Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share a quick case study showing why agile, direct home-to-home rehoming is so vital for working breeds like German Shepherds.

The Background:

A GSD named Wyvern was on my radar at a local shelter last year but got adopted out.  Fast forward a few months, the adopters contacted, my rescue,  Boo's Crew. They were facing eviction, out of food, and needed to rehome him immediately.

The Setup:

Two weeks prior, a young guy had contacted me looking for a male GSD around 1.5 years old to be a buddy for his dog, Roscoe.  Seemed like a good fit so I connected them, and the guy went to meet him. What they did not tell us was that Wyvern was in a medical crisis. The kid couldn't leave him in that condition so loaded up and headed back with him!

The Crisis & Response:

• The Call: On the drive back, the new owner called in distress. Wyvern was severely underweight and his outer ears had a horrific, deep infection that looked like oil burns.
• 911 Vet Visit: He went straight to the emergency vet. The bill was $2,000, which completely wiped out the kid's savings.
• Boo's Crew Intervention: Even though Boo's Crew covers its own operational costs and we don't actively solicit donations, I immediately paid the $2,000 bill to back this owner up. We also supplied dog food and other items to get him going
• Daily Mentorship: We talked daily to guide him through a structured decompression and integration process with his resident dog.

The Outcome:

Wyvern is fully healed, at a healthy weight, and he and Roscoe are absolute best friends.

By acting as a direct bridge and absorbing the medical shock, we saved a life and kept a dog out of the system entirely!

📍 About Boo's Crew GSD Rescue (Moscow, ID)

We are an intensive, home-based 501(c)(3) pioneering a multi-tiered shelter-diversion model.

• Sanctuary Expansion: We are seeking capital grant partners to match an upcoming 15-50 acre USDA rural sanctuary expansion. This will scale our intensive, in-home rehab and launch a public, donation-based trail system.
• Direct Home-to-Home Matrix: We fund critical initial veterinary care to keep dogs completely out of regional shelter systems.

Connect with us on FACEBOOK

#AdmissionsandIntake(includingIntake-to-placement)
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#CaseManagement*
#FosterPrograms
#MarketingandSocialMedia
#Rehoming

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Tami Grady
Founder/Director
Boo's Crew: A GSD Rescue Inc
ID
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Absolutely gorgeous story. Were is Boo's Crew located?

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Karla Jongema
volunteer
individual
FL
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Thank you! We are located in Moscow, Idaho 🥰

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Tami Grady
Founder/Director
Boo's Crew: A GSD Rescue Inc
ID
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-28-2026 06:45 AM
From: Karla Jongema
Subject: Shelter Diversion Success: How our Home-to-Home Model Intercepted a Medical Emergency

Absolutely gorgeous story. Were is Boo's Crew located?

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Karla Jongema
volunteer
individual
FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 8/28/2026 12:54:00 PM
From: Tami Grady
Subject: RE: Shelter Diversion Success: How our Home-to-Home Model Intercepted a Medical Emergency

Thank you! We are located in Moscow, Idaho 🥰

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Tami Grady
Founder/Director
Boo's Crew: A GSD Rescue Inc
ID
------------------------------

This is such a great story! Do you keep a database of potential adopters or fosters so you can match them up with people who need to rehome? Do you pre-screen the potential adopters so they are pre-approved?

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Jean Bubley
Volunteer
Cat rescue organizations
NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 9/7/2026 10:02:00 AM
From: Jean Bubley
Subject: RE: Shelter Diversion Success: How our Home-to-Home Model Intercepted a Medical Emergency

This is such a great story! Do you keep a database of potential adopters or fosters so you can match them up with people who need to rehome? Do you pre-screen the potential adopters so they are pre-approved?

------------------------------
Jean Bubley
Volunteer
Cat rescue organizations
NY
------------------------------

That's wonderful! It's always great when you can prevent an animal from being surrendered to a shelter, or being dumped on the street.

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Jean Bubley
Volunteer
Cat rescue organizations
NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-07-2026 10:28 AM
From: Tami Grady
Subject: Shelter Diversion Success: How our Home-to-Home Model Intercepted a Medical Emergency

Hello! Thank you for asking ! And yes I do!  

I also spend time talking to them (even over the phone) so I can get a better idea ❤️

Original Message:
Sent: 9/7/2026 10:02:00 AM
From: Jean Bubley
Subject: RE: Shelter Diversion Success: How our Home-to-Home Model Intercepted a Medical Emergency

This is such a great story! Do you keep a database of potential adopters or fosters so you can match them up with people who need to rehome? Do you pre-screen the potential adopters so they are pre-approved?

------------------------------
Jean Bubley
Volunteer
Cat rescue organizations
NY
------------------------------

Thank you for keeping pups out of the shelter system which is already too full everywhere and thank you for your wonderful work.

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Julielani Chang
The Life of Kai: Compassion Connections Inc.
Davis CA
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We actually provide a similar service, Owner Foster. Like many of us, it's a struggle to find fosters and we really need to pull dogs out of the shelters and put them into fosters as opposed to taking up a foster home with an owner surrender.

So, we tell people that we will help them rehome their dog through the Owner Foster program.

