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Step 1
Make sure you are following legal guidelines. It is advisable to seek out legal counsel. Each city or county in Southern California will have different laws regarding how you are allowed to set up your rescue. They will also help you obtain the mandated license to sell your puppies to new homes. A lawyer will be able to help you fill out the nonprofit paperwork. Having nonprofit status will help better your relationship with the community. In addition, it will make you exempt from the stricter dog-dealer regulations on puppy lemon laws in California. (See the Resources section for more information on dog-related laws in California.)
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Step 2
Determine where you are going to get the proper funding. Without it, your rescue will not be able to operate. Some of the operating costs will be covered by the adoption fee, but to provide proper veterinary care, you will need extra funding. Consider requesting help from local veterinarians and civic groups. It will be essential to run successful fund-raisers during the year.
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Step 3
Establish guidelines for adopting the Chihuahuas. These dogs have a high energy level, but with proper training, they can easily be controlled. A potential owner must be dedicated to helping exercise the dog and train it properly. Chihuahuas are known for their overprotective and easily frightened temperament, which makes them prone to bite. Chihuahuas are not well-suited as pets for small children because of their size and temperament.Another important consideration is that many of the Chihuahuas you will take in will have special needs. They may have been neglected or abused, or may suffer from medical problems. These dogs will need special attention. Screen potential owners. by requiring an application for adoption. Potential owners should also sign a contract before adopting these dogs.
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Step 4
Decide how you are going to get the animals. Are you going to contact existing rescues and take their overflow dogs? Or maybe make arrangements with veterinarians and animal shelters in southern California that they will call you when a Chihuahua comes in that needs adoption? You may want to establish an Internet presence to give people a way to contact you.
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Step 5
Find temporary homes for the animals. To run a rescue group, you are going to have to take care of these dogs while they await a permanent home. While you may intend to eventually have a special shelter, your group will likely lack the funds to open one right away. You will need a group of volunteers to take care of these Chihuahuas.To remain in compliance with California law, you will need to make sure that these people provide the dogs with plenty of contact with humans or other dogs. In addition, you will need to ensure that all houses have either a fire alarm hooked up to a monitoring company or a sprinkler system.
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Step 6
Advertise the Chihuahuas to find permanent homes for them. You can set up a cheap website for your rescue group. Certain websites will list pets available for adoption. Follow the links in Resources to list your dogs for adoption in Southern California. A great way to find new homes is to partner with pet stores that will let you come in on the weekend and show your dogs.
Comments
tinypawsofca said
on 1/19/2009 Thank you for the info. I do Chi rescue in KY and moving to CA.