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Bath time! Probably one of the more stress-inducing moments for households with pets. Maybe it’s because some dogs feel more comfortable in an icy-cold, dirty puddle than in warm bath water in the safety of their own home, or because their pet parents bathe them too often.

Don’t feel bad if you haven’t figured it out yet. This is the most frequently asked question when it comes to caring for dogs. And it usually happens because answers vary from once every 3-4 weeks to 3-4 times a year. No wonder people are confused.

The correct answer is that it depends entirely on the dog. While guidelines and recommendations exist, each owner still has to figure out what works best for their dog. Therefore, you might know what your dog needs in theory, but you still have to pay attention to what your dog needs in particular.

As usual, when in doubt, ask your vet. If you follow recommendations but something about your schedule feels wrong, don’t hesitate to ask and make the necessary changes. When it comes to hygiene and grooming, some things are unfortunately a bit counterintuitive.

Strict Schedule versus Flexibility

It’s best to nip such ideas in the bud. A strict schedule can sound appealing and reduce mental load. However, it only works if you find the sweet spot for your dog’s skin and coat type, your activities don’t vary much during the week, or you can do messier activities right before bath night.

Otherwise, keep an eye on your furry companion and make sure their real, specific grooming needs are met. This means bathing according to coat type, choosing the right products for your dog’s skin sensitivities, and taking into account your activities – whether your dog spends time indoors or outdoors, or you’ve recently had fun at the beach, in the rain, or on a mountain trail.

Not to mention that if your dog rolls over in something smelly, your perfectly drafted bath schedule goes out the window. So, it’s better to remain flexible.

Over-bathing Versus Under-bathing Your Dog

Finding the right frequency plays a big part in life with a furry companion. And it’s not just about the fuss they make at bath time. Over-bathing can also strip your dog’s skin and fur of the oils they need, leading to skin sensitivities, redness, flaking, hair loss, dull-looking hair, and itching, among other things.

Under-bathing, on the other hand, can allow bacteria to build up on the skin, triggering odor, itching, scratching, and potential skin infections. Hair matting is another issue to avoid. If your dog’s hair becomes tangled and coarse, you may need professional help to detangle, clear, and clean it.

Note: Never bathe a dog whose fur is matted. Water makes the mats tighten. You must remove or loosen them first.

How to Establish Bathing Frequency for Your Dog

Several factors affect bathing frequency. The most important one is your dog’s coat type. Some coats protect an animal’s skin in specific living conditions, so dogs with these coats may need more frequent washing. Activity levels also matter because a couch potato will need fewer baths than a dog that actually spends the entire day outside.

You must also consider skin sensitivities. As a responsible pet owner, you should notice this yourself. If you notice your dog’s skin getting flaky and irritated, you might be bathing them too often and not allowing the sebum to keep the skin and coat properly conditioned.

Finally, lifestyle factors and specific medical conditions can also play a role. If you travel a lot and you take your dog with you, if your weekends are always away on camping trips, or if you walk a lot in the countryside, your dog’s grooming might need more attention than a dog living primarily in an urban environment.

You should normally discuss medical conditions with a veterinarian, and you can decide together how best to care for your dog.

Long coats – like Shih Tzus, Yorkshire Terriers, Afghan Hounds

These long, silky coats are extremely high-maintenance, tangle easily, trap odors, and pick up dirt and debris.

Bathe every 3–4 weeks; brush consistently so as to avoid matting. Avoid under-bathing.

Double coats – like Huskies, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds

These dogs have a weather-resistant topcoat and a dense and insulating undercoat. They were made to be outdoors and active in all sorts of settings, with their coat architecture protecting them from cold and light rain. On the other hand, this type of coat traps dirt, debris, and odor near the skin.

Bathe every 6–8 weeks. Avoid over-bathing.

Curly coats – like Poodles, Bichon Frises, Doodles

Their tightly spiraled hair traps odor, debris, and dirt. Everything clings to it, and they can easily develop bacterial or yeast overgrowth. Otherwise, these dogs’ coats are considered hypoallergenic as they don’t shed as much.

Bathe every 3–4 weeks; keep up haircuts.

Wiry coats – like Scottish Terriers, Airedales, Wire Fox Terriers

Their coats are highly functional, with bristly textures that repel dirt. Over-bathing these dogs can soften their coat texture and reduce their coat’s main function.

Bathe every 6–8 weeks.

Short or smooth-coated dogs – like Beagles, Boxers, Dalmatians

These close-lying coats naturally let dirt and debris slide off and help distribute sebum across the short hair shafts. It keeps the coat properly conditioned and the skin adequately oiled.

Bathe every 8–12 weeks, with quick wipe-downs between baths and mitt grooming.

Hairless breeds – like the Chinese Crested, Xoloitzcuintli

Paradoxically, these are the most frequent bathers. Sebum accumulates easily on their unprotected skin, and they have no coat to distribute it. Left uncleaned, it clogs pores and irritates the skin.

Bathe weekly and protect the skin from sun exposure.

