Just a reminder to go along with Rhaya's important reminder!
PLEASE CHECK REFERENCES BEFORE YOU PUT A DOG ON A TRANSPORT!!!
Do you KNOW where your dog is going???
Here is a "heart-warming" story about a "rescuer" who recently saved a deaf Great Dane. In her own words:
"How I got lucky with this boy, I'll never know. I just happened to be glancing at all the Pet Classifieds Listings and saw an add [sic} with four simple words in the entire bio section of the classified - "3 1/2 y/o White Dane DEAF". I guess it was my calling. I contacted the owner Friday morning and picked him up yesterday afternoon. Another successful rescued pup! Now, I just hope to meet up with the rest of you that have deaf dopey danes! He's a gem, just not so good on his feet, as he's still clumsey [sic]."
Best Wishes, Jennie & Apollo
Here is a photo she posted of her new baby:
Two weeks later, here is a picture of the same dog at the kill shelter where he was dumped by his "rescuer". (This boy has been pulled and is safe.)
As it turns out, Jennie is a 16 year old girl. And her name isn't even "Jennie". She has been trawling the internet looking for all kinds of animals from owner surrenders, shelters with low pull fees, unsuspecting rescues. She made up an identity and a story and used the internet. Everyone just took her at her word. Apollo is not the only dog she has "adopted" and dumped. Many animals she has obtained were brought to her door by rescue transporters-INCLUDING GERMAN SHEPHERDS off this board. How could this happen? How could a 16 year old obtain dogs and rodents and birds that she has subsequently thrown out like garbage? Easy. No one checked her references. No one asked her for an application. No one checked. Please think about where you are sending the animals you rescue - they depend on you.
How many others that we don't know about have met this same fate or worse?
PLEASE CHECK REFERENCES AT THE VERY LEAST BEFORE YOU PUT A DOG ON A TRANSPORT!!!
That does indeed make me shudder too. It also makes it tough for people like me who occasionally do a personal rescue. Yes, most of the foster dogs that have been in my home and currently are, are VGSR dogs. However, I have rescued three dogs on my own in the past year. There have been more in the year's before. All three are in wonderful homes ... one adopted by an approved VGSR adopter with the donation going to VGSR, one adopted by their referrals page with the donation going to VGSR, and one adopted by a courtesy post through Blue Ridge BC rescue, with the donation going to them. Anyone who adopts a dog from me goes through, application, references and home check.
Some people think I'm a little over-the-top, investing my own money into the rescued dog and then adopting him/her out with their donation going to the rescue ... but I'm a firm believer in everything you do comes back to you, so therefore, I would much rather save a dog than buy a dress, which I don't wear anyway.
AMEN LIZ!
You get back what you give out. I have monies set aside that just goes to the dogs. I spend my own money and encourage people to donate to the rescue itself. Those people who think you're over the top, just don't get it and never will. Or they will say....it's just ONE dog....there's thousands out there. Well then, I made a difference one dog at a time. Keep doing what your doing and check, check and double check referrences!
I'm with you on the dress....I'd rather go to the hardware store than the mall!
another over-the-topper here. tractor supply and home depot are my favorite stores lately. have to get up and running to foster, a little quicker than planned after a receiving rescue suddenly had no room after the holiday, but not a problem...i've seen for a while here that what's really needed are fosters, and i'm gonna be one of those one-at-a-timers. an over-the-topper, one-at-a-timer, that's me!
I remember doing a transport and meeting the woman doing the next leg who promptly full in love with the dog we were transporting. She hugged and kissed the dog...and looked up at me and said..........."I hope she's not going to a kill shelter"...........................
I think this topic has made people understandably uncomfortable.
You need to know exactly where you are sending a dog-be it individual, rescue, shelter-like North Shore, etc.
We all-those of us who have done home checks-know the difference between paper and correspondance, posts on a message board, and the reality of an actual placement.
And sometimes even with the home checks, we're wrong! I know I have been. But I know that the relationship that develops during the homecheck increases the likelihood that the dog will be safely returned to you should a problem occur.
Is this recent Jean? Meaning...she's still "busy"......
I was tracking her intensely...but hadn't heard anything in a while...
If this is recent....I will contact Tammy Grimes again...who I was working with to stop this person once and for all. We have the police dept. involved...
