Engaging the community and saving more lives with the Adoption Services Program
The number of of unwanted animals in our sheltering system are at an all-time high, leaving overrun and overwhelmed rescue organizations struggling to find alternative methods to decreasing the stark millions of animals euthanized annually in the united Staes.
Four million a year are now estimated to lose their lives due to overpopulation and irresponsible ownership.
The American Pit Bull Foundation launched a program almost three years ago to aid individuals that rescue animals themselves, or are facing the unfortunate decision to re-home their own dog. The program, titled Adoption Services, is just that, and adoption service to help those that need the resources to match the dogs in their care with great homes. Thus far, the program has been a great success in saving dogs that would otherwise have to be turned away due to lack of foster and/or resource.
Being that APBF is primarily an education and outreach organization, ability of intake is limited as the group itself is not fully equipped to take in large numbers of dogs and puppies in need. Where the organization is able to make a larger contribution is in providing aid to citizens that are willing to step up and help take responsibility for the betterment of the animals in their community by offering them access to everything rescued APBF dogs are privy to. APBF opens the doors to resources to members of the public that would otherwise not be as available, such as free foster dog training, an assigned adoption advocate, a proven process to screen and match potential families for adoption, reduced veterinary care cost, exposure to all public adoption events where APBF is represented, professional photos for social media and website exposure, as well as the support from the APBF team that our routine foster parents receive.
Rescue and re-homing is often a an eye-opening experience and great learning process for those that have never experienced it. APBF is committed to providing support to individuals that help lessen the burden on the rescue community by stepping up to help.
Though APBF leans on the public for their partnership in committing to helping Adoption Services, (AS) dogs, APBF does contribute to their care when resources become available. Eight of the AS dogs this year, already, have transferred into an APBF-specific foster homes. Donations made available to adoptable dogs are shared with AS dogs prior to being allocated to new rescues.
Rescue is an expensive endeavor. This year to date, APBF has spent almost $30,000 in veterinary expenses alone. All too often, animal welfare organizations and rescue groups fail due to compassion fatigue, burnout, but also due to financial distress in taking on the overwhelming burden of all of the animals left in their hands to heal and re-home. They simply cannot keep up with the public demand.
Programs like the APBF Adoption Services Program give community members a sense of ownership in contributing to the solution of pet overpopulation, abandonment, abuse, and
neglect. Something APBF is energized about and proud to offer as an alternative means, to keeping healthy, adoptable animals, out of our shelter system and off of the euthanasia list.
APBF hopes to share the benefits of this program with other animal rescue and welfare organizations to improve their ability to reach more lives in need and not have to turn away dogs to other already overwhelmed groups, or worse, to face surrender and euthanasia.
Here’s to future community and rescue collaborations to save more lives through Adoption Services.
For more information about the APBF Adoption Services Program, email apbfadoptionservices@gmail.com. For organizations looking for assistance in implementing their own Adoption Services program, contact sara@apbf.dog.
