Always a good policy. Most pets in need of rescue are short on gentleness and their road to adoption is going to involve a bunch of transitions, owwies at the vet, and very new experiences. We treat pets gently while they are in our care and in all the plans we make for their placement. Not only is it the right thing to do, the science proves that a gentle hand is more effective than any other.

Listen to people. Listen to dogs. Listen to science. Listen to people who have been at it longer than you have. Listen to people who are coming to this with new ideas. Listen to other helpers across different fields. Listen to yourself. Always keep learning.

Generosity begets generosity. The rescue community is a crowded field, with everyone fighting hard to save the pets they know and love. We believe that all homeless pets deserve to be rescued and are mindful of the fact that our own successes often come at the expense of another’s opportunities. So many people have been generous with us; we believe in repaying that generosity always.

This is hard. It hurts in all the ways you’d expect and some you don’t. Each of us will hit our limit. We try to take good care and support other people to take good care too. Boundaries aren’t meant to keep us apart, they allow us to continue working together.

Wow, there are some shady things in dog rescue (and everywhere). We want our donors, fosters, volunteers, shelter partners, receiving rescues, vets, transporters, and community to trust us and our rescue program. Have questions? Just ask. We value transparency.

Every person deserves compassion and most deserve the extra mile once you have the benefit of connection. Working to improve animal welfare involves navigating an intersection of many systems. We can only help dogs when we help people.

We cannot adopt or transport our way out of pet homelessness. While the direct care/placement of pets is the highest priority, it cannot be responsibly done without simultaneously making efforts to reduce the homeless pet population through education, training and spay-neuter support. OTAT-WTX works to put itself out of business by supporting all efforts that eliminate the excess of unwanted pets in the communities where we advocate.

We are hopeful. We know we make a difference. Every pet is an individual and their story matters. We believe it is a privilege to work with the animals and people in our communities and are thrilled to reduce suffering and save lives. We are grateful to the many people who make it possible for us to make direct, immediate, and positive impact every day.