Hello to my fellow Irish Terrier Club members,

I want to introduce myself to all of you because our Board of Directors has just named me ITCA Rescue Chairman. Hopefully, none of us would belong to this Club if we didn't love Irish Terriers and if we didn't want the best for them always. Rescue is the very the heart and soul of our organization. Some people show dogs, some compete in agility or obedience, some do therapy work and some just enjoy watching the beauty of a free spirited untrained Irish. It's easy to realize the importance of Rescue when we think about our own dog being lost, homeless, or unwanted. What if we weren't there to take her and we had to rely on the kindness of people who didn't know our dog was the most special and unique dog ever born. Would we want our dog to be left in a kennel for weeks or months while she waited for someone to come along to adopt her? Of course not, and that's why I want everyone in this Club to participate in the rescue effort in some way. Everyone can contribute something. Those who breed dogs carry the most responsibility because they must be sure that every dog they sell will be well taken care of for its entire life. We have a Code of Ethics that provides for breeder responsibility. Unfortunately many dogs who end up in rescue are the products of puppy mills, puppy brokers, and Internet sales.

Following are some of my ideas for the future and some of the ways that club members can help.

 • Use material gathered by the mentoring committee to establish a network of people across the United States to pick up or move dogs in need.

 • Establish a prescreened list of names of potential rescue families and individuals.

 • Establish a network of foster homes so that we can move dogs out of shelters as soon as possible to evaluate in a home situation.

 • Implement some standard temperament testing as used by most rescue organizations.

 • Work with other breed clubs to help in areas where we have no members(I've already met with the Airedale rescue chair who has generously offered to pick up any dogs in need for us while we are getting organized).

 • Work with private rescue groups and individuals to assist one another in finding the best home for the clog.

 • Be sure that local animal control facilities and private shelters have a current local contact name and phone number for Irish Terrier rescue.

 • Make a home visit before placing a dog.

 • Follow up on all placements to make sure that the dog and the new owners are happy.


WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. Provide me with names and contact information for people who have expressed interest in Irish Terriers. Talk to people about rescue when they stop to ask about your dog.

2. Offer to foster a dog. You CAN do this even if you already have an Irish (some restrictions do apply!)

3. Offer to contact shelters in your area and private rescue groups to provide them with contact information.

4. Offer to pick up dogs for transport.

5. Offer to make home visits to potential rescue homes.

This is only the beginning and I encourage any of you to contact me with your ideas. I also encourage you to think of everyone you meet as a possible rescue home so that we can begin to build our list of waiting homes. People with suggestions or questions can contact me anytime. Soon we will have downloadable information forms on our website where potential rescuers can provide us with some basic information about themselves. In the meantime, I promise a prompt courteous response to all inquiries.

I have a rescue only e-mail: rescueirish@comeast.net or people can call me at 925 284-7369.

Please do not be apathetic. This is a job worth doing and something that needs participation from all Club members.

Thank you all in advance and I look forward to hearing from you.

Suzanne Brennan