Thank you for volunteering for Small Paws® Rescue! You may at any time, contact one of our staff, if you have questions.
Executive Director Robin Pressnall, pup3@aol.com
Bonnie Ferguson-Executive Assistant, bonnie@smallpawsrescue.org
If we contact you, and ask you to go and pick up a dog for us, here are the rules and regulations that may help you in this exciting and rewarding journey! We recognize that many of you have rescue experience, and we are truly grateful for this experience. We must ask that when you are rescuing or fostering for Small Paws® Rescue, please honor our rules and regulations.
Before you begin as a Small Paws Volunteer,
you will need to sign and fax an agreement
stating that you have read and understood
the following rules and regulations. This
is for everyone's protection, including the
Bichons! PLEASE do not sign that you have
read these, unless you HAVE read them and
you understand them. Thank you!
Very Important. It is imperative that all
aggression must be reported to the
home office immediately. Please read the
definitions of aggression.
Recently we have had some confusion as to who is responsible for a Bichon when the foster parent is both a Small Paws® Rescue volunteer and a volunteer for other Bichon Rescue Organizations. We have a number of volunteers who are both Small Paws® Rescue Volunteers, and volunteers for other Bichon rescue organizations. (This is great, and we do not discourage this!) Please use the following as a guide to handle this situation.
By honoring the continued good relationship between all of the Bichon rescue groups, it is hoped that we will be able to work together for the benefit of all Bichons. :)
If a dog is taken into rescue, it should be taken to a vet immediately, without it going home to the volunteer's house first, if at all possible. If not, then the dog must be quarantined somewhere far from the other animals in the house, and then go to the vet at the first available day.
When you pick your rescue up take a crate with you. Also, maybe a towel for mishaps, a few Chewy Strips, a stuffed toy. You might also bring a mix of different treats as it sometimes lets the little one know he has nothing to fear and may help divert them if you need to put a collar on them.
The shelter may provide you with a short leash that has a loop on the end. We recommend that you take a collar and leash of your own.
When you arrive at home put him in the place you have prepared for him. Show him food and water bowls. Maybe a special toy or bone just for him. Remember that a change of diet can cause intestinal distress so be prepared. Maybe a special toy or bone just for him. Give him time to rest in his new home before introducing him to the rest of the family. He is under stress and more than likely was just neutered or spayed so is feeling the effects of anesthesia. When you feel comfortable, introduce him to the other family members and let him tour his new home under supervision. How much of the house he gets to investigate will depend upon whether or not you are going to quarantine the dog for a few days. You will need some time to determine if he is housebroken or not.
Make certain your fence is secure, and keep him on a leash at first, even in a fenced area, in case he can climb a fence.
You may choose to put your rescue in a crate or playpen - to be able to confine a marking, or not housebroken dog, yet allow it to be with you. You may prefer a playpen because it is more open. You can reach in and pet or love on the dog easily. A playpen folds down so can be moved to always be where you are. The dog can stand, sit, lie down, or stand on his hind legs without any restrictions. There is room for food and water bowl and a bed.
An adjustable gate is very handy for keeping the dog in a safe place like the kitchen or bathroom when you have to leave the house without him. It is open, lets air circulate and the dog see out, but safely confines him.
You need to isolate (Quarantine or keep separate from your own dogs) any dog that comes into rescue before letting it interact with your personal pets. Kennel Cough is highly contagious and is airborne. We have seen PARVO break on day 15. Make sure your own dogs are fully vaccinated for distemper, rabies, kennel cough and parvo!
Do not take your new rescue to a private individual's home or to a public place like Petsmart, until it has passed it's 16 days of quarantine.
It is good to have a safe place where to can observe the rescue and yet he can be part of your family. It is absolutely imperative to keep your pet's boosters current when doing rescue work. Your pets MUST come first!
It is very helpful to take the time to interact with the dog you are considering rescuing.
If you decide to take the dog into rescue, and it has to be neutered or spayed before leaving, ask if they will bathe the dog the day of the surgery. Some shelters have volunteers who will do this for you. Remember, the dog cannot be bathed for 10 days after surgery.
Also, evaluate for fleas and/or ticks. You may want to treat the rescue with Frontline or Advantage before it goes home with you.
Make a vet appointment as soon as possible to get a general evaluation of the dog's health. Please get all vet visits approved, first, before you go to the vet. Please ask if your vet will give a discount, for rescue dogs. Most vets will give a 25 to 30 % discount for true rescue dogs. We have all necessary documentation, to prove we are a legitimate rescue group.
Look at the teeth when you see the dog. To minimize stress on the dog and minimize cost, if the teeth really need cleaning and the dog is taken the shelters contract vet for neutering, make sure they clean the teeth at the same time. Also, request they do an anal expression and trim the nails. This saves the cost of a second anesthetic (good for the dog and good for us, they normally never charge for the anal purge and nail trim) and the contract vet's office will usually give you a price reduction for the teeth cleaning too.
These are the things we want done at the vet...please get an estimate first, if possible.
Regarding Heart Worm and Flea and Tick preventative,
SPR will pay for only what the dogs uses
while in rescue with SPR. Never give Heartworm
preventative without a current negative heartworm
test, unless the dog has been on monthly
heartworm preventative AND we have vet records
which show a Heartworm test within the last
year. SPR does NOT pay for the new 6 month
Heartworm vaccination.
If possible, may we use one or two of your
HW preventative pills, while the dog is in
rescue, and reimburse you for that used portion?
