ANIMAL FAQ'S
Motley Zoo Animal FAQs
Answers:
1. Motley Zoo gets our animals from shelters and owner surrenders. We cannot take in strays.
Shelters contact us when they are overflowing, or the animals have a specific medical or behavioral concern.
For example, a dog might be hiding under his bed and is not “showing” well. This might also be a dog that could be so fearful in that environment, that it is considered a “bite risk”- however, in a home, that dog might act completely differently.
As you can imagine the shelter can be a stressful, loud and scary place for some animals- and some do not fare well, simply because of this. In a foster home however, they can thrive in an environment that they know- and the “behavior concerns” they showed in the shelter, might be nothing at all.
Shelters are also limited in what kind of care they can provide their animals- not only in cost, but in practice. An animal that needs a medication every 8 hours, cannot stay in a shelter, lest overnight, it not get the medication it needs. As well, obstacles like broken legs, extreme dental care and other things can be too costly and the recovery impossible, in the shelter.
This is where some animals can only get what they need in foster homes, living like one of the family with supervision and round the clock care.
We take animals from owners who can no longer keep them - i.e., Owner Surrenders.
Often times this is a financial issue, and often has to do with medical issues in the people or animal. Sometimes people just didn’t get the pet that was right for them in the first place and it is not a good match- or the animal need training or other care the owner cannot provide.
This is where foster based rescues like Motley Zoo, work exceptionally hard to fix barriers to adoption and ensure they are matched with the right family- so they don’t ever again find themselves in the animal welfare system.
2. Motley Zoo Animal Rescue takes pride in providing the most comprehensive and thorough vet care available, because we believe in providing our animals the best start in life!
We want you to spend time getting to know your new pet- not at the vet!
It should be noted that as a very thorough rescue, we are able to provide this care- spending a significant amount on each animals we have.
Not all rescues offer the same care - and shelters just can’t, as they are structured very differently.
It is important that if you’re looking to adopt an animal, make note of what vet care is included in the adoption- and what you might actually need to invest in later.
Motley Zoo does EVERYTHING we can while the animals are in our care (age/time appropriate), so that you just have to maintain the care we have started – which may include a series of vaccines for puppies or kittens.
Otherwise however, barring an emergency or new condition that presents after adoption, you should not need to see the vet any time soon!
We go above and beyond to both determine/ diagnose any underlying issues- and to transparently relay any such news to a potential adopter.
Our comprehensive care includes:
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Spay/ Neuter (at 9 weeks+ of age)
*Please read here for information about the benefits of pediatric spays and neuters!
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Pre-anesthetic blood work on most animals (especially young and seniors)
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Age appropriate* vaccines:
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DHPP (6wks) & Bordetella (9wks) for dogs
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FVRCP (6wks) for cats
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Rabies after 12 weeks of age for both species
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Puppies/kittens get vaccines in 3-4 week windows, so we do as many as we can while in our care, the adopter may need to complete one or two in the series, depending on the age of the animal at the time of adoption
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Full dental cleaning (and any necessary extractions) for dogs over 3 yrs of age; cats over 5 yrs
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3 types of de-worming medication & flea treatment, upon intake and adoption (to go home)
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Any other medically necessary surgeries such as: umbilical/ inguinal hernia repairs, luxating patellas that cause pain or discomfort (as not all do); heart defects; liver shunts and more. We routinely spend upwards of $1,500 on surgeries- to fix/ repair issues and reduce barriers to adoption!
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Any other blood work, testing, radiographs or other treatments that will help create more definitive conclusions for potential health issues
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Martingale collar and leash for dogs
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Tour Gear Bag of supplies, coupons and goodies for all animals
You can be 100% assured that there is no other organization that goes to the lengths we do in regard to preventative care & treatment!
Despite our intentions and effort however, sometimes animals may get adopted and shortly after, present with conditions that were not apparent while in our care. While this is unfortunate, this is the reality of working with live animals.
We work so hard to prevent such issues, this can be frustrating- but animals are not machines and there are no guarantees in life! What we can guarantee however, is that we will always be there for you and our animals.
Please contact us if you ever have issues or concerns about an animal you have adopted from Motley Zoo.
They were our babies once…they never stop being so, even after they go home with you!
*This page under construction - inquire at adopt@motleyzoo.org for any imminent queries on this topic