[Dailydrool] Rescue and Bill Paying

[SUSAN INTESSIMONE]

Bluegrass Basset Rescue HAS paid bills for owners who otherwise could not afford it.  Last year we got a call from a recently laid-off gentleman whose beloved basset had been attacked by another dog while on a walk.  He though he'd be OK, but a day later the poor dog's neck wounds were infected and he was in really bad shape.  I had him meet one of our volunteers at the vet (so we could verify it WAS a basset and this was legit) and we put up nearly $300 to have the basset sedated and treated (and it was just in the nick of time.)  He clearly loved his dog and had NOT called us to surrender him.

Our main problem down here isn't money--I can always find a way to get a bill paid, even if it takes a year.  In Kentucky it's space;  We have virtually no foster homes.  With 3 dogs (and 2 cats AND 4 kids of my own), we are limited to 1 or 2 fosters at any one time at my house.  Sue in Nashville has 3 of ours as fosters [as well as 3 or 4 of her own]--one of whom has been in rescue for 6 YEARS just because she's a mix.  Jennifer, because of her workload, can take one foster--and she has one now.  Ruth has one foster as well due to space, and she's taking a break from fostering as soon as he's adopted.  Pat has the unadoptables ( more than 15)  so really she's not available for any real fostering on an "revolving door" basis.  That's IT to cover the 40,411 sq miles of Kentucky.  We have posted on Cragislist for foster homes (and only gotten replies from weirdos); we have posted flyers at vet offices. We have had write-ups in the newspaper (a
 2-page article here where I live) that garnered nothing at all--except a call from a lady telling me she  remembered watching Cleo when she was younger.  Nobody here wants to foster, even when we offer to pay them like we would a boarding kennel!  So, we have three boarding right now...$12-20 per day, depending on location.  *sigh*

So, we would GLADLY, if it's not totally outrageous, help an owner who really wanted to keep their dog.  Sadly, most here who want to surrender them when medical issues come up just want the problem to go away--permanently.  And we cannot afford to take on expensive chronic issues in dogs that will never get adopted.

That said, we are planning our very first Waddle in Louisville, KY, in May (no, not on the same weekend as MBR's Waddle in Michigan!!) so get ready to "Waddle for the Roses"  in our own Basset Derby!!!  Stay tuned!  

Susan and the Hoptown Bassets + 1
Murphy, Jeremiah and Sweenie + Grandma
www.bluegrassbassetrescue.org

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