|
February
14 , 2007
I
have 2 goals:
1. To get the dog off the chain (pen)
2. To educate the owner
I never say I help dogs or I rescue dogs at the first meeting. I
always say I help people and their dogs.
#1 Rule: I have to make the owners think I have something
THEY want…not the other way around. I can help them; otherwise
I am just coming by, trashing the way they live and wanting to take
their dog. Do not put them on the defensive.
1. I either see a house with
a chained or penned dog and call the AC and ask him some information
about it or the AC comes to me and tells me there is a chained or
penned dog that meets the "requirements" but he wants
me to see if I can help them. (If they don't meet requirements he
leaves his card in the door & tells them what needs fixed, reports
this to me and I go there after he has been there. This
is the easiest way, people seem to be more willing to give up a
dog if they are threatened with having to pay or work for it)
2. I go to the people's house.
I have a note ready incase they are not home. The notes will be
personalized and tell the owners what I do and that I noticed they
had a dog and wanted to offer my assistance if they needed me. Please
call me if you have any questions or if I can help you in any way.
I leave the note and a brochure. If they are not home, I leave them
in the door.
3. I follow up with a phone
call (if I know the names and they are listed) or a personal visit
unless they call me first. I usually wait a day to let them think
it over. When I talk to them I introduce myself, shake their hand,
have a smile on my face, but not overdone. I try to compose myself
like I am there to help these people. Really that's pretty much
what I am there for, to help these people help
their dog one way or another.
4. We talk about their dog and
they usually start bragging, reminiscing, or making excuses. I never
once mention what is wrong with the dog's situation. They already
know that. Usually those are the excuses they are making.
5. I tell them if they ever
need help with fencing, training, or re-homing the dog…
I tell them about our foster homes and how careful we are when we
place a dog. I tell them we vet the dog and train and groom it ourselves.
More times then not they say something like, "Well, if you
could find him a good home…" I tell them I'll see what
I can do and I leave. Sometimes they want to keep the dog, but the
door is still open if they change their mind and it seems they change
their mind in little or no time.
6. I work on another case. Sometimes
I get a phone call asking me if I found a home for their dog yet.
Most the time I just go back and tell them I found a foster home
if they are still wanting to find an inside home for their dog.
This is the part where I educate the owners on the danger of chaining
and penning. Most of the time they tell me they read that in the
brochure I first brought over.
7. I leave and the next time
I come it's with a surrender form. The surrender form says `I will
not chain or pen another dog" They will ask about this and
I will tell them the truth. I tell them that I have rescued dogs
only to come back the next day and see another in its place. They
usually understand that or more than likely are ready for me to
take their dog, so they sign.
The difference here is that I have many cases I'm working on all
of the time. I'm not going back and forth to one house trying to
get them to give me their dog. I am going to one house and then
leaving. If the dog is in a desperate situation I will tell the
AC or try to expedite the process. Most of these dogs have lived
this way for at least a year, it's more important to me to bide
my time and get them off the chain than to have the owners tell
me I'm harassing them and to get off the property.
I don't rush things too much because I want to keep the people thinking
that I have something they want. If I am too anxious, I'm not going
to get anywhere. This is why I'm always rescuing dogs; these cases
have been ongoing. I am working on at least 3 cases a day, usually
more. Then, suddenly, one day everything falls into place.
Keep
files, don't give up, don't harass, don't lie, and remember these
are people who don't see things the same way we do and as frustrated
as it is we have to respect them and educate them.
Some cases are more complicated than this, but this is pretty much
how it works for me.
Of course I've had my share of radicals too!
NOTE: From the very beginning I have tried to stay on the good
side of the AC and the Police Chief. They don't look at things the
same way I do, but they are coming around. It took some time, but
eventually the AC and I became a team. I give him pix of the dogs
I get off of chains and tell him that because of him, look at the
great life this dog has. It's a much better feeling for him than
the negative he usually gets and he is more willing to help out.
At Christmas I send a DDB Christmas card to the Police Department
commending them on their high standards.
|
