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we got seven dogs adopted in there.”
Debbie Smith, owner of Running Fox Equestrian Products, a tack shop in Caledon, Ontario, helps out by fostering dogs at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington each year, and she takes adoptable dogs back to Canada to place them in homes.
Danny & Ron’s Rescue also receives significant financial support from prominent members of the horse show community, including several who support endowments. John and Stephanie Ingram, for example, sponsor the Josh Labrador Fund, in memory of Josh, a Labrador Retriever once owned by Stephanie. And Betsee Parker, PhD, donates prize money won by her ponies and horses.
“There’s no way Danny and I could do it---saving the amount of animals that we do---if it were not for the true heartfelt animal lovers in our horse community,” says Danta. “It’s very special. We’re very lucky we survive strictly on donations.” They do not charge adoption fees for the dogs they place.
Danny & Ron’s Rescue also aids dogs owned by others. Trainer Missy Clark created the Dandelion Medical Fund, which is used to provide financial support for dogs outside of the rescue ---to finance surgeries and advanced veterinary care for dogs whose owners couldn’t afford it and might otherwise have to give up their pets. Robertshaw and Danta also subsidize spaying and neutering when owners can’t afford the procedures, and they provide funds to help elderly people feed and get veterinary care for their dogs when they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to keep them. “I really enjoy that end of it,” Danta says. “The people that really love their animals---I love allowing them to keep them.”
Dogs ready for new homes are listed on Danny & Ron’s Rescue Facebook page. Potential adopters can see photos and read descriptions about each dog’s personality, preferences and history. Robertshaw and Danta very carefully
consider what’s bestest for each dog, and they y won’t let them go to just anyone.
“It doesn’t have to be a horseperson, but we have to know somebody somehow that has verification of what kind of dog owner r this would be,” saysys Danta. “We want thehe type of person that’s at’s going to follow up with theirheir shots and whatever they need and keep them safe for the rest of their lives.”
If no one in Robertshaw and Danta’s extended community can vouch for a potential adopter, they’ll call that person’s veterinarian to find out how they treated their last animal. Robertshaw says they also carefully consider each individual dog’s personality, habits and background to decide what kind of situation it would be best suited for. While one may be the elderly woman’s perfect lapdog, another might thrive in a busy house with kidski and a jogging partner.p
“These“The dogs are rescues,rescu so a lot of timesti they’ve beenbee through ala lot before the they come to u us,” says Robertshaw.Rob “We pretty much know which ones will be suited for what. SomeSom work instantly and someso take a while to adjust fully to the home they’ve gone to.”
Because Robertshaw and Danta have promised each dog that he will never be in a shelter again, their adoption contracts are strict. An addendum states that if the owner can no longer keep the dog, at any point in his life, for any reason, Robertshaw and Danta will be notified and the dog will be returned to them. Per the contract, if the dog is taken to an animal shelter or given away to anyone else without the approval of Danny & Ron’s Rescue, a $5,000 fine is incurred. Danta happily reports that only one contract has ever been broken.
If Robertshaw and Danta ever need a reminder of the impact they have on dogs’ lives, all they need to do is go to a horse show. “Danny & Ron” dogs are everywhere. “No matter where I go, judging or anything, people are always bringing their dogs up to me that came from us,” says Robertshaw. “I judged the Royal Winter Fair the other year, and I must have seen 15 dogs there that came from us.”
The dogs don’t forget the kindness and care that was given to them, either. On more than one occasion, Robertshaw says, an excited dog has run up to Danta and him at a horse show because it recognized their voices from afar. It seems they are quick to remember the kindness that had a lasting impact on their lives.