How does our program work?
We are a not-for-profit run solely by volunteers. We take in purebred Huskies primarily from kill shelters. SHRF does not have its own shelter location so all of our dogs are housed in foster homes. We are only able to take in dogs when we have an opening in a foster home, therefore, we can only accept owner surrenders when we have room. SHRF’s primary mission is to help dogs in immediate need of being saved from euthanization before taking in a dog that is being surrendered by its owner. We do offer a referral process for these dogs that will display the dog on our site and refer anyone interested directly to the owner. If you are interested in the referral process for your dog please click here.
How much does it cost to adopt a dog and what is entailed in the adoption process?
Please click here.
What do I do when I have found a dog?
We are not a shelter that takes in stray dogs but we can give you ideas of how to find the owner.
• Take the dog to a local vet and see if you can find a microchip or look for tags on the dog.
• Post flyers around the area you found the dog.
• If you can’t keep the dog until the owner is found, locate the shelter in the area you found the dog and take the dog there. Please notify us of the shelter you took the dog to so we can monitor the dog.
• If you decide to keep the dog until the owner is found, you can post the dog’s information and pictures on numerous online locations as well as the local newspaper. We also can put the information on our website if you email us the picture and information.
• List of online websites:
www.petfinder.com
www.dogdetective.com
www.fidofinder.com
www.lostpetsos.org
www.lostdog.com
www.lostandfoundpet.com
www.petrecovery.com
www.missingpet.net
• Also if you decide to keep the dog, some local shelters will take down the dog’s information and your information so if the owners show up, they will know where the dog is and they will contact you.
Where are you located, what hours are you open and when can I meet some dogs?
We do not have a shelter facility nor do we have any set open/closed hours. All of our dogs are located in foster homes around the state of Florida, so there is no easy way to meet any or all the dogs. Sometimes there are events that foster dogs attend if they live close by and available for the event, but there is no guarantee every event will have a foster dog attending. We cannot guarantee any dog is available until a prospective adopter has filled out an application and is approved.
Do you have puppies?
As is true with most rescues, because we get dogs mostly from kill shelters, we rarely get puppies. Puppies don’t usually last long at a shelter. Also, most people don’t get tired of the puppy attitude until the dog is 12-18 months old.
Puppies are quite a bit of work, just like an infant is. They require a lot of attention, patience, and supervision. Unfortunately, most people just look at the cute puppy face when they purchase the dog and are not ready for the challenges of a puppy and, after losing their patience one last time, decide to give the dog up, be it to a rescue or a shelter.
The advantages of an older dog (over one year) often include not having to deal with the puppy chewing, the mouthing, the accidents in the house, the endless puppy energy, the crying at night, and the hundreds of things a puppy will have to be taught. An older dog will bond with you, often harder and faster than a puppy, because a rescue dog knows what it is like to lose his family, or to be kept in an animal shelter, or to live on the streets without the love and affection of a good family. If you decide a puppy is still the only route for you, please keep in mind that our rescue rarely has puppies in need of homes.
How do Huskies do in Florida? Isn’t it cruel to have them in Florida?
Huskies adapt to the weather here in Florida just like humans do. It is too hot for Huskies (and other breeds of dogs) to be outside 24/7 here in Florida. However, Huskies will often sun themselves for 30-45 minutes at time.
Dogs do not sweat like humans so the hair helps insulate them from the heat as well as the cold. They cool themselves from panting from the mouth and sweating at the paws. In Florida, their undercoat will not get as thick as it would if they lived in Alaska as compensation for the difference in temperature.
However, SHAVING YOUR DOG IS NOT NECESSARY AND NOT RECOMMENDED!! Shaving your Husky will change the way their coat looks and feels and quite often it will grow back with different color tones. Also, Huskies have no pigment in their skin due to the fact they are supposed to have hair and they can become sun burned very easily. They are also more susceptible to heatstroke since the hair helps them keep cool.
Do Huskies shed?
YES they do! Huskies, in cooler regions, tend to “blow” their undercoats twice a year at the change of season. However, here in Florida, Huskies shed year round and still “blow” their undercoats as well. During regular shedding times, you need to comb out your Husky a couple of times a week. However, during “blowing” times, most Huskies require daily brushing to keep the fur balls you will find around your house to a minimum. So if you don’t want a dog that sheds, Huskies are not the dog for you and your family.
How do I surrender a dog?
As stated previously, we do not have a shelter facility. We can only take dogs when we have available foster homes. We mostly take in dogs from kill shelters first and there is an almost continuous need for us to take in dogs from them. Under normal conditions we will not have room for you to surrender your personal pet to us. We do offer a referral program where you can have your pet shown on our website for other Husky lovers to see and possibly adopt. We do have certain requirements for your dog to participate in our referral program, including, among other things, that the dog be be spayed or neutered.
If you are interested in the referral process for your dog, including all the requirements, please click here.
For a list of low cost spay/neuter clinics please click here.
I have a Husky that needs medical care and I can’t afford to pay for it, can you help?
We were not formed as a charity to help with medical bills. We rescue dogs from kill shelters, pay for their medical bills and rehabilitate them to make them adoptable. Some of these dogs have some extremely costly bills for Heartworm treatment, broken legs, etc. so we are not funded to help you pay for your vet bills but here is a list of websites for non-profits that may do that:
http://www.themagicbulletfund.org
http://imom.org/fa/
http://www.aahahelpingpets.org
http://www.thepetfund.com
http://www.carecredit.com
http://www.help-a-pet.org
http://www.imom.org
http://www.handicappedpets.com
http://www.uan.org
http://www.nysave.org
http://www.angels4animals.org/