Frequently Asked Questions
Does HHDR only rescue hounds?
Although we love beagles and hounds, HHDR accepts a variety of breeds. We focus on temperament and carefully select family friendly dogs. Our goal is to monitor the dogs in the CNY shelter and to avoid bringing in similar dogs or breeds. We, in no way, want to add competition to the dogs that are already waiting so patiently.
We adopt over 1,200 dogs annually including everything from five pound Chihuahuas to over one hundred pound Great Danes. We love them all.
Where do our rescue dogs come from?
The majority of our dogs come from out-of-state transport programs, Underdog Express/TX and Mississippi Animal Project. Transferring them out of over-crowded shelters and into our adoption program saves two dogs – the one we pulled and the next one in need that now has an available kennel.
Our local shelter community has not had the need to create this type of partnership/transfer program as shelters in the North East no longer face intake numbers that require euthanizing for space. Over the years we have, when needed, welcomed dogs from Dewitt Animal Hospital, Wanderers Rest Humane Association, CNY SPCA, Steven Swan Humane Society, Cortland Community SPCA, Cayuga County Dog Control, Town of Orwell Dog Control, Syracuse Dog Control, Volney Animal Control, Friends 4 Pound Paws, Veterinary Medical Center, Fairmount Animal Hospital, Marcellus Veterinary Hospital, B&R Bunkhouse when help was needed and welcome local owner surrenders to ease the burden on our local shelters.
Love On Wheels is our partnership with Humane Tomorrow in Texas. The Love On Wheels partnership has been recognized by the Humane Society of the United States as having set the gold standard in transport rescue and we were honored to co-present a workshop at the HSUS 2015 Expo in New Orleans, LA. Intake numbers in Flower Mound, TX, have reduced to make this partnership no longer as needed as it once was.
Our Mississippi dogs arrive once a month through our partnership with the Mississippi Animal Project.
Precious Cargo Transport is used solely for our dogs coming from the south and they are spoiled along the way.
You can read more about our partners here.
Why does HHDR bring dogs in from other states?
We are very dedicated to the dogs in our own and surrounding communities that find themselves homeless. We form partnerships with willing shelters and dog control facilities to help move them out of the system and into loving homes. As we have done a much better job in the northeast to provide education and make low cost spay/neuter programs accessible and available, we no longer face the overwhelming intake of unwanted animals that remains prevalent in the south. We understand we have not solved all of the societal problems of homeless dogs in our own community and continue to find ways to contribute to animal welfare issues here at home.
We meet many families who are looking for breeds, sizes, ages of dogs that are not readily available here to adopt. These sought after dogs are dying by the thousands every day just a few states away. We are very fortunate to be serving such a rescue-friendly community who embrace and love our dogs every bit as much as we do. As our friends to the south work tirelessly to stop the flow of unwanted and discarded dogs in their states, we are honored to help some of them find their way out of an overburdened system and into loving homes.
We firmly believe compassion has no boundaries and regardless if their journey began thousands of miles from our doors or right in our back yard, we are committed to helping as many as we can so they do not have to give their lives to make room for another.
Is HHDR a “No Kill” Rescue?
HHDR does not euthanize for space or for time. We do not euthanize what our team determines are adoptable animals.
We will euthanize when an animal requires medical treatment that goes beyond our ability to humanely provide, or has a condition that puts other shelter animals or workers at risk.
We will also choose humane euthanasia when an animal has negative behaviors, such as unmanageable or unpredictable aggression towards people that goes beyond our ability to correct, especially if that behavior presents a safety concern to a potential adopter or to the community. We have a multi-step process involved in this decision. A trainer or multiple trainers are consulted, the dog is made a priority for a group of specially trained volunteers and staff, a foster placement is considered or searched for, a behavior modification program is implemented and off site “breaks” from the shelter like environment are provided.
We feel strongly that it is NOT responsible to place a potentially dangerous animal in the community. While we understand people believe there is a “perfect home” out there for every dog, we ask you to consider that perfect home may be next door to a family with young children or a family dog that is unaware that some dogs are extremely aggressive toward other animals.
The staff and volunteers of HHDR are always notified when a dog is euthanized. We will never make any attempts to hide the facts. This difficult decision is made for less than ½ of 1% of our intake. We mourn their loss and take the lessons they teach us forward to help us understand the next one.
How does HHDR find the best homes for our dogs?
HHDR finds homes for our dogs through Petfinders.com, our website, (helpinghoundsdogrescue.org), our active Facebook page, local adoption events, television appearances and through our large network of volunteers. We evaluate each dog for personality, temperament and their training needs. By doing this, we are able to place dogs in the most suitable homes.
If you are interested in adopting, you must fill out an application. You are welcome to visit our dogs during normal business hours.
How long does it take for my application to adopt to be completed?
Generally it takes 1-3 days to complete the application depending on the number of applications being processed. It does help our team if you remember to release your veterinary records and please make sure to have your reference call us, we do not call references. The reference system is automated so they may call at any time to provide their reference.
We will NOT hold a dog while we are completing the application process and it is possible another family may adopt the dog of your choice while we are working on your application.
How do I become a volunteer?
We hold training sessions 4 times per year (January 1, March 1, May 1 and September 1) On these dates, the application to volunteer will become available on our website and anyone wishing to volunteer must complete and submit the application. We then interview each applicant and those who are accepted go through a 3-step training process. We ask our volunteers to commit to 6 hours per month for a minimum of 6 months.
For more information visit our volunteer section of our website.
How can I help?
Sponsoring a HHDR dog is a way to provide care for a particular dog. Sponsorship can be as little or as much as you would like. This donation can cover medical treatments, trainer evaluations, transportation costs, training class fees or grooming visits just to name a few ideas.
Here is an idea of what your donation can mean for a HHDR dog:
$30 Provides a basic veterinarian visit and vaccination
$50 Provides an exam, vaccination, fecal exam and heartworm testing
$150 Provides a spay/neuter
$175 Provides pull and transport from a high kill out of state shelter to HHDR
$600 Provides life saving Heartworm treatment
