This is my friend, Kitten Jones, with some little pals. Kitten has Lighthouse Animal Rescue, and does rescue and adoption of unwanted, abused, or homeless pets. She takes in all kinds of dogs, many of which are purebred. Please visit her site if you're interested in adopting a spayed or neutered dog who really needs a home. Some of the dogs she takes in have minor medical or socialization problems, but many are perfectly wonderful pets who just need permanent homes. If she doesn't have what you're looking for, she can probably put you in touch with someone who does. She has many rescue contacts. Update 11-15-04: Kitten and her husband have moved to Costa Rica. If you need to contact her, she can be reached by using the email form on her website.

Update 1-19-09: (Quoted email from Kitten received this morning) "Hello All, I had a day of rest today, thank God, so am going to write a little bit about what has been going on. This situation is terrible here. Thousands of people are homeless and living in 18 (I think) shelters around the quake area. From what I can gather, the officials are keeping it quiet because they do not want to hurt their tourist season. It is high season right now. They keep changing the number of dead and have yet to tell the truth. I do know for a fact there were 34 bodies in their make-shift morgue last Saturday and they have dug out more bodies since then. And they are still digging for more they know are buried. They have mentioned one whole town that is completely gone, under a landslide, where they estimate there might have been about 50 people. We have brought out 37 animals and have fed and watered hundreds daily. Not only dogs and cats, but chickens, cows, goats, birds and others were left behind when people fled the area or were crushed by the landslides. At the shelters people come to us with animals in their arms. They tell us, "Their owners are dead. We brought their dog/cat with us to the shelter but we can't keep it. We don't have a house anymore." We find dogs in falling down buildings, still doing their job and guarding the property. If they are in a relatively stable area, and don't want to leave their homes, we feed them, water them and leave them there. We go back daily and freshen their water and give them more food. If they are in an area that is expected to slide down the mountain we take them out with us. Some of the areas we have brought animals out of are now gone completely. Some of the roads we were on no longer exist. We found a calf, too small to sip water or eat grass, who still needs to be nursing. He was locked in a small shed with water he was not capable of drinking. He was terribly skinny and was SCREAMING for us to help him. We found a local man who works at a dairy barn and took him with us to look at the calf. He immediately took us to the dairy barn for a bottle and fresh milk. The man was shocked at the calf's condition and promised to contact the owner and ask if he could take the calf to the dairy barn until it is healthier. We will check on him again tomorrow. If he is not at the dairy barn we will bring the police back to the shed and take the animal. Cows in pastures that are unstable are developing mastitis from not being milked. We are releasing them and shooing them down the roads into town where the dairy barns take care of them. It is very cold and windy there and it rains most days, even in dry season. We slide down mud hills and struggle up mud hills. We go into houses and sheds that are tumbling down around us. When it does not rain, the dust is terrible because so much of the land has been laid bare by the quake and resulting landslides. The police have been VERY cooperative with us and have been a huge help getting us into areas that are in the most danger. They bring animals to us if they find them. They flag us through the roadblocks with no hesitation. If there is a crisis with an animal they call us to come to the scene. They know we were the first on the scene (Monday) and are doing what needs to be done. They do NOT like the 2 big money groups because when they took animals to them they were turned away just like the locals who bring animals who no longer have families. Those groups didn't even get there until Wednesday and were still getting "organized" Friday. They had not done ANY rescue before that. They told everyone, "We're not prepared to take any animals. We are still getting organized." If we happen across a crisis, the other groups will just be standing there with their hands in their pockets, watching the animal suffer. The police are always so glad to see us arrive. Even the vets who are volunteering for those groups are coming to me for proper needles, syringes, meds, etc. I just cannot believe these groups are here so ill prepared. Most of my medical supplies have been used up, loaned to vets, or have disappeared when we come back out of a slide area. We brought out two full grown goats Saturday night. One in a large dog crate. One in my back seat with my daughter and a helper. Please say prayers for us as we are going into another area tomorrow and matters will definitely be worse. It has been a long time since some of these animals have had any food or water. Pray that we can save them. I will write more when I can. Thanks for the prayers and good thoughts, Kitten"

Mr BudBud's Blog. Updates for Lighthouse Animal Rescue and donation links.

WARNING: Not every Pet Rescue Organization is what it should be!

When dealing with any pet rescue organization, whether to adopt, donate, or give up your pet, please take the time to investigate the organization fully. Don't be afraid to ask them about their mission goals and policies. Ask for a veterinarian reference, and call the vet. Ask if they're sanctioned by their city or county, or if they're doing this on their own. There are people who represent themselves as "rescue", when actually, they're just in the market for free dogs to breed or sell.

Read this article from the Birmingham News dated 12-31-09.

And, there are organizations that appear to be legitimate, but are actually run by individuals who have an abnormal craving for media attention, and will do or say anything to get it. These people capitalize on any situation they become involved in, holding bogus "benefits" and begging for donations that perhaps end up in the pockets of the hierarchy of the organization. The participants thrive on exaggerated gossip and innuendo. Such organizations over-dramatize the truth, and make a big noise on their websites regarding "foster homes needed", yet, quite often, applications submitted by potential foster or adoption homes are ignored. Why would this be? One explanation is that dogs turned over to the organization are retained by members of the organization, and not really put up for adoption. Statements such as "desperate condition", "not leash trained" (like that's some kind of disease), and "the puppies are fighting for their lives" are used to stir public anger and generate funding. When phrases like these are used to describe dogs and puppies that appear to be active, well-fed, and healthy in their photos and television clips, an intelligent person would realize somebody, whether the press or the pet rescue organization, has an agenda other than helping pets in need.

