Nadine Tare
| Hi, another rescuer checking in....Three other
Hoflin members and I started New Jersey Schnauzer Rescue Network a
little over 2 years ago. Our group now boasts 20 members located
throughout the northeastern US. I feel privileged to be able to work with such a dedicated group of people.
Our group originally started helping people find new homes for their
schnauzers via online contacts, and to this day, much of the work NJSRN
does is via e-mail; several of us have never met in person. You
can see details about our rescue program on our website at http://www.njsrn.petfinder.org. Basically, we get our dogs from shelters (strays or owner turn-ins) or owner give-ups (usually due to divorce, moving into a retirement home, allergies, death of owner, can't devote enough time to the dog, etc.). We take each dog into foster care, and the dog is vetted, spayed/neutered, brought up to date on shots, checked for heartworms and intestinal parasites, and we take care of basic medical needs -- dental cleaning, cyst removal, etc. We will also provide for major medical needs such as bladder stone surgery. The foster home also does a temperament evaluation, and tests the dog with kids, cats, and other dogs if possible. The dog is groomed prior to placement. We screen adoptive homes carefully (an adoption application, including references, is required), and we do our best to make sure the dog is an appropriate match for the home -- we find good homes for our rescue dogs, as opposed to finding dogs for the people on our waiting list. An adoption contract is signed, and the dog must be returned to rescue if it cannot be kept, at any time in the future. We do follow-up, and help during the adjustment period. We will take in any schnauzer (except for those with a history of biting), or a schnauzer-mix if it is under about 35 pounds and doesn't shed (or sheds minimally). Our group re-homed about 85 schnauzers and schnauzer mixes in 1999, and facilitated the adoption (direct from owners or shelters) of several dozen more. We have placed every dog we have taken into rescue, with the exception of 3 that had to be put down (one was vicious, and the other two were terminally ill). We have found homes for dogs from puppyhood up to 15 years of age, although most of our rescues are middle aged. We have placed blind dogs and several others with special needs. We will not ship our rescues or do long distance adoptions, although we help with local area transport. Our group covers NJ, NY, PA, CT, DE, MD and VA, and we coordinate with other schnauzer rescuers in surrounding states. Our wish list? Dedicated foster homes, people who can help with transport, more foster homes, additional vets willing to give a decent rescue discount, adoptive homes willing to actually *work* with a rescue dog and not expect it to be an "instant" perfect pet, foster homes, adopters who do not use tie-outs, electric fences, or allow their dog off leash in non-fenced areas, and, oh yes, did I mention foster homes? Subject: Unscrupulous rescues |