Resources

“The best things in life are rescued.”

What to Do if You Find a Stray

If you spot a stray animal, remember that safety comes first. If you are driving, make sure you are able to safely park your car, out of the way of oncoming traffic. You must assess the animal before you approach it by reading its body language and behavior. Remember that an animal that is afraid, hurt, or rabid may bite. If you are unable to safely park your vehicle and/or approach the animal, call animal control and give them as much detailed information as possible about the animal, the location and time you spotted it, etc. If animal control is unavailable, call your local police department. Stay in your car if you deem it unsafe to approach the animal. If possible, stay with or near the animal until help arrives.

If you are able to safely approach the animal, try to catch it. Some animals may be jittery and try to run away if you make any sudden moves. Some may come right up to you, and some may need coaxing. Speak in a pleasant and calm tone to the animal. Use food or treats if you have them to lure the animal to you. The next step is to restrain the animal for its safety.

If you are able to get close enough, calmly place a leash or rope around the animal’s neck. If you do not have a leash or if the animal will not come close to you, make a barrier to close the animal into a small constrained area where it cannot run away. Call for help if necessary. Stay with the animal, if possible, until help arrives.

Once you have caught the animal, take her to be scanned for a microchip. Any veterinarian’s office will provide this service, usually without charge. If it is the weekend or after business hours, go to an animal urgent care center/emergency care center. If the animal has a microchip, call the number on the chip and they will provide you with the phone number registered on the chip. Your local animal shelter will also scan for chips, but be aware of their policies about releasing the animal to you if you want to take her home with you.

If you choose to take the animal home with you, provide her with fresh water, food, and a comfortable place to sleep. Keep her separate from your animals and children until you are able to take her to the vet for an exam, in case she has something contagious. Take clear pictures of the animal and make “Found” posters to hang around the area and vet clinics in the area you found it. Also post pictures and details of her online on local “Lost and Found” pages, local animal shelter pages, your neighborhood’s website, NextDoor, Facebook, etc. Send an email to your HOA and ask them to email its residents. You never know who may see her picture and help reunite her with her owner.

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How to Get Involved

Our fostering program is designed to make it as easy for you as possible and will cost you nothing. If you can open your heart and home, we can cover the bills. You will be assigned a dedicated case manager who will be available to you for any questions throughout the time you are fostering, as well as screen candidates interested in adopting your foster-baby. We do a thorough interview, reference check, and home visit prior to any stay over to ensure it’s a solid match.

Love And Rescue takes in many difficult cases of injured and sick animals, which can get very costly. We appreciate any amount you can donate to help towards their care. 100% of our donations are used for our animals. We are volunteer-based and our rescues live in foster homes, so we have no overhead expenses. Also, your donations are fully tax deductible. You can donate any time via PayPal or Venmo (click bold text to donate).

Case Manager: We are always looking for dedicated people to join our team. Our case managers are responsible for each rescue from the day of intake until the day they get adopted. He/She is responsible for regularly staying in touch with the foster and ensures that each animal get the medical care and attention it needs. He/She is also responsible for screening all potential adopters; this includes interviews by phone, meet and greets in person, checking references, coordinating trial visits, and finally the formal adoption.

Events: We have a hand full of events throughout the year where we need volunteers to help pass out information, talk to interested parties, care for the animals at the event, help set up/take down, assist with planning, and a few other duties required to organize the event.

Adoption Days: We have adoption days on the weekend, at various partner locations, where our foster animals spend the afternoon there so that people can come meet them in person. Our adoption day volunteer is responsible for handling the animal during their designated shift. This will include walking if needed, cleaning up after the animal, answering questions for any potential adopters, and most important of all, having fun with it!

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How to Foster

The first thing to remember is that fostering saves lives. Our rescues often need an immediate place to go, either from the streets or the shelter. They need a place to decompress from their current situation. A foster home is a place that can provide love, care, and some basic training to help our animals become stellar forever pets.

Some say it’s too hard to be a foster parent because it’s so hard to let go, however, many of our foster parents find this the most rewarding thing they’ve ever done. Without fosters we would not have the time to find wonderful adopters. We want to ensure that our rescues not only get a forever home, but one that is a good fit for them to live out the rest of their life. This can take between a few weeks to a few months. Our adoption process is very thorough to ensure the safety of our rescues.

Your foster animal will need a few days just to sleep. We suggest you give them a warm secluded place where they will feel safe and can sleep off some of the stress from wherever they came from. Patience is the most important thing when fostering. You must remember they have no formal training and are likely feeling very confused. It is important that they feel safe in your home. It can take several days for them to adjust and trust that they will not be hurt. Our case managers will walk you through on a case by case situation depending on how much we know about what that animal has been through.

So what does it take to be a foster? Great question! All it takes is time, patience, and love. Love And Rescue will provide you with all the items and vetting that you need to ensure your foster animal is happy and healthy in your home. You will also have a dedicated case manager that you can turn to for any questions, concerns, updates, and assistance through the term of your fostering. If you are interested please send us an email to: [email protected].

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First Time Pet Owners

Being a first time pet owner can be extremely exciting but will also required a lot of dedication and work.

Just like human kids, furry friends don’t come trained. The first several months you bring your pet home will be the most important as you will both learn to trust each other, communicate, and learn to set boundaries.

Having a pet is like having a new family member. There are things many things to consider:

If you move, are you prepared to take your new family member with you? If not you should refrain from adopting until you are and consider fostering.

