# The rescue application



## readaboutdogs (Jul 8, 2001)

I have a question about the applications. All that I have seen ask about what heartworm and flea/tick preventive you use. I just wondered if you do use the bug off garlic instead of let's say advantix and only use heartworm during the warmer parts of year, what are your chances of having your application approved? I have used frontline and advantix in the past, but tried the bug off this past summer with good results. I only used the flea/tick applications from spring to fall also. I understand the rescues are only wanting good health care for their dogs but wondered about the homes that do not treat year round or with more natural ways. Would their applications be denied?


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

It depends entirely on the Rescue, some are flexible in the rules and some are run by dictators!

If you have a dog already picked out make your best effort to be incompliance with their requirements.

If you don't have a dog picked out... you could consider, volunteering or fostering a dog. Fostering is how we got our GSD. He wasn't on our Radar but one day got the call and in he came and here he stayed!


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## Mary Jane (Mar 3, 2006)

I have only adopted from two rescues and they were both extremely reasonable about specific requirements in specific circumstances. It sounds like you are thinking a lot about how to care for your dog, so I definitely think that it's worth submitting an application and going from there.

Good luck!

MJ


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## Shade (Feb 20, 2012)

I agre it depends on the rescue, not all will bend the rules even with good reasons. It's worth a phone call or email to discuss it with them


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Keep in mind that most good rescues will check your vet reference, so a lot of how this protocol is perceived will depend on what your vet says about it. 

If you are following a vet-recommended protocol deemed safe and effective for your part of the country, I doubt anyone would be bothered by it. If the standard of care in veterinary medicine in your area is to allow HW prevention for only half a year, the rescues are likely to know and accept that. If you are doing this despite a vet's advice to the contrary, questions will arise as to what other vet advice you decline to follow.

In my area, no vet would approve skipping HW in the winter because we have warm winters--so yes, it would be a huge problem for us. (In fact, I just talked to a local vet who did a "shot clinic" in a Petco store this weekend, and she had at least 6 dogs test HW+ in the clinic that afternoon because the owners skipped winter doses of prevention...in the wrong climate.) OTOH, in northern rescues, that's probably a fairly common vet recommendation to see because the environment is frozen for many months, so I'd expect many rescues there to find it unobjectionable.


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## Saphire (Apr 1, 2005)

How do rescue groups look at people who feed raw and follow the Dr. Dodds vaccine protocols? 
I'm just curious as my vet and I disagree on this and I'm sure he would let a rescue group know that I don't follow his recommendation. 

Just curious.


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## BARBIElovesSAILOR (Aug 11, 2014)

It seems like you are (op) concientious ? Is that how you spell it? Haha about getting a new dog. Not many put as much thought into it as you are and I think that will be to your advantage. My experience with most rescues is not a lot of them get that detailed. Of course there can be an exception to the rule. Just be honest and forthcoming on your application. I am sure you will be accepted, and if they don't accept you, find another rescue. There are a lot of good ones out there. The questions you are asking do not have a right or wrong answer. They are really different schools of thought and come down to opinions or methods. How can someone argue high grade kibble vs raw food or natural vs chemical heart worm medicine. Sure there have been studies, but at the end of the day you are the dog owner. You will decide what is best for your dog based on your opinion and research. It is hard for someone to argue that. It's like trying to argue the damned bible or politics. Again, if they don't like what you are putting in the application, just move along and find another. Any rescue would be lucky/ dog would be lucky to have you rescue from them.


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## MayzieGSD (Aug 28, 2006)

I just wrote down that I never had a problem with fleas or ticks so I don't use a preventative. I do give HeartGard. I was approved.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Saphire said:


> How do rescue groups look at people who feed raw and follow the Dr. Dodds vaccine protocols?
> I'm just curious as my vet and I disagree on this and I'm sure he would let a rescue group know that I don't follow his recommendation.
> 
> Just curious.


More and more groups are adopting the dogs naturally way with their own personal dogs, not so much with rescue dogs, it's hard not to adopt them out not fully UTD on everything under the sun.
Tons of rescue folks advocate a raw diet but as you could imagine it would be extremely difficult to supply raw food to all fosters and so on lol. Some groups are 100% dead against it, but I can't personally think of one potential adopter that was denied (within the old rescue I was part of) based on raw and vaccinating beliefs. I think though rabies was absolutely mandatory but I could be wrong.


