If you feel sympathy towards homeless and abandoned dogs, you should think about setting up a shelter for them. There are a lot of pet owners who abandon the dog when they have a child, or when they relocate or when they find it really difficult to look after the pet. Having a pet is not an easy job; you need to look after them at all times. With planning and support, you can set up a shelter for the four-legged and ensure that they have a place to go to when their owners abandon them. Here are a few tips to get you started.
1. Consider your intentions:
Setting up a dog rescue shelter needs commitment. You need to be absolutely sure you want to do this. It may sound like a good idea right now but it may not be an easy job. You will have to always be there to look after the dogs and might have to travel to pick them up from any location. They will have to be well fed, given love and care and always looked after in case of illness and diseases. If you are very sure you can handle the stress and pressure, you can go ahead with your plan. If you are still not sure about it, you might want to reconsider your decision.
2. Learn from other shelters:
Before you set up your own dog shelter, it is best to visit other shelters in your city. This way, you will be able to learn about the different ways of managing the dogs.
- Talk to the owners and gain information on what is involved in the process.
- Volunteer at a shelter for a few months to gain hands-on experience on the same.
- You need to get a complete insight into the process before you embark on your journey.
3. Consider the support:
You might be able to find a number of people who would be happy to help you. They could be volunteers or donors who would be happy to be a part of your journey in any manner possible. They could offer you a place for the shelter or would connect you with vets for the same. You need to look for support and ensure that you make the best use of it. It is best to look for local support in your area.
4. Consider the number of homeless dogs:
Before you set up a shelter, you need to consider the population of homeless dogs in and around your area. If there are only a few dogs, setting up a shelter might not be a good idea. But if you notice that there are a lot of dogs that might need shelter, you can go ahead with your plan.
5. Plan:
Once you have decided that you want to open a dog rescue shelter, you need to plan out how you will take care of the dogs there. You will have to assign rooms to them, ensure that they are given the right food and a place to run around and exercise. You will need a lot of things for the dogs, medical kit, dog food, flea treatment products, toys, chews and much more. How and where will you source it from? You need to consider everything in order to provide a healthy and happy life to the rescued dogs.
6. Meet the vet:
To successfully manage the rescue shelter, you need to have a good relationship with the vet. Get in touch with them and inquire if anybody is willing to spend time at your shelter. You might need a vet for multiple reasons, having somebody who is willing to put in a few hours every week can help you. A professional vet will do a medical inspection of the dog and recommend you products which are apt according to the age and breed of the dog. You need to have somebody to contact at any hour of the day.
You also need to keep in mind that a dog rescue shelter will require you to invest a lot of money. It is not easy to set up a shelter for the four-legged. Only because you love spending time with the dogs, it does not mean you are perfect for the job of providing them a shelter. There are hundreds of things you need to look into before you open a shelter.
