Has anyone ever started an animal rescue/shelter?

I am seriously considering starting an animal rescue or animal shelter here in North Georgia. There is a serious need for someone to save unwanted or neglected animals, other than stray dogs and cats. I am partial to American Bulldogs, and I have had some that I got from shelters over the years, and I would primarily work with American Bulldogs. I also have a pasture here and I am thinking that I would be open to other farm animals that have been neglected or mistreated so they would have a place to rehabilitate and find new homes.

I am sure there is a mountain of paperwork involved in obtaining the non-profit organization status, and I am wondering what else would be necessary before I could actually open my home for animals. Has anyone ever started a shelter or rescue that could give me some advice?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cindy

hmstyl, I don't have any advice, but bless your kind heart thinking of these animals.

Just a few points to share. I donated items for garage sale/auction to a new local rescue/spay/neuter feline nonprofit group. Lots of work that needs to be done ahead of time.
Lots of paperwork--zoned to allow to keep animals, ( rescue different than agriculture here), non-profit status, "are the animals dangerous", can you provide the needed medical/daily care. Do you have reliable help? The one lady who was in charge ended up doing almost everything and had to cut back. Volunteers are great-you just need enough to overlap the large gaps.
The large one that I also support is Best Friends in Kanab Utah. They have a website that might be helpful to you.
good luck in your wonderful caring pursuit

I have some links for you.

http://www.bestfriends.org

http://network.bestfriends.org

Not for sure which one it is but it is a great organization that can help get you started. After saving some kittens that were born over 13 feet up in a hole in a tree, I found out about them.

Do you have any local humane societies at ALL? anything nearby that can help you?

There are also celebrities that are involved in helping animals. The older guy from NYPD Blue (forget his name - ouch) lives in Northern Idaho, in Coeurd'Alene; and also Paula Abdul and a close friend of hers are involved. That is how I got connected with Best Friends.

Try those links. Let us know how it turns out.

Thank you for your responses, I will check out those links when I get home from work. (I'm sneaking into Daves Garden when I'm supposed to be working:-)

We do have an animal shelter here in White county but they only accept cats and dogs, they are always full, and they are only open from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm and Saturday mornings. I think they lose a lot of customers by closing so early, when people can't bring their kids with them after school to pick out a pet, or go after work to see them. Anyway, I know Cathy there because a couple years ago when I wasn't working full time I used to volunteer there and take the dogs for a walk. I felt like their quality of life was not great in those little pens, especially the big dogs, they needed to get out and get some exercise. It also calmed them down so when people came to look at them they weren't so hyper.

Anyway, I was going to contact the local animal control about what they do with animals other than cats and dogs, but I don't want to get in trouble taking steps before I get the paperwork ironed out.
I have been told that it takes hundreds of dollars in filing fees to file for the non-profit status and set up the corporate papers, etc. and I am wondering if I can do a little fund raising to raise the money for the filing fees or do I have to wait until the registration is complete?

I was thinking of getting some scrap wood from a cabinet maker and making up some little birdhouses to sell with a label that says something like "the proceeds from this birdhouse will be used for the animal rescue". I'm thinking maybe if I don't actually sell anything, but give them away in exchange for a donation, I might be ok??

I think I'd be more worried about getting the regular flow of cash to keep the critters fed & vetted more than I'd worry about registration paperwork. Keeping volunteers is rough, too... I volunteered with a small no-kill cat group, and volunteers didn't last much longer than a roll of toilet paper. :) I can't imagine how much quicker they would've vanished if we'd been asking them to de-worm & muck horse stalls. LOL...

Here in Spokane, people that have to do community service (to pay for fines, etc.... from court) can choose to do it at Spokanimal. They are able to get free labor that way. Not sure about where you are - but I'd check it out. A friend of mine works for them as a promoter and she might be able to answer some of those questions. I'll get back to you with the phone number and d-mail it to you.

you would also need to find a good vet who could donate services free or at a minimal cost to you. vet work on large animals can bring you to your knees in one day. you would also have to consider the fact that with large animals, they would probably be staying for life. how many people would want to adopt, say, a cow or a goat? you need shelter and cross-fencing and a farrier, just to name a few more added costs that you may not be thinking of at the present time.

