GIVE A DOG A HOME GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG RESCUE

We have a physical shelter where between 30-40 dogs can be housed, we have several communal areas throughout the property to house younger and socialized dogs and we facilitate foster families. We promote our dogs for adoption through the rescue website, social media and several adoption sites, including PetFinder and Adopt-a-Pet. We post our fully vetted, healthy adoptable dogs throughout the east coast states and neighbouring Canadian states where families travel to come and meet the dogs prior to adoption. We take in owner surrender dogs from families who are no longer able to care for their pets after working to see if there is a way we can support them, lessening the stress and burden on them. We promote through social media and through community events our rescue, our services and promote and educate about the importance of basic animal care, wellness exams, spay/neuter and vaccination and prevention medications.

In February 2021 we will be celebrating out 10 year anniversary, and can every day look back on what we ourselves have learnt, how we have adapted our rescue to accommodate the needs of the homeless and unwanted animals. We feel our experience and ability to adapt is crucial. We have dedicated volunteers not only in Texas where we save our dogs from and in Maine where the rescue is located, but throughout the US who support, donate and follow us on social media. We have a strong physical and online team who are fully commited to doing what is needed to help ensure that we provide the best care for the animals that we save. We work closely with the local veterinarian to ensure the best care is given to any pets that have ongoing medical needs, surgery requirements or assessment. We have a good relationship with the local animal control and also the State of Maine Animal Welfare division and have helped out when needed to house stray or abused animals. We attend local and state adoption and community events, participate in parades and are increasing our community presence to ensure people are aware of who we are, why we do what we do and how people can become involved.

Our progress is assessed by the numbers of lives we save, adoptions and other intakes and outcomes. We operate our own database which we can run specific reports to allow us to review our achievements and ensure we are making progress. We also contribute our numbers to the Shelter Animals Count, which is an independent nonprofit that is home to The National Database of sheltered animal statistics, providing facts and enabling insights to save lives. Our impact on the commmunity is feedback from our volunteers, people wanting to help. Volunteers log hours donated, transport volunteers log miles driven and we receive positive feedback through thank you notes, postings on social media and testimonials and reviews.

From 2016 to 2019 we have saved 904 dogs and found homes for 829 of those. Sadly 14 dogs that either died in our care or were euthanized were provided a safe, loving home and whatever medical care was needed to try and save them. They died knowing they had been loved. At the end of 2019 we had 61dogs in our care waiting for their forever families. We have provided an opportunity for dogs from the south to be transported out of the problem, high risk area, to areas where there is a shortage of dogs. We are in the process of setting up a Pet Food Bank, and we are an approved over-flow organization with the GreaterGood.org Rescue Bank program. We are not only providing education to the community and through social media of our goals, but we are ourselves, furthering our education in order to help more. We have certificates with the Fear Free Shelter Program and a certification in Dog Bite Prevention Educator and when we are able to safely get out to schools and amongst the community will be setting up the Be a Tree Program. Be a Tree program is a dog bite prevention seminar program for school-age children. This program focuses on fun and interactive activities to teach children how to read dog body language and how to act safely around both their own dog and strange dogs. We are hoping to expand our facility, providing not just more volunteer opportunities, but full and part time positions to provide a move available approach for people throughout the east coast and Canada.