WHo is Pets of ohio rescue team?

Pets of Ohio Rescue Team is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the resources, education, and programs needed to eliminate the killing of companion animals.

PORT intends to increase live save rates across Ohio by energizing the public and maintaining comprehensive, innovative lifesaving programs designed to save the animals most likely to be euthanized in shelters.

WHat are port’s funding sources?

We work partly from fees for service (adoptions), but mostly rely on the generous support of our community, including grants, sponsorships, and individual contributions. We do not currently receive any funding from government entities or national humane organizations.

Are Donations Tax Exempt?

Yes, we are a 501(c)(3) recognized charity by the IRS. Our tax ID is 99-3306185.. Donations made directly to Pets of Ohio Rescue Team will be properly acknowledged and receipted for your personal records.

When I donate monetarily, what is my money really supporting?

All donations to Pets of Ohio Rescue Team support saving the lives of the hundreds of animals who come into PORTS’s care each year, and transforming and fixing a broken animal sheltering system. Unless you’ve designated funds to be used in a particular way, your monetary donation will support general operations and be used where it is needed the most.

I'd like to hold a donation drive or fundraiser. Can I? What do I do?

Yes! We love donation drives as they bring in much-needed donations. You can find donation suggestions via our Donate page. Please email donate@petsofohiorescueteam.org with additional questions. You can bring collected donations to 8797 Bunnell Hill Rd Springboro, OH 45066

What determines adoption fees?

Adoption fees vary based on age, species, and other factors to help us give every animal the best chance at a happy, healthy future.

Younger pets like puppies and kittens tend to have higher fees because they receive more initial veterinary care. Some popular breeds also have higher fees, which helps us cover the cost of medical care for animals with special needs or longer stays.

Senior pets often have reduced fees to help them find loving homes more quickly—they still have so much love to give!

No matter the fee, every adoption helps save lives. It covers essential care and allows us to rescue and prepare more animals for their new homes.

Where do your animals come from?

Our animals come from at-risk situations and euthanasia lists at both local and out-of-state shelters in need. Many of these shelters are overcrowded and under-resourced, forcing them to make heartbreaking decisions about which animals they can continue to care for. We step in to help by taking in animals who are out of time or struggling in the shelter environment—whether that’s due to space, medical needs, or behavioral challenges.

Some of the lives we save include dogs who are scared to leave their kennels or shut down in the shelter setting. These animals are often overlooked by adopters simply because the shelter doesn’t have the staff or resources to provide the enrichment and training needed to help them thrive. By giving them a safe, supportive environment in foster care, we give them the time and tools they need to become the pets they were always meant to be.

DO you accept owner surrenders and strays?

We do not typically accept owner surrenders or stray animals into our program. As a foster-based rescue with limited space and resources, our primary focus is on saving animals from euthanasia lists and at-risk shelter environments.

However, we always accept back any animal that was adopted through our organization.

For pet owners in need of support, we offer a wide range of resources to help keep pets in their homes or to safely re-home them if necessary. This includes the option to list your pet on our website to help connect with potential adopters. These tools can be found in our PORTAL under Community Resources.

Our goal is to keep owned pets out of shelters whenever possible, so that shelters can focus on stray animals who have no place to go and pets that need to be reunited with their families.

What if I’m having problems with the pet I adopted from Port and need help?

We try to set the right expectations about anything we know about the pet before you adopt (dogs/puppies needing training and possibly housebreaking, separation anxiety possibilities, sociabilities, etc.) but if you are experiencing a problem, we want to help you fix it. We always want the adoption to be a success for both you and your new pet!

PORT’s dog and cat behavior volunteers are willing to help with any behavioral issues and our veterinarians can offer advice on what to do with medical problems. We want every adoption to be successful.

If you need help with behavior issues, please contact our Behavior Team directly at behaviorsupport@petsofohiorescueteam.org.

How do I become a PORT Volunteer?

Follow these steps to become a PORT Volunteer:

1. Fill out our Volunteer Application.

2. Watch the volunteer orientation online.

3. Attend the onsite volunteer orientation at the location in which you will be volunteering.

4. Volunteer!

Can’t I just come to play with the dogs or cats without going through volunteer orientation?

We do not offer this type of opportunity to un-oriented volunteers. The kennel environment can be a stressful place for animals, offering the potential for an animal to act out in a manner that could be unsafe for a person, the animal, or both. Our volunteers are trained on the proper way to handle animals in this environment, and because our first priority is to keep these animals safe, we do require each volunteer to go through orientation.

But do you really need volunteer help?

Absolutely! On any given day, we need roughly 10 volunteers so we can meet our animals’ most basic needs. We do not have staff, so volunteers are the lifeblood of this organization. With approximately 80-100 of animals in our care, via onsite and in foster, along with fundraising efforts, fostering needs, and a plethora of other needs, there is never a shortage of things we can use help with.

I need to fulfill community service hours, what should I do?

We do offer hours to those seeking community service hours for a pending or completed court case.

If you are seeking community service hours for school, an organization, or personal pleasure, please follow the steps under the FAQ: How do I become a PORT Volunteer? You will be in charge of any documentation, including tracking your volunteer hours. Should you need a signature to verify your volunteer hours please email volunteer@petsofohiorescueteam.org to coordinate.

What kind of routine medical care is provided to pets we rescue?

Pets who enter our program are immediately examined by our medical team. They are tested and treated for common medical issues, given any needed vaccinations and prevention medicines (flea prevention, heartworm prevention, etc) and micro-chipped. Animals continue to receive routine medical care and monthly preventatives from the clinic as long as they stay at PORT. We aim to provide the same standard of care for all of our animals as a pet owner of average means.

My private vet disagrees with what the PORT vets told me, what do I do?

Like any field, veterinarians do not agree on all things. PORT works with organizations on the leading edge of treating diseases that used to be considered a death sentence, and have significant experience successfully treating things like feline leukemia, parvo, and distemper. Many private vets who have never been exposed to these diseases are unaware of the positive outcomes that we are seeing. Although we respect your right to consult for a second opinion, we stand behind our extensive experience in the field of shelter medicine and our advanced understanding of these diseases.

How does port determine if a dog is safe to place in the community?

Every year dozens of at-risk animals come into our care from within Warren County and surrounding areas, many which have been deemed "unadoptable" due to behavioral issues. The Behavior Department at Pets of Ohio Rescue Team carefully evaluates each of these dogs and utilizes our network of volunteers to provide them with the care and training necessary to place them back out into the community safely. In addition to our behavior programs, we also provide lifetime behavior support to all of our dogs once they are placed in a foster or adoptive home. While we have found that these programs are successful for a vast majority of the dogs in our care, PORT also recognizes that there will always be the rare exceptions that are indeed unsafe to place in the community. You can learn more about the 3 specific behaviors that PORT does not place in the community here.