YGRR’s Position on a Difficult Debate
By Wendy Garraghty, Executive Director, and
Sue Averill, Kennel Mgr/Adoption Specialist

The world has become much smaller with the advent of the Internet. People talk with each other all over the country as if they lived next door. This ease of this distant communication has lead to a phenomenon that we have monitored as we remained focused on performing the day to day of rescue in New England. Internet “rescue” sites frequently popped up but would soon disappear. While YGRR has always had the policy of assisting other rescue organizations (big or small) in whatever way we could, we have had to try and discern which rescue organizations are lasting and reputable and which are short-lived. We have worked hard over the past 20 years to become a model to other rescues and we will continue to share information freely with those reputable groups.

Word is being spread in “cyberspace” that there is a low euthanasia rate in New England and that we have more homes than dogs. I am not talking only about Goldens but dogs and puppies of all breeds. Nothing could be further from the truth. Dogs and cats are euthanized in New England every day. Reputable shelters know this, live with this and try and support and help each other in whatever way we can.

We in New England may indeed be doing a better job of informing and educating pet owners about the necessity of spaying and neutering our cats and dogs than other regions of the country. There may be fewer puppies in shelters but I can assure you that most pounds and shelters that YGRR deals with on a regular basis are full. Since YGRR completed its expansion in 2001, we have been and remain full—all with dogs from the 6 New England states. We continue to be at capacity and will not sacrifice services to older Goldens by shipping in more “adoptable” dogs. This influx of adoptable Goldens would inflate our adoption numbers but would dishonor our mission to help dogs of all ages and medical conditions in New England.

Older dogs have less chance of finding a new home if younger dogs (such as feral Puerto Rican street dogs and puppies from southern states) are being shipped in. A number of prominent shelters in New England have age limits on the dogs they accept. Some of these shelters ship in puppies because they are easy to place. Look carefully at their criteria and mission statements. Some do not take dogs over the age of five. What do people think happens to those older dogs? If they are Goldens, they may be lucky if they are referred to YGRR for admission. Most aren’t and may end up in overcrowded and under funded shelters.

Removing excess pets from these areas may save those individual animals, but these states will not learn to be more responsible about pet overpopulation if the problem is removed for them. These regions need educational programs and low cost spay/neuter clinics to help them decrease their overpopulation problems. Shelters and Internet rescue groups spend time, effort and money to ship these unwanted pets to New England while local pets are euthanized every day. Could these resources instead be directed towards development of low cost spay neuter clinics and regional full service rescue programs? These dogs could then be rechanneled into adoption programs in the dog’s original community. Why also couldn’t those resources go towards educating local families on the benefits of adopting adult dogs? The shipping of unwanted pets may create a quick fix for these areas but it offers no lasting solution to pet overpopulation and negatively affects dogs here in New England. We all need to work together to look at this dilemma and come up with lasting solutions that place the life long needs of Rescued dogs first above all else. This is not done by increasing “quickie” adoptions without programs in place to provide lifelong protection for each adopted dog.

Historically, it had been our policy to give information to other rescue organizations if a potential applicant listed YGRR as a reference. If the applicant indicated to that shelter or rescue that they had a home visit and received approval as an adopter by YGRR, our Adopter Relations Director would verify that information. This did not happen all that frequently and the general feeling was that if a YGRR applicant faced a long wait for a Golden (usually because of limiting criteria) and was getting anxious, then we should share information if another organization had an appropriate match.

We soon realized that because of YGRR’s solid reputation, some organizations felt that if “Yankee” did a home visit and approved an applicant, they could simply place a dog in that home. There was no attempt to develop their own relationship with and understanding of that family. They simply relied on the information we provided which confirmed that an applicant had been approved in order to move forward in placing a dog. This is certainly not how YGRR handles the placement of our own Goldens! Once an applicant is approved by YGRR, a painstaking and careful match is made between available dogs and that particular home. We always have what is best for the dog on our mind. When an adopter does come to the facility to meet a dog, they may leave without a one if we feel the match is not appropriate. Even at that stage of the process, we need to decide what’s best for that dog and home. That may mean the adopters will need to wait or go home with a dog with different characteristics (age, gender, activity level etc) than they had previously considered.

In 2003, the Board of Directors voted to discontinue the policy of sharing applicant information because we felt that each rescue had the responsibility to investigate homes and get to know potential adopters for the dogs in their programs. This decision was made as a result of a series of mismatches by other rescues and subsequent calls to YGRR from both the rescues and adopters asking for our assistance. Although we explained that YGRR would certainly be available in an emergency situation, we also made it clear that rescues that place dogs have a lifetime responsibility to that dog and have an obligation to take whatever action necessary at anytime during that dog’s life to keep it safe.

