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Colony & TNR

Rehoming a Rescue Dog to Another EU Country Is Not a Pet Passport Move

An adoption transfers ownership, which puts a cross-border rescue transport outside the pet passport regulation entirely. The sending establishment must be approved by its competent authority, and every animal needs an official health certificate issued within 48 hours of departure.

Sep 15, 2026 8 min read
Dogs · Best Practices

The Conflict That Breaks a Rescue Is Not Financial

The IRS sample conflict of interest policy defines the problem as a financial one, so the copy in your binder does nothing about the conflicts that damage rescues — who gets first refusal on the adoptable dog, whose friend gets the fee waived, which household the good foster animals go to. A nine-article policy that covers those, plus the argument that a bylaw banning insider payment governs it worse than permitting it under conditions.

Sep 11, 2026 15 min read
Dogs · Best Practices

Adoption Return Rates: What They Mean and What Reduces Them

Published return rates for adopted dogs and cats run from 7% to 20%, but the figure your organization reports depends mostly on where you draw the cut-off. The published studies disagree about when returns happen, and that disagreement is the useful part.

Aug 22, 2026 8 min read
Colony & TNR

How to Tell a Scared Stray From a True Feral Cat

The frightened cat pressed into the back of the trap could be a true feral who belongs back outside, or a lost house cat who's one bad decision away from being returned to fend for herself. Here's how to tell them apart before you make the call.

Aug 5, 2026 10 min read
Dogs

Separation Anxiety in Foster Dogs Is Not the Same as Settling In

A foster dog that panics when left alone can look identical to a dog that's just adjusting — and getting the two mixed up is how good dogs get mislabeled, mistreated, or returned. Here's how to tell them apart and run a protocol that actually helps.

Jul 31, 2026 10 min read
Colony & TNR

How to Place a Feral Cat in a Working Cat Program

Some cats can't go back where you trapped them, and they'll never be lap cats. A working cat placement gives them a real home instead of a cage. Here's how to do it without the cat vanishing the first night.

Jul 2, 2026 9 min read
Dogs

The Dog That Falls Apart in the Kennel — How to Stop Long-Stay Deterioration

A friendly dog comes in, and six weeks later it's spinning in its run and lunging at the gate. That's not the dog's temperament — it's the kennel. Here's a practical enrichment system that keeps long-stay dogs stable and adoptable.

Jun 14, 2026 9 min read
Small animals

How to Bond Rescue Rabbits Without It Turning Into a Bloodbath

A single rescue rabbit is a lonely rabbit, and a bonded pair adopts out faster. But put two strange rabbits together wrong and you'll end up at the emergency vet. Here's the neutral-territory bonding process that actually works, step by step.

Jun 13, 2026 13 min read
Medical

A Heartworm-Positive Dog Is Not a Lost Cause — How to Get One Through Treatment

A positive heartworm test scares a lot of rescues into passing on a perfectly adoptable dog. The treatment is long and the rules are strict, but it's routine. Here's how to move a dog from diagnosis to adoption without losing your nerve.

Jun 10, 2026 9 min read
Dogs

The First Two Weeks With a Rescue Dog Are Not the Real Dog

The dog your foster meets on day one is a dog in survival mode, not the dog they'll adopt out. Most failed placements come from judging a dog too early. Here's the decompression plan to give every dog before you decide who they are.

Jun 6, 2026 7 min read
Colony & TNR

How to socialize even the most feral kitten

You've got a hissing kitten in a carrier and no idea what comes next. Here's what actually works, step by step.

Feb 17, 2026 8 min read

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