Serving on an animal rescue board is a rewarding experience

by Kathleen Galayda

Here’s a great opportunity for an animal lover: Basset Rescue of Montana is looking for a new board member. If you love animals in general, and basset hounds in particular, please consider applying for this rewarding volunteer position. As a board member, you will participate with others in helping shape and lead an organization dedicated to rescuing abused, abandoned, lost or neglected basset hounds (and the occasional German Shepherd).

As the board secretary, let me share my personal experiences about serving on the board, and how rewarding it has been. That way, you will be able to decide if being on the Basset Rescue Board is for you.

My duties as secretary include taking notes during board meetings, preparing the meeting minutes, and acting as a general office secretary. I assist with filing, office organization, correspondence, maintaining petty cash, and bill paying. I am also the organization’s webmaster. I keep the Basset Rescue website content up-to-date, write and edit its content, and prepare website photographs for posting. I also post items on Hound’s Bay, a site similar to Ebay, but dedicated to basset hound fans. Once items are sold on Hound’s Bay, I am responsible for mailing them, so I am also a shipping department. All the funds from the items posted for auction go to support the organization (so donated Basset-related items are always welcome!)

At our last Board meeting, we reviewed the organization’s mission statement and revised it where we deemed necessary. We do this periodically in order to keep Basset Rescue of Montana focused on its cause. We also discussed upcoming fundraising events, swapped fundraising ideas, and undertook several new projects that we believe will promote Basset Rescue of Montana’s mission of rescuing abandoned, neglected basset hounds. I have to say that it is rewarding to be involved with other people in guiding and developing an animal welfare organization.

Currently, the board is looking for a knowledgeable, dedicated animal lover, who is also good with people, and who will be willing to act as the post-adoption chairperson. This person will be responsible for developing a committee of volunteers to assist him/her with a variety of tasks. These post-adoption tasks include the following:

Staying in contact with adoptive families to monitor their adopted Basset’s well-being . . .using the organizations cell phone if necessary.

Assisting the family with any problems, concerns or questions they may have.

Making sure the family receives all necessary adoption papers, rabies certificates, dog’s history, breed info., etc.

Taking pictures of the adopted Basset in his/her new home

Making sure the webmaster receives the photographs, so they can be posted on the website.

It will be helpful if this person has a secure fenced yard and is able to assist with temporary shelter for rescues, and is not involved in any “back yard breeding”.

A good sense of humor and love for lots of hair and drool is optional, but very, very helpful.

If you think you would be interested in joining our effort to rescue abused Basset Hounds, please consider giving Leslie a call at (406) 626-4331, or email her at partnersplace@qwest.net. There are several wonderful animals currently awaiting adoption in the Basset Rescue of Montana shelter, and at various foster homes around the state. To see these remarkable critters, visit our website at http://bassetrescueofmt.tripod.com/brindexblack.html. While there, don’t forget to click on the link to see our items up for bid on Hound’s Bay. Please consider placing a bid – remember, every penny goes to support a needy, lonely Basset. Or visit our Basset Rescue Memorial page, where we honor all those beloved Hounds who have passed over to the Rainbow Bridge. One legend has it that all pets go to this Bridge and await the arrival of their beloved human companions, then they pass on into Heaven together!

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