MC RESCUE. and other rescuers question

[Anne & Gang]

how do you continue to do it...well I know how...as I have done it myself but not full time ..by chance...after reading Anna's story about loretta I feel like I have a knife in my heart..I cannot stop crying ...how do you do it...I commend you for rescuing..it must be oh so hard and oh so rewarding at the same time....it must be just so hard sometimes.

 

[BraveheartDogs]

how do you continue to do it...well I know how...as I have done it myself but not full time ..by chance...after reading Anna's story about loretta I feel like I have a knife in my heart..I cannot stop crying ...how do you do it...I commend you for rescuing..it must be oh so hard and oh so rewarding at the same time....it must be just so hard sometimes.

I do rescue. I have been involved in dog rescue since the 1980s, focusing heavily on Dachshunds since the early 90s and also doing more small dogs, but primarily still Dachshunds and lots of Pekes in the past few years. I also donate training/behavior services to several other local rescue groups. About 2 months ago I called it quits on fostering dogs here. I have 10 of my own dogs including 4 seniors that need my full attention. They just let me know that they had been patient but needed me. I have also done small bird rescue since about 2004 or so. I do mainly cockatiels and budgies, but also some lovebirds and other small birds. I only take one rescue at a time. I am also currently fostering my first bigger parrot, a white fronted or spectacled amazon, that I think I am going to adopt permanently.

For me, it is extremely rewarding and it makes me feel good to do it. Is it ever difficult? Yes, sometimes it is. The hardest part for me is that a few of the dogs I have taken in have had some pretty serious behavioral issues and so they ended up staying here which got my numbers high, but they are all small dogs so it's not too bad.

My biggest problem is that I get to a point (which I am at now with the dog rescue) where I have sort of lost patience for the people rehoming dogs for reasons that I don't think are legitimate (like the dog isn't housetrained because they never bothered to housetrain it), that upsets me. On the other hand there are a lot of people who really need rescue like for the dogs in shelters or the dogs whose owners have passed away and things like that. It is certainly a very emotional and draining job. I have done it for years and it is very relaxing to not be taking in rescue dogs at the moment. When I was doing rescue I got calls for dogs almost daily and I only take one or two at a time to ensure extremely high quality care so that was hard.

Sorry to ramble, but it's a subject close to my heart. Hopefully, my small amount of bird rescue will help me through the decision not to do dog rescue anymore.....

 

[Quiverful]

I don't run a rescue but I volunteer for Phoenix Landing and I do foster for birds. Some of the sotries are truly heartbreaking and it can be hard ot get attached to a foster and then have them go to their new adoptive home.

My husband and I have also been foster parents for human kids. It's the same kind of thing. I could make you guys faint dead away with the stories of foster kids, especially one little guy we had

Anyway, what keeps me going is that I know I am helping. Even though it's painful for me, I know I am making a difference. I also feel that if I didn't hurt when they left, then I wasn't doing my job right

 

[Blazeybird]

I don't run a rescue but I volunteer for Phoenix Landing and I do foster for birds. Some of the sotries are truly heartbreaking and it can be hard ot get attached to a foster and then have them go to their new adoptive home.

My husband and I have also been foster parents for human kids. It's the same kind of thing. I could make you guys faint dead away with the stories of foster kids, especially one little guy we had

Anyway, what keeps me going is that I know I am helping. Even though it's painful for me, I know I am making a difference. I also feel that if I didn't hurt when they left, then I wasn't doing my job right

I understand the human part, OMG. I have one friend who was in about 10 different foster homes before he was adopted and some of his stories just make me cringe!!!!!!

I to have fostered birds before, but for the local humane society. It was usually just tiels and keets but none the less, very rewarding

 

[thebirdnerds]

I run The Bird Nerds Rescue/Santuary. I have been doing it for a long time, not as long as Crystal though LOL
Sometimes it is hard, our rescue of Lola was very hard. That was one of the worst ones I have ever done, the owners were just rediculous. I do get attached to some of the birds and I have kept some but you can't keep them all. I love all of my birds and everyone that comes it but a very good friend of mine runs a Sanctuary for retired birds that usually have not been abused and some people just can't do it. She went on a surrender with me where the birds were in god awful condition, she cried the whole 2 hour drive back. So she just does Sanctuary for birds who can not be adopted out due to age and other reasons. I love what I do and I am currently going to school with a goal to be an Avian and Exotics and Equine Veterinarian. My mom loves birds but she almost gets sick when she sees abused birds. I don't want to say we are numb to it because we are not. It still bothers me that people do this to animals but I know that I am doing what I can to help them. I officially run a bird rescue however, I have taken in numberous dogs, cats and other animals.
Thank you for thinking of us

 

[M.C Bird Rescue]

Today was my absolute worst yet! I thought Tiki was, but I was wrong! Teco was the absolute worst case yet. So Sad how much he has endured over his life..He is almost my age I believe. He began in a puppy mill where the owner kept him caged in a cockatiel cage in the basement for over 5 years, then the brother took him and bought him a larger cage. He was handled until around 10 years ago...He was owned by this family for 14 years. Well ok hes nowhere near as old as I am, but he is as old as Alex the other Grey here. Teco is in very bad condition, the worst I have seen from a family that was devestated and crying. Broke my heart to see him in this shape for so many years...so sad.

How do I do this?

