Rescue Ranch: Saving Dogs and Changing Lives

If you, like me, are a dog lover, you’ll want to know about the Siskiyou County no-kill dog shelter and sanctuary, Rescue Ranch. I recently spent a morning at the Adoption Center to learn about this very special rescue organization, which operates two facilities. The Adoption Center, open to the public, houses around 60-70 adoptable dogs and puppies, offers training classes open to the public and administers many other programs designed to help keep dogs out of shelters and in loving homes. The Sanctuary, not open to the public, averages a 125 dogs, and among other activities, conducts most of the intake of dogs, cares for parvo cases and special needs cases, (pregnant dogs, dogs in need of extra training, unadoptable dogs, quarantined dogs and dogs that need a break from the adoption center), houses several whelping sheds and a large number of puppies. “I am so proud of our dedicated and compassionate staff here at the Sanctuary providing care 24 hours a day for our dogs,” says Sanctuary operations manager, Laura Finley. “We are blessed to be able to shelter abandoned mothers and puppies in a healthy and safe environment.”

Children help with puppies at the Adoption Center.

Adoption Center manager, Rick Formanek, who has been involved with Rescue Ranch for over 20 years, first as a volunteer and later as an employee, showed me around the Adoption Center. “We network with Siskiyou County Animal Control and Yreka Animal Control,” he says. “Working together we have been able to lower the euthanasia rate to zero in the county, with the exception of cases of terminal illness or injuries from which a dog cannot recover.”

A clean environment keeps dogs happy and healthy

I was thrilled to see all the dogs at the Adoption Center happy, healthy and playing together in outdoor pens while their pens in the indoor, climate-controlled building were undergoing daily thorough cleaning and sanitizing. The indoor pens have elevated beds to keep dogs off the cold floors in the winter, and access to fenced outside pens. Feed bowls and equipment are also cleaned and sanitized after each use, and dogs are bathed and groomed regularly.

Adoption Center Manager Rick Formanek gets a kiss from a Rescue Ranch dog.

Community support help dogs find and stay in loving homes

“Rescue Ranch is supported by the community and we support the community,” Rick says. “Besides our adoption services for companion pets, which changes and enriches the lives of dogs and their new owners alike, we have a number of other programs to keep animals in loving homes and out of shelters.” These services include free training programs open to the public to help owners address any behavioral training issues they may be having with their dog. A pet food bank located in the Rescue Ranch Thrift Store on Main Street in Yreka provides free dog and cat food, depending on donations, to owners who are struggling to feed their pets.

To eliminate any potential barriers to owners getting their dogs spayed or neutered, Rescue Ranch offers a low cost and in some cases no cost spay/neuter program that is very easy to access. All a dog owner needs to do is call (503)859-0139 to make arrangements.

All Rescue Ranch indoor cages are cleaned and sanitized daily.

Adoption fees are $300 per dog and include a vet wellness check, all vaccines and spaying or neutering of adult dogs, which is a bargain. “If you were to adopt a puppy or dog and take them to a vet for all these services it would cost around $1,000,” Rick told me. Rescue Ranch also offers discounts for veterans and seniors, with a special program for senior adults and senior dogs called Seniors for Seniors. All potential adopters and dog fosters are screened to make sure they are able to properly care for pets and then are matched with a dog that is appropriate for their living situation. (For instance, a border collie, an energetic breed which requires lots of open space to run, would not make a good pet for a city apartment dweller.)

A Puppy for Christmas?

As the holidays approach, parents reading this article might think a puppy would be a great Christmas gift for their child, but Rick advises parents to resist the temptation to surprise the family with a puppy on Christmas Day. “Puppies are cute and cuddly, but they require a huge amount of care, training and constant vigilance.” Often these “Christmas puppies” are returned to shelters a few months later. For this reason, many rescue organizations will not consent to the adoption of puppies in December. Rick advises parents to instead consider giving their children the gift of experience. Kids can help out at the shelter to clean, feed and walk dogs, or take a dog overnight for a “sleepover”.

Donations and volunteer opportunities

Rescue Ranch is supported by donations from individuals as well as some foundation grants. “This year has been challenging. The number of dogs, mothers with puppies and puppies needing care daily has more than doubled from 40 dogs last year to 100+ dogs this year,” Laura told me. “I am thankful each and every day to our community of supporters, volunteers and staff that are dedicated to our lifesaving and life-changing mission.”

You can support the vital work of Rescue Ranch by making a monetary or in-kind donation. Supplies such as dog food for the pet food bank or cleaning supplies are always welcome. Another way to give your support is to volunteer to help out at the adoption center or the sanctuary; cleaning, interacting with dogs to help socialize them, bathing and grooming, helping with office clerical work or helping with community events. They also need drivers for their canine van which transports dogs to and from the veterinary clinic in Ashland. Volunteer applications and donation information are available at rrdog.org.