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- WESTIE RESCUE CODE
OF ETHICS
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As
an active member / volunteer / supporter of Westie Rescue, I
agree to abide with the following guidelines: GENERAL ITEMS
- To maintain my rescue efforts as a non-profit endeavor
whether my group is an organization recognized by the state
and/or federal government or the work of one or more
individuals.
- To conduct my rescue efforts on a voluntary basis,
receiving no personal or monetary compensation for rescue
work.
- To facilitate the rescue and adoption of stray, abandoned,
neglected, abused and surrendered Westies of pure breed
lineage and Westie-mixes displaying the physical and
behavior attributes of a purebred Westie.
- To ensure no adoptable Westie will be denied rescue because of age
or physical condition.
- To ensure all volunteers in my rescue group are educated
in their area of service, whether fostering, adoption
screening, temperament evaluation, transportation or
educational outreach.
- To educate potential adopters about the West Highland
White Terrier breed including temperament, health, training
and care issues promoting responsible pet ownership.
- To recommend, if requested, specific breeder referral
contact information or specific West Highland White Terrier
Regional Clubs to potential adopters desiring such
information but not to act as a general repository or
adoption means for any breeder’s unsold Westies.
- To support the definition of "responsible
breeders" as: "Reputable breeders are those who
study the breed, usually are members of local and/or
national breed clubs, often exhibit at dog shows, carefully
plan and execute a breeding program. They take all
appropriate health care of the mother and puppies, socialize
the puppies and carefully screen and educate the potential
new owners of the puppies. They will stand behind their
puppies to the extent of taking the puppies (or dogs) back
if there is a problem and refunding money or replacing
puppies with genetic defects."
- To obtain a completed release of ownership form on any
owner surrendered Westie placed in rescue.
FOSTERED WESTIE CARE
- To provide every fostered Westie and all animals in my care
appropriate food, water and shelter under sanitary
conditions that meet or exceed all minimum standards as
defined by local health and sanitation authorities.
- To provide appropriate emergency veterinary treatment as
well as routine veterinary evaluation and care for fostered
Westies and all animals in my custody including regular
inoculations, heartworm testing, administration of
preventive heartworm medication and to ensure each animal is
free of parasitic infestation.
- To spay or neuter each unaltered rescue Westie while in
foster care unless contraindicated by veterinarian
evaluation.
- To evaluate the temperament of each Westie and exercise
good judgment to assure its suitability for placement and to
not knowingly place a vicious or otherwise seriously
temperamentally unsound Westie in an adoptive home.
- To ensure that a veterinarian humanely euthanizes rescued
Westies deemed unadoptable for reasons of health or
temperament and to ensure the remains are properly disposed.
ADOPTION PROCEDURES
- To thoroughly interview potential adopter utilizing two or
more methods such as written application, phone interview,
home visit and face-to-face interview with the goal of
placing all rescue animals in homes that are breed
appropriate and specifically appropriate to each individual
Westie.
- To never knowingly give or sell a Westie of any age to any
pet shop, catalogue house, laboratory or any wholesale
dealer in dogs or to any person who sells to any of the
above nor to knowingly aid or abet the sale of any Westies
through any of the above.
- To never breed a rescue Westie or release a rescue Westie
to any person for breeding.
- To require a sterilization contract for all Westies when
spay or neuter is not performed prior to adoption and to
make every effort to reclaim any unsterilized Westies within
three (3) months of contract date unless the veterinarian
has provided a written certificate why the procedure is
contraindicated.
- To review the current veterinary records of all other pets
in the prospective adopter’s home or receive a
veterinarian reference on current pets or previous pets
prior to placement of the rescued Westie.
- To require that adopters be at least 18 years of age.
- To obtain landlord approval for prospective adopters who
rent or lease their residence.
- To fully disclose all health and temperament information
about each Westie and to never knowingly misrepresent a
rescue dog’s age, medical condition and/or temperament to
anyone.
- To utilize a written adoption contract on each rescue dog
placed.
- To never release the original registration papers of any
rescue dog to the adopter(s) even if the animal is
sterilized to prevent their unlawful use.
- To provide follow up advice and assistance to adopters.
- To take back any rescue Westie placed by my rescue group
at the request of the adopter. The refund of adoption
donation will be at the discretion of the rescue
Chairperson.
- To maintain a waiting list of interested adopters when
requests to adopt exceed available dogs.
INTERORGANIZATIONAL and INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS
- To abide by all written contracts entered into with a
releasing agency or person and to pay agreed upon fees to
releasing agencies for rescue Westies.
- To conduct myself in a courteous manner in rescue work
such that my behavior brings credit to the image of Westie
Rescue and animal rescue in general.
- To promptly return phone calls to agencies and private
owners with pets to place or to make alternative provisions
to have calls handled by another rescue representative.
- Adopted by the San Francisco Bay West Highland White
Terrier Club's Board of Directors, July 1, 2001.
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