Do "Rescue Groups" REALLY Rescue?

I foster for a siamese cat rescue group based in Virginia.
Each state has different laws regarding how a rescue group must operate, paperwork that must be kept, etc. Even though I live in NH, since I foster for a group based in another state I MUST follow the guidelines Virginia sets for Siamese Rescue - and the paperwork is ENDLESS.
First before they will even consider taking a siamese into their program it must be spayed/neutered and tested for feline leuk, rabies up to date, distemper current.
If the cat is an OGU (owner giveup) the owner is responsible to have these things done, if a good sam the good sam needs to get these things done. If the good sam is unwilling and there is a shelter in the area of the good sam who would do this cheaply that is an option.
You would be considered a good sam by siamese rescue cause you aren't a licensed nonprofit organization.
Siamese Rescue will spay/neuter as even some shelters won't do that. But before any foster brings a cat into their home we need to ensure that cat doesn't have rabies, distemper or feline leuk as we all have resident pets and it would be foolish to risk bringing such diseases in to our own pets.
We do spend quite a bit of money on the cats - spay/neuter if necessary, bloodwork on cats over 10 years of age, dental if necessary, some cats have had some extensive work done if they are found to be ill after being accepted into the program.
Most cases SR spends more $$ on a cat than they get in adoption fees.
My last foster had 7 teeth pulled in her dental. The cost for the dental was $90 (my vet gives them a 10% discount), vet exam was $30, antibiotics after the dental a few dollars which I paid for.
They got $125 in adoption fees.
 

We now foster through Pointerrescue.org (PRO). I know myself that with the vet bills alone they have paid for our current foster they wont get back what they pay out. Plus any bills that we have personally paid and you have to add all the food flea/tick preventative/Heartworm. I know some "Rescue" groups don't actually do as they should and unfortunately they make the better ones look bad but sometimes even if we want to help save all the animals honestly its impossible for one rescue to do it all. Thanks for doing what you can for the animals you help.[]

I would seriously question any so called "rescue group" that expects it's fosters to pay for all vet care and then take the adoption fees for themselves. That sounds really selfish.

I'd say, if you rescue the animal, pay for all it's vetting, and find it a home, YOU are the rescue group. Contact local petstores and arrange your own adoption days, put out flyers, make a website (petfinder.com will offer you webspace and lots of visibility for your adoptables), set your own policies and adoption fees, and do what you do best!

Not every non-profit rescue is good. You don't have to have fancy status to rescue, just go for it, and do right for the animals in your care.

I was considering getting a dog from a rescue until I found out that they wanted too much personal information....beyond how your house is set up...not that I have anything to hide but the fact they needed to know everything...besides the fact that they would NEVER allow a dog to got to a home with a 3year old in it.  I just wanted to give a dog a home that needed one and these rescue groups were rude!  Anyways long story short...a friend of mine heard of a Shih Tzu needing a home and that is what I got...my 3 year old is very good with him and they are never left alone.  I do have a 12yr old and 10 yr old kids, too.  I am glad that I was told of this dog,  all I wanted to do was give a dog a home who didn't have one.  I think it is awful for any of you who do rescue to not get most of your money back on the animals...you put your money in and get next to nothing.  I think those of you who are doing a good job rescuing animals should be aplauded for your efforts and I wish I had found a nicer rescue group in my area, but I didn't.

I have three rescues from three different rescue organizations.  All of them had different adoption policies.  One investigated me in depth and came to my house for a home visit, one required a conversation with my vet and then required I ick up the dog at their home and one just said bring over proof that you vet your animals and you can take a pup home!  There are no hard and fast rules for rescues.  I'm sorry you had a bad experience but am glad that you found a dog that needs you. 

To firestorm:

Some rescues are choosy about their homes and some not.  Either way, foster homes invest a lot in terms of emotions and resources in "their" dogs and  many of us don't want to take the risk that you won't be happy with your new dog, or of course that there's even the slightest chance that the dog might get its world ripped apart again by losing its home.

You see it as offering a home to a dog.  I see it as fitting a dog into a "pack" where his life and wellbeing depends on acceptance.  I have to see it that way because that's how my foster dog sees it.  If it "doesn't work out" we can rationalize it and know "it's for the dog's own good" but from the dog's perspective, he failed AGAIN to please his pack - there's no way he can know that it wasn't his fault.

So, yes, I'm going to find out an awful lot about you before you even meet my foster dog.  I want to know your daily schedule, your hobbies, your family structure, what has happened to any previous pets you owned, what activities you plan to pursue with your dog, what your house and yard are like, and I'll talk to your vet (if applicable) and one other reference.  I will not make it unpleasant - we'll have several very nice chats, at least two in person and one with all family members present - and you might not even realize I've found all this out.

I've run into this attitude a lot lately - how dare you pry into my life when all I want to do is give a homeless pet a home?  It really flabbergasts me to realize that they expect me to give up my dog as if I were a clerk at Petco, no questions asked.  I view both breeders and rescuers as people I"ll have a relationship with for the rest of the life of the dog.  Privacy doesn't concern me any more than it would anyone else I'm VOLUNTARILY starting a long-term relationship with - bosses and coworkers, church members, club members.