Send the vet evaluation and a picture of
the rescue to Small Paws® Rescue, Inc. as
soon as possible. You may fax us at 918-274-1283
or Email us at pup3@aol.com
Please get the dog vetted as soon possible
so that any health problems can be found
discovered and immediately cared for. It
will need a clean bill of health so that
it can go to his "forever home"
as soon as one is found.
We need for foster parents to have their
new foster dog in rescue for two weeks before
we list the dog for adoption on Petfinder's.
It takes at least that long for the foster
parent to find out if the dog is going to
show any aggression, and for them to get
to know their foster Bichons so that they
can adequately describe and tell others about
the dog, his/her likes and dislikes, etc.
Also it may take that long for the foster
parent to be able to get the dog into the
vet for vetting, depending on their schedules
and upon the schedules of the vets.
Any Small Paws Rescue dogs that have been
in rescue for at least two weeks, and have
not yet been submitted for our Petfinder's page will no longer be eligible to have their
vet bills paid by Small Paws Rescue, unless
there are extenuating circumstances, which
must be approved by the home office.
To get your foster dog up on our Petfinder's Page, and insure that their vet bills will continue to be paid by Small Paws Rescue, please email a bio and a picture of your foster dog to Janet at Mageefoof@aol.com. Please be sure to copy your Team Leaders in e-mail as well.
If you don't have a picture yet, we need to get the bio up without a picture.
We understand if there is a reason your foster dog is not yet ready for adoption, because of things such as heart worm treatment, or hospice care. All exceptions like these must be approved by either Bonnie or Robin.
For reimbursement, fax or mail copies of the shelter rescue fee (if any) and vet bills to Small Paws® Rescue, Inc. within 90 days.
Fax: 918-274-1283
Small Paws® Rescue
%Robin Pressnall
3316 S. 72nd W. Ave.
Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74107
In case of emergency, you may call Robin's
cell phone: 1-918-638-5854
We do need the vet bills turned in as soon
as possible. Bills need to be submitted to
us within 90 days for payment. If they are
older then that, we won't be able to pay
them.
We've had a couple of bills come through
the fax that were not readable. If we can't
read the bill, we can't pay it. Bad copies
don't fax well and should be mailed.
Also please be sure the dogs are sent out
to their new homes with a harness on. We
are trying to encourage our adopters to use
harnesses on our rescued Bichons.
If you find someone who wants to adopt your rescue, have him or her fill out the online Small Paws® Rescue application as soon as possible to get him or her approved.
Small Paws® Rescue Preadoption Application
If YOU want to adopt the dog, let us know
ASAP! Foster Parents always have first choice!
You must be willing to put your foster dog
on an airplane to fly to his/her new family.
Small Paws® Rescue is a national rescue organization
and it is very rare that we will be able
to place your foster dog near you. We have
flown thousands of Small Paws® Rescue dogs
to their new homes, safely.
Shipping Dogs on the Airlines: The Real Scoop
All Small Paws dogs must be clean, before
they are sent to the new adoptive homes.
Small Paws will pay for professional grooming.
The condition in which your foster dog arrives
to the adoptive parents, is a direct reflection
of our organization.
Grooming Check List:
Ears should be clean and free of odor.
Nails should be trimmed.
Coat should be clean and brushed.
Eye area should be clean.
Be prepared to stay in touch with the adoptive
family, if close to you, to assure both the
humans and the dog are happy.
Assure the family they can call you if they have any questions or problems. Make a copy of everything done at the vet's and at the shelter, a copy of the certificate of sterility and copy of the certificate of Rabies vaccine. The originals should go to the adoptive parent, as they will need this when getting the license.
Questions to ask shelter about your rescue:
After you get your rescue home and settled in:
Enjoy socializing, loving and training your rescue. Watch it flourish under your care.
ALL ADOPTION APPLICATIONS MUST BE APPROVED BY THE Small Paws® RESCUE HOME OFFICE, BEFORE ANY PLACEMENT.
THE VOLUNTEER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE/SHE MAY GAIN ACCESS TO Small Paws® RESCUE’S CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, MAILING LISTS, PERSONAL INFORMATION RELATED TO HOME ADDRESSES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS OF OTHER VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS OF SMALL PAWS RESCUE, INFORMATION REGARDING SMALL PAWS RESCUE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH SHELTERS, AND ITS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES (“CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION”). BY AGREEING TO BE A VOLUNTEER FOR Small Paws® RESCUE, THE VOLUNTEER AGREES THAT HE/SHE WILL NOT AT ANY TIME DISCLOSE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION TO ANY PERSON OR ENTITY WHO IS NOT AN ACTIVE Small Paws® RESCUE VOLUNTEER. THE VOLUNTEER AGREES THAT THIS CONFIDENTIALITY PROVISION SHALL SURVIVE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE VOLUNTEER CEASES HIS/HER PARTICIPATION IN AND SUPPORT OF Small Paws® RESCUE.
____________________________________ have read the above Small Paws® Rescue Volunteer Guidelines and agree to comply with them.
Signed ________________________________ Date ___________________
Street address ___________________________________________________________
City _______________________________ State ___________________ Zip ______________
Phone _______________________ Fax ___________________ Cell _____________________
Email _________________________________
If you wish to be a Small Paws® Volunteer follow this link to our online application form.
If you agree to comply with these Guidelines
use your browsers print function to print
out this form, fill it out and Fax the LAST
PAGE ONLY to 866-445-9189. FILLING OUT AND
SIGNING THIS FORM IS NOT AN APPLICATION TO
BE A Small Paws® VOLUNTEER. TO BECOME A VOLUNTEER
YOU MUST FILL OUT THE FORM AT THE END OF
THE LINK ABOVE AND SUBMIT IT !!