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Rescue Village relies on the community and donors to support its life-saving work. Consider making a donation to help the animals today.

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Rescue Village provides humane solutions for animals and their people.

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Home / About / FAQ

FAQ

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IS RESCUE VILLAGE A “NO KILL” SHELTER?

Rescue Village is a limited admission, unlimited stay humane society and does not euthanize any animal for space or time constraints. The humane society’s live release rate is over 90%, year after year. Healthy adoptable animals remain in the shelter until a home is found. Animals surrendered to the humane society are evaluated based on their health and temperament. There are some circumstances where animals cannot be placed for adoption, such as when a veterinarian determines that an animal’s health greatly impairs their quality of life in an un-treatable way. Every animal is treated with dignity and respect, and staff works tirelessly in each situation to achieve the best outcome possible, adoption.

CAN I ADOPT THE SAME DAY?

Yes! Rescue Village proactively works to eliminate barriers to adoption. Rescue Village does not require adopters to meet any housing requirements, yard requirements, background checks, house visits, landlord checks or socioeconomic status, or provide personal references. That said, Rescue Village gets to know each and every one of its animals, medically and behaviorally, and works to make sure that animals and their potential new owners are a good fit. Rescue Village owns each one of its animals and reserves the right to allow one of its animals to be adopted or not to be adopted. On very busy days, you may need to return on a different day due to the number of customers looking to adopt. All adoptions are conducted on a first come first served basis. Learn more about the adoption process.

I ADOPTED FROM RESCUE VILLAGE, BUT IT’S NOT WORKING FOR ME OR MY PET. WILL RESCUE VILLAGE TAKE MY ANIMAL BACK?

Rescue Village is here to help if an adoption is not working out. Rescue Village will accept animals adopted at Rescue Village without judgement and for any reason within 30 days of the adoption. Animals must be returned by appointment only and is scheduled only after an Animal Surrender Form is submitted.

CAN I SURRENDER MY PET TO RESCUE VILLAGE?

Not every pet is a candidate for coming to the Rescue Village. That said, 60% of the animals that seek shelter at Rescue Village come through owner surrenders. Visit the Surrender Your Pet page for more information. All animal surrenders are by appointment only. Please do not abandon your animal at Rescue Village as abandonment of pets is against the law and is not humane.

ARE GEAUGA COUNTY RESIDENTS PRIORITIZED FOR ANIMAL SURRENDER REQUESTS?

Rescue Village has grown and thrived with the support of Geauga County residents and with the support of residents from the surrounding counties. Animal surrenders are scheduled from the waiting list of pre-approved surrender requests.

CAN I FOSTER A RESCUE VILLAGE ANIMAL IN MY HOME?

Yes you can! Fostering is an essential part of Rescue Village’s work. Every animal that is in foster care creates space for another animal to be accepted into our rescue. Fosters also help with animals too young to be adopted out, animals recovering from or undergoing medical procedures, or animals needing a break from the shelter. You can fill out a foster application here! Foster Application. Once your application is submitted, the Shelter Programs Coordinator will reach out to you about next steps.

CAN I DONATE MY GENTLY USED/NEW ITEMS TO RESCUE VILLAGE?

Absolutely! Rescue Village relies on donations of all kinds. Simply stop by and leave your gifts of food, toys, or bedding on the cart by the front doors 365 days a year! On any given day, approximately 140 animals are housed in the shelter, requiring a lot of supplies to meet their needs.

CAN I DONATE MY UNUSED PRESCRIPTION TO RESCUE VILLAGE?

No. Unfortunately, Per the Ohio Pharmacy Board, Rescue Village is unable to accept donated, prescription medications. Instead, please donate your unused prescriptions here: Every Day is Take Back Day | DEA.gov

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I FIND A SICK OR INJURED DOG/PUPPY?

If you find a sick or injured dog, please contact the dog warden in your county and/or contact a veterinary facility that provides emergency services if you feel it needs emergency care. Rescue Village’s veterinary clinic does not provide E.R. (emergency room) services.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I FIND A SICK OR INJURED CAT/KITTEN?

If you find a cat/kittens that are stable, but have mild injury/illness please fill out a surrender form and we will contact you to discuss the surrender. If the cat needs immediate care please contact a veterinary facility that provides emergency services. Rescue Village’s veterinary clinic does not provide E.R. (emergency room) services.

IS RESCUE VILLAGE A GOVERNMENT AGENCY?

No. Rescue Village is not a government agency and receives no taxpayer funds or revenues from any local, state or federal government agency. But, did you know that Rescue Village sells dog licenses on behalf of Geauga County (a license that is valid in any Ohio County for one year) a service that has generated tens of thousands of dollars of public tax revenue over the years, which Geauga County has used to support the Geauga County Dog Warden’s Office.

WHERE DOES RESCUE VILLAGE GET ITS FUNDING?

Rescue Village is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All funding comes from private donations, private foundations, corporate sponsorships, fees for services from adoptions, education programs or special fundraising events. All of Rescue Village’s lifesaving programs and services are made possible by the ongoing generosity of people making contributions of money, time and supplies.

