Archive for January 2009


i’m thinking of getting a dog from a rescue centre, can i get health insurance for it if i havent?

January 31st, 2009 — 01:53 am
dog rescue
sproutsaregreen asked:


if i havent got its health history, or havent had it from puppyhood i have been told most pet insurance companies dont want to know.

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14 comments » | Other - Pets

Help with rescue dog?

January 30th, 2009 — 05:25 pm
rescue dog
Gillyahoo asked:


Have just had the sweetest little rescue dog who justs wants to cuddle and sleep. I work part time three hours a day, three days a week in school terms and worry she is going to suffer from some type of separation anxiety. Any suggestions that may help? Have got her some cuddly toys and leaving radio on – any thing else help? Don’t want to let her down – too may have done that already.

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18 comments » | Dogs

Reasons For Charging An Adoption Fee

January 30th, 2009 — 02:54 pm

Pet adoption fees are being collected during the adoption fees.  Whether it is a pet adoption from shelters or from rescue groups, adoption fees range from $75 dollars to $200 dollars.There has been so many arguments over the fees charged for pet adoption. 

People who are giving up their pet for adoption think that their pets is not up for adoption but for sale.Many of us have the opinion that it is not ethical to charge for and animal which is homeless or is going to be homeless.  Some people interpret that shelters and rescue groups are in it for the money, rather than looking for the best suitable home for their beloved pets. 

There are even arguments  from people saying that the range of the adoption fee is to high,  something between $20 to $50 dollars will be suitable enough for “homeless” animals.  The higher the adoption fee, the larger conception that organizations and people are just trying to get money from other people’s pockets. 

But there are realistic reasons for charging an adoption fee.  Adoption fees make sure that animals are going to suitable, responsible and secure homes.  It is a sad reality that there are dog fighting rings and animals can be used as bait to train fighting dogs.  Giving away animals can make these “homeless” animals more vulnerable to abuse. 

Paying adoption fees also shows commitment.If there are some people who are not in position to pay the adoption fees of the pet’s, is it possible that they can afford to provide other needs of the pet.  Pets do not only requires attention and time, but also they require financial responsibility.  Aside from food, grooming and day-to-day needs, there are also regular veterinary check-ups and vaccines that needs to be done. 

Pet adoption fees do not go to people’s pockets for personal use.  Pet adoption fees cover the operating expenses, pet care, medical bills and so forth.  In most cases, adoption fees may also fall short of the actual expenses. 

Pet adoption fee is sometimes determined by the vetting cost.  This include vaccinations (for puppies normally it takes over a period of 6 weeks to 16 weeks) and spay/neuter.Even adoptable animals at times require tooth removal or surgery or cleaning of the teeth.  Still, shelters and rescue groups do not overcharge and still go with the normal fee. 

For animal rescue groups, their adoption fees are usually higher than that of shelters.Often the shelters have relationship with the rescue organizations, they request these organizations to take the responsibility for animals when a vet is required and they are unable to afford. 

There are people who are doing the adoption process personally without shelter or animal rescue organization help to ensure that their pets will be taken to a good home.  Individual pet owners may charge adoption fee since there are times that they include kennel, food dishes, toys, bedding and other pet accessories before adopting.Some may need the fee of adoption to cover the cost of vetting as they have incurred. 

Why animal rescue groups charge higher fees than shelters is that are volunteers that provide care and training for animals using their own personal finances.  Rescue groups do not have corporate backing.  Rescuers use their funds for looking the best possible match,  setting up transports, calling adopting family prospects and reference checks. 

Pet adoption fees are justified by having a healthy companion or additional family member.  Let’s remember that pets are not toys to be discarded when we are already done with playing them.

The sad truth is since we are living in a material world, pets without value are considered disposable.

Comment » | Dogs

Looking For Free Online Pet Adoption

January 30th, 2009 — 08:22 am

People who never had pets earlier, often entertain the thought of being a pet owner when a free pet adoption opportunity arises. Those who entertain the possibility of using these free channels often do not request to get their own pets because they are confused as to how to go about the entire process. Luckily, there are a lot of adoption centres and shelters that can assist families and homeowners in their pursuit of the perfect pet.

One of the best places to look is a rescue organization. These rescue organizations for pets are part of a big effort in order to help save the almost 7 million pet dogs and cats that die due to the lack of care and overpopulation in the streets. Their aim is to keep these animals away from the streets, and probably, find out for them a home in which they can sustain throughout its lives.

By keeping this aim in mind, these rescue organizations try hard to be sure that they find the best possible home for the pets they rescued. They do this firstly by making use of the services of volunteers. More than a strategy to cut costs, the use of volunteers in the facility helps them make sure that they know the pets they have very well and that these pets are well taken care of.

