What is rescue about? What is a rescue considered? What do rescues do? Who really is a rescue? Find out about the rescue/s you are donating to, reposting for, volunteering for.
It has come to everyone's attention lately that some people are turning out not to be what they say they are ( rescues gone bad, scam artists, convicts posing as rescues). Some people start a rescue because they really want to help the animals, some start them because they see money comes in when they ask for donations, some people start rescues because they love animals, but they have no idea what is involved with rescue.
First things first: There are different kinds of rescues. One rescue is a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization, One is a Non-Profit Incorporation, One is a Not For Profit Organization, and One is just a name.
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization: is registered with the federal government. They have gotten permission from their state to ask for Charitable donations. Meaning: donations to this kind of rescue are Tax Deductable. They are not in this to make a profit at all and they spent alot of time doing the paperwork to get this status. LOL
Non-Profit Incorporation: They are registered with their state as a rescue and they are not making any money off of doing what they do, but donations are NOT Tax deductable. They can have their incorporation papers linked to their websites, they can include it in the ending of their rescues name, but that still does not give them the status of a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization. They must also state on all their solicitations for donations that donations are not Tax Deductable, this is a federal offense if they do not
Not For Profit Organization: This is the same as a Non-Profit Organization, just by a different name. Donations are not tax deductable and they must make it known when asking for donations.
Just a name: This is a group that either wants to help the animals, has no money to get their status's yet or just wants to get money from people, but in the IRS's book, they are not even considered a rescue or an organizatioin. Donations to them are not tax deductable, and they must make it known when asking for donations.
Does it really make a difference whether a group is a Tax deduction or not? It does if they're not and they don't let you know it. It does when you try to file at the end of the year and end up with an audit and find out you got lied to. It does to a rescue when people file their donations to you and you weren't legally allowed to get them. It does to some people, because they need that at the end of the year. To others it doesn't because they just want to help the critters no matter what.
What Should A Rescue Do????
When a rescue takes a dog in, MOST, not all, will spay/neuter, vaccinate, microchip, deworm, fecals done, dentals done if needed, heartworm/lyme testing (if positive they will treat before adoption), start the animal on heartworm/flea/tick preventative and temperment test. Some people think it's ok to just deworm a dog and not do a fecal. Not true. Deworming a dog only gets rid of worms. It does not check for parasites or infections, which means a rescue that does not do fecals, could be adopting out a sick dog. Some rescues do not check for heartworm or lyme. This is very important to do because a dog will die from this. If a dog does have heartworm, its SHOULD be treated by the resuce before a dog goes up for adoption. Everone pretty much knows that all dogs/cats should be speutered before adoption. Microchipping: that helps a rescues dog/cat come back to them if the adopter ever gives the dog/cat to a shelter, looses the dog, tries to give the dog to someone else. This is expensive, but it saves a life. And when a rescue takes an animal into rescue, it means thats for the rest of the animals life, even if they've been adopted.
Home Visits:
This is expected to be done by a rescue. Well at least most rescues are doing these, some it turns out are not. When you meet someone on FB or MS, do you really know them or jsut the name on the computer screen??? Do you really know if they have that magnificent dog room for the dog they always talk about or are they really leaving their dog out on a chain in the backyard? Just because someone is involved in crossposting and rescue groups, does not always mean they are good people. How many people out there will lie their asses off just to get an animal to sell for research, or to fighters, or for bait? A lot, yes, A LOT. Rescues, do your home visits, no matter how much of an emergency it is to get the dog out of the shelter. Don't rely on someone saying "oh, I know them from group, they're good people" or "i've know them on the internet for years now, they'd be great at fostering".
Adopting Out Of State:
Most rescues will adopt out of state, but only within a few states. A rescue wants to make sure that if anything happens to their dog/cat, they can get to the home within a few hours time frame or within a day. If someone said to you, "You gotta get this dog out of here by tonight, or I'm taking him to the shelter", can you get there if you've adopted the dog over 15 hours away or across country or will you have to rely on your FB or MS friends to handle it for you? Plus, most rescues want to be able to check in on their dogs here and there
Adopting Out Bully Breeds:
This is a touchy situation for some rescues, since some of us have had a few of these dogs in rescue for over a year. It's VERY hard placing this breed. A rescue MUST check to make sure that the home owners insurance does allow the breed, or they must have them change it. There are laws that people are trying to change on this, but until they do, you have to make sure your dogs are going to the right place. You'd hate to get the dog back 3 or 5 yrs from now because the insurance gave them the choice to get rid of the dog or loose their insurance. I have 3 emails now of people having to get rid of their dogs because there insurance company will cancel them. They've tried other companies, but it cost more. One of these dogs is 6 yrs old. So don't put it past somebody to get rid of the dog instead of changing companies.
Adopting A Bully To Another State:
Please make sure you are checking states and counties BSL laws. Almost every state has some kind of BSL against Pitbulls, whether it's in the state, the county or the city. That means you can not send any bully breeds there or anything that looks like a Bully (if it looks like a duck, it must be a duck). Thats just what it is now until the laws are changed.
Knowing Your Limits:
Everyone in rescue has gone thru this, me included. We look at that one face and say "OMG, where will I put him/her, we gotta make room". And then we're stuck. It can take days/weeks/mths/yrs to get that dog adopted, while we still have dogs from months ago waiting for homes. Almost every rescue out there is packed, and we know there's not many approved homes out there. Some of us rescues have been waiting forever it seems like to find the right homes/fosters, where as some rescues are finding them right away. Are they doing rescue right or are they doing it the wrong way. Are they jumping to quick at the home because they want to save more? Is that the way rescue is done? Rescue is supposed to be quality, not quantity. There are emergency cases (fighting rings, puppy mill bust, hoarder situations)
Rescue is not an easy job. It is not cut out for everyone thats in it. People get burnt out, we loose hope sometimes, we get mad when we see others making a bad name for rescue. We wish that everyone that gets into rescue is in it for the right reasons, but thats not always true. When wanting to help a rescue, do your checking. Check the IRS website to see if they really are legite, talk to shelters to see if they know them, ask other rescues for references on them. Check around, don't just sit back and believe everything you see. It may haunt you in the long run.
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