With all of the hard work that rescuers do, and all of the lives they save, I will say that this is a very useful page to write.  Rescuers are some of the hardest-working individuals there are.  The amount of time, the number of hours, and the degree of compassion that rescuers invest in this noblest of noble causes in the animal world simply cannot be measured.  However, after speaking at length to someone who has done rescue and now stepped back to watch from the outside, I have to bring up a subject that has been brought to this person’s attention several times over the years by some major sources in the business world, as well as the media.

I HOPE YOU WILL ACCEPT IT AS IT IS OFFERED — WITH THE CONFIDENCE THAT, WITH YOUR COMPASSION, DETERMINATION, AND ENDLESS HOURS OF WORK IN THIS FIELD, THAT YOU CAN DO EVEN BETTER WITH LESS WORK.  I KNOW YOU CAN.

The major area of rescue is manned by women. It is obvious that without women at the forefront of this effort, there would likely be no rescue efforts at all — and certainly not to the degree we see now.  Women work from their hearts, generally speaking, due to their compassionate nature.  This is the exact characteristic that has led us all to this cause..  For those of you who have done this for 10 or more years, you certainly can not argue that with all the hard work you've put in, and all the time invested, and dollars out the door, not much has changed to a measurable degree in that 10 years.  We still have an increasing number of homeless animals being killed in shelters every year.  Can you even begin to figure in the time, money and effort it took for all of these dog to be placed through your efforts?

Example:  A friend of mine receives 500 emails a day, which come from approximately 350 people; and through their joint efforts, they place up to 20 dogs a week.  That is incredible since they are all over the country, and it is so very noble and compassionate of each and everyone of them..  But, have you considered that there are that many women working toward the same goal, with that level of commitment, on placing 20 pets?

If those 350 women had a more distinct system and more organized means of getting the word out and negotiating with the facilities that hold the fate of these animals in their hands, there is a good possibility that each woman could pull and hopefully place one dog apiece each day, and the difference that would make is phenomenal — 350 dogs, as opposed to 20 with the current method.  This is just an example, as I realize many, if not most rescuers, place other animals that were not included in these emails.  But this would still occur, as these dedicated rescuers would have even more time on their hands to arrange these additional adoptions.

Now, if men were to run these rescue efforts, there would be fewer animals facing death tonight in any facility, and the time and money per animal would be substantially cut.  Men, in general, work from a business only sense.  There would be little or no compassion, and the placements would be all but a disaster.  Men are men and women are women — very different animals.  We both have our good and bad points.  Too much compassion and not enough business sense, however, has prevented this wonderful movement from going forward and improving to the degree we had hoped.

We now use the internet more than ever, and thanks to sites like www.petfinder.com, we see a welcome increase in the chances of these animals finding a second chance at a good life.  My suggestion is — Lets find the happy medium.  Everyone would like to see fewer animals in need, and more being accomplished.

Take this not as criticism to the current system, but rather a hopeful challenge for everyone to think of ways to improve their means of handling these situations so that you work less, spend less, place more and even prevent more from needing your services — all by just doing a little dreaming, thinking, talking or whatever.

TAKE A STAND AND SHOW THAT YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BRING THE UTMOST RESPECT TO YOUR NOBLE EFFORTS AND THE CHANGES YOU HAVE MADE IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD

You could see fewer dogs needing your efforts, you could spend less time, you could place more dogs, you could have more power and voice in lawmaking decisions and enforcing current and existing laws. 

Many will not feel the need to take this challenge seriously, and some will be offended at this.  I am very sorry for the sake of the animals, because this is only to help them, just like each and every one of you do so tirelessly every day.

But, I am CERTAIN that there will be those who see this as an opportunity to step up to the plate and provide options to those who are willing to give the new ideas that some of you will present a try.  It just KILLS ME to see rescuers run themselves into the ground, becoming overwhelmed, burned out, and overlapping efforts.  It doesn't have to be that way.

Each and every one of you should be praised, respected, and be able to do the jobs you've set out to do in a much more organized and professional manner, with improved results while you work less.

Here are a few suggestions to help you form a better system.  You are who put in all the hard work and long hours.  It is you who would know best what can and/or should be changed.  You all do this on a daily basis.  Though it would be a challenge, a better system should be created to reduce the number of duplicate emails, as well as direct it to the proper audience. 

There should be an organized group that could have the power to pull a given pet on a moment's notice, and even have a place for it to go within 2 hours.  Perhaps this could all be accomplished with a central site with log ins and log outs that appears to stem from a corporate office of sorts, with names of pets and a description of their fates.  One person, one pet, until completed — regardless of location.  The most important thing that this would bring is political clout for the rescuers.  Do you realize just what that could and would mean to each and every one of you?  It means that you would be treated like the NRA in your area instead of just a rescuer. 

You would have a main entity that you could elect, and would provide suggestions and guidance, as well as emergency funding if you had a fire, or rash of diseases, and the like.  Unless this or something else with the same type of organized structure happens, it will remain on the same tracks as it is and has been for way too many years, and 30 years into the future, all of your children will be seeing the same level and need for rescue.  Nobody wants that, I know. 

If all egos are put aside and a group discussion ensues among everyone, something good will come out of ''thinking outside the box'' and working together.  A thousand brains are better than one