The A to Z of Spaniel Rescue Organisations

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Spaniel Rescue Organisations
By Penmore and Rhyannon

There is a lot of work involved in the running of a spaniel rescue organisation and without a doubt the logistics of actually collecting and delivering the animal can be one of the most problematic areas to get working smoothly. Fortunately, most rescue organisations have forums which are the meeting place for all the people who are involved in a particular organisation and in most cases those who are providing the transport. The forums by their nature provide a central repository for information about rescued animals with updates on their progress and re-homing situation. Also, these places provide space for new carers to post information about their charges together with some wonderful photographs showing their spaniels out enjoying themselves in the countryside.

Quite a few rescued Springer’s come with what people in the business call ‘baggage’ which means they have problems, usually associated with their previous home and is usually why they need to be rescued or rehomed. Finding the right home for a dog can be quite difficult and in the case of Springer Spaniels can be difficult things to get right, but, the more experienced rescue centres are usually better suited to finding the right home, mainly through their years of experience in the business. Also, most of the rescue and re-homing teams have Spaniels themselves and are aware of what these lively, energetic and faithful dogs require.

In today’s world the Veterinary Surgeons bills are going to be one of the biggest expenditures in the rehoming cycle. Nowadays most animals are spayed and neutered so they don’t inbreed and provide more potentially unwanted pets in the future. Also, there are health and temperament benefits from having these small operations done. Often Springer’s will be recovered from a pound or an organisation that cannot provide the re-homing service and because they have perhaps been recovered from the streets, they will come in with various infections and nutritional problems. Veterinary bills can be in the region of £150 per animal and when you couple this with the out of pocket expenses of the home visit, retrieval and placement of the doggie in its new forever home the it adds up to quite a significant amount. Another aspect of this voluntary service is finding long and short term foster homes. Where a dog is placed in a foster home it is sometimes necessary to proved the food for the spaniel and this expenditure can mount up when added to the other expenses involved in rescue. The rescue team members are experienced animal lovers, particularly for this breed and more often than not, they provide an appraisal of the dog, rehabilitation and re-training where appropriate.

Fund raising is the cornerstone of the finances necessary to be able to run a rescue service and although most recipients that provide forever homes for our spaniels do make a donation, it does not always cover the actual costs involved. Without this vital aspect of the process, no rescue centre would be able to continually accept stray and unwanted dogs. Sponsored walks, donations, auctions all help to add the coffers of the rescue organisations. Members often donate their time and expertise to produce arts of work whilst other produce wonderful web forum graphics.

Satisfaction, at the end of the day is, I’m sure, the main reason that most people involved in rescue do it. To see a poor ill-treated spaniel nursed back to health and then rehomed to a good forever home, and then to see it progress and regain its confidence must be one of the greatest pleasures in life. Sometimes we get some tragic circumstances and the tail below helps to illustrate how cruel and unkind man can be to his animals:

Well this afternoon I rescued a little girl from a pound as the warden was worried for her safety. she was picked up stray a week ago in a terrible state, she had red raw skin and little fur, a serious ear infection and it was clear that she'd had pups recently. She is skinny but has a round tum from the pups and possibly worms.

They believe she was stolen some time ago as she was picked up from near a travellers site where stolen dogs have been found. She is not chipped or tattooed and despite nationwide pleas no owner has come forward.

I got the call this morning, 7 days up so rather than hand her over to a "rescue" that may put her down they asked if and when I could take her ... "I am on my way" I said.

I have pictures I am trying to download all I can say is I was near to tears when I first saw her. I truly believe she was once someone’s loving pet/ working dog. She is obviously a gentle girl, BUT she has been very mistreated and neglected. She is terrified and is even worse with men.

I now have her safely bathed (she stank) and a doggy coat and blanket wrapping her up as she really and truly has very little fur.

This girl has been through a lot and is not going to be available for rehoming until she is fitter and her needs have been assessed. She is on antibiotics for her skin condition which is not contagious but is serious as is her ear infection. She will probably need more. She is returning to the vets on Friday where further assessments can be made, she is going to need to be spayed and she is going to need time to recover from her ordeal.

I can't begin to explain how much this girl has touched my heart already because as I bathed her an put her in my arms to carry her downstairs I felt her little tail wag I think for the first time in a long time she feels warm and safe.

If you were touched by the above then why not get involved in Springer Spaniel Rescue (http://www.springer-spaniel-rescue.co.uk/), it’s one of the most rewarding aspects of life that I have been involved with. Contact the Northern Springer Spaniel Rescue Organisation through the contact page.

Author Details:
Penmore and Rhyannon wrote this article for the Northern Springer Spaniel Rescue (NESSR)

NOTE: This article is copyright of the above authors and is not to be reproduced in any form without the written permission of Penmore

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