Signs Your Dog Needs a Bath Right Now

No matter how much you try to stick to the correct schedule, there are situations when you need to pay attention to the reality in front of you. Your dog may sometimes be trying to tell you, ‘Bathe me, now!’

You might already know that an unscheduled puddle or mud bath will automatically reset your grooming schedule. Another obvious sign is if you notice your dog’s coat looks flat or greasy. This means that there is buildup beyond the normal levels.

A persistent odor beyond the normal doggy smell can also be a sign. This one can feel strong, musty, or even sour, and it usually points to bacterial buildup on the skin.

Excessive scratching and licking could mean allergens and irritants are building up on the skin.

Bath Quality Matters Just as Much as Frequency

It’s not just about keeping the right schedule, but also doing the right things when grooming your dog. This implies choosing the right shampoo. Never use human (not even baby) products because human skin is more acidic; our products have a pH of 5.5. Special dog skincare products should have a pH between 6.5 and 7.4. Using the wrong products can strip your dog’s natural skin barrier, their first line of defense against infections.

Always dry your dog thoroughly after a bath. For some, this could be the real challenge. But hot spots can lead to severe skin infections.

Ultimately, there is no perfect bathing schedule that works for every dog. Pay attention to your dog’s coat, skin, lifestyle, and the occasional muddy adventure, and adjust accordingly. When something looks or smells different from normal, don’t just add another bath to the calendar – check with your veterinarian or groomer to find out what your dog actually needs.

‘Didn’t I just fill your water bowl?’

This is how it starts: you notice your dog’s water bowl is often empty. Like any responsible dog owner, you start to wonder whether your dog is drinking more water than usual and whether this should concern you.

Before jumping to conclusions, know that there are many reasons why dogs might suddenly start to drink more water, and they are not all medical emergencies. Sure, some situations are medical emergencies, but excessive thirst alone isn’t necessarily a reason to worry.

Medical conditions usually come with other symptoms, and your veterinarian is best suited to diagnose them. Even if the cause is something as simple as more physical activity or warmer weather, it’s best to pay attention and mention it at your next visit.

Is My Dog Really Drinking More Water?

First, establish whether your dog is actually drinking that much water.

Some dogs tip their bowls, step inside with their paws, play with the water, and get most of it all over the floor. In these cases, an empty bowl doesn’t mean the dog is drinking more. Try to catch your dog ‘in the act’ and see how they drink from the bowl. This can nip the issue in the bud.

How Much Water Is Too Much Water?

If you notice your dog drinking all the water in the bowl and then asking for more, it’s time to see how much water they are drinking. Is it possible they have always drunk that much water and you never noticed? If not, what unit are you using to measure it? How many bowls of water did your dog use to drink then, compared to now?

Although water quantities may vary depending on the dog’s size, activity level, weather conditions, and age, you can use general guidelines to see whether your dog is usually a big drinker or just thirsty right now.

The main variable is the dog’s size. Therefore:
A dog weighing 10 kg should drink around 0.5 – 0.6 liters per day. / A 22-lb dog should drink around 18–20 oz/day.
A dog weighing 20 kg should drink around 1 – 1.2 liters per day. / A 44-lb dog should drink around 35–40 oz/day.
A dog weighing 30 kg should drink around 1.5 – 1.8 liters per day. / A 66-lb dog should drink around 50–60 oz/day.

Using these numbers, think back to how much water your dog usually drinks and decide whether anything has changed.

How to Find Out How Much More Water Your Dog Is Drinking?

To find out how much water your dog is now drinking, use a measuring jug when filling their water bowl. Also, make sure your dog can’t easily tip the bowl over, so you don’t end up giving your vet worrying yet false data.

Decide on a set number of days until your next appointment and keep a daily log. Check whether your dog consistently drinks more water or if it’s only on specific days.

Write down everything your dog has done each day – how much exercise they got, how hot it was outside and even indoors (sometimes we keep our houses a little too warm for our furry friends), whether the food was dry or wet, and whether you are giving them any medication. Write down your routine and make a special note when anything changes.

Your veterinarian will want to know if anything else shows up besides excessive drinking, such as vomiting, diarrhea, or any change in appetite, energy level, or behavior. Since it’s water-intake related, also note whether your dog is urinating more than usual, whether it matches the amount of water they drink, and whether they started having accidents in the house before they can be taken out to pee.

Common Causes for Excessive Thirst, Warning Signs, and When to Call Your Vet

You are not alone in this, as ‘why is my dog drinking so much water’ is probably one of the most searched dog health questions online. Responsible dog parents pay attention to anything that changes in their dog’s behavior, and we salute this level of care and commitment to their companions.

It is important to understand that drinking habits may change throughout a dog’s life, and that not all of these instances will be a reason to panic. Mention these changes to the vet during regular check-ups, and you can catch any underlying health issues before they become serious.

When It’s Normal for Dogs to Drink More Water

• Puppies may have different water requirements as they grow, so their water intake can vary with their age, size, diet, and activity level.
• Nursing dogs will also need more water for the production of milk to feed the small pups.
• Dogs that are active and spend a lot of time outdoors, especially in warm weather, will drink considerably more water than if they spent their days lounging around a temperature-controlled living room.
• Dogs whose meals consist mainly of dry food will need to drink more water to compensate.
• Dogs on specific medication may drink more water (steroids, diuretics, certain types of pain or seizure medication). Always notify your vet about your dog’s changing habits so they can decide whether the change is normal.

