Guidelines for Rescue & Health Research Funding

The primary objective of the Tibetan Spaniel Club of America Rescue and Health Trust (“the Trust”) is to provide financial assistance for health research and to support efforts to rescue Tibetan Spaniels in need. To this end, the Trustees shall work with the Tibetan Spaniel Club of America Inc.’s (TSCA) Rescue Coordinator(s), confer with TSCA Advisors to the Trust, and shall engage in periodic fund raising activities to meet the financial needs of these endeavors. The Trust will provide complete accountability and transparency of its financial status by publishing income and expenses on www.tstrust.org on a regular basis and by providing periodic reports to the TSCA Board of Directors. The following Guidelines are provided as a general framework for disbursement of Trust funds.

Rescue Funding Guidelines

The Tibetan Spaniel Club of America Rescue & Health Trust (“the Trust”) provides financial resources to assist in the rescue and placement of Tibetan Spaniels in need of re-homing. We coordinate these efforts with the Tibetan Spaniel Club of America, Inc. (“TSCA”) Advisors to the Trust and with the TSCA Rescue Coordinator and TSCA Regional Coordinators to provide the best benefit to