Rescue or Hoarder: When we can’t say “No” despite our limitations
A few year’s back, I read a very insightful article about “over-rescuing”. It describes the different reasons an individual may fall in the trap of taking in too many animals. How could you not? With social media sharing so many animals on death row it is nearly impossible not to feel the urge to do something about it. After all, we do what we do because of our love of animals. Feeling that we failed them and that they died because that last minute rescuer didn’t step up is one of the worst feelings a rescue person can go through.
Is taking in more animals than we can handle the answer? Working as a veterinarian with multiple rescues, we often deal with individuals and rescue organizations that have more animals than they can handle, both financially and in their ability to provide them with the individual time and attention they need. We see rescue animals with health problems due to overcrowding, such as matted hair, fleas, skin and ear infections, overgrown nails, and poor body condition, as well as behavioral problems due to lack of proper environmental enrichment. In short, we see the problems present when we work on animal hoarding cases.
The definition of animal hoarding is not having too many animals, but rather having more animals than can be properly cared for. It is a form of neglect, which is a type of animal cruelty. The idea of euthanasia seems so horrible that animals are kept in conditions that lead to a poor quality of life. We see rescues that ‘save dogs’ from local pounds only to take them into the same or worse situations than they were in before. “At least they are alive”. Unfortunately, in some cases there are worse things than humane euthanasia.
Before taking an animal in, rescuers need to ask themselves the same questions we expect individuals looking to bring a new pet into their home to ask themselves. Can I afford this pet? Can I provide proper housing, feeding and preventive care? Can I afford any medical conditions present or that may occur? Can I provide a proper environment with emotional enrichment? If the answer to these questions is ‘No’, then we are not really providing a good service to these animals. We must keep in mind that rescuing an animal is a commitment and we need to be prepared to make this a long-term commitment, since length of time in rescue or foster care is never known.
Being a rescue needs to be seen as a business to properly work. I am not saying that we eliminate emotion and compassion because that is what drives us to help these animals. What I am saying is that we need a plan. We need finances, and we need a place to keep them before we commit to saving a life. Taking them in and later trying to figure out what to do is not responsible, and in some cases can end up in a bad situation. Depending on people to donate money after the fact is not the proper way to care for a rescued pet. Fundraisers, events, sales, and proper animal management are what makes a rescue survive and get animals the care they deserve.