Medical Causes and When to Contact Your Vet

• Dehydration. If your dog has been outside in the heat for a long time and has not had enough water, they may become dehydrated. Dehydration can also accompany vomiting and diarrhea.
• Urinary Tract Infection. Very uncomfortable for your dog. You will notice frequent urination, straining, and obvious discomfort during and immediately after urination, even accidents in the house from the best-trained dogs.
• Fever and other signs of infection. Your dog may drink more water when they have a fever or are fighting an infection.
• Diabetes Mellitus. The disease affects how the body uses sugar, and one symptom is excessive thirst and increased urination. Other symptoms may include low energy, excessive hunger, and cloudy eyes.
• Kidney Disease. More frequent in older dogs. When the kidneys don’t work well, dogs drink more water and urinate more often. Other signs can include loss of appetite, low energy, an upset stomach, and weight loss.
• Liver Disease. Apart from excessive thirst, your vet will also look for vomiting, weight loss, poor appetite, low energy, and yellowing of the skin and eyes.
• Cushing’s Disease. Happens when the body produces too much cortisol. Other symptoms may include weak muscles, hair loss, increased appetite, and a swollen belly.
• Addison’s Disease. This hormonal disorder affects the adrenal glands and can cause changes in thirst and urination, among other symptoms.

How a Vet Makes a Diagnosis

The best thing you can do for your dog is track any changes in their routine. With that in mind, go to your veterinarian. If there is any reason to investigate, your vet will perform a physical examination and run tests such as urine and blood tests. They may even recommend imaging, such as an ultrasound or CT scan, to examine the liver, kidneys, or other organs.

Even if there is a medical condition, finding it sooner gives your dog a better chance at maintaining a good quality of life, as the disease can be kept in check before it causes real damage. Or maybe you just need to change something in your dog’s routine or medication and see everything improve quickly.

However, unless your doctor specifically tells you to, do not limit your dog’s access to water. Dehydration can become dangerous and, in severe cases, contribute to kidney problems. Always provide clean and fresh water.

When your dog suddenly starts drinking more than usual, there is no need to panic, but there is a reason to pay attention. Track their water intake, watch for other changes, and talk to your veterinarian if the change persists or comes with other symptoms. Sometimes, a full water bowl is simply a sign that your dog had a very active day. Other times, it can be the first clue that something needs attention – and noticing that early can make all the difference.

Every donation we receive is an act of compassion toward our dogs. We are grateful for each one and for every person who wants to help us change the story for thousands of dogs. And if donating makes you feel happy for having contributed and become part of the story, know that there is a way to guarantee that you keep on helping animals even after you are gone: with a legacy donation.

Some people might want to donate and feel the joy of having helped during their lifetime; others have a different vision and find comfort in knowing that their money will be put to good use in the future; while others are dedicated to the cause of helping stray animals and want to do both.

At ROLDA, we welcome legacy donations, first of all because this type of gift can help organizations like ours continue rescuing, treating, housing, and rehabilitating animals for years to come. Secondly, because it shows that we manage to gather around us people with a vision for a future, even one they will not get to witness with their own eyes.

Legacy donations secure the funds we need to address animal homelessness as the big picture. Because the real work is not about solving isolated problems, but helping shape a brighter future for animals.

What Is a Legacy Donation?

To better understand the concept of a legacy donation, think of an inheritance left to help us cover expenses at our shelter. Technically, it is a gift arranged for us through a person’s will. The size of the gift is entirely up to the donor, and no, it does not imply giving everything away.

Depending on the donor’s wishes, this legacy donation can take many forms, and, in order for it to be official, it needs to be discussed with appropriate legal professionals.

Why Organizations Appreciate Legacy Donations

Unlike regular donations, legacy donations fall in the category of larger and occasional sources. We cannot rely on these donations unless we are told about them beforehand, and even then, people can change their minds. Also, we cannot always know the value of the donation if it is in anything other than money (items, land, or property).

Whenever we get such a donation, we make sure to use it exactly as the donor intended – to secure the future for our animals. This could mean shelter maintenance and improvements to living conditions, veterinary care, expanding the number of rescued animals, developing new rehabilitation programs, launching campaigns to prevent abandonment, or helping people in struggling communities keep their pets.

A legacy donation contributes to this long-term stability.

Shape a Brighter Tomorrow for Animals That Would Otherwise Have No Future

It sounds somber, we know, but we are aware that a part of our residents has close to zero chances of ever being adopted. Unless we can guarantee that we have the funds to keep the shelter running for years and years, these dogs nobody wants, despite their rescue and recovery journeys, might end up back on the streets.

These are the chronically ill dogs, the ones that have been severely injured and in need of more care than they could receive in a regular household, dogs whose recovery (should it be taken over by the adopters) would be an incredible burden on the family budget. Not to mention the dogs too traumatized to be considered safe companions.

