Tips for adopting dogs through rescue foundation
The Calgary-based Pawsitive Match Rescue Foundation has 164 animals in foster care.
The foundation rescues dogs and cats from being euthanized in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Roxanne Pynn is the adoptions coordinator at Pawsitive Match Rescue Foundation. She receives the applications via email and then works with processors to match up applicants with the right animal.
The process is quite fast, as the foundation is working to get more dogs off the street and into proper homes.
The goal of the rescue foundation is to make the best match, not just to place dogs with whoever is available. Chemistry and reaction between family and dog are ways Pynn is able to tell if it is a good match or not.
If at first things don’t work out, Pynn and the rest of the team at the Pawsitive Match Rescue Foundation will work with applicants until they have the right fit.
Lori Stainer opened her home to foster dogs from the Pawsitive Match Rescue Foundation. She cares for furry friends like Yaya until they are adopted permanently. Photo by Melanie Walsh
Making friends
After moving to Calgary in October and not knowing anyone, Sandy Chang decided that she would adopt a dog to combat her loneliness. Living in an apartment, her options were limited. She wanted an older dog that was more housebroken, making her search for a companion even more challenging.
That is why she was so ecstatic when she found Lulu, the hypoallergenic mixed breed from Mexico.
“It’s been great, except when she wakes me up every morning at 6:30 a.m.,” says Chang. “I don’t know anybody here, I moved here by myself so it has been really hard and lonely living by myself and she is my one salvation, the thing that keeps me sane.“
When people ask Chang what kind of dog Lulu is, she always says “the best kind. She’s a rescue dog, she’s healthy with a great temperament.”
Chang has had other dogs prior to Lulu, but always rescue dogs. For Chang, it’s hard to justify spending money on a purebred when there are so many dogs that need to be taken care of, and adopting often saves an animal’s life.
Saving lives
Lori Stainer went through a year with a lot of loss. She decided to fill that void and open her home to a dog. She saw a picture of Ivy, a dog from Milk River, Alta. She was skin and bones, and looked as if she had never been fed. Through Sit Happens, a local dog training centre, Stainer was able to rehabilitate Ivy. They formed a bond and Stainer officially adopted her.
“To me, she’s just like a little bowl of Jell-O,” says Stainer, “everyone in the family just adores her and she just cuddles right into you.” Stainer loves foster animals and enjoys finding homes for them.
Looking to give back the holiday season? The Pawsitive Match Rescue Foundation is always looking for volunteers to provide a temporary or permanent home for adopted animals. Photo by Melanie Walsh
“It’s great, because you know that you’ve saved a life,” says Stainer. “You end up getting a bond with them and falling in love with them but then [when they get adopted] your door opens up so you can take another one.”
So far in 2015, 402 animals have been adopted through the Pawsitive Match Rescue Foundation.
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How you can help 1. Adopt You start by filling out your application. The foundation will process your application and conduct a phone interview. Once the processor gets a good feel that the applicant will be responsible and kind and will treat the dog well, they will contact the foster.The foster and applicant will then meet either at the foster’s home or applicant’s. Anyone who will be living in the forever home must be present at the meeting, including any roommates or other pets, to ensure everyone will get along. 2. Foster If you want to open your home to a pet but are not ready for a long-term commitment, fostering a pet could be a great option for you. The Pawsitive Match Rescue Foundation does not have a shelter. They have a small holding facility to house the animals until they get adopted. To keep the animals out of the kennels, you can foster and house them until they get adopted. 3. Volunteer The Pawsitive Match Rescue Foundation is always looking for volunteers. You can become a walker and visit the holding facility where you can take some of the dogs out of their kennels for a short walk. Donations are also greatly needed to help offset the costs of rescuing the animals from remote locations and cover medical bills and supplies. 4. Support There are many rescue foundations around Calgary such as the Calgary Humane Society and the Alberta Animals Rescue Crew Society. They all work together to help get animals off the streets and into the right homes. Become an advocate for rescue animals and tell your friends and family about them. |
Thumbnail courtesy of Melanie Walsh
This story was edited by Kelsey Solway, ksolway@cjournal.ca