Rescue Groups Charge Too Much for Adoption Fees

Some of you think this is true.   They charge way too much.  Anywhere from $150 to $350.  It’s Outrageous.

Ok, we know you have other choices when selecting your dog.

You can go directly to the shelter.   Or you can *buy* a dog from the guy on craigslist or the back-yard breeder who won’t let you come to their house to check out the conditions*.  The same “breeder” that has no experience breeding for betterment of the breed, but rather just thought puppies would be a great experience for their kids to have.

Before you take that route, there are a few things you should consider:

1.      There will be an adoption fee from the shelter, and we know it’s no where near the cost of the rescue fee.   The dog may be spayed and neutered and have a rabies shot.

2.      The dog in the ad will certainly have a for profit fee of a couple of hundred dollars and will most assuredly not be spayed/neutered, and may not be current on vaccinations.   He may not have received any of the developmental care needed for his age or even his breed.

3.      When you get your dog home, you probably know nothing about his medical needs.  What if you find he has one of the following.  

a.      Heart Worms Treatment --

b.      Torn ACL / Luxated Patella etc

c.      Hip Displaysia

d.      Wobblers Disease

e.      Parvo?

f.       Distemper

g.      ….Other?  

 Yes, those treatments will be really expensive.

4.      What if you find that the dog has (is)

a.      Mammary Tumors

b.      Demodex Mange

c.      Matted so severely that his skin is infected

d.      Toenails so long they have grown into his paws

e.      Cherry Eye

f.       A leg that needs amputation

g.      Kidney Failure

h.      Cancer

i.       Pregnant

j.     Infection

l.     other issues you have never even considered possible.

Oh wait – that's right, most people going into the shelter or responding to an ad will skip over dogs with those issues  and leave them for a rescue group to deal with, or for him to be left alone to die.

Do you have any  idea what the volume of death is in our area?  Its significant.   Even if they don't die, shelter dogs may suffer just from the stress of being in the shelter.

5.      What if you find that the dog has

a.      Resource Guarding Issues

b.      Hates your cat

c.      Hates your kids

d.      Isn’t house trained

e.      Has severe separation anxiety

f.       Can’t be walked on a leash without reacting aggressively

Now what – do you take him back to the shelter?  Call the rescue to take him off your hands? Give him to a friend?  Put another ad on the internet?

Rescue groups work with the cute and cuddly love muffin you’re about to adopt for weeks to work on house training, crate training, basic skills training and socialization.   Rescue homes volunteer their time and resources to save a life.   It’s not likely your dog will be 100% trained when you adopt the typical foster dog – BUT – you will receive a ton of insight from the foster home on where he is in his learning.   You’ll know whether he gets along with cats, other dogs, kids, men, etc.  You’ll know if he has fear and anxiety issues in the current foster home.    You'll have some expectations of where to begin in integrating him into your home and lifestyle.  In short, you have knowledge to help you select a dog suitable for your family.

Yea, but what about all that money rescues charge -- where does it go?

Rescues pull dogs of all ages, varying degrees of medical needs, and sometimes of unknown issues.   Breed specific rescues especially take special needs dogs to care for, even if it’s just to give them sanctuary or to be held in the arms of love when they cross the Rainbow Bridge.

A rescue group deals with dozens of dogs each year.  Sometimes it’s hundreds.   And it's not even close to ALL the dogs that don't get pulled into rescue.  Hundreds of dogs die daily in our area because of  our neighbors do not do their part to address over-population, failure to train, failure to spay/neuter, failure to care for medically.  It's a community problem.

Let’s think about cost of rescue for a minute for those dogs they can take in.   Let's assume Rescue "A"  brings in 100 dogs shall we say for round numbers.  

100 x $250 (an average) adoption fee is $25,000.   Wow! That’s a lot of money.  

Now let's see where that money is spent
Let’s make some conservative assumptions:  

·        25% of those dogs will have Heartworms at approximately $800 each – there went $20,000

·        90% will need to be spayed and neutered – rescue just went into the red

·        100% of them will need HW prevention for the # of months they are with the rescue - overspent

·        99% of them will need vaccinations  (some owner surrenders may have proof of vaccination)

·        And more often than not, even the rescue has a pull fee from the shelter.

