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| Poodle rescue center helps families find the perfect match |
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Now, she’s the owner of Poodle Rescue of Houston, a non-profit 501c3 organization and one the largest poodle shelters in the country, rescuing more than 500 dogs a year. Photo by Holly Dutton “I never realized what an incredible need there was for breed rescue,” she said. Peebles, who also owns Prestonwood Kennels, a luxury dog resort, owns seven poodles herself — five standards and two toys — and cannot sing the breed’s praises enough. “What’s great about poodles is that they come in every size and almost every color in the rainbow,” she said. “They don’t shed, they have no odor, they’re good sporting dogs, for which they were bred for, they’re good with children if they were socialized and they’re great alarm dogs. They give you time to get your gun.” Since it is a non-profit, the center is not supported by taxpayer or state money, but through donations. “We’re volunteers, dedicated to our breed,” Peebles said. “I’ve been doing this for 15 years for free; I’ve never put a dime in my pocket.” Because of this, adoption fees are higher than other shelters and rescue centers, but the standards for adoption are higher and potential owners must go through a thorough screening and interview to be approved. Questions include what type of home they live in, such as an apartment or a house, if they have a fenced in yard and if they are home during the day. Although prospective owners may want to adopt a poodle as a Christmas present, the center cautions that it is a serious undertaking. “We will not relax our standards,” said Karl Schroeder, who has been volunteering many hours a week at the center for the past three years. “We’re looking for that match.” The center is now experiencing an influx in poodles, with around 115, partly due to one of the largest animal seizures in state history that took place in August, where more than 500 dogs living in deplorable conditions were seized from their owners in Kaufman County. After being taken by law enforcement, 51 of the dogs were taken in by Peebles and the center — 10 of them pregnant. “I think we ended up with 65,” said Schroeder. The dogs were slowly nursed back to health and many of them have found loving homes. Several of their stories are featured on the center’s Web site, which also has many resources for those looking to adopt. Tammi Hudson, a Tomball resident who said she had never owned poodles before, recently adopted three from the center, including one with special needs. “They have brought so much joy to my life,” she said. The main goal of the shelter, Peebles said, is to “match the perfect dog with the perfect family.” “Rescue is very rewarding,” she said. “We don’t just save dogs, we save people, too.” Peebles said that the first reward is getting the dog out of the situation, the second getting is it cleaned up and the third is seeing the dog drive away to their permanent home with their new family. The final reward? “When we get pictures and letters from the family,” she said. For more information, visit poodlerescueofhouston.com. Comments (1)
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 14 December 2009 09:56 ) |
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I live in Austin, the allergy capital of the world, and was looking for a rescue poodle in the shelters. I'd heard they are great dogs and non-shedding. My husband had grown up around toys and loved their intelligence and their robust, hearty, laughing, fun type of spirit.
I had no idea how great poodles are.
Poodles will be lapdogs or jogging buddies; they can learn tricks; they can be therapy dogs; they can be patient; they can be social with kids and other pets and become boon companions to your family; they can be up for a great game of ball in the backyard; they can be total couch potatoes; they can be protective first-alerts, hunters and terrific retrievers (Our five year old miniature poodle has just learned to tree squirrels for my husband. My husband says he never had a dog that would tree 'em for him and he could've really used that trait in his childhood in Deep East Texas going hunting).
Poodles are fantastic, resilient, beautiful animals who get pa*sed over in shelters because of either misconceived notions of yap dogs (I was guilty of that idea) or because they can look so woebegone when their gorgeous fur gets overgrown and tangled. And true, some of them need restoration of trust after a person has not been good to them. But thankfully, dog nature responds quickly and forgives and heals, probably a lot faster than people can. (Here's how my dog helps ME by being so very sweet and non-judging, slow to anger, quick to forgive. Wow.)
Without Guinnette and volunteers like Karl S. and Dawn Z., it can be hard to find the right poodle match because the shelters cannot provide their level of care around the specific breed.
Houston Poodle Rescue cares about the dogs first, so don't be surprised or put off if it seems they aren't gonna place just any old poodle with you to get someone adopted out. They aren't. (And beware of any place that does act like that...) Poodle Rescue doesn't want any dog to go through re-homing or neglect, so come ready with some clear ideas of your wish list of the energy level, personality and type of dog you are looking for, and they will be more than happy to help you find the perfect forever poodle.
Also, please keep your eyes open to the big picture even for some of these dogs who are shaved down. They do that to monitor the dog’s health and get them in tiptop shape. That lovely fluff grows back, blossoming under TLC. I would go for the personality first for sure, even though they have some BEAUTIES there as well that look like show dogs and are indeed breeder surrenders. Go for the chemistry between you, that poodle that makes you smile, even if the dog isn't all fully fluffed out yet. That fur grows for sure.
If you've read this long on this comment, you must be ready for a poodle! Go on to Tomball. They are open 7 days a week due to their intense commitment to these sweet dogs and a slew of great volunteers. It is ALWAYS worth the trip.
If you don’t adopt that time, you can find out how the process works, visit the dogs, and get a better idea what personality dog you need. They can also put your name down on a wait list for a particular type/size of dog if they think you’ll be a good home for the pet.
Take a good map or cell phone in case you get turned around on the highways. I seem to be directionally-challenged in that area....
Big thanks for Poodle Rescue of Houston.