How to Start an Animal Rescue.

 

• Is starting an animal rescue right for you?

“An animal rescue is a wonderful thing for animals, and it’s incredibly rewarding for the people involved. But it’s not all peaches and cream,” cautions Eleanor Monfett, shelter manager for Saugerties Animal Shelter.

And she’s absolutely right. Your love and passion for animal welfare and safety may inspire you to start an animal rescue or shelter, but it takes a lot more to get the operation up and running—and sustain it over the long term.

Some practical aspects you may not have considered

It’s a demanding job that may infringe on personal time

Taking care of even one animal is a 24-7 job. Owners often compare having pets to having children because they are all living, breathing creatures that need care, nurturing, attention, and time. Lots and lots of time. A running joke with pet owners is that the only difference between the two is you’re allowed to leave the pet at home alone sometimes.

But that’s just one animal. Imagine having to care for 10 or 100. Even if you manage to get help — and you’ll definitely have to — you still must commit a large share of your personal time to your animal rescue business.

“Unlike most jobs, even when you’re off, you’re not really off,” says Maria Gillinson, founder of Central Ontario Animal Rescue (COAR). “There’s always a dog, a cat, or a person that needs something from you. For example, I was watching TV at home with my husband in the evening, and a veterinarian called needing care input on one of my recent rescue dogs. I couldn’t just tell him I’d call back the next day because that poor pup couldn’t wait. So I took the time and answered the vet’s questions. I gladly accept those interruptions, of course, but it’s something you have to consider.”

It takes an emotional toll

Love may be the primary emotion you associate with animals, but running an animal rescue business invites several other emotions, and not all are positive. You’re bound to be happy, sad, angry, frustrated, overjoyed, and confused — and that’s just the first hour of the day!

The joy of rescuing an animal and matching it with the perfect family can make your day. But that doesn’t happen overnight. For some dogs and cats, it takes months (or longer) to get adopted.

In addition, many animals have endured difficult circumstances and may be malnourished, neglected, have a medical condition, or worse. Seeing animals face these and other challenges can be hard, especially if the owner is at fault.

“It’s so difficult when you see a malnourished puppy being surrendered by an owner. You have to ignore how you feel, remain professional, and get all the information you can about the pup’s situation and why it is being surrendered. After all, the pup’s well-being must come first,” notes Gillinson.

It requires some degree of business savvy

Getting any business off the ground often requires bootstrapping — using your personal funds to cover business needs. Starting an animal rescue is no different.

The more you want to help, the more you’ll wind up pouring into the business. That’s not a problem if you have the funds to spare, but if you’re like many would-be rescuers, you’ve got more heart than cash. This makes donations (which we’ll explore later) critical; having business acumen makes fundraising and managing your rescue easier.

“Like many new things in life, you have to walk before you run. Ask yourself, ‘What do I have the means to do, realistically?’ ” advises Debbie Howell, board president for the Humane Society of Pulaski County. “If you want to run a big rescue or shelter, complete with a big building and a large team of volunteers, that’s great! But you can’t make that a reality for Monday morning. Start small and work your way up.”

Remember the importance of profitability (despite being a nonprofit)

The one practical concern you’ve undoubtedly considered is going the nonprofit route. Obtaining 501(c)(3) nonprofit status for your animal rescue business is essential to long-term viability. Without it, you’ll find it extremely difficult to fundraise since many states require the designation to accept donations.

However, your nonprofit status does not mean profitability is no longer a concern. Being profitable enables you to

• Rescue and care for more animals. It takes a lot to transport, treat, house, and feed those adorable dogs and cats. Vet bills can be expensive!
• Handle the upkeep and maintenance of a building. Not all rescues have a physical location — opting for a foster network instead — but for larger ones that do, fixed and variable costs can quickly overwhelm the unprepared.
• Gain visibility. Marketing and public relations can make a huge impact on your rescue by raising awareness in the local community (and beyond), but these activities require financial funding. The more people who know about your rescue, the more donors you can find and the more animals you can help.

Starting an animal rescue business is obviously a big decision, but if you’re still gung-ho about moving forward (and hopefully you are), that’s great! Read on to learn about key aspects of starting an animal rescue to make your efforts a raving success.