Big Dogs Huge Paws, inc
Our Mission
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 training to ensure that the entire foster team is on the same page and has the tools they need for success. 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 Officers, a Senior Management Team, and Coordinators. 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.
Adoption Policy
Many of the gentle giants that come into our rescue have been neglected or abused. Others have simply been abandoned by their owners due to a divorce, a new baby, moving, or natural disaster. We are often told that they got “too big” or “too expensive” and many of the dogs below come to us with very little training. Despite their past, rescue dogs are incredibly forgiving and very eager to please. They have so much to give and are all very special. We are looking for forever homes and permanent families who will love their new addition unconditionally and give them the love and support they need and deserve for the rest of their lives.
Adoption Requirements and Guidelines
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 and the information must be verified and approved by a BDHPI representative.
c. All appli