“Think globally and act locally.” That phrase means more now than in the 1970’s when used about the environment. The internet has amplified people’s ability to be agents of change, making “locally” cast a much wider net. It’s been a boon for “the mission” that started as a personal commitment to service and the nascent predecessor of what is now, The Bull Terrier Rescue Mission, Inc. (BTR Mission/BTRM). The BTRM is an organization of like-minded volunteers committed to protecting the health and welfare of Bull Terriers in need of homes. It extracts them from their unfortunate circumstances, and gives them the care and comfort that they’re due. The BTRM will ensure that their medical needs are addressed, that they’re properly evaluated and given time to decompress. We will rehabilitate them if need be, and work towards finding them their final and perfect homes. We will commit our advocacy and protection to the duration of each dog’s life, following up even after they’ve been adopted. The BTRM, works with private individuals, rescue professionals, animal shelters, pet owners, ethical Bull Terrier breeders and veterinarians throughout the United States, to provide these services. Its board members have over 20 combined years and 200 separate cases of rescue experience. If BTRM is unable to provide direct support, cases will be referred to organizations or individuals that can. As with most successful rescues, the strength of this Mission, is in its network and the relationships it has cultivated.
First, an application must be completed. Once we receive the application, our rescue committee will review it, and reach out via Social Media, E-Mail, Telephone or Text to set up a phone interview. The interview can take as little as 20 minutes but last as long as 45 or longer. This interview is the perfect time for applicants to ask any questions. Some questions to consider, and topics to be covered during the call include: the breed in general; an individual in our care up for adoption; the process moving forward; why we do things the way we do them; specific follow up questions based on the application; establishment of rapport to help BTRM find the best possible match. At some point the coordinators at Bull Terrier Rescue Mission will follow up by contacting any references listed on the application. After this and the interview; if both parties are in agreement, we will set up a home evaluation with a trusted volunteer. The interviewer will coordinate with the applicant and the volunteer to schedule a date and time that would be best for the home visit. It’s important that if the applicants have a spouse or partner and any children or other animals, that most if not all of them be present for the Home Check.Once that’s completed, the profile of the applicant will be cross checked with the available dogs or dog that they showed interest in and any that are deemed as a match, will be presented as options to said applicant. Once a dog and an applicant are matched, there will be paperwork. Fosters will fill out a Foster Release Agreement, that will outline everything that’s expected from them as well as everything that will be provided to them, from BTRM. There is no charge to place a dog in foster care. We only ask that the dog is given the appropriate time to be brought back to health and that his behaviors are properly evaluated before we begin to look for their forever home. During this period and until the dog is adopted, BTRM will be responsible for all medical expenses, and training if need be. People looking to adopt a bull terrier, are classified as “foster to adopt”. This means that they have to fill out the Foster Release Agreement & the Adoption Agreement, as well as the $400.00 Adoption Donation in advance. If in 30 days the family and the dog agree that they love each other and want to stay with each other forever, the Adoption Agreement is signed and returned to the applicant and the match is made official and the dog considered Adopted. During this 30 day “Foster Period” all the rules and parameters of the Foster Agreement are in effect. For example, medical issues that have yet to be cleared are the responsibility of the BTRM. If the 30 days pass, and the dog and family do not consider themselves a match, the Foster to Adopt shifts to a Foster placement. The day the dog being fostered begins their transport to their new home, the $400.00 adoption donation is returned. As for the transport. This is handled after the paperwork and can be as simple as the applicant driving 30 minutes to the local shelter to pick up the dog they’ve been matched with. But sometimes it can be rather complex and need a couple of weeks to find volunteers for a ten to twelve-hour relay between 3 or 4 states. Once the new Bull Terrier arrives in the home, is when the real work begins. First, these are insecure frightened and often troubled souls moving from one place to another. They will require time and space and a concerted effort to make them feel safe and to bond with the human adults first. They will need to see you, the applicants as their allies before being overwhelmed with other new people, places and things. For this we provide a template or outline of how to properly decompress a new dog into your home. Then there’s integrating the new rescue with other dogs, if you have them. If the dog has been graded as “To Be Determined” or established as “Dog Friendly” we provide a second template of how to properly introduce the new and the resident dogs to each other. Generally speaking, we tell folks that each of these steps takes around two weeks, but this is less science and more art. Sometimes, these dogs are pretty hurt and need more time and care to feel comfortable. Cases where they’re recovering from an injury, or just getting used to living inside a home, instead of on a chain, can take them months to integrate and/or decompress. Then there’s the other side of the coin, where perhaps you, the applicant, have a certain ability to bond through shared activities with a dog. Where the decompression can take a week or less, simply because you know how to better make a connection with them. Finally, around 4 or 5% of our intakes, actually require canine companionship to decompress, in which case the integration between resident dog and new dog can go from 2 weeks to 2-5 days.
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