rescue. I fostered and trained dogs for a local rescue. From there, I became known as the trainer. I took that and formed a for-profit training business while also fostering and training for rescues in my area.  Over the last 5 years, I have been fostering dogs and training with positive reinforcement training.  We are currently in the process of going force free. July 2023, something major happened at our local animal shelter. I knew I wanted to help them but, was told no numerous time. No charge for helping fostering dogs. At that point, my husband and I decided to start our own 501 c 3 rescue organization to help the existing rescue community.  We received a lot of push back from rescue community when we did this. Long story short. We are now adopting dogs out ourselves. We have stated that we do not want to replace the local animal shelter. The shelter is partially funded by the city and county boards. Our Foundation is private with a board of its own.  The Foundation has a Guardian home program (foster) that includes training for dogs to help dogs stay with their new adopted family.  Leadership changed at the shelter and I can now volunteer there.  Currently, I volunteer once a week to train staff and volunteers on handling, training, and being force free. This was a request with both parties.  I have listened to a few of the pod cast that were posted for helping the shelter animals. I am doing most of those things  but, it seems as though it is falling on deaf ears.  No, I did not apply for or want to be the shelter director. Again, long story. Things are looking better for our local shelter but, they still need help. With that being said, we are in the process of leasing land to build an open intake, quarantine, and Veterinarian office.  Access to veterinarian care for rescue organizations would be at no charge. Public pet owners will also have access to veterinarian care for their pets but, they will have to pay a fee. Yes. It has been moving along faster than we thought it would. The issue with the existing rescue community is still there. We are at a loss of how to fix this situation.  We are offering free veterinarian care for rescue animals to be seen by a veterinarian.  A quarantine period to make sure dogs are healthy and receive care if they are not.  If anyone knows about the situation in the South, this is North Mississippi.   We have done one fundraiser so far with donations less than $4k. It is a start and we will take it to help make a difference. Any and all advice or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for reading this long post.

Hi everyone!

I wanted to introduce myself as I am new to the forums. Kim Jackson with For The Puppies Foundation Inc.  Five years ago, I found myself diving into the world of rescue. I fostered and trained dogs for a local rescue. From there, I became known as the trainer. I took that and formed a for-profit training business while also fostering and training for rescues in my area.  Over the last 5 years, I have been fostering dogs and training with positive reinforcement training.  We are currently in the process of going force free. July 2023, something major happened at our local animal shelter. I knew I wanted to help them but, was told no numerous time. No charge for helping fostering dogs. At that point, my husband and I decided to start our own 501 c 3 rescue organization to help the existing rescue community.  We received a lot of push back from rescue community when we did this. Long story short. We are now adopting dogs out ourselves. We have stated that we do not want to replace the local animal shelter. The shelter is partially funded by the city and county boards. Our Foundation is private with a board of its own.  The Foundation has a Guardian home program (foster) that includes training for dogs to help dogs stay with their new adopted family.  Leadership changed at the shelter and I can now volunteer there.  Currently, I volunteer once a week to train staff and volunteers on handling, training, and being force free. This was a request with both parties.  I have listened to a few of the pod cast that were posted for helping the shelter animals. I am doing most of those things  but, it seems as though it is falling on deaf ears.  No, I did not apply for or want to be the shelter director. Again, long story. Things are looking better for our local shelter but, they still need help. With that being said, we are in the process of leasing land to build an open intake, quarantine, and Veterinarian office.  Access to veterinarian care for rescue organizations would be at no charge. Public pet owners will also have access to veterinarian care for their pets but, they will have to pay a fee. Yes. It has been moving along faster than we thought it would. The issue with the existing rescue community is still there. We are at a loss of how to fix this situation.  We are offering free veterinarian care for rescue animals to be seen by a veterinarian.  A quarantine period to make sure dogs are healthy and receive care if they are not.  If anyone knows about the situation in the South, this is North Mississippi.   We have done one fundraiser so far with donations less than $4k. It is a start and we will take it to help make a difference. Any and all advice or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for reading this long post.

#AccesstoCare
#AdmissionsandIntake(includingIntake-to-placement)
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#CommunityPartnerships*
#EducationandTraining

------------------------------
Kim Jackson
Dog Trainer
For The Puppies Foundation Inc
MS
------------------------------

Hi Kim,

Welcome to the forum! It is a great place for resources, classes, and ideas. I am thrilled to hear you are going force-free. I drop a couple of "fear-free" links here that I think you may find aligning with your force-free direction. https://www.fearfreehappyhomes.com, https://fearfreepets.com. The first link is for pet guardians and the second link is for professionals. 

Access to vet care is wonderful and I am sure it is appreciated by everyone. Getting connected to the rescue community and the general public may give you an idea of the kinds of needs people are looking for.  Perhaps surveying the public or creating a workshop with the local rescue community will get you the information you need so you can grow your programs. Also don't get discouraged if your 501-c3 is less than a year old. It takes time to have an impact on the community. Good Luck!

Hi everyone!

