We here at Lowcountry Boxer Rescue have
a specific process for successful adoptions from several years of experience
doing rescue. First and foremost: our directors and volunteers work
soley on available funds in our "rescue account", unless that is empty
(which it frequently is), whereas we pay rescues' expenses out of our own
pockets. When we collect an adoption fee or donation, that money
is recorded immediately and only used for approved expenses of the Boxers
we have in the rescue program. Veterinary procedures, treatments,
surgeries, and medications are not at all cheap for us. We are generously
given a small discount by our veterinarians, but typically spend as much
if not more money, on a rescued dog in one week that we would spend on
one of our own healthy pets in a year's time. This is the price we
are willing to pay for the chance to help a Boxer get the family and home
it more than deserves to live out the last years of it's life in.
In our opinion, it is a small price to pay... These dogs are living,
breathing, feeling, emotional, and intelligent creatures who love unconditionally
the people in their lives who care for them and befriend them. This
is our repayment for the cost and time we invest in each dog we take in...
to see the smile on the face and in the eyes of a Boxer who was given a
second chance.
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We also do not have a special *facility
for rescued dogs available for adoption. We are commonly asked what
our hours are. :) Well, our "hours", are the times that we
can coordinate our work and family schedules with that of the applicants'
to get together. These animals are in our homes as parts of our family
while they are waiting for their forever family to come along to take them
home. We include them in our daily lives with our spouses, children
and other pets if possible. We rarely take vacations since boarding
our own pets as well as the resident rescues would be an astronomical cost.
Our holidays are spent at home caring for the dogs as we would any other
days of the year. On that note: Our homes are not always "open"
for the general public to just come over at any time to look at the dogs
we have available. This would be a tremendous strain on our family's
and neighbor's privacies. Another point about us not making dogs
available to view is that we are NOT a shelter. Animal shelters and
humane societies have "adoptable" pets at a public facility for people
to view and impulsivly (often uneducationally) adopt. We do not allow
"spur of the moment" decisions to be made about adopting one of our Boxers.
Our strict policy is to carefully matchmake a serious applicant with a
Boxer that would best suit their family's lifestyle, home and property,
and long term expectations from a four-legged family member. We do
not want our rescued Boxers to ever have to be left again or rehomed once
they leave us. Most of these dogs have been rehomed multiple times
before coming to rescue as it is. The Boxer you might be interested
in because of it's looks or story might turn out to be the exact opposite
in personality than you imagined once you get him or her home. This
is where a serious applicant (Note* SERIOUS*) needs to put their trust
in us at Lowcountry Boxer Rescue. We KNOW these dogs very well after
living with them and working with them for weeks and sometimes months.
We have decades of combined experience with Boxers and feel that we know
enough about them to make educated decisions about where they will be happiest
and healthiest for the rest of their lives. We apologize if this
policy seems unusually strict, but there are no exceptions. Our dedication
to each individual Boxer that enters our adoption program takes full precidence
over anyone's opinions on our adoption procedures.
*****************
Many dogs you see available on our website
were given up to rescue or a shelter, or even turned loose to be stray
by someone who considered these animals a disposable commodity. Some
of them come with genuine issues or problems. We will never hide
an individual Boxer's problems, handicaps, or issues from a interested
applicant we find to be a good potential match. If we know about
it, then you should know about it.
Some of these dogs have been abused physically
and may bare visible scars as well as emotional ones. Some may have
been neglected (another form of abuse). Neglect may take many forms:
starvation, lack of socialization, lack of medical care for illness or
injury as well as preventative medicines, the absence of proper shelter,
food, or water, and even the lack of *proper training. Any of these
and more are considered variables of neglect. Some dogs have fears
of certain people, places, sights, sounds, or other animals. Frequently
these fears are NOT related to abuse or neglect, but sometimes so.
We have Boxers that come in all shapes,
sizes, and colors. We make very careful judgements on whether a dog
is purebred, so if the dogs you see don't look like the Boxers in a magazine
or book, or like the ones you saw in a show ring, it doesn't mean that
the dog isn't a Boxer... it simply means that someone, somewhere bred Boxers
of lesser physical or temperament quality to produce what you see in rescue,
for no other reason than for personal gain or profit. They sold their
puppies without concern for where they were going, who they would be with
(or not with), how they would be treated, or how long they would be there.
Poor quality dogs were sold intact giving anyone the assumed right to breed
them and add to the ever growing over-popluation of dogs, diseases, defects,
etc.... the circle continues.
On a rare occasion we have rehomed Boxers
that DO come from a background of responsible breeding, health testing,
and a preserved *true* Boxer temperament. Sometimes a Boxer won't
turn out for the show ring as anticipated and the breeder will want this
dog to be placed (after being spayed or neutered) in a carefully screened
"pet home". Responsible breeders sell even their "pet" quality Boxers
on a contract stating that the dog be returned to them if the person is
no longer able to care for them or keep them for any reason. If we
have pre-approved homes waiting for the right match we are happy to take
over the adoption while coordinating with the original breeder. To
us, this actually says a lot about our reputation for successful adoptions
at Lowcountry Boxer Rescue.
Our primary concern is a Boxer in true need
of rescuing though. One who wouldn't normally be given a chance to
be a beloved family member.
More adoption information
coming soon!
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