Maybe you wish you could network and hand-pick Spot’s new home, but if placing him is an emergency and time’s running out you may not have such a luxury. Is there anyone who cares enough to network for you and locate the kind of home Spot deserves? Yes, there is.
Breed Rescue
If Spot is a purebred, there is probably a rescue organization set up for his breed. The American Kennel Club will tell you how to locate your breed’s national rescue headquarters, where you will be put in touch with the rescue volunteer closest to you. If an emergency such as death in the family, serious illness, divorce, sudden move, or severe financial setback makes it impossible for you to keep Spot, breed rescue will help you. Its purpose is to give good guys like your Spot a second start when they need one. Spot is a good guy, isn’t he? Rescue volunteers won’t foster or place dogs that are aggressive toward people. They also won’t place pets suffering from a terminal illness, or find homes for puppies when an irresponsible owner is stuck with an unsold litter.
What breed rescue will do is give Spot foster care in a family home; evaluate his temperament around adults, children, and other pets; make sure he is socialized, crate-trained, and housebroken; and assess his activity level, previous training, trainability, and instinctive abilities. That helps them find the right owner for him and make a successful match. But there’s more. Breed rescue will have your dog spayed or neutered and allow sufficient recovery time before making a placement. Then, after Spot is placed in a permanent home, the new owners will be encouraged to ask the foster care-giver for advice whenever they have a question or a problem. And if for any reason they cannot keep Spot, he will be returned to breed rescue and the process of placing him will begin again.
How can you help the rescue volunteer find a suitable home for your dog? Help by having Spot or Princess neutered or spayed before turning him/her over to breed rescue. Or, if there isn’t time, help defray the expenses if you are financially capable of paying for the minor surgery. Help by having Spot checked for parasites, making sure his vaccinations up to date, and giving his health record to the rescue volunteer. Help by telling the rescuer everything you can think of concerning Spot’s personality and health. Does he like adults and children of all ages? Does he try to chase cats? Does he get along with other dogs? Does he get scared and nervous when you leave him alone in the house? Is he trained to obey some simple commands? Does he eat prescription dog food or take daily medication? Can he do a trick or two? Knowing everything about Spot, the good and the bad, will help the volunteer find Spot what he needs most in your absence— a permanent person of his own. Make sure to include all of this information should you decide to find a rescue volunteer or new owner by listing Spot on RescueMe.org.
