Quote:
Originally Posted by BookCat
Just a note about what happens to the animals. In feral cat rescue, the main line of action is TNR: trap, neuter and return to a safe area with a caretaker who just overlooks their welfare. Other courses are trap, neuter, rehome, which is what I used to do when I lived in an area with a high feral population. Homes came easily to the young ones and some of the older ones, but I did keep a few (I have three ex-ferals now).
I'm not sure what happens to dogs, but I would imagine, like cats, this depends on the nature of the rescue. Large places, like the RSPCA, keep them for a SHORT time, scan them for a micro-chip and return to person if possible, but they'll put them to sleep after a couple of weeks if not claimed, or sooner if they have immediate health/behaviour issues.
I gather that your organisation is in the US? How have the dogs become homeless? In the US it is common policy for all feral cats to be put down, unless they're caught by someone like Alley Cat Allies (TNR). Dogs running wild usually have the same fate.
It might be worth doing some research about this for your book.
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I agree with you about research being needed. Rescuers are dedicated people who are engaged in difficult, often heartbreaking and thankless work, and there should be an understanding of what they actually do, even in a deliberately unrealistic novel where the characters have gone off the deep end.
It might make a bit more sense if the villain is stealing dogs from their owners and the women's group is trying to get them back and return them to their homes.