2025- A Difficult Year
The number of dogs in rescue skyrocketed this year and our veterinary bills doubled. Our organization continues to find loving homes for more and more GWPs.
— Leslie R. Dye, MD, treasurer, NGWPR
Most challenging year for rescue
According to our rescue coordinator, who has been placing dogs for 10 years, 2025 has been the busiest and most challenging year yet. We accepted 15 dogs from one owner in Virginia in April, and the dogs coming into rescue continued unabated. The dogs from Virginia ranged in age from 6 months to 6 years. 3 required entropion surgery and all of the dogs needed vaccines, heartworm testing, worming, and spay/neuter surgeries. None of the dogs had ever been seen by a veterinarian, walked on a leash, or worn a collar. I transported 5 of the dogs to Ohio to Heidi Baumbarger for behavioral evaluation and training, as well as all of the required veterinary care.
We have already placed 85 dogs in new homes, currently we have 35 in our program (including 5 puppies born in care 3 weeks ago), 3 pending adoptions and 1 more entering our program. In addition, through mentoring and training, we have been able to keep some dogs with their owners. Sometimes we can talk through behavioral issues with families that truly love their GWP and are committed to change.
The 15 dogs from Virginia ranged in age from 6 months to 6 years. 3 required entropion surgery and all of the dogs needed vaccines, heartworm testing, worming, and spay/neuter surgeries. None of the dogs had ever been seen by a veterinarian, walked on a leash, or worn a collar.
Our Secretary, Susan Anderson, manages our foster program along with a trusted volunteer, Carol Kobal, and both call hundreds of references each year. We currently have 255 foster homes across the United States. As more applications come in for fostering and adopting, this activity becomes more demanding. We have also participated in several transports, as far as from Ohio to California, further increasing our work.
As all of these activities increased, it became increasingly important to have an efficient tracking system to keep our information organized. I evaluated cloud-based software programs specifically designed for rescues and shelters, and we entered into an agreement with Shelterluv in May. I configured the program for our rescue and trained the rescue coordinator and those who check references to use it. The cost is $2 per adoption.
In exchange it has significantly increased our ability to receive foster and adoption applications, move dogs to various statuses, keep a list of all available fosters, allow credit card payments, seamlessly send adoption contracts with an invoice for every adoption that includes requests for donations (including adding the ability for recurring donations) and much more. Prior to Shelterluv, these processes were all done by email and phone and recorded manually. We can now easily determine where a dog is and with whom quickly. This system also allows us to pull reports. By integrating with our website, there is an automatic update with every adoptable dog on our website with a kennel card description and link for an adoption application. This filterable list replaces the requirement to manually enter every dog onto the website directly. Since we started entering data into Shelterluv, we have entered approximately 95 dogs and processed 57 adoptions. We are in the process of connecting with PetFinder to list adoptable dogs there too. Fortunately, by configuring Shelterluv and using it, we are able to track dogs more easily. However, the need for fosters, transport and extensive veterinary care continues to be a challenge logistically and financially. In addition, liability insurance is difficult and costly to obtain ($2380/year).
Why do we charge adoption fees?
We are sometimes asked why we charge adoption fees for dogs, especially those who are difficult to rehome. Until I got involved with the NGWP rescue, I may have asked the same question.
NGWPR is a non-profit organization that pays the following for dogs in our care: veterinary fees, immunizations, laboratory testing, neutering/spaying fees, and often other expenses, including boarding and training. The highest adoption fee does not cover the cost of spaying and neutering one dog. We consult with a veterinarian, Robin Nelson, DVM, regarding any health issues to determine if the care recommended is appropriate and cost-effective. We are often faced with the decision to provide veterinary care or reject the dog, which may lead to euthanasia. Our veterinary costs for YTD 2025 are $56K. This compares to a year end total for 2024 of $37, 500, representing an almost doubling in our veterinary costs by the end of the year.
