Lab Rescue Efforts/Education

[windycanyon]

I have served as our local kennel club rescue chair for most of the last 8 years or so. We used to actually take in fosters and do adoptions but our own numbers and the sheer numbers of rescues resulted in burn out. Since then, we've focused on education efforts putting ads in the classifieds to encourage responsible ownership, educated purchases, etc.. We always list our club website (which lists some of the "ad phrases" we put in the paper and breed reps/club websites, etc): http://groups.msn.com/yakimavalleykennelclub

I am looking for more ideas. We have an escalating issue here w/ new designer breeds (ie mixes). I am finding even people in RESCUE don't understand how big the problem is as I just learned one rescue person PURCHASED 2 lab mixes ("Chesadors") from a young girl who decided that was a cool mix to do. How do you all get thru to people???? I'm at wits ends w/ all these folks turning to Doodle breeding, etc., around here. What a mess! Any ideas are appreciated. -Anne

[Tanya]

eek! I would have had a heart attack if a rescue volunteer came with PURCHASED mix dogs!

I'm getting into rescue slowly (hopefully getting my first foster soon). I have no clue how to get to people. I can't even get my friends to stop considering breeding their girl. The husband is from a farm where the dog lives outside (at least their gal lives indoors) so to him it's all part of farm life.

The rescue I am working with just had two dogs come in, doodle and a golden. Doodle was snagged before he was even in a foster home and the golden is still there. It's amazing.

good luck!