Rat Rescue Red Flags
This is a list of flags, or things that should evaluated, when choosing to support a rescue. Many of these are opinion, which is why explanation is included, so you can decide for yourself. Some of these may have reasonable explanations, and some carry more weight than others, so if you encounter what may be a red flag, look into it further. What is important is to critically evaluate a rescue to make sure they are a place you would want to support. Rescues should only be supported if they are working towards the animal’s best interest.
1. Also breeds rats:
Breeding rats and actively running a rescue is a conflict of interest. Both require an immense amount of time and money. It is hard enough to do either by its self. There is also the issue of quarantine, which rats take priority, etc. A breeder can help out a rescue so long as they do not put their own rats at risk, but should not be running both.
2. Sells rats for feeders:
An ethical rescue cares about each and every one of their rats, and cares about what happens to them. Rescues take responsibility for their rats. Selling for feeders can also be a way to get rid of rats they would rather not get veterinary care for or work with, which is unacceptable.
3. Adopts out rescued rats for breeding purposes:
Rescues would never allow their rats to be bred from. It is unethical to breed rescues because they are from unknown backgrounds. Rescues deal with the overpopulation of rats due to careless breeding, so would never support the unethical breeding of rats.
4. Doesn't have an adoption application, interview or adoption contract:
Rescues care about what happens to their animals after they leave, so they want to ensure that they find the best homes possible. Without screening potential adopters, not only can they not be sure that the rat will receive proper housing, veterinary care, or food, but the rat may end up abused, neglected, or right back in a rescue. Ideally a rescue should ask about veterinary care, housing, food, socialization, and permission to have rats, among other aspects of their suitability. You should also find out how many applications they deny and why. There is no perfect number, but, if they approve everyone who applies, they may not be adequately screening adopters. Remember, rescues are not trying to be nosy, they are trying to ensure that their rats find a good home!
5. Doesn't quarantine properly and/or doesn't encourage quarantine of adopted rats:
Quarantine is very important with rats in countries such as the U.S. due to the existence of deadly airborne viruses that are so easily spread. Rescues should quarantine their rats, and encourage adopters to do the same, for the sake of the rats.
Note: This does not apply to rescues that are in countries that do not have viruses such as Sendai, SDA, etc.
6. Cannot provide veterinary references:
A rescue should have a good working relationship with one or more vet, as rescuing is guaranteed to involve veterinary trips. If a rescue cannot provide a reference, they may not be proving veterinary care.
7. Expects donations to cover all of rats’ care:
Rescues, while deserving of donations, know that they will not receive enough donations to cover all care, and will not expect as much. Rescues frequently pay out of pocket for their rats’ veterinary care, food, and housing.
8. Has frequent accidental litters (in-rescue):
Frequent accidental litters in rescue means that they are not being responsible with their rats. It can also be an indication that they are breeding, in which case, see #1.
9. Only ever seems to have highly desirable types of rats for adoption:
While rescues do get some of the more “desirable” varieties of rats, such as litters of hairless, dumbos, blue blazed, etc., most ethical rescues are not swarming with litters of such rats all year. If a rescue only ever has “desirable” rats, most of which are babies, it is possible that they are breeding, in which case see #1. It is also possible that this indicates they are choosing which rats to rescue based solely on color.
10. “Rescues" rats by purchasing them from pet stores, backyard or feeder breeders, feeder bins, or expos:
Rescues understand that purchasing rats dooms more rats to horrible lives. They have seen, and deal with on a daily basis, the overpopulation due to such unethical sources of rats.
11. Charges more for certain types/varieties of rats:
Rescues know that black hoodeds make just as good a pet as blue blazed dumbos. Furthermore, they are not looking to make money off of the more “desirable” varieties, they are just looking to find good homes for their rats.
12. Doesn’t provide for basic needs of rats:
Ethical rescues know that there is no excuse for not providing proper case, and would never keep their rats in dirty overcrowded tanks, feed them inadequate food, or not provide veterinary care. It is not rescuing if their rats need rescuing from them. Rescues should know what rats require and be prepared to provide it for rats they take in.
13. Knowingly adopts out sick or aggressive rats without full disclosure:
Rescues should try to find the perfect match for each family. Knowingly adopting an aggressive or sick rat to an unsuspecting person can result in that person feeling overwhelmed, the rat being neglected, the rat being put down, the rat being dumped at a shelter, etc. Rescues care about the best interests of their rats and adopters, so will give you as much information about their rats as they have.
14. Does not keep lines of communication open post-adoption:
Rescues should be happy to hear how your rat is doing and willing to help you out with any post-adoption issues. Rescues shouldn’t be looking to move animals like a product and forget about them when they leave; they should care about the well being of their rats for the long term.
15. Adopts out rats through pet stores (NOT NECESARRILY A FLAG):
Adopting out through pet stores can be done responsibly. Adopting out through a pet store that sells other animals that can spread disease to them is not acceptable, however. If a pet store does not sell any animals or adopt out other animals that pose a disease risk to their animals, they must be extra careful with screening. Screening eliminates most unsuitable homes, and prevents people from getting rats as an impulse purchase.
16. Keeps more animals than can reasonably be cared for by the rescue's resources:
Rescues should know their limits, and no that they will sometimes have to say no. It is a hard thing to deal with, but rescues responsibility is first and foremost to the rats already in their care. When they take in a rat it is their responsibility. Rescues realize the damage that is done to rats when well-meaning people take in more animals than they can properly care for.
17. Will not or cannot take back adopted rats:
Rescues make a commitment to each rat they take in: the commitment to find that rat a good home. This possibility should be considered when deciding their limit.
Co-written by Smesyna and Blackthorn of Huron Valley Rat Rescue
http://stacyshouseofhammocks.webs.com/rescueredflags.htm
This website may be linked, but the material may not be printed/reproduced without permission.
This is a list of flags, or things that should evaluated, when choosing to support a rescue. Many of these are opinion, which is why explanation is included, so you can decide for yourself. Some of these may have reasonable explanations, and some carry more weight than others, so if you encounter what may be a red flag, look into it further. What is important is to critically evaluate a rescue to make sure they are a place you would want to support. Rescues should only be supported if they are working towards the animal’s best interest.
1. Also breeds rats:
Breeding rats and actively running a rescue is a conflict of interest. Both require an immense amount of time and money. It is hard enough to do either by its self. There is also the issue of quarantine, which rats take priority, etc. A breeder can help out a rescue so long as they do not put their own rats at risk, but should not be running both.
2. Sells rats for feeders:
An ethical rescue cares about each and every one of their rats, and cares about what happens to them. Rescues take responsibility for their rats. Selling for feeders can also be a way to get rid of rats they would rather not get veterinary care for or work with, which is unacceptable.
3. Adopts out rescued rats for breeding purposes:
Rescues would never allow their rats to be bred from. It is unethical to breed rescues because they are from unknown backgrounds. Rescues deal with the overpopulation of rats due to careless breeding, so would never support the unethical breeding of rats.
4. Doesn't have an adoption application, interview or adoption contract:
Rescues care about what happens to their animals after they leave, so they want to ensure that they find the best homes possible. Without screening potential adopters, not only can they not be sure that the rat will receive proper housing, veterinary care, or food, but the rat may end up abused, neglected, or right back in a rescue. Ideally a rescue should ask about veterinary care, housing, food, socialization, and permission to have rats, among other aspects of their suitability. You should also find out how many applications they deny and why. There is no perfect number, but, if they approve everyone who applies, they may not be adequately screening adopters. Remember, rescues are not trying to be nosy, they are trying to ensure that their rats find a good home!
5. Doesn't quarantine properly and/or doesn't encourage quarantine of adopted rats:
Quarantine is very important with rats in countries such as the U.S. due to the existence of deadly airborne viruses that are so easily spread. Rescues should quarantine their rats, and encourage adopters to do the same, for the sake of the rats.
Note: This does not apply to rescues that are in countries that do not have viruses such as Sendai, SDA, etc.
6. Cannot provide veterinary references:
A rescue should have a good working relationship with one or more vet, as rescuing is guaranteed to involve veterinary trips. If a rescue cannot provide a reference, they may not be proving veterinary care.
7. Expects donations to cover all of rats’ care:
Rescues, while deserving of donations, know that they will not receive enough donations to cover all care, and will not expect as much. Rescues frequently pay out of pocket for their rats’ veterinary care, food, and housing.
8. Has frequent accidental litters (in-rescue):
Frequent accidental litters in rescue means that they are not being responsible with their rats. It can also be an indication that they are breeding, in which case, see #1.
9. Only ever seems to have highly desirable types of rats for adoption:
While rescues do get some of the more “desirable” varieties of rats, such as litters of hairless, dumbos, blue blazed, etc., most ethical rescues are not swarming with litters of such rats all year. If a rescue only ever has “desirable” rats, most of which are babies, it is possible that they are breeding, in which case see #1. It is also possible that this indicates they are choosing which rats to rescue based solely on color.
10. “Rescues" rats by purchasing them from pet stores, backyard or feeder breeders, feeder bins, or expos:
Rescues understand that purchasing rats dooms more rats to horrible lives. They have seen, and deal with on a daily basis, the overpopulation due to such unethical sources of rats.
11. Charges more for certain types/varieties of rats:
Rescues know that black hoodeds make just as good a pet as blue blazed dumbos. Furthermore, they are not looking to make money off of the more “desirable” varieties, they are just looking to find good homes for their rats.
12. Doesn’t provide for basic needs of rats:
Ethical rescues know that there is no excuse for not providing proper case, and would never keep their rats in dirty overcrowded tanks, feed them inadequate food, or not provide veterinary care. It is not rescuing if their rats need rescuing from them. Rescues should know what rats require and be prepared to provide it for rats they take in.
13. Knowingly adopts out sick or aggressive rats without full disclosure:
Rescues should try to find the perfect match for each family. Knowingly adopting an aggressive or sick rat to an unsuspecting person can result in that person feeling overwhelmed, the rat being neglected, the rat being put down, the rat being dumped at a shelter, etc. Rescues care about the best interests of their rats and adopters, so will give you as much information about their rats as they have.
14. Does not keep lines of communication open post-adoption:
Rescues should be happy to hear how your rat is doing and willing to help you out with any post-adoption issues. Rescues shouldn’t be looking to move animals like a product and forget about them when they leave; they should care about the well being of their rats for the long term.
15. Adopts out rats through pet stores (NOT NECESARRILY A FLAG):
Adopting out through pet stores can be done responsibly. Adopting out through a pet store that sells other animals that can spread disease to them is not acceptable, however. If a pet store does not sell any animals or adopt out other animals that pose a disease risk to their animals, they must be extra careful with screening. Screening eliminates most unsuitable homes, and prevents people from getting rats as an impulse purchase.
16. Keeps more animals than can reasonably be cared for by the rescue's resources:
Rescues should know their limits, and no that they will sometimes have to say no. It is a hard thing to deal with, but rescues responsibility is first and foremost to the rats already in their care. When they take in a rat it is their responsibility. Rescues realize the damage that is done to rats when well-meaning people take in more animals than they can properly care for.
17. Will not or cannot take back adopted rats:
Rescues make a commitment to each rat they take in: the commitment to find that rat a good home. This possibility should be considered when deciding their limit.
Co-written by Smesyna and Blackthorn of Huron Valley Rat Rescue
http://stacyshouseofhammocks.webs.com/rescueredflags.htm
This website may be linked, but the material may not be printed/reproduced without permission.