Just imagine all these poor dogs that did not get adopted in time ending up back on the street. This would be such a wicked and cruel twist of fate! So, we do everything we can to make sure this never happens. Legacy donations are one way to secure the future for these poor animals. And a great way for people to provide for those that truly are the most vulnerable.

Using Legacy Donations to Build Something That Lasts

Long-term gifts, such as legacy donations, help organizations improve their operations. Therefore, while regular smaller, yet consistent donations help keep the lights on, legacy donations, somewhat larger and occasional, could be used to better our services.

Sustainable rescue operations require more than food and a space for kennels. That is only the starting point. And once we get everything functional and going month after month, the operational budget is set, and we know what every penny is meant for. Therefore, once we reach this stage, it’s difficult to allocate resources to increase efficiency without feeling like we are taking away from something else.

Our resources are in a delicate balance that allows us to cover everything, and even an emergency here and there. But the main way in which we can grow as an organization is to improve our processes whenever we can. We are talking about better shelter facilities, an in-house veterinarian clinic, designated isolation and rehabilitation spaces, and outdoor animal areas for exercise and socialization, health-related prevention programs, and more.

Legacy donations are a great way to do so.

More Than a Donation – Your Legacy

A legacy donation is a meaningful way to show how much your values matter to you, both in life and beyond it. Yet, big feelings aside, deciding on something like this must only be approached with responsibility and deliberate planning.

You will also need the help of a qualified legal or financial professional who can take care of the legal documents needed. If you have any particular wishes about how you want the money to be spent—for example, if you wish to pay for the permanent residency of a specific dog—make sure they are clearly documented.

Another great way to handle the details is to come to us and discuss why you wish to do this and what you hope this money will help us achieve. We can even give more information on how such legacy gifts were handled in the past. The main purpose is to make these gifts reflect the person’s intentions.

When we first heard of legacy donations, we loved the idea because it made us think of something beautiful: instead of every generation inheriting the unsolved problem of stray dogs, we could help the future inherit part of the solution.

One of our favorite online trends is the posting of pictures with happy dogs and their new families, with those big ‘ADOPTED’ signs!

And it’s hard not to share in the enthusiasm. The adoptive family took their time setting things up; they got the floof ready, bathed, brushed, and smelling like a million bucks. And in the photo, the entire family looked whole and happy; the dog was thrilled, and we were crying just looking at it and remembering how we had found that dog hiding under a car, injured, or starving.

We are privileged to be part of something that makes such beautiful moments happen, and we will forever love these photos more than anything we ever see on social media. Because those are just some of the happy endings we are trying so hard to get for all of our residents.

Why These Stories Are So Great

We know why we love these stories: because we took time and energy from our lives to make them happen. But we are always amazed to find out just how effective they were in getting other people thinking of adopting a shelter dog.

Moreover, this joy is not only felt by people who have followed the story of the dog’s rescue or how difficult it all was. It is something people respond to universally because it gives them hope.

Adoption stories are stories of resilience, but also of hope, transformation, and people coming together to do something good for other living creatures. They also show what people can do when they come together. Because if a dog that had nowhere to go and no means to survive now has a name, a family, and a home, it feeds the belief that the problem of stray animals is being handled, even if it’s one case at a time.

People Love to Hear About the Journey

The second we get a new rescue, there are people who want to know everything about it right away, and who remain connected. They are the first ones we turn to when we need to make an emergency fundraising appeal, or if we might need help of any kind, like with promoting its adoption picture. And they will remain connected until they see the ‘ADOPTED photo’ of the dog in its new home – sometimes they ask for updates even afterward.

But we have found that the rescue-to-adoption journey is appealing even for people who have not followed along from the very beginning. It’s also appealing to people who see the adoption photo and want to discover the dog’s story.

How was the dog found? Did it need medical help or treatment? How long was the recovery? Did the rehabilitation process go well? Is it a sociable and happy dog? How did the new owners find it and how has it been in its new home?

Stories like these give people something to empathize with and make them wish they could be part of the journey as well. But it also shows people how much work it takes to make things right for a dog whose only mistake was to have been born in a world run by people.

One Happy Adoption Inspired the Other

Whether it’s the joy overflowing from the photo or the large number of people showing their excitement over the new addition to the family, people’s interest always grows after such a campaign.

Our volunteers and staff dedicated to adoptions always get more calls from people who would like to experience some of the same joy, secretly hoping for that special connection to be there as well.

And our colleagues do what they do best: they vet the potential adopters to make sure that they would be responsible owners. We understand the emotional pull of these stories, but we cannot look past what is needed for someone to give a good home to a dog we made an effort to save and to prepare for adoption.

Out of all those who come forward, many go on to adopt from our shelter, thus once again proving the ripple effect of adoption.

An Impact on People Who Were Not Thinking of Adoption

Another great benefit of these campaigns, as we have come to notice, was that they reached people who were already planning to get a dog, but were preparing to buy one instead of looking at the shelter.

