How can you help rescue?

Many people think if they can't foster dogs, they can't help rescue.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  Here is a partial list of things YOU may be able to do.  Please feel free to email additional suggestions if you think of any!


1. Apply to be a rescue representative for your area.

2. Pay for an ad in your local/metropolitan paper giving contact information for rescue.

3. Transport a dog.

4. Go to the local shelter and watch out for needy dogs.

5. Provide local vet clinics with contact information and/or educational materials on responsible pet ownership.

6. Attend public education days and try to educate people on responsible pet ownership.

7. Conduct a home visit or accompany a rescue person on the home visit.

8. Go with a rescue person to the vet to help if there is more than one dog.

9. Write a column for your local newspaper, club or rescue newsletter on dogs currently looking for homes, ways to help rescue, or responsible dog ownership in general.

10. Drive a rescue to and from vet appointments.

11. Talk to local vets and encourage them to offer discounts to rescues.

12. Maintain web sites listing/showing dogs available.

13. Help organize and run fundraising events.

14. Hang a poster at the grocery store, giving contact information for rescue.

15. Go to a foster home once a week to help socialize a dog.

16. Let rescue know when/where you'll be flying and that you'd be willing to be a rescued dog's escort.

17. Put together an *Owner's Manual* for those who adopt rescued dogs of your breed.

18. Provide post-adoption follow up or support.

19. Offer to test a foster dog with cats.

20. Microchip your own dogs if you are a breeder, and register the chips, so if your dogs ever come into rescue, you can be contacted to take responsibility for your dog.

21. Donate a small percentage of the sale of each dog to rescue if you are a breeder.

22. Have a yard sale and donate the money to rescue.

23. Make a financial donation (even the smallest amount helps).

24. Donate a dog bed or towels or other bedding type items.

25. Donate a sterilized bone, A chew toy, or stuffed squeaky toy.

26. Donate a crate.

27. Donate a blanket or baby blankets.

28. Donate a stainless steel food dish.

29. Donate a martingale, or collar and leash.

30. Donate some grooming supplies (shampoos, brushes, ear cleaner,

toothbrush/toothpaste, etc.).

31. Donate some treats or a bag of food.

32. Donate long distance calling cards.

33. Donate a gift certificate to a pet store (one that sells supplies only).

34. Donate a raffle item if your club is holding a fund raiser.

35. Donate flea control products (Bio-Spot, Advantage, Frontline, etc.).

36. Donate a canine first aid kit.

37. Donate a spay or neuter each year (or some vaccinations).

38. Donate a bottle of bleach or other cleaning products.

39. Donate or loan a portable xpen to a foster home.

40. Donate printer paper, envelopes and stamps to your rescue.

41. Donate sheets of linoleum or other flooring materials to put under crates

to protect the foster home's flooring.

42. Donate other types of dog toys that might be safe for rescues.

43. Buy two of those really neat dog items you "have to have" and donate one to Rescue.

44. Donate the use of your scanner or digital camera.

45. Donate the use of a photocopier.

46. Make book purchases through Amazon via the IGCA rescue link.

47. Host rescue photos with an information link on your website.

48. Loan your carpet steam cleaner to someone who has fostered a dog that was sick or marked in the house.

49. Use your video camera to film a rescue dog in action.

50. Pay the cost of shipping a dog to its new home.

51. Pay a house-cleaning service to do the spring cleaning for someone who fosters dogs all the time.

52. Lend your artistic talents to your rescue's newsletter, fundraising ideas, t-shirt designs.

53. Go with a rescue person to the vet if a foster dog needs to be euthanized due to incurable health conditions and suffering.

54. Go to local shelters and meet with shelter staff about how to identify your breed or provide photos and breed information showing the different types of that breed may come in and the different color combinations.

55. Go to local businesses and solicit donations for a rescue's fundraising event.

56. Help pet owners be better pet owners by being available to answer training questions.

57. Loan a crate if a dog needs to travel by air.

58. Donate a coupon for a free car wash or gas or inside cleaning of a vehicle for a foster home.

59. Make financial arrangements in your will to cover the cost of caring for your dogs after you are gone - so Rescue won't have to.

60. Make a bequest in your will to your local or national Rescue.

61. Donate your professional services as an accountant or lawyer.

62. Donate other services if you run your own business.

63. Loan your cell phone (and cover costs for any calls) to someone transporting a rescue.

64. Donate your *used* xpen/crate when you get a new one.

65. Organize a rescued dog picnic or other event to reunite the other adopters and volunteers.

66. Educate friends/family/coworkers on the reasons NOT to buy from a petstore. Encourage them to adopt from rescues or shelters, or to purchase ONLY from a responsible breeder.

67. Join your local kennel club or dog training club and become involved in community-level activities.

68. Volunteer at your local shelter/humane society.

69. Place a link from your own website to this page.

70. Donate a domain name and web hosting package to a rescue organization.  Domain names cost as little as $12/year and nice webhosting packages can be found for $4.95/month.

71. Remember that rescuing a dog involves the effort and time of many people and make yourself available on an emergency basis to do *whatever* is needed.

72. Do something not listed above to help rescue.


Information from:  Kismet IGs and Whippets home page