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samadmin

02-16-2006, 06:08 PM

From Beverley: “Why did you establish a rescuer application process just for listing on your website?"

Because it is “our” website and “our” list of contacts. We found that people using the RPOA Rescue List had the impression that RPOA had qualified these rescuers in some way. For years we just added any rescuer who asked to be put on it and thought nothing of it. The rescuer’s name, phone, email, group name, website (if applicable) were listed along with the national breed rescue organization and their information. We have always had a disclaimer that RPOA should be notified in writing if there are problems with anyone on our listing.

There is definitely a liability involved in putting forth a list of rescue contacts. Rescuers and RPOA could be sued if there is an incident after placing an animal. What started out to be a simple little “community service” developed into something much larger. We felt we should either discontinue the listing or have new procedures to be on it. So we pulled our list from the website last year and revamped the entire process. We had about 400 breed contacts at that time but their contact information had become outdated, emails had changed, and some rescuers had quit rescuing. We are in the process of developing our new list, but it’s a slow process getting back the required paperwork from rescuers. We started from Ground Zero and will be posting the new List to our website soon – such as it is right now.

There was a raid in San Antonio several years ago where 47 Italian Greyhounds were seized and the owner charged with animal cruelty. This story went all over the country. The IG’s were kept in crates and neighbors had complained for years of the stench coming from the house. The owner was a member of many AKC clubs (Obedience, Owner Handlers, All Breed Kennel Club). She had been on our rescue list for years but didn’t even do rescue. We knew this but just hadn’t gotten around to updating the list. Since none of the IG’s seized were rescued dogs, we assume she wanted on the list to place some of her own dogs that she had bred. It was very bad publicity for rescuers but I feel we’ve lived it down. Of course, when something like this happens, it makes all of us look bad.

I’m sure you noticed during the hurricanes, rescuers came out of the woodwork. One rescue group was prominent in the media who allegedly took too many dogs and didn’t care for them properly. There are “good rescuers” and there are “bad rescuers.” So credibility is very important. We hope our new List will provide that.

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From Jim: "What are the main things RPOA has found that humane societies, shelters and animal controls are asking rescuers to provide before they “work” with them?"

Austin’s Animal Control Division (Town Lake Animal Center) developed an extensive application to be qualified by their Facility to take animals, including personal financial information. They wanted to be sure you could afford to “rescue.” We’ve had an uproar in Central Texas over the past two years in Austin and San Antonio, who developed a similar application. Both cities required a home inspection. In San Antonio, our rescuers have refused to apply as they objected to animal control officers going through their homes. Many rescuers are women who live alone. They don’t object to RPOA or their peers doing a home “visit.” We are hopeful that by having our application and approval process, all Texas shelters will be able to use our Rescue List with confidence that the animals are going to the right people. Being a state (Texas) federation for the American Kennel Club gives us credibility, but also a big responsibility to do it right.

Houston Animal Control and some shelters will only release animals to rescuers qualified by Texas Animal Release and Placement (TARPA). TARPA showed us the way with their program. We hope to do statewide (Texas) what TARPA has done in Houston. But it is a tremendous undertaking. It is ongoing as contact information changes constantly. New rescuers come aboard and “old” rescuers get burn out and quit.

samadmin

02-16-2006, 06:10 PM

If these have sparked some more questions you'd like to ask Mary Beth, email them to webinar@samoyedrescue.org

If you'd like to discuss anything from the answers to these questions, start a new thread in the open webinar forum http://www.samoyedrescue.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=193

samadmin

02-18-2006, 04:00 PM

#3. From Bev: What difficulties have you encountered in establishing the rescuer application process?