You can choose to make this sort of thing a hill you will die on, but you'll run into it periodically when dealing with the best rescuers and breeders.  We just care very much about our pups, and the need to know is our most effective defense against "boomerang" placements.

To spayneuter:

I'm really sorry you are over a barrel like that.  I'd advise you to do what you can under your own power - draw up guidelines and a budget for your enterprises.  Eventually you can pursue becoming a 501(3)c in your own right.  At that point you can collect funds and volunteer help from likeminded folks.  I went through much the same process when I started doing breed rescue in this area and found I had a choice between two affiliations that were both unsavory in their own ways.  I ended up starting my own rescue according to my own ideas, likeminded people joined and helped, and though I've gone on to other things, that organization still works locally to help Border collies.

Good luck!

It was more the fact that the people at the rescue were not friendly,  if I found a dog that I really liked and the rescue was nice and said hey we need this info because.  The acted like I was a criminal or something.  If I found a rescue that was friendly and expalained things then if would have been different.  Not all rescues are bad just some, lol!  It doesn't matter much anyway my first dog a rottie a friend of mine told me about and the second a Shih tzu another friend told me about.  I had several dogs as a kid that my parents got through reputable breeders.  I chose to get dogs that didn't have homes and I feel great about giving a dog a home who didn't.  I hope everyone is lucky in finding that "perfect dog for them"  whether rescue, humane society or breeder.  I do respect all those who do take the time to foster and care for dogs and give them another chance.  Thanks to all of you who do foster and help out pets!

one of the reasons why rescue groups can be so "picky" is to avoid the return of the animal.
Even Siamese Rescue gets returns and the excuses can vary from the cat won't have anything to do with the adopter, allergies, cat is aggressive, owner doesn't bond with cat, etc.
we fosters participate in the deciding if a particular cat is suitable for a particular adopter since we know the cats best and in some cases the adopters insists they can deal with certain quirks a cat might have - only to realize a few months or weeks later they can't handle it.
And then what this does to the cat - they are usually pulled from kill shelters having been brought there under sad circumstances, placed in a foster home for weeks or months, only to be put into hopefully a permanent home, be given up AGAIN and placed into yet another foster home (if the original foster can't take the cat back) and then hopefully onto a FOREVER home.
This is a large reason why some rescues are so strict. I wonder if the ones that get a lot of returns are stricter than ones that don't

I used to be a foster mamma too.  I took care of dozens of cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies.  I put a ton of money into making these poor animals more 'presentable' and 'adoptable' to the public.  One country vet clinic used to let me bring my foster babies to his shop where I did nearly all the work (excluding spay/neuter) I gave blood tests, fecal flotation tests, did worming, treated mites, fleas, small wounds, eye infections, it was nearly endless.  On top of that, I bought food bowls, and bright collars with little bells and toys, and on and on.  I gave them famous names, and wrote up creative 'bios' about each pet. The adoption organization took in thousands of dollars in fees due to my work and effort. When things got political, suddenly I didn't care enough for animals in need, and I should volunteer somewhere else.  I left that world, and didn't go back.
I adopted my dog from one lady who was rescuing dogs one at a time. I gave her more than what the fee was and I was glad to do it.  Some of these organizations have become blinded by self righteous disdain for the average person who is just trying to help an animal in need, one at a time.   Jules

You see it as offering a home to a dog. I see it as fitting a dog into a "pack" where his life and wellbeing depends on acceptance. I have to see it that way because that's how my foster dog sees it. If it "doesn't work out" we can rationalize it and know "it's for the dog's own good" but from the dog's perspective, he failed AGAIN to please his pack - there's no way he can know that it wasn't his fault.

So, yes, I'm going to find out an awful lot about you before you even meet my foster dog. I want to know your daily schedule, your hobbies, your family structure, what has happened to any previous pets you owned, what activities you plan to pursue with your dog, what your house and yard are like, and I'll talk to your vet (if applicable) and one other reference. I will not make it unpleasant - we'll have several very nice chats, at least two in person and one with all family members present - and you might not even realize I've found all this out.

I've run into this attitude a lot lately - how dare you pry into my life when all I want to do is give a homeless pet a home? It really flabbergasts me to realize that they expect me to give up my dog as if I were a clerk at Petco, no questions asked. I view both breeders and rescuers as people I"ll have a relationship with for the rest of the life of the dog. Privacy doesn't concern me any more than it would anyone else I'm VOLUNTARILY starting a long-term relationship with - bosses and coworkers, church members, club members.

You can choose to make this sort of thing a hill you will die on, but you'll run into it periodically when dealing with the best rescuers and breeders. We just care very much about our pups, and the need to know is our most effective defense against "boomerang" placements.

 
Very well put.  With many good samaritan rescuers, finding the dog a home is the be all end all.  With knowledgeable rescuers, finding a "forever" home for the dog is most important.  While I do think some restrictions should be considered more carefully (for example, is it really necessary to have a fenced yard if you can send your dog to day care five days a week and hike with him on leash on the weekends?), it's really an effort on the part of rescues to see that a dog doesn't "bounce".
As to the financial aspects, those matters should be decided in advance, and if you aren't comfy with the way things are done, you should choose another rescue group to work with, or you might even consider learning enough to start your own non-profit.
I hope you don't give up participating in rescue, but chalk this up to a learning experience and keep on trucking...