Step1
Decide what type of animal rescue you would like to operate. There are rescues for just about every type of pet, including dogs, cats, rabbits, pigs and horses. Choose an animal or animals that you have experience caring for. If you want to start a dog rescue, for instance, decide if you would like to open it to all dogs or make it breed-specific and limit it to dogs you know most about.
Step2
Figure out your resources, including money, space and manpower in determining how many animals you will keep at once. You can always start out small and then expand as you go along.
Step3
Choose whether to run a private rescue or incorporate as a 501c3 (non-profit) organization. Although the start-up fee is considerably larger, there are advantages to incorporating, for instance: You will not be required to file income tax for the organization if your annual donations are below $25,000. You will also be able to collect tax deductible donations, as well as aquire corporate sponsors. Individuals and corporations are far more willing to donate to a 501c3 Rescue than a private rescue, because it's tax-deductible and there's accountability as to how their money is spent. Corporations almost never donate to or sponsor private rescues.
Step4
Do your homework. Research and read up on all of the necessary legalities for starting an animal rescue. Find out exactly what paperwork needs to be completed for the application process and what is required once you are approved. If you are a 501c3, for instance, you must designate officers and open a corporate bank account. Legalzoom provides valuable information for starting and operating an animal rescue according to the laws of your state. You can read about the basic requirements and paperwork for free, and for a fee, create the necessary legal documents. Guidestar is a good resource for non-profits. It provides an extensive listing of other 501c3 animal rescues and is a place to list and update your own organization's information, which will be valuable to potential donors (see Resources below).
Step5
Decide if you would like to hire an attorney or go at it yourself. An attorney can make the process a lot easier. In lieu of an attorney, try AttorneyAlternative, a website that will assist you in the process of starting a 501c3 rescue from start to finish, including your articles of incorporation, obtaining a Tax ID Number and your corporate bylaws, which is often the most difficult part (see Resources below).
Step6
Plan how you will obtain the animals. There are a variety of sources. You can go directly to shelters where euthanasia is imminent, rescue strays, acquire dogs from puppy mills, or take in homeless animals you hear or read about that were abused or abandoned, and may be ill or require rehabilitation. You might need to enlist volunteers or hire people to pick up the animals.
Step7
Figure out how the animals will be housed and where they will sleep. Will they require crates or kennels? Will all be located at your home/facility or will some be placed in foster homes? If you use foster homes, you will need to determine what expenses to reimburse for.
Step8
Create a screening application to determine who qualifies to adopt from your rescue. Depending on the pet, you may need to consider factors such as small children in the household, other pets, the size of the living quarters and whether or not there is a fenced yard. It is a good idea to arrange visits to the households of potential adopters.
Step9
Draw up a legally binding contract stating provisions for adoption, including a spay/neuter agreement if it wasn't already taken care of; a clause to reclaim the pet if not properly cared for; and stipulations for care, including housing, food, medical attention and restrictions (i.e., no guarding, attack work, animal fighting or submitting for research).
Step10
Set the adoption fees. There are different factors to consider, such as the pet's age, medical condition and income status of the adopter.
Step11
Organize fundraisers. Although you will charge an adoption fee, it's often not enough to cover all of your expenses, especially for senior dogs and those in need of surgery. There are a variety of ways to fundraise, including benefit dinners, comedy shows and concerts, as well as walk or bowl-a-thons, raffles and silent auctions. If you are a 501c3 Rescue, you'd be surprised at how many local businesses and major corporations are happy to donate tax-deductible gifts, monetary donations or sponsor an event. Chipin.com is a great website to register with to raise funds for specific animals in need of emergency care. They will provide you with a widget for your website or MySpace page that people can easily click on to make a donation. Each time a donation is made, it will reflect what percentage of the goal has been met and how much more needs to be collected (see Resources below).
Step12
Create a MySpace page and a website to promote the rescue. MySpace (see Resources below) is invaluable for networking with other rescues and for soliciting donations (and is absolutely free). Add animal organizations and rescues, as well as individual animal lovers as your MySpace friends. You can post pictures of your animals up for adoption, as well as send bulletins requesting donations for specific animals that are in need of medical help. You will, in turn, receive bulletins from "friends" regarding other animals that may need your help and you can return the favor by cross-posting their bulletins.
Start a Nonprofit Animal Rescue
