Doberman Assistance, Rescue, and Education Membership Structure

President: Athy Conigliaro

Vice President: Lisa Hester

Treasurer: Colleen Ryan-Messing

How do Dobermans enter the Doberman Assistance, Rescue, and Education rescue program?

Many Dobermans will enter the rescue program through a variety of local animal control agencies. Doberman Assistance, Rescue, and Education will contact and develop good working relationships with as many Maryland based animal control agencies as possible. Examples of these agencies include pounds, shelters, humane societies--public and private. Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education will request that the Dog Intake Coordinator be contacted if a Doberman Pinscher should appear in their facility. Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education will verbally tell these agencies about the work that Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education has committed to do and will follow up with a letter requesting their cooperation if necessary. It is suggested that the Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education charter, standard adoption application and adoption agreements be included in the letter.

Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education will request that all Doberman Pinschers be released to the Dog Intake Coordinator as quickly as possible. There is usually a holding period for a stray, but dogs turned in by their owners may often be turned over immediately. When Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education receives a call from an animal control agency, the Dog Intake Coordinator should ensure that the following steps are completed:

1. go to the facility
2. check on the dog
3. follow up in a few days if the dog is not yet available for adoption

As Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education becomes more established and known in the communities, many more Dobermans will enter the rescue program as the result of owners no longer wishing to keep the dog and relinquishing the dog’s ownership to Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education for placement in a new adoptive home. In these cases, the Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education Owner Release Agreement should be used to transfer ownership from the original owner to Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education.

Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education maintains the position that shelter animals should be given priority. Those animals that are in immediate danger of being euthanized must be given priority over a dog whose owner no longer wants him. While animal shelters are less inclined to negotiate an extension on a shelter dog’s life, Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education representatives may be able to reach a compromise with owners to keep their dogs a bit longer until adequate foster homes are available.

Stray dogs that enter the Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education rescue program should be carefully handled. Again, as Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education becomes more well known, people who find a Doberman Pinscher will automatically call. Often, local municipalities will require that "found" dogs must be advertised in the local newspapers (these ads are often free). If no claim or identification is made within five days, the dog then belongs to the finder. The Dog Intake Coordinator will familiarize him/herself with laws in the area in which the dog was found and ensure that proper procedure is followed before entering the found dog into the rescue program. During the waiting time, only emergency veterinary care should be provided to the found dog within the five day waiting period. If the owner claims the dog within the 5 day waiting period, Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education will request reimbursement for any emergency care veterinary bills. If the dog is reclaimed after the normal waiting period, Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education will require reimbursement of all veterinary and general care expenses before releasing the dog to the owner.

Which Dobermans are saved?

Not all Doberman Pinschers are adoptable. Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education does not wish to promote the current fear of "danger dogs" infecting this country by placing dogs with bad temperaments, who have not been properly socialized or are, due to unfortunate breeding practices, just plain vicious. It is a sad fact that the most common causes for euthanasia for younger Dobermans are bad behaviors or bad temperament. The Dog Intake Coordinator must be prepared to evaluate incoming dogs and, when necessary, exercise proper judgment and make the difficult decisions that may need to be made. It is not reasonable to place a mentally unsound Doberman Pinscher in a home and hope that its personality will change when so many wonderful, good tempered dogs will die waiting for their homes.

Veterinary Services for Incoming Dobermans

All incoming Dobermans must be taken to a veterinarian and completely checked over. Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education maintains that each dog be test first for heartworm and brucellosis. The presence of either of these conditions may require that the dog be euthanized. If the dog checks out negative on these two tests, he should be checked for any other parasites or general health problems. The dog should then be brought up-to-date on all vaccinations (DA2PL, Parvo, rabies and so forth). Neutering should then be performed if the dog is in good health.

If the dog is too emaciated to undergo neutering, it will remain in a Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education foster home until the veterinarian feels this procedure to be safe. In cases where a rescued puppy which is too young to be altered, a clause has been written into the adoption agreement requiring neutering as soon as the veterinarian feels is appropriate. In this case, follow up with the new owner involved as well as the veterinarian to confirm that the surgery has been completed.

Foster Homes

Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education must secure as many foster homes as possible. Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education will attempt to procure foster homes from breed clubs, references and volunteers. Foster parents must sign the general Foster Care Home Agreement upon volunteering to be a Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education foster home. When taking receipt of a particular dog into their home, they will also be required to sign a Foster Home Acknowledgment of Receipt Agreement. These documents ensure that the dog is cared for appropriately and that there are no questions concerning ownership or responsibilities surrounding the dog.

