My husband's dream has been to rescue animals. Growing up he usually had animal rescue drop off a couple dogs a week that he would foster until they could find homes for them. Fast forward to graduation and he didn't do that but instead went to school to be a welder. Funny how we end up doing things that we can pay bills with instead of what we feel really called to do. Our Pastor has been talking about Maximizing our potential and it really pushed him to look into this more. We both love animals. We have sheep, chickens and a goat. Our kids love animals and help us care for them, feeding and petting and caring for them. We have had 2 labs and one we had to give another family that we are friends with when we first moved into our new home and our oldest was an infant. He wasn't getting the love and attention he deserved and it was not fair to him. We still see him when our friends come to visit, he comes too many times, and our black lab Lola we got the year we got married. She died of cancer a couple months ago and it devastated my husband and daughter.
It is hard to find another pet that you click with and feel is yours, and lately it becomes even harder to get them. Although the internet makes it easier to network these animals, I have found many rescues have almost excessive rules for who they allow to adopt or rescue a pet. I get there are crazy people that don't care for animals properly. I have 3 children and multiple animals, but we were deemed unfit to adopt a couple dogs because we didn't take them to the vet as often as they felt we should have. Although they lived long healthy lives otherwise. I feel like there should be some screening, but if you want them to find forever homes, you need to allow some leniency or at the very least educate people how to care for the animal properly. Especially if they are willing to pay $100-300 to take the animals in. Also most rescues now require animals to be kept indoors almost all the time. Again- I understand that some people don't have any sense, and our pets are mostly indoor animals, however we have had and been around pets in the past that thrive outside more than in. They like to run and chase animals and get in the ponds and rivers and then come home to be loved on and fed. We have many acres that an animal can run free and safely on, and several fenced in areas, and large bodies of water for them to enjoy and again if we didn't promise an animal would be inside all the time we would be turned down. I think its about finding and doing what is best for the animal and education is the key.
We have also found with animal shelters in our area, many times its the puppies that get rescued, and the older dogs- even just a year old, don't get pulled by the rescues. Honestly to me I am a bit partial to the older dogs, they have been through the puppy stage and can be much calmer. Usually house-trained, and don't jump on you as much, and really deserve just as much love.
We plan to use education to help in an adoption process with animals, and help home the older animals and livestock that many rescues and shelters are unable to help. We are thankful to have a wonderful network of friends and family that have already volunteered to help us care for, and set up fundraisers for this plan. We are in the process of completing paperwork, creating a board, and more to set up a 501c3 rescue. If you are interested in helping us in any way, there is a link above to donate to this cause. When our 501c3 is approved I will contact you to send you a receipt if needed for the tax write off.
Thank you for allowing me this moment to share our plan.
