Not all rescue organizations have actual, physical locations. Don’t let that discourage you from getting involved!
The animals taken care of by a rescue organization may all be in foster homes, under the care of loving, if temporary, families. And believe me, a lot of these organizations are in need of foster homes! Fostering a dog or cat is a great way to help out, if you think your house can stand the new addition and your hearts can stand letting go.
Because the rescue organization members actually live and bond with their foster fur-children, the adoption requirements may be even more strict than the ones at your local ASPCA or animal shelter. Foster families get an intimate look at the personality, behavior, and quirks of their foster pets.
I think I failed at fostering… my Moose was supposed to be a foster. Two weeks in, I decided I was keeping him! So… I don’t think I’ll be fostering any more pups… I’d probably keep them anyway. I get too attached too quickly. If that sounds like you, too – fostering may not be for you either! Good thing there are other ways to get involved with your location-less rescue organization.
Because these organizations don’t have a shelter that potential forever homes can visit, they have to bring their pets out to the public. One of my favorite rescue groups, Northeast Rottweiler Rescue & Referral, has several Meet-N-Greets every month at different pet stores throughout the northeast. My friend Laurie found her delightful puppy Casey through Puppy Love of New Jersey… we spent a good hour on a hot August day getting to know the sweet little wiggly puppy in a Petco parking lot.
There are lots of volunteer opportunities if you’re interested in working with one of these shelters without walls. You can help interview prospective forever homes, write and distribute information about the rescue, and even help transport animals.
So how do you find one of these rescue organizations? Petfinder.org is always a good place to start. You can search by zip code, or if you’re interested in helping a specific breed, you can search for a rescue in your area.