Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi all -  Okay, please forgive me if I am restating any previous conversations.   I am the founder/director of a small dog rescue in Southeast Louisiana (approx. 100 dogs per year).  I started the rescue after I retired and am almost at 500 lives saved since Jan 2018.  It's very frustrating because I live in an area with zero animal resources whatsoever.   Literally there are dogs that are homeless, dumped, discarded, abused & neglected that I have to turn away on a DAILY basis due to lack of foster homes.   The small portion of the rural area we cover is covered by a public shelter (kill shelter); however, they currently have intake shut down except for euthanization.   Yes, that's where we are here.  WE are a 501(c)3 non profit and are an all volunteer group.   My husband & I do most of the day-to-day work, plus I have an active board of directors, as well as a wonderful group of volunteers, fosters, etc..  We operate with local donations & fundraisers (we spend about $40k per year on medical expenses)..Many of the pups we rescue are sick or wounded (hit by cars, etc.).    I negotiated discounts with both local veterinary clinics and we use them for all of our new intakes.   We spay/neuter, fully vet and microchip all of the pups we take in.   Also, we address all of their other issues (mental/behaivor, etc.)  I've tried my best to network with as many national groups as possible.  Best Friends was one of the very first groups I joined.  I don't have the time/resources to find large grants..I'm working 40+ hours a week just handling the day-to-day for this rescue.      I'm getting very discouraged ya'll... it just seems at times that we are trying to keep a boat afloat with holes in the bottom.  I have some of the pups in our program that are beautiful, larger dogs who are healthy, heartworm negative, with no behaivoral issues but with SO many dogs available here, adoption rates are just so so low!    We do occasionally get purebreds or small cute pups, but for the most part we have large, pitt mixes, cattle breeds, etc. but all wonderful dogs.     I joined Doobert and I can find transports..but I don't have connections or contacts to places who will RECEIVE our pups and know that they will be adopted & not simply languish in a shelter there.... Am I searching for a unicorn?     I keep hearing/reading about transports... going up "north"... but I have no idea where to begin.  We even have volunteers who would do the actual driving to bring them to other places.  WE have 2 veterinary references...can obtain health certificates, etc. on all of our dogs.   HOW do I go about finding partners who would take healthy dogs from us and adopt them to great families in their area?  HELP???   I just feel so overhelmed at times. I feel like I have looked under every rock..we have a very active adoption event program..and we do adopt many of our pups..but we always have a few who just seem to get overlooked... I just want to give them every possible opportunity   Any contact info is GREATLY appreciated!~   Thanks so much!  Cindy

#CommunityPartnerships*
#TransfersandTransport

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Cindy Shotwell
Founder/Executive Director
Must Luv Dogs Rescue
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Have you asked North Shore Animal Rescue? I know they've helped a lot of dogs from NW Louisiana region

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Keri Mueller
Treasurer
Port City Cat Rescue
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Hello. You might want to contact a local Humane Society or the US Humane Society. Our local shelter recently worked with them and transported hundreds of animals out of Florida after Hurricane Ian. They have a great selection, vetting, and transporting system.

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Jayne Kim
President
Bark It Up Inc.
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Hi Cindy - you are doing amazing work! I know it's overwhelming but you're not alone!
Have you seen the Best Friends transport map? It shows shelters across the US that are looking to either send or receive animals, and you can filter on animal type and other criteria.
Pretty cool!

https://network.bestfriends.org/transport-connection-map

Good luck with finding partner shelters to work with - it takes a village to save animals!
Jo
Nine Lives Foundation =^..^=

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Jo McDermott
Nine Lives Foundation
650-888-0774
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Dear Cindy,

Your rescue is doing great work!   The nearest brick and mortar Humanes might be able to help, or keep trying them in various counties closest to you.  I would imagine you have tried that already, but sometimes if they could not help, they would give me some good leads when I kept reaching out.

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Jody Beskin(i)
President/Founder
Dove Road Sanctuary and Safe Haven
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Hi Cindy,

The unfortunate thing is the problem is across the nation - where as in previous years, dog adoptions in the north were good, that has also changed and so it is having a knock on effect. With fewer dog adoptions in the north and many dogs being returned and dumped in the north, the rescues and shelters don't have the same ability to take as many dogs and cats as they did before. It is heartbreaking.

I run a rescue in Maine, I was in Texas for 5 years and have been in Maine for 7 and have always worked with shelters in the south - I have gone from an average of 250 dog adoptions per year and around 20 cats, to just hitting our 100th adoption a few days ago. Plus I am getting dogs coming back. Because shelters are full, they are doing more adoption promotions, which they need to do, but it deters people from going to a rescue as we just cannot compete with free and $10 adoption fees. I have a kennel building and am really concerned about being able to afford the heat as we get into the thick of winter - being in Maine it gets super cold.

There are repairs I need doing in the kennels, which stops me from taking more dogs, there are grants but I am too big for the smaller grants and not big enough for the bigger grants, there is little help in the community, I live in a rural community and in the poorest county in the state. We are heading into a recession where having pets is low on the priority list for a lot of people as they don't know if they are going to be able to heat their homes, or food their families - it is beyond difficult.

All over facebook people are breeding their pets - easy money for them, they have to spend little money as the mums do all the work and then they sell the pups with maybe one vaccine, maybe none. The states do nothing about it.

the problem is everywhere has a big dog problem - I take in big dogs, also small and the cute ones, but only because they are more easily adopted since there are a lot of seniors here and a lot travel to Florida, I personally would prefer to not bother with small dogs, but there is a need. I wish I had the money to build a new kennel building to be able to take in more dogs and it be a lot more efficient than the old building I have.

But please don't think the problem is just in the south, those in the north are hurting and struggling too and it is mentally and emotionally draining knowing how dire the situation is in the south.

Sorry not a helpful post, but this problem is real and the statistics that are reported don't come close to reflecting how bad it is because a lot of small rescues, good Samaritans and such don't report numbers.

One thing I will say  is that when you are reaching out to shelters and rescue's - be as detailed as you can - send pictures of the dogs with their vetting, a bit about their personality - you are one of many, many, many shelters and rescues who are desperately reaching out to every rescue and shelter in the north that they can. The more information you provide, pictures and such, the more chance you are of getting a response.

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Jenny Cope - Fear Free Certified
President/Founder
Give a Dog a Home Rescue
Greater Goods Charities - GOODS Program Ambassador
501c3 Non- Profit Corp, Tax ID/EIN 27-5241306
State of Maine Shelter/Rescue Licence # F1463
State of Maine Registered Charity: CO11334
https://giveadogahome.rescuegroups.org/
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