A dog & canine forum. DogBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » DogBanter forum » Dog forums » Dog rescue
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Advice sought on rescuing a failing greyhound rescue organization



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old March 15th 06, 10:40 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.rescue
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Advice sought on rescuing a failing greyhound rescue organization

My wife and I would like to work on behalf of greyhounds. She joined
the local rescue group and found a recurring pattern of the most
helpful workers being driven out by the "pack leader" who'd started the
group. This seems to be all too common. If a group is formed to
rescue dogs, one person dominates and protects his/her turf by
discouraging the ideas and efforts of others.
Since a group that intends to kennel dogs needs reliable help to
provide care as well as folks to raise funds, publish newsletters, and
to write thankyou notes to contributors, it seems that only two common
paths open up. One is to hire a professional administrator and staff
who can run facilities and fundraise effectively, which necessitates a
substantial endowment and regular professional fundraising. And the
other is to only foster dogs and not try to run a kennel in order to
substantially reduce operating cost. We're hoping to find a third
alternative under which board members would lend their reputations and
administrative skills to co-ordinating activities while volunteers
would carry on most of the activities including dog care, kennel
maintenace, fundraising, community support and all the other jobs
needed to make a sucessful overall effort on behalf of the dogs. Such
an alternative would have to preclude strong arm politics by founders
in order to keep everyone's eyes focused on the objectives and to
prevent the best workers from becoming discouraged and leaving.
Any input from sucessful groups on how to structure such an
organization would be greatly appreciated. We're not in a position to
jump in and clean up after the local group falls apart (likely in the
next couple of months) unless we have enough moral support from other
groups to allow us to believe that we can pull it off and tempt many of
the former members of the local organization to come back on board.
Not only are we faced with a total collapse of the local organization,
but the lease on the existing kennel is soon to run out and renewal
isn't possible, so we'd either have to resort to ONLY foster homes for
the remaining dogs or conduct a crash fundraising effort to raise
enough money to buy or lease a suitable space.
Both I and my wife work more than full time and no one is beating down
the doors with endowment offers. we're willing to bring out skills and
drive to bear on re-consituting the organization but only if we feel we
are likely to succeed. We're open to any and all suggestions on how to
pull this off. Please pass this note around to anyone you think might
have useful suggestions and experience to help us in our mission to
save as many area dogs as possible.

  #2  
Old March 15th 06, 11:27 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.rescue
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Advice sought on rescuing a failing greyhound rescue organization

On 15 Mar 2006 13:40:01 -0800, "Interface-Rick"
wrote:

My wife and I would like to work on behalf of greyhounds. She joined
the local rescue group and found a recurring pattern of the most
helpful workers being driven out by the "pack leader" who'd started the
group. This seems to be all too common. If a group is formed to
rescue dogs, one person dominates and protects his/her turf by
discouraging the ideas and efforts of others.
Since a group that intends to kennel dogs needs reliable help to
provide care as well as folks to raise funds, publish newsletters, and
to write thankyou notes to contributors, it seems that only two common
paths open up. One is to hire a professional administrator and staff
who can run facilities and fundraise effectively, which necessitates a
substantial endowment and regular professional fundraising. And the
other is to only foster dogs and not try to run a kennel in order to
substantially reduce operating cost. We're hoping to find a third
alternative under which board members would lend their reputations and
administrative skills to co-ordinating activities while volunteers
would carry on most of the activities including dog care, kennel
maintenace, fundraising, community support and all the other jobs
needed to make a sucessful overall effort on behalf of the dogs. Such
an alternative would have to preclude strong arm politics by founders
in order to keep everyone's eyes focused on the objectives and to
prevent the best workers from becoming discouraged and leaving.
Any input from sucessful groups on how to structure such an
organization would be greatly appreciated. We're not in a position to
jump in and clean up after the local group falls apart (likely in the
next couple of months) unless we have enough moral support from other
groups to allow us to believe that we can pull it off and tempt many of
the former members of the local organization to come back on board.
Not only are we faced with a total collapse of the local organization,
but the lease on the existing kennel is soon to run out and renewal
isn't possible, so we'd either have to resort to ONLY foster homes for
the remaining dogs or conduct a crash fundraising effort to raise
enough money to buy or lease a suitable space.
Both I and my wife work more than full time and no one is beating down
the doors with endowment offers. we're willing to bring out skills and
drive to bear on re-consituting the organization but only if we feel we
are likely to succeed. We're open to any and all suggestions on how to
pull this off. Please pass this note around to anyone you think might
have useful suggestions and experience to help us in our mission to
save as many area dogs as possible.