1. they keep their dog
2. they must keep the dog updated on all veterinary needs --- the rescue is NOT taking on that expense
3. we post the dog in our system which syncs out to the major adoption websites
4. we post the dog on our social media profiles
5. they bring the dog to our events
6. they bring the dog to our training class and/or participate in any individual training we deem necessary

The goal is the same -- keep the dog out of the shelter.

------------------------------
Kristen Palm
Director
Spencer Pet Rescue
IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 9/9/2026 4:50:00 PM
From: Kristen Palm
Subject: RE: Shelter Diversion Success: How our Home-to-Home Model Intercepted a Medical Emergency

We actually provide a similar service, Owner Foster. Like many of us, it's a struggle to find fosters and we really need to pull dogs out of the shelters and put them into fosters as opposed to taking up a foster home with an owner surrender.

So, we tell people that we will help them rehome their dog through the Owner Foster program.

1. they keep their dog
2. they must keep the dog updated on all veterinary needs --- the rescue is NOT taking on that expense
3. we post the dog in our system which syncs out to the major adoption websites
4. we post the dog on our social media profiles
5. they bring the dog to our events
6. they bring the dog to our training class and/or participate in any individual training we deem necessary

The goal is the same -- keep the dog out of the shelter.

------------------------------
Kristen Palm
Director
Spencer Pet Rescue
IL
------------------------------

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

I love the idea of Owner Foster.  We are working to better understand what the trigger to the surrender is and if we can help to keep the family together and the animal in the home.  We provide pet food and supplies, spay or neuter services, vaccines, and behavior training, etc depending on the need for surrender.  I would love to know the percentage of your clients that still choose to surrender vs those that are willing to try Owner Foster?  And of the Owner Foster, my hope is that some percentage decide to keep their pet?  Thank you!

Original Message:
Sent: 09-09-2026 01:49 PM
From: Kristen Palm
Subject: Shelter Diversion Success: How our Home-to-Home Model Intercepted a Medical Emergency

We actually provide a similar service, Owner Foster. Like many of us, it's a struggle to find fosters and we really need to pull dogs out of the shelters and put them into fosters as opposed to taking up a foster home with an owner surrender.

So, we tell people that we will help them rehome their dog through the Owner Foster program.

1. they keep their dog
2. they must keep the dog updated on all veterinary needs --- the rescue is NOT taking on that expense
3. we post the dog in our system which syncs out to the major adoption websites
4. we post the dog on our social media profiles
5. they bring the dog to our events
6. they bring the dog to our training class and/or participate in any individual training we deem necessary

The goal is the same -- keep the dog out of the shelter.

------------------------------
Kristen Palm
Director
Spencer Pet Rescue
IL
------------------------------

By the time a dog owner has reached out to us, they are usually at their wits ends. We specialize in the training and behavior modification, not in the other services like food, vet care, etc.

So for our owners, it's behavioral and they have already tried all of the other area shelters and rescues for help. 

Unfortunately, no one takes in surrenders, no one is open-admission. People get so desperate that they dump the dogs outside the shelters or just out in the open. And because the behavioral issue usually involves aggression, sometimes the owner is told that if they surrender it, then the shelter will euthanize.

I can't answer what percentage still surrender vs. choose Owner Foster because once they have declined Owner Foster, I don't know what happens to the dog.

The percentage that keep the dog after a training program is only like 1%

While I do have 2 trainers who volunteer, the need is just too great and we end up paying for other trainers to do board and train programs.

We did get a grant to help cover that cost, but I'm curious how you're handling/managing/paying for the behavioral training.

------------------------------
Kristen Palm
Director
Spencer Pet Rescue
IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-11-2026 09:45 AM
From: Anonymous Member
Subject: Shelter Diversion Success: How our Home-to-Home Model Intercepted a Medical Emergency

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

I love the idea of Owner Foster.  We are working to better understand what the trigger to the surrender is and if we can help to keep the family together and the animal in the home.  We provide pet food and supplies, spay or neuter services, vaccines, and behavior training, etc depending on the need for surrender.  I would love to know the percentage of your clients that still choose to surrender vs those that are willing to try Owner Foster?  And of the Owner Foster, my hope is that some percentage decide to keep their pet?  Thank you!

Original Message:
Sent: 09-09-2026 01:49 PM
From: Kristen Palm
Subject: Shelter Diversion Success: How our Home-to-Home Model Intercepted a Medical Emergency

We actually provide a similar service, Owner Foster. Like many of us, it's a struggle to find fosters and we really need to pull dogs out of the shelters and put them into fosters as opposed to taking up a foster home with an owner surrender.

So, we tell people that we will help them rehome their dog through the Owner Foster program.

1. they keep their dog
2. they must keep the dog updated on all veterinary needs --- the rescue is NOT taking on that expense
3. we post the dog in our system which syncs out to the major adoption websites
4. we post the dog on our social media profiles
5. they bring the dog to our events
6. they bring the dog to our training class and/or participate in any individual training we deem necessary

The goal is the same -- keep the dog out of the shelter.

------------------------------
Kristen Palm
Director
Spencer Pet Rescue
IL
------------------------------