Surely someone else donated money to all those fundraisers they hold --  right….

On the conservative side let’s assume:

·        Some dogs will need special food and nutritional supplements to get them healthy when they have been malnourished.

·        Some dogs will have significant medical issues that may cost upwards of $5000 for a single dog.     (About 3-5% exceed $5000, about 3% exceed 2500 and about 20% exceed $1000! per dog)

·        Some dogs will have anxiety issues requiring medication

·        Some dogs will have behavioral issues requiring training

·        Some dogs will have no foster home to go to and require boarding

·        Some dogs will never be adopted due to medical issues and will be in sanctuary

·        Some dogs may need to be humanely euthanized due to severity of their medical issues

Yes, it’s a lot of money the rescue has to spend.  – but what are they to do?  Not treat a dog’s medical needs?   Not train to overcome their issues of fear and anxiety?  Rescue groups don’t give up on the special needs.

The money runs out quickly and often volunteers continue to dip into their own finances to keep the rescue going or to care for the dog in their home so that you will want to adopt him. 

Your adoption fee doesn’t even cover the cost of vetting the dog you adopt and in a majority of cases has saved you a tremendous amount of medical costs, training, and time to get your little cutie ready to go home.   The fee is nominal compared to the cost of expenses in the rescue.  Even if the dog you selected had perfect health and no issues when he came it, your fees contribute to the overall big picture of saving as many lives as possible.

Can’t afford the fee – then you really should rethink adopting in the first place.   You are going to incur expenses with your dog.  Adopting from a rescue means you don’t have the other up front cost of spay neuter, vaccinations, and unexpected medical that you might incur with a shelter pull or buying from an add on craigslist*

Rescues cannot operate without income and without dozens of people volunteering time and donating money or offering discounts on vet, grooming, training services. 

So you are mistaken if you think Rescue Groups Charge Too Much for Adoption Fees.  They really don't.  They don't charge enough.   But there goal is never about profit, its about saving as many lives as they can -- and sadly, they cannot save them all.

So pay the fee without giving the rescue group a lot of flak about how much it is.   Instead, tell the rescue thank you for saving that life you will love so much and getting him as healthy as possible so that you can take him home.  Tell the rescue thank you for loving a dog as it took its last breath in their arms after someone dumped them in the shelter because they were too old or to sick.   Tell them thank you for working tirelessly to try and change the world around us with efforts to educate on spay/neuter, efforts to education on how training can prevent the need to surrender the dog, efforts to eliminate abuse, breed specific legislation, and over-population.  

Tell the Rescue -- Thank you!  And in the name of the furry bundle you just adopted who now has a 2nd chance at life -- write your check to include a donation to help others.

And know that we Thank You for supporting your local rescues. 

 *Please help us end the cycle.  Thousands of dogs die every single day around us and yet our neighbors keep breeding and selling for profit.  Don’t buy dogs off of craigslist, the guy on the street corner, or other back-yard breeders.  You are part of the problem not part of the solution if you support these people.  

Spay Neuter all Pets.  Educate friends and family on the importance of spay/neuter and training.    Volunteer if you can.  Foster if you are able.   Donate when possible.    

Download Printable PDF

Commitment to Foster Dogs

Commitment to Foster Dogs
It’s up to us to create success.  It’s up to us to manage safety for everyone involved.  It's up to use to train them.  It's up to us to help them recover and find a home of their own.  

Bottom Line -  It's up to us.

 

Unsupervised and without knowing both dogs well - this could have been very dangerous.

fos·ter   [faw-ster, fos-ter] 

verb (used with object) 

1. to promote the growth or development of; further; encourage: to foster new ideas. 

2. to bring up, raise, or rear, as a foster child.

3. to care for or cherish.

4. British . to place (a child) in a foster home.

5. Obsolete . to feed or nourish.

Replace Child with Dog – and we’re talking about Foster Dogs.

This topic has been on my mind for quite some time now.   The more involved I get in rescue the more I see of this issue and wonder how it’s possible that someone who wants to help an animal winds up being part of the problem.