I'd recommend posting on the pet forum. There are several folks there who do rescue and run their own shelters. I do rescue, but do not consider myself a shelter, as I am not open to the public, and no one tells me how to manage my "kids." Funds are getting tight, so becoming non-profit is going to be essential if I am to continue this. There is a group I get some help from for spay and neuters (dogrescuers.org), and I try to get some reimbursement back when a dog gets adopted (so far, 27 since April 2004). I give my own vaccinations, except rabies, of course, and try to get a local group to donate them to me.

Here is a link to such as rescue as you want to start. http://mirandasrescue.org/

Good luck!

Your idea of fundraising is a good one. Have never tried to start a rescue organization, I do not think I would have the physical stamina for it. Check out the links above and also network with animal control, local veterinarians and pet stores to see what kind of folks with experience are in your particular area. I bet there are a lot of people thinking the same thing you are and just need a jump start to get organized! Keep a notebook with you at all times to write down questions or reminders to yourself. Do you have a veterinary school anywhere in the area? That would be a great place to start if so. In Columbia, Missouri where I live we have a vet school affiliated with the University of Missouri and there are always willing volunteers. Also contact the national Humane Society, not just the local one as they may be able to steer you towards some good fundraising ideas and also some of the national programs run by large companies for things such as pet food and cleaning supplies. I know you want to do large animals as well so do not forget local and national companies that specialize in these as well. Write letters and let them know that there is a desperate need and you are just starting out. I bet you will be pleasantly surpised at the result. Let us know how things go!

Thank you so much, those are some great ideas! I wish there was a vet school nearby, but there isn't one near here. There isn't much of anything near here - I'm pretty far out in the country. There is a horse rescue a couple hours south of here, and I think if I run across any horses in need I would network with them and let the pros handle it. I'm really not set up for horses. I already have goats and a donkey and chickens and guineas and ducks and a dog. The dog is an American Bulldog I found in a shelter in Tennessee. The donkey I bought locally because I though she wasn't treated well and I didn't want to leave her there. I have bought other animals for the same reason, not exactly what I wanted and pretty scruffy, but I thought they might die if left where they were so I bought them and brought them home. I keep thinking that since I have already been rescuing animals, and I don't have tons of cash to keep doing that and paying for feed, vets, etc. that I would be able to apply for grants if I went for the non-profit status.

I think a couple of the local feed stores might help out if I was non-profit, and I think a couple grocery stores might help out by donating ripped bags of feed, dented cans, etc. There is a vet in the next town that does house calls/farm visits and I am hoping I can work out an arrangement with them. In Gainesville there is a company called Merial, which manufactures vaccines for cats, dogs, chickens, goats and a couple other animals I can't remember right now, so maybe I will send them a letter and see if they might help me out if I promote their products to people who adopt animals.

You would be surprised how many folks out here would love to adopt a goat or a cow if they new it was disease free and properly cared for! We had a terrible drought this year, which caused a real serious shortage in hay, so people are having a hard time feeding livestock. I think the result is a lot of animals that are neglected and malnourished.

You're already doing rescue, then, hmstyl. If you are walking the talk, folks from other organizations will help out, anyway, but I know the food bill alone can really start adding up, never mind the vet bills. I've had to learn how to diagnose and deal with some things myself - ie. mange, salmon poisoning, open wounds, and so far, so good.

Something to think about - if lots of other people get involved in your organization efforts, then your home will become a public place. I've had a few offers to write me and my critters up for local papers, but I've declined just because I get plenty of drop offs just in the neighborhood, and I get called regularly from folks around town. I'm concerned if I get officially labelled a shelter (as I have one friend who insists on calling my home!), I'll be viewed as a public entity and treated as such. I'm extremely private and protective about my home. Though I like company, drop-ins are not welcome. The dogs get too worked up, as do the visitors, who get put off by 8-12 barking dogs (imagine that!).

Friends for Life (http://www.dogrescuers.org) started five years ago to get adoptable animals out of shelters that were slated for death via foster homes and an adoption program. It's grown to include a spay/neuter program, adoption events, and Matchmaker. It's totally volunteer, and I know the primary volunteers work at it full-time.