WHY IS RESCUE VILLAGE ALWAYS FUNDRAISING?

Every year over 2,000 animals come through the shelter’s doors. All shelter animals are spayed/neutered, micro-chipped and vaccinated before adoption. It takes a staff of more than 30 people, with the assistance of hundreds of volunteers, to ensure that Rescue Village is a shelter that everyone can be proud of and one that provides animals the quality of care they need and deserve. Rescue Village also offers low-cost spay/neuter services for stray and feral cats through its TNR program, as well as owned dogs and cats through a partnership with PetFix of Northeast Ohio. Rescue Village employs humane officers to enforce Ohio’s animal protection laws at no cost to the taxpayers of Geauga County. This all takes a lot of money and that is why Rescue Village is always fundraising. Join Rescue Village’s email list.

IS RESCUE VILLAGE PART OF THE ASPCA, AMERICAN HUMANE SOCIETY, OR OTHER SUCH ORGANIZATIONS?

No. Rescue Village is a private nonprofit business that is part of a vast network of private nonprofit businesses working to reduce animal homelessness and pet overpopulation, similar to but different from the ASPCA or the American Humane Society. Rescue Village works with dozens of these nonprofit businesses every year toward fulfilling its mission.

CAN I VOLUNTEER AT RESCUE VILLAGE?

Rescue Village offers volunteer opportunities on a needs basis. If you do not see an opportunity now, be sure to check back as needs change. Fostering is the most needed volunteer opportunity. Foster volunteers allow the staff to better care for each animal’s needs.

HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR SHELTER FROM SMELLING BADLY?

Staff arrive at 7:00 am every day to start the daily cleaning checklist. Cleaning the dog kennels, cat cages, barn, and public areas is a daily effort by staff and volunteers. Keeping the shelter clean is a key part of keeping the animals, staff, and public healthy. Rescue Village also has robust air exchange systems that help minimize odors and disease.

DOES RESCUE VILLAGE OFFER LOW-COST VETERINARY CARE?

Rescue Village is a long-time leader in providing spay and neuter programs to the community, and offers a low cost spay & neuter and vaccine service called Fix-it-in-the-Farmland in partnership with Petfix of Northeast Ohio. Rescue Village began its spay/neuter programs in earnest in 1984.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RESCUE VILLAGE’S SHELTER VETERINARY CLINIC AND MY LOCAL VETERINARIAN?

Shelter medicine is very different from what your local private veterinary practice provides your pet. The clinic is dedicated to homeless animals, and as such Rescue Village’s Shelter Veterinary Clinic does not provide care for privately owned animals. The Shelter Veterinary Clinic is dedicated to providing medical care to thousands of homeless animals that come through Rescue Village’s doors every year. It should be noted Rescue Village’s veterinary clinic does not provide E.R. (emergency room) services for stray animals.

DOES RESCUE VILLAGE TRAP FERAL CATS?

Rescue Village does not trap feral cats, however, we DO rent out traps for people in the community to do their own trapping for our Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR) program for outdoor, feral cats as a service to the community. There is a small fee to rent the traps, and when the trap is returned, the fee is reimbursed. To rent the trap you must fill out the TNR application.

WHAT IS TNR?

 “TNR” is an acronym for “Trap-Neuter-Return.” TNR programs are run by places like Rescue Village all over the country as part of a humane solution to cat overpopulation in our communities, including shelters, rescue groups and many full-service veterinary clinics. In a TNR program, cats are humanely trapped by concerned citizens and brought to a veterinary facility for spay/neuter, basic vaccination and ear tipping. After surgery they are transported by citizens back to where they were trapped and are released.

WHO QUALIFIES FOR THE TNR PROGAM?

The TNR program provides a low-cost spay/neuter service for feral or stray unowned cats to customers from across Northeast Ohio. Any person who is willing to trap cats and bring them to Rescue Village on their scheduled surgery day is eligible to participate. You do not need to live in Geauga County to use this program. Applications for the program are available at Rescue Village and online. A $25 co-pay per cat is required at the time of surgery.

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RESCUE VILLAGE AND GEAUGA COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY, INC.?

Rescue Village and Geauga County Humane Society, Inc. are the same organization. Rescue Village is a registered trade name of the Geauga County Humane Society, as is Geauga Humane Society. The organization has been using the name Rescue Village since 2001, and in 2019 started using the name almost exclusively, with the exception of the Humane Investigations Department continuing to use the name Geauga County Humane Society, Inc. for its law enforcement activities.

WHAT IS THE RESCUE VILLAGE FOUNDATION?

The Rescue Village Foundation is a separate nonprofit 509(a)(3) supporting foundation created by Rescue Village’s board of trustees in 2012. Rescue Village is the sole member of the foundation and the foundation is a board restricted endowment that is designed to create a consistent source of revenue for the Humane Society, now and long into the future. Rescue Village began saving for the future with this endowment in the mid 1990’s, and because of this, donors, community members, and animals lovers alike can rest assured Rescue Village has a growing and more stable foundation upon which to provide services.

