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What we do
Did you know there is a big problem here in Los Angeles? There are too many homeless dogs. Here at Bill Foundation we want to tell you all about it because we need your help to solve this crisis. Right now only 30% of lost dogs are reclaimed by their owners, the other 70% only have a 20% chance of finding a new home. Most are euthanized because there is simply no room.
While the problem may seem overwhelming, Bill Foundation, like many grassroots organizations across the country, has chosen to face the problem head on. Working locally in Los Angeles, our goal is to place healthy, adoptable animals in new and loving homes while aiding in the fight against pet overpopulation. We also help care for those animals less fortunate - those who need a little more time to get their health back or may have behavioral problems requiring advanced training before going to a new home.
These dogs are real. The volunteers who go to the shelters to rescue our dogs are haunted by the faces of the dogs they must leave behind. Bill Foundation relies on donations to continue and expand its work. Every dollar contributed brings us closer to the day when no dogs are left behind to be euthanized.
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All contributions go directly toward our modest operating expenses and the care of our animals: shelter fees, veterinary care, boarding and equipment.
Together we can make a difference. Bill Foundation usually has between 30 to 60 dogs available for adoption. If you are thinking of getting a new friend, please consider adopting a rescue. 8-10 million dogs enter the shelter system each year. There are dogs of all ages, sizes and types. In fact, 25% of the dogs found in shelters are purebred dogs.
And remember, if you have a pet or know someone who does, get it spayed or neutered to help end the vicious cycle.
To see the dogs currently available for adoption, click here, the link will take you directly to our list on Petfinder which contains photos and bios of the dogs who still need a home..
Also look for our ads in The Los Angeles Times Classified. You can come to see the dogs in person at our bi-monthly adoption fairs. To view our Adoption Fair Schedule just click on the link
Frequently Asked Questions
What is animal rescue?
Often times, when people hear the term "animal rescue," or more specifically "dog rescue," they immediately think of search and rescue--that is, animals employed in the use of locating people lost in the wilderness or by some other peril, such as natural disaster. Animal rescue (dog rescue, cat rescue, horse rescue, etc.) is different. It is people rescuing animals from peril, such as threat of euthanasia by animal shelters and other at-risk situations.
Are there costs involved in adopting a dog from Bill Foundation?
Yes, there are costs involved. The adoption fees you pay help us defray costs we incur when pulling dogs from shelters. The others costs we incur include spay & neuter fees and other miscellaneous medical expenses. We must also pay for the cost of advertising the dogs in order to find new homes, boarding, grooming, transporting animals, phone bills in responding to potential adopters (many of which are long distance calls), and food and supplements for the dogs.
All of the money you donate supports dog rescue. Usually, the adoption donation does not even cover the cost of having rescued that dog.
Do the dogs who go through rescue demonstrate behavioral problems or have medical problems?
Some dogs have problems and will continue to have them to some degree; others come to us with problems that we have been able to successfully eliminate through extensive training. Others come essentially "ready to go" with no serious problems at all other than they have been unjustly abandoned. Most rescued dogs have had little or no formal training, and most have had poor care. Sometimes the dogs have been abused in one way or another and come with some degree of “baggage” (a lot like people).
We assess each animal on an individual basis and are able to determine what we have to work with. Most medical issues have been either resolved or constructively addressed by the time the dogs are ready for adoption. Generally speaking, most behavior problems simply require time, training, tender loving care and, mostly, commitment on the part of the people who are giving the dog his or her new lease on life. Those that have been in foster care have a head start on their new life and most foster parents try to address any transition issues the dog is displaying.
We will always disclose to you all we know about an animal. If an animal has a serious medical condition or behavior problem, we will discuss this with you so that any decisions you make regarding adoption will be informed decisions. There have been occasions when animals who have come to us were eventually assessed as “unadoptable,” mostly due to aggressive or unpredictable behavior. In this event, these dogs remain in our care.
Do you ever rescue pure bred dogs?
We often encounter and have available for adoption pure bred dogs; however, in most cases you will not receive official pedigree paperwork because such paper work is not available or the pedigree history of the animal has been lost or impossible to locate.