Up front, let me say that we have some rescuers who immediately sent us everything we requested. But getting all of the information from the majority of the rescuers we’ve contacted has been very slow. Since we were starting at Ground Zero, for the basic listing we decided that veterinarians are automatically qualified. Then we decided to accept rescuers affiliated with AKC national or state breed groups with only our RPOA signed Code of Ethics and the information we are to put on the list on our website. (Most of the national breed clubs already have strict requirements for their rescuers.) All the rescuers had to do is fill in the blanks for the info we requested and send the Code of Ethics. That sounds real easy, doesn’t it? Well, not so. We get the info back and then it may take a reminder and another month to get the Code of Ethics. To date, we have around 60 rescuers who have completed the entire process. The canned message went to all those on our old listing first. Now we have two board members working on this who are going to the AKC National Breed Clubs’ websites and sending our canned message to all the Texas rescuers listed there.

We’ve also found about 50% of rescuers contacted no longer do “rescue.” It seems there is a window of 5-8 years or so when rescuers either get burnout or have lifestyle changes which no longer allow them to continue with rescue. So we’ll have to find other rescuers to cover those breeds.

All other individual rescuers will have to go through the complete application process which includes: the application, signed Code of Ethics, their veterinarian’s referral, shelter referral (if applicable) and a home visit.
Once the basic Rescue List is posted to our website, it will get much easier. The listing and the liability insurance being offered should encourage others to fill out the paperwork. It is more difficult because we started with a “clean” list and are building it from scratch. It will be an ongoing project as there are always changes and additions to be made. We have no doubts that the list will grow. There is such interest in rescue now all over the country with more people interested in being foster homes and helping with the problem of unwanted pets in today’s throwaway society. When we started our first listing in 1991, there were only four rescuers in the San Antonio area! I know there are many rescuers in Texas now who don’t know about our program. But word will spread.

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#4. From James: In the validation process and with rescues working with shelters, humane societies and animal controls how important is a 501 c-3 tax exempt classification and liability insurance? In other words do most animal care givers ask for information on the tax exempt statis of rescues and the fact that they have or do not have insurance before working with them?

I can only speak for Texas and yes, more and more animal control facilities are inquiring about the non profit 501 (C)(3) status. I haven’t heard of any that actually require it yet. It definitely gives RPOA more status as an umbrella group and the new process for qualifying rescuers only adds to our credibility. Of course, there can always be a rescuer that we qualify who will fall on hard times or get overextended. We will encourage them to ask for help at an early stage. Our Texas network should be able to help them. Since “Rescue” has grown at such a phenomenal rate over the years, one can expect that there will be more scrutiny of individual rescuers before working with them. Animal control facilities and shelters never ask about liability insurance and it would probably never occur to them that any rescuer has liability insurance coverage. It is very expensive for an individual to do on their own. The liability insurance is of the most benefit to the rescuers themselves. With today’s sue-happy world, it is extremely risky to do rescue without such coverage. Dogs are animals and all dogs bite – if the circumstances are right, unfortunately. Cats scratch, etc.

samadmin

02-18-2006, 04:00 PM

samadmin

02-18-2006, 05:54 PM

#5. Question from Janet: When you decided to pull your list of rescues from your website was everyone OK with this, or were there some who were upset that you were no longer listing them? About what percentage have returned the paperwork you require?

We’ve had a very positive response, surprisingly. We felt like some rescuers might resent having to “qualify” before being listed. But we’re hearing that everyone feels it is a very good idea and they support it wholeheartedly. Good rescuers are always very concerned about their credibility and the damage done by animal “hoarders” or bad rescue facilities that are the subject of raids and media attention. This gives our Rescue List credibility.

We’ve had a number of those high profile media stories in Texas. Most of the raids are legitimate regarding animal cruelty. However some SPCAs use these raids for fundraising. We are hearing of some seizures that are questionable. Texas passed a law in 2003 which has no appeal. Your animals are gone before you’re even judged guilty or innocent and the owners owe thousands of dollars in “boarding fees” to the humane societies. So they usually just sign over the animals.