I run a greyhound rescue group myself, and would like to know where on
earth a group gets enough money to rent a kennel and hire staff.

Mustang Sally

  #3  
Old March 16th 06, 05:03 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.rescue
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Advice sought on rescuing a failing greyhound rescue organization

A "Kennel" can be as simple as a garage full of cages and as such can
be rented for a few hundred dollars a month. While most staff are
volunteers, it's unlikely that a Vet will volunteer so he/she must be
paid for the time furnished though most of the other workers are
volunteers. Someone must be on call 24/7 to cover in the event that a
scheduled volunteer fails to show at the kennel or is precluded from
doing so by events outside control. If there are enough volunteers and
someone to co-ordinate, someone can be found when such events arise.
Our problem is that not enough volunteers stay long term because they
become discouraged by lack of praise and failure to implement their
ideas. As for funds, there are many many ways to raise money. None
are surefire and some don't raise a lot but if the organization fosters
respect and sympathy for dogs in the community and fund raising events
are well prepared and properly publicised raising money is possible.

  #4  
Old March 16th 06, 05:25 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.rescue
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Advice sought on rescuing a failing greyhound rescue organization

On 16 Mar 2006 08:03:24 -0800, "Interface-Rick"
wrote:

A "Kennel" can be as simple as a garage full of cages and as such can
be rented for a few hundred dollars a month. While most staff are
volunteers, it's unlikely that a Vet will volunteer so he/she must be
paid for the time furnished though most of the other workers are
volunteers. Someone must be on call 24/7 to cover in the event that a
scheduled volunteer fails to show at the kennel or is precluded from
doing so by events outside control. If there are enough volunteers and
someone to co-ordinate, someone can be found when such events arise.
Our problem is that not enough volunteers stay long term because they
become discouraged by lack of praise and failure to implement their
ideas. As for funds, there are many many ways to raise money. None
are surefire and some don't raise a lot but if the organization fosters
respect and sympathy for dogs in the community and fund raising events
are well prepared and properly publicised raising money is possible.


I wouldn't call a garage full of cages a kennel. Are you in a racing
state? If not, use foster homes. Foster homes are the best way to
get to know your dogs (which enables you to make better matches to
adopters) and prepare them for life in a home. If you use foster
homes, you don't have to worry about volunteers to turn out dogs and
clean cages or renting kennel space.

No, vets aren't going to volunteer their time and services, and they
shouldn't be expected to. "Staff" to means paid employees, and you
were talking about hiring an administrator, which is why I asked about
paid staff. I'm well aware that there are many ways to raise money;
I've been doing it for 10 years. However, it's the rescue group's
responsibility to use donated funds wisely, and I'm not sure that
renting kennel space or hiring an administrator qualifies for that.
No group is going to be able to use every volunteer's ideas - - some
just aren't good ideas - - and if volunteers are working to get
praise, they're never going to be happy. Of course volunteers and
their efforts need to be appreciated, but this is all about the dogs,
right?

Mustang Sally

 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
It's happened again... White Monkey Dog behavior 25 October 7th 05 04:25 PM
PLEASE HELP..DESPERATE FOR AN ANSWER!!! jorocco Dog behavior 6 September 6th 05 06:59 PM
Puppy Growling and Attacking me when he has a bone Simon Adebisi Dog behavior 36 August 3rd 05 08:55 AM
Puppy Growling and Attacking me when he has a bone Simon Adebisi Dog health 24 July 31st 05 11:45 PM
Looking for a great dane rescue organization Laurie Dog breeds 1 September 20th 04 10:34 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:12 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.2.0 (Unauthorized Upgrade)
Copyright ©2004-2024 DogBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.