If you can't make it, or if you would like to sponsor a dog, PLEASE HELP BY CLICKING ON THIS DONATION BUTTON
UPDATE 8/29:
We are desperately needing donations of dog beds for the facility as we have taken in several more dogs over the last week than expected! Please help keep them comfortable by clicking HERE and choose "Pet Matchmaker Rescue- Bakersfield, CA" in the drop down box to give them a nice soft bed to sleep on. They will greatly appreciate it! ALL SIZES ARE NEEDED AT THIS TIME!
UPDATE 7/20:
Our facility "Pet Matchmaker's Halfway Home" is now open for business as of August 1st, 2008! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us at petmatchmakerca@gmail.com for more information!
We are desperately searching for foster homes for our rescue doggies! If you are interested please CLICK HERE to fill out a foster application.
Who We Are
We are a 501(c)3 non-profit rescue group who began rescue on the East coast serving New England from the southern states. Our rescue began with three friends that shared the same desire — to save as many dogs as possible from unfortunate situations in the southern United States. We recently have expanded this mission to the central valley of California, where the problem is just as big and just as bad. Very few people understand the importance of sterilization of pets and don't realize that over 85% of the dogs and cats brought to Kern county shelters are euthanized and never even have a chance to be seen, due to lack of space. Dogs brought in by there owners rarely stand a chance, as they are euthanized immediately upon intake if the shelters are full. Our focus is to help dogs from situations such as:
* high-risk (often three day kill) shelters
* abandonment
* starvation
* lack of care
Our goal is to provide temporary home environments for these dogs until a forever home can be found. Our dogs are kept in loving, social environments where they receive the food, shelter, love and care necessary to make them highly adoptable pets.
We operate as a network of foster homes throughout California, but mainly Kern and Los Angeles Counties. Our dogs are located in foster care in various counties – and all are awaiting forever homes. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you to help you find a match and a friend for life.
Thanks for visiting our site.
Adopting a friend
If you are interested in the adoption of one of our many wonderful cats and dogs currently available and looking for their perfect match, please go to our Available Dogs page, find your perfect match, and fill out an application! Thanks for your interest in a rescue dog!!
Stray/Found Dog Protocol
This is the most common call we get here at Pet Matchmaker:"Help, I found a dog, what do I do? Can you take it?" We have a protocol to follow so NO we cannot take in strays; that falls under the jurisdiction of Animal Control and we are not the humane society. We have very limited space and funding at our facility. To fulfill our mission statement our dogs MUST come primarily from Kern County Animal Control; this is the only way we can change statistics thus fulfilling our mission statement. Our dogs have to be quarantined for 14 days, temperment tested and screened, as well as all their medical needs addressed before entering our program. Pet Matchmaker's goal is to save dogs from death row and reduce the euthanasia rate in Kern County, not house stray dogs. We do not have a quarantine space at Pet Matchmaker, therefore we can not take in an animal with an unknown background. The only way to ensure our dogs exceed the standards we have set is to follow protocol. If you find a stray these are the steps you should take:
First, see if there are any tags. If the dog has tags call the owner if information is provided. If there is just a rabies tag call your county animal control ( 661-868-4685) and provide the tag number to them. They will be able to trace which vet the tag was issued to and the vet will be able to trace which client the tag was assigned to.
If there are no tags take the dog to the nearest vet and they will be able to scan the dog for a microchip. THIS IS FREE!!! (The microchip is a device some owners have implanted into their dog's skin between the shoulder's and has info to trace the owner.)
If there are no tags, no chip; call animal control. Be sure to give a description and your contact info so if the owner comes looking they have the right info to share. Also put an ad on http://bakersfield.craigslist.org, www.petfinder.org or call the Californian to place a free "found" ad to get the word out FAST about the dog. When listing a found dog on the internet give a brief description DO NOT POST A PICTURE and be sure to leave some details out so the person calling has to identify some specifics and you can make sure it is indeed the correct owner and not someone with ill intent! If listing a dog for adoption please make sure to POST A PICTURE so interested parties can see the pet for adoption. Make flyers and post around the neighborhood and local businesses!!! If you do not have a digital camera or internet you can come up to Pet Matchmaker facility during regular business hours and we can take a picture and post on the internet for you. We do ask for a small donation (if possible) to list the dog. So many dogs are just not found or placed in a new home due to lack of diligence about advertising the dog.
If you have found a dog and all efforts have been exausted and you cannot keep the dog, first contact the local breed rescue groups if the dog is a specific breed. Click HERE to view the most extensive rescue list to date in CA. The next step would be put ad on the above mentioned website's to try and find the dog a new home. You might have to put up a runner or borrow a kennel to keep the dog away from your dog(s) until arrangements have been made. If said dog is a victim of foreclosure please click on this link: http://nopawsleftbehind.org/paws/
As a last resort, you may have to take the dog to animal control. First try to be part of the solution and take the burden off animal control if possible. A little effort goes a long way to ending our animal control problems.
Come Visit Us!
Our rescue facility in Bakersfield is open to APPROVED ADOPTERS (already through the adoption process) and by appointment only. We are also a network of foster homes throughout California, but mainly Kern and Los Angeles County areas. Please go to this link, How to Become a Foster , to find out more information on our rescue and foster network! If you are a California resident, we are more than willing to take fosters from any county!
Pet Matchmaker Rescue Bakersfield, CA
Email:
PetmatchmakerCA@gmail.com www.petmatchmaker.org Pet Matchmaker Rescue Bakersfield, CA 93301
Phone: 661-374-4910
Email: PetmatchmakerCA@gmail.com
Click here for a list of pets at this shelter
