ACKCSC

The New Face of Rescue -- How Rescue Has Changed

Doogan, a three month old Cavalier, was surrendered by his previous owners to Veterinary Emergency Service (VES) because they could not afford diagnostics to figure out why he was not able to urinate. His commercial breeder told them to put him down and she would replace him with another. They surrendered him to the clinic and the clinic contacted the ACKCS Rescue Trust. He had a urinary stricture (blockage) caused by a band of scar tissue—probably as a result of his early neuter and hernia repair performed by his breeder’s “ veterinarian.” The resident surgeon generously offered to perform the surgery at cost to allow this little guy to urinate freely for the first time in his life. It was a veterinary assistant at VES with a true love for all animals, particularly Cavaliers, who contacted the ACKCS Rescue Trust to cover the cost of the surgery and give Doogan a fighting chance.

Doogan’s surgery was a success and he healed very quickly. Within a few weeks he was a happy energetic puppy who could urinate trouble-free for the first time. Doogan, now known as Arlo, has found a forever home with a wonderful family in Madison Wi where he is cherished. Thanks to the veterinarians at VES and the ACKCS Rescue Trust, Arlo was given a second chance at life!

December 23, 2008. Rescue is contacted by a shelter in California. Several Cavaliers are there and they are not in good shape. There was no veterinary care at this shelter. A few days later after veterinary evaluation, one of the dogs had to be euthanized as the congestive heart failure could not be improved and she was suffering. Her foster home tried their best to make her comfortable, but it was not possible. We take some comfort in that she knew someone cared about her enough to end her suffering. We still have two remaining in foster homes.

Earlier in the year, also in California, rescue was notified of another Cavalier in a shelter. Volunteers picked up the older girl who was suffering from severe flea bite dermatitis and had obviously been used for breeding. She walked as though she had never been on grass before. She had mammary tumors and a heart murmur, her teeth were very bad and she was intact. Once she was strong enough to endure surgery, she was spayed and her mammary tumors were removed. She also had a dental. Thankfully, her foster family adopted her, but that leaves us without a much needed foster home.

Those are just a few examples of the kind of rescues we are now taking in. We’ve all been saying it for quite some time: Plain and simple, rescue has changed! In the past, “rescue” was more often a re-homing due to the inability of the owner to continue caring for the dog. That’s not the case so much anymore. We have experienced a significant increase in the number of Cavaliers needing rescue assistance. We don’t buy them and we don’t go looking for them. They come to us. Of course, the economy has played a role in the increased numbers of dogs surrendered or abandoned. Some of the calls we receive are heart breaking—and we are now receiving at least three calls per week. The Trust is contacted by people who have lost their jobs and are losing their homes. They are forced to give up their much loved Cavalier. Many of those dogs are our older dogs who have health issues. Their people could no longer afford to give them proper care. The Trust takes in dogs from “Breeders” who are dumping them in shelters because they can no longer afford to keep the dogs fed, let alone cared for. The good news is it’s rare we receive a call from someone who got their dog from a reputable breeder. It is the policy of the ACKCS Rescue Trust to always contact the breeder, if possible. We know and appreciate that ACKCSC breeders want to be notified and will take back any Cavalier they produce.

At the time of writing, the following lists just some of the dogs currently in our care:

A 7 year old diabetic dog surrendered by his unemployed owner because she could not afford his medical care.

A dog that just had 26 teeth extracted. He came to us through a shelter in California.

An elderly dog with only 3 teeth left after his dental, an enlarged heart and who has just started coughing. He also needs drops for his eyes. This dog also came to us through a shelter in California. We don’t know how much longer this boy will survive given his enlarged heart.

A 7 year old dog recovering from a liver infection and diagnosed with moderate MVD, who, until last week was intact and only had one descended testicle. He is large and overweight at around 30 pounds.

Two young dogs from a shelter surrendered by their commercial breeder because he “don’t need no more males.” They have now been neutered and brought up to date on their vaccinations. These should be the easiest to place.

Those dogs now all have a chance at a better life because of the kindness of The Trust volunteers. Rescue doesn’t take holidays if there are dogs needing our help. We are extremely grateful to our past and current volunteers.

Sadly, there are other dogs in our care who need forever homes. There are other dogs needing our assistance. Foster homes are desperately needed. Usually by the time the dog goes to a foster home, they have been examined and evaluated by a veterinarian. If there is any chance the dog has something contagious, the dog remains in veterinary care until such time as we are reasonably assured they cannot bring something to the foster home. Volunteers of all kinds are needed. Volunteers with experience caring for older dogs compromised by health issues would really benefit many of the dogs coming into rescue now. Foster homes help us place the dogs by assessing their behavior and overall condition, doing necessary behavior modification, thereby getting the dog ready for a permanent home. Foster homes are a crucial part of rescue.

Donations are needed to help cover ever rising veterinary costs due to the increased numbers of dogs taken in, and the severity of the health issues we face. In many cases, the voluntary adoption fee does not cover the veterinary costs incurred by The Trust. Elective procedures are not done. Expenses are not taken lightly, prior approval is necessary and it is done with thought and input by the ACKCS Rescue Team--Trustees, National Director, District Director, Foster Home and Veterinarian involved. We confer with other veterinarians willing to consult and help us make the right decisions on behalf of the dogs. All dogs receive the best possible care; however elective procedures must be done by the adoptive families. This makes the ACKCS Rescue Trust’s work more difficult to find willing and suitable permanent homes for our more challenging and aging dogs coming into rescue.

Because of our increased veterinary costs and increased numbers of dogs coming into rescue, we now have a very real need for a Fund Raising Director. This is more evidence of how things have changed with rescue—we really did not have this need until 8 months ago. This person preferably should have professional fund raising experience and the ability to research and write grant applications. Or, perhaps there are two people who would be interested—one to research and write grants applications and the other to create and promote a fund raising campaign.

In order for any Regional Club to participate in rescue under the auspices of The Trust, all volunteers must provide the same forms as are required of all volunteers of the Trust. This is a requirement to insure insurance liability coverage. Regional clubs can be of great help to the ACKCS Rescue Trust by holding fund raising raffles, on line auctions, and notifying members of the need for adoptive families and volunteers.

We are in need of District Directors in the following regions:

District 1: CT, ME, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT

District 2: DE, NJ, PA

District 10: MT, ND, SD

We currently have no one managing and developing these areas and we get calls for those areas weekly.

Often times transportation is an issue for rescue. We don’t always have just the right adoptive family in the area where the dog is located. Those who could help with transportation could make the difference between a dog staying in foster care for an extended time or going to a permanent home. Volunteers are also needed to make home visits in order to approve a permanent home.

Whether you are a breeder/exhibitor or “just a pet owner” you can help. You can make the difference in the life of a Cavalier coming into rescue through no fault of their own. It’s time to give back to the breed. It’s time to assist the dogs coming into rescue. You won’t regret it and what you gain from the experience will touch your heart forever.

To find out more about volunteer opportunities with the ACKCS Rescue Trust, please go to our new website: www.cavalierrescuetrust.org