FAQ's
“What does “no-kill” mean, and is DDG really “no-kill”?”
Our definition of no-kill: Animals are not euthanized except in rare cases of terminal and painful illness or injury as a compassionate end to suffering for which there is NO hope for recovery. DDG is emphatically no-kill.
“Why are you “no-kill” when you could save higher numbers of dogs by sacrificing some older or sickly ones, or ones that are hard to place in homes?”
There are several great rescues in West Tennessee, all of whom work to find great homes for as many dogs and cats as possible. We have chosen to operate a little differently than some other rescues; it is our philosophy that every life is precious, and that the dogs and cats put in our path are there for a reason…to each have a chance. If we have a choice between saving a middle-aged, heart-worm positive pit bull with a broken leg, or a litter of beautiful healthy adoptable puppies, we can find another rescue that will save the puppies – we are here to give that pit bull a chance.
“If you are really a rescue, why do you charge an adoption fee?”
All of our dogs are fully vetted prior to adoption, except in rare instances where other arrangements are contracted with the adopter. This means no animal leaves our custody without being spayed or neutered, and all have vaccines, worming, and other medical treatment. Our adoption fees are much less than many veterinarians would charge for the same “new dog or cat” vetting.
Because we are no-kill, we treat a variety of expensive illness and injuries. About half of the adult dogs we rescue are heartworm positive, and heartworm treatments with related time involved run upwards of several hundred dollars. Also many of our dogs are with us for long periods of time, some housed permanently in sanctuaries. It takes a great deal of financial dedication to properly care for an animal, and for us to provide medications, food, supplies, fencing, exercise areas, and shelter for the many dogs and cats in our care.
“I don’t know anyone who would pay $200 for a mutt. Couldn’t you save more dogs by just using a “free to good home” ad? You don’t need to spay, neuter, or screen homes – why not just give them away free and hope for the best?”
First, if you feel a full-blooded dog is “worth more” than a mutt, you are about as far from our philosophy as it gets. In our eyes, there is no such thing as a “mutt”. Every dog and every cat is worthy of a life of security and love...period. There are no second-best in our rescue. Second, we often SAVE dogs and cats FROM environments that were at some point thought to be “good homes”. People adopt puppies or kittens on a whim without an inkling of what it’s going to take to care for them, and tire of the cute puppy within a few weeks. Some people even chose to give up the lifetime family dog because they’ve added a baby to their family, or even sometimes for a younger dog. Dog or cat adoption should be for a lifetime, and we often pick up the pieces from folks that don’t follow through with their obligations. This is why we screen for LIFETIME homes. There is no point in our rescuing a dog or cat from a dangerous situation just to put it into another dangerous situation. Third, spay/neuter is the most important aspect of rescue. Without aggressive action to make sure animals in this area are altered, the horrific abuse, neglect, abandonment, and euthanasia of these loving animals will continue. Every animal that is a part of our rescue is going to be altered, period. It goes against everything we believe in not to ensure this happens. We wish we could “save them all”, but experience has shown us that very few “free to good homes” dogs end up safe. Many wind up dead, having litter after litter of puppies either by accident or on purpose, or back at Rabies Control. The only way to achieve a “no-kill” community is through aggressive spay/neuter – not through careless “free to good home” campaigns.
“Do you only adopt to the northeast? There are many great local adopters that are often overlooked.”
We try to find homes both locally and in other parts of the country. We have facilitated many great local adoptions. Our experience is that because of the enormous pet overpopulation in West Tennessee, most great pet lovers here already have pets, many of them rescued. We adopt into the New England states more often because as a whole, they have a more progressive mindset about spay/neuter, and therefore have less of a pet overpopulation problem. All of our rescued dogs and cats are paired with the most perfect home for that individual animal, whether here or out of state.
“Why can’t you take this abandoned dog I just found? Aren’t you a rescue? Why are you always full?”
Until the citizens of West Tennessee become aware of the importance of spaying or neutering our companion animals, all of our rescues will remain full. For every dog we adopt, we usually find at least two more abandoned within a very short period, often several in one day. We are limited on space, and because we treat all medical conditions, our turnover is slower than that of some other rescues. We are NOT a business; we are a handful of people who work full time jobs and have family obligations, just like you. The difference is, we have dedicated what little free time we have to helping abandoned dogs and cats. Space and funding is very limited, and sadly, not many people in this area want to provide foster homes for animals, nor donate to their care. Please be patient with us if we can’t wave a magic wand and take a dog you just found, or worse, take in your pet you no longer wish to keep. Rescue is a community effort, and it takes all of us.