Are you financially prepared? Dogs and cats can have accidents just like kids. This can get costly. A great way to manage your expenses is by getting pet insurance. They also require annual checkups, vaccines and preventative care.

Are you prepared to be on a schedule? The best results often require a schedule, at least in the beginning.

First ensure you have all the supplies you need. Here is a list to get you started:

• Food bowls (clean after every meal)
• Food (talk to your vet about what type of food they recommend for your pet)
• Toys (easy to wash, hard to destroy)
• Leash
• ID tag (with the pet’s name and your phone number)
• Collar (if you have a puppy or kitten make sure you check that their collar isn’t too tight as they will be growing quickly)
• Crate (make sure this is big enough for your pet to stand up and turn around in
• Bed (a place where they can call their own)
• Monthly heartworm and flea/tick preventative
• Grooming supplies
• How to books (read these prior to bringing your pet home so you are fully prepared)

House training is much easier when the puppy’s meals, exercise and playtimes are on a regular schedule throughout the day.

Decide where to put the crate, and have it set up and ready for his/her arrival. Where to keep the crate will depend on what’s most convenient for you as well as the dog’s response. They don’t like to be isolated in one part of the house while their family is in another but sometimes puppies won’t settled down in their crates if there’s too much activity going on around them. You might have to experiment with different locations until you learn what works best for both you and the dog.

House training cat is easier as they know almost immediately to go in the litter box once you’ve shown them where it is. Ensure you keep their litter box clean to avoid out of the litter box accidents.

Cat can also learn their area so keep a bed and play area for them to know where to go when they want to be in their space.

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Flea, Tick, and Heartworm

Flea bites can cause severe allergic reactions, severe itching, and swelling. If left untreated, bites can lead to excessive scratching and chewing that can damage skin. Secondary bacterial or fungal infections can develop as a result. Fleas transmit parasites such as tapeworms, as well as bacterial diseases such as cat scratch fever to humans.

Tick bites can be painful and irritating but more concerning, is the number of serious diseases they can transmit, such as Lyme disease. Lyme disease can cause significant illness and even death in both pets and people.

There are many safe, effective, and easy ways to administer flea control products and most have tick prevention as well. These products are typically administered in tablet or liquid form, or topically by applying the medication directly to the animal’s skin. Fleas can be difficult to get rid of and you may need to treat your pet and the affected pet’s environment repeatedly. All other animals in the house must also be treated with flea and tick control products, and the house and yard may need to be treated as well.

Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal condition that affects dogs and cats. It is caused by parasitic worms living in the major blood vessels of the lungs and occasionally, in the heart. Heartworms are spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Heartworm disease can cause a variety of medical problems affecting the lungs, heart, liver, and/or kidneys. Severe complications or when left untreated, can lead to death. It is virtually 100% preventable with a monthly administered oral or topical medication, yet many dogs are diagnosed with it each year. Whichever heartworm prevention is chosen, prevention is convenient and inexpensive compared to the dangers of the disease for dogs.

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Spay and Neuter

The main benefit of spaying female dogs is to prevent mammary cancer; a dog spayed before her first heat has a zero change of spay neuterdeveloping this cancer. After her first heat it increases to 7%, then 25% after the second. This also applies for cats.

One major benefit of neutering male dogs involves the prostate gland. As dogs age, the prostate will gradually enlarge. This is known as benign prostate hyperplasia. The prostate under the influence of testosterone is also predisposed to infection. This is an extremely painful and can be a life-threatening condition which is not likely to resolve without neutering and often invasive surgery.

Other conditions that are prevented are testicular cancer, various types of hernias, and perianal tumors. The medical benefits resulting from spaying and neutering pets lead to longer and healthier lives. In addition, the majority of animals will be more relaxed and less prone to undesirable behavior.

  • “Spaying” is the term used for female animals. It is the surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus.
  • “Neutering” is the term used for male animals. It is the surgical removal of the testicles.
  • Over 10,000 animals are euthanized in the US every day. The easiest way you can help with the population control of our strays is by being a responsible pet owner and spaying or neutering your pet. This procedure is outpatient and very safe for your pet.
  • Animals that have been spayed/neutered are less likely to roam, get into fights, and bite.
  • Animals that have been spayed/neutered are less likely to mark or spray urine indoor.

Myth: My pet will get fat and lazy.
Fact: Spaying or neutering does not make pets fat or lazy. The truth is that pets get fat and lazy because they are fed too much and do not get enough exercise.

Myth: It is better to have one litter first.
Fact: Females spayed before their first heat cycle are typically healthier. Every time a female pet goes through a heat cycle she is at an increased risk for breast cancer and uterine infections.

Myth: When my pet has a litter I will find good homes for all of them.
Fact: You may find homes for all your pet’s puppies or kittens but there are already puppies and kittens being euthanized in shelters every week. Allowing your pet to breed only contributes to the problem.

Myth: My male pet will feel like less of a male.
Fact:Pets do not have any concept of masculinity. Neutering your male pet will not change his basic personality, in fact he will be healthier and a better companion.

Myth: My pet is purebred; they don’t end up in animal shelters.
Fact: 25% of animals that enter shelters are purebred. Regardless of whether or not they are purebred, 50% of animals that enter into shelters are euthanized due to overpopulation.

Myth: My pet is just so special and I want the puppies/kittens to be just like them.
Fact: Genetics are not an exact science and even professional breeders cannot guarantee how a litter will develop.

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