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Elaine Tweedy, M. Photog
               (570) 575-1705

How to Rescue a Dog

2/26/2021

11 Comments

 
My husband and I decided a long time ago, that our household would never be "normal."  What we did about abnormalizing it, took quite a number of years, a boatload of research, and a network of strong and tireless individuals in the animal rescue world.

Below is a photo of us, taken in 2009, by Lillie Goodrich of Glen Highland Farm, a border collie rescue, originally located in Morris, New York, now since moved to Gloucester, Virginia.  I am holding what was to be our newest addition, Piper, a deaf border collie, who turns 12 this year.  The other three dogs my husband is holding at bay, include (left to right) Bethy (who hated every moment of it), Moe, and Burton (a deaf ES mix).  All three were adopted from Another Chances for English Setters (ACES) Rescue, which has since closed.  We had traveled to Glen Highland to do a meet and greet during our adoption process.
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Whether you are interested in a certain type or breed of dog, or simply want to find a companion that has gone through the intake, evaluation, fostering and, often, rehab programming of a rescue or shelter, there is an organization out there that can meet your need.

However, the process is not necessarily speedy, so you have to have patience.  There are lots of nuances and ins-and-outs to rescuing.  I say this from not only a horse rescue perspective, when I became heavily involved in rescuing horses beginning in 2000, but from transporting, volunteering for, and working with dog and cat rescues throughout the years.

To illustrate a case-in-point, there's Danny.  He was originally fostered-to-adopt by another family, but came to stay with us in a foster situation, once it was decided the original family were perplexed about how to help him through his fear issues in a larger city environment.  Danny spent the first week with us living under this desk in the kitchen, only slinking out at night to drink water.  He had to be leashed to exit the building for potty breaks.
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He arrived in January of 2011.  By September, when it became apparent that Danny's fears were deep-rooted and it might take him years to overcome them, we became Danny's permanent family, adopting him from the then Ohio English Setter Rescue (now Our English Setter Rescue).

We had taken in another older dog from this rescue, prior to Danny's arrival.  Named Winston, he was in dire straits in a Kentucky shelter, already 9 or 10 years old at the time, He lived three more years under our care, and was a primary catalyst for Danny's recuperation process.  Fate?  Maybe.

Besides having patience, you also need to do some research.  The best way to approach rescue is to NOT see a photo of a dog and say "oh, let's adopt that dog!" but to see information about a rescue, fill out an application form to become eligible to adopt with that organization, then, once you are notified you have been approved, ask this question: "Who is available to adopt?"

Most people get their knickers all puckered up when they see a dog, and assume they can adopt that exact dog.  The problem with that is, you don't know what has been going on behind the scenes.  Maybe someone has already spoken for the dog, and they are just going through the end process toward adoption.  Maybe the dog just came into foster and needs further evaluation.  The good thing about having a conversation AFTER you have been approved, is you might also get insight into dogs that have come into the system, but are not yet featured anywhere, and that you are now eligible to be considered for adopting.

Danny's story, we are so very happy to say, is ending well.  For me, he has become an advocate for fearful dogs.  We created a Facebook page just for him (My Foster Dog Danny), which chronicles his entire rehabilitation process from Day 1.  We hoped it might help others realized that the frightened dog in the shelter, or the dog with the tail between its legs at the rescue, could become a loving and great companion in a home environment.  
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The final thing I would like to add about rescuing a dog is:  DO NOT EXPECT GREAT THINGS ALL AT ONCE!

Dogs moved from environment to environment, with little to no stability for long periods of time, might revert back to the only things they know, some of which, might not be welcome activities.  Once again, patience is key.  Not expecting too much is key.  Reward-based training is key.

I never thought I would say this, but I am the culprit of now giving Danny bad habits.  He is a thoroughly good dog, that I have corrupted.  But before he became our good, corrupted dog, he was a very fearful pup.  Danny will be somewhere around 12 years old this year.  He has some health problems, which we are monitoring, and he seems to be doing okay with right now.  We are thankful he has been a member of our family, because even though he is not normal, remember, neither are we.
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PATIENCE. RESEARCH. NO GREAT EXPECTATIONS. = CONFIDENT DOG. GREAT RESCUE EXPERIENCE.
This week's blog circle theme was "Photographer's Choice," so I thought I would share a little bit about our family and one of our rescues, Danny.  We have EIGHT dogs, and all but two were rescued either through a local shelter or rescue organization.  Many of my clients have both dogs and cats that have been rescued as well.

I am a member of HeARTs Speak, a non-profit devoted to helping shelter and rescue animals put their best paw forward, by the donation of professional photography services, helping to achieve a good first impression. We are ARTISTS HELPING ANIMALS.

To see what other photographers in the circle have chosen for this week, start with Jessica Wasik with Bark & Gold Photography, celebrating the joy and love between Pittsburgh pets and their people.  Then follow the links at the end of each blog to the next photographer in the circle, until you find yourself right back here.  Enjoy!
11 Comments
Kim Hollis link
2/26/2021 06:40:33 am

Wow.... 8 dogs. My husband and I are hesitant to get a third dog. 8 makes 3 seem like a walk in the park. We have always rescued too. I volunteered for years with a lab rescue group here in NC and it’s always so interesting to me to learn about how the different rescues operate.

Reply
Elaine
3/5/2021 10:30:07 am

Kim, at one point in our lives, we had 10. We have an 8-acre farm and a huge space fenced in, and we normally adopt adult or older dogs, so things are pretty quiet here. The hardest thing is finding couch space! LOL.

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Angela Schneider link
2/26/2021 10:58:23 am

What a great read. Rescuing a dog is no easy process, so I'm very glad you stressed the patience required. You've done an incredible job, too, of showing us Danny's personality. He looks like a very sweet boy.

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Elaine
3/5/2021 10:31:31 am

Danny is a sweety for sure. He does not have an aggressive bone in his body. He will never be totally "normal," but he is Danny, and that's all we need! :)

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Nicole Hrustyk link
2/26/2021 12:54:45 pm

So glad Danny found his way to your home. <3

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Terri Jankelow link
2/26/2021 02:23:11 pm

Great advice and Danny's a beauty.

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Sharon Anderson
2/26/2021 07:06:57 pm

Thank you for putting your 'not normal' family on parade! We got involved with rescue in 2003 with our JoJo, adopted through Another Chance for English Setters (ACES), 3 months later we adopted Stevie from ACES. Since these two we have adopted 7 more dogs - staggered over the years, not all at once. We did have 5 at one time and for our family that was the tipping point. We have adopted from shelters, SWESR, OESR, and rehomed. We have never looked back!

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Elaine
3/5/2021 10:34:12 am

Sharon: Thank you for giving rescued dogs a home! I always find that our rescues give back tenfold. We got our Daisy (our first rescue) from ACES in 2003 and never looked back either. Up until that point, we adopted from local shelters. I learned about rescue by staying at a B&B that had rescued English Setters, and just loved the breed.

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Darlene Woodward link
2/27/2021 02:20:09 pm

Danny is gorgeous and thank you for giving him the love, patience, and an amazing forever home ...."When you rescue, you never rescue the dog you want, you rescue the dog you need"
Beautiful post! Love the snow image with the stunning tail!

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Danyel Rogers
3/5/2021 03:27:41 pm

Thank you so much for sharing these stories and the importance of the whole picture.

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Tracy Allard link
3/11/2021 11:50:49 am

Wow, you (and your husband, well chosen you!!!) are so giving to the rescue community. Danny is gorgeous and that image of him resting his chin on your husbands hands...my heart melted!

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