Since there is something so appealing in the whole found-and-rescued narrative, we managed to turn the heads of some of these people. The best thing about these potential adopters is that they had already made the conscious decision to get a dog; they can financially support the animal, and they understand the commitment required.

Adoption Stories Inspire Donors

At ROLDA, we do our best to make our activity known to a large number of people. Not because we want to boast – although every successful adoption is something we are proud of – but because we need many people to hear about our work and our dogs so that we can find donors among them.

We have awareness-raising campaigns, we promote our dogs, we talk about the rescue journey, and we keep people updated on our projects. But nothing gets more traction than successful adoption stories because those are the ones people relate to the most.

Existing donors can see the great results we get with their money and what their donations can help us accomplish.

Volunteers and Foster Families Are More Likely to Sign Up

People who want to be part of this amazing transformation journey often sign up as volunteers or start by fostering recovering animals. At ROLDA, we are thankful for all the help we can get.

Rescue operations also draw a lot of attention. But adoption announcements thrill everybody, because they are the moment when we finally get to see the happy endings we have all been working toward. And when people see that their involvement can help create a story like this, they are more likely to think, “I want to be part of the next one.”

Every adoption story has the power to become more than one happy ending. It can inspire someone to adopt, donate, foster, volunteer, or simply share the next dog’s story – and that is how one rescue can inspire an entire community to help.

Adopting a shelter dog is the most beautiful act of kindness people could ever do in their lives. It is a gesture in which they take in a soul that was once abandoned and give it a home and a purpose. And then, they get to watch it thrive, and their lives grow richer and more beautiful for it.

But before a dog reaches the point where a family chooses it, there is a long and costly process that turns that animal from a stray to a potential companion. It involves rescuing the dog, treating its wounds and diseases, and helping it recover and rehabilitate. If we are thorough enough in taking these steps, the better prepared the dog will be to join a new family and find its place with ease.

Sponsoring a dog before adoption gives it the time, care, and resources it needs to become ready for a family of its own.

Between Rescue and Adoption

Many people looking in on our activity only see the main moments. They see when the dog is rescued, maybe the appeal made in case there is a major medical emergency, and we need more help than we usually get. Maybe a brief announcement that the dog is doing fine, followed by the adoption call. And that would be it.

From the outside, the period between the rescue and the adoption seems compressed. In reality, it is the toughest part of our job and a truly challenging time for our new resident.

Some dogs are scared, even when there is no longer any danger to them in our care. There are no bigger and more aggressive dogs trying to steal their food, no mean humans to kick them away, no speeding cars that could come out of nowhere. And still, they don’t eat; their sleep is cautious, not relaxed. They keep to a corner of the kennel, guarded, scared.

Interacting with them is difficult, and it takes time. Getting them adopted at this phase is almost impossible.

So, what happens to these dogs between the moment we just described and the one in which they wag their tail all the way over to their new homes? They receive a lot of loving care, offered with patience and calm. They are given space to come to us when they want to, no pressure, no commands.

And when patience is not enough, we use every recovery and rehabilitation trick we know, and every procedure we can afford. It’s a lot of work, but this is what truly gets dogs adopted. Not simply getting them off the streets and into our shelter.

Breaking Down the Process

The time spent by dogs in the ROLDA shelter is meant to help them transition from life on their own to life with a family. This means, first and foremost, getting the dog into good physical condition. An initial medical assessment will tell us whether the dog is healthy enough to join the other residents, needs urgent care, or might be suffering from an underlying condition.

If everything is fine and the dog is healthy, it’s time to do some preventive work and make sure it keeps its clean bill of health. To do so, the dog will receive vaccinations and parasite prevention medicine.

Nutrition and weight recovery are usually a big deal, since most of the dogs that end up in our care are malnourished and in desperate need of good food in the correct amounts. This must be done under professional medical surveillance so as not to upset the stomach with too much food at once or even the wrong kind.

A behavioral assessment will tell whether the dog is safe to be around other animals or even around other people. A poorly socialized dog may struggle to interact safely with other animals or people and might not yet be ready to join a family. In some cases, this situation could be permanent; in others, it could be improved with the right rehabilitation and training.

ROLDA has people to assess dogs and offer the best solutions to turn them into the best companions. Socialization in controlled groups, with the assistance of the behavioral expert, is one way to go. If the dog fears other dogs, controlled exposure to some of our friendliest and most docile residents, under the supervision of our staff, is what is known as desensitizing work.

Once they are ready, which may be sooner for some dogs, later for others, they all undergo general training. This implies learning basic routines and everything needed for them to go live with their new families inside a home.

In this phase, the dogs that had previously had homes will progress quickly because they already know not to pee inside, how to use their water and food bowls, not to jump on people, not to steal food off the table, and so on. For the other dogs, the ones that have never been trained, it might take months.

And as the rescue van took the suffering dog away, the people in town sighed with relief, thinking the poor soul was now safe and off to live a better life.
The End

Cute, but wrong! As an organization dedicated to bettering the lives of dogs and animals in general, ROLDA’s mission is to get as many of our shelter dogs as possible adopted. This is the happy ending we want for them and the goal toward which we direct all our efforts.

