Question for Rescue Organizations

[Peggy G]

I have seen a few situations where a Boxer was placed into Rescue *only because* the owner could not afford the medical bills to fix a problem such as a broken leg or a medical condition that requires a surgery. The rescue organization takes the dog in, pays for the vet bills then places the boxer up for adoption. My question is can the former owner adopt their own dog back and if not, why?:confused:

 

[Boxerworld]

Originally posted by Peggy G
My question is can the former owner adopt their own dog back and if not, why?:confused:

I don't know if the former owner can adopt their dog back but I would be surprised if he could, just to prevent some abuse.
I exaggerate but what if every time my dog is sick I send him to a rescue organization so I do not have to pay the bills and then get him back? I don't think rescue organizations are there to take the place of health insurance companies (with the big difference it is free).
I too am interested to see answers from rescue organisations to your question.

 

[xenolith]

On the only owner surrender I have ever taken into rescue, paperwork was required from the owner saying they agreed to give up ownership of their dog 100%, would have no contact with the dog and could be denied any information about the dog after that point.

 

[Sabrina Jay]

No, rescue groups do not *fix* dogs and then return them to their original owners. Why should rescue pay their bills and then return the dog(s) back?? If they can not afford normal vet expenses, or in emergency situations can not afford to make payments to their vets, then they probably shouldn't own a dog anyway. I don't mean this to sound harsh, but we get many calls regarding this.

Most vets (if you are a good client) will allow payments in emergency or sick situations. But don't expect a vet that you don't know (or your normal vet if you don't taken your dog in when you should), to allow you to set up a payment schedule.
I don't know of any vets that allow normal maintenance (vaccines, heartworm preventative, etc) to be charged and paid later. I'm sure there are some vets (again, if they REALLY know you) that would allow this though.

 

[Aimee]

We also require the owner to sign a release form so that we can legally treat and place the animal. And I agree that in emergency situations, most vets will allow a payment plan. The people who release their dogs 9 times out of 10 don't want to pay the money nor deal with the after care and many bills that will amount from that. When my sheltie was very sick the last year, we set up a payment plan several times with the vet to pay off our bills as they easily added up. They were more than willing to accomodate us because we were more than willing to do what we needed to do for him. It's sad when dogs are turned over because they need medical care but it's important for people to remember that this is to be expected when they obtain any animal which is why on an adoption form they ask you how much you think it costs yearly to maintain an animal.

 

[VTbxrFan]

I can't imagine that any rescue would allow someone to adopt back a dog they had previously surrendered. Part of responsible dog ownership is being willing and able to pay for the medical care for the dog and recognizing that there is always the possibility that an injury or illness will come up unexpectedly. Rescues are generally very under funded and cannot afford to provide medical care just because owners cannot or will not cover it themselves.

 

[Peggy G]

Here's the situation that made me wonder...

I know of a Boxer that broke her leg. (It was an accident...the puppy and the owners little boy fell down a flight of stairs.) The owners spent what was necessary to have her leg fixed, not once but twice. Because the puppy continued to grow it caused problems with the leg. They found out the dog needed an operation that cost thousands in order for the leg to be refixed properly. This family loved their dog but could not afford thousands. I am assuming not even on a payment plan. The rescue paid to have the operation done and the boxer was adopted out to another family at the normal adoption fee. I have always felt sorry for this family. Somehow this never made sense to me even though I know the point of rescue is not to pay medical bills for people in this situation. I guess that's just how it is.

 

[Cathy Shaw]

There is an organization called United Animal Nations that will pay for emergency medical fees when the owner or recue can not due to hardship or the amount of the care. Funds can be applied for by email, phone, or mail. It must be within 30 days of the accident or medical dianosis. Rescue organizations can apply once per year. Funds are paid directly to the vet. Rescues can refer people who would like to keep their pet, but can't ay for treatment. They have a website that explains it all.

http://www.uan.org/lifeline/lifelinerescueguidelines.html

 

[Peggy G]

Cathy, Thanks for posting this info. What a wonderful foundation United Animal Nations is. It's the perfect solution for families such as the one I wrote about.