We had this discussion one of the UK forums I belong to a while back. I'd be really interested in seeing whether there is a difference between our forum & this one ........
This is NOT aimed at anyone - it's a general discussion - we see "rescues" popping up all over the place here & then they disappear really quickly, often because the "rescuers" get in over their heads & can't cope. We also see some people who are simply "dealers" who hide behind the term "rescue" - it's an interesting debate/discussion.
So ............ when is a rescue not a rescue?
Personally I think that:
a rescue service is one in which knowledgeable individuals dedicate their time, resources, and emotions into rescuing (i.e. saving from harm or poor conditions), treating (with veterinary intervention/supervision/assistance), rehabilitating, re-homing, and providing a life-long home to any chinchilla which requires such help.
They also provide education and support to people on all aspects of chinchilla care, health, and husbandry.
The knowledge necessary to run a rescue is often gained through breeders (i.e they have seen kits born, problem pregnancies, chin fights, bites, traumatic injuries, birth defects etc etc) but it is also gained through forums, one-to-one support from other chin owners/rescues and through personal experiences (some of which are unpleasant and/or heartbreaking). No-one has experienced the whole gamut of issues which can be encountered through keeping/breeding/rescuing chins and the value of forums and networking with others cannot be underestimated (imho).
For me, it is about the selfless dedication of the person(s) running the rescue – I doubt that anyone who has taken in sick or neglected chins has not, at some point or other, considered giving up because of the heartache involved in seeing chins deteriorate and die, despite intensive “nursing” care. What separates the “true” rescue from the “fly-by-night” is that the “proper” rescues don’t give up (unless they have some catastrophic event which means they cannot keep chins any more), they do not start off with 1 chin and then have 25 before the week is out and then claim to be a rescue, they spend time in researching chin care, and they continue despite the fact they are giving up their lives for the chins – the chins come first. They are not after money (breeding rescues or re-homing for high fees), attention, or glory – it’s all about the chins.
For me, there is a clear distinction between a rescue & a re-homing service. - a rescue is as I described above and they take all and sundry in terms of health, background, and current medical state - a re-homing centre is just that: they take healthy chins and re-home them, often for a fee. Sometimes those set-ups border on being dealers.
We have seen many "new" rescues set up over the years - newcomers to chins who have no idea about chinchillas and their care, let alone have the knowledge and skills to take on ill or injured or disabled chinchillas. They get out of their depth and cry for help, often when it is too late or they ignore basic advice and help - the chins suffer and die.
One such example of this in the UK was a young man who did not listen, thought he could make his "name" and decent money through setting up a rescue, took on a load of chins in a very short space of time, advertised as a rescue, and did not keep the chins in good conditions. He very quickly became out of his depth but he still did not listen. Many of the chins died needlessly through neglect and incompetence. The rest were taken away from him by an established rescue. It's not fair on the chins and it's not fair on the good, true rescues who have to pick up the pieces. It's not about egos, it's all about the chins and whether they will come to harm by being taken into "rescues" run by incompetent or neglectful people or, even worse, those who really don't give a carrot about the animals but want to make money and a name for themselves.
The flip side of that are the people who take on rescue work for the right reasons and ask for advice, support, and help when they need it - they listen, learn, research, get alongside a "mentor" (or several) of experienced chinchilla owners/breeders/rescuers and make things better for the chins in their care. Those kind of people know their limitations and don't jump on the bandwagon of egos eager to make money or a name for themselves. Rescues set up in the right way are a pleasure to support and I am more than happy to continue doing so - I support rescues in the UK and the US (US has to be through monetary and advice/support etc since I cannot support them physically). Everyone makes mistakes, everyone gets out of their depth at times, everyone needs help, support and advice - I would never not give it because the chins suffer in that case but referring people to rescues is a whole different ball game.
Is the situation different in the US/Canada or do you see the same kind of things happening?
Do you have rescues, re-homing centres & dealers?
Do you view them differently?
This is NOT aimed at anyone - it's a general discussion - we see "rescues" popping up all over the place here & then they disappear really quickly, often because the "rescuers" get in over their heads & can't cope. We also see some people who are simply "dealers" who hide behind the term "rescue" - it's an interesting debate/discussion.
So ............ when is a rescue not a rescue?
Personally I think that:
a rescue service is one in which knowledgeable individuals dedicate their time, resources, and emotions into rescuing (i.e. saving from harm or poor conditions), treating (with veterinary intervention/supervision/assistance), rehabilitating, re-homing, and providing a life-long home to any chinchilla which requires such help.
They also provide education and support to people on all aspects of chinchilla care, health, and husbandry.
The knowledge necessary to run a rescue is often gained through breeders (i.e they have seen kits born, problem pregnancies, chin fights, bites, traumatic injuries, birth defects etc etc) but it is also gained through forums, one-to-one support from other chin owners/rescues and through personal experiences (some of which are unpleasant and/or heartbreaking). No-one has experienced the whole gamut of issues which can be encountered through keeping/breeding/rescuing chins and the value of forums and networking with others cannot be underestimated (imho).
For me, it is about the selfless dedication of the person(s) running the rescue – I doubt that anyone who has taken in sick or neglected chins has not, at some point or other, considered giving up because of the heartache involved in seeing chins deteriorate and die, despite intensive “nursing” care. What separates the “true” rescue from the “fly-by-night” is that the “proper” rescues don’t give up (unless they have some catastrophic event which means they cannot keep chins any more), they do not start off with 1 chin and then have 25 before the week is out and then claim to be a rescue, they spend time in researching chin care, and they continue despite the fact they are giving up their lives for the chins – the chins come first. They are not after money (breeding rescues or re-homing for high fees), attention, or glory – it’s all about the chins.
For me, there is a clear distinction between a rescue & a re-homing service. - a rescue is as I described above and they take all and sundry in terms of health, background, and current medical state - a re-homing centre is just that: they take healthy chins and re-home them, often for a fee. Sometimes those set-ups border on being dealers.
We have seen many "new" rescues set up over the years - newcomers to chins who have no idea about chinchillas and their care, let alone have the knowledge and skills to take on ill or injured or disabled chinchillas. They get out of their depth and cry for help, often when it is too late or they ignore basic advice and help - the chins suffer and die.
One such example of this in the UK was a young man who did not listen, thought he could make his "name" and decent money through setting up a rescue, took on a load of chins in a very short space of time, advertised as a rescue, and did not keep the chins in good conditions. He very quickly became out of his depth but he still did not listen. Many of the chins died needlessly through neglect and incompetence. The rest were taken away from him by an established rescue. It's not fair on the chins and it's not fair on the good, true rescues who have to pick up the pieces. It's not about egos, it's all about the chins and whether they will come to harm by being taken into "rescues" run by incompetent or neglectful people or, even worse, those who really don't give a carrot about the animals but want to make money and a name for themselves.
The flip side of that are the people who take on rescue work for the right reasons and ask for advice, support, and help when they need it - they listen, learn, research, get alongside a "mentor" (or several) of experienced chinchilla owners/breeders/rescuers and make things better for the chins in their care. Those kind of people know their limitations and don't jump on the bandwagon of egos eager to make money or a name for themselves. Rescues set up in the right way are a pleasure to support and I am more than happy to continue doing so - I support rescues in the UK and the US (US has to be through monetary and advice/support etc since I cannot support them physically). Everyone makes mistakes, everyone gets out of their depth at times, everyone needs help, support and advice - I would never not give it because the chins suffer in that case but referring people to rescues is a whole different ball game.
Is the situation different in the US/Canada or do you see the same kind of things happening?
Do you have rescues, re-homing centres & dealers?
Do you view them differently?
