Rescue Guidelines

Baja Dogs La Paz, Inc. operates an Adoption Support System for those who rescue dogs.

We do not have a shelter or refuge so we are unable to take dogs in that people bring to us. We also do not take in dogs that one person rescues and assign them to another person to foster and care for. All of the rescuers that we work with in La Paz (called rescatistas) rescue dogs that they feel they can handle in their own home with their existing dogs, children, and families. Anyone can be a rescatista – all it takes is a desire to help a stray/abandoned dog and the commitment to help it get ready for adoption. Many first timers become recurring rescatistas because of the satisfaction they get from seeing the transformation in a dog they rescued and from being a part of the solution to solve the overpopulation of dogs in La Paz. Please read the guidelines on this page and make sure you can comply with them before submitting an intake form.

It is very important, when rescuing, that you do not endanger yourself, your family, other dogs in your home, or further endanger the dog you are rescuing. If you have not rescued a dog in La Paz before, you may want to read How to rescue and Ten Best Practices for Rescuing.

  1. ALWAYS have food, water, and a leash in your car.
  2. Ask people in the neighborhood if the dog has an owner and proceed accordingly.
  3. Take it to a vet right away. Baja Dogs does not have funds to pay for all veterinary costs but we can help with food, vaccines, deworming, and sterilization of females. We do this via a veterinary referral.
  4. If you can’t take the dog into your home, go to his/her place every day to feed him and give him water until you can take him/her in – remember that removing a dog from an environment that s/he knows well without a solution, can actually be worse in the long run.
  5. IN ANY CASE DO NOT RESCUE THE DOG IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE TO TAKE IT AFTERWARDS. Dogs learn food sources, where shelter is, etc. Until you have a complete solution for the dog, leave it alone and help it along in the environment it knows unless you can take it in and care for it.

If you want to rescue a dog, foster it, and are committed to helping it become adoptable, then the rewards are beyond words as you watch a rescue dog blossom under your loving care and, as a result, be selected for adoption by someone here in La Paz, the US, or Canada. Just visit our Happy Tails page to see the hundreds of dogs people in the community have helped to rehabilitate. You will not be alone in this endeavor.

If you are committed to rescuing, fostering, and helping get this dog ready for adoption and would to like enter your dog in our Adoption System, then you can submit an intake form. You will need at least two weeks to have your dog in isolation and observation before we can allow it in our Wellness Clinic or Clinica Preventiva. As soon as we have an opening in our clinic for your dog, we will contact you. Our clinic is held approximately every 2 weeks. While you are waiting for an opening there are many things you can do to get your dog ready for adoption right now. Please read Getting Your Rescued Dog Adopted so that when your dog is assessed for behavior and temperament, it can be listed on our website and Adopt-A-Pet listing sooner.

To enter our program, the dog must be adoptable. If it is aggressive, feral, or not socialized then it is not a suitable pet and you must work with the dog to overcome these issues before listing it with us. Please refer to Getting your rescue dog adopted for the steps you can take to help in your rescued dog’s adoption.