I wanted to introduce myself as I am new to the forums. Kim Jackson with For The Puppies Foundation Inc.  Five years ago, I found myself diving into the world of rescue. I fostered and trained dogs for a local rescue. From there, I became known as the trainer. I took that and formed a for-profit training business while also fostering and training for rescues in my area.  Over the last 5 years, I have been fostering dogs and training with positive reinforcement training.  We are currently in the process of going force free. July 2023, something major happened at our local animal shelter. I knew I wanted to help them but, was told no numerous time. No charge for helping fostering dogs. At that point, my husband and I decided to start our own 501 c 3 rescue organization to help the existing rescue community.  We received a lot of push back from rescue community when we did this. Long story short. We are now adopting dogs out ourselves. We have stated that we do not want to replace the local animal shelter. The shelter is partially funded by the city and county boards. Our Foundation is private with a board of its own.  The Foundation has a Guardian home program (foster) that includes training for dogs to help dogs stay with their new adopted family.  Leadership changed at the shelter and I can now volunteer there.  Currently, I volunteer once a week to train staff and volunteers on handling, training, and being force free. This was a request with both parties.  I have listened to a few of the pod cast that were posted for helping the shelter animals. I am doing most of those things  but, it seems as though it is falling on deaf ears.  No, I did not apply for or want to be the shelter director. Again, long story. Things are looking better for our local shelter but, they still need help. With that being said, we are in the process of leasing land to build an open intake, quarantine, and Veterinarian office.  Access to veterinarian care for rescue organizations would be at no charge. Public pet owners will also have access to veterinarian care for their pets but, they will have to pay a fee. Yes. It has been moving along faster than we thought it would. The issue with the existing rescue community is still there. We are at a loss of how to fix this situation.  We are offering free veterinarian care for rescue animals to be seen by a veterinarian.  A quarantine period to make sure dogs are healthy and receive care if they are not.  If anyone knows about the situation in the South, this is North Mississippi.   We have done one fundraiser so far with donations less than $4k. It is a start and we will take it to help make a difference. Any and all advice or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for reading this long post.

Hi everyone!

I wanted to introduce myself as I am new to the forums. Kim Jackson with For The Puppies Foundation Inc.  Five years ago, I found myself diving into the world of rescue. I fostered and trained dogs for a local rescue. From there, I became known as the trainer. I took that and formed a for-profit training business while also fostering and training for rescues in my area.  Over the last 5 years, I have been fostering dogs and training with positive reinforcement training.  We are currently in the process of going force free. July 2023, something major happened at our local animal shelter. I knew I wanted to help them but, was told no numerous time. No charge for helping fostering dogs. At that point, my husband and I decided to start our own 501 c 3 rescue organization to help the existing rescue community.  We received a lot of push back from rescue community when we did this. Long story short. We are now adopting dogs out ourselves. We have stated that we do not want to replace the local animal shelter. The shelter is partially funded by the city and county boards. Our Foundation is private with a board of its own.  The Foundation has a Guardian home program (foster) that includes training for dogs to help dogs stay with their new adopted family.  Leadership changed at the shelter and I can now volunteer there.  Currently, I volunteer once a week to train staff and volunteers on handling, training, and being force free. This was a request with both parties.  I have listened to a few of the pod cast that were posted for helping the shelter animals. I am doing most of those things  but, it seems as though it is falling on deaf ears.  No, I did not apply for or want to be the shelter director. Again, long story. Things are looking better for our local shelter but, they still need help. With that being said, we are in the process of leasing land to build an open intake, quarantine, and Veterinarian office.  Access to veterinarian care for rescue organizations would be at no charge. Public pet owners will also have access to veterinarian care for their pets but, they will have to pay a fee. Yes. It has been moving along faster than we thought it would. The issue with the existing rescue community is still there. We are at a loss of how to fix this situation.  We are offering free veterinarian care for rescue animals to be seen by a veterinarian.  A quarantine period to make sure dogs are healthy and receive care if they are not.  If anyone knows about the situation in the South, this is North Mississippi.   We have done one fundraiser so far with donations less than $4k. It is a start and we will take it to help make a difference. Any and all advice or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for reading this long post.

#AccesstoCare
#AdmissionsandIntake(includingIntake-to-placement)
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#CommunityPartnerships*
#EducationandTraining

------------------------------
Kim Jackson
Dog Trainer
For The Puppies Foundation Inc
MS
------------------------------

Hi Kim,

Thank you for the introduction! I am impressed with your work to date. There is room in rescue for everyone though for reasons I am still not clear about some groups are threatened. 

------------------------------
Michelle Messemer
Danbury Animal Welfare Society, CT
Original Message:
Sent: 03-18-2024 07:24 AM
From: Kim Jackson
Subject: Introduction

Hi everyone!

