Rescue Organization

A rescue group or rescue organization takes unwanted or abused pets and attempts to find new, caring homes for them. Most rescue groups are created by and run by volunteers, who take the animals into their homes and care for them - including training, loving, playing, handling medical issues, and solving behavior problems - until a suitable permanent home can be found.

Rescue groups exist for most types of pet - for example, rabbit rescue. For animals with many breed types, many rescue groups specialize in specific breeds or groups of breeds. For example, for dogs, there might be local Golden Retriever rescue groups, hunting dog rescue groups, large-dog rescue groups, and generic dog rescue groups.

Animal shelters often work closely with rescue groups, because shelters who have difficulty placing otherwise healthy and pet-worth animals would usually rather have the animal placed in a home than euthanized; while the shelters might run out of room, rescue groups can often find more volunteers with space in their homes for temporary placement.

Adopting through a rescue group

Most rescue groups have strict adoption procedures that can include completing an application to adopt, checking a veterinary reference, conducting a phone interview, and conducting a home visit. Rescues are all volunteer organizations and survive on donations. They charge an adoption fee, which might seem high to some people; however, most rescue groups are staffed entirely by volunteers, who must travel to pick up a dog in need, give it any medical care it may need, give it any training necessary, and feed it. The adoption fee helps them to save another animal's life.