ARE RESCUE VILLAGE AND THE GEAUGA COUNTY DOG WARDEN THE SAME?

No. The Geauga County Dog Warden is a tax payer supported government public safety agency of Geauga County, Ohio. The dog warden is appointed by the County Commissioners, who in turn are elected by the people. The county commissioners may appoint a dedicated dog warden, or appoint the county sheriff as the dog warden. Dog wardens operate under Ohio’s Revised Code of Law, Section 955.12 and serve their counties in various ways by enforcing dog licensing, picking up and housing stray dogs, enforcing rabies control laws, and controlling vicious animals. A dog warden’s state appointed powers are the same as a sheriff or police officer within the scope of their powers granted by the state. An exception to this is the sheriff is an elected position and the dog warden is an appointed position.

While it is true that Rescue Village shared space with the Geauga County Dog Warden from 1980 to 2001 on Merritt Road in Geauga County, the two organizations have always been separate entities, one being a tax payer supported entity and the other being a private nonprofit business supported solely through donations from the generosity of others. Curiously enough, Ohio’s dog warden laws state that any surplus generated by a county dog warden’s operations may be donated to the county humane society, and allows for dog wardens, through their county government, to enter into contractual relationships with their county humane society to help increase services to the community.

IS A HUMANE OFFICER THE SAME THING AS A DOG WARDEN?

No. A Humane Officer, also known as an Agent of a Humane Society, is a humane society & court appointed law enforcement official that receives their police powers under Ohio’s Revised Code of Law, Section 1717.01 and other specialized laws designed to prevent the cruelty, neglect and torture of domesticated animals. Under the law, Humane Officers may call on Sheriff Departments and Dog Wardens for aid in helping to investigate and prevent cruelty. When Rescue Village brings charges against someone for breaking the law it is given powers to enforce, and the humane society has the legal power to appoint a special prosecutor, prosecuting as the State of Ohio.

The simple way to remember the difference in the law between a humane officer and a dog warden is that a humane officer’s powers are designed to protect animals from people, whereas a dog warden’s powers are designed to protect people from animals.

I REPORTED ANIMAL CRUELTY, BUT NEVER HEARD BACK.

Geauga County Humane Society, Inc. humane officers investigate all animal cruelty reports made to the humane society. Based on each complaint, humane officers investigate whether Ohio’s anti-cruelty animal laws are being broken. If no laws have been broken then the investigation stops. If laws are being broken that can be remedied through education, the officer will work with individuals until they are in compliance. If laws are being broken where education and compliance would be inappropriate (dog fighting, cockfighting, severe cases of abuse, neglect, etc.) or are unsuccessful, the Humane Society will work with the court system and a special prosecutor to bring charges against an individual. Humane Officers are not required to follow up with everyone who makes a complaint.

Additionally, the Humane Investigations Department is staffed Monday through Friday, during business hours. Rescue Village’s Humane Officers are detectives, not public safety/first responders. If you have an emergency, please call 911 to be connected with the appropriate first responders.

IS IT TRUE RESCUE VILLAGE HAS A CARTOONIST IN RESIDENCE?

Yes! Since 2001, nationally syndicated cartoonist Jenny Campbell has been donating her talents to Rescue Village, and has created a charming menagerie of animal and human characters, all to help raise support and awareness for Rescue Village. You can find Jenny’s syndicated cartoon “Flo & Friends” in newspapers across America, as well as other cartoons on two different Ohio specialty pet license plates. In 2023, Rescue Village published a beautiful hardcover first edition of The Cartoons of Rescue Village: 20 Years of Love & Lifesaving Through the Eyes of Jenny Campbell. The book features 208 pages of color and black and white Rescue Village cartoons.

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learn more
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CATS DOGS DOMESTIC BARN ANIMALS SMALL ANIMALS

Rescue Village relies on the community and donors to support its life-saving work. Consider making a donation to help the animals today.

ways to give
give now E-News sign-up >
MAKE A DONATION PLANNED GIVING EVENT SPONSORSHIP RESCUE PAWTIO GIFTS OF FOOD, TOYS, BEDDING HOST A COMMUNITY EVENT SPONSOR AN ADOPTABLE ANIMAL SPONSOR AN ANIMAL'S HABITAT MORE WAYS TO GIVE THANK YOU GALLERY HONORS & MEMORIALS

Foster families are always in need at Rescue Village. Learn how you can get involved to support the staff and animals.

get involved today
give now E-News sign-up >
ATTEND EVENTS & PROGRAMS HOST A COMMUNITY EVENT GROUP TOURS & SERVICE FOSTERING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES REPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY

Rescue Village provides humane solutions for animals and their people.

services index
give now E-News sign-up >
SHELTER SHELTER VETERINARY CLINIC SPAY AND NEUTER HUMANE INVESTIGATIONS HUMANE EDUCATION LOST PETS STAFF & BOARD
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