| If you adopted from a reputable pet breeder (one who has healthy, happy well-dusted chins in large, clean cages and gives them lots of personal attention, etc.), always contact them FIRST if you need to give up your pet, some pet breeders even include this stipulation in their adoption contracts. Returning chins to the breeder who brought them into the world acts as a "checks and balances" against pet overpopulation. The two essential components to ANY re-homing, whether through a rescue service or by direct placement, is an adoption contract and a significant adoption fee. These determine whether the adoption applicant has suitable knowledge (contract) and financial viability (adoption fee). FTGH puts a chin's life in danger. GUIDES TO RESPONSIBLE RESCUE AND RE-HOMING (re-homing by contacting rescue: hoarding vs legitimate rescue, re-homing by direct placement, articles)  Re-Homing By Contacting A Rescue Service (hoarding vs legitimate rescue) 1) If the situation is urgent and the pet must be relinquished immediately, contact a chinchilla rescue service or request a contact referral through MM's International Chinchilla Rescue Network (ICRN). Be aware that a rescue service will not buy your chinchilla, that is what classifieds are for. Rescue workers provide an emergency service, they foster chinchillas in need at their own expense (often paying for veterinary treatment or neutering in addition to routine care) until they are able to place them in a forever home. The adoption fee that is charged upon placement acts as compensation for costs incurred while the chinchilla was in their care and helps ensure that the adoption candidate is financially competent. 
2) Always check first with the Animal Abuse Crime Database and The National Animal Abuse Registry. NOTE: It is impossible for list keepers to guarantee the character or legitimacy of those who volunteer online as rescue services! Therefore the task of screening is the rightful responsibility of the relinquishing chinparent, the person who deals directly with them. Don't blindly trust advertisements or people who seem "nice" via phone or email. Hoarders act like regular people and they often really believe they are "rescuing" -anything short of a thorough investigation is courting disaster:
Ask these questions of any rescue service, your chin's life depends on it!
3) When you are certain that you have found a reputable rescue service to take in your chinchilla, arrange to make a home visit in person to deliver your chinchilla to his new home. This is your final opportunity to ensure that everything is right, i.e., that the home environment is clean and not excessively loud or chaotic. If the person is not willing to have you meet at their home for privacy reasons, ask for the contact information of at least two references and to see photos of their facilities, which should include the setup that will greet your pet. If you make the visit in person, observe firsthand that everything is prepared to receive your chinchilla, that the cage, proper supplies and setup (air conditioner, especially) are represent as was previously agreed upon. If things are significantly awry, or if you get a bad feeling and have misgivings, trust your instincts and politely decline to complete the transfer. Return home with your chin and pursue other options, don't compromise your chin's future for anything! Re-Homing For Yourself, Directly Placing Your Chin Into A Forever Home 1) If time allows and you are in a position to directly place your chinchilla in a forever home, DO NOT put an advertisement out for "Free to Good Home"! See Warning! 2) Advertise in chinchilla classifieds or on forum classifieds and do not hesitate to charge a significant adoption fee. A good adoption candidate will be prepared to make a substantial up-front initial investment, and a minimum of at least 50 USD (charging more is strongly adviseable, both pet stores and breeders charge more and rescue/ re-homed chins aren't "less valuable") will help discourage unscrupulous persons who seek out cheap or free animals for unethical purposes such as hoarding, selling to laboratories, etc. An adoption fee is essential because it gives the adoption candidate an opportunity to provide proof of their financial competence and ability to cover veterinary and routine care expenses for their future pet. FTGH puts a chin's life in danger. 3) Screen adoption candidates (applicants) thoroughly, start by checking the Animal Abuse Crime Database and The National Animal Abuse Registry. After the applicant clears that, ask questions to ensure that the applicant is prepared, with both knowledge and resources, to properly care for the chinchilla. Don't be afraid of "putting off" someone by asking questions! A good adoption candidate will understand your position, welcome questions and be prepared to answer them. There are unscrupulous persons who are expert at appearing otherwise, so if an applicant balks at answering appropriate questions, tell them "thanks anyway," end the communication and proceed to better prospects. Remember that your chinchilla's very life is in your hands, their future is hanging in the balance, don't let them down! You can use ChinCare's Adoption Contract/ Qualification Assessment (.doc), see these adoption contracts, or request answers to the most vital questions as outlined below... Be sure that the critical points here are acknowledged and ask these questions:
4) When you are certain that you have found a reputable rescue service to take in your chinchilla, arrange to make a home visit in person to deliver your chinchilla to his new home. This is your final opportunity to ensure that everything is right, i.e., that the home environment is clean and not excessively loud or chaotic. If the person is not willing to have you meet at their home for privacy reasons, ask for the contact information of at least two references and to see photos of their facilities, which should include the setup that will greet your pet. If you make the visit in person, observe firsthand that everything is prepared to receive your chinchilla, that the cage, proper supplies and setup (air conditioner, especially) are represent as was previously agreed upon. If things are significantly awry, or if you get a bad feeling and have misgivings, trust your instincts and politely decline to complete the transfer. Return home with your chin and pursue other options, don't compromise your chin's future for anything! Re-Homing and Adoption Articles wonderpuppy.net: Finding a New Home, Resource Links/ ChinchillaRescue.org: Considerations Before Adopting The Animal Spirit: Re-Homing Guidelines/ HSUS: Pet Adoption, Choosing A Pet/ Pet Shop Alert Recycle-A-Rodent: Re-Homing Guide/ The PetWork: Resources and Information/ PUP: Re-Homing Resources Pets as Presents: PawPrint Online and About: Veterinary Medicine
ADOPTION FEES AND DANGERS OF FTGH, "FREE TO GOOD HOME" (bunchers, hoarders or collectors) Also see: Warning to Rescuers About People Wanting "Cheap Breeding Chins" The bare essentials of rescue/ re-homing are the administration of a thorough adoption contract and the charging of a significant adoption fee. Adoption fees aren't a reflection of the "greed" of the present chinparent or rescuer, the latter of which often invests hundreds of dollars in vet or routine care expenses just to get a chin to the point where it is adoptable. Rather, a minimum initial investment of 50 USD (charging more is strongly adviseable, both pet stores and breeders charge more and rescue/ re-homed chins aren't "less valuable") for a chinchilla is necessary to show some proof that the adopter is financially competent and willing and able to cover veterinary and routine care expenses. Never casually entrust your pet's very life based on a "hunch" or "intuition" about the character of a person you've just met, someone who "seems nice" but wants something (a living being, at that!) for nothing is NOT the right choice. FTGH puts a chin's life in danger! "A free pet is a disposable pet! Paying a fee for a pet shows good faith on the part of the new owner and demonstrates their willingness to properly care for the animal. The truth is, there is no such thing as a "free" pet anyway... A responsible person who would properly take care of an animal will understand this and will not be opposed to paying a reasonable fee for a healthy pet, especially if some or all of these health items have already been taken care of." (ref- petrescue.com) "People value what they pay for. Pets obtained for free are are less likely to be spayed or neutered by their new owners (why bother with vet bills?), and more likely to be abused and/or discarded, because "there are plenty more where that came from!" A recent study at one animal shelter yielded the startling statistic that 51% of all owner-surrendered dogs had been purchsed for less than $100; 41% of all owner-surrendered dogs had been obtained "Free to Good Home". (ref- Michelle Crean, Animal Aid of SW MI) "BUNCHERS" "A buncher is a person who either steals or "adopts" for the purpose of selling the animal (e.g. medical research labs, bait to train dogs for fighting rings, breeding stock for puppy mills or catteries). Bunchers can be very deceptive. They will sometimes use children as part of the ploy and present themselves as a perfect family. Beware of ads in the paper that say something similar to: Looking for a new home for your pet? We can help. We will pick up your pet and find it a new home. Call now!" (ref- theanimalspirit.com) "Class B dealers are USDA licensed dog and cat dealers who acquire and resell "random sourced" animals to medical laboratories for experimental research. Some of these animals are often obtained by people called "bunchers" who collect animals for Class B dealers who then sell the animals to medical laboratories. "Bunchers" look for cheap deals and often comb neighborhoods and newspapers in their search for stray and free animals. While against the law, "bunching" still occurs in the United States. Never give animals away for free." (ref- Happy Tails) "Free to good home ads attract many different clients for many uses: dog-fighting rings as fighters or as bait, to puppy mills for breeding, as meat for human consumption, as