<span style="color: #3333FF">I received an e-mail about a month ago. It told of several people who pose as transporters. They are actually selling animals for research or work for the reserach facilities. SCARY! </span>
Good point. There are lots of "Jennies" out there - people who "just want to help" but who don't stand up to scrutiny if someone would only scrutinise them. People were thrilled with "Jenny" because she was "saving" so many dogs - but no one knows where most of those animals ended up - in breeding outfits, in labs, in kill shelters... She's not the only one out there. Check out the rescue you are helping to get a dog - preferably have someone visit them. Check out your transporters. Make sure you are saving a dog and not sending him to a fate worse than death.
Something else to consider - like the hoarder example given on this board, "Jenny" didn't actually do anything illegal. She asked for the dog, she was given the dog, and once he was her property she disposed of him as she saw fit. So please, especially when doing long distance adoptions and rescues, think twice and check three, four, five times before you make a decision on behalf of an animal that can't speak for itself.
Some of you may know that I'm involved in ACD Rescue. Last night a lady I know that is part of a new Rescue in the Carolinas asked me if I knew anything about a woman that has offered to transport a rescued dog. She got a weird feeling from the e-mails and forwarded them to me, I got the same uneasy feeling. This woman claims to be on a national transport list. The lady trucker will be driving from FL to MN, but she has given no info on time frame, vehicle license, etc. Claims that things are still up in the air as to what vehicle she will be driving, etc. I have the woman's first name only. I told my Rescue friend that I would not feel comfortable with this person unless she got references from people she personally trusted vouching for her. She feels the same as did another person she has questioned. The dog will travel from SC to Atlanta to meet the transport (proposed plan).
If anyone can help verify info, please feel free to PM me. I don't want to put a name out in error.
That's unusual. One thing you could do is check with Operation Roger, which is an official truckers' network for transport and see if they have heard of her. Personally, I wouldn't give her an animal based on the lack of info provided.
Thanks dd, I just heard from my friend. She sent a long letter to the woman stating concerns and asking for more info. The woman wrote back saying she couldn't make the run due to weather concerns. So, it looks like they will be filling a more traditional transport with more trusted people.
Bump and adding Rhaya's warning to make sure that people aren't focusing on a past case, but looking at bettering the way things are done now and in the future-because unfortunately, just getting rid of one problem does not mean that others will not try...
Reposting guidelines by request...
The Urgent Rescue forum is often the last hope for many rescues. It’s a place where emotions run high and haste is essential. That combination provides the energy necessary to save many Shepherds. Unfortunately, it also provides an opportunity for exploitation. There are some that visit this area only to exploit the animals and rescuers. Sadly there have been and continue to be cases were caring members have been deceived. This deception has cost some of our members a few dollars and some animals their lives.
Please remember the anonymous nature of the internet. Before you offer your financial help or surrender one of these animals, please ask yourself – What do I really know about this person?
So often rescue is about trust. It’s disheartening that there are those that will abuse that trust. Use caution and do a little research before you place your trust in people you know little about.
Hare are some warning signs:
1. Members without rescue representation who offer to foster or adopt multiple dogs within a short time period, pregnant dogs, or litters of pups.
2. Members who have fostered or adopted dogs from the rescue forums in the past, but have no current information on the disposition of those dogs. Goes double for those who have fostered or adopted dogs that ended up in questionable circumstances (lost, PTS without a viable explanation, not spayed/neutered, surrendered to shelters, given away to irresponsible owners).
3. Members who decline home visits from rescue organizations.
Here are some tips to help authenticate:
1. The PA (Potential Adopter) MUST be approved by a local rescue group. Doesn't HAVE to be a Shepherd rescue groups but I would recommend a herding or working breed group.
2. PA must provide work reference, vet reference and trainer reference.
3. PA must agree to a home check (again - by a local rescue group).
I just read another thread where people were going to help transport a dog without any mention of the above, to someone they "know" on this board. Not yelling, just reminding, to please be careful.
I would hope if I ever offered for a dog for myself personally, people would question me, get my references, vet check, home check, regardless of my (eek) number of posts or what I purport to do with my dogs. Besides that I would hope someone would stop me due to the number of dogs I have!
I don't know if it would be too direct to start posting those threads as an example here but I really think people need to review this information almost daily. Imagine "helping" to get a dog to a life of pain and suffering just to "save" them. It happens.
I realize I am nag-tastic on this, but it just makes my jaw drop to see it happen time and time again.
I got Remington off this board, and I was still put through vet checks, references, etc...no home check since I had recently adopted through a rescue and they vouched for me, but I was pleased to see all that happen. Makes me feel better too!
Hmm.... Something that I like to do is PM people when I see something off or know there is something funny going on. It only takes a second and the few times I've felt the need to do it, I have gotten a positive response from the other end. Just pass on the facts, and see what happens. People want to help the cause and many are still learning the best ways to get the job done.
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