UNDER OUR WING PROGRAM
“Dogs Don’t Have Wings but Angels Do!”
If you are on this page you must be an animal angel! The homeless dogs and cats across our nation need all the help they can get! So thank you for opening your heart to an animal in need.
If you are willing to foster or board a rescued animal until it finds its forever home the Rescue Train is here to help you. We have years of experience and lots of resources to guide you through your private rescue.
Rescuing an animal can be challenging but it is also one of the most rewarding experiences of a lifetime. Our suggestion is to read all the information below and then if you need help with specific aspects of your rescue contact us at info@therescuetrain.org and put “Under Our Wing” in the subject line.
Phase #1
So you’ve rescued a dog or cat! Now what do you do?
1) Take the animal to be evaluated by a vet: Now’s a good time to get the animal vaccinated and microchipped. It’s a good idea to have cats tested for FIV and Leukemia in case they get adopted to a home with an existing cat.
Spay or neuter your rescue! The reason you are dealing with your rescue is because there aren’t enough homes for all the animals on the streets and in our city shelters. Be responsible never adopt out an unaltered animal.
Ask the vet questions. Potential adopters are going to ask you every question imaginable so here’s your chance to get answers:
a) How old is this animal?
b) What breed/or breeds does the vet think the animal could be?
c) If it’s a puppy how many pounds does the vet think the animal will be when full grown?
d) Are there any health issues that are a concern?
How The Rescue Train can help: If you are a low-income person and need help with the any of these services: spay/neuter, vaccines, vet care or food the Rescue Train can help (provide there is funding for this program at the time of request).
2) Get an ID and Avid Microchip for your rescue right away!
a) Most Petcos & Petsmarts have instant ID machines for $6.
b) The Avid Microchip is a great way to keep track of your rescue forever. What if you adopt the animal out and it ends up at the pound? If your animal is chipped you will get the call and make sure your rescue never faces euthanasia at a city shelter.
3) Decide whether you are going to foster or board your rescue. A fostered animal transitions better into its forever home and it’s a great way to learn about your rescue but some times because of existing pets it is not possible and you must use boarding.
How The Rescue Train can help? We can refer you to a reasonable boarding facility to temporary keep your pet. Please visit our favorite rescue friendly boarding facility www.lockwoodcanine.com. Note: if you need on the spot boarding please consider your vet’s office. They will often do short term boarding in these situations.
4) Get to know your rescue: How can you place your animal successfully if you don’t know its personality, likes and dislikes and habits? Does your dog/cat get along with other animals? Children? Is he housebroken? Potential adopters are going to want to know the answers to these questions.
5) Get a GREAT PHOTO: The biggest tool you have in getting your rescue a home is A GREAT PHOTO! The Internet and flyers are VISUAL. Bad photos usually don’t get a response. Here are some photo tips:
a) The best time to photograph your rescue is when they are relaxed. Not when they are under stress. If your rescue dog is at a vet’s office or boarding facility take it for a walk and go sit under a quiet tree to take your photos.
b) Try to get the animal to look into the camera and connect. NO PROFILES PLEASE! A treat or squeaky toy can often get you rescue to look towards camera.
c) NO FLASH Please. It greatly helps to take your rescue’s photos in natural light with a digital camera. The eyes are the windows to the soul. When the flash goes off you get those alien eyes and they make a disturbing photos.
d) Browse our website. Go to “Adopt a Dog” or “Adopt a Cat” pages and click on photos. It will help to see what we are talking about.
6) Network your animal: Now that you have your adorable photo, websites, flyers, e-mail campaigns, and ads in local papers are all good ways to network and get your rescue seen.
How The Rescue Train Can Help: We will put your rescue up for adoption on our website and Petfinders (the largest search engine for rescued pets). OUR ONE MADATORY REQUIREMENT FOR LISTING IS RESCUE MUST BE SPAYED/NUETERED! Fill out this Private Party Information Form and e-mail it back to info@therescuetrain.org. Put “Private Party Listing” in the subject.
