Starting a rescue?

[Fluffy_Guinea]

Well just so everything dosen't get all confusing I'll just start off by saying my Dad runs his own painting company and a few months ago we were talking about adding other things to the business such as stores, gyms, etc. Well now I thought what about a rescue to me that would be awesome I'd get to finally be able to help some animals. Let me say this right away too I will not be running the rescue my Dad will I'm way to young but I do understand the problems that could occur. I know there will be constant heartbreak and a small rescue will not be able to stay small for long. That shelters run on donations and there will be financial problems as well. I just came here so anyone could tell me if there's anything we must be aware of and I will think about it long and hard then go to my Dad and talk to him about it.

[Maisiepaisie]

I've volunteered in rescue and there are some downsides. I don't know how the law stands in the US but here in the UK you have to have a bank account with £1000 before you can register as a charity. If your not a charity its hard to recruit volunteers. I was the only one, doing most of the work singlehandedly as the woman running it had a lot of problems. Several times people dumped boxes of rabbits over the fence in the night. One of the rabbits had had a broken leg which had never been fixed and had set deformed. Often the animals would get sick and she couldn't always get the money for vet bills. It shut down in the end and all the animals went to another sanctuary, except for Hazel and Poppy who I adopted. The most important thing to bear in mind if you do go ahead is only take in as many animals as you can realistically care for and no more. I think this was where this woman went wrong. Good luck and I hope it works out for you.

[Chaos&Order]

How to Start a Guinea Pig Rescue
http://www.cavyrescue.com/rescuerresources.htm
Guinea Lynx :: Rescue Articles

I thought I had seen posts on Guinealynx a while ago about this subject but I can't find them right now. I had been thinking about thinking about starting a rescue in the future. I don't think that would happen unless I win the lottery.

[Chaos&Order]

Here's a couple more from this site

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...tarting+rescue
http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...arting+rescues

[envisionary333]

I was about to post those same links but you beat me to it, Chaos&Order! Anyway, I just wanted to mention that you might want to try fostering some piggies for a shelter to get your feet wet and learn more about the effort it involves. Rescuing takes a huge amount of time, energy, and money, as I'm sure you realize. Fostering is a small step you could make to help guinea pigs in need without getting in over your head.

[Fluffy_Guinea]

Thank you everyone I haven't read the links yet but I will and I forgot to mention it's not going to be a guinea pig only rescue if I do start one I want to help about every animal I can and that is a great idea Envisionary I'll talk to my parents about fostering. We might have to wait untill spring since winter is a pretty bad season for are painting company. I will talk to my Dad about it when he gets home and my mom. Thanks again everyone I'll start reading those links .

[Fluffy_Guinea]

I have read the links and I have went over everything and I know this is a very big undertaking 'if' I do it and there will be tears and heartbreak it will not be all sunshine and rainbows it would be very hard. I really want to help and I have watched animal cops and shows like that but that wouldn''t help prepare me I would have to learn from experience. Me and my family would have to be able to pay for the animal's vet care, food and everything like that. I think maybe I should help out at a shelter first so I can get a taste of exactly how hard it is. I know that I have no idea how hard it is and I won't until I get a taste of it by helping out at a shelter or fostering, So I think I should do that before I dive in then leap out causing way more harm then good. If there is any other way I could help could you all please help me I'm quite desprate oh and how old do you have to be to be to volunteer?

[Fluffy_Guinea]

I just came back to this thread to ask a favor from you guys could you guys give me some links to good care pages on all different kinds of animals just in case later in the future we decide to start a shelter. Anyway it could help me out some day you never know. So could you guys do that for me I'm sorry for being a bother I just want to be educated and maybe if I'm educated I could educate others such as people at petstores who are looking to purchase an animal and won't go to a shelter for whatever reason, they should at least no how to take care of the animal.

[Fluffy_Guinea]

I have another question but it's more about fostering I hope this isn't to off topic but since Envisionary mentioned it I decided to ask a few questions would a basement be an ok place to keep the foster pigs? It's really cold so we would have to get a heater but is there any other things I would have to be aware of? I probably sound pretty stupid because to me I do for some reason .

[muffynilla]

If the basement doesn't leak or have roaches and has good lighting, I don't see why you can't keep the foster pigs in the basement! but, get a heater! Good luck!

[Fluffy_Guinea]

We don't have any leaks and there's absulutely no roaches but there are spiders would that be a problem?