Lobo
How tired is the rescue community of seeing this? More importantly, how tired is the donor community? "It never ends," is often quoted on rescue message boards and on Facebook. "We can't save them all!", is another favorite.
We are seasoned enough to know the quandaries that face homeless animal rescue efforts. But what if we had more time? What if we had time for that animal to wait until a foster home or rescue had a space open up or a few of the current rescues get adopted, or many other possibilities that can bring that animal to safety? Yes, I am talking about a kind of "waiting list".
When we met a rescuer on the South Side of town, we noticed that she was treating the dogs for common ailments out "in the field". If the dog had mange, she went and administered meds every day. Injuries? She brought the animal medications or cleaned the wounds. She fed and watered them regularly. Soon, the dogs began to look better! They thrived on the street! They may have still been homeless, but she provided dewormer, vaccines, and flea treatments and they were looking so much healthier. Almost ready for adoption!. Once she had a rescue to take them in, or funds to get them into boarding, she picked them up.
That's is how we buy time in street rescue.
It can be a slippery slope. We cannot pretend to be veterinarians or vet techs. We do not do surgery on the street. We learn by the experiences of bringing dozens of dogs to the vet, this is what mange looks like, this is what you do for it. Never do this, always do that. We learn enough to get the dog healthy, and in the interim, we buy time. Our rule of thumb is, if you can get it over the counter, you can treat the dog with it.
So many dogs have been saved that way. They get people who go out every day and love them, bring them food, and make them feel better. There is no better feeling in the world than having a homeless dog be happy to see you!
See the Wish List to help buy supplies for our "Street Treat" program. Or see the donation page to donate. $5 will provide a distemper/parvo shot for a puppy. $20 will provide rabies shots for two homeless dogs. It is so little and does so much good. We can even get you on a monthly plan if you like.
Love dogs? Then love them to health!
