Pet Talk: Rescue Is Very Important

A Helping Hand for Unwanted Pets
by Kati Koktavy

What options are there for homeless or unwanted pets? A staggering number of dogs and cats are euthanized at shelters every single day in addition to the countless numbers that lose their lives on the streets everyday. It used to be the only place for these unwanted pets to go to were animal shelters. The ones that ended up in the shelters may have been the lucky ones, caught by animal control or a caring person before they succumbed to starvation, disease or being hit by a car.

Introducing…..Rescue. Rescue has been around for many years. It has become increasingly popular in the last few years as the pet population and the concept of pet ownership has escalated. Shelters can’t keep up with the numbers of unwanted pets and this is where Rescue steps in to lend a helping hand. As specific breeds have become popular, breed clubs and individual groups have stepped in to offer a sanctuary for specific breeds. Animal lovers in general have stepped up and formed all breed rescues that don’t care about the breeding or ancestry of the unwanted pet. There are rescues all over the country for all sorts of varieties of pets, dogs, cats, horses, birds and rats to name but a few. The bottom line is that Rescue is a no-kill alternative for these unwanted pets to find safe haven and have assistance in matching them to new permanent homes.

What is Rescue? Rescue means many different things to many different people. One dictionary definition states “to free or deliver from confinement, violence, danger or evil”. For people involved in animal rescue it simply means that a safe haven is offered for pets that have been displaced from homes or that have never had homes until a home can be found that benefits both them and their new families.

Pets find themselves in rescue for many reasons. The reasons cover the entire spectrum of possibilities. Some pets come into rescue from terrible, abusive or neglectful situations, some from homeless situations (being lost or an owner passing away) and also from wonderful loving families. The first couple of reasons come as no surprise. I’m sure the last reason is probably the most startling. Why in the world would anyone willingly give up their pet? Those reasons become more complicated. Sometimes people just make poor choices in choosing a pet. Unfortunately, people can be impulsive. That cute puppy or kitten is just so adorable that people don’t consider that it will grow up, need attention and training and need to be an active part of the family for many, many years to come. It takes a huge commitment to add a pet to a family and sometimes people just don’t think things all the way through. There is also a very serious financial commitment. Besides providing a healthy diet, routine veterinary visits and accompanying vaccine schedule, you can’t count on that new pet to be in perfect health throughout his entire life. Sometimes pets are faced with some very serious health issues that can be very expensive to deal with. Sometimes that health issue will be present for its entire life. As the pet ages, age related diseases become a factor in their care. In many cases, family situations change and they just aren’t able to care for their pet anymore.

Society’s attitude towards pet ownership has drastically changed in the last decade. Pets have gone from being strictly outdoors to living indoors and sleeping on our beds and couches. People spend billions per year on their beloved companions, a drastic change from years past. More and more people are trying out pet ownership. The unfortunate side effect of the popularity of pet ownership is also the overpopulation of pets. Rescue serves many purposes besides just finding homes for unwanted pets. In this series of articles, we will explore the ins and outs and workings of Rescue in general.

Up next, what happens in Rescue?

Kati has been an avid animal lover her whole life growing up with cats and adding a golden retriever 12 years ago. Upon the death of her first golden in 2000, Kati became avidly involved in golden retriever rescue and served on the board of directors for five years. Kati is also a founding member and serves on the board of directors for a retriever rescue which in addition to goldens, rescues and re-homes flat-coated, curly coated, Chesapeake Bay and Nova Scotia Duck Trolling retrievers. Kati also spends time volunteering and fostering for Pug rescue and Maine Coon Cat rescue. In addition to her love of pets, Kati enjoys sewing, needlework, reading, hiking, woodworking and any activity she can do with her dog! Currently at home with Kati are golden Timber and kitties Merlin, Smokey, Bandit, Royce and Morgan and of course there is always a foster or two!