Tag: dogs

Learn What Sets Us Apart from Your Traditional Animal Rescue Organization

If you’ve spent any time around Rescued Pets Movement, then you’ve seen that some people are confused by what exactly we do as an organization. While part of that issue stems from the fact that what we do is unique, we want to clear up any confusion about our mission by breaking down what is it we do and how we do it.

What Rescued Pets Movement Does

Our number one priority at RPM is to save the lives of homeless pets throughout the Greater Houston area from needless euthanasia. The process by which we achieve that priority can be broken down into three simple steps:

1. We pull homeless pets from BARC, the city pound for Houston, Texas, and other area shelters;
2. Our volunteers and partner veterinarians rehabilitate and foster these pets in their homes;
3. Our drivers transport the rescued pets to reputable animal welfare organizations throughout the United States and Canada who ensure the pets are adopted out to their forever homes.

The Difference Between RPM & Traditional Animal Rescues

The most common misconception about RPM is that we are an animal rescue or animal shelter, i.e. that we adopt pets out in Houston. That is not the case. Our mission is to save as many pets from BARC and other area shelters as possible and, after rehabilitating them, to transport them to one of our animal welfare partners up north.

Think of Rescued Pets Movement as the “middle man”—we’re just a stop on a pet’s journey to his or her new home and forever family.

How We Do It

Houston has a serious problem with homeless pets, and a serious problem typically requires a lot of hands on deck. After working and volunteering with several different rescue groups over the years, the team that founded RPM realized that there had to be a better way to save these animals on a large scale. They decided to build relationships with highly regarded rescues in areas of North America that have a need for adoptable pets and deliver these pets directly to them.

So, what does this look like in practice? It’s an efficient five-step process that keeps us busy and ensures our animals are safe.

• Every week, BARC (and sometimes other area shelters) reaches out to us with information on the pets that they have scheduled to be euthanized due to overcrowding.
• Our volunteers spring into action to get these animals out of the pound as quickly as possible.
• The pets receive medical attention from our veterinarian and, if necessary, from a team of partner veterinarians.
• The pets are set up with a foster who will house and care for them during their rehabilitation.
• Once they’re fully rehabilitated, our drivers load up our passenger vans and transport the pets to our animal welfare partners out of state, where they are eventually (and, most often, very quickly) adopted to approved families.

Without the tireless work of our volunteers, fosters, drivers, staff, vet team, partner veterinarians, and partner animal welfare groups, Rescued Pets Movement wouldn’t be able to do what it does best—save lives!

How You Can Support Us

While we are lucky to have an army of dedicated volunteers, the work we do requires resources. From providing pet supplies and food to paying for veterinary care and gasoline for our transport vans, we can’t do it on heart alone. We think the work we do is important, and we hope you do too.

If you want to show your support for RPM, you can make a one-time donation or sign up to give monthly here.

Interested in volunteering or fostering with us? We’re always looking for devoted animal lovers who want to make a difference in the lives of these pets. Learn how you can become a volunteer here or a foster here.