WRG is made up of a very small group of staff members that volunteer their time to run the rescue on a daily basis. We all have full time jobs and some of us have both a full time and part time job. We also have families and fur babies of our own. We say all that to say that we respond to comments and messages as fast as we possibly can, so please be patient with us if your question doesnt get answered right away. We are not ignoring you. We just cant be on Facebook non stop, especially during daytime work hours.
-So much of our time is made up of answering questions that have already been addressed. PLEASE read each post in its entirety before asking questions. Also, glance through the comments as many things are repeatedly addressed there.
-When we say that all we know about a dog is stated in the post then that is truly all we know. We are pulling dogs from shelters and have absolutely no way of knowing many of the questions we repeatedly get asked. We always put all the details that are available in the post so if it’s not there its because we dont know. There is rarely a way to know a dogs breed except to just guess. Shelter dogs are not cat tested so we dont know how they are with cats. We dont know how they will be with other dogs other than what basic observation we have noted in the post. We certainly dont know if a dog is house trained….probably not. These questions may seem simple when someone asks them, but we literally spend hours trying to answer them all. We never want someone to feel ignored and we dont want to be rude, but it really becomes overwhelming for us.
-We do not disclose the location of the dogs we rescue and there are multiple reasons why. Where the dog is at is really irrelevant unless we are discussing logistics with a transporter. Many of the dogs we pull are what’s called “rescue only ” due to their medical needs. In other words, the dog cannot be adopted out straight from the shelter. Any dog we rescue will usually be within driving distance to Wilkes County, NC.
-PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not make statements on the post like, “I want this dog” or “I will take this dog.” That discourages other from applying and some even see those comments and assume the need is met. More often than not, the ones that make those kinds of comments dont even apply to foster the dog. Other people see the comments, then they begin messaging us and asking if the person that commented got the dog which leaves us with more people to respond to unnecessarily . If you truly want the dog, please complete an application and private message us. We will not discuss the possibility of someone fostering for us until they have completed an application.
-Before applying to foster, be aware of our standards which we strictly follow:
*All your pets MUST be fixed
*All your pets MUST be up to date on ALL vaccines (not just rabies)
(We ALWAYS call your vet to verify this information)
*Your pets, as well as our foster dogs, MUST be housed primarily indoors
*If you rent, you MUST have permission from your landlord (We will call to verify this as well)
*We will do reference checks and we reserve the right to do a home visit
If you dont meet these requirements, please do not apply to foster. We understand that there are rare exceptions to these rules that we look at on a case by case basis. For example if you adopted a senior dog that is too medically fragile to have fixed….that would be an exception. However if you have had the dog for most its life and just chose not to fix it and now it’s too old/sick to fix, your app would be denied.
-We do not approve applications just based off someone being approved to foster with another rescue….you still have to be approved by us.
-We do NOT require our fosters to have fenced in yards, BUT if you dont have a fenced area, the foster dog MUST always be kept on a leash while outside.
-You CAN foster for us if you live outside of Wilkes, BUT you must be able to get your foster dog to and from vet appointments in Wilkes. All of our dogs, while in our care, our vetted by Dr Royal at Wilkes Veterinary Hospital and we rarely make exceptions on this.
-Yes, we can board dogs, but it is an absolute last resort. Normally we will not pull a dog from a shelter until we have a committed foster. Trust that there are multiple reasons for this as well.
-We usually have no way to know the exact amount that it will cost to care for the dogs we rescue. When we first post them, we arent even fully aware of all their medical needs and wont be until Dr Royal assesses them. We do tend to rescue medically fragile and sick dogs, as well as many seniors, so vetting is far from cheap. About 95% of all donations we receive go directly to vet care.
-Any money/donations that we raise for a particular dog that exceeds what is needed for that dog, stays in the vet fund and goes towards the next dog we help.
-We do not know how long a dog will need to be fostered for. It varies from dog to dog. All dogs remain in foster care until they are fully vetted with any and all physical, emotional and behavioral needs addressed. Once the dog is well enough, we place the dog up for adoption. The foster home keeps the dog until we have an approved adopter. This can range from a few weeks to a few months. The foster family always has the first option to adopt, if they want.
-We do not adopt dogs straight out. As stated above, they must be fostered first. If you are interested in adopting a certain dog from us, we recommend applying to foster and we can go from there.
-It’s safe to assume that most of the dogs we pull will NOT be house trained, crate trained or leash trained. If we discover otherwise, we will always state it in the post. So if you are looking for a well trained dog, we are probably not the right fit for you.
-It takes at a minimum several weeks for a dog to adjust and get acclimated to a new home. The first days and weeks can be very challenging. If you commit to foster, please honor your commitment and keep the dog until adopted. If you are iffy about being able to commit, please dont apply. It is especially difficult on us and on the dogs if they have to be rehomed during the fostering process.
-Please do not message us about stray dogs. It isnt that we dont want to help, it’s that we have to follow the laws. We cannot legally take possession of a stray dog. If it is stray, you need to contact Animal Control or take the dog to Animal Control yourself. Once a 72 hour stray hold is complete, we then can pull the dog from the shelter, but not until then. IT IS PERFECTLY SAFE AND APPROPRIATE TO TAKE A STRAY DOG TO THE SHELTER, however we understand and respect if you choose not to do so…..just understand that we cant help unless that is done. We are not at all upset with anyone that has previously reached out to us about a stray….we totally know that you were only trying to help and we deeply respect that….we just wanted to post this for future reference and for clarity. A HUGE thanks to anyone that tries to help or has helped a stray animal….you are heroes in our book.
-We do NOT accept/take in dogs that are owner surrenders. We will not take your dog because you dont want it any longer or because you dont have time for it. Our focus is abused, neglected and abandoned dogs. If we accepted owner surrenders, it would literally be all we had time to do. Of course we want you to honor your commitment to your pet, but if you cant/won’t, we advise you to carefully rehome your pet by charging a rehoming fee and by doing a vet check on the potential adopter. If the potential adopter doesnt keep their other pets up to date on vaccines and have them fixed, they probably wont offer your pet the best possible home.
-We are open to receiving messages about chained or neglected dogs, as in certain circumstances we can attempt to obtain the dog from the neglectful owner. However if what you are noticing is abuse (the dog isnt fed, watered or doesnt have shelter), you need to contact Animal Control directly to report it. You CAN make the report anonymously. For clarity, in Wilkes county, unfortunately it is not against the law to chain your dog😔…maybe one day
We hope that nothing in this post has hurt or offended anyone, as that would never be our intention. As we grow, we simply are trying to find ways to best manage WRG. Due to our extremely busy schedules, streamlining some of our daily tasks is a must. We are genuinely humbled at how quickly our rescue is growing and we recognize that YOU are what is making this work. We just desire to be efficient and to be transparent. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to message us. If you have doubt about whether we can help in a particular situation, please reach out…we would rather you ask us than assume. We want to help when able. Thank you for caring and for making WRG the success that it is. We love our village.
-Donna & Brooke
WRG Co founders & Co Directors