WASHINGTON — You want a dog or cat, and know you want to support a rescue organization. The idea of taking in an animal that really needs a home is one that may resonate with you, as it does with so many animal lovers. But sometimes, something goes terribly, terribly wrong.
Two recent cases demonstrate that. Animal welfare advocates say you need to do a little homework before adopting a pet from any organization.
was arrested and charged with 66 counts of animal cruelty when the animals in her home were found in filthy crates.
Some animals had matted fur, soaked in urine. Others had eye and ear infections. Three dogs were so ill they were euthanized.
In North Carolina, 650 animals 鈥� dogs, cats and horses 鈥� were seized by the ASPCA in a massive raid after complaints from the public led to an investigation.
The couple who ran a sprawling sanctuary called 鈥淭he Haven 鈥� Friends for Life鈥� were charged with abuse and neglect. As of Thursday, investigators found 15 dogs that had been buried on the couple鈥檚 122-acre property.
Abby Volin, Rescue Group Coordinator at the Humane Society of the United States, says rescue organizations are a critical piece of the animal welfare puzzle, but you want check out an organization before you adopt any pet.
The two cases, the one in Rockville and the one out of Hoke County, North Carolina, highlight something that Volin says is a common problem. While she can鈥檛 say just what the issue is in either the Maryland or the North Carolina case — both are still under investigation — she says it鈥檚 鈥減retty common鈥� to find rescue groups that run into trouble.
鈥淭here are a lot of organizations and people who start off with the very best intentions 鈥� they love the animals, they want to do everything they can for the animals, but it鈥檚 very easy to get overwhelmed,” Volin says.
Checking out a rescue group can be difficult. Whenever you adopt from 聽a breeder, 聽a shelter or a rescue, you want to know what kind of conditions the animal was living in. But with rescue groups, that can be complicated.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 have a central facility, so often, there isn鈥檛 a place you can go and peer through a window and see how the animals are doing,鈥� Volin says.
If the person or group you are trying to adopt from won鈥檛 let you visit, Volin says that鈥檚 a red flag.
鈥淵ou want to see where the animals are and how they interact and how they鈥檙e cared for,” she聽advises.
But Volin says arranging 聽a site or home visit is not always so simple. Many groups have a network of volunteers who foster the pets, and your one chance to 鈥渕eet鈥� a dog or cat up for adoption may only come at one of these events, typically held at area pet stores on the weekend.
In that case, Volin says you want to see how transparent the organization is and whether it has a presence in the community.
鈥淒o they let you into a foster鈥檚 home? Is this an organization that has community relationships?”
Volin adds that聽rescue groups often have a network of volunteers and veterinarians they work with.
鈥淵ou can also ask a vet if there are any rescue groups that they recommend,鈥� she says.
and the dogs kept in the Rockville聽 home are upsetting, Volin says the incidents should not聽necessarily put you off working with a rescue group.
鈥淎dopting from a rescue group is such a huge part of helping to save the homeless animals in our country,” she says.
“I hope that people don鈥檛 let one bad experience or one bad apple ruin it for the rest of them, because these are precious lives that are at stake.鈥�
