What it is: A special program to set aside funds that will allow our rescue to continue providing care for long-term or end-of-life fosters.
How dogs are qualified as "long-term" or "end-of-life"
Definition of long-term: any foster dog requiring more than 2-3 months of foster care because of illness or behavioral issues AND veterinary costs higher than $500 for the term of its stay in foster.
Definition of end-of-life (palliative) care: Medical prognosis and/or age is such that the dog's remaining life-span is determinant and the outcome of death due to these factors is imminent, and adoption is not likely or is not the best-suited outcome for the dog under these circumstances.
Who determines if dogs are qualified under the defininitions: New Beginnings Shih Tzu Rescue board members may make this determination, and will rely on the opinion of one or more veterinarians (or behaviorist, in the case of a dog with both behavioral and medical conditions) for the necessary information to make the qualification
How the program differs from the "normal" foster program: Normally, no matter which dog spurs a donation, the money goes directly to our foster fund to be used for all NBSTR foster dogs' medical care. Under the Paws-n-Hands sponsorship program, dogs meeting the the above definitions are eligible for sponsorships. Sponsorships will be solicited directly for the care of Paws-n-Hands qualified dogs. All sponsorship money received for a particular dog is ear-marked for the care of that dog during its stay in the program.
Why sponsorhips are necessary: Long-term, medically expensive foster dogs are a drain on overall foster funds, especially if the dog's lifespan or prognosis does not allow for adoptive placement. Part of NBSTR's mission is to help what dogs we can, including dogs requiring higher-level and longer-term or end-of-life care. In order to do this, we feel it's necesary that we have the ability to provide a source of supplemental funding specifically to help dogs with those needs.
What's involved in a sponsorship: We will feature dogs needing sponsorships on our Paws and Hands page. There is a short application to fill out which asks you to specify which dog or dogs you would like to sponsor, how much your monthly or one-time donation will be, and for how long you would like to continue the sponsorship. This is our sponsorship agreement, and allows you to set the terms that you wish within the parameters of the program. For the term of your sponsorship agreement, you will receive each month an update on your sponsored dog(s) along with a reminder that your agreed-to sponsorship fee is due. In the dog's sponsorship description on this website, your name will be listed as a sponsor, unless you choose to sponsor anonymously. If you choose to discontinue a sponsorship, you may do so by contacting our board at nbstr.board@yahoo.com.
What happens if a dog recovers and can be adopted, or if a dog dies: As soon as a dog no longer qualifies for the Paws-n-Hands program, or it dies, we will remove the dog from the Paws-n-Hands program webpage and contact its sponsors so that they can discontinue their sponsorship or transfer it to another dog. Any funds remaining that were earmarked for a dog up to the time of its removal from the program or death will be transferred to another dog or dogs within the Paws-n-Hands program.
Adoption of Paws-n-Hands dogs: Most dogs in the Paws-n-Hands program will not be considered adoptable during their time in the program for the following reasons: their medical condition determines that they receive ongoing medical care and/or diagnositics through our rescue; their age or medical condition make death imminent, their behavior/psychological condition make adoption a risk factor to either the adoptive family or the dog itself. If a sponsor or other truly wishes to adopt a Paws-n-Hands program dog and assume responsibility for all medical and behavioral care and risks, they may contact the board for consideration of the possibility. NBSTR will make the final decision, and may be guided by the opinion of one or more veterinarians and/or canine behavioral experts. Sponsorship does not give the sponsor legal rights over the care or outcome of any NBSTR dog.
Once a Paws-n-Hands dog is removed from the program, they will be available for adoption.
End-of-life care - determining when to euthanize a dog: Any decision to terminate a Paws-n-Hands program dog's life will be the responsibility of the NBSTR board, under advice and direction of one or more veterinarians and/or canine behavioral experts. The decision will be based solely on the well-being of the dog, its quality of life, and if medical measures can be taken to relieve the dog of any pain or suffering without causing further risk to the dog.
We're a rescue. The dogs that need rescue are not always healthy, young, or immediately adoptable. We are committed to rescuing in the most literal sense. It's what we do. Please help us...your donations of any amount save dogs' lives.
Why do we rescue medically needy dogs? To quote from Webster's:
RESCUE: (v) to set free from confinement or danger. Implies freeing from imminent danger by prompt or vigorous action.
These dogs are in our Paws and Hands program for
many different reasons, from the effects of old age
and abandonment, to severe owner neglect, to
heart problems, to cruel abuse. Learn more about them
and follow their progress
HERE.
