Exploring The World of Animal Shelters: An Inside Look At k9.5 Rescue

/ Greenville, Interviews, South Carolina / By Wondrous Drifter

An interview with k9.5 Rescue from Greenville, South Carolina.

Table Of Content

Introducing k9.5 Rescue
How did k9.5 Rescue Start? What Are The Challenges Encountered Along The Way?
Tell Us About The Most “Unusual” Animal That k9.5 Rescue Has Ever Taken.
Tell Us More About The Volunteers In k9.5 Rescue.
Where Do Most Of The Animals In k9.5 Rescue Come From, And What Is The Process For Rescuing And Rehabilitating Them?
What Are The Busiest Periods, And How Does k9.5 Rescue Cope?
What Animals Does k9.5 Rescue Focus On?
Working With The Local Community
Tell Us More About Your Events
What Is Done Differently at k9.5 Rescue?
How Has k9.5 Rescue Adapted To The Challenges Presented By The Pandemic?
Share With Us Some Of The Heartwarming Stories Of Animals Rehabilitated And Rehomed By k9.5 Rescue.
What Are The Help Needed From The Local Community?
Connect With k9.5 Rescue here:

Introducing k9.5 Rescue

I am the Founder/President of k9.5 Rescue. I began the rescue unofficially in 2000, but we became a 501c3 nonprofit in 2004.

How did k9.5 Rescue Start? What Are The Challenges Encountered Along The Way?

Always an animal lover, I learned of the need for rescues when I worked at a vet clinic. So when I found a stray, it prompted my desire to begin a rescue.

I was fortunate and had a fairly smooth transition into forming the rescue due to the help of friends. I was up and running quickly. The biggest issue was learning how to market the rescue and build a website. I didn’t have the funds to hire anyone, so I had to learn everything on my own, including how to really reach people so they’d understand the needs of shelter animals.

Tell Us About The Most “Unusual” Animal That k9.5 Rescue Has Ever Taken.

We focused on dogs with the occasional few cats (only dogs at this point). We did take in a domesticated rabbit that was tossed in a field. He was very sick and had a few surgeries, but we ultimately found him a home.

Tell Us More About The Volunteers In k9.5 Rescue.

Ms. Allison Rathert & k9.5 Rescue Volunteers

Our fosters. They commit everything they have to make sure the pets are healthy, safe, socialized, trained, shown love, and more.

Where Do Most Of The Animals In k9.5 Rescue Come From, And What Is The Process For Rescuing And Rehabilitating Them?

The majority come from shelters, with the occasional owner surrender. Shelters reach out to us, and if we’re able to take an animal to our rescue, we pull it from the shelter. We make sure they’re cared for medically and emotionally, and once they are deemed ready for adoption, we work on finding them homes. For those who are not adopted, who are ill, or who have a special need, we have a sanctuary – they stay with their foster home for the duration.

What Are The Busiest Periods, And How Does k9.5 Rescue Cope?

Spring and summer. We can only do what we can do financially and space-wise with our fosters. It’s very difficult not to say yes, but we can’t do our work irresponsibly and not be able to care properly for the animals we have in rescue.

What Animals Does k9.5 Rescue Focus On?

I consider Great Pyrenees my “heart” breed and love them dearly. I also love other giant breeds and have a tremendous soft spot for senior dogs and those with emotional or physical special needs. When deciding on the rescue’s focus, these groups were who I wanted to help the most bc I knew they had less of a chance to make it out of shelters.

Working With The Local Community

We all try to help each other when we can when it comes to an animal via transport, sharing the animal information, helping if it’s a dog within our focus, and we’re able to assist, as well as even doing group fundraisers.

Tell Us More About Your Events

We have a tremendously fun gala in August that we’ll announce a little later in the year where volunteers can assist. We always welcome the community to do their own thing, too, such as birthday fundraisers, office party fundraisers, and anything else they can creatively come up with.

What Is Done Differently at k9.5 Rescue?

We offer a sanctuary for the animals.

How Has k9.5 Rescue Adapted To The Challenges Presented By The Pandemic?

We’ve not really made any changes short of being hit with fewer donations this year (2023). Otherwise, things were pretty much the same.

Share With Us Some Of The Heartwarming Stories Of Animals Rehabilitated And Rehomed By k9.5 Rescue.

We have mounds of them, such as Finn, a wheelchair boy who’d been run over by a car and never received medical care. When he came into rescue, we fitted him with a wheelchair, and his foster parents worked hard to get him healthy. He found a wonderful family and is adored by his human and canine family members.

What Are The Help Needed From The Local Community?

We need monetary donations to help feed the animals, medicate, and provide them with the daily, monthly, annual, and both emergency and non-emergency medical care they need. We also need foster homes that are committed to both short-term and long-term fosters or even sanctuary dogs.