Bring your dog or cat to adoption days. With dogs you can even bring them out around town when you are going to get coffee or a stroll you never know who you might meet.
How The Rescue Train Can Help: You can join our adoption events (provided we have space). Check out our “Special Events” section on our home page for up and coming adoption events. You can ask us to send you an “Adopt Me” scarf that your rescue can wear on it’s days out to let the public know your animal is up for adoption.
7) Get your dog training. A trained dog is very attractive to potential adopter. Not to mention dog training is going to give you an opportunity to learn about your rescue.
How The Rescue Train Can Help? We recommend dog trainer Julie Iles who does private lessons, 3 week intensive trainings where your rescue will live with her and come back a completely different animal, group classes. Julie’s number is (818) 585-3237.
FAQ: HOW AM I GOING TO PAY FOR MY RESCUE? If you are on a tight budget you might need to fundraise. It is easier than you think. When you do something good like rescue an animal others want to join in and help. Often friends, family, coworkers and the community where you rescued a pet will help with donations. Circulating a flyer and or e-mail with a cute photo and the animals story will inform animal lovers that this animal is in need. You can ask people to make out checks to vet offices or boarding facilities if that makes them more comfortable and they know their money is going directly to the care of the animal.
PHASE #2
PLACING YOUR RESCUE IN A LOVING HOME
Before we begin. Please consider this important advice. We want to set you and your rescue up for success!
Don’t be in a rush to place your rescue: Meaning you will take any home that comes along. The biggest mistake of new rescuers is they are in a hurry to place their rescue. In their rush they forget to make sure it’s the right home. Is it a great match? Is the home safe and loving? Why go through all this effort and put your heart into this animal if the placement is right? The last thing you want is to have your rescue end up back at the pound or dumped on the street. Take your time and be thorough.
Our goal can become your goal: The Rescue Train’s goal is to place each animal where they will become a cherished family member! Hopefully that is goal we can pass on to you.
ADOPTION 101.
If you follow each step below your chances of placing your animal successfully into a safe loving home will skyrocket!
1) BE HONEST about your rescue! At The Rescue Train we go beyond honestly when placing one of our animals. We prepare each adopter for worse case scenario. Why would we do such a thing? We want to know that we are choosing people that can deal with issues that might arise when transitioning a rescue into a home. Not being honest about your pet is setting the adoption up for failure. If you don’t know the answer to a question say “I don’t know.” Know your responsibilities to both your rescue and potential homes.
a) Protect small children with rescue animals. If you don’t know the history of your rescue and aren’t 100% sure that it gets along with kids. List it as “No small children”. Small children often think animals are toys and that can put them in danger with an animal that could fear bite.
b) Protect existing pets in adopter’s homes. We love pitbulls, American Staffs and Bull terriers but these dogs are bred for fighting and often aren’t good with other animals (especially cats). Not sure how your rescue is with other animals? List them as “Best as only pet” Better safe than sorry.
c) It’s best not to place large and small dogs together in a home. Due to the difference in weight, even in play, a large dog can hurt a small dog.
d) Just because your rescue gets a long with some dogs doesn’t mean it will get along with every dog. Dogs are like people. They can love 10 dogs and hate dog number 11.
e) Introduce Dogs Correctly: The best way to introduce dogs is to have them go for a walk, on leash, on neutral territory. If that goes well you can let the dogs into a yard with leashes left on and see how they dog. The reason you leave the leashes on is in case there is an altercation you can quickly and easily pull the dogs apart. You never want to bring your rescue directly into another dogs home!
f) Introduce cats correctly: bring your rescue in its carrier and put it on the floor of the new home. Let the other cat smell the cat through the carrier and observe. Remember hissing is not aggression. Hissing means, “Don’t get too close I’m scared.” Growling or screaming are signs that there is going to be potential trouble. If they seem ok take your rescue out and hold it. Pat both cats exchanging their scents. Take it slow.
