Green Flags to Look For in a Rescue Organization

Interested in rescuing or fostering? Look for the following green flags to make sure you’re working with the best rescue organization:

1. You get to speak with a team member of theirs via email, text, or phone call throughout the inquiring/interest process. It’s important that you can feel as though there’s someone you can speak to, to put your mind at ease should you have any concerns, before or after you adopt your rescue.

2. Have a meet & greet with your potential rescue. A lack of a meet-and-greet session should be a big red flag. It’s important for the organization to properly guide you through the introduction to any of their dogs and asses whether they think it’s still a good idea to proceed and how.

3. They require proof of training. The best organizations will require that you’ve purchased a training session with a positive reinforcement trainer, or at the very least include it as part of their agreement, soon after the adoption.

4. Have the organization provide you with photos and videos of the dog in question around people (especially strangers) and other dogs. An undersocialized dog can require a lot of training support onwards and that’s okay, just make sure you know in full detail how your dog does in social environments.

5. They provide you with a trial period. The above points should set you off on a great start with your dog. However a lot can change during the first few days or even weeks of adopting your rescue, and being aware of this should encourage you to inquire about a trial period and its length, prior to bringing home your new rescue.