Today we’d like to introduce you to Timothy Lambert.
Rescued Pets Movement was founded in September 2013 by Cindy Perini, Laura Carlock, Timothy, Dana Blankenship and Katie Beirne. They had worked together in previous years in other rescue organizations doing local adoptions. Houston’s homeless dog and cat population is estimated to be somewhere around 700k – 1.2 million. They felt like they were helping dogs and cats that would otherwise be put to sleep in shelters, but they didn’t feel as though they were really addressing the main problem. It was kind like bailing out a sinking ship with a thimble.
But then Cindy, who had relationships with rescue organizations out of state, introduced them to the concept of transport and asked them if they wanted to start a transport rescue model where they would work with out of state rescue partners and transport dogs and cats to them. They started small, working with a handful of partners in the Denver metro region of Colorado. Cindy and Laura approached BARC, Houston’s city shelter, and asked if they would partner with them.
BARC offers basic medical care, routine vaccinations, rabies and health certificates for the dogs and cats in their shelter, as well as providing behavior information, so they were an ideal partner for them. They asked them how many animals they could commit to transporting to their partners and they carefully agreed to 25 every other week. “You never want to over-promise,” Cindy told them, which she laughs about today because soon their rescue partners were asking for 25 every week, 35 every other week, and so on. They went from sending one rental van, to two rental vans, and then they bought two vans, because it was more cost-effective, which led to three, four, and now sometimes five vans a week.
To transport into the state of Colorado they had to be a licensed pet handler through PACFA (Pet Animal Care Facilities Act), which means their vans have to be outfitted to their regulations and specifications, they have to use certain size crates within their transport vehicles, the animals need to be fed and walked at certain times during their journey, and they have to provide certain documentation. PACFA’s agents have very high standards, as does Rescued Pets Movement’s board of directors, so they’re very proud to be a PACFA licensed pet transporter.
With such a high demand for adoptable dogs and cats, they watched their veterinary bills skyrocket, which led to Rescued Pets Movement opening a central clinic. They hold the dogs and cats in their program for at least two weeks to make sure they receive all needed vaccinations and to make sure they’re healthy before they put them in a van. Laura is an amazing fundraiser and has led their fundraising committee to secure needed grants and win fundraising challenges like Best Friends’ Strut Your Mutt and the Michelson’s Found Animal Foundations Saving Pets Challenge, which has helped them keep their clinic doors open to serve the dogs and cats in their foster program.
They started with their board of directors and a handful of volunteers doing everything needed to transport 25 dogs and cats every other week to now having an Executive Director (Charles Jackson), 3 rescue coordinators, 3 foster coordinators, 3 electronic records administrators, 1 veterinarian, 3 vet techs, 3 animal care techs, 1 lead driver, a team of contract drivers, and hundreds of foster people and volunteers who help them send about 150 dogs and cats every week from Houston to their rescue partners. They’ve transported dogs and cats to Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, West Virginia, and Canada.
Has it been a smooth road?
We’re a non-profit, so money is always an issue. We’ve been very lucky in the past to have the support of Les Alexander, the Houston Rockets, Houston Pet Set, The PetCo Foundation, and have secured some major grants here and there that have fortuitously kept our doors open and the wheels turning, but even though we’ve saved over 25,000 dogs and cats in four years we’re still considered a risky business. We’re hoping to gain more awareness about what we’re doing so people will see us as an asset to the city of Houston.
The average cost for each animal we transport is about $250. We worked very hard in 2014 to get the City of Houston to approve funding of $75 for each animal we transport, for which we’re extremely grateful, but it doesn’t even cover half the cost to provide vet care, food, a crate, and other expenses to make sure the dog or cat is healthy. Not to mention the insurance, gas, vehicle maintenance, to get them to where they’re going. Or the time and energy it takes for our staff to find them somewhere to go. The good thing is that we have a strong team of people working for and with us that keep us keeping on.
Disease is always a struggle. People don’t always realize that the animals in the most danger at any shelter are puppies and kittens. They require lots of food, many vaccinations, and they get sick easily, which means they require lots of medication to get them healthy, and a large litter will take up a lot of space. Most shelters can’t afford to treat sick animals, so puppies and kittens who easily get sick and occupy needed space will be the first to be put to sleep.
Luckily, our rescue partners always want puppies and kittens, so we’re able to get them out if we have foster homes available. When we first started our organization we were always afraid of parvovirus and coccidia. But with our clinic and veterinary partners in other parts of the city, after treating thousands of puppies, we’ve been able to establish a standard treatment protocol for parvovirus and coccidia that is very effective. Puppies that are diagnosed with parvovirus at BARC don’t have to die anymore. It’s a wonderful thing.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Rescued Pets Movement story. Tell us more about the business.
I’ve probably answered this already. Here’s our mission statement:
Rescued Pets Movement Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides a second chance for thousands of homeless dogs and cats through rehabilitation and transport to forever homes in communities throughout the country that have a need for adoptable pets.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We’re hoping to be able to expand our transport reach to the Pacific Northwest and to New England, and we’re hoping to be able to partner with more shelters in the Greater Houston area. Currently, we work with BARC (Houston Bureau of Animals and Care) and HCAS (Harris County Animal Shelter), but we’d like to work with shelters in Baytown, Rosenberg, Montgomery County, and other areas that are good shelters but might have a low save rate.
We’d like the city of Houston to have an increase of spay and neuter programs, a greater awareness of proper pet care, and more awareness and support for RPM’s transport program. We feel like these three factors will help Houston have a 90% save rate and be a no-kill city.
Contact Info:
- Website: rescuedpetsmovement.org
- Email: info@rescuedpetsmovement.org
- Instagram: instagram.com/rescuedpetsmovement
- Facebook: facebook.com/rescuedpetsmovement
- Twitter: twitter.com/RescdPetsMvmnt
- Other: linkedin.com/company/rescued-pets-movement
Image Credit:
Rebecca Cochrane
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