Frequently Asked Questions
What does Rescued Pets Movement do?
RPM is a pioneering animal rescue organization dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and transporting homeless pets from the overpopulated south to areas of the country with a shortage of adoptable pets. We step in to save animals from local shelters, oftentimes saving them from immediate risk of euthanasia, providing them with the essential veterinary care and rehabilitation they need through our network of loving foster homes and our boarding facility. Once they’re ready, these animals are transported to our trusted rescue partners primarily in Colorado and Illinois, where there’s a high demand for adoptable pets.
While we don’t adopt out animals locally, this is because our rescue partners have already committed to finding them loving homes. In fact, many of the animals in our program already have families eagerly waiting for their arrival.
What is RPM’s impact since its founding?
Since our founding in 2013, Rescued Pets Movement has saved over 91,000 companion animals, including more than 71,000 from BARC. Our efforts have been crucial in helping BARC achieve its “no-kill” status, with a live release rate consistently over 85%, a dramatic increase from just 42.6% in 2012 before RPM began.
What is RPM’s process for rescuing and transporting animals?
RPM follows a detailed process to ensure the safety and well-being of each animal. This includes:
1. Lifesaving Rescue: Monitoring pleas from local shelters, identifying animals in urgent need, and placing them on hold once a rescue partner commits.
2. Foster Care/Boarding: Securing a temporary home or boarding space until transport.
3. Veterinary Care: Providing necessary medical care through RPM’s clinic and ensuring health before transport.
4. Transport Day: Weekly transport trips to partner rescues, with thorough health checks and legal Health Certificates for each animal.
5. Transport Process: Safe and comfortable transport in RPM’s climate-controlled vans, with regular stops and strict adherence to regulations.
6. Transport Partners: Collaborating with over 50 rescue partners in Colorado and Illinois, ensuring ongoing care and successful adoptions.
7. Arrival and Adoption: Handing over animals to rescue partners who finalize their care and find them loving homes.
Why can’t these pets find forever homes in Houston?
At RPM, we’re committed to assisting the most number of pets in need we possibly can, which we accomplish by transporting. Houston faces an overwhelming challenge: more animals than there are homes willing to adopt them. When this was written (August 2024), within a 25-mile radius of RPM, there were 8,673 dogs and 4,147 cats desperately seeking forever homes in local rescues and shelters– nearly 13,000 pets in need! By transporting our animals to areas where they are in high demand, we allow local organizations the opportunity to find homes for the pets in their care. Unlike RPM, many of these local groups don’t have the network or capacity to transport animals to other regions, making it vital that we focus our efforts where they’re most needed.
It is also important for RPM to honor our agreements with rescue partners across the country, which is why we don’t adopt out the animals in our program locally once there is a plan in place for them up north. Every animal we rescue has a dedicated rescue group eagerly awaiting their arrival, and many have already been pre-adopted into loving homes. This approach ensures that more animals find loving homes and that local shelters and rescues can continue their important work without becoming overwhelmed.
What happens when there is an overpopulation of homeless animals?
Approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats. (Source: ASCPA) These unwanted, abandoned, neglected, and stray animals pour into animal shelters across the country every day — far outnumbering the good homes available to take them in. (Source: PETA) Only 10% of animals received in U.S. shelters are spayed or neutered. Each year, approximately 1.5 million dogs and cats are euthanized because shelters are overcrowded, and there are not enough adopters, fosters and rescues. (Source: Houston PetSet) Each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized – an estimated 670,000 are dogs and 860,000 are cats. (Source: ASCPA)
Why does RPM transport so many dogs and cats outside of Houston?
Houston faces a severe and ongoing crisis with stray and abandoned animals. A 2005 mayor’s task force report revealed that in 2004 alone, shelters in Houston and Harris County euthanized 80,000 animals, with a total intake of nearly 120,000. The problem is compounded by a permanent stray population that the shelters can’t fully address. With so many homeless animals on the streets, they often compete with shelter animals for homes. For example, someone might be more likely to take in a stray neighborhood cat than adopt from a shelter. When rescue groups save stray animals directly from the streets, those rescued animals also reduce the pool of potential adopters for shelter pets.
Estimates of the number of homeless animals in Houston vary widely, with some experts suggesting there could be anywhere from 120,000 to over a million. Even on the lower end, this number is enough to overwhelm Houston’s shelter system. The city’s temperate climate allows for year-round breeding, making the problem exponentially worse over time. Houston lacks spay and neuter laws, and Texas as a whole has minimal regulations for breeders, leading to a flood of puppies and kittens being sold in unregulated settings like flea markets, parking lots, and online platforms.