Unfortunately, this dream cannot come true for some of our residents, and the right human might never come along. Adoption itself might be challenging because of underlying medical conditions, or because adopters simply choose other dogs instead. For some of our residents, none of these opportunities may ever come.

Adoption – An All-Hands-on-Deck Approach

Dogs long for a connection. Even the ones who have suffered at the hands of our fellow men still wag their tails at their favorite volunteer and would want nothing more than to go home. To have a loving family, their own bowl, their own little bed, and their favorite toy would be the best possible outcome.

This is why our efforts don’t stop after the rescue. They don’t even stop when the medical procedures, treatments, or rehabilitation are over. Our end goal is not to have a shelter full of 700 healthy dogs, but to find each of them a family, to the extent that this is realistically possible.

Because, no matter how much effort we put into ensuring a certain quality of life in our shelter, no matter how many volunteers we have walking and playing with the dogs, petting them, talking gently so that they learn to trust people again, at the end of the day, those dogs still spend the night in a kennel when they could be in a real home.

The Permanent Residents at ROLDA

We mentioned that we have to be realistic about how many of our dogs we can hope to get adopted. This means that we are aware that some of our residents have very low chances of ever finding families.

There are many reasons why that is, and we have tried to overcome many of these obstacles. In some cases, we have succeeded in overcoming these obstacles, but we cannot guarantee them for all animals in such a situation.

These reasons may be:

As mentioned before, none of these reasons is necessarily permanent, and we have had people adopt old or sick dogs. Adopters took a chance on dogs with behavioral problems and saw them get better after being in a safe and steady environment. Even some of the dogs that had been repeatedly overlooked were finally chosen.

But it simply might never happen for some of our dogs, and we must find other solutions for them.

Long-Distance Adoption

The dogs on the permanent resident list are usually eligible for long-distance adoption. This is a way for people to donate money for the upkeep of one specific dog, as if they were adopted by that person, while we continue to provide for the dog at our shelter.

In practical terms, the person sponsors one specific dog while we continue to provide its daily care at the shelter. There are no traditional adoption benefits for the person, other than helping ensure that resources are available for their care at our shelter.

Many of the people who pay for long-distance adoption are interested in and invested in the animals’ lives, and they check in periodically to find out how they are doing. Some even volunteer at the shelter and spend real time with the dogs they sponsored. But they are people whose living conditions do not allow them to keep an animal in their home, so this is the next best thing.

This is not necessarily the best solution for either the dog or the person, since both might otherwise have benefited from a more permanent and stable arrangement. But this type of adoption makes sure that the dog has a permanent shelter, the person remains involved in the dog’s life and contributes directly to its care.

Any Form of Regular Donation Helps Our Permanent Residents

Even when our dogs do not have long-distance adopters, we still take care of all our rescues until the very end. We do this because abandoning them is not an option, and neither is convincing or guilting someone into adopting a dog when they might not be equipped to help that animal thrive.

For the dogs who may never have a family of their own, regular donations become that safety net – the promise that they will remain fed, cared for, and loved for the rest of their lives.
When adoption is not an option, your support can become the reason a rescue dog still has a forever home.

Whole settlements were gone in the time it takes to boil a kettle. Thirty-two bridges and close to 25 miles of road were swept away. Entire villages simply could not be reached. One village in Rasuwa waited fifteen days before a helicopter could land.

The human loss has been devastating, and it is still being counted. And in the middle of it all were the animals. Preliminary assessments found that around 1,800 hectares of crops were destroyed and thousands of livestock were killed.

The animals who lived faced their own crisis. Dogs and cats fled the water and scattered into unfamiliar places, separated from the people who fed them. Many were injured. Many were too frightened to let anyone near. And as the water receded, the carcasses left behind brought the threat of disease to every animal and person still standing.

This is the moment when animals are usually forgotten. Rescue resources go to people first, and rightly so. But that leaves a gap, and it is a gap that costs lives.

When help came, it came together

When the scale of this became clear, we launched an emergency appeal. And you responded.

What your kindness reached was not one organisation, but three. All for Paws, Animal Nepal and Sneha’s Care were already moving, already gathering what they could, already working out how to reach places that had been cut off from the rest of the country.

And here is the part that moved us most. They did not work alone, and they did not work in competition. They sat down together, pooled what they had, and divided the ground between them so that no animal would be missed twice and none would be missed at all.

What your support made possible

In those first days, the obstacles were extraordinary. All for Paws tried to arrange a helicopter survey with other local organisations to work out which cut-off areas needed help most. Permission never came, because every available aircraft in the country was committed to the government and the Nepal Army.

So they stopped waiting. They gathered what they could and went by road.

All for Paws and Animal Nepal formed a joint team of five veterinarians and set out for Bidur in Nuwakot at six in the morning, carrying emergency medical supplies for animals and people alike. Animal Nepal deployed further teams to Nuwakot and Rasuwa, two of the hardest-hit districts in the country, coordinating with government veterinary teams so that organisations complemented each other rather than duplicating the same ground.

