>>I guess the next question is, what do you do when a shelter calls and you and any potential foster homes are full? Do you tell the shelter you are full and request they euthanize the iguana if they can't place it in a timely manner? Do you take it in and have your vet euthanize? What do you do when you are full?
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>>I've had to say "no" to sliders at a shelter in the past, knowing that they would be euthanized the next day if I didn't take them. But, I can only care for so much at a time, and still retain my spouse! It's tough, and something that anyone wanting to start a rescue will need to consider.
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>>Also, at what point does one euthanize after the vet bill and/or animal's condition deteriorates? Another big question for anyone starting (or continueing) in rescue.
>>
>>Katrina

I can answer both.

When I am full, I am very open with shelters. I also rarely take in direct owner surrenders. I often pay for the food for the shelters or drop off food for them. I also will supply them with stuff like lighting and heating equipment. If I have caging available I take them in. If not the shelters in the area often will wait until I can help. When presented with a take this animal or it dies, I take it with out question. However I have only had that happen once. I do have a few pet stores that will work with me in emergency situations as well. I have yet to have to euth any animal at a shelter due to space constraints. However my husband is VERY VERY VERY patient in dealing with me. He tolerates the fact that we dont have a bathroom anymore. We have a quarentine room that we shower and potty in.

As for judging health. That is always a hard one. MBD is fairly easy to treat. Overall I dont mind dealing with that one. Getting into more harder things to treat, I have a vet assess things with me. Recently I had to make the decision to euth. I had an iguana with a severely necrotic tale, belly was covered with thermal burns, and there was NO fat reserves anywhere on the body. It also had many open festering wounds. That is an obvious abuse case. The entire stomach was rock hard from the burns and the wounds were also pussy. I told AC that I would discuss what chances for treatment were. Obviously putting the iguana was not a possibility. The vet felt it would inhumane to treat everything else with out putting it under. I then wrote up an evaluation report for Animal Control. I did it in case of an owner trying to get back their animal.

Now when looking at the health of an animal, I take in what the vet reads in blood counts. This is very important with iguanas. If we have renal failure, we euth. This is not a treatable thing. I keep a regular stock of renal failures here living out their last days in comfort. Once they begin to really show the effects of the disease, we return to the vet and euth when he says its time. Some of these guys live here for 3 months and some for several years. I do not adopt them out to the public.

Another thing I look at is temperment. I WILL NOT adopt an animal out that needs welders gloves to handle simply because it is too mean. I just cant. I will hold them for quite some time before making that choice. Often times when owners surrender an animal for biting, it is associated with breeding season activities. Knowing when the season is, I let the prospective owners know. I also get them the info they need to deal with it.

Euthing is not an easy decision to make. I have had to make it several times. I do not take it lightly. I stay with the animal until it is gone as I feel it is my job. I often do cry. I usually call the previous owners very nasty names. This is always done either at my vets office or at a local shelter that I work with. I do not claim nor will I ever that I am no Kill. I am however low kill. I do not have animals euthed for space. 95% of the time it is health. One rare occasions it is for temperment.

HOPEFULLY I answered that clearly. I noticed I kinda rambled in places. I do want to point out to all reading this thread that these choices that we in rescue make to euth, make room, deny, or take animals is NOT an easy one. We do our best to make a difference. Those of us in reptile rescue often do it on a VERY shoestring budget.

Here is one of my iguanas that I debated hard on euthing. Her color was horrible and she was very underweight when she came in. As you can see from the pic she had a very severe abcess. She refused food and was VERY nasty. This one has had WAY to much of my blood. HOWEVER when I got her into the vet and cleaned up, she was still a bit rowdy, but began eatting. She has continued eatting and we are working with taming. She will not be adopted to a first time owner and will never be an educational display animal. But this is just one of many of the faces I see.

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Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

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