If you saw the 20/20 expose on SPCA of Texas last year, there were several animal seizure cases featured. The SPCA animal cruelty investigator was bullying on film and very heavy handed. 20/20 hired their own veterinarian to go out on the raid under the guise of being the cameraman who filmed the raid -- unbeknown to SPCA of Texas. The veterinarian/cameraman said there was no veterinarian that checked the animals and there were no signs of animal cruelty. The animal cruelty investigator for SPCA of Texas resigned amidst the ensuing uproar following the 20/20 Program. One thing is certain: Rescuers will receive more and more scrutiny in the future.

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#6. Question from Bev: How have you been promoting the rescuer application process to get rescuers to want to participate?

By direct contact with emails containing a canned message which explains the process and telling them what their partnership with RPOA has to offer. We say:
“What RPOA offers you:
1) A statewide network and support group.
2) Liability insurance coverage for Texas rescuers (as individuals, not groups) and foster homes. Insurance coverage is $10 in addition to $15 membership dues.
3) An E-mail List “RPOA Rescue” for Texas rescuers to network and assist each other with transport, home visits, vet referral, problem solving, etc.
To subscribe, send a message to:
RPOArescue-subscribe@yahoogroups.com (RPOArescue-subscribe@yahoogroups.com) .
4) A marketing tool for our rescue groups with statewide publicity.

Our San Antonio office serves as a liaison between the general public and the rescuers, who often provide expert advice regarding their breed to prospective new owners or those with dog behavior problems. Education is a big part of Rescue – in an effort to keep the dog/animal in its present home hopefully. We monitor legislation affecting Texas rescuers and pet owners in general and hope to receive grant funding in the future for our Rescue Program.”

samadmin

02-18-2006, 05:54 PM

samadmin

02-19-2006, 06:45 PM

#7. Question from Pat: What does RPOA's validation process actually consist of and how does it ensure the rescuer is and remains valid?

There is no perfect method to ensure a rescuer will never do anything wrong. There are lifestyle changes that no one expects. RPOA is not a police group. However since the rescuers are on our website and their names are given out to callers at our office, people do contact us if they have any complaints about the way the rescuer treated them and the condition of the rescuers’ premises. We’ve had them do this before we started the validation process. Some of those complaints were from applicants who wanted to adopt and didn’t measure up to the rescuer’s requirements to take one of their rescued animals! RPOA also stands tall and lets rescuers know if they have a problem with too many dogs, etc. to let us know and our network will help them correct it. We’ve even helped pet owners who are overextended with the number of pets they have. We also have a Pet Education, Assistance and Rescue (PEAR) Program for all pet owners. RPOA is here to make life easier for our rescuers. We’ll be applying for grant funds this year to pay spay/neuter surgery fees for rescued animals. We are in the running for a grant now which will get the fund and procedures established, but won’t know until May if we get it.

I mentioned earlier that there is an expedited process for rescuers affiliated with national and state breed rescue organizations. These rescuers are usually monitored by their respective organizations. We only require our signed RPOA Code of Ethics and the information we need for the public listing on our website from these rescuers. Individuals are a different matter as these tend to be the ones who don’t adhere to any code of ethics and often wind up on the 10 O’clock News in trouble. With individuals, we require the completed application, signed RPOA Code of Ethics, their veterinarian’s referral, a shelter referral (if applicable), and a home visit. A file is set up in our office on all approved rescuers.

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#8. Question from Cari: Hi Mary Beth, Which three questions on RPOA's application for recognition are the MOST important to you in the validation process and why?

It is hard to pick only three because all the questions are important as are the attachments we request. “Very” important are: 1) How long they’ve been “in rescue” and their experience with their breed/species; 2) What are their adoption procedures; and 3) Their veterinarian’s referral. We do check out all references. The entire application is found at:
http://www.responsiblepetowners.org/Pet_Education__Assistance_and_/Rescue/Rescuer_Application/rescuer_application.html (http://www.responsiblepetowners.org/Pet_Education__Assistance_and_/Rescue/Rescuer_Application/rescuer_application.html)
As to why these three are important, obviously it is impossible to do breed/species rescue if you don’t know what you’re talking about. And a rescuer’s vet is a very credible reference because they tell us if the rescuer provides regular care and treatment for their own animals and their rescued animals. The RPOA Code of Ethics covers many more issues.

samadmin

02-19-2006, 06:45 PM

samadmin

02-20-2006, 07:59 PM

#9. Question from Barbara: How did RPOA decide what the criteria would be for listing rescues on your website?