prey for exotic animals, as fur for clothing or accessories, as protective guard dogs or for cult rituals. However, the most consistent and highest-paying client is often the research industry. Hundreds of thousands of animals are used as laboratory subjects in universities and testing and research institutions every year. Research institutions prefer to experiment on animals [chinchillas included!] that are accustomed to humans, as they tend to be much easier to handle." (ref- Columbus Dog Connection) "Class B dealers, who collect dogs and cats from random sources, routinely violate the Animal Welfare Act. This federal law set the minimum standards of care for animals and requires accurate record keeping on their acquisition and disposition. For too long, Class B dealers have thrived in a 'cottage industry' that collects dogs and cats, sometimes family pets obtained by theft or fraudulent means, in order to sell them to laboratories for between $200 and $800 each. Although there are only 17 Class B dealers selling random source dogs and cats for research, there are thousands of suppliers [bunchers, and they deal in many other pets besides dogs and cats] to the dealers. "Dogs and cats that rightfully belong to individuals and families may be illegally acquired by use of 'dirty tricks,' such as: *Responding to 'free to good home' ads in local newspapers, posing as providers of loving homes *Falsifying animal records to keep their true origins unknown *Stealing pet dogs and cats from their owners’ yards and farms Too often, dogs and cats are subjected to abusive handling and exposure to the elements while kept on the premises of Class B dealers. Sadly, Class B dealers routinely deny these animals sufficient food, water and veterinary care before they are sold off to laboratories." (ref- saplonline.org) "HOARDERS" OR "COLLECTORS" Also see tufts.edu photo gallery (caution advised) and Hoarding vs. Legitimate Shelter or Rescue Hoarders also readily pick up "Free To Good Home" pets! "Hoarding is a problem involving dogs, cats, and sometimes other species. Animal Hoarding is not about legitimate sheltering or rescue. It is a disorder. The Tufts University has a good working definition: Someone who accumulates a large number of animals; who fails to provide minimal nutrition, sanitation, and veterinary care; fails to act on deteriorating condition of the animals (including disease, starvation, and even death) or the environment (severely overcrowded and unsanitary conditions); and who fails to act on or recognize the negative impact of the collection on their own health and well being." (ref- americanhumane.org) "Unfortunately, owners desparate to place an unwanted pet may not ask too many questions, even when the solution sounds too good to be true. Animals rescued form hoarding situations are often too ill, too old, too debillitated, or too unsocial to place through legitimate adoption avenues. Even in the best of circumstances, a large influx of difficult to place pets will overwhelm most sheltering and rescue organizations, making humane euthanasia the sad end to the suffering of hoarded animals." (ref- tufts.edu) "Hoarding" or "Collecting" is a psychological disorder. It occurs when animal lovers or rescuers take on more animals than they can manage or are for; thus, they unintentionally become passive abusers themselves. Hoarding can becomes both a cruelty issue and a public safety (health) issue." (ref- animaladvocacy.net) |
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What is the extent of their chinchilla knowledge and do they
know that rescue chinchillas should not be bred? 
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YOU CAN SPONSOR A RESCUE CHINCHILLA! New
Zealand Chinchilla Rescue and R&J
Chinchilla Rescue in the UK both have wonderful sponsorship programs
that help make it possible for them to serve the rescue needs of their
country. Both rescues operate on a large scale and their sponsorship
programs accept paypal so that anyone worldwide can reach out and
bless the life of a precious, deserving chinchilla. Below
is the story of Whisper and Timmy, as told byWhisper in R&J Chinchilla Rescue's sponsorship letter: "Hello, Thank you for taking the time to sponsor me. Your kind donation will go towards my upkeep for the next 12 months. My name is Whisper, I am a Homo Beige and live with my cage mate Timmy, a castrated Hetero Beige male. We came into the rescue on 24th June, 2006 as our previous owners were emigrating to the USA. 
"We were in very good health when we arrived, although my eyes were a little weepy. It is believed that I have been blind since birth, but had little 'rosebuds' as eyes. Once settled I was taken to the vets to have my eyes checked out and put on a course of eye ointment to try and make my eyes better. Unfortunately, the weeping continued despite several different courses of treatment. The decision was then made for my eyes to be removed. During the operation it was discovered that I had a string of abscesses in each eye socket, making the surgery quite complicated as the vet had to ensure the optical nerves weren't damaged. 