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## readaboutdogs (Jul 8, 2001)

Thank you for all the kind responses! I have learned a lot off this forum! I look at the rescue and local shelter sites and a beautiful girl at a rescue here prompted me to ask this question!! She was at the shelter and I called to ask adoption status on her and a rescue had already put a hold on her! Which is good, I'm glad she was pulled quickly!!! I don't know if she was a stray or owner surrender. I do plan on talking with my vet on the heartworm though. I have seen a map of regions for use of heartworm preventative and Oklahoma,the area I live, was May thru December, this was printed in 2009, and I haven't seen a more current one. And have seen ariticles on resistance or spread of heartworm? I have to admit it just bothered me to feed pesticides or apply to their skin. I'm kinda freaky about getting stuff like that on me!! So have always went the as less as possible route. Vaccinations I have always gone with what the vet advised. But at the same time with all the information out there on preventives and cancer in our pets and natural ways it is a little confusing on what way to go. I do want to do the best I can for my companions. It is a good suggestion to at least make contact with the rescue/fill out application and see what they have to say, even if for a future companion. I haven't taken in adult dogs that I hadn't previously known, moo was my sons dog and Clipper was my daughters. I knew them well! So I'm still also going over pros and cons of an adult dog and our household dynamics. But thanks as always for your help!


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Don't discount fostering if that is a possibility for you? You can tell them you are new to this and you can't handle basket cases but you can provide a space for a gentle dog.

You could find that the dog for you gets delivered to your front door! Worked for me


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Saphire said:


> How do rescue groups look at people who feed raw and follow the Dr. Dodds vaccine protocols?
> I'm just curious as my vet and I disagree on this and I'm sure he would let a rescue group know that I don't follow his recommendation.
> 
> Just curious.


Don't know about other rescues but the one I volunteer at here feeds raw for some dogs. 

They also don't require HW meds nor has my vet ever suggested it. I don't think its an issue around here.


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## readaboutdogs (Jul 8, 2001)

I had never really thought about it before, but after reading posts here I have thought that would be neat to do! I probably would end up a foster fail!!!


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

readaboutdogs said:


> I had never really thought about it before, but after reading posts here I have thought that would be neat to do! I probably would end up a foster fail!!!


Well you would not be alone! 

We got into it by accident, my stupid neighbor kept a herder dog chained in his backyard as a puppy mill for two years. She cried pretty much 24x7 we had animal control and the cops on speed dial all of them pretty much useless!!

First I have to confess, I had no use for herder dogs, all the ones I had met were untrained pushy obnoxious dogs!!

So that being said, one day I was in our backyard and this dog (Molly) just popped thru the 6 ft tall wood slate fence!!

The neighbor said he was done! Off to the pound she goes! I use to be in cat rescue never dogs but I said, don't do that I'll take her.

My other dogs Gunther and Struddell BullMastiff/APBT/Lab and White Boxer, knew who (Molly) was so zero problems there and zero issues with our cats, so she fit right in. And she actually was house broken??

So I contacted a rescue said I would foster her and though she would be gone in a couple of weeks. 

I had made a commitment to the dog so she had a place with us regardless of how long it took.

And since I had her and it looked like it was going to be awhile... dog training time!

I quickly discovered why so many people love this breed, they are brilliant and if you put the time in not difficult to train at all!

I really only made one mistake with her, recall (which she never had) was not solid I let her run loose in a field with my dogs, I called my dogs back after a distance, my two came back Molly did not!!! 

I sent my two after her and she followed them back, Lesson learned..don't let a new dog off leash until her recall has been proofed! And dogs cue off each other should have know that one as I had learned it with Struddell, she had been cueing off Gunther!:blush:

So more time passes, we had her for two more months. My wife was happy with the dog from day one, as for me I have my preferences in dogs and this breed was not one of them but...you work with a dog enough and a bond starts to develop! I did truly love this dog so we started to talk about keeping her!

But..it was to late as we were talking we got a call. A 13 year old boy wanted to see her! I had done my job to well, he took her leash and they walked down the block together Molly walked by his side without issue,when they came back..he was smiling ear to ear! 

We had first rights on Molly, foster do as a rule, but we had screwed up, no way we're going to break a little boys heart at X-mas,in particular!

So off Molly went to her new home we were crushed but I had kept my promise to Molly. 

Then came dog two...GSD AKA Rocky. Got the call... we have a Blk GSD with Wobblers need a foster. I said yes, they brought Rocky by the house. I saw this big puppy gamely Wobbling towards me smiling and happy, like he did not have a care in the world! My heart broke watching him gamely move towards us and I started to cry!

Again the training and weeks go by, then a couple of months. My wife and I start to talk, I had never considered a GSD but this time no prejudging like the herder dog. But...while we were still thinking, the call came..."we have a home they will be in town this weekend to pick him up!"

Yet again heartbreak pending! I wrote a long letter to Rocky's soon to be new owners, my wife and I cried while we waited for the weekend and our final goodbyes to this GSD that had 'Wobbled" his way into our hearts!:wub:

But...the new owners were a no show! That was it!! Rocky was off the market and here to stay! He wound up being our last foster, I was still game but my wife said she can't do this anymore...to much heartbreak!

Long story sorry and I do think fostering could be a good option for you but I wanted to let you know, that it can also be a rewarding and heartbreaking
experience.


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