I wanted to introduce myself as I am new to the forums. Kim Jackson with For The Puppies Foundation Inc.  Five years ago, I found myself diving into the world of rescue. I fostered and trained dogs for a local rescue. From there, I became known as the trainer. I took that and formed a for-profit training business while also fostering and training for rescues in my area.  Over the last 5 years, I have been fostering dogs and training with positive reinforcement training.  We are currently in the process of going force free. July 2023, something major happened at our local animal shelter. I knew I wanted to help them but, was told no numerous time. No charge for helping fostering dogs. At that point, my husband and I decided to start our own 501 c 3 rescue organization to help the existing rescue community.  We received a lot of push back from rescue community when we did this. Long story short. We are now adopting dogs out ourselves. We have stated that we do not want to replace the local animal shelter. The shelter is partially funded by the city and county boards. Our Foundation is private with a board of its own.  The Foundation has a Guardian home program (foster) that includes training for dogs to help dogs stay with their new adopted family.  Leadership changed at the shelter and I can now volunteer there.  Currently, I volunteer once a week to train staff and volunteers on handling, training, and being force free. This was a request with both parties.  I have listened to a few of the pod cast that were posted for helping the shelter animals. I am doing most of those things  but, it seems as though it is falling on deaf ears.  No, I did not apply for or want to be the shelter director. Again, long story. Things are looking better for our local shelter but, they still need help. With that being said, we are in the process of leasing land to build an open intake, quarantine, and Veterinarian office.  Access to veterinarian care for rescue organizations would be at no charge. Public pet owners will also have access to veterinarian care for their pets but, they will have to pay a fee. Yes. It has been moving along faster than we thought it would. The issue with the existing rescue community is still there. We are at a loss of how to fix this situation.  We are offering free veterinarian care for rescue animals to be seen by a veterinarian.  A quarantine period to make sure dogs are healthy and receive care if they are not.  If anyone knows about the situation in the South, this is North Mississippi.   We have done one fundraiser so far with donations less than $4k. It is a start and we will take it to help make a difference. Any and all advice or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for reading this long post.

#AccesstoCare
#AdmissionsandIntake(includingIntake-to-placement)
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#CommunityPartnerships*
#EducationandTraining

------------------------------
Kim Jackson
Dog Trainer
For The Puppies Foundation Inc
MS
------------------------------

Does it happen to you too?  I thought maybe it was a "good ole boy" thing in my area. Trust is the biggest issue with rescues. They will only trust the people they have been working with for years. As people get older, new people will come into rescue. Otherwise, there will not be any rescue people to help. We are very open minded. We wish other people were the same. We realize that is not the case. 

Hi Kim,

Thank you for the introduction! I am impressed with your work to date. There is room in rescue for everyone though for reasons I am still not clear about some groups are threatened. 

------------------------------
Michelle Messemer
Danbury Animal Welfare Society, CT
Original Message:
Sent: 03-18-2024 07:24 AM
From: Kim Jackson
Subject: Introduction

Hi everyone!

I wanted to introduce myself as I am new to the forums. Kim Jackson with For The Puppies Foundation Inc.  Five years ago, I found myself diving into the world of rescue. I fostered and trained dogs for a local rescue. From there, I became known as the trainer. I took that and formed a for-profit training business while also fostering and training for rescues in my area.  Over the last 5 years, I have been fostering dogs and training with positive reinforcement training.  We are currently in the process of going force free. July 2023, something major happened at our local animal shelter. I knew I wanted to help them but, was told no numerous time. No charge for helping fostering dogs. At that point, my husband and I decided to start our own 501 c 3 rescue organization to help the existing rescue community.  We received a lot of push back from rescue community when we did this. Long story short. We are now adopting dogs out ourselves. We have stated that we do not want to replace the local animal shelter. The shelter is partially funded by the city and county boards. Our Foundation is private with a board of its own.  The Foundation has a Guardian home program (foster) that includes training for dogs to help dogs stay with their new adopted family.  Leadership changed at the shelter and I can now volunteer there.  Currently, I volunteer once a week to train staff and volunteers on handling, training, and being force free. This was a request with both parties.  I have listened to a few of the pod cast that were posted for helping the shelter animals. I am doing most of those things  but, it seems as though it is falling on deaf ears.  No, I did not apply for or want to be the shelter director. Again, long story. Things are looking better for our local shelter but, they still need help. With that being said, we are in the process of leasing land to build an open intake, quarantine, and Veterinarian office.  Access to veterinarian care for rescue organizations would be at no charge. Public pet owners will also have access to veterinarian care for their pets but, they will have to pay a fee. Yes. It has been moving along faster than we thought it would. The issue with the existing rescue community is still there. We are at a loss of how to fix this situation.  We are offering free veterinarian care for rescue animals to be seen by a veterinarian.  A quarantine period to make sure dogs are healthy and receive care if they are not.  If anyone knows about the situation in the South, this is North Mississippi.   We have done one fundraiser so far with donations less than $4k. It is a start and we will take it to help make a difference. Any and all advice or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for reading this long post.

#AccesstoCare
#AdmissionsandIntake(includingIntake-to-placement)
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#CommunityPartnerships*
#EducationandTraining

------------------------------
Kim Jackson
Dog Trainer
For The Puppies Foundation Inc
MS
------------------------------