A message from TARA Rescue: 910-875-5791, www.tararescue.org
Urgent help needed – #mazischallenge
We think you should know the cost of rescue on a typical dog:
Spay – $80
Rabies – $10
Shots – $5
Microchip – $10
All dogs are also dewormed and defleaed. The price of these medications fluctuates wildly based on the size of the dog.
Our adoption fee for a dog is currently $120 (though we will be discussing an increase in our fees this week).
This does not even begin to cover the expenses of a rescue dog that is ill or injured. Most of the dogs we rescue come from animal shelters with some kind of issue: ear infections, upper respiratory infections, mange (a few of our fosters are really experienced with mange), or urinary tract infections. Dogs need to be tested for heartworms and treated if they are positive. Most cats need an additional Convenia shot to combat common respiratory infections. We don’t selectively choose the easiest to foster and adopt animals. Instead, we often take the ones that slated for euthanasia, the senior dogs: the ones that need the most help.
Mazi, for example, is a senior Rottweiler mix. She cost the rescue about $600. But because of her severe separation anxiety, she may never get adopted and may live the rest of her life in a foster home. That means that no part of her expense will be recovered by the rescue and costs for her continued care will add up.
But, Mazi is healthy and happy. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, the dog cannot be saved. The medical bill always remains. This year alone TARA has spent thousands of dollars on several litters of puppies that eventually succumbed to distemper. Their loss left TARA with a financial burden and its volunteers, fosters, and several adopters with a puppy shaped hole in their hearts.
We were lucky to get some medical issues fully funded, like Aspen’s FHO. But many more, like Lulu’s weeks-long care for her wounded leg, gathered little funding and were paid for out of TARA’s operating fund.
In addition to our medical expenses, TARA has operating expenses as well. We pay for insurance, gas and maintenance on our vehicle, business insurance, crates, and various animal and office supplies.
Yet, ALL of our funding comes from adoption fees or other personal donations. We have very little margin for error. Without this margin, this cushion, we would be unable to say yes to those frantic midnight calls from the vet asking if we would help save a life.
A donation of just $2 from each person would replenish our emergency medical fund and allow us to do what we do best. Saving animals.
I’d like to challenge each one of you to donate $2 (via Paypal to: [email protected] use the tag #mazischallenge). Feel free to challenge your friends.