After 15 years with our Rescue Program, it was easy to decide on the criteria. We tried to keep it as simple as possible. We also know what the animal controls and shelters have been asking for lately before they approve rescuers. However RPOA does NOT require financial proof that you can afford rescuing animals, which is a new requirement in Austin, TX. Locally in San Antonio, TX, our rescuers have refused to apply to San Antonio Animal Control because they don’t want animal control officers going through their homes for an inspection to qualify for their program. Perhaps you didn’t notice that the BTK killer was a code compliance/animal control officer. A lot of rescuers are single women living alone. We work closely with our local animal control on many levels and hope that eventually our Rescue Listing will be accepted by them. As I said earlier, this validation process is new for us and in its infancy. We’re in the midst of getting the word out and many rescuers in Texas don’t know about it yet. Since RPOA has always been a trailblazer in animal issues, there is no template for us to emulate.

Experience is a great teacher and we never will “know it all.” We continue to get better each year and build on what we have learned the previous year. Our rapid growth has caused us to pull back and reevaluate our programs each January. “Rescue” is dear to our heart and one of our major initiatives, but it isn’t our only program. In response to an overwhelming number of anti-pet ordinances and state laws being proposed in Texas, RPOA has researched and developed a 14 page document entitled “Animal Problems and Solutions.” We’re very concerned about the number of animals killed each year at Texas animal controls and obviously cities don’t really know what to do about their animal problems. And, Lord knows, the “animal rights” activists surely don’t know. Their only solution is to spay/neuter everything on four legs and stop all breeding of animals for any reason, including pet ownership. This represents an agenda and not a solution. We also have a Pet Retention Program which we hope will lower the number of pets surrendered to rescuers, animal controls and shelters.

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#10. Question from Cari: In your opinion and based on the feedback you've had yourself--why are some perfectly reliable rescues (or individual rescuers) not willing to go through RPOA's validation process?

We don’t have any indication yet that “perfectly reliable rescues or individual rescuers aren’t willing to go through our validation process.” We haven’t even made contact with the majority of breed rescuers statewide yet. We’re hearing about a lot of new rescuers that we never heard of before and still have to contact them. We have two RPOA board members working on this at the present time. This new program is in its infancy and it has become increasingly obvious to us that municipalities and animal shelters are becoming much more selective about whom they allow to take their animals.. It’s slow finding out who all the breed rescuers are in Texas, sending them information about our program, and then getting back all the paperwork we need. We may get part of it and then have to wait on other parts of the paperwork. But it is slowly coming in. We are well aware that our rescuers lead very busy lives with their jobs, families and their animals (with all that is involved in rescue -- returning phone calls and emails). So we’re patient and don’t mind waiting. We have a number of “old-timers” who just whipped it all together and got it in right away.

We have one local individual dog breed rescuer who has “postponed” her home visit all last year and we’re aware that code compliance has visited her home on several occasions. She has completed everything else. But this is the only holdout that we know of. We were encouraged by Texas Animal Release and Placement (TARPA) in the Houston area. TARPA doesn’t offer rescuers all that we do. We have an office, an Education and Rescue Coordinator, liability insurance coverage and other benefits that I mentioned previously. What other state has this to offer rescuers? Our Rescue Program is to their advantage, not ours. We haven’t had time yet to circulate our program via the many Rescuers’ Email Lists but will do so soon. Texas is a very big state. Word will spread faster when we get the new Rescue List posted on our website

samadmin

02-20-2006, 07:59 PM

samadmin

02-22-2006, 07:29 AM

#11. Question from Pam: What policies/ procedures does RPOA have in place to remove a rescuer who has proven through "due process" to not "subscribe" to RPOA's guidelines after the rescuer has been approved and listed on your website?

