Buffalo Cares Animal Rescue Address

For people who care about animals, Buffalo CARES

After Margeaux Hallman and her husband Jesse adopted Pearly, they decided they had room for Moo, a foster dog from Buffalo CARES. Both Hallman dogs are pit bulls, the most prevalent breed in shelters and rescues.

Margeaux Hallman was born deaf and has lived with the challenges that come with not being able to hear.

So bringing dogs with special needs and misunderstood reputations into her life was no big deal. She and her husband, Jesse, adopted Pearly, a pit bull who was deaf. But they had room in their lives for at least one more, taking in another pit bull, Moo, as a foster dog.

Moo is another success story for Buffalo CARES, an organization that rescues animals from shelters or animal control or surrendered by their owners and works to place them with foster families. Sometimes the foster family keeps the animal, sometimes it gives it up for adoption.

CARES stands for Companion Animal Rescue for Evan & Snoopy, named for two pets that inspired the group's formation.

Millions of dogs like Pearly and Moo are euthanized every year because there is not enough space in shelters and foster homes to care for them. Many dog lovers preach the "adopt don't shop" mantra to save those animals. The more animals adopted instead of bought from breeders and shops, the fewer healthy animals are euthanized.

That's where organizations like Buffalo CARES come in – rescuing dogs, placing them in foster homes and advertising them for adoption.

The majority of rescue dogs aren't purebred, but according to the Humane Society one in four dogs in a rescue shelter or foster organization is, so people seeking a purebred might be able to find the dog they are searching for in the rescue system.

"I think when a lot of people want to get a dog, they think of a breed that they want to get," Jesse Hallman said. "I always tell people, even if it's like a pug, we have them in the rescue. You can find almost any breed, but obviously pit bulls are by far the most prevalent in shelters and rescues."

Christin Reilly adopted her three dogs – one full pit bull and two mixed – through Smilin' Pit Bull Rescue, a defunct organization. Oliver, 4, Orville, 4, and Otis, 2, were born into the rescue system and all adopted at 8 weeks old.

Reilly connected with Buffalo CARES because she wanted to be involved with helping dogs find families. Although she doesn't foster, Reilly does home visits, reviews applications and assists with the adoption process for other families.

"We make sure that it is the right fit for a family. Even if a family applies for a certain dog and it's not the right fit, we suggest other dogs that may be," Reilly said. "For example, if someone is a runner or hiker and applies for a dog that would not fit into that lifestyle, we will suggest dogs that would be."

All dogs from Buffalo CARES come fully vetted, spayed or neutered, up-to-date on shots and microchipped. Adoption costs through Buffalo CARES range from $175 to $325 depending on the age and breed of the dog, but cost can vary by organization. The cost of those procedures can add up to more than the adoption fee if done individually.

"When you adopt, you are saving more than just that dog's life," Reilly said. "You're saving the dog you just adopted and the dog that gets to go into that foster home that is now open."

The sentiment of saving a dog's life is what drives Tracey Hice and Jeremy Saver to foster through Buffalo CARES.

"I can't let a puppy or even an adult dog be killed just because the shelter is too full," Saver said.

If there isn't room in a shelter, the organization typically will reach out to others for help. If no one can foster, shelter or adopt the animal, it risks euthanasia. The Human Society estimates that about 2.7 million healthy, adoptable pets are euthanized in shelters each year. The organization also estimates that there are 6 million to 8 million in shelters every year, only half of which are adopted.

Hice and Saver adopted Clayborn, a Labrador-beagle mix, nine years ago. Since then, they've adopted Hager, 2, and Brindy, 1.

Brindy came with mange, a skin disease caused by parasitic mites that leaves severe itching, hair loss and scabbing. She also had an infection in her eyes that obstructed her vision.

"Basically her eyelids were folding in, so her eyelashes were constantly rubbing on her eyes," Hice said. "She would run into glass doors. I think that's why she bonded so well with Hager because she followed him wherever he went. He was her guide."

Brindy needed two negative skin scrapes from the mange before the vet would operate on her to fix her eyelids.

"As soon as she got two scrapes we scheduled the surgery, and she's been great ever since," Hice said.

Brindy had all of her procedures done when Hice and Saver were fostering her, so the vet bills were covered by Buffalo CARES, which also covers food, bedding and other necessary supplies to care for the dog until he or she is adopted.

Letting go of a dog is hard for fosters, but Hice said it's impossible not to be happy.

"Whenever I tell people the number one thing they say is 'How do you let them go?' My look on it is they're finding their real home and make another family happy," Hice said. "They're getting a chance to be who they were meant to be. They were just here temporarily. It's like a bittersweet kind of thing because I've done a couple adoptions now. But when you see how happy those families are when they're getting a new pet, that's pretty empowering to know that you did that."

To apply to be a foster or adopt a dog, visit www.buffalocares.org and fill out the application form. For more information on Buffalo CARES, email the rescue at info@buffalocares.org.

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Buffalo Cares Animal Rescue Address

Source: https://buffalonews.com/lifestyles/for-people-who-care-about-animals-buffalo-cares/article_abed8200-3128-5614-b01c-458c7ccc4d6a.html

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