Sneha’s Care founder Sneha Shrestha went into the flood zone herself with her team, working through communication blackouts to reach animals wherever access was possible. For days, we could barely get word back from her, because the phone lines were down.

Where things stand now

All for Paws has now completed four relief trips, two to Dhading and two to Nuwakot.

On the most recent trip to Nuwakot, they supported the District Veterinary Hospital and local farmers with animal feed, minerals, medicines, disinfectant sprayers, salt and quicklime. That last item matters more than it sounds: quicklime is used to disinfect ground and manage carcasses, and it is one of the things that stops a flood becoming an epidemic.

They also gave direct medical treatment and mineral supplements to injured animals, and care for those needing longer-term support. Alongside that, with help from their local donors, they distributed blankets, soap and food parcels to hospital staff and community members, because in a disaster of this size you cannot separate the animals from the people who care for them.

The situation is slowly improving. But as All for Paws told us plainly, the impact is still being felt, and animals and their caregivers will need food, shelter and healthcare for a long time yet.

Thank you

You did not just fund a rescue. You funded three of them, in a country most of our supporters will never visit, for animals nobody was coming to save.

What do you think is the most expensive part of running a dog shelter? Some people might think it’s the dramatic animal rescue missions. Others might say it’s the complicated medical procedures needed to put the poor animals back together or even the latest recovery and rehabilitation therapies.

Both groups are wrong.

The most expensive part of running a rescue shelter comes from its day-to-day necessities. It’s the food needed for 700 dogs, the running water needed for drinking and hygiene, lighting, heating, cooling, gas, staff salaries, general administrative expenses – in short, what people consider to be the small stuff.

It’s not that the expenses mentioned earlier are not important, but they are occasional. The running costs, on the other hand, are fixed and monthly. You can organize a major fundraiser and cover the complex care of a severely injured dog, but it’s harder to do that for the electricity bill.

Lucky for us, we are surrounded by people who understood exactly what this means, and they became the regular donors who literally keep the lights on.

Breakdown of Running Costs of a 700-Dog Shelter

Like any new rescue organization, we also focused on the case-by-case needs of our dogs at first. Rescue and medical expenses were the biggest concerns.

As the number of dogs in the shelter kept growing, their daily needs started adding up.

What any shelter administrator already knows is that these expenses must be factored in regardless of whether you have seven or 700 dogs

Emergency Funding Is Not Enough

While deeply appreciated for occasional expenses and for moments when we would like to invest and improve something at the shelter, emergency funding is not enough.

Even a large sum would only cover monthly expenses for a period of time, after which we would be back to square one – in need of more money just to keep running. And it would have nothing to do with the way in which the money is being used. Just that, if you stack up all recurring expenses, you would notice that the sum needed to cover the running of the shelter for even one whole year surpasses by far the sums raised through short-term fundraising appeals, such as emergency appeals. And we’ve been around for 20 years!

If we had to launch an emergency fundraising appeal whenever food provisions, medication, or cleaning supplies were running low, we would do literally nothing else. We know this from the other rescue organizations ROLDA works closely with.

Before we decided to share the wealth and extend some of our funds to help other rescue organizations, they would struggle every month just to take care of the few animals they managed to save off the streets. This meant all their time and energy were devoted to fundraising, and little or no time at all to saving more animals, improving shelter conditions, and investing more in adoption campaigns.

Regular Income Lets You Plan

This was the first thing we noticed when we started getting regular donations – we could plan and make better use of the resources. The collaborators we started extending financial aid to noticed it, too, in their own activity.

When you know the money you can count on is coming in, you can negotiate better prices for food and supplies, negotiate medical services for the preventive care of a larger number of animals, and do the same thing for all necessary administrative supplies. Recurrent donations give you the freedom to stretch our resources as far as possible.

By comparison, while waiting for emergency funding, some of your recurring bills, if left unpaid, can incur late fees or other penalties. A lot of the money you get will have to go into fixing that before you can cover any other need.

The certainty of incoming funds gives you stability. That stability allows you to plan and make better choices for the residents.

Regular Donations Are Vital for Permanent Residents

Generally, the goal of a dog shelter is to rescue dogs, treat them, help them recover, and find them homes. Unfortunately, some of our residents never get this chance. Some may be too old, some too injured, and their medical expenses are too high, while others simply get overlooked, or the right human never comes along. These dogs will remain in our care until their last days.

These are expenses we must factor in, especially because the oldest and the sickest might need more medical care in the end, only to make things more comfortable. And we are more than happy to do that for them. But we wouldn’t be able to do it without the help of regular donors.

Sterilization Campaigns and Social Programs

Getting out of survival mode meant finally being able to address the large issue of animal homelessness. These are systemic problems that the authorities are meant to address but have failed to solve.

Moving away from the imperative to fix every problem with all our resources, we can now look at what is still causing the problem. Why are dogs still in the streets? Who is not being responsible? Abandonment remains high, while sterilization rates remain too low, and both can undermine years of rescue work.

Over the years, ROLDA has come across a number of cases in which people did not want to abandon their animals but had no means of taking care of them. So, we helped them with food and medical assistance when needed, and those dogs were never alone in the street and never saw the inside of a shelter kennel.

