How to Start a Yorkie Dog Rescue in Florida

Yorkshire Terriers, or Yorkies as they are also known, are popular pet dogs. The American Kennel Club ranked the Yorkie as the third most popular breed in America for 2009. Despite their popularity, Yorkie owners sometimes hand over their dog because they no longer are able to care of it. You can help alleviate this problem in Florida by joining existing Yorkie rescue centers, such as Florida Yorkie Rescue, to help shelter and feed abandoned Yorkies as well as find them new homes.

Things You'll Need

  • Premises
  • Budget
  • Food supplies
  • Grooming tools
  • Worming tablets
  • Web presence
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find a property. This can be your home or it can be a separate property. The property must have sufficient space for kennels and an area where the dogs can be exercised. Consult with your local zoning office so that your property complies with all local and state regulations. Due to the climate in Florida, it's better to keep the dogs either inside or under shelter to avoid heat-related health problems.

    • 2

      Establish a budget. Each Yorkie you rescue will represent a cost per week. That cost is based mainly on food but also includes vet fees and other one-off costs, such as coat trimming. By establishing a budget you can asses how many dogs you can care for at a given time.

    • 3

      Source your supplies. It doesn't take a lot of equipment to care for Yorkies; bedding and food are the essentials. Since opening a dog rescue for Yorkies is not a profit-making venture, consider appealing to local dog owners for food and bedding donations. Animal Pantry of Central Florida provides low-cost pet food and referrals for low-cost veterinary care.

    • 4

      Make your property dog-friendly. Depending on the scale of your rescue project, you need either kennels or crates. If you have the space, kennels are ideal because they give each dog room to walk around. If you're considering a home-based operation, you can use crates for housing the dogs but you must give them time outside of the crate for exercise. Cover any ponds or swimming pools. If you have polished floors, put down rugs. Dogs tend to slip on polished floors and over time this can cause damage to their hips.

    • 5

      Make your property safe for prospective adopters. When you rescue a dog you become legally responsible for it. Florida laws mandate that the owner is responsible for dog bites. This applies to bites sustained in public, or when the victim is "lawfully on or in a private place," according to the Animal Legal and Historical Center. To protect yourself, always supervise visits. Install fencing in the exercise area to prevent escapes.

    • 6

      Establish a web presence. You don't need your own website to do this because Florida Dog Adoption Center provides a free service to rescue shelters that links prospective owners with abandoned dogs in Florida.

    • 7

      Make it clear to people adopting dogs from your rescue that they must have their new pet sterilized. Florida Senate Bill 992 states that any dog acquired from a shelter must be spayed or neutered.