Rescue dogs are not perfect.  There.  I said it.  Again.    If they were perfect whoever “owned” them first wouldn’t have dumped them at the shelter, left the alongside the road, or asked for them to be rehomed.   I used the word “owned’ intentionally.   Because whoever owned them did not promote growth and development or encourage these babies in any way!  

You’ll notice that it’s obsolete to say fostering is about food and nourishment – though in some foster dog’s lives, even food was not always provided. Owners of dogs do not really care for them at all, the dogs are property and sometimes treated with less value than their sofa.

Rescue groups are trying desperately to save lives.  And yet the problem grows – but that’s a discussion for another day.  

Rescuers are volunteers.   I can’t say I know of a single one that makes a living, or even a dime for that matter as a rescuer.  They have full time jobs and manage the rescue in their personal time.   Often at their own expense – financial and personal.

Rescue programs simply do not work without foster homes.  Getting a new foster to sign-up means another dog is saved!  Plain and simple fostering saves a life the very minute someone is approved to foster.  

That is until the foster gives up on the dog.  I've seen fosters threaten to put the dog on the side of the road at I485 or take him back to the shelter.    I've seen them demand the dog go within the hour.

Yes, it happens daily.   And when it does, the rescuers who are trying to save lives, are now trying find a spot for a dog who already is in a home.    They scramble to find a new place to send the dog for safe keeping.  These rejections of foster dog create a frenzy for everyone involved and other fosters and rescue directors are spending time that could be spend on new dogs and fundraising programs or their own personal lives “re-saving” the reject.

Remember we said rescue dogs are not perfect.  I don’t know what people expect when they agree to foster or when they adopt directly from the shelter.   Even though a temperament test can be done at the shelter – you have no idea really who that dog is when he’s pulled.      An “owner” is going to lie more often than not about their dog’s behavior when they need to rehome them – after all they want someone else to take him.  

Transitions are hard on dogs!  Some happy go lucky personalities just go with the flow.  But a dog who has not had proper socialization ever in his life, who was abused, neglected, has become fearful, shy, or even potentially aggressive may take a while to warm-up, to settle down, or to become his true self.

As a foster – your goal is to set the dog up for success.   It’s not about just food and shelter.  They may know nothing about living in a home.  It’s up to you to teach them.    Moving the problem to a new foster may not be the answer.  

 Dogs go through at least 3 transition periods – 3 days, 3 weeks and 3 months.   A lot happens in that time and the foster home is instrumental in managing those transition periods and helping the dog through them. 

From a trainer’s point here are a few things I have observations in the scenarios when things go south (this is not intended to be all inclusive)

1.      Precautions were not taken.

2.      Things move way too fast

3.      Pack Introductions were not done properly

4.      Rescue / Trainer Instructions not followed

5.      Foster  doesn't spend the necessary time crate training, house training, basic skills or working on behavioral issues.

Folks, I cannot tell you how important is to slow things down when you first bring home a dog.  Use the crate, more than you think is reasonable. Take time to crate train if necessary.   Take time to house-train if needed.  Take time to build a relationship between you and the dog before you introduce him to others.  Don’t open the front door and give him free reign of the house.  

When a new dog arrives at my house – it is about a week before they are integrated into my pack, have visitors or go for outings.    For some fosters, it might be several weeks.   The first days he’s crated the majority of the time – coming out only to potty and take a walk.   After a few days he’s allow some play time in the yard alone with me – no other dogs or kids.   When I do move to pack intro initial meetings with other dogs are brief – very brief.  Controlled.  On-leash and outside.  When I do give him some time in the house – my dogs are in a different space.      Some dogs progress faster than others – but it’s all about knowing you can read that dog, control your own dogs, and manage the situation - -you simply cannot do that in the first few days in most cases when a dog doesn’t have skills, doesn’t understand your language, and may not trust you.

Supervise!   Don’t give him opportunities to pee in the house and create frustration for you.  Don't give him an opportunity to eat your shoes or sofa.   Eyes on him.

Supervise!   If children are in your home or visiting, it is not negotiable that you supervise with eyes on the dog at all times that child is present.   Crate the dog as needed. 

Supervise!   After you have done proper pack introductions – supervise them together in the house for days!   Watch out for resource guarding over toys, food, beds, etc.  Watch out for play that escalates too far or a dog that doesn't heed warnings or doesn't want to play.  Especially with different size dogs and different age dogs.