"When I came home I had to be kept separate from Timmy for a
few days in case he decided to chew my stitches, but we both missed
each other. Instead of Timmy helping me round the cage, I had to use
my nose (I usually use my whiskers). Once I had the all clear
from the vets, I was able to go back with Timmy again where I felt
safe as he looks after me. I have had to go back to the vets a few
times to ensure everything is fine and my vet has decided to rename
me Grasshopper."A few weeks after the operation, my nose began to discharge so I had to have a course of anti-biotics to clear it up. We aren't sure what the problem was but it soon went away. Timmy looked after me though. Having Timmy with me ensures I don't come to any harm in my cage and we are very good at knowing when someone is close- we know the difference between someone coming with a treat or medicine. We are at the front of the cage for treats but go into our nest box if its horrible medicine! "We have many chinchilla friends at the rescue, we have our own purpose built shed that lets in plenty of fresh air and doesn't get too warm or too cold. During the spring and summer we are allowed to play in our outside run, but Mum and Dad keep an eye on us all the time." Important Note by ChinCare: According to R&J Chinchilla Rescue, before their vet sewed Whisper's eyes shut he removed Whisper's tear ducts and also removed the gland that produces the tears (its found at the top of the eye). We have treated a couple cases of chins with no eyeballs, and in our cases the eyelids weren't sewn shut. Unless the exotics specialist vet takes measures such as those observed in Whisper's case, to ensure the eye won't continue to ooze white, thickened, protective/lubricating conjunctival secretions after being sewn shut, it may be in the best interests of the chin to leave the sockets open so that the chinparent can periodically flush them with veterinary prescribed anti-bacterial eye drops or a saline solution. |
WHY RESCUE WORKERS ASK QUESTIONS PRIOR TO PLACEMENT by Second Chance Chins, an exemplary rescue that has been responsible for mentoring many new rescues in the Midwest When each of my rescues was taken in, each former owner was assured they would be placed in the best homes possible, not to just the first person who expressed an interest. In a sense, these chins were once "someone's babies". They were part of someone's family. Would it be fair to them to place them in sub-standard homes? Chins are not right for every situation, and that is the reason I ask so many questions. I never want to place a chin in a home and worry if I made the wrong decision. So far, that hasn't happened, as each one that has been placed has gone to an awesome home! Many people think that running a rescue is an easy task, but I can assure you, it is not. A lot of time and effort goes into it, but I do this because of my love of chinchillas. The reason you can walk into a pet store and purchase whatever you want is because the store is in it to make money. The almighty dollar....they don't care where their animals go or even where they came from, as long as they get their money. That is not why I am here. I am here to assure that these little guys end up in homes where they will be cherished. The adoption fees I charge go right back to the rescue to help other animals. I make NO profit, other than knowing that I have helped yet one more chinchilla find a perfect home. If you went to the Humane Society or similar public shelter, they are going to ask questions about the care and home environment of the animal being placed just as I do. |
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INFORMATION RESOURCES Sites Adopt-A-Pet: Worldwide Animal Shelter Directory American Humane: Shelter Resources Animal Concerns.org: Resources The PetWork Rescue Programs for Chins and Other Exotics CLAWS/ British Wildlife Rescue/ SEARCH SPAWS (Service Personnel Assisting With Shelters) The Chinchilla Club- Pet Shop & Shelter Programs Chinchillas2Home Setting Up A Re-Homing Centre (scroll to view) See Petfinder's Featured Pet Module Code Generator Forums Both regular and rescue forums can feature rescue/ re-homing resources |
Chinchilla Hotel/ Temporary Lodging Kingdom Chinchillas (msn): Lodging --UK Pet Owners United, --UK Petsit USA --USA Pet Sitter Swap --UK pet-sitters.biz --Worldwide Sinful Chins --Colorado, USA Small Animals Boarding --UK Lost Pet Resources Internet Lost & Found for Pets Worldwide Lost and Pound.com Pet ID Tag's Link Resource Directory Pet Lovers Online, UK Lost Pets Page The PetWork USDA Missing Pet Network |
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often have classified resources available |
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| Baltimore
Chinchillas: Classifieds --MD Cheeky Chinchillas: For Sale/ Wanted --UK & USA Chinchilla Park Place Ads --International Chins Singapore: Notice Board --Singapore Galen's Gardens --UK Kelly Smith's Chin Classifieds --UK |
Leah's
Free Pet Ads --USA Leesburg Chinchilla's Classifieds --USA National Alternative Pet Assoc --USA Chins In Canada --Canada & USA Petfinder.com --Canada & USA Petpages Pet Ads --USA |
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ODE TO A MUTT Born in an alley, one of six was I, no right to live, too tough to die. Worn out mother, father unknown, runt of the litter, in a world alone. Raised in the streets by wits alone, taken in twice by what I hoped was home. Not well bred the people would say, can't keep him when he looks that way. Legs too long, head too small, didn't notice the heart at all. Look at me deep, I wanted to say, I'll give you love, please let me stay. Somewhere I know there's a place for me, where I can share love... someone will see. Someone will look beneath my fur and skin, see my soul and take me in. ~ Author Unknown THE ANIMALS' SAVIOR I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter... the cast-offs of human society. I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness and betrayal. And I was angry. "God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't you do something?" God was silent for a moment, and then He spoke softly. "I have done something," He replied. "I created You." ~ Jim Willis |
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