Richard sent me this message yesterday, it got me laughing at myself and smiling:
“You’ve come a long way, baby! It was only April and you were complaining about what rescues charge. Now you’re raising money for heartworm treatment. Bravo!”
I loved the message, and I told Richard I was far from done complaining about the way some rescue groups charge a lot of money and exclude the poor, the elderly and many people who work outside of the home.
The idea that somebody with a job can’t be a fit owner for a dog makes my blood boil, as does the idea that a Boston Terrier cannot live in a home with children. I hear too many horror stories of good and loving animal people being turned away for simply being human.
But Richard is right, I have often criticized some elements of the rescue culture for being hostile to people, unreasonable in their adoption practices and too exclusive and demanding, given that millions of dogs are languishing in crates for years in allegedly humane “no-kill” shelters.
Dogs are better off almost anywhere than living in crates for years.
Is it really true that people without tall fences can’t adopt a dog and walk them several times a day?
But the truth is rescuing animals is not new to me.
I have always had “rescue” dogs and other animals – Frida, Izzy, Orson, the sheep and donkeys, chickens, cats like Minnie and Flo.I just don’t like to talk about it.
I’ve also had purebred dogs purchased from good breeders. There are many good ways to get a dog, and I never accept the idea that there is only one.
I never refer to animals here as being “rescued” or “abused, “Those are labels people seem to need, I don’t think the animals need to see themselves in that way and be labeled, and I don’t want that to interfere with my training and attitude towards the dogs.
Nor do I believe that rescuing a dog makes me morally superior in any way.
My rescued dogs are not rescues once they come her, they are just dogs, deserving of all the love and conscientious care that Maria and I can give them. I believe I am the steward of my dogs, I believe in stewardship, speaking for them and being responsible for them.
The good people at Friends Of Homeless Animals/RI are caring for my next dog Gus, and I am impressed with them. I had the flash this week that I ought to adopt some of the adopters, I have a good platform to contribute to a group that specializes in heartworm dogs and fosters them and treats them with great love and care.
FOHA/RI, which operates all over the country, touched my heart and opened it up. I’m not big on pushing specific causes on my blog, I focus on the refugees and residents at the Mansion in elder care, and I want to continue doing that.
I’m happy to support heartworm work, but that is not really what drew me to FOHA. I just like the feel of the group and the way it works.
They have some interesting dogs up for adoption. I believe most, if not all, have heartworm. And like so many other good people and groups in America, they can put donations to good use. Treating heartworm is expensive. It is a lot less expensive to prevent heartworm than treat it.
There is this Army of Good out there supporting my work, and now, there is in my life this animal rescue organization that is sheltering and saving the most vulnerable dogs out there. We all know what happens to heartworm dogs who can’t get treatment.
Dogs are an elemental part of my work and so getting some help and attention for this group seems very natural and appealing to me. It’s a good fit for my writing and the blog. And my life as well. Please consider helping them if you can.
I will continue to poke and prod the rescue culture to think more broadly about its work, and empathize with people as well as animals.
I think FOHA does that, I am happy to support this group and their mission, and writing about them fits very naturally into the range of my writing and the nature of the blog. I hope FOHA will let me know when a dog is in great trouble, and perhaps we can do some more good.
Great read. I, too, have watched the rescue culture in local Humane Societies and shelters deteriorate. The culture mindset is more challenging than the rescues always interfering in the true effort… the dogs.
Applaud you for helping the forgotten.
Thanks for your comments on this. The ones about fenced yards and people who work resonated particularly. My observation about fenced yards is, they frequently become a convenient place to stick your dog and not necessarily interact with them. I don’t think it’s necessarily intentional neglect, but for people with busy lives it can become that. I also appreciate your using the word “stewardship” as opposed to rescue. Thanks again, Jon. I don’t read your blog as often as I’d like, but I am always grateful when I return.
Glad to have you, Suzy, thanks for the good words…
I thank you for writing this.
The fenced yard is huge, my mother and I both had to let go of our buddies do to cancer, seizures, lung issues at 12 years and 14. We miss them terribly.
We live in a park that does not allow fences, but we also are not allowed to tie a dog out, we have to be with our pet on leash at all times, I would do this anyway because it is to easy for them to disappear or get injured.
We absolutely love a rescue but unfortunately are auto excluded due to non fence.
To many animals out there that have not been treated well, that need people who want to love and care for them, but as society goes only the very wealthy with big yards are able to be considered worthy.
I do understand fully rescues want to be positive they are not putting them back into to same or worse situation and I am so thankful they do, but not every person without a fence is horrible, not everyone without a fence is incapable of loving them.
Would we get a German shepherd or boarder collie? Absolutely not! They do need room! They are a working breed and it would be wrong to have them here! They would be loved but not fair to them, but I think a small breed would be very happy here with 2 older gals to lavish them with live and care.
Thanks Susan, I appreciate this message…I’m going to quote from it if you don’t mind…
Thank you Jon for your comments and thoughts on this. I’m a long time reader first time commenter. I enjoy all your materials and every story about Rose is very special to me. I am someone who has been declined from rescue groups repeatedly and for years. I am single, I live alone, I have a full time job (with flex hours and work from home option 2 days a week), I don’t have a family, I don’t own property (despite landlords approval for a dog), I don’t have a fence, my car isn’t big enough, please forgive me as I live with two cats, as a distance runner I may run too many miles for a dog (I think this was my favorite reason to be declined for a young border collie cross – mind you the advertisement stated they were seeking someone who was “athletic”) and the list goes on – so much so that I have bigger battles to fight and have decided to explore other avenues of dog ownership. Which while it sort of breaks my heart, I believe everything happens for a reason, but I still look and still make futile attempts and one day I’ll find my dog – but a lot of things in the universe have to be in alignment for it to happen. I began to feel like every application was an apology of sorts – sorry I’m a good person, trying to do a good thing but yeah not married, fully employed, no kids, no fenced yard and cats. It’s like a bad online dating profile. And yet my shortcomings for the rescue groups aren’t shortcomings in my eyes at all. Doesn’t matter if I’ve volunteered with rescues and shelters, doesn’t matter past experience or future desire – my most recent conclusion is: in this country it has become easier to obtain a firearm than rescue a dog. Each group could learn something from the other. I’m looking forward to your stewardship in the community! Keep us posted if there is anything we can do along your journey! Keep writing! Thank you!
Alison, this is a letter every rescue group should read and thanks for sending it. You ought to have a dog….
I’m noticing in your posts about Bud that you keep calling Bud, Gus. Maybe you should just change his name to Gus. I understand the desire to have Gus back, since he was still a puppy when you had to make the hard choice to put him to sleep due to his failing health.
Holly it’s happened a few times and will happen a few times more. It’s not a problem or a big issue for me or the dog…I’ll get used to it..I don’t have any desire to have Gus back, I am very excited to get Bud. I don’t mourn dogs in that way, I am happy to get another one to love. Dogs are not a misery to me, but a joy.