Because foster homes generally have their own dogs, Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education must take into account all aspects of the dog requiring a foster home. Occasionally, a dog will display temperament problems after it goes to a foster home. Sometimes the problem will not show up until several weeks later. This so-called "honeymoon period" can be deceptive; if the foster parent identifies a serious behavioral problem, the Foster Home Coordinator should investigate the complaint and, if necessary, place the dog into a new foster home.

Permanent/Adoptive Homes

Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education will search for adoptive parents in a variety of ways: referrals from the Metropolitan Doberman Pinscher Club, promotions through the Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education newsletters, information booths at dog shows or pet supply stores, advertisements in local newspaper, notices in vets' offices and so forth.

All applicants will complete the Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education adoption questionnaire. Each applicant will be asked to provide a vet reference (current or previous) as well as two other references. Home visits should be conducted when one or more possible dog matches are identified. If appropriate, the identified dog may be taken to the adopter’s home after reference checks are completed. If the home visit is positive, the adoption process may be completed. Certain extreme situations may necessitate a direct referral of an applicant to a shelter rather than physically removing the dog themselves.

Adoption and Give-Up Donations

Adoption donations should not be viewed as payments or fees. Donations can vary from $100 to $250, depending upon the situation. No dogs should be given away except in cases of exceptional circumstances, such as a healthy "oldster" who might otherwise simply be euthanized. The top priority is not to make a profit of any kind; placement of the dog in a good home is the priority.

Give-up fees should be charged to those individuals that need to place their Doberman Pinscher for whatever reason. Many owners welcome this fee as it helps ease their guilt over giving up their dog, coupled with relief at not having to go to a shelter. The amount of the give-up donation is flexible depending on the circumstances involved. An already neutered and fully vetted dog will cost less to the Rescue group than an intact, ill, or neglected dog. Anywhere between $50.00 and $100.00 is not unreasonable in most cases.

Doberman Assistance, Rescue, and Education Documents and Agreements

An Owner Release Agreement must be filled out and signed by anyone who turns a Doberman Pinscher over to Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education. Be sure a health record and all information relating to the dog's temperament, likes, dislikes, quirks, eating habits, history with other animals, etc., are made available. Shelters usually have their own releases or forms; Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education will attempt to obtain as much information as possible from the shelter personnel when the dog is picked up.

As stated in the Foster Home section, potential foster home care providers should sign the Foster Home Agreement. Use a Foster Care Acknowledgment of Receipt Agreement when placing the dog in foster care. Copies of the both agreements should be left with the foster care provides and a signed copy should be retained in the Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education files.

Adoption Agreements should be filled out in duplicate, one for the new owner and one for the Rescue group.

Financial Aid and Fund Raising

Some financial assistance may be obtained from the Doberman Pinscher Club of America’s Committee Opposed to Population Explosion (COPE). It is important to comply with COPE guidelines for expense submission and reimbursement.

COPE assistance will not be sufficient to cover all rescue expenses. It is critical that Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education become financially self-reliant. Fund raising is an absolute necessity. There are many suggested ways to raise funds, such as bumper stickers with a rescue slogan, raffles, greeting cards, Chinese auctions, solicitation (where permitted), Canine Good Citizenship events and so forth. The Fund Raising Coordinator will manage this aspect of Doberman Assistance, Rescue, and Education’s needs.

Education

An important aspect of ongoing success for Doberman Assistance, Rescue, and Education is public education and awareness of pet overpopulation. Whenever possible, Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education should cooperate with breed and obedience clubs to provide mini-seminars, information booths, handouts and information flyers concerning the importance of spaying or neutering of pets, obedience training, housebreaking, crate training and so forth. Information about Doberman Pinschers and their unique behavioral characteristics should be shared with the general public as well as shelter personnel. This will help to ensure that shelter personnel are aware of the characteristics of Dobermans and allow them to pass the information along to potential owners in those cases where the shelters allow the public to adopt Dobermans directly rather than through the rescue program.

Volunteers

Doberman Assistance, Rescue, and Education volunteers may be recruited from the local breed or obedience clubs. Volunteers may respond to posts to the Internet or they may be adopters who have opted to give back to the rescue by donating their time or homes as foster parents. Wherever volunteers come from, they are the most important part of Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education. The newsletter coordinator will ensure that volunteers are kept apprised of Doberman Assistance. Rescue, and Education’s ongoing rescue efforts and how they can help, whether the help is financial, food, supplies or time.