This is because volunteers at pet shelters and rescue organizations are often individuals who are very much interested in taking care of animals, and invest time and effort in getting to know animals in order to give them what they need. Because they know these animals so well, they are also able to know what sort of environment will best suit the pet once it is ready for adoption.

They also have a series of application steps and screening interviews for prospective adopters. It helps them in determination of  intentions of prospective pet owners seeking for adopting pets. Additionally, they are capable of assessing, which of the pet will me more suitable for the person who is seeking to adopt pet. Through the series of interactions these volunteers have, they are able to cross-reference about the pets they’ve taken care of with the personality of the prospective owners.

Some of these individuals seeking to adopt pets can come into the facility already looking for particular breeds, or are more inclined to a pure-bred dog or cat over a mixed breed. What they may not expect, however, is that these rescue facilities can have a 30% population of purebreds at any given time. This, of course, is not to disparage the remaining 70% of the hybrids, who are equally wonderful as pets.

As they go through the entire application process, these rescue facilities often offer adoption counselling, which will allow the individual or family adopting to cope with the challenges of adjusting to a new pet.As a matter of fact, they have to be sure that their lifestyle conditions and their current home are appropriate in providing attention, love and caring to the potentially abused pet.

If, for some reason, some incompatibility results regardless of the preparation already put into place, these rescue organizations offer individuals the opportunity to return a pet. This is to help reduce the probability of pet owners simply leaving their pets out in the cold, or neglecting them because of an inherent dislike. At the end of the day, the goal of these rescue organizations is to keep these pets in safe homes, making an incompatibility compromise necessary.

At the end of the day, free pet adoption shouldn’t scare people, especially with shelters offering as much assistance as they can along the way.

Comment » | Dogs

Have You Ever Used A Pet Adoption Portal?

January 30th, 2009 — 08:22 am

For a lot of people, searching an appropriate website for pet adoption is the only hurdle that prevents them from getting a new pet. They are the kind of men who already wish to have pets, love pets, want to get ready for taking care for a pet, and are only looking towards various ways to get to the pets they wish to have.

For those who are not keen on buying their pets from the pet store, their options for getting pets are threefold: through rescue organizations, through pet shelters, and through the internet.

Rescue organizations are run by volunteers who want to save pets from the threats they face when they are left to roam and fend for themselves in the cities. These rescue organizations aim to cut down on the near 70% of animals that get killed yearly due to harsh conditions and overpopulation. These rescue organizations help nurse these dogs and cats back to life, and help find suitable homes that will adopt them. Their team of expert volunteers and counsellors offer both compatibility assessment and adoption counselling to help facilitate the entire process.

These rescue organizations, because they prefer to be able to save as many animals as possible, would prefer individuals to return the pets they adopted if, for any reason, they feel it is not the right pet for them. Having conversation with the volunteers at the organization might help in getting the appropriate dog you always wanted. each year these rescue organizations provide home for 21 to 30% or purebreds, making these places attractive and similar to the other places where you search for pets.

Animal shelters provide the same sort of service to rescue organizations, because they want to provide animals all the care and support they need to survive. There are a huge number of animal shelters in existence, so it’s important to check whether the shelter you are approaching is good or bad. Good shelters provide animals with a clean, sanitary environment, and captivity conditions that will not constrict reasonable movement where they are kept. Some animal shelters also recommend that you get a pet that has already been previously sterilized.

This is to avoid instances when individuals want only one pet, and end up having one pet with 5 to 7 offspring. Shelters want to be able to get pets to care for off their hands and into better homes, and giving one for adoption in return for having to accept the 5 or 7 offspring it will be have is not commensurate. Inquire about the mandatory sterilization and if it is suggested for your pet. However, if you intend to grow a pet and its young through generations in the family, inform the shelter that you do not wish the pet sterilized before it is released to you.

The last portal you can make use of is the internet. With the advent of the growing consumer awareness through online information channels, the internet has made it easier to disseminate information and provide access to the same. There are websites online exclusively designed to accommodate those who wish to adopt pets.

The mechanism that is underlying the entire system is that the website accepts only listings for pets open for adoption and not any other listing. This helps keep the message that the facility is only to help make adoptions possible.

This pet adoption portal may prove to be effective especially for those who have very little time in their hands to visit shelters by themselves.

Comment » | Dogs

How can i train my dog to stop nipping.She is about 7 yrs old and is a Portugese Pointer?

January 30th, 2009 — 07:04 am
dog rescue
lowpaddock asked:


Ive got a dog rescued from France so I no of no history. Its a loving pet and great with my children but if any starngers come to the house its protective of us all and goes for their trouser leg. How can i train her not to do this?