Other people complained that they could not afford to sterilize their pets, not to mention the aftercare required after such a medical procedure. So, we offered free sterilizations and medical checkups. And owners did the responsible thing.

Older people who were struggling financially or were physically unable to care for their pets reached out, and we started special programs meant to keep them together with their best friends, especially in such a vulnerable time in their lives. Once again, people were able to get the help they needed, and animals got to stay in their homes.

Therefore, regular donations do more than just help fix one problem: they give us what we need to fix the problems we have today, while preparing for the needs of tomorrow. More than just keeping the shelter running, this gives us the chance to affect the lives of dogs that might never need to be in our care.

Who benefits more from a shelter adoption? The dog that has just received a chance at the perfect life in a loving home with a caring family? Or the family that has just become whole with the addition of the cutest, most loyal, and most lovable member?

Both sides will. It’s a win-win type of situation. But getting to that wonderful sweet spot where everything is settled, the routine is established, and everyone knows their place might take some time. And it’s this transition part that has people in doubt about whether to take the step or not.

At ROLDA, we have made adoption the end goal of our efforts. Rescue work might be the most visible, but the real act of saving a dog consists of giving it a home and loving and caring for your new friend until it reaches old age, surrounded by its family.

Therefore, we might know a thing or two about adoption and how to make it work. Trust the process? Listen to the experts first, maybe.

What Adoption Means to a Shelter Dog

In brief? The world!

We do our best to offer our residents great living conditions. Especially since some of them never leave our care because they never get adopted. Therefore, if this is it for them, we do our best to make their lives with us comfortable.

That being said, nothing feels better to a shelter dog than getting adopted. And this implies more than just leaving the kennel. It means having stability, having people they know, and being part of their lives. Adopters soon notice their new friend can hardly wait to be part of their daily routines.

It’s actually less about the things you, as an adopter, can offer. A shelter dog will not care whether your house is big or small, whether you have the comfortable couch or the newest things around the place. It will not care about the bowls, toys, and doggy bed you got for it. As long as they are clean and theirs, that’s all your new furry friend cares about.

Having a family means no longer having to share a volunteer’s time for walks, socializing, and cuddles. It means having more family members take it out for a walk around the block, at different times throughout the day.

Most importantly, it means individual attention, which is something difficult to get in a shelter among 699 other dogs. We often see our dogs desperately try to connect with us, with the volunteers. And despite how wonderful, cute, present, and worthy they are, they still get put back in the kennels when our time with them is over. And it’s heartbreaking to see.

But they can finally connect with their families, and they will get to go home with them; their little bowls and their favorite toy are waiting in their own familiar spot.

It’s Still a Process

Shelter dogs might have a lot of love to give. And you will get to that point where everybody knows exactly where they belong. Even so, it’s still a process, and you cannot realistically expect your friend, who is new to the household, to settle right in.

For this, you need to provide a balanced living environment, be consistent in your activities together, and be calm and patient. The better you succeed in creating this safe space, the sooner your new friend will learn to relax and take its place in your family.

With some dogs, this might happen sooner, while others might need a bit more time. Stay calm and consistent, and your dog will soon get the message that you are reliable.

How Adoption Changes a Shelter Dog

Even the happiest of our shelter dogs go through this transformation as soon as the feeling of belonging somewhere really hits.

You might ask what the difference is, as long as they are sheltered and cared for in both cases, right?

Well, at the shelter they are safe, and they are cared for, yes. But it’s all functional to a point, since they have to share the efforts and attention of staff and volunteers all the time.

On the other hand, a dog will thrive in its own home. And this amazing transformation can mean that it will become more playful, more loving, more sociable, more curious, and less likely to avoid certain situations.

There are signs to watch for before this happens. Naps and nighttime sleep are more relaxed, interactions are smoother, and there is a lot more tail action.

But it doesn’t look the same for every dog. As a good pet parent who knows their dog well, you will surely know its specific changes, and you will be able to tell the difference.

How Adoption Changes a Family

Most adopters start with the idea that they are doing it mainly for the good of the dog. But, as soon as they stop bracing themselves for the challenges of settling in, they realize that the dog’s presence has already changed them all.

Your routine is healthier. The kids fall asleep faster because they played with the dog in the evening. You start your day with a brisk walk. And you also take a stroll around the neighborhood in the evening, after dinner. And every weekend, you play with the dog in the backyard or in the park. All in all, considerably more time is spent outdoors.

There is now a sense of emotional comfort that comes from having settled into a nice routine, and there are more times during the day when you reach out to a family member to ask about the dog. Who fed the dog, who walked it, who played with it the most.

The children may become more responsible now, and they would do anything to make sure their dog stays in the home. They also have a sense of purpose, and they learn what care means. Not to mention that they have the best teacher for patience and empathy.

You never know how you can grow as a human being before you’ve had to care for a dog. And you never know how much love there could be in your heart for a creature so different from you, until you’ve grown accustomed to being met at the door every day with the sincerest excitement.