Advice needed

[Stickerbunny]

There is a lady in town who went out of state for medical treatment and when she came back, she lost her home due to not being able to keep up with the payments. She is currently homeless and in a shelter and needs a place to keep her two dogs, or she is going to be forced to put them down. She says she only needs two weeks to get back on her feet and take them back. She still has her job she’s worked at for 11 years.

I offered to make some calls for her around town to see if I can find her a foster, but if I cannot find one I don’t think I can in good concious let the two dogs be killed. Both my rabbits are free run though and I don’t trust random dogs I don’t know with them. I’m conflicted. I can get a sturdier set up to block Stickers rooms off from them, but Powder would have to be locked into his room, would that be too stressful for him for two weeks? 

All the shelters are overrun atm, our local one is building an expansion to be able to house the massive amounts of animals they get in every day. I’m hoping a rescue will be able to help her find someone to keep them.  

[Sarita]

I wonder why she has to put the dogs down too….I would inquire as well. How do you know this person as well?

I don’t think you should sacrifice your rabbit’s space or safety either. I totally understand you want to help but what if 2 weeks turns into 3 weeks and on and on and on.

I guess I would want to know would you be stuck with her two dogs if she doesn’t find a place. These situations are extremely hard especially when you want to be helpful and it’s nice to help.

Is there a place she can board them like a vet’s office – that way it takes the emotional burden off of you.

[Stickerbunny]

Boarding them would cost $300 (at the cheapest place, I looked), which is too much for someone living in a homeless shelter to afford and I can’t spare that much money either. I was thinking of paying for a few days of boarding, to give a little more time to find a foster…

I have requested more information for her on the exact situation. I don’t know her, I just know of her from her posting for help for her dogs on a pet help site for the town. I will be calling the shelters and all rescues/vets in the area to see if anyone can help once she gets back to me the details. I am _hoping_ someone, somewhere in town can make room for the two. But my guess on why she would need to put them down is the same reason my grandmother was facing the same problem when she went to the hospital with a broken hip – the shelters said “we can take your dogs, but we are just going to put them to sleep” because they a) weren’t purebred b) were just a little stranger shy, so they didn’t jump and wag their tails but tolerated pets c) shelters were overrun d) were over 3 years of age. We only have two within 50 miles and both are tiny and so overrun, they put more animals to sleep than they place.

[Sarita]

I guess in order to help her find a foster or rescue you will need to gather more information. My best advice is just to help in this way since you don’t know her or her dogs. You may get stuck in a situation that you will regret if you do especially once you take the dogs and it doesn’t work out for her the way she is anticipating. Having the dogs at your home will be an attachment with an outcome that you don’t really know. It could end up that you may have to make the same decision for her dogs that she may have to make for them herself.

[Stickerbunny]

I got her story … and now I feel even worse for her

She had surrendered them to be rehomed in the shelter when she lost her home – she cares about her babies so kept up on how long they had left in the shelter, when they were about to be put down she was able to beg enough money off people to get them out to avoid that. Now she’s living in her car with the two dogs because the shelters for humans don’t have any beds.

The humane society had a number for a rescue that may be able to help her, just waiting to hear back from them.

[Author]

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