Rescue Procedure

[painted_ponies]

Wow.

 

Around here, most of the time the surrendering party's name, address, phone number and nowadays, email address is written on a clipboard and attached to the outside of the run. I had no idea info like this was a state secret in other parts of the country.

 

In fact, we recently had a state senator who adopted a GSD bitch from the Marion County shelter, put her in a substandard fence, didn't spay her, and when she got knocked up surrendered her back to the same (high kill) shelter. All of which made not just the local papers but got picked up on the net pet boards. Y'all want to know the state senator's reaction? It was like this:

 

BTW, the GSD bitch and all eleven pups got rescued.

 

So I don't know how to respond to Jodi's question, just because it never occurred to me anyone would consider this information confidential. I can't imagine how it would be.

[urge to herd]

Our shelters (private not for profit and municipal) do keep owner surrender information confidential from individual adoptors. Don't know what the policy is on releasing a dog to a rescue organization.

 

Ruth n the BC3

[Kyrasmom]

Well, Jodi, your replies have certainly raised more questions as to your reasoning in my opinion with the exception of the last one wthich was more comprehensive. I understand where you're coming and it's probably wrong for the information to be released to anyone however there's a part of me that also says, if you're dumping your dog, I don't much care about your confidentiality. As I said, I personally wouldn't confront anyone because they're non-issues in my life but I also feel no need to have them protected. It's very biased and not politically correct, I know, but then it's not so nice to dump the dog either. If it were up to me, anyone who dumped a dog would get their name in the paper under "people dumping their dog this week". Of course this would only lead to people throwing them away privately...so it's a never ending circle but I just don't have it in me to feel much of anything positive for anyone who dumps their dog...especially at a kill facility.

 

By the same token, any rescue who mis-steps or speaks out of turn gets trashed by anyone who feels they have an opinion.....

[Northof49]

What I have done with Border Collies we have pulled from Shelters that are owner surrenders is I ask the Shelter to contact that person to see if they will let the Shelter give me their name and phone number, so I can contact them to get additional information on the dog should I need it in relation to health issues or behaviour problems. So far I haven't been refused.

[jdarling]

Around here, most of the time the surrendering party's name, address, phone number and nowadays, email address is written on a clipboard and attached to the outside of the run.

 

This is absurd. I am offered more anonymity when I rob a bank at gunpoint. Yes, my name will make the paper, but my address, telephone number, or email address will not. Nor will it be hanging on my cell while I sit in jail, either. Nor will it be given out to any yahoo who asks for it. And before you go jumping on me because of the criminal nature of this example, how many places of that you do business at that you can think of will hand your personal information out to any yahoo who wants it or walks by? Not the grocery store, not the sporting goods place where I got my fishing license, not my vet, not the place even where I buy my dog food. None of them would give it to you.

 

if you're dumping your dog, I don't much care about your confidentiality.

 

No offense, honestly, Maria. But it doesn't matter to me how much you care about my confidentiality. It matters to me how the shelter -- where I theoretically dropped the dog off -- feels about my confidentiality.

 

If it were up to me, anyone who dumped a dog would get their name in the paper under "people dumping their dog this week".

 

Yup. I know there are people out there like you that feel that way, and that's part of the very problem here. In none of these examples have I mentioned who the dog is, where the dog came from, who the breeder was, whether or not it was even my dog, or what these dog's options were that led me to drop the dog off. But I now have my name in the newspaper, and I'd bet that if I left the information about who the breeder was, that information would have made your newspaper as well, right? Along with all the contact information of both parties? And now some psycho who reads that newspaper knows who I am and where I live, and on the information you've provided about me being an awful "dumper," I am now subject to whatever the psycho wants to do with the information you just gave them.

 

Yes, to me, that's wrong on all levels. And I rescue. And as upset as I get by people who do stupid things, I still feel that the person who dropped the dog off should have their privacy protected, just as they would doing business anywhere else in the country.

 

Of course this would only lead to people throwing them away privately...so it's a never ending circle but I just don't have it in me to feel much of anything positive for anyone who dumps their dog...especially at a kill facility.

 

Yes, driving out to the desert and opening the door. But that way, you don't get your name in the paper, and you aren't put at risk to the public. I tell you, if I knew that my name and contact information would be released to the public in the form of newspaper or whever because I dropped a dog off at the shelter, I would probably seek out alternative methods of getting rid of the dog if I was hellbent on getting rid of it. At least at a kill facility, they have a few days of having a chance of being adopted, after which it would be "humanely" euthanized rather than starving to death, or worse. And if a rescue organization is set up to rescue dogs, why do people lose their anonymity in order to be able to use it? What right does the rescue organization have to release my information? I don't need some overzealous rescuer confronting me about something I (hypothetically) did that I already feel awful about.

 

Does the rescue organization or shelter release my information to the public when I make a donation in the form of a check? Does my account number get plastered all over their back wall for all to see?

 

By the same token, any rescue who mis-steps or speaks out of turn gets trashed by anyone who feels they have an opinion.....

