What is “Responsible Rescue?”
Responsible Rescue is not about numbers.
It's not about "getting them in" and "moving them out."
It's not just about putting something in their bellies, but giving their bodies *proper nourishment* and building their gut and immune health.
It's not just about "getting them vaccinated", but *supporting their immune systems* and vaccinating *ethically and responsibly* (read the provided notes after the protocol: https://creekside-kennel.com/.../vaccination-protocol1.pdf)
It's not about "getting them spayed and neutered to prevent more unwanted puppies", but placing them with responsible, committed individuals and allowing their reproductive systems to run their full course (since they're producing hormones the rest of the body *needs*) --- then sterilizing once fully developed.
It's not about *breed,* but the individual. Focusing on "breed" with dogs is like focusing on race with people (and contributes to a mere fraction of a role in the overall behavioral picture).
It's not about "finding them homes"... but about finding them ***THE RIGHT homes.***
And it's about learning.
Most of those in rescue are dog lovers NOT "dog understander-ers." And this plays a BIG role in the number of dogs being: returned, rehomed, dumped at shelters, mislabeled, misunderstood, and not living their best lives.
It's not about "teaching a dog to sit" or "basic obedience" (this means nothing if the person giving the directive has zero relevance in the eyes and mind of the dog), but helping a dog feel safe, secure, comfortable, and confident in who they are, who they're with, and where they are.
It's about learning how to read canine body language so we can better interpret, teach, guide, and *advocate*.... and learning how to communicate clearly and effectively (goes way above and beyond anything verbal) so that we can! Most humans are (unknowingly) sending dogs mixed signals and messages, leaving the great majority of the dogs utterly confused and living in the gray. It's learning the language of space. The language of energy. The language of the leash. The language of the body.
It's also understanding how dogs themselves learn.
It's learning about *state of mind* and why this is SO important when it comes to behavior.
Learning about the various needs of the dog: basic, essential, individual, and breed-specific.
It's about **appropriate** and **proper** socialization (note: it's NOT about going to the dog park and playing with other dogs. In fact, public dog parks are a surefire way for a human to lose relevance and relationship to deteriorate, and a dog to...
: learn bad habits,
: become a target,
: experience some level of trauma,
: have poor states of mind | choices | behaviors reinforced,
... and so on.
It's learning about how WE contribute to the development of certain perceptions, choices, patterns, and behaviors, so we can prevent and better equip.
Responsible Rescue is about *properly screening* individuals *for the dog.* It's reviewing social media profiles. Asking the right questions. Getting character references. Doing home visits. Meeting any existing pets and dogs, and getting a feel for their personalities. Understanding motives. Understanding level of commitment (a thorough application and questionnaire tends to weed out the uncommitted, ill-intentioned, and non-invested). Getting a feel for the people -- lifestyles, hopes and goals, level of proactivity, level of experience, etc. Have they ever "rehomed" a dog in the past? If so, why? Are their dogs "getting loose", "getting lost", etc. repeatedly? Have they had any "Oops" litters? Have they shared family pictures with the family dog on social media? Do their current dogs have any concerning behavioral issues that've gone unaddressed?
Is all of this inconvenient for people who want to rescue? Overkill? Perhaps. But it has to be because of where we are in this day and age. A culture and society where : dog flipping, neglect, abandonment, backyard breeding and greed, collecting bait dogs for dog fighting, irresponsibility, selfishness(getting dogs to meet their own emotional needs without considering or tending to the dogs' needs), abuse, rehoming the second "life" changes, and so on are all so rampant.
We don't have a dog problem.
We have a human problem.
We have a "whatever's-cheap-fast-effortless-and-easy" problem.
A "I'll-just-wing-it" problem.
An "it's-all-about-me" problem.
And a "my-level-of-commitment-is-directly-proportionate-to-how-convenient-this-is" problem.
The "dog problem" we're all fighting against is the byproduct of the human problem we have.
Responsible Rescue is about doing our part.
It's about learning, providing, supporting, screening, and responsible placement.
...because they're depending upon us to make this huge decision for them. One that will chart the course for the rest of their lives.
ALL dogs truly deserve this from us.
------
Beautiful Ava and her pups are still looking for their special people.
Please contact me | Kimberly at : kimberly@packfit.net
We also still need funding for Ava's spay, the pups' second round of vaccinations, and continued feeding and care.
If all our followers gave $1, we'd be covered for a good bit. Please consider donating to our efforts:
Venmo: Kimberly-Artley-2 (no fees)
GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/3ef19a44
**If you're in agreement and would like to join our new group, "Responsible Rescue : Rescue Done Different", you can join us here (please answer the 3 questions when requesting):
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1383176369343135/
#fosteringsaveslives #foster #fosterdog #rescuedismyfavoritebreed #rescuedog #responsiblerescue #responsiblepetownership #PACKFIT
