Behind the Scenes

Posted: December 21st, 2009

A note from Jodi about some things that people may not be aware of:

Unlike most shelters and Humane Societies, we do not get funding through our Communities or Government. All of our donations come from our website, adoption fees, and the 2-4 fundraisers we have a year which usually bring in under $1,000.

There are a lot of things that you might not think of “behind the scenes” of Rescue.

We have 6 dogs in boarding kennels wating to move into foster homes. This has been the average number of dogs in boarding for the last 3 years. The cost is $10 per day per dog (very cheap for boarding) but that adds up to $1,800 per month (more than alot of mortgages). Many of our dogs come from the South. Each dog transported from the South averages $100.

Average Spay $200
Average Neuter $125
Average Shots $50
Average Office visit $35
Average Worming $20-60

We are REALLY lucky if this is all they need. But it is rarely the case.

This year alone we have done over 25 heartworm treatments which average $250-$600 per treatment.

About 5 crucaite tears $900 discounted
Hip surgeries $2,400
1 wired-plated jaw $2000
Multiple Cherry eye surgeries $300
4 Entropian surgeries $400
We had Parvo pups $2200
Many dogs with demodex mange
Mammary tumors
Broken legs
Pneumonia
Ear flushes
Ear flap removals
Tumor removals
And many other minor things like Kennel cough where we spend hundreds on antibiotics.

All of our dogs are in foster homes an average of 4 weeks.

They are housebroken, crate trained, leash trained, spayed-neutered, parasite free, Heartworm negative, evaluated, on flea and tick preventative, tested with cats, dogs and children.

We currently owe multiple vets, surgeons and kennels about $7,000

We can not afford, nor have the inclination, to give our dogs away. We also feel strongly that we need homes that can afford to take care of an emergency and the general well being of the dog on a permanent basis.