We have two co-chairmen of our Rescue Committee since it is such a large program. It is their duty to verify the accuracy of any complaints by talking to all parties involved and documenting the information. Then they present the information to the RPOA board of directors for a final resolution. This way the injured party doesn’t harbor any resentment against any one individual because it is a board decision.

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#12. Question from Jim: Along with the validation and listing process what is envisioned by the RPOA Board as their future role in the Texas Rescue Community?

Responsible Pet Owners Alliance is the sum total of all our members do. We’re an umbrella organization and this gives us leverage in many areas; legislation, fundraising and public relations. There’s strength in numbers. Our local newspaper did a great story on our all-species Rescue Program several years ago. Everyone is impressed at our listing of rescuers and all they do in our communities, which saves taxpayer dollars. Our slogan has always been: “None of us is as good as all of us.” We now receive phone calls to our office from people who want to adopt a purebred instead of only wanting to give us another unwanted purebred pet. We want to do everything we can to make the rescuers’ job easier. We hold our Third Annual Rescuers Conference this April which is a chance for the rescuers to put faces behind all the email addresses on our RPOA Rescue E-List. It recharges their batteries and let’s them know that they aren’t the only ones dealing with some very irresponsible pet owners many times. Rescue can sometimes be very depressing and this is their support group.

Rescuers and breeders continue to be targets of legislation requiring registration and contain provisions that can’t be met in a home environment. RPOA defeated a state regulation about 10 years ago that would have closed down every home-based rescuer in Texas. Animal shelters, especially the very large ones in the San Antonio area, perceive Rescuers to be competition many times and support this type of legislation. These shelters always have room for purebreds, especially the small dogs. We find smaller animal shelters in Texas are more eager to work with rescuers than the larger shelters. At the present time, our San Antonio Animal Control isn’t working with rescuers at all and put the purebreds in their Adoption Kennel to bring in more adoption fees for the city. The administrator told me personally they have really increased revenue to the general fund over the past year. We continue to monitor this situation.

RPOA will continue adding more qualified rescuers until we have the best listing in the country. We have definitely been blessed thus far and let’s hope it continues.

samadmin

02-23-2006, 07:20 AM

#13-- Question from Janet: I wasn't aware that AKC had state federations. Can you explain more about what role RPOA plays in that relationship with AKC?

Almost all the states have a federation and sometimes more than one, which can be confusing I would imagine. We received the AKC Community Achievement Award in 2004 which included a check for $1,000. AKC provides some excellent pet educational materials. We’ve placed them in all the elementary school libraries in Bexar County over the years. We take all species of pets to the elementary schools in the areas where the most animals are picked up and make presentations on pet care, treatment and bite prevention.

Our 3rd Annual “Responsible Pet Ownership Day” is held each September in conjunction with AKC’s “Responsible Dog Ownership Day” which is held all over the country in September. This year the City of San Antonio is our co-sponsor and provides the location for us. We offer low cost microchips and rabies vaccinations, Canine Good Citizen (CGC tests), heart tests, conformation and obedience fun matches, and a canine drill team which offers a performance, pet educational materials, ask a vet, etc. It’s a fun day.

Most of the AKC state federations are formed to oppose bad legislation and do nothing else. But RPOA goes way beyond that. We work closely with our local city officials and animal control administrator to solve our animal problems which are legion. We are promoting microchips for ID and the AKC CGC Tests as that will return more lost pets to owners and dog training increases the human/animal bond. Last state legislative session, our House of Representatives passed a Resolution supporting the use of AKC’s CGC Test!

