Traveling North to Animal Rescues Was Eye Opening
Traveling north to visit rescues was eye-opening. Our goal was to learn about the situation in the north and how southern shelters might be able to partner with northern shelters to save lives.
I’m still processing all that we learned in our four visits, but here are a few quick takeaways:
1) The rescues we visited in the north are doing great work, and most were already helping southern shelters in some ways.
2) Many people we met do not seem to understand just how bad the situation is in the south in terms of sheer number of dogs and lack of resources.
3) Transports are slowing in some areas – partially because of full northern shelters, but also because states are increasing regulations that challenge the ability of rescues to bring dogs into their states.
4) The north feels more ‘dog-friendly’ than the south in terms of the number of dogs with people out on the streets and in businesses.
5) Volunteers and fosters are a huge part of the work at the rescues/shelters and a key to their success and high numbers. Community engagement is critical.
6) Many are finding ways to serve their own community and also pull from the south.
I will write about our individual visits on the blog, but if you’re curious, you can see details and pictures from our visits posted on our social media.
Cara
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