I worked Icu/Ccu for some time and saw many things normal people have no idea even happen in hospitals. I was very involved in a "Blue Team" which was the lead for all codes called (code blue= emergency not breathing-no heart rate), I was one of the teams members. I was able to critical think, think fast, and move fast! I guess I do this now also..I assess the situation and react! There is no stop and think , its grab, watch, and GO! Dealing with families that actually care and yada yada...well I have to say I am not so great with people. I am actually horrible with people ask Stacy or Jen..I mean they like me..but I am still no good with people, adopters, surrenders..I am fantastic with animals. If I could just get rid of the people I would love this much more. hahahahaha

 

[Stacy_b]

Today was my absolute worst yet! I thought Tiki was, but I was wrong! Teco was the absolute worst case yet. So Sad how much he has endured over his life..He is almost my age I believe. He began in a puppy mill where the owner kept him caged in a cockatiel cage in the basement for over 5 years, then the brother took him and bought him a larger cage. He was handled until around 10 years ago...He was owned by this family for 14 years. Well ok hes nowhere near as old as I am, but he is as old as Alex the other Grey here. Teco is in very bad condition, the worst I have seen from a family that was devestated and crying. Broke my heart to see him in this shape for so many years...so sad.

How do I do this?

I worked Icu/Ccu for some time and saw many things normal people have no idea even happen in hospitals. I was very involved in a "Blue Team" which was the lead for all codes called (code blue= emergency not breathing-no heart rate), I was one of the teams members. I was able to critical think, think fast, and move fast! I guess I do this now also..I assess the situation and react! There is no stop and think , its grab, watch, and GO! Dealing with families that actually care and yada yada...well I have to say I am not so great with people. I am actually horrible with people ask Stacy or Jen..I mean they like me..but I am still no good with people, adopters, surrenders..I am fantastic with animals. If I could just get rid of the people I would love this much more. hahahahaha

No don't ask me

 

[M.C Bird Rescue]

No don't ask me

Shut up stacy!

 

[ParrotletPal]

Like Vicki I am involved with fostering/rescueing/adopting, not birds but labrador retrievers for Lab Rescue of Ontario. Like you observed Anne, it's hard and rewarding all rolled into one. Of late I have developed a very soft spot for old dogs who find themselves without a home. In the past few years I've pretty much kept my foster/adoptions to the seniors. I get them as seniors (14 years or older) and offer them a 'retirement home' until it's time for them to go to the bridge. I had two pass last winter and they were 16 and 17 years - and I currently have another 16 year old sleeping in front of the wood stove as we speak. This summer I was fostering an 8 year old guy (a mere pup in my world) and I ended up adopting him because he was so great. People ask me all the time why I subject myself to all the sadness when I am only going to have them for a short time before they die but as hard as it is I feel they deserve love. I owned two labs from pups until they died at 13 and 14 and I couldn't imagine them not having a caring home right to the end. I also have a soft spot for birds (my mum said I was always fascinated with birds as a kid and got budgies as birthday presents when I was 8 and then again 12). It tears me up to see posts about birds that are kept in small cages and mistreated. I feel thankful that there are so many who are willing to take on the challenges and care for them. I often wonder why I open some of those posts because it makes me sad ... but it restores one's faith in mankind to know people are willing to step up to the plate. I am also sorry for rambling but as you can tell this is near and dear to my heart.

 

[BraveheartDogs]

Like Vicki I am involved with fostering/rescueing/adopting, not birds but labrador retrievers for Lab Rescue of Ontario. Like you observed Anne, it's hard and rewarding all rolled into one. Of late I have developed a very soft spot for old dogs who find themselves without a home. In the past few years I've pretty much kept my foster/adoptions to the seniors. I get them as seniors (14 years or older) and offer them a 'retirement home' until it's time for them to go to the bridge. I had two pass last winter and they were 16 and 17 years - and I currently have another 16 year old sleeping in front of the wood stove as we speak. This summer I was fostering an 8 year old guy (a mere pup in my world) and I ended up adopting him because he was so great. People ask me all the time why I subject myself to all the sadness when I am only going to have them for a short time before they die but as hard as it is I feel they deserve love. I owned two labs from pups until they died at 13 and 14 and I couldn't imagine them not having a caring home right to the end. I also have a soft spot for birds (my mum said I was always fascinated with birds as a kid and got budgies as birthday presents when I was 8 and then again 12). It tears me up to see posts about birds that are kept in small cages and mistreated. I feel thankful that there are so many who are willing to take on the challenges and care for them. I often wonder why I open some of those posts because it makes me sad ... but it restores one's faith in mankind to know people are willing to step up to the plate. I am also sorry for rambling but as you can tell this is near and dear to my.

It's so funny you brought that up. I also LOVE fostering seniors. In fact, right before I decided to stop fostering I fostered for Muttville, which is a senior only dog rescue in SF. I loved it because they were all old dogs which I love. We also had a foster who ended up having cancer so we did her hospice care here and she stayed with us until she died. Eventually, even the seniors were too much for my own seniors which is I why I stopped, but you are right, senior animals are so wonderful to foster. If I foster again I would imagine I would foster for Muttville again and foster old dogs. Also, I have a VERY hard time turning down Pekes, so I can't say I won't foster any more Pekes That's how I ended up with my current foster bird Merlin, a 35 to 40 year old white fronted amazon. The fact that he was older and gimpy (he has a bad foot) is why I decided to foster him. Now, I am pretty sure he won't be going anywhere, he's such a sweet little man

 

[Anne & Gang]

I think you are all fantastic people and thank you for answering my questions....

 

[Jeddy]

OMG I am fighting the tears after reading these stories. God Bless you all for what you do.

 

[thebirdnerds]

Thank you so much