Supervise!   Interact them with 1:1 to train, socialize and otherwise address any issues they may be having.   We have to teach them the things they don't know.  Being frustrated because they don't already know them does no one any good!

If you cannot supervise – that foster dog needs to be in his crate!  Period. 

As they settle into your house and family – issues may arise that they have previously not demonstrated.  Your own dogs may respond differently.    If you are not certain how to resolve the issues you’re experiencing - -please ask someone for help. 

Your rescue director will do everything possible to give you the support you need.   Inexperience, inaccurate or incomplete assessments  and assumptions may lead you down a path that makes things worse.   Most things don’t get better own their own without training from us.  It’s not always difficult – when you have the right information.  Be open to following instructions and be patient.   Behavior don’t change overnight and they do require us to change sometimes and to be consistent.  Be open to learning something different – especially if what you’re trying isn’t working.   Sometimes what worked for 1 dog won’t work for the next.     Be willing to invest some time and effort, maybe even a bit of money for toys, training tools, a crate, etc – if that’s what will make things better for everyone.

Please know that most problems will NOT get better on their own.  But that with proper guidance, proper response from you as the handler, they can often be resolved quickly and easily if addressed early and are not allowed to escalation or become rehearsed behaviors.

Before you agree to foster – consider what you are truly willing to do and truly capable of.  If your foster dog has issues – what are you prepared to do?  If it were your own personal dog – what would you do? Would you abandon your own dog and kick him out of the house?   Above all – don’t fail the dog again.   Don’t be part of the cycle that finds them shuffled to yet another home.   It confuses them.  It frustrates them.  It creates setbacks.   It may make problems worse, especially for dogs with fear, abandonment, or anxiety issues.  

Severe behavioral issues will be addressed through training, medical treatment, or other means the rescue director can advise you on.     The rescue will support you to provide support to that dog.  With a little direction and willingness to implement it – even if it’s somewhat inconvenient – you can create a resolution and see that dog transform right before you in a short time.

What doesn’t work for anyone is demanding the dog be kicked out of the home again that night.   When that occurs – it’s not fostering – it’s perpetuation of the problem.   Tire him out with physical exercise and mental stimulation (training, food puzzles, games, etc).   Crate the dog apart from other dogs or family members he may take issue with.   Take a training class with the dog – ask your rescue director about it. 

Discuss your expectations and non-negotiable issues with the coordinator before you become a foster or before the dog is pulled.   No one expects you to keep a dangerous dog or to put family members at risk when severe issues are present.   If as a foster it’s not a good match for your experience, your kids, or your cat – there isn’t a rescue coordinator out there who will insist that dog stays with you.   Know that a few days of crating may be necessary to give the rescue group a chance to respond to the request.  In an all foster program – there is often nowhere to move the dog immediately.   Each foster vacancy is typically filled with the next pull from the shelter.  Everyone should want what is best for the dog.    

Be willing to promote the growth or development of; further; encourage: to foster new ideas

I hope every day that more fosters (and adopters) are found.   I also know it is work.  It can be tiring.  It could be expensive.   It could be risky.    It’s up to us to create success.  It’s up to us to manage safety for everyone involved.

See article on Pack Introductions

Someone told me today about a potentially off-color joke from Chris Rock.   It’s said that he speaks about the tiger incident with Siegfried and Roy  -- “The Tiger went Tiger” – why is everyone surprised by this.

The Dog is a Dog.   And you have to teach him to live in our world.  

*********************************************************


The K9 Coach
980-339-8064
www.thek9-coach.com
info@thek9-coach.com

Notes from a Postivie Trainer's Conference

I just returned from a Dog Trainer’s Conference. I won’t name names, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to figure it out, if you really want to know. I must tell you that I had some pretty significant concerns and I want to share them with you. There are some things you as a pet owner, seeking a trainer should understand.

Within the organization there is a sub-group typically called “All Positive” or “Purely Positive”. As I listened to what was being said, as well as what was not being said, there was a pretty clear message: never correct a dog and avoid aggressive dogs.

