I suppose I'll start with the VERY basic beginnings.
Starting a rescue:
Before you start:
- Choose a name, develop a logo
- Develop a mandate / vision (what will be the focus and goal of your rescue)
- Start a website - perhaps use a blog or wordpress to begin with.
- Create a Facebook page
- Recruit volunteers to form a board - this will be your main operating group. It is good to have at least 3 board members so when important decisions need to be made, it can be done fairly as a group. Make sure your board members ideally have the same visions as you would for this rescue.
- Find out your local requirements to register your group as a Foundation and how long it would take to apply for charitable status.
- Look into business and non-profit group banking options.
- Use Vistaprint for cheap business cards, post cards etc...
- Find a nearby vet(s) that would be willing to offer reduced vetting prices to treat your rescues.
- Start advertising to recruit volunteers - Foster homes, transport volunteers, operation volunteers (someone to do admin work, organization, etc...)
- Advertise to collect supplies to use for your rescue dogs (hold a donation drive).
- Research where you can help rescue dogs from. Often times this is your local city pound where dogs are usually euthanized in less than a week from arrival.
- Find things you can sell - hold a yard sale with items family and friends want to get rid of. Collect free things from Craigslist that you could sell...
- Hold a "Kick-Off" event fundraiser. This event would showcase your new rescue and what it is about. Find a local restaurant that is willing to host a Brunch or Dinner at a fixed cost to you, and you can sell tickets to the event at a higher cost for a profit. Perhaps have a raffle at the event (get a local dog store to donate some product?) or have door prizes as incentive for people to attend. Door prizes can be from pretty much any business willing to donate!
- Outline all the areas you feel you may need volunteers and post it on your site.
- Some recommended areas: Adoptions Processor, Foster home Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator, Medical Coordinator, Marketing and Fundraising, Events. Many of these can be combined while you are small...
- Develop a volunteer application form and screening process
- Decide what your adoption donation will be - when someone adopts a dog what donation would you need to help cover costs? Look at other rescues in your area to make sure your donation is set similar to others in the area.
- Develop your adoption application and screening procedure. A future post will go into more detailed suggestions for this. It is good to consider a home visit for all potential adopters.
- Once your group is up and running, find local pet stores willing to host an adoption event for a few hours on a saturday afternoon to help get your dogs featured!
- Sign up with PetFinder to have all of your adoptables listed there.
- Decide what you want the responsibilities of your foster homes to be. Typically a rescue will ask foster homes to house a foster dog, work on basic training, be able to pick it up, take it to an event, and to a vet visit if needed. Generally supplies are provided by the rescue (crate, food, toys, treats, bed).
- Develop a foster home application and screening process. It is good to have a home visit with all new foster homes.
- Decide what vetting you will do for each rescue dog in your care. A good general recommendation is that the dog has had a general vet exam, Distemper complex vaccines (1-3 depending on dog's age), Rabies vaccination, 1-2 dewormings, flea/tick treatment, heartworm test if you are in an environment where heartworm is prevalent.
- Microchip - you can keep your rescue's name on this chip forever, so if the dog is ever dumped it can be returned to you. Or if it's lost you can help contact the adopters. 24 Petwatch has a great rescue program.
- SPAY OR NEUTER! It is strongly recommended to never adopt out a dog that has not yet been altered, unless they are not old enough. If that is the case - it is good to take a deposit, that will be returned to the adopter once the dog is altered. This helps guarantee that the surgery is done.
- Find vets willing to provide lowest vetting cost possible to your rescue! Find out if any medical companies will donate medications or supplies at little or no cost.
Partnerships:
- As you grow it will be good to form partnerships with local businesses
- Trainers - often times rescue dogs will have basic to severe behavior issues. It greatly helps to offer your foster homes training support, or even have a trainer willing to foster a special needs dog for you until it can be safely placed in a foster home.
- Doggie Daycares and boarding facilities - they will often be able to provide a foster home to a dog for you, or temporary holding space.
- Grooming - it is great to have a grooming business willing to offer discounted or free services to your foster dog.
- Retail pet stores - often times they will donate foods they can no longer sell due to being too close to expiration (but they are still safe to feed) or other supplies. Also they may be willing to host a donation box for you (for money or supplies) as well as a weekend adoption feature, or small fundraiser.
- In exchange for these things you can offer these businesses a link/ logo feature on your website as well as perhaps provide an adoption packet to your adopters that includes promo material to advertise their business (and perhaps they might be interested in provided coupons or discounts to new adopters!).
Well that's all for now - My next posts will go through sections to outline further details on things such as your adoptions procedures, medical procedures etc.... fundraising, events ideas
