Ruff Start Rescue Blog

Did you know that black rescue dogs are often the last to be adopted and the first to be euthanized in shelters across the country?  Sadly, it seems that they are more common and considered too ordinary by some.  Their faces are also harder to capture in the important photos that rescuers and adopters look through online.  Some adopters even mistakenly think that a black coat equals a mean temperament (totally inaccurate).  Because of all these factors…the life of a black shelter dog can be lonely and even short-lived.

For an in-depth look at this phenomenon…check out one of our favorite rescue blogs that beautifully portrays the plight of black rescue dogs… http://luckydogrescueblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/black-dog-syndrome.html

And the next time you are visiting the shelter or browsing rescue dogs online…please don’t forget to stop and consider all of the beautiful black dogs who eagerly await their turn to be loved.  Here are just a few of the black Ruff Start pups who stole our hearts…

Floyd

Foxy

Elmer

Ever wonder what that monthly heartworm prevention is actually doing for your dog?  It is protecting your pet from a potentially devastating disease that is expensive to treat.  Because of warm climate and exposure to mosquitos, dogs in southern states are at higher risk of being infected by heartworms.  Many of the dogs that end up in southern shelters have lived their lives outside without preventative veterinary care — which makes them prime candidates for heart worm infection.  Don’t think that those in other regions are safe, however…heartworm is found in dogs in all 50 states.

Because of the costs associated with treatment, many rescues cannot financially commit to heartworm positive dogs.  Testing is not usually performed until after the dog has been sent for vetting and sadly, many are returned to the shelter to almost certain euthanization.

Here at Ruff Start we stand behind every dog we save and pay for the treatment needed to save their lives.  Approximately 1 out of every 3 dogs we save tests positive.   Our adoption fees do not begin to cover these costs, so we rely on donations to help us make up the difference.  All of our treated dogs have come through beautifully and are on their way to living long, healthy lives with their new families. These are a few of the Ruff Start dogs who were saved, despite heartworm infection.

Baxter

Laddie

Connor

If you would like to help us save more dogs like Baxter, Laddie and Connor, please visit Ruffstartrescueny.org and consider donating to help us battle these escalating costs.

For more information about canine heartworm and treatment…check out the following information provided by The American Heartworm Society.  http://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-owner-resources/canine-heartworm.html

Our foster dog Murphy begging to be saved on the day he was to be euthanized.

Aside from adopting, there is no other greater gift that you can give a rescue dog than to provide a foster home. Of all the hats I wear as an animal rescuer, there is none more rewarding than being a foster mom. The dogs that come into our home are in need of a meal, a bath and a warm place to stay. Sometimes their spirits are broken and they need to learn to trust again…as heartbreaking as it is to see, these are my favorites. Many of our rescue dogs come to us starved of food, care and affection, and it is my privilege to watch them blossom once they’ve been showered with these necessities. Yes, it’s hard to say good bye, but you know that you have helped a rescue dog prepare for the wonderful life that awaits them. Please enjoy the following article that so eloquently describes how we at RSR feel about our foster families.   stubbydog.org/2011/10/everyday-heroes-foster-families/

Murphy the day we took him to his forever family.

If you would like to open your home to one of our rescue dogs, there are foster applications on our site. On the fence and want to know more about fostering before you give it a try? Shoot us an email and we would love to go over how it works.  Each dog that goes to a foster home frees up a space for another dog to be saved.

Ever wonder how the Ruff Start dogs make their way up to us in New York? Most of our dogs come to us by licensed transporters that make the drive in vans and SUV’s over the course of a couple of days. The transporters go to great lengths to care for the dogs and keep them comfortable, but it does make for a big trip. Last week we received an offer from the group Pilots N Paws to fly six of our dogs up from the Carolinas into Westchester County Airport. We were so excited to be part of this amazing experience! A group of volunteers met the pilot, Scott Messinger at the airport and greeted the crew and passengers with lots of big hugs. Because of PNP, we were able to get Layla, Lindy, Dean and puppies Lolly, Cherry & Poppy up to us sooner…which enabled us to get to work finding their forever homes even faster (most of these darlings are now available for adoption on our site). To learn more about Pilots N Paws or to donate toward more flights for deserving pets, visit them at www.pilotsnpaws.org…and they even have their own blog which highlights the trip with the RSR dogs! http://pilotsnpaws.org/2012/01/does-pilot-scott-ever-stop-answer-not-as-long-as-animals-need-him/  Thanks again Pilot Scott Messinger and everyone at Pilots N Paws!

Welcome to our first attempt at blogging here at RSR! We hope to use this opportunity to share issues going on in the world of dog rescue, while at the same time hopefully answering some of the questions we get about our group.

We are often asked where do our dogs come from…

Because of pet overpopulation problems in states in the South and Midwest, the shelters are overcrowded with dogs and cats who would make wonderful pets if given the chance. We work together with volunteers in these shelters to select dogs to bring up to New York and place them in loving homes. This process is wonderfully described in the following article in the Chappaqua-Mt. Kisco Patch. It features our rescue and was written by local dog trainer Sarah Hodgson, who also donates her expertise to our group.

http://chappaqua.patch.com/articles/dogs-without-borders

Welcome to our new blog! We hope that you enjoy meeting our pups and hearing all about our rescue efforts!