Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi all I am looking for advice when reaching out to rescues about potential partnerships. The shelter here does few transfers to local rescues but the friends of nonprofit Im apart of has the resources to send dogs and cats out of state and now that we have a better system of reports I can keep a trello board updated. We arent looking to send behavior cases but good dogs that are vetted and behavior tested but Im hitting a wall. I dont have much experience reaching out to rescues I actually just did my first dog transport to a rescue 5 hours away and two of the dogs were adopted immediately! I am familiar with health certificates and transporting but if you are a rescue that receives what are some things you like to hear/see either on trello or email. Also is it best to call facilities or email them? thanks!! 

Hi Rachel,  our rescue gets dogs from out of state. When it's a transport from a shelter, we get email updates of available dogs and email if they've been adopted. 

They also keeping online updated list that we check from time to time. 

Regarding the coming dogs, we can ask to  cat test or ask any other questions. 

They arrive fully vetted, and microchipped with their vet records and no cost to us except for the transport itself. 

Hi all I am looking for advice when reaching out to rescues about potential partnerships. The shelter here does few transfers to local rescues but the friends of nonprofit Im apart of has the resources to send dogs and cats out of state and now that we have a better system of reports I can keep a trello board updated. We arent looking to send behavior cases but good dogs that are vetted and behavior tested but Im hitting a wall. I dont have much experience reaching out to rescues I actually just did my first dog transport to a rescue 5 hours away and two of the dogs were adopted immediately! I am familiar with health certificates and transporting but if you are a rescue that receives what are some things you like to hear/see either on trello or email. Also is it best to call facilities or email them? thanks!! 

That is essentially what we are trying to do but I am struggling to get an email back or an answer from anyone I am just wondering If I am doing something wrong even if they just tell me no at least then I know what direction to go in. 

Hi Rachel,  our rescue gets dogs from out of state. When it's a transport from a shelter, we get email updates of available dogs and email if they've been adopted. 

They also keeping online updated list that we check from time to time. 

Regarding the coming dogs, we can ask to  cat test or ask any other questions. 

They arrive fully vetted, and microchipped with their vet records and no cost to us except for the transport itself. 

Hi all I am looking for advice when reaching out to rescues about potential partnerships. The shelter here does few transfers to local rescues but the friends of nonprofit Im apart of has the resources to send dogs and cats out of state and now that we have a better system of reports I can keep a trello board updated. We arent looking to send behavior cases but good dogs that are vetted and behavior tested but Im hitting a wall. I dont have much experience reaching out to rescues I actually just did my first dog transport to a rescue 5 hours away and two of the dogs were adopted immediately! I am familiar with health certificates and transporting but if you are a rescue that receives what are some things you like to hear/see either on trello or email. Also is it best to call facilities or email them? thanks!! 

Hi all I am looking for advice when reaching out to rescues about potential partnerships. The shelter here does few transfers to local rescues but the friends of nonprofit Im apart of has the resources to send dogs and cats out of state and now that we have a better system of reports I can keep a trello board updated. We arent looking to send behavior cases but good dogs that are vetted and behavior tested but Im hitting a wall. I dont have much experience reaching out to rescues I actually just did my first dog transport to a rescue 5 hours away and two of the dogs were adopted immediately! I am familiar with health certificates and transporting but if you are a rescue that receives what are some things you like to hear/see either on trello or email. Also is it best to call facilities or email them? thanks!! 

Rachel, I'll tell you that it's very hard this year to find dog transport placements - especially for medium to large dogs.  Our Coalition is made up of 9 members - rescues and shelters in Arkansas - and so far this year we've transported 1,274 animals (more cats than dogs).  We have receiving partners in 20 states, but most of those that have taken dogs (even puppies) have been closed to transport intake this summer.  Why?  What I hear from partners is that large adult dogs (and sometimes large breed puppies) are not getting adopted as they were in the past.  I don't see any trends that show this will change in the near future.

I have found that networking and social media have helped find new receiving partners, more than cold calling/emailing.  Small rescues in areas like Chicagoland (that includes the suburbs of Chicago) are getting up to 100 unsoliciated request per week!  It's not possible for those groups (some volunteer-run) to reply to every unsolicited request.

Social media groups, like Best Friends Network Partners, HASS, Rescues across America, could get you an opportunity.  I recommend you DON'T try to market individual animals in the post; moving single animals on rescue transport is TOTALLY different than performing large volume transports in your own vehicle.

Another recommendation: consider contacting other shelters and rescues in your state that are transporting out of state now and ask about creating a Coalition.  That's how our group grew from 244 cats transported in our first year (2022) to our target for 2025 (over 2,200 animals).  When you work together collaboratively, you can offer a greater selection of candidates to receiving partners and take turns hosting the transports.  

Another tip - unless you have networking contacts at large volume shelters that will pull a large number of animals, define a target area to 'work' and try to find multiple receiving partners there.  Unless you have unlimited funding, vehicles and drivers, it will allow you to combine your transports.  For example, CART's Coalition has over 7 receiving partners in Minnesota and we have 1 or 2 trips there ever month.  Our transport that leaves on Friday night this week will have over 80 cats/kittens and 11 puppies from 4 Coaliiton members going to 5 receiving partners, with delivery to 2 meeting spots.  Most of our MN partners don't pull enough animals on their own to make the trip cost-effecctive for us.

Good Luck!

Hi all I am looking for advice when reaching out to rescues about potential partnerships. The shelter here does few transfers to local rescues but the friends of nonprofit Im apart of has the resources to send dogs and cats out of state and now that we have a better system of reports I can keep a trello board updated. We arent looking to send behavior cases but good dogs that are vetted and behavior tested but Im hitting a wall. I dont have much experience reaching out to rescues I actually just did my first dog transport to a rescue 5 hours away and two of the dogs were adopted immediately! I am familiar with health certificates and transporting but if you are a rescue that receives what are some things you like to hear/see either on trello or email. Also is it best to call facilities or email them? thanks!!