If you are looking to rescue a pure breed dog, there are many pure breed organizations that take up the cause of rescue of that breed to some extent and if you contact those organizations they will be able to direct you to the rescue component of their organization. They are listed on www.petfinder.org
We concentrate on mixed breeds as we believe the hearty “mutt” is often overlooked in adoption situations. If we encounter pure bred animals in the course of our work and that animal appears to be in a high-risk situation, we will of course assist that animal without prejudice. When at all possible, we will appeal to the purebred organizations to take on the care of these animals so that we can focus on and make room for the mixed breeds.
Once adopted, do you ever take back the dogs who were once in your care?
We have a lifetime commitment to all of our dogs. Should any unforeseen situations arise with the adoption party and the animal can no longer be cared for by them, we will always accept the dog back into our organization. In fact, our adoption contract includes a “return to rescue” provision in which the adopting party must agree to return the animal to us if for any reason the proper care of the animal becomes impossible.
Do you place dogs with renters?
Yes, if we are able to include the landlord in the entire process.
If you have concerns about your ability to adopt because of your rental situation, see The Are you Ready to Adopt page where we offer tips and constructive ideas of how to approach the often delicate landlord/tenant relationship. The more proactive and thorough you can be in addressing the issue of adoption with your landlord, the more likely it is that he or she will see you as a responsible person, therefore a responsible pet owner. A reluctant landlord can often be persuaded to let you adopt an animal. Once you have convinced the landlord to allow you to adopt, it’s important that you stick to your agreements to ensure a successful outcome. If your landlord experiences a positive outcome with your situation, he or she will be more likely to allows pets in the future for others. We believe that more animal adoptions would occur if folks in rental situations were allowed access to adoption by their landlords; and we feel it is essential that pet owners take on the cause of demonstrating responsible pet ownership in order to help reverse the negative spin given to the concept of living with animals.
Do you rescue dogs from private owners?
We will take a dog from a private owner when we have the space, but this is rare and we require a donation to help with the costs while the dog is in our care. Because of the terrible shortage of foster homes and the abundance of dogs who are at risk of being killed, most often we cannot do this. We prefer to rescue from the pounds that are “kill facilities,” that is, where animal euthanasia takes place (and most of these facilities kill on a daily basis).
However, if we know of a situation where a private party is about to give up their dog to a shelter, we try to convince them to hang on to the animal a bit longer (providing the animal the benefit of a familiar environment) and to work with us as we attempt to get the dog placed. We hope that the private owners who are trying to place their dog through Bill Foundation are committed enough to their animal that they will be that animal's "foster home" until a new adoption situation can be found.
Under what conditions do you rescue from the pounds?
Most of our dogs come from shelters. When the shelter is unable to hold the dog any longer due to conditions of space, or because of the health of the dog, we will pull the animal as we can. Our ability to pull dogs from shelters rest entirely on whether or not we have the space, this is why foster homes are so important. Foster homes buy the animals time, something they don’t have in a shelter. It is not unusual for animals to be euthanized the same day they are surrendered to a shelter simply because there was “no room in the inn” especially if they are owner turn-ins. For this reason, the availability of foster homes is an essential component of the rescue effort.
If you feel you might like to have a pet but you’re unsure, providing foster care to a dog is an excellent way to spend time with a potential pet to see if it’s a good match for you and your life style. If you would like to consider being a foster care provider, please get in touch with us to discuss the matter further. Our phone numbers: 310-860-0171. Be sure to read the section on our website about Fostering.
Do you only rescue & place certain types of dogs?
We take pride that we do not discriminate against an animal because it's too old, because it has a tail or doesn't have a tail, because it's the "wrong color," size, shape, or parentage. If we encounter animals that would be characterized by pure breed rescue organizations as "acceptable" and meeting their criteria, we alert them of the dog's whereabouts in hopes they have resources available for rescue, foster and placement--then, ideally, we are able to focus on the off-breed (mixed) animals who remain at higher risk and would otherwise have no advocate to intervene on their behalf.
How can I help?
This might NOT be one of our most frequently asked questions, but we WISH it were. There is so much to do that our volunteers have a hard time getting it all done. The need for safe and loving foster homes is enormous - but this can't be just a couple day commitment. We need homes who will watch the dog until he or she is placed. We need phone volunteers to return calls and, when trained, counsel people on how to place - or even better - how to work with their dog to try to keep him or her in the family. We need people to copy, collate, and prepare adoption packets. We need collars, toys, bedding, flea and heartworm medicines. The list is long. See the section on Get Involved
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Fax: (310) 860-9362