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Rescue Guidelines

Hope 4 La Pawz, or as we are known in Mexico – Amigos de 4 Patas, operates an Adoption Support System for those who rescue dogs.

We do not have a shelter or refuge so we are unable to take dogs in that people bring to us. What we do is help people who rescue dogs (called rescatistas) and are willing to foster them until a permanent home can be found. Anyone can be a rescatista – all it takes is a desire to help a stray/abandoned dog and the commitment to help it get ready for adoption. Many first timers become recurring rescatistas because of the satisfaction they get from seeing the transformation in a dog they rescued and from being a part of the solution to solve the overpopulation of dogs in La Paz. Please read the guidelines on this page and make sure you can comply with them before submitting an intake form.

It is very important, when rescuing, that you do not endanger yourself, your family, other dogs in your home, or further endanger the dog you are rescuing. It is a good idea to read Ten Best Practices for Rescuing.

  1. ALWAYS have food, water, and a leash in your car.
  2. Ask people in the neighborhood if the dog has an owner and proceed accordingly.
  3. Take it to a vet right away. Amigos de 4 Patas does not have funds to pay for all veterinary costs. But once your dog is in our system, we can help with food, vaccines, deworming, and sterilization of females.
  4. If you can’t take the dog into your home, go to his/her place every day to feed him and give him water until you can take him/her in – remember that removing a dog from an environment that s/he knows well without a solution, can actually be worse in the long run.
  5. IN ANY CASE DO NOT RESCUE THE DOG IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE TO TAKE IT AFTERWARDS. Dogs learn food sources, where shelter is, etc. Until you have a complete solution for the dog, leave it alone and help it along in the environment it knows unless you can take it in and care for it. Again read Ten Best Practices for Rescuing and proceed accordingly.

If you want to rescue a dog, foster it, and are committed to helping it become adoptable, then the rewards are beyond words as you watch a rescue dog blossom under your loving care and, as a result, be selected for adoption by someone here in La Paz, the US, or Canada. You can read more about our 4 Patas System here and how you can enter your rescued dog in our program.