It is the state federations who do the footwork for AKC. We are in the trenches monitoring local and state laws that are detrimental to pet owners, attending hearings, meeting with city officials and state legislators, etc. The “Animal Rights” Movement is opposed to the use, breeding, and ownership of animals for any reason, including pet ownership. In the last six years, they have spawned an increasing amount of legislation. And it will only continue to worsen. Rescuers sometimes think all home based breeders (often call “backyard breeders”) should be shut down, but fail to realize that much of the legislation would also shut down home based rescuers. The only laws needed are strictly enforced Leash Laws, Animal Nuisance and Animal Cruelty Laws.

AKC writes city officials and state legislators supporting the federation’s position on legislation. They provide us with a list of all Texas AKC Clubs which we have in a database for mail outs. They’ve also provided us with a list of state legislators each session. AKC has one person who handles state legislation and another person for local legislation. There’s so much going on in Texas that we are in constant communication. It has proven to be a beneficial relationship for both sides. It gives us instant credibility to be an AKC state federation and we make AKC look good.

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#14-- Question from Jim: Earlier you mentioned that RPOA was in the process of developing an "umbrella" insurance coverage for rescues who have gone through the validation process. Will you explain how RPOA envisions this to work for the benefit of rescuers while at the same time "diminishing" the liability for RPOA?

Our Liability Insurance Policy was written especially for us by the Hartford Insurance Company. Insurers pay $10 in addition to $15 annual RPOA dues for coverage. We can only cover individual rescuers, not a group by name. Our dues run from January thru December. Our Rescue Program only covers Texas as we’re a very big state and that’s all we can handle.

There will always be a liability for RPOA as a group and for each individual rescuer. You can’t predict the behavior of animals under all types of circumstances, no matter how hard you train and socialize them. They are animals and all animals bite. They could bite or worse yet kill someone years down the road and all of us in the paper trail would be sued. You could lose everything you own. There are too many ignorant people out there who do the dumbest things sometimes where animals are concerned. Would you own a home without Homeowners Insurance? I think not. Nor should any rescuer be without Liability Insurance. It is peace of mind which is the best benefit of all.

Jim Becklund

02-23-2006, 05:59 PM

So ends the first part of our very first in the ongoing Webinar Series. The whole idea oif a question and answer webinar was new to most of us so we were all holding our breath for the entire week :odie: . I'd first like to thank all of you who sent in questions for Mary Beth to answer. You definitely had some questions that made us all stop and think.

To Mary Beth a fabulous lady and to RPOA with projects on behalf of rescues and dog owners a large THANK YOU. To Mary Beth personally I would, as Jan Cooper would say, "kudos" to you and you get the dog biscuit award for your participation ;) .

Later this evening Jan will post a few final comments I hope you enjoy them.

Part Two of this webinar begins on Friday. Well, actually it begins on Friday but goes on as long as the thread is active. Starting Friday there will begin a general discussion thread on the topic open to forum members, guests and the general public. If you have any questions or need to voice an opinion (in a respectful manner, of course) feel free to post and come back often to review the discussion. Mary Beth may pop in now and then to offer her, the RPOA organizations and the RPOA boards advice and insight.

It is our sincerest hope that you all enjoyed our first effort. More to come soon:D .

Jim Becklund

02-23-2006, 06:02 PM

:D
Hi Again,
Please excuse the typos and a few slips in the previous message. I'm just so excited that this went sooooo well

samadmin

02-23-2006, 08:13 PM

General Comments from Mary Beth:
It has been a pleasure hearing from all of you. Please don’t hesitate to contact RPOA at any time if you need more information or if you have suggestions to make our Rescue Program better. You provide such a public service in your community and do a much better job of re-homing pets than any shelter can because of the individual attention you give the animals: living in a foster home for rehabilitation, the evaluation and socialization. I know all of you do follow up to make sure the placement is working and if it isn’t working, take back the animal with no questions asked. No shelter or animal control does all that you do. Rescuers are very special people. Keep up the good work and thanks for inviting me to participate in your Webinar.