Dogs

Big Dogs Huge Paws, Inc

Aurora, CO 80046

About

We want to share with you our vision on how to address the urgent and growing need for a responsible, long term, and self sustaining Giant Breed Rescue in today’s society. Big Dogs Huge Paws was founded on the core philosophy is that every "BIG" dog deserves a chance. Our goal is to make sure that every dog receives only the best of care, food, and training. We will also ensure that they are properly evaluated (medically and behaviorally) and placed according to their special needs. Our medical officer and veterinarian team will provide first aid training to all foster volunteers and health seminars about the latest developments in animal medicine. We work actively with professional behaviorists who train each foster home how to handle introductions, properly evaluate dogs, work through specific behavioral issues, etc. Foster families undergo quarterly training sessions in order to maintain everyone's skills and abilities and ensure that the entire foster team is on the same page and has the tools they need for success. We will be working toward a special therapy dog training program as we identify dogs that would be good candidates and other potential partnerships. Eventually, our goal is to secure an actual facility where we can work with special behavioral or medical cases to give them the optimal chance of success! The dogs we have chosen to focus our rescue efforts on include Akbash, Anatolian Shepherds, Great Danes, Great Pyrenees, Leonbergers, Mastiffs (all types), Mountain Dogs (all types), Newfoundlands, Irish Wolfhounds, and Scottish Deerhounds. There is a huge need due to the fact that most of these breeds do not have any legitimate rescue options and there are always more dogs in need than any one organization can help. We will be taking a unique approach to public awareness and reaching outside of the box in our efforts. Community outreach and public relations are extremely important to Big Dogs Huge Paws. We believe that through being proactive and serving as a resource to the public as well as working together with the rest of the rescue community, we can decrease the number of dogs needing rescue in the first place and ensure that no gentle giant in need is forgotten or left behind. We have done a lot of research by talking with different local and national rescues and studying their organizational strengths and weaknesses. We have coupled that with our own first hand rescue experience and have decided the best way to protect the new rescue from the vulnerabilities and political issues that so many rescues suffer from is to build the management structure more like a true business. Our leadership team consists of an upper tier of corporate officers, including a CEO/Chief Executive Officer, COO/Chief Operating Officer, CFO/Chief Financial Officer, CAO/Chief Administrative Officer and CMO/Chief Medical Officer. Then there is a Senior Management Team including Accounting Director, Operations Director, Retail Director, Information's Technology Director, Fundraising Director, Human Resource Director, Marketing Director, Media Director, Community Outreach Director, and Foster Director. Each member of our team is appointed by the officers based on their skills and abilities - rather than voted into office due to their popularity or the lack of other qualified candidates willing to run. Our primary goal with the organizational structure is to build a cohesive and respectful team of professionals who we can trust to "oversee" the daily operations and put together teams of volunteers to carry out the actual day to day activities. This strategy not only gets more volunteers involved, but removes the tremendous burden directors often experience in non-profit organizations. The directors "delegate" responsibilities which enables them to truly make a difference and not get bogged down with doing everything themselves. Our goal was to create a very positive and efficient working environment based on trust and merit to enable change and progress as we grow! Big Dogs Huge Paws was officially incorporated as "Big Dogs Huge Paws, Inc" on June 11, 2008. Our EIN number is: 26-2780979.

Pets available

Dogs

Adoption process

Complete the adoption application and then email it to WeCare@bigdogshugepaws.com. Adoption Requirements: a. Applicants must have never been convicted of any animal abuse laws. b. All potential adopters must completely fill out and sign the adoption application. The completed forms should be emailed to wecare@bigdogshugepaws.com or faxed back to us at 303-474-5861. c. The information will be verified and approved by a BDHPI representative. d. All applicants who live in a rental property must provide a signed letter of approval from their landlord giving permission to house a giant breed dog. e. All adopting individuals must be at least 21 years of age. f. Applicants with children under 5* will be reviewed by executive committee for any special exceptions. {*Note: All Giant Breeds placed in homes with children under 5 will have a proven track record with children – no unknown history permitted.) We will consider: Giant breed experience; Fostering experience; Behavioral training experience. g. Applicants must allow a BDHPI representative to bring a giant breed dog into your home to inspect the house and yard and to get to know all family members and other pets as well as educate all household members about giant breeds. h. Applicants must be willing to keep their giant breed dog indoors unless supervised, especially in extreme hot or cold temperatures. i. Applicants must be willing to feed a high quality food and provide proper nutrition to a giant breed dog. j. All dogs placed by BDHPI will be spayed/neutered, gastropexied (when possible), vaccinated for distemper/parvo, rabies, and bordetella, and heartworm tested. New owners will receive copies of all available vet information and must agree to keep them current on all of the above. k. All applicants must demonstrate their ability to properly exercise and keep a dog safe when going to the bathroom. All fences must be in good repair. If no fence at residence, applicants must be committed to: Leashed walks, Exercise alternatives: Doggy daycare, 3-4 walks/day (daily trips to local dog park). BDHPI does not permit the use of shock or electronic collars, including invisible fence prong collars. The reason for our policy is that invisible fences are not sufficient enough to contain or manage the behavior of giant breed dogs. Most of the breeds we adopt out are guard dogs and will run through a shock, regardless of pain or discomfort, in order to protect their territory. Shock collars can elicit and/or contribute to aggressive behaviors as well. An invisible fence is not 'tangible', and thus can make a guard dog more frustrated, reactive, protective, and even dangerous. Should you adopt from BDHPI, you would be required to leash walk your dog at all times if you do not have a fenced in yard. Once you have attended obedience classes and established a strong recall with distractions, it may be possible to let your dog off leash in the yard WHILE SUPERVISED, but only once you are able to establish yard boundaries and know, without a doubt, that your dog will come when called. l. All adopting individuals must be willing to attend an obedience class with their new addition. No choke chain, prong, or shock collars will be permitted for training purposes.Approved alternatives include: Gentle Leader Head Collar, Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness, Halte, or Regular Collar. m. In the event an adoption does not work out, applicants must agree to return the dog to BDHPI rather than rehoming the dog themselves. n. All adopting individuals must agree to pay a adoption fee at the time of the placement(we spend on average $575 per dog): $425 minimum for adult dogs, $550 purebred puppies under 6 months, $425 mixed puppies under 6 months, $50 spay/neuter deposit for puppies under 6 months, $250 seniors. The adoption fee is NOT tax deductible. We can't do what we do without your support! o. We typically do not adopt out giant breed puppies to families that are new to giant breeds. In order to be considered experienced you must have personally owned a purebred giant breed and been solely responsible financially and otherwise for the dog's care. The reason for our policy regarding giant breed puppies is because they can be a lot for someone inexperienced with extra large dogs to handle! You wouldn't believe the number of puppies we get turned into rescue for this very reason. They are capable of mass destruction (couches, tables and chairs vs. shoes and books) and can be quite challenging to establish alpha over if you don't know what you are doing. We have found that it works best for families new to owning giant breeds to consider a dog in the 3+ year old range who has outgrown the destructive puppy phase and adolescent attitude. At 3 years of age is when most giant breeds finish growing and start to mature and mellow out. It makes for a much more positive and less challenging experience for first time owners!