A few months ago, I received an email from a longtime member, former Board member and friend asking if I was aware that YGRR was being portrayed as elitist and unhelpful to other rescue organizations on a number of internet chat groups. Although I pondered the content of the message, I assumed the information being bantered about could not be factual or informed—how could it be? I was responsible for managing the day to day of Rescue based on the policies and procedures established over many years by many Boards of Directors. When I was subsequently sent a sampling of what was being said about YGRR, I was shocked. I immediately spoke with Joan who agreed that we needed to have our position heard and clearly understood to prevent future misinterpretations and misrepresentations of our policies.

A few weeks ago, we received a call asking us to assist a Golden brought up from the south and placed in a home in CT. The family had another dog and the resident dog made it clear he didn’t want another dog in the home. The Southern rescue thought we might have another home available for the dog in the area. I explained to the Director of the organization that dogs are first screened to make sure they are eligible for admission to our program. They are then admitted to one of our participating veterinarians for a thorough medical examination. The dogs are then brought to our facility, carefully evaluated subsequently introduced to adopters with parties present (canine and human) at our adoption center to make certain the match would be successful. She told me she had heard that we didn’t have any Goldens at YGRR and was stunned when I told her we were full with 30 dogs. I was amazed when she asked me where they came from since she had been told there were very few Goldens in need in New England.

A recent ad in a Rhode Island newspaper featured a hound in a local shelter and noted the following information:

“Sally” is a very active, 8 month old hound. She has been through a lot in her
short life. She came to us when her Internet adoption didn’t work out. She was originally shipped from Alabama. She is very cute. A quiet household with a
patient person who enjoys training would be an ideal placement. (Note-this is
not a no kill shelter.)

There are indeed conscientious groups who are trying to do the best they can with limited resources and too many dogs. One Golden Rescue in Florida has partnered with another in Pennsylvania to take an overflow of dogs. The rescue in Pennsylvania has the resources, staff and volunteers to commit to these dogs for their lifetime. This is a good example of problem solving for programs that work together to enhance their ability to provide appropriate rescue services to Goldens in need. We continue to try and work with reputable rescues in Tennessee and elsewhere to share information on how to find adopters, volunteers and, most importantly, members to financially support and sustain their organization.

People love the idea of owning a Golden. They hear about all the wonderful Golden traits and decide that is the dog for them. There is nothing wrong with that. Members of YGRR and owners of Goldens love the breed—and most probably have loved dogs of other breeds and mixed breeds in their lives. The Golden “temperament” is not exclusive to only Goldens! There are sweet and deserving dogs in the shelters and pounds of New England of all ages who deserve a home.

*Be cautions when sending donations to groups that you have not determined to be a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization which allows your donation to be tax deductible. If you are not sure, check with the Attorney General’s Office in that state who will confirm whether or not the organization has submitted the necessary documentation to qualify for the designation. Reputable organizations will have an independent audit (required for 501 (c)(3) charities that exceed $200,000 in annual income) of their finances and be accountable to their donors on how their money is spent. Make no mistake that donations to these groups are having an impact on overall donations to full service rescues. Donors often make the assumption that smaller less established groups are in greater need of financial help with is not true. Full service rescues rely on donor support to provide full service high quality care which is very expensive.

What to Consider in Adopting a Dog from Outside New England
By Sue Averill, Kennel Manager and Adoption/Intake Specialist

If you decide that you want to add a new dog sooner than may be available through YGRR or another full service rescue, don’t forget to try your local shelters. Many pounds and shelters place Goldens and other purebreds, especially if the dog is not a senior or has a special medical need. If the dog seems to be an easy placement, these organizations enjoy the reward of placing the dog themselves. Indeed, few of the young and healthy Goldens that our members alert us to in shelters actually get to us since they are easy to place. Check around, find shelters close to you with a clean environment and an interested and caring staff and get on their waiting list. If you would like to try to adopt a dog from a group outside of New England that is not a full service rescue, here are some points to consider.