I went to this conference specially to learn how to work an aggressive dog using all-positive methods and clicks and treats. Seriously, I wanted to figure this out. In forums online where I have expressed questions about being stuck, I was railed upon and told either a) I was moving too fast, b) the dog didn’t understand or c) I was stupid (well, they didn’t quite say that but sure inferred it )

There was a distinct absence of session related to aggression and reactivity. I found this most curious, since this seems to be one of the primary calls I get daily. I started listening a bit more carefully and asking a few very careful questions.

Some of these folks typically run from aggression & reactivity and in some cases don’t experience it at all. Many of these folks are breeders, service dog trainers, competition trainers or show-dog trainers. The select their puppies very carefully and then put them in to training programs with the end in mind. When they do encounter aggression, they would often rather euthanize a dog than to try a method that even approximates a correction or +P / Positive Punishment.

That’s right – some of them will counsel you to get rid of your dog or even to put your dog down before they would ever consider a prong collar or an ecollar. Some of them won’t even consider a martingale! And some, won’t even consider any sort of verbal “no”, or touch at all.

I even had one trainer tell me it would be such a waste of time to spend on an aggressive dog since there are so many others that could be trained during that time, and shelters are full of non-aggressive dogs. You must be kidding me – right? Well at least she got the shelter part right. But what if it’s your dog showing signs of aggression? You're scared, heartbroken, and typically overwhelmed by what to do next.    Are you ready to put him down before you would consider trying training method that is a bit more correction-based that treat-based? Remember, I attribute my own Great Dane’s life to an ecollar.

Do I use prongs and ecollars on every dog I train? Absolutely not. Not even almost. In fact, I don’t even use it on Vinnie anymore. We’re past that now. In the year and ½ since I opened my own business, only 4 dogs have gone to ecollar and that was at their owner’s request.

This whole thing makes me sad. I look back at a number of dogs I have known over the 13+ years I have been doing rescue and I think how many of them would not be here if we hadn’t used some form of correction when treats and other rewards were failing. Vinnie would not be here today if some of these trainers had been his evaluator.

So, as I sat there truly troubled, and really trying to understand the founder made some interesting points in his lecture and closing remarks.

• A dog is not trained unless and until s/he can perform the requested skill at distance, without food, without a training tool, and under distraction. (That’s always been my goal for training dogs)

• You cannot train a dog with only positive methods. There must be a consequence (punishment). Consequences should not be those that inflict pain and fear. (I agree – and know for fact that used properly or certain dogs with certain temperaments, prong collars and even ecollars meet this criteria)

• How can trainers call themselves “All Positive” when in fact they speak with hate, anger, hostility and overall negativity to anyone who has an opinion different than their own? It is hypocrisy to claim to be all positive and yet not be able to educate and communicate with their human peers and clients. (My favorite remark)

Now mind you – he is probably never going to support an ecollar on any dog. And of course we agree that no dog should be hit, intimidated, screamed at, or otherwise harmed. But he is saying something very important and controversial in his own organization. All-Positive doesn’t always work and may have been taken too far towards treats and clicks only.   He's open to the fact that a type of correction may be needed. (Gasp!)

While there are many common solutions and scientific studies supporting behavior – each dog is unique. Training is not black and white. For every average there is an extreme. No method is 100% for every dog, handler, or scenario. We must figure out what is going to work for the dog and the owner.

A good trainer is open-minded and well versed in all methods and can apply the best of all things to solve the problem with your dog.

Certainly we need to exhaust all options before we start talking euthanasia, IMHO.

So with that in mind – Happy Gotcha Day Vinnie 10/30/2010

The K9 Coach
http://www.thek9-coach.com
980-339-8064

Not all dogs fit all families. Not all families need a dog.

 

 Not all dogs fit all families.   Not all families need a dog.

Don't get me wrong, I think dogs are one of the greatest creatures on the planet.  I think they can bring a lot of joy and companionship to a home.     I, along with many of my friends and peers, work really hard to save dogs from a miserable lonely death in a gas chamber, and try to find them good homes.   We hardly make a dent in the over population of dogs and the number of dogs dying daily.   And yet, breeders (if you can call a backyard breeder than) continue to churn our puppies for profit, and to see the cute factor to the uneducated public.

This is Poppy -- She is NOT the dog in this story.