Our primary sources of revenue are adoption fees and donations. We have received $42,000 in donations this year, so far. All of the board members are volunteers, despite some putting in countless hours every week to find the best home for our dogs. We also get some revenue from auctions, raffles, and calendar sales. Many of the items we sell are donated. The generosity of our donors is overwhelming, especially when we have dogs with specific, and sometimes expensive, needs. And despite the foster needs we do finance, our fosters spend their own money on food and supplies.
2025 year to date:
Veterinary costs-$56,000
Donations-$ 42,000
We continue to apply for grants, however, our past grants have expired. We received a grant from 4Imprint this year for $500 worth of merchandise, which we sold online. Because we continue to be fiscally responsible, approximately 80% of all the money we receive goes directly to the dogs.
In addition to doing two transports, I had the experience of fostering two dogs this year. The first dog I picked up was Jack in Pennsylvania. His first adoption did not work out, but we found a wonderful home for him in California, and he is thriving. I was teary when Jack left. Setting u0p transport from Ohio to California is difficult. As a result of this experience, I am working on a transport chain across the US and have 10 volunteers who agreed to transport, so far. We will need many more.
If you are interested in becoming a transport volunteer:
https://new.shelterluv.com/form/volunteer/GWPR/101188-volunteer-transporter
After Jack was adopted, we fostered Wrigley. Wrigley’s owner died and he had been in 4 different locations in about a two-month period. My 13-year-old GWP, Neko, generally does not like other dogs, so I felt sure I would not have to worry about adopting a foster. I had a vision of my next GWP being a young female that I would adopt in the future and choose the perfect name.
Fast forward two weeks and Wrigley is part of our pack. Neko not only does not attack him, but he also loves him! And Ziggy loves him even more because he now has a playmate. We were also told he was much better with women than men. You would never guess that when you see him with my husband. My young female GWP turned into an 8-year-old male with a name I would not have chosen (apologies to Chicago) who quickly wormed his way into our hearts. We could not bear to send Wrigley to another home, so we adopted him.
As we enter the holidays, it is a time to reflect on the past year and be proud of the work we do, but to recognize the significant increase in costs we have seen this year. We hope our calendar sales and end-of-year donations will increase too so we can continue to take in more dogs.
It is also a time to be grateful. We are blessed by many volunteers, but we want to send a special thanks to Susan Anderson and Carol Kobal who check references for potential fosters and adopters. Robin Nelson, DVM, continues to offer her sage counsel regarding any medical issues. And a big shout out to Heidi Baumbarger. Heidi continues to be a huge asset to the NGWP Rescue. She not only fosters multiple dogs, makes sure they get deworming and preventative medications, takes them for necessary surgeries, secures veterinarian care for the dogs, and she spends time training them.
We are also grateful to our fosters, adopters and donors who give so much love to this wonderful breed. I look in Wrigley’s eyes, and I really believe the dogs know what we do and are grateful too.
We all with you safe, healthy, and happy holidays.
DON’T FORGET TO ORDER YOUR 2026 CALENDAR on our website. To use a credit card, please notify us and we can send your order through Shelterluv.
About Us
National GWP Rescue is a nationwide rescue program whose volunteers work tirelessly to provide funding, foster homes, medical care and training for GWPs found in shelters, animal control facilities and to those GWPs whose current owners are unable to provide a suitable situation.
Working hand- in-hand with governmental and local shelters, NGWPR provides a safe and responsible home for GWP’s in need. Placed with an experienced GWPCA member, fostered GWPs that have been neglected, untrained or have medical issues quickly blossom as they are readied for their “forever” homes.
Prior to releasing our rescued GWPs for adoption, volunteers provide obedience, manners, and house training. We hold to the philosophy that a mannerly dog has a better chance of fitting into a new household.
NGWPR believes that Wires were designed to hunt and unlike some other rescue programs, we are happy to place dogs with field experience or bird instinct with potential owners who enjoy hunting behind a Wire. However, NGWPR insists that any rescue dog first be a house dog and companion, then a weekend hunting partner.
Please go to our website to learn more.
Donate:
Special thanks to our regular contributors:
Hunting Dog Coffee Company
https://huntingdogcoffeecompany.com/collections/holiday-collection
And Lottie Long Legs
