Archive for April, 2009

Posted on April 16, 2009 - by admin

Displaced Dogs Need Help

Humans are not the only species suffering because of the plummeting economy. Canines are too. It’s a sad, sad situation. People are having to make the decision to surrender their dogs to rescue groups and shelters all over the country…and many of these organizations do have the room nor the money to accommodate these displaced furry friends. As some of you may know, dogs are very near and dear to my heart; which is why I felt these poor dogs needed someone to give them a voice. And “woof” just won’t cut it.

Robin Wood, a volunteer for Tulsa Boxer Rescue located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has explained the situation well:

“…three components are against us now. The sad truth, we are consistently being contacted by several owners daily wanting to surrender as opposed to what was several a week. We have also found adopting dogs directly out of boarding has proven to be a challenge without volunteers able to work [with] the dogs; we can’t really know enough about the dogs to make proper forever matches. In addition, it doesn’t help that many of the applicants wanting a Boxer seem to have no clue of the commitment they are supposed to be making, and the dogs are coming back. We have turned away 32 dogs this week alone; most will die because we cannot be there. And we cannot be there because we have no available foster homes, and there are so many in boarding that we must put them into compatible foster homes first. Intakes are up, and donations are down- I assume because of the economy. We will not go under, but I am losing sleep these days worrying about what we would do with the dogs…”

The expenses involved with any non-profit animal rescue are astronomical. If a person surrenders a dog that has been hit by a car and they can’t afford to take it to the vet, these rescue groups take them in and make sure the dog is cared for at a medical facility. Even though they are non-profit, they don’t get vet services handed to them for free, no, make no mistake about it, those services are charged and then paid for with the help of donations. In many circumstances, volunteers pull money out of their own pocket to help the dogs. What these volunteers do is nothing short of selfless. The other scary scenario are people that don’t have the money to properly take care of their companion until it’s almost too late and pets that are emaciated, nearly on the brink of death from not being fed, enter the world of rescue.

So, I hope you’ll join me in the effort of helping rescue groups and dogs in need. Perhaps you have a breed that is near and dear to your heart, many of your local rescue groups have wish lists for supplies they need. Monetary donations are always welcomed too. Boxers are “my” breed and I rescued my dog from Tulsa Boxer Rescue - take a look at their wish list and donation needs - if you want to donate to them, please do. However, if you have the means and want to seek out another group to donate to - please do. Your help is what keeps these dogs safe and healthy. And I cannot stress this enough - a lot of these dogs wouldn’t be in need of rescue if more people would spay and neuter their animals. Do your part to help with overpopulation - spay and neuter!