This biweekly column is written by Suzanne Lawter, Director of Community Outreach for Mutts Matter Rescue, a local nonprofit, all-volunteer dog rescue. Mutts Matter is a network of volunteers who love animals and want to make a difference by helping forgotten and discarded dogs find loving families. Since our founding in 2010, we have successfully rescued and placed more than 1,400 dogs in the local Washington Metropolitan area.
Animal welfare groups aren’t new, and have been in existence in the U.S. since the mid-1800s. Adopting a pet has grown in popularity over the years as animal welfare issues have become part of our public consciousness and we’ve become more aware of the millions of animals who need to be saved.
According to the ASPCA, approximately 3.9 million dogs enter American animal shelters every year. Of these, about 1.4 million are adopted, 1.2 million are euthanized and most of the rest are reunited with their owners. While the outlook for dogs has improved since the 1970s, when we used to put down 12 million to 20 million animals each year, there are still millions of dogs in shelters who deserve to find loving homes and need our help.
Mutts Matter Rescue is an all-volunteer, nonprofit dog rescue. We are run by volunteers who love animals and want to make a difference by helping these forgotten dogs find wonderful new families. Our ultimate goal is to save the lives of dogs and educate our community about the virtues and need for dog rescue.
This is a brief overview on how Mutts Matter Rescue operates and the process for adopting one of our pups.
WHERE OUR DOGS COME FROM
Mutts Matter works in conjunction with animal shelters, other animal welfare organizations and good Samaritans to help save dogs who have run out of time in the shelters, strays on the street and dogs living in cruel or unsafe conditions.
Dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds come into the rescue, from lovable mutts to striking purebreds. They take different paths to get here, but most found themselves confused and alone in a shelter, through no fault of their own.
An owner may move somewhere that doesn’t allow dogs, or someone adopts a cute puppy but isn’t ready for the amount of work and cost involved, or a new baby enters the family and the couple decides they no longer have the time for their four-legged companion. Too often, owners surrender their dogs because it’s just not convenient for them anymore, and don’t realize the consequences. It’s a sad and unfortunate predicament for these pups.
One of the biggest hurdles we have in convincing more people to adopt a rescue dog is the misconception that they are somehow inferior or broken. This is an unfair characterization of these dogs who, for the most part, are former family pets who were given up on by their owners.
This is a people problem, not the dogs’ fault. The reality is that these dogs are very resilient, quickly adapt to new environments and respond well to a loving home. Rescue dogs of all ages, from all sorts of circumstances, can transition into a well-adjusted member of your family. These are healthy, loving dogs whose only fault is that they don’t have a place to call home.
VETTING PROCESS
New dogs coming into the rescue are taken immediately to one of our veterinary clinic partners to have a full health evaluation. They are spayed or neutered when necessary, brought up to date on vaccines and given a microchip that will identify them in case they are ever lost or abandoned.
Mutts Matter requires that ALL of our dogs be spayed or neutered to address the overpopulation issue we are trying to combat and to ensure that none can be used for breeding. A spayed or neutered dog is often healthier and will usually live a longer life, so it’s a win-win. Our dogs are also evaluated for temperament and personality, which helps us to place them in homes that are better suited to their needs, and the needs of their future owners.
FOSTER HOMES
After receiving a health evaluation, each dog is placed into one of our volunteer foster homes, where they are given temporary shelter, and an enormous amount of TLC until Mutts Matter can find them a good home.
Fostering is the backbone of rescue. We can only save as many dogs as we have foster families — just regular people with a little extra time and space — to welcome them into their homes. Our foster homes serve as a transition from a bad situation to a new hopeful life. As the dog begins to realize they are safe and loved, they begin to trust and open up and we can get a better sense of their personality and social skills, and understand the type of family that will best suit them.
Everyone benefits from the foster process. The foster family enjoys a rewarding experience and is able to see real, tangible results from the time and love they invest. The foster dog gets a break from a stressful life in a shelter or other unfortunate circumstances, and starts to learn how to be part of a family. The adopter gets a dog that’s better socialized and adapted to home life, and receives first-hand insight and guidance from the foster family who has lived with and often rehabilitated their dog.
ADOPTION PROCESS
The first step is to complete an Adoption Application online. You can apply for a specific dog on the site, or apply to be approved as a Mutts Matter adopter and we will work with you to find the right pup match for your family.
Once your application is completed, your references are checked and a Mutts Matter volunteer will schedule a phone interview to discuss your application. This process helps us get a better feel for the type of dog that will best fit your family and lifestyle.
The final step is a Home Visit. A Mutts Matter volunteer will visit your home in person to meet you and get a sense of the living arrangements. This is to verify your home is a good, safe environment for one of our pups, and also gives us an opportunity to answer any final questions you may have in person.
Once the home visit is complete and you are approved, we connect you with the dog’s foster family to meet them and see if it’s a match.
HOW WE OPERATE
Operating a rescue can be a very expensive undertaking. Adoption fees help cover only a fraction of our costs, which include routine veterinary checkups, microchipping, shelter fees, fuel for transporting new rescues, food and supplies for dogs in foster care, temporary boarding facilities, behavioral training when needed and supplemental or emergency medical treatment, which can sometimes run into the thousands. We also have basic administrative costs that include liability insurance and adoption marketing materials.
As a nonprofit and all-volunteer organization, Mutts Matter relies on donations and support from our community to continue our work on behalf of the animals. Dedicated volunteers are the lifeblood of our rescue. Whether helping with transports, doing home visits, fostering, or fundraising, there are many ways to get involved and help save dogs in need.
All the dogs pictured here are available for adoption. To learn more about all of our dogs up for adoption, check out our Available Dogs page. If you have interest in volunteering or questions, contact me at Suzanne@muttsmatterrescue.com
If you are interested in opening your heart and home to a pup in need, please go to the Mutts Matter Adoption Page and fill out an application, or if you have questions, you can contact Suzanne at suzanne@muttsmatterrescue.