The limited low-cost and free spay/neuter options available are insufficient to cover Houston’s vast metropolitan area, which spans over 10,000 square miles. All these factors contribute to an overwhelming saturation of homeless animals competing for limited homes. While efforts are being made to increase spay and neuter services and other resources, the situation in Houston remains dire, with shelter overcrowding and stray animals on the streets continuing to be a significant challenge.
Why is there a demand for rescue animals in other parts of the United States?
While Houston, and much of the South, grapples with an overwhelming problem of stray and abandoned animals, many other states are better equipped to manage this crisis. These states have spay/neuter laws and breeder regulations in place, which help control the animal population. Additionally, their colder winters naturally limit the breeding of stray animals, unlike in Houston where the temperate climate allows for year-round reproduction, exacerbating the overpopulation issue.
In these states, there is also a strong cultural norm that views adopting a rescue animal as the “right thing to do.” This mindset, combined with the efforts of our reputable rescue partners, who have done an outstanding job educating their communities about Houston’s severe overpopulation problem, has created a significant demand for the pets we rescue.
These partners not only provide loving homes for our animals but also raise awareness about the dire situation in Houston, further fueling the desire to adopt rather than buy from breeders. By highlighting the stark contrast between their regulated environments and Houston’s challenges, our partners have been instrumental in saving countless lives. The collaboration between RPM and these out-of-state rescues is a crucial lifeline for the animals of Houston, ensuring they find the safe and loving homes they deserve while also relieving some of the pressure on our local shelters.
How does RPM collaborate with other shelters and rescue organizations?
RPM works closely with Houston area shelters and an extensive network of over 50 rescue partners primarily in Colorado and Illinois. This collaboration allows us to save far more animals than we could on our own by matching Houston’s oversupply of homeless pets with areas where there is a high demand for adoptable animals. If you are an established animal welfare group interested in becoming a RECEIVING partner with RPM to find forever homes for animals from Texas, please email info@rescuedpetsmovement.org today! RPM is always searching for reputable organizations to partner with to save more lives.
What makes RPM unique?
RPM is the largest transport and rehabilitation rescue group of its kind in the country, setting high standards for animal care and transport while saving thousands of lives each year.
What does RPM need most to continue saving lives?
We urgently need your support. On average, it costs over $450 per pet to provide the necessary veterinary care, rehabilitation, and transport to give them a new chance at life. Your tax-deductible donation can make a world of difference—please consider contributing today: Donate Here.
In addition to donations, we are in desperate need of temporary fosters. If you have a spare room—or even just a bathroom—you could help save a homeless pet by providing a safe space from the time they leave the shelter until their transport date. Fostering usually lasts 2-3 weeks for cats and kittens and just 1-2 weeks for puppies and dogs, depending on their medical needs. Sometimes, they only need a home for one or two nights!
Every time a foster opens their home, they’re not only saving an animal from the euthanasia list but also creating space at the shelter, potentially saving a second life. We provide food and supplies upon request, but since we rely heavily on donations, we’re always grateful for any additional assistance. If you’re able to help, please consider becoming a foster today! You can find the foster application here: Become a Foster.
Additionally, RPM is always in need of in-kind donations for the animals in our care. We’ve made it easy to donate through our wish lists on Amazon and Chewy. Every contribution, big or small, helps us continue our lifesaving work.
Click to view our Amazon Wishlist
Click to view our Chewy Wishlist
RPM relies heavily on the dedication of our volunteers to keep our operations running smoothly at our Oak Forest facility (2317 W 34th St, Houston, TX 77018 – just off 610 North near E. TC Jester). Volunteers play a crucial role in caring for our boarded animals, walking dogs, helping with laundry, and assisting with various other essential tasks. We also greatly appreciate support on our transport days, ensuring our rescued pets get safely on their way to new lives. If you’re passionate about helping animals and want to make a real difference, we’d love to have you join our volunteer team. You can find the volunteer application here: Volunteer Application.
Can you help me with a stray animal?
Unfortunately, RPM is a transport organization and is not equipped to take in stray or owner-surrendered animals. However, we’ve put together some very helpful resources for you here: Strays, Surrenders & Resources.
Why I Foster…
“Because looking away from the problem doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. It’s hard to see pups suffering, but it’s even harder to sit back and not do anything about it.“
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Rescued Pets Movement
The Jack C. Alexander Building, 2317 w. 34th St., Houston, TX. 77018
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