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2 comments » | Dogs

New Ways To Adopt Pets

January 29th, 2009 — 02:27 am

There are many myths about the pet adoption.  Several myths about pet adoption is that the pet parent will get an animal with behavioural problems or temperament which does not suit the family.  There is also an animal shelter myth saying that animals in shelters are less valuable or intelligent that purebred animals.

To eradicate our fears of these pet adoption myths, we should know the adoption and selection process done by animal rescue groups and shelters.  We should be wholly participative in the adoption process to make a success out of the pet adoption.

Rescue groups and shelters ask a lot of questions about the prospective pet parents or adopters.Two reasons are there for this: first, is to ensure that adopter is able to provide permanent home to the new pet and next is to ensure if he is capable of handling the responsibility and financial commitment required to keep a pet.The other reason is to ensure that the adopter and the pet would have a good match. They normally do it interviews or signing application forms. 

A best way to be sure what kind of pet the adopter is interested having, is doing a research on their own.  There are several questions that will help the adopter to determine the pet, like activeness, family composition, type of residence, or love for the outdoors. 

There are several websites that displays different animal characteristics and one the choice had been made, the adopter can inform the shelter or rescuers what animal they have in mind.  Shelter and rescuers can identify what breed of animals you might be interested in.  Also they have a selection of mixed bred pets that can also display the characteristics of an animal or pet you have in mind.

Some of the questions may even be intrusive of the adopter’s personal life, but the rescuers and shelter staff are just trying to make sure that these homeless animals’ interest will be top priority.  Another step that can be done to assist the adopter to be prepared with what to expect in the adoption process is by checking the websites of shelters and rescue groups.

There are also some shelters and rescuers that do a “yard check” before the pets are taken to their new homes.  It is quite necessary since shelters and rescue groups have full grown animals that need a larger size of place to roam and have physical activities.

Some even do veterinary check with the present or former vet clinics.  This is to ensure that current of previous pets were up-to-date with their shots, exams and other medical attention they require.  While there are others who require three character references in their application papers, aside from the veterinary to be really sure. 

After these have been completed with both parties satisfied, an adoption contract is presented as a final step in the process.  An adoption contract contains information such as required veterinary visits, vaccination, a required spay/neuter, diet, continuation of medical treatments of prescription (if necessary) and return clauses if the owner no longer wishes to take care of the animal.

To fully adopt the animal, a pet adoption fee is needed to conclude the process. Gnerally the cost ranges from dollar 75 to 200, it depends upon the vetting cost, type of animal and its size.  After this, adopters and now-pet-parents get to take home their beloved pets. 

Comment » | Dogs

rescue dog still ****** on floor – help?

January 28th, 2009 — 02:14 pm
rescue dog
rain asked:


We recently ( a week ago) took over a rescued 4 yr old border terrier who is really sweet natured but has been kenneled for the past year and does not know the diffrence between inside and out. We have had some success but then everytime we think she has got it, she pees on the floor. We have had paper down near the back door, have praised and treated everytime she goes outside and try not to put her into ’stress’ situations (ie all leaving her at the same time) can we teach and old dog new tricks? HOW!!!

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13 comments » | Dogs

How do I stop my dog from whining?

January 27th, 2009 — 04:35 am
rescue dog
Mrs Bibbles asked:


We have a rescue dog, aged between 18 mths and 2yrs, and can’t stop him from whining for attention, no matter how much he gets! We have tried the ‘clicker’ but it hasn’t given good results as yet! Any ideas?

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30 comments » | Dogs

Never fear. Help is here!

January 25th, 2009 — 08:35 am

We are handing our pets over to rescue shelters because we can’t afford to keep them! But this doesn’t have to happen! These are tough times and we are all feeling the pinch. I am running out of ways to cut expenses and making ends meet. I am dreading the day I have to think about pet expenses because after all, your pet is part of the family. Would you get rid of your youngest daughter because she has an excessive appetite for dolls? Of course not! You would just stop buying her dolls! According to the Blue Cross, many people are giving up their pets because they can’t afford their vet bills, in which case it makes absolute sense to purchase pet insurance, doesn’t it? According to the article “’Last chance saloon’ for our pooches?” there are many ways to keep down the costs of keeping a pet, best of all, this is through a great value pet insurance plan. Shop around for the best of its kind on the market.

If you are really up against the wall, the animal charities, PDSA and Blue Cross are able to help many people who are struggling to make ends meet on Income Support. Help is at hand as being short of cash no longer means you have to give up your furry friend!

Comment » | Dogs, Other - Pets, Pets

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