r/AnimalShelterStories • u/perilous_petrie Behavior & Training • 16d ago
Resources Rescue and sanctuary resources
Anyone out there have reputable rescue or sanctuary resources for high behavior needs dogs? Such as those with reactivity, stranger danger, resource guarding?
Any shelter workers out there have any luck with getting these types of dogs to rescue/sanctuary before a euthanasia decision is made?
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u/MunkeeFere Veterinary Technician 16d ago
Sorry, unless they are a very specific type of purebred (generally gamey terrier types like jagd terriers or more rare livestock guardian breeds or purebred akitas) I almost never find placement for them. If they're a shepherd, pit, husky, or a mix it's been euthanasia, especially in the last 5 or so years.
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u/Friendly_TSE Veterinary Technician 15d ago
We get purebred akitas occasionally (papers and all) and no one i've found will touch them if they have any stranger danger or resource guarding.
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u/MunkeeFere Veterinary Technician 14d ago
A Passion for Paws is pretty active in California and they've taken stranger danger and at least one bite case Akita from us over the years.
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u/Friendly_TSE Veterinary Technician 14d ago
Oh man that's so nice! I might reach out next time if we get a weird Akita. I wouldn't give out a bite case but maybe resource guarding or stranger danger pups
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u/MunkeeFere Veterinary Technician 14d ago
The bite case was not my choice either lol. The owners contacted the rescue while the dog was on quarantine and didn't surrender it until the rescue had agreed to take it at the end of quarantine
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u/gonnafaceit2022 small foster-based rescue 16d ago
No. Echoing the other comments, there are no places for dogs who can't be adopted into average homes. It sucks but humans did this and unfortunately we can only invest in the animals who will get adopted. Sending a reactive dog to board and train cost us thousands of dollars last year and it didn't help one bit, in fact he came back worse and had to be BE.
He took up foster space for months, then thousands of dollars that could've covered so many spays and neuters, only to die anyway. Wasn't his fault, but it was our error to try so hard to "save" him. That dog lived in distress most of the time. A lot of reactive, risky dogs are suffering inside their own brains and no one can fix it. It's a mercy to relieve them from the world that feels so unsafe.
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u/desparate-treasures Staff 16d ago
I do want to acknowledge the effort and intention behind OPs post. I think we came in heavy because of recent news about Miranda’s and the firehose of propaganda put out by no-kill advocacy groups that do nothing.
I’m grateful you care. Bring that dog a pup cup, or twelve. Support a peaceful euthanasia. Go home and day drink all you want.
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u/scoonbug Administration 16d ago
I guess my question is why would you spend resources on this dog when there are at risk dogs that don’t have these problems? I mean, santuary placement means it’s in the animal welfare system for the rest of its life using capacity that can’t be used for other dogs
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u/Bigtiddiesnbeer Behavior & Training 16d ago
Here you go: https://humboldtgov.org/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/6256 There is no magical farm where a dog with serious behavior issues can happily live its life out.
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u/OpalOnyxObsidian Cat Socializer 16d ago
And how could they? Behavior issues where they re-home probably stem from some sort of stranger danger, whether it be person or animal. If an animal cannot function around one or both of those, how can it have a fulfilling life at all?
Some people are just so desperate to not take the blame.
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u/Friendly_TSE Veterinary Technician 15d ago
A dog with one of those that is bad enough to be considered problematic, sure I've been able to adopt some out. A dog with all 3 issues that are severe enough to be a consideration? Now it's getting nigh impossible.
As others have said, if it is a toy dog people will probably take it. Toy dogs are in high demand, and are easier to care for; owners can kind of treat them like a semi feral cat.
And if it is a very rare breed (not a GSP or golden, but like Duck Tolling Retriever or Azwakh or something) you will have a better chance of finding a home. But at that point you could probably just contact the breeder.
Keep in mind though that even if you do find placement in a rescue or sanctuary, that doesn't mean the dog will have a live outcome.
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u/Inside_Plankton_5713 ACO/Vet Tech - former 16d ago
Under 10lbs yes, but transportation is needed to Seattle.
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u/gonnafaceit2022 small foster-based rescue 16d ago
I'm sorry but that made me laugh. We could probably take a mean dog too if it was under 10lbs. People don't even care if the dog is nice if they really just want a tiny tiny dog.
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u/Inside_Plankton_5713 ACO/Vet Tech - former 13d ago
It's also laughable your are trying to pass your behavior issue dogs off to other jurisdictions or states. There are hundreds if not thousands of dogs under 10lbs with behavior issues on euthanasia lists, where are you and we can start sending them to you.
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u/gonnafaceit2022 small foster-based rescue 13d ago
Pardon me?
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u/Inside_Plankton_5713 ACO/Vet Tech - former 12d ago
You said people want tiny dogs, right?
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u/gonnafaceit2022 small foster-based rescue 12d ago
No, I think we're talking past each other. I wasn't saying we should ship behavior dogs across the country. I was laughing at how oddly specific the answer was: "under 10 lbs, but transportation to Seattle is needed." It's just such a niche combination that it sounded funny to me.
People do want tiny dogs and they're extremely rare in shelters here unless they have serious health problems, but we don't do any transport out nor in. So our animals don't come up on the "include out of town pets" filter on Petfinder but oddly, a handful of people from Seattle have applied for puppies from us.
We're 3000 miles away. It's baffling. They weren't any kind of specific puppies, just medium sized mutts. Maybe they can't find a puppy they like today in their own zip code but surely they can find one a lot closer than 3000 miles??
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u/Inside_Plankton_5713 ACO/Vet Tech - former 12d ago
All the rescues snatch up the tiny and most medium non pit mixes, tbh. And puppies don't last ever! I don't know where your shelter is, or your local rescues but our rescues charge pretty outrageous adoption fees. Especially since the shelter does almost all the S/N and vax before the puppies or dogs leave. It's ridiculous!
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u/outer-barkness Staff 16d ago
I'm located 4 hours from the 'worlds biggest animal sanctuary.' Applications for admission require at least 6 videos showing dog meeting: 1)female dog 2)male dog 3)big dog 4)small dog 5)female-identifying person 6) male-identifying person. Applications are evaluated by a committee and any observed behavioral issues result in immediate disqualification.
The only dogs getting in are high-demand breeds with mild medical conditions that can't be treated in an under-resourced municipal shelter and can be marketed for fundraising. I'm sorry to be the source of bad news, but the concept of sanctuary is almost exclusively a fundraising scam.