2) Thoroughly Screen Potential Homes: We strongly recommend that you have a potential adopter fill out an application. We have provided both dog and cat applications below. When you are considering strangers off the Internet for your rescue they must be screened thoroughly. The sad truth is that people will try to acquire dogs and cats to sell for medical labs to make money. The application only takes 10 minutes to fill out and will help you know what kind of pet owner you are dealing with. It is an awesome tool. Any one who does not have 10 minutes to fill it out is not going to have the time and patience to give attention to an animal for ten years plus.
How The Rescue Train Can Help: Please use these applications we have provided for you to screen potential homes:
At the very least find out this important information:
DOGS:
a) Will the dog have extensive house privileges? Will the dog sleep in the house at night and be part of the family? Dogs are social pack animals and are not happy being sequestered to a back yard. It can lead to all kind of behavioral problems and is just a sad life for your rescue to face.
b) Is the dog going to be safe? Is their fence 6ft high? Do strangers/ workman have access to their yard or is it locked? If they have a pool does it have a fence around it?
CATS:
a) Do they want this cat as a family pet or a mouser?
b) Do they declaw their cats? Declawing is one of the cruelest things on the planet and is outlawed in a lot of countries and cities (Including the city of West Hollywood). Anyone who declaws needs to be educated. There are a ton of articles on the Internet explaining the mutilation of declawing
c) Will the cat be indoor only? At The Rescue Train we only adopt our cats out as indoor only. Statistically cats live much longer lives as indoor only. Outside they face cars, coyotes, and diseases.
a) Is their home safe? Do they have screens on their windows?
3) Home check: A home check is not meant to be an invasion of privacy but to make sure you animal is entering a safe and loving home. After you have spent so much time, love, energy and money on your rescue don’t you want to see where it is going to spend the rest of its life? Any one willing to provide a loving home for your rescue will have nothing to hide. If they don’t want you to do a home check ask yourself “What are they hiding?”
Things to consider during home check:
Dogs:
a) Is the fence high enough? Large dogs (if they are not jumpers) need at least 6ft high fence. Is the fence secure? Walk the perimeter and check for holes or weak areas. Don’t be afraid to ask the person to fix their fence. If they are not willing to do that then they are not going to be a safe home for your dog.
b) If there is a pool is there a fence around it? Dogs are like kids. Especially puppies and senior dogs. A puppy (and this unfortunately has happened) can drown when you turn your back. Even senior dogs that once could swim at some point looses its strength and can become disoriented can easily drown. If it is a healthy adult dog that’s a swimmer can they teach the dog where the steps are?
c) Who has access to their yard? Gardeners? Workmen? That is the quickest way to loose a rescue. Yards should be locked or dogs kept inside during these times.
d) Get a feel for their home. Are their dog’s beds? Toys? Photos of their past pets? Use your instincts they will serve you well.
4) Adoption Contract: Why use an adoption contract? For our rescue the most important aspect is if it doesn’t work out the family will return the dog or cat to us. We love each and every one of these animals and the last thing we want after all our hard work is our rescue to be dumped back at the pound. Also a contract releases you from liability and binds the adopter to keep their promises of the quality of home and care for the pet you both agreed to. Below is a version of our contract for you to use.
5) Ask for a Donation. Do not give animals away for free! Why you ask? It has been proven over and over that people don’t put any value on things they get for free. Also you want to know that the person(s) have the financial ability to care for a pet. If they can’t afford a donation they can’t afford ten years of vet bills. What is appropriate? That is up to you. As for the cost of your spaying and neutering and vaccines. That is fair!
FAQ: How long will it take to find my rescue a home?
If we had a crystal ball we could tell you. You can get lucky and it can take a few weeks or it can take months for harder to place animals. But if you stick with it and know in your heart there is the perfect loving home out there for your rescue you will find it. They all find their home in the end. Remember you are not alone!
The Rescue Train is here to help and support you. So feel free to contact us and talk about your rescue @ info@therescuetrain.org
May the good Karma come back to you many many times!