Clifford’s Army Rescue ( and many other non profit dog rescues) run truly on blood, sweat and tears ( both happy and sad ones) along with generous donors and lots of fundraising. Most of us are foster based which means we rely heavily on our volunteers to open their hearts and homes to help those with no voice. Many of us have multiple fosters and have reached the limit on the number we can properly care for. So what happens when no one steps up to foster?
Like most rescues, we post desperate pleas for fosters, begging for help. We cover all expenses, have a huge network to help with any questions, problems, or issues you may have as we want your foster experience to be a great one so that you will want to foster another dog in need once your foster goes to his/her forever home. When you foster, you actually save three lives, the one you are fostering, the space you emptied at possibly akill shelter, and the space you created for one of the other fosters to take another dog.
We hear reasons such as, ” I work a full time job”. Most of the dogs in rescue are just very happy to be in a loving and caring home. Many have lived their lives not having hardly any human contact so you going to work is no big deal. We hear, ” I will want to keep them all”. Seeing the happy endings when your foster dog gets adopted is so gratifying, and knowing you can help save more makes it so worthwhile. While it is hard to let them go, you are letting them go to a very good family and opening your home for another in need dog.
So what happens to the dog(s) in need when we cannot find fosters and have no choice ( because our regular fosters are already doubled and tripled up) but to say no? Most of the dogs we are asked to take have not had vaccines, are full of intestinal worms, many are heart worm positive, some injured needing surgery, some sick, and some with behavioral issues. When we say no, those dogs do not get the medical attention they need, the emotional support, the love and safe haven from a human. When we have to say no, many times these dogs may be left to fend for themselves. When a rescue has to say no, there is no magical wand that is waved to help those dogs in need. Many will never get to the vet for treatment, much less find a home to be loved. Many will die a cold, lonely death and be discarded like trash.
It is very hard for those who have been directly involved with rescue to not be able to find a place for the dogs in need. It is not out of sight, out of mind for those of us who have witnessed animals on death’s door, emaciated to the point they look like a skeleton with skin over the top of the bones, to the point they cannot get up and walk, have to learn to eat again, are terrified of every noise and even the human touch because someone has abused them. The photos we post begging for fosters are embedded in our minds as we scramble to find a place for safe haven for those in need. If we fail, we know the end result may be very tragic.
You may say, find a no kill shelter or take them to the local county shelter whether it is no kill or not. County shelters who have achieved 90 percent live release are considered no kill. Dogs still die due to health issues, behavioral issues. Many county shelters in our state and others still kill for space. Once all the kennels are taken, dogs die to make room for more. The ones that are doing their best to be no kill have to manage intake. While we are very glad our local shelter manages intake and no longer kills for space, it leaves more dogs for rescues to try to help. Some people will dump their dogs out, some will reach out to rescue but at the end of the day, rescue tries to help so that these dogs have a chance at the live they deserve. Healthy dogs do not deserve to die because of lack of space and healthy dogs do not need to be dumped out because there is no space at a no kill shelter to fend for themselves and who knows what happen to them.
So what happens when rescue has to say no? Dogs suffer, some ultimately paying with their lives.
If you would like to consider fostering you could truly be a lifesaver.