Our FAQ Page
What happens to the English Toys after rescue?
All rescued ETS are immediately taken to a licensed veterinarian for extensive examination.
What veterinary care do the dogs receive?
All dogs are tested for brucellosis and receive a thorough physical exam. The vet will check the condition of the teeth and gums, eyes, ears, patellae, heart, skin and coat. Treatment for coccidia and other intestinal parasites is begun and vaccinations are given. All rescues are spayed/neutered. Any additional treatment or procedure determined necessary by the veterinarian will be done.
How can I apply to adopt an English Toy Spaniel? How does final placement occur?
All dogs are fostered after they leave the vet, typically for a minimum two week period. To apply for adoption, simply fill out and submit the adoption application found on this website. Your application will be kept on file, and you will be contacted should an English Toy Spaniel become available for whom your home and situation sounds perfect.
“Forever” homes are selected based on information gleaned from the application, interviews, home visits, vet recommendations, and sometimes recommendations from various English Toy Spaniel clubs, forums and current owners.
Final placement is not done on a first come-first served basis, but rather on the individual needs of each English Toy Spaniel that comes into rescue. We rarely have puppies available for adoption.
If you are truly interested in an English Toy Spaniel puppy, we urge you to seek out a reputable breeder and learn all you can about the breed. PLEASE do not ever buy an English Toy Spaniel puppy from a pet store or back yard breeder. Reputable breeders do appropriate testing on their breeding stock, and will be willing to supply you with those results.
Most English Toy Spaniels in rescue will have an adoption fee designed to cover their vet costs plus enough to give back to the general rescue fund.
How can I help by fostering a rescued English Toy Spaniel?
First, begin by submitting an adoption application via this website and note on the application that you are interested in fostering. You will be contacted when the need arises in your area. All fosters should be willing to work with the rescues on housebreaking issues and basic obedience skills. A home visit will be conducted prior to placing a foster in your home.
Are ALL rescued English Toy Spaniels placed in foster care?
Yes. It is in foster care that the newly rescued English Toy begins his/her transition to a new life…which includes housebreaking, basic training, and assessment of temperament and behavior. The assessment is essential to finding the perfect match for an adoptive home. The foster home is the important link between the deplorable puppy mill situation and a “normal” English Toy life. Interaction with family members and socialization skills are developed in the foster home. It is the foster home environment that ensures each English Toy rescue has the best possible start in their new, free life.
What is the adoption fee for a rescued English Toy Spaniel?
English Toy Spaniel Rescue will have a set donation amount for each individual rescue. The donation will typically range from $250-$500, depending on the dog's age and health. Puppies under 8 months of age will typically have a donation amount of $600, again depending on the health of the dog. Funds received for a rescue dog helps to defray our costs of vetting and pulling from the commercial kennels, but in no way recoups all the monies invested in any of our rescues.
Do you adopt to homes outside the foster's area? And if so, do you ship?
Yes, we often place rescues in homes outside the immediate area of the foster home. Shipping is not our preferred mode of transportation for these rescues, but occasionally, shipping is necessary. Our determination of whether or not to ship a rescue is considered on an individual basis, and will depend on many things, not the least of which is the rescue's temperament/personality and our assessment of whether shipping would traumatize an already emotionally needy rescue. All transport costs are paid by the adopter.
We are often able to help set up volunteer, over-the-road, transportation for rescues moving from one State to another.
What is a puppy mill auction like?
The following article, written by a long-time rescuer, will give you some idea.
For The Dogs
A Missouri Dog Auction, Nov., 2000
I will never look at the world in the same way again.
I attended my first puppy mill auction in Missouri this weekend, determined to
bring home from the auction as many of my breed as I possibly could. I was able
to get six dogs. Six dogs pulled from a life of misery.
But that was only 6 out of 200+. I wanted them all. I wanted to run, ranting
like a mad woman through the dirt isles of stacked cages, a screaming pied
piper, opening and releasing every last one of those imprisoned souls. What I
saw behind those latched doors broke my heart, and made it virtually impossible
to maintain my equilibrium or my sanity.
I could do this, HAD to do this, for
the dogs. For the dogs....
Some cages held one-eyed dogs, others held dogs with recent cuts, and old, ugly
scars, dogs with toenails an inch long, dogs whose hair was one large mat,
pregnant bitches close to delivery, dogs missing ears, legs, teeth.
There were no wagging tails, no yelps of delight; no bright, trusting eyes or
barks of playful banter. Most cowered in the farthest corners of their cages,
two or more huddled close together, as if their closeness would bring them some
measure of comfort in dealing with their shared misery.
Dog after dog was auctioned to the highest bidder, often with such sales pitches
as: "Missing an eye, but sees well enough to hit his mark": "This girl is only a
year old, but she has earned her keep by already producing one litter - now
she's got another on the way - a bonus for you"; "This bitch has had 19 pups in
a year and a half - just the kind you want"; "Bitch only has three legs - big
deal, she won't be passing that on." And on one male dog, who refused to stand
on the table because of an injured foot, the auctioneer remarked, "Don't let
that bother you, he can still get it on."
Dogs were often held high in the air for all to see, tails lifted to gauge
whether they were in heat, mouths probed roughly to check their bites, and
abdomens poked and prodded to check for pregnancy because "this one's been
running with Jax - could give you a surprise."
My heart stopped, and my eyes welled when I saw the first, and only two females,
in my breed brought to the auction table. Their eyes remained downcast, their
tails tucked, their bodies postured with fear. The bidding on them often
reached feverish levels, the bids coming so fast and furious, I was afraid I
could not keep up. I hated bidding; I hated NOT bidding.
When I got the highest bid, the auctioneer said, "Which one do you want?" "I
want them both," I replied. "Great," he said, "you're saving me time, little
lady." When I got the final bid on the remaining, the last to be auctioned, I
breathed a sigh of relief, and said a quiet thank-you to the man upstairs.
While waiting in line to get the dogs, a man approached us. “How many of that
breed do you have back home?” “Only three,” was my reply. "Well," he said,
"you are certainly in business now." Yes, I told him, I certainly am.
Rescuing just a few is worth the effort, worth the heartache, worth the
dirt, stench, and barren desolate miles my husband and I endured. Six are safe,
but so many more are not. Rescuing from these sleazy breeders is a necessary
evil. It is only a drop in the bucket, I know, but it is SOMETHING.
For the
dogs who are saved, it is everything.
Tell everyone you know about the horrors of puppy mills. Educate. Please educate.
Relate my auction story, and the stories of other rescuers. We CANNOT stop the
suffering bred in puppy mills without education of the public.
Find it in your heart to get involved with rescue, in whatever way you can.
Attend an auction, donate your money, foster a rescue, or just encourage and
support those battling in the trenches. You won't be sorry. Your heart may break,
your eyes may be red-rimmed for days, but I promise you - you, too, will be
forever changed.
English Toy Spaniel Rescue
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