 

It's not just rescuers. It's everyone. We're all subject to getting trashed by people. You know what they say about opinions ...

 

I ask the Shelter to contact that person to see if they will let the Shelter give me their name and phone number, so I can contact them to get additional information on the dog...

 

This is exactly the way it should be. I am then given the option of giving authority to the shelter to release my information on a very limited basis if I so choose.

 

Jodi

[painted_ponies]

This is absurd. I am offered more anonymity when I rob a bank at gunpoint. Yes, my name will make the paper, but my address, telephone number, or email address will not. Nor will it be hanging on my cell while I sit in jail, either. Nor will it be given out to any yahoo who asks for it. And before you go jumping on me because of the criminal nature of this example, how many places of that you do business at that you can think of will hand your personal information out to any yahoo who wants it or walks by? Not the grocery store, not the sporting goods place where I got my fishing license, not my vet, not the place even where I buy my dog food. None of them would give it to you.

 

Well, actually - if you robbed a bank and got arrested, your name, address and phone number would be on the police report. Which is public property under the Freedom of Information Act. So, yeah, it'd be given out to any yahoo who asked (I know this, because I am that yahoo sometimes ).

 

Afraid I don't get your second analogy, either. In both cases (shelter and private business), if you give them your contact information they can (and do) give it to anyone as they see fit. How do you think you get all that junk mail? Businesses sell it to other businesses.

 

The other problem with that analogy is that when you do business with someone, you're giving them something of value in return for something of value. Leaving one's dog at a shelter is more akin to availing oneself of a service provided free to the public. So not really the same thing.

 

But I guess what I find most puzzling is why this is a big deal?

[Bo Peep]

When I pulled dogs from the humane society, they'd always give me the name, address and phone # when they had a BC or BC mix. I would always call them when they were placed just to let them know that their dog went to either a working home or a pet home never telling them where. They were happy to know their dog was in good hands. When I adopted Bailey, I never asked for the name, but she came with a list they had filled out- moving to an apartment. She loves to ride in the car, etc... They didn't mention she eats other dogs- LOL.

If the dog in question is from a breeder that you know, they might want the dog back. I certainly would. Maybe it was passed down and they didn't follow the contract about giving the dog back to the breeder.

[juliepoudrier]

But I guess what I find most puzzling is why this is a big deal?

Me too. If you want to be completely anonymous, drop the animal off after hours. I used to work at a vet office that was next to the local SPCA. We would often see animals tied out front before opening. Some were even left on our doorstep. I doubt that a shelter would turn a dog or cat away if the person doing the surrendering declined to give them contact information. Heck, if you claim it's a stray you found running loose, then why would they need your contact information anyway--it apparently/supposedly isn't your animal and you're just being a good samaritan by bringing it to relative safety? If you truly want anonymity, you can get it.

 

J.

[painted_ponies]

Me too. If you want to be completely anonymous, drop the animal off after hours. I used to work at a vet office that was next to the local SPCA. We would often see animals tied out front before opening. Some were even left on our doorstep.

 

*lightbulb moment* Is that why people do that? I always wondered why so many people didn't seem to be able to make it to the shelter during regular drop-off hours - it never occurred to me they were just embarrassed.

 

Come to think of it, I bet at county and municipal shelters the surrendering person's name and contact info are publicly available under our state FOIA - pretty much any information collected using taxpayer dollars is, with the obvious exceptions (ongoing investigations, etc.). I've never tried to FOIA a shelter, though, so I don't know for sure.

 

Not that I think leaving one's pet at a kill shelter is a great thing to do, but y'know, stuff happens. I'm not talking about the folks who surrender the dog because they want to go live in a fancier apt. complex that doesn't allow pets, or for some other reason they can control. But there are people for whom shelter surrender or abandonment are the only choices. Far be it from me to throw stones, unless I know the reason for surrender was a frivolous one.

[Kyrasmom]

There can always be good reasons for surrendering a dog and I concede that taking the action to actually take the dog to the shelter can be construed as responsible. But anyone who has worked a front desk at a county shelter sees very FEW good reasons and lots of irresponsible people with excuses to make you want to hurl. He sheds. He's too old. He's too active. He's sick. Often followed up by: can I see the puppies? Believe me, the few who are heartwrenched, are more often than not, treated with kid gloves and offered alternatives they can live with (if that's an option). You'd be surprised how out of their way shelter employees will go for a good owner.

 

For what it's worth Jodi, at our shelter, when the owner signs away their dog, in the case of an owner surrender, they also check a box giving the shelter the option of killing the dog and/or supplying previous information to the new owner or rescue organzition. Most people rarely take the time to read and just sign. Personally, if a dog is returned to me, I ask no questions and thank them for bringing my ward back. I don't pass on personal information because for me...they're not the subject of my interest, the dog is.

 

But we're still at square one: I will not cloak with responsibility because they make it to the shelter, or protect, people who dump their dogs. I simply ignore them and clean up their messes.

 

Maria