A particularly frightening situation is when an "organization" is actually one person when you peel away the foster homes and volunteers; one person controlling the money, the press releases, the zealot website, the distribution of the animals collected, and one person filing to incorporate the "organization". There are no checks and balances for this person, so she can get away with deplorable displays of poor manners and un-Christian-like behavior. Over time, it's only natural for this person to feel somewhat untouchable. When such a person sends her minions out to intimidate people, things have really gotten out of hand. It happens. I've seen it, and yes, it's frightening. It's kind of like the Emperor's new clothes - none of the peons in the organization have the balls to stand up and say, "Hey - you're naked!" (or "Hey, your behavior is so bad, I'm ashamed to be associated with you!")

Another concern is when a rescue organization takes liberties with dogs that are only temporarily in their care. This can happen when a local humane society shelter does not have enough room for a large number of purebred dogs that are taken from their home and placed in the temporary custody of a rescue organization that claims to be staffed by "volunteers". For reasons I can't imagine, vaccination records are ignored, and previously vaccinated dogs are vaccinated again. This is a dangerous practice, and indicates little regard for the dogs. One also has to wonder about the ethics of the veterinarian who would do such a thing. When the dogs are returned to the owner, the proper protocol would be to notify the owner of vaccinations given and testing done on the dogs. This would especially be appropriate in an instance where the owner is expected to pay a large sum of money to the organization for the boarding of said dogs. If an organization is run by someone who can't admit they made a mistake, one has to wonder what other "mistakes" are not disclosed.

If you're surrendering your pet to a rescue organization, ask about their adoption policy. Ask to see their adoption application and contract. Ask if they do a home check prior to adoption. Ask what their adoption fee is. If it sounds high to you, then this organization is actually selling pets for profit, not adopting them. The most common adoption fee reputable rescue organizations charge is $100. It is the same whether the pet is a purebred or not, and a puppy certainly does not command a higher price. If the adoption fee is more than $100., it's likely you've come in contact with a "pet dealer" or "puppy broker", regardless of what they call themselves.

Find out exactly where your pet will be kept while it's waiting for a permanent home. Ask if there's a time limit for how long your pet will be kept. If your pet is not altered, make sure it will be prior to being adopted. It would be appropriate for you to donate some money to pay for or at least help pay for your pet's medical expenses, if you can afford to do so. If the rescue organization allows unaltered pets to be adopted, do not leave your pet with them. Visit the rescue organization's facility before committing to giving them your pet. Make sure the place is clean, not over-crowded, and secured with adequate fencing. Ask to see the pets already in their care, and ask how long each has been there. Ask what methods of advertising the organization uses to find suitable homes for pets. If they have a web site, look at it carefully. It should be a professional presentation of information about the organization and their adoptable pets, not just sob stories and pleas for money. For more information on giving up your pet, read Kitten's article When You Can No Longer Keep Your Pet.

If you're looking to adopt a dog, ask the aforementioned questions, and also if the dog will have all its medical needs taken care of prior to adoption. If not, have it put in writing what he will need after you take him home. Make sure he's been examined by a vet before you commit to adopting him, and ask to see the vet's report. If this is not available, call the vet. Examine the dog carefully for dental problems, mobility problems, eye injury, ear infection, skin growths, etc. Ask for any background information that might be available, but keep in mind many rescue organizations make up tragic stories about their pets so the public will feel sorry for them. The sad scenerio of being "kept in a cage" doesn't hold a lot of water when some over-crowded rescue organizations keep former housepets in small pet carriers and cages, and view this as perfectly acceptable. Sometimes it's nearly useless to ask questions, since many of the answers won't exactly be true. You can "read between the lines" on some rescue websites when they describe a dog as "never having any attention" yet "craves your love and attention". Anyone who knows anything about dogs will know that a dog who was raised with little human contact would have no reason to crave it. It would take months, if not years, for an isolated dog like this to understand what it means to be a pet, a companion for a human. The point being that a dog who craves attention is one who is accustomed to having it.

A reputable rescue organization will insist that you return the dog to them should it not work out in your home. You should expect to be interviewed and observed with the dog you're interested in adopting. A responsible rescue person will want to feel certain you and the dog are a good match. Don't be offended if you're turned down for a particular dog. It's possible another dog might be a better match for you and your family.

Donate to a rescue person or organization only if you can visit the establishment or if the establishment has been recommended to you by someone you trust! If possible, meet the people and the pets in their care. Make sure you agree with their policies before you fund them. Take extra caution to make sure their actions will never prove to be a source of embarrassment to you. Ask for a written "mission statement", which should explain the rescue organization's goals and purpose. There is some debate among rescue organizations whether or not it's a good idea to purchase abused or neglected dogs or cats. Some feel it's inappropriate to put money in the pockets of puppy mill operators. This would include purchasing retired breeding stock and defective dogs directly from puppy mills, as well as bidding on them at puppy mill auctions. Others feel money is not an issue if it will get mistreated or neglected dogs out of a bad situation. In principle, I don't agree with it, but I know if I saw a dog in need at an auction, I would do whatever I could to get it out of there.

If you're considering fostering for a rescue organization, once again, make sure you are familiar with and agree with their policies. Learn as much as you can about them before you associate yourself with them. Be very clear about what you'll be expected to pay for, and what they'll pay for. Understand that many large, well advertised rescue organizations receive bequeaths, and are not as poor as they might pretend to be. Make sure you have the time to devote to a potentially shy pet, or one who will require daily medications. It might be wise to set a deadline by which the pet either needs to go to another foster home or be adopted, unless you're prepared to keep the pet for an unlimited amount of time. Some rescue organizations put more effort into acquiring animals than finding them permanent homes, so it's possible you might be expected to keep the pet for many months. If the pet is older, not socialized, not housebroken, or has medical problems, it will probably take longer to find a suitable home.

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