We’ve heard it, and probably said it at some time before, “Rescue people are crazy.” They spend thousands of hours trying to pull animals, raise funds, transport and do home visits. Pictures are posted by the thousands (some of which are horrific) in an effort to raise awareness to the plight of these defenseless creatures. They drain their bank accounts, and retirement savings in an effort to save one more animal. Often when you talk to them they are overwhelmed, emotional, at the end of their rope and frustrated so they can come across as well…crazy. Fact: Animal rescuers are […] Read more »
Another long-standing myth is that animal rescue organizations have facilities similar to the animal shelter organizations for housing their animals until they are adopted. This is another one of those that depends on the organization. But many forever home adopters are often surprised when they are working with a rescue organization to find out that there is not a central facility where they can go to view the animals or see the rescue in action. Fact: The majority of animal rescue organizations rely on several foster homes for animal housing. As you might expect, operating a facility can be quite […] Read more »
We should first start with explaining that the term “humane society” is one that is used by many different types of organizations that are not necessarily associated with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). If you do a trademark search on the term, you’ll see that no one organization controls the use of those two words. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines the term with a British origin and one that doesn’t exclusively point to helping animals. Yet there is a perception in the U.S. that any organization that calls itself a “Humane Society” is a no-kill facility, and […] Read more »
This one is clearly a myth right? I mean nothing could be further from the truth. Pet stores get their animals from puppy mills and breeders and have nothing to do with rescues. Well the truth on this one is somewhat hazy as the lines have been blurred over the years. Fact: The concept of the typical pet store has changed over the years. Let’s start out by stating that there are no absolutes in this. Certainly there are pet stores that source their animals from puppy mills and we do not endorse puppy mills or any business that supports […] Read more »
Ah the gold standard of animal rescue and apparently the way to tell the good animal rescues from the bad. Checking to see if they are a 501(c)(3) approved IRS Public Charity. You’ll see this stated on many a rescue site, shelter site and all sorts of other non-profit entities looking to garner your generous contributions. “IRS approved 501(c)(3).” But before you open your wallet thinking that those are the only ‘good’ animal rescue organizations, let us provide you with some additional perspective. Fact: 501(c)(3) defines taxability, not reputability. Somewhere along the way, the 501(c)(3) moniker became the seal of approval […] Read more »
One of the most interesting and perplexing myths we have heard is that certain rescues are perceived as making money for themselves adopting out animals. This myth usually originates with comments made about a particular person or rescue, that perpetuate over the course of sharing and become more legend than fact. Usually the person or rescue charges hefty adoption fees that others perceive as making money off the animals without truly understanding the investment that they made in the animal. The truth is that most rescue organizations struggle year over year and often inject thousands of dollars of their own […] Read more »