Adopting Dogs that have been brought from outside the continental United States: Dogs from Puerto Rico and the islands are usually the offspring of feral street dogs. This means that these dogs were never, at any point, bred to be pets. Natural selection has created feral dogs not to be compliant pets, but dogs that are independent and capable of scraping out a living on the streets with little or no human participation. These dogs also come from an essentially closed environment, complete with their own parasites, bacteria and viruses. They are capable of bringing illnesses into this country that our vets may have never seen. Their immune systems may be susceptible to “bugs” in the U.S. just as our dogs would have no natural immunity to disease that these dogs bring into this country. There have been recent outbreaks of virulent forms of kennel cough in the northeast that some veterinarians speculate can be traced to racing greyhounds brought here from Puerto Rico. There must be some consideration given about the health of our local dogs.

Flying dogs in from rescues located outside of New England: There is no standardized assessment or medical care given to dogs being moved through these different organizations. If you chose to work with one you need to be prepared with a list of questions beforehand. The dog should have some form of permanent ID in case he escapes or gets lost (tattoo or micro chip). Will the dog be spayed or neutered? Who will pay for this? Will the dog have a health check prior to transport? This should include a heartworm test, geriatric profile for dogs older than eight and a urinalysis. People might argue that this is excessive, but flying is very stressful even for seasoned travelers. Imagine how difficult it could be for a dog that has only ever ridden in a car once or twice in his life, if at all. It is irresponsible to fly a dog without knowing that they are healthy enough to deal with the flight. If the dog is heartworm positive he should not be flown. It is too risky to the dog’s health. Who will treat and care for him prior to transport and who will bear the cost? How will the dog get to you? If he is flown, it should be a non-stop flight. If there is a connecting flight, who is responsible for making sure the dog makes the connection? What happens if the flight is delayed or cancelled? Who is there to care for the dog?

Overland Transportation of a Dogs: If the dog is shipped via Samaritans (volunteers, truckers or the canine railroad) the health concerns remain the same. There is also the added issue of the dog potentially traveling with multiple strangers. How does the dog travel safely? In a crate? Loose? Who is physically and financially responsible for the dog if it becomes lost or ill while on the road? What happens if the dog becomes stressed or panicked while being transferred and attempts to bite or does bite? Is reporting of these behaviors required? It should be. Any dog under stress could bite and it’s very important for the new owner to be aware of any problems with handling the dog. Ignorance is not bliss, it’s dangerous.

What is required from you in order to get a dog from these organizations? An application? An interview? Home inspection? How is the right dog to be found for you if these things are only vaguely known? Once you have your new dog, who is your dog’s advocate to make sure that you fulfill your end of the adoption requirement? (Neuter/spay, vaccinate, heartworm treatment and any special medical follow up are a few examples.) This person should also act as your dog’s safety net if there are problems with his adjustment. They should be able to answer questions about the dog, direct you to trainers or vet specialists and, in the worse case scenario, take the dog back if the placement does not work out. You should not be responsible for placing the dog in a new home. A knowledgeable person should re-evaluate the dog in order to make a permanent placement.

If something happens five or ten years down the road and you can no longer care for the dog, what do you do? Does the organization provide a lifetime safety net for the dog? Is there a contract which protects both you and the dog for the life of the dog? Will the organization or group you are dealing with be around in five or ten years when you or your dog might need them?

People can successfully adopt dogs without the protections of a full service rescue but most have not thought through all the potential pitfalls.

Final Thoughts
By Wendy and Sue

It is not easy to look at a dog you can save and walk away. We completely understand people acting on an emotional level in trying to save lives and get animals to safety. But thinking globally and acting locally is good advice in this situation. Misinformation about the potential abundance of homes in any geographic area is not helping to solve the problem of pet overpopulation. Most volunteers who help to ship dogs do not do this for financial reward and we do not question their motivation or the motivation of potential adopters trying to help a dog in need. There has to be a better solution.

A portion of profits from New England shelters that are involved in adopting out these Southern puppies could be channeled back into the puppies’ original community. These Southern states could then utilize these funds to help defray the cost of spay/neuter programs to combat their pet overpopulation and establish educational programs for adopting adult dogs. More and more voices are being heard from animal welfare groups in New England talking about the negative impact this influx of dogs is having on numbers of adoptions at their own shelters and pounds. Additionally, increased numbers of animals like Sally will continue to be surrendered to these same shelters that are not involved in the shipping of dogs. Most are not no kill shelters and, even though they have caring and experienced staffs, this puts an added emotional burden on their own employees as well as a physical and financial strain on shelter budgets. This is not what is best for all the Sally’s coming into New England.

There is no simple answer—we wish there were. It took almost 20 years for YGRR to get where it is today and we continue to remain available at all times to help in finding lasting and comprehensive local, regional and national solutions to this problem.