10/18/2026
Every rescue works differently. Some adopt locally, and some don’t. There is no single right or wrong way—we all share the same goal: saving lives.
I want to explain how Backwoods Barkers Rescue works because we often receive criticism for not doing local adoptions, especially when we post a popular breed. It’s hard when the mixed-breed dogs we plead for receive little interest, but a popular dog brings requests and frustration over our adoption policy.
We do make exceptions, but approximately 95% of our dogs are destined for our rescue partners in Canada. About 90% of the dogs we save come from local shelters, where they were already available for adoption and had no takers.
When we post a dog as urgent, that dog has very little time. We cannot commit to saving a dog unless we have a foster. Without a foster, that dog may lose its life. It really is that serious.
Some rescues offer foster-to-adopt programs. We do not. Our fosters provide temporary, loving homes where dogs can learn to feel safe and live as part of a family. Many of the dogs we take in have never known that life. They need patience, guidance, and love.
As fosters, we help them heal, teach them how to be dogs, and eventually let them go. My heart breaks when I say goodbye to most of them. Fostering isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. It is deeply rewarding, but it can also be incredibly hard.
There are many wonderful rescues that adopt locally. We have valid reasons for the way we operate, and one of the biggest is managing returns. We are entirely foster-based, with dogs living in our homes. We have no facility, so an unexpected return means finding an available foster space. We also rely on our rescue partners’ experience to match dogs with their adoptive families.
Most of our dogs receive their veterinary care through a partner rescue and are under that rescue’s ownership. Their placements are not mine alone to decide.
It hurts to have helped save thousands of dogs and still face harsh criticism because we couldn’t adopt a particular dog to someone. You don’t have to choose our rescue, but I hope this helps you understand our process and respect the work behind it.
Our role is to give these dogs a safe place to land and a chance at a future. Our fosters and rescue partners make that possible. ❤️🐾
