Guide to rescue groups

Tips to check that you're dealing with a reputable rescue group.

Below is this handy 7 step guide to rescue groups, download the RSPCA Rescue Group Guide.

Step 1: Check Them Out Online

Check them out online, ask other rescue groups, ask on Facebook pages dedicated to the species and breed, and ask around with people you know in the animal care industry.

Step 2: Check Out Their Financials

Check out their financials. If they are registered on ACNC website, check their financial reports and auditor’s report. If not, ask to see their financial records, and lists of outcomes for animals. 

Reputable rescue groups can tell you their statistics, including how many animals came in, what happened with them and what treatment was provided, and where they went. RSPCA Queensland's Annual Report and Financial Statement.

Step 3: Ask About Vet Services

Ask about the vet services they use, and ask whether all animals receive vet checks upon arrival.

Finding home's for animals with RSPCA Qld.

Step 4: Ask to View Housing

Ask how and where the animals are kept. Many groups have a foster carer network and do not house all their animals at the one location.

If they do this, it’s important to know how that Rescue Group manages their foster carers and what checks and balances are in place (eg. property checks/numbers of animals on site/veterinary checks etc).

Step 5: Do Your Research

Are they putting up posts of animals they say were subject of cruelty or neglect, and asking for donations to treat them, without notifying RSPCA so it can be investigated? 

Some rescue groups post pictures of sad and neglected dogs and say they were the subject of neglect or cruelty when it is not the case, or some fail to report to RSPCA when it is the case.

Step 6: Check Their Facebook Page

If you ask questions on their Facebook page, do they respond professionally, or do they argue with you and block you. 

Rescue groups with something to hide will resist opening up their operations and financial records for people to see, and will block people who ask questions about these things on their Facebook page.

Step 7: Check Receipts and Address

Do they issue receipts for donations, do they provide a land address where their main office is located, and do they work with a support network of other rescue groups, including RSPCA?

RSPCA Queensland actively work with rescue groups around Queensland, below is a Facebook post we did with Bull Terrier Rescue Australia Inc. due to a number of Bull Terriers that had recently come into RSPCA's care.