1. Tara Harris Founder & Director

2. Special needs dogs - Intake & planning
- Building veterinary partnerships
- Paying the bills!
- Placement
- Wrap-up

3. Intake & planning Gradually increase complexity
- Some issues are straight-forward
- Others are deceiving

4. Straight – Forward medical issues

8. Other issues are deceiving

9. Senior dog – budget $1,000/dog

10. Ortho dogs… EXPENSIVE
A dog should never be *harmed* by being rescued… don’t rescue a dog you can’t afford, unless you’re truly their only option.

11. Building veterinary partnerships
- Build relationships with key partners
NOT foster’s choice
- Power in numbers
- Know your vets
DACVS-SA
DACVIM
DACVO
DAVDC
Key partners – ACKNOWLEDGE THEM
Surgery, IM, ophtho, dental
** If rural / small shelter, your plan for complicated dogs may be creating a TRANSPORT PLAN. **
Some vets may assume you won’t pay for advanced care or won’t think of referring

12. Building veterinary partnerships
- Build relationships with key partners
NOT foster’s choice
- Know your vets
DACVS-SA
DACVIM
DACVO
DAVDC
- Power in numbers
Wouldn’t let your Family Medicine doc operate on your brain tumor… dogs deserve the same – most expert care possible.

13. Paying the bills!

14. Paying the bills!
Grants!

15. Grants! Paying the bills!
Also don’t expect adoption fees to pay your bills.

16. Accept it… and work your tail off.
Paying the bills!
Tell their stories
Social media
Creative fundraising
Accept it… and work your tail off.
Everyone thinks they want to start their own rescue… they don’t! This is not the fun stuff.

17. Placement - BE HONEST – Set them up to succeed!!
- Encourage trial (“foster to adopt”) periods
- Budget considerations
Waived adoption fees?
Assistance with medication costs?
Cover “pre-existing conditions”?
If the dog needs additional surgeries down the road related to known issues, will you help with those?

19. Placement - BE HONEST – Set them up to succeed!!
- Encourage trial (“foster to adopt”) periods
- Budget considerations
Waived adoption fees?
Assistance with medication costs?
Cover “pre-existing conditions”?
If the dog needs additional surgeries down the road related to known issues, will you help with those?

21. Wrap-up
- Be transparent!
Funding
Outcomes and follow-up