Animal Rescue Groups

Animal rescue groups are usually privately funded groups, often made up of volunteers, who rescue the pets and put them for adoption. Animals may be surplus animals from public or private animal shelters, unwanted pets from the common people, or stray animals. 

While individuals have been finding and keeping stray animals for centuries, organized animal rescue groups are a relatively recent invention, dating back to the early 19th century in England. Here, in 1824, a few animal lovers formed the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the first SPCA in the world, which was later renamed the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).

 

In the United States, the first official animal welfare group was formed by Henry Berg, who founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in 1866. The group was formed not to save individual animals but, in the beginning, to protect animals such as horse carriages in the city New York and fighting other forms of cruelty. While Berg's efforts focused mainly on anti-cruelty campaigns, which led to the passage of the nation's first anti-cruelty law in New York in 1866, the ASPCA, which seized the New York City animal control contract in 1894, became one of the first animals to be run by the strip. The private. The shelters in the country became the model for the nation's first animal rescue groups, many of which still use SPCA in their names today.

The nineteenth century saw the formation of other animal rescue groups, in the United States and England, some of which still exist today. The methods of these groups varied, but all were established in order to help alleviate the suffering of accompanying animals, usually cats and dogs. They often focus on capturing stray cats and dogs, providing them with medical care, trying to find homes for them, and many animal rescue groups operate, and in many parts of the world today, they are still operating in the absence of any official, run by the municipality and the Animal Control Agency. Often these small organizations run by volunteers are the only source of help for stray, sick, abused, or hungry pets.

Today, at most locations in the developed world, animal rescue groups operate alongside shelters run by city and county. Many groups are species or breeds, for example only rescue rabbits, great Danes or Chihuahuas. As funky pets became prevalent, and with the public buying these animals and then getting rid of them, rescue groups emerged to deal with everything from turtle to parrot to rat.

These groups that have to do with their local shelter are usually contacted by staff at the shelter when an animal that meets the breed or species requirements is brought in, and representatives from that group will then select the animal. These two groups both help their local shelters by reducing the size of the animals that the shelter has to handle, and are often better able to find a suitable foster home for animals that, due to their breed, species, or temperament, may be difficult for them to shelter into the place.

Rescue groups that focus on rescuing and placing funky pets face some unique challenges. Many of the so-called exotic pets, for example, are actually wild animals that are not domesticated at all, and should not even be kept as pets, due to the damage the exotic pet industry does to wild habitats and species, and because of these animals' unique behavioral and physical needs. . These groups should try to place birds, reptiles, and other non-domestic animals in new homes, while at the same time discouraging people who cannot adequately provide for their needs from obtaining these animals in the first place. Additionally, animal shelters often have to rely on these rescue groups to take in their funky animals because they are primarily drowned, often ill-equipped to deal with the special needs of exotic animals, and the shelter adoption rates of these animals. Thus, animals are much less than cats and dogs.

Some animal rescue groups specialize in saving animals, whether domestic or wild, from disasters. In the United States, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 demonstrated the need for comprehensive disaster plans that included provisions to save animals along with humans. By the devastating bushfires in Southern California in 2007, local and national officials realized the necessity of saving the animals, joining several animal rescue groups to provide hundreds if not thousands of animals accompanying the disaster.

 

Animal rescue groups are funded primarily through private donations. Those in charitable status can offer tax benefits to their donors, but many groups run by bona fide individuals have not taken the necessary steps to incorporate or obtain tax exempt status Many groups have newsletters, most of which are involved in fundraising efforts such as hiking or merchandise sales. Or services like boarding, veterinary care, or grooming. Groups that are fully volunteer and that operate through a network of care homes will have lower operating costs than those groups that have salaried employees and / or a permanent facility such as an animal shelter. These groups must raise additional funds to cover their expenses. Some groups, such as the ASPCA in New York, run animal control contracts for their city, so the payment is in part by the city. Other groups may run their own shelters, and take animals from the public, often for a fee, but do not collect stray animals or respond to harsh calls. While most animal rescue groups do not die animals except for health reasons, some, particularly those that run shelters, do. 

Many animal rescue groups take advantage of nurseries that provide care and lasting refuge for animals that, by virtue of their age, health, or temperament, cannot be adopted. Other groups specialize in certain types of animals, such as handicapped or elderly animals, and often keep them as protected animals, but also subject them to adoption more often.

Before the internet era, animal rescue groups were primarily local operations with a network of local volunteers, a relationship with their local shelters, and a list of local supporters to provide funding. In the 1980s in the United States, Project BREED (Breed Rescue Efforts and Education) was established to provide a resource for animal shelters, the public, and rescue groups. The Project BREED guide, still published today, has listed thousands of dog breeds, and species rescue groups, as well as specific information on the breed or species, to help people interested in adopting a particular type of animal.

Today, with the internet, not only are there many websites that provide such information, but rescue groups are able to operate nationwide, and even all over the world. The Rabbit Home Society (HRS), the rabbit rescue organization, is one such group. Originally based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the group developed a nationwide mailing list, attracting new members and volunteers from across the country, resulting in chapters or volunteers in nearly every state. With the internet, HRS has become international, with representatives in Europe, Asia, Canada and Australia.

In fact, most rescue groups today use the internet for public awareness, to advertise their adoptable animals, to raise money, and to attract supporters. An important site for many groups is Petfinder, which allows those groups that do not have their own sites or technology to easily update a website to quickly and easily list their adoptable animals for the public to see, along with photos and videos now.

Animal rescue groups, especially compared to breeders and pet stores, have strict adoption procedures that usually include an adoption application, an interview, and often a home visit. These requirements are often stricter than those in animal shelters, and are put in place to ensure that the animals end up in a safe, durable, and loving home.

Animal rescue groups can be found all over the world today, although developing countries, which often have bigger problems with stray animals, tend to have fewer groups with fewer resources.

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