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a client who had just brought home an adorable puppy.  The breed won't be named here, but suffice it to say, it was a working breed.   Before that puppy was 4 months old, this family was overwhelmed.  

Potty training takes work.   He pulls on his leash.    He gets into everything.   He drools water on the floor when he drinks.   He chases my "kid".   He chases the cat.   He jumps.  He nips.   He barks at the neighbors. 

He's a puppy.   What did you expect?  He's like a toddler that you have to teach how to live in your home.  You have to teach him life skills and manners.  He's smart and he needs interaction and activity.  He's bored.   

We think he's aggressive.    He nips at us all the time.   He's afraid to be on the sidewalk.    He's afraid to ride in car?  Well, the only time he ever rode in the car was the day we brought him home -- we haven't taken him to ride because he's afraid.  He never sits down.   The only way we can control him is to crate him.    I don't want a crate in my house.    I don't want to have to have him on a leash in the house.   My husband isn't helping much.   And the excuses continued....

After a few weeks of private training and a series of Group Training, the owner was just not satisifed with his progress.   I explained often, they had to participate -- daily, as a way of life.  I finally took the dog in for "free" board and train / observation.   The dog was darn near perfect.  Beautifully trained in his obedience skills.   Playful with other puppies.   Happy go lucky.   Relaxed. 

They never claimed him to come back home.   With him out of the house, they decided they didn't want him.  He was too much work and caused too much stress when he was there  Instead, he was returned to his breeder (per their contract) who will resell him for another profit.  After all, he's well trained, well-balanced and healthy.

WHAT WENT WRONG?

Despite my repeated attempts to coach the owners on being consistent with the dog, practicing his obedience skills, the need to socialize the dog, and the need to demonstrate some consistent leadership with him -- they didn't.   They didn't have time.  They didn't make time. Training lessons were often interrupted to attend to the questions and needs of the child in the home.  Clearly the dog was not a priority.  

We wanted a dog that would just be part of the family.     Why did you get this breed of dog?  This size?   This working breed?  This energy level?   

They simply did not do their research.  They adopted an image of a dog and an adorable factor.  They wanted a perfectd dog from day one.  They did not expect the level of work it takes to teach a dog how to be part ofo othe family -- and this dog was SMART!

They would send him outside  and wonder why he only wanted to come back in the house.   They wondered why he was getting into "papers" on the kids play table instead of chewing his toys.

He was bored.  No one was playing with him.  A short walk everyday was not enough physical exercise and he was getting no mental stimulation.

As a reminder -- this is a working breed dog.  He needed a job.  He needed to be challenged, exercised and to play everyday.   Not for hours on end, but certainly more than a few minutes a day.

THE LESSON:

Don't buy or adopt a dog because it's cute or because your friend has such a great dog.  Don't adopt the breed you had as a kid if you don't understand what it took to create that well-balanced dog.  Do your home work.  Know what the dog was bred to do and how they will fit into your lifestyle and if you can accommodate their developmental needs, training needs, exercise needs, as well as their medical and grooming needs.  

A dog is a commitment for their lifetime.  They are not exchangeable like a pair of pants.  

Adopt/Rescue -- don't support backyard breeders and puppy mills.

Spay/Neuter -- 10,000 dogs a day die due to overpopulation

Foster, Volunteer, Donate, Educate.   Do Something!

Welcome To The K9 Coach Unleashed

A Balanced Trainer's Blog

I am long time dog lover.   A long time volunteer and foster parent for rescue Great Danes.   And now a certified dog trainer.    In all 3 categories, I often find myself completely disappointed, sometimes shocked and often royally pissed off with people and the things they do to dogs.

This blog is my opinion and what I think is in the best interest of the dogs who share our world.  It's my opinion. Period.   It's my experience with people and things that need to be said to many people.   If you agree with the opinions, do something about it.   Help stop the cycle of abuse, neglect, ignorance and over breeding and lack of training. 

Everyone can do something.  What will you do?

Don't like my opinion?   I'm ok with that.  We don't all have to agree.  I'm happy to have an open, respectful discussion.   We can all learn something from each other.  But under no circumstance will I tolerate rudeness, hatred, or other inappropriate messages.