Guardians of Rescue is an organization based in New York that has a mission of helping all animals in distress. They provide such services as rehabilitation, rescue and foster care. They also help families who have economic difficulty with their pets. Often times, people in economic trouble decide they need to give up their pet, as they can no longer afford the cost of food and health care.
“If someone does feel they need to place their animal, they should make every effort to find it a safe and loving home,” explains Dori Scofield, vice president of Guardians of Rescue. “It is all too easy for the animals to fall into the wrong hands.”
The group makes note that every year millions of people in the U.S. give up their family pet for various reasons. Shelters around the country take in 5-7 million animals per year, with half of them coming from pet owners who relinquish the animal. The issue is that on average, 60 percent of those dogs and 70 percent of those cats will be euthanized.
To ensure the pet’s long and happy life, following are suggestions offered by Guardians of Rescue on how to safely rehome a pet if this becomes absolutely necessary:
- Find someone you personally know to take the pet. Start by asking friends and family.
- Ask for references, including a veterinarian, and make sure other animals in the home are spayed/neutered and current on vaccines and annual check-ups.
- Never advertise the pet as being “free.” This opens the door to the animal ending up with someone who will not care for it properly.
- If someone you don’t know very well is referred to you, visit the potential home so you can see first-hand where the animal will live. Notice if there are other pets in the household, and if so, how they are being cared for.
- Discuss with the person whether they will have the time and funds that it takes to care for the pet.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Be aggressive so that you can learn more about the person and help protect the pet in its future home.
- Call a local rescue group to see if they can help with referrals or any paperwork.
- Only use trusted websites, such as Adopt-A-Pet and PetFinder, to offer information about your pet. Other advertising websites are often targeted sites for predators looking to collect animals for research or other abusive situations.
- Always charge a fee for the pet. People tend to value things more that they pay for, and that includes your pet. Your pet should also be spayed/neutered and current on vaccinations and health care before rehoming takes place.
“The best thing to do is first try to keep your pet and address the issue at hand,” added Scofield. “After exhausting those avenues, if you still need to rehome the pet, always take these precautionary measures to help keep it safe when it leaves your house. It makes a big difference in assuring that the animal can continue to live out its life in a healthy, happy home.”
The Guardians of Rescue is located at 34 East Main Street, Suite 303, Smithtown, NY 11787 Telephone: 888-287-3864 or 631-681-5443
If you would like to consider adopting a pet in need, please visit their list of adoptable pets online and email adoptions@guardiansofrescue.org with further questions.
To learn more about Guardians of Rescue, visit their website or follow their activities on Facebook.
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Email info@GeminiUniversal.com if you have comments or a story you would like me to share. I currently write as NJ Animal Rescue Examiner, National Cats Examiner, National Pet Health Examiner, and National General Pets Examiner. Follow me on Twitter and visit us on Facebook for news and updates.
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