So you want to start an adoption facility and pet rescue. I think its a great idea. As I read my Twitter I can see there is no end to animals that need rescuing and homes. Even in my local area adoption facilities are packed and there is always a need. I think that starting a rescue requires three ingredients. They are Passion, Desire and Money. Its important to realise that its not just cats that need rescuing. There are dogs, horses, birds, reptiles, rodents, or any living entity that was once a pet and escaped or got dumped.
Passion and Desire
These two qualities go hand in hand. When I picked up my first rescue kitten I started on my path to cat care. From there I found kitties in the bush and on the street. They are now family. It was the same with my dogs and horses. The horses were a real learning curve. I had to learn about diet, foot maintenance and training. Education and study are necessary for good animal health. I am still learning about cat diets, so education is ongoing. I have a good relationship with a vet I am not afraid to phone and ask questions.
Another thought is how big do you want to get and are you going to think about finding homes for everybody. In my particular situation I am keeping everybody. If a box of kittens were found on my door step I would raise them until they were old enough to get neutered or spayed and then find them homes. At this time with seven cats and two dogs in the house we are maxed out for space. Don’t find yourself with to many lives in the house and not being able to provide proper care and attention. A good example of a home rescue leading to adoption is The Kitten Academy on You Tube. If you are working from your home and you are a one person / family show this is a fairly straight forward operation. Lots of work with great rewards.
If you want to become a large rescue facility there will be lots of planning required. A business plan will be a necessity as you consider funding, staff, veterinarians on call, and building rental or purchase. If you go this route all the best and know you are providing a service to the community as well as saving lives.
When I got Tenzin from the Pet Rescue Centre they were quite thorough with the paper work laying out the conditions of adoption. This is necessary to save the kitten from possible poor care. If I was adopting out from my home I would ask lots of questions and the new care giver would have to pay all the vet bills up to adoption. I believe that if a person pays for that life there will be more respect for that cat or dog. I would always give the option to return the pet if it does not work out.
Money
This ingredient is necessary for a successful rescue facility. In 2015 I spent $10,000.00 CDN at the vet. Regular visits, horse maintenance, dog dental, minor surgeries are on this list. This was for eleven animals. Finding a kitten and raising it for the first year will cost about $400.00 CDN. This includes vaccinations, deworming and spay or neutering. This is where I live, it may cost more or less depending on your location.
Institutions rely on public and maybe government or local funding. If you are going big your business plan should be well thought out. Here in Manitoba lots of big rescues are registered charities and will give tax receipts. They are always operating at capacity so I encourage people to adopt, donate or volunteer to help these institutions survive.
One last note. If you are running a rescue be sure to have a plan in place in case something happens to you and you can’t care for the lives under your care. A will or somebody to step in if you can’t work anymore is necessary. There was a news story of a parrot rescue with lots of birds under care,that had the facilitator die with no plan in place. A local vet took over and found homes for the birds. They were lucky, its not always a happy ending.
That’s my story for today. Please leave a comment. Hug a kitty and do something green for the environment. Thank you
Trevor