Do You Think Professional Trainers Should Offer Their Services To Rescues For Free?

[Gharrissc]

I wanted some opinions on whether or not you think trainers should offer their services for free to rescues or shelters? I think it really depends on the issue that they are working on with the dog.

[Caledon]

No, nothing in life is free. This is their living, why should they give it away?

[mycobraracr]

No, training is a business. They need to make there money. That being said my trainer and I do help when we can. Usually that means we split the cost or give a discount. If it's a dog/person that I sent to the trainer then I pay the difference. Why should it come out of her mouth? She has kids and dogs to feed as well.

[Jax08]

No. I think if they are financially able to then what a wonderful thing to do. But these trainers still have bills to pay.

Not long ago I had an argument about a local vet doing something for free on a Saturday night. A person found a kitten that had been shot. They trashed this vet all over Facebook...my vet...saying they refused to treat blah blah blah. I asked and got the other side of the story because I was horrified that they would refuse to treat a wounded animal. Real story was they were told to bring the kitten in and they could treat but there would be a bill.

Here is my view....first, the vet really has no way of knowing whose kitten it really is. Second, the vet has to call in a technician and pay them, electricity, surgery, etc. These people, rather than pay a vet bill allowed the kitten to suffer all weekend until the animal shelter opened on Monday.

Which leads me to the trainer. They have bills, overhead, gas money to the shelter. They may have liability responsibility if a dog gets adopted out and something happens. Wouldn't be the first time someone got sued for adopting out an animal that then bit someone. It's why rescues have liability insurance.

If a professional has the time and money to volunteer their services that's great but I don't think they "should" just by nature of their occupation.

[Lilie]

If the rescue is a non-profit and the trainer would receive tax benefits for donating their time, I think it should be the trainer's choice.

I do think it's be a slippery slope however, if the rescue required as a apart of their adoption application that the adopter continue classes with said trainer for a specific period of time.

[PatchonGSD]

No one should be expected to give their services for free, but it would be nice of they chose to do it. I'm sure there are some that do donate time when they can.

[Sunflowers]

Their product is training.
Should a store provide rescues with free food?

[gsdraven]

No. We do offer VERY discounted services to rescues, special classes just for fosters and donate some time but it's a business just like any other and rescue work takes up a lot of time. Also, IME, if you give one thing for free, it isn't long before people are expecting more and more for less and less (rescue or not).

We have one rescue in particular that we do a lot of work for but don't foster for and we do it because our heart is in helping the animals and we have both (my partner and I) been in rescue a long time. We have another that we strictly volunteer with and do no training for other than our fosters to keep from blurring the lines.

[selzer]

I voted No. I think the workman is worthy of his hire.

But, if a trainer felt that he could drum up business by working for the shelter so many hours per week, and in return the shelter gives him recommendations when people adopt a puppy or call about having a problem with a puppy, it may work to his advantage to donate some time.

I do have a problem when anyone uses the words should and offer, or should and donate or should and volunteer. Any gift, be it time or money or services or prayer should never be compulsory.

[Syaoransbear]

Definitely not.

However, if they wanted to do that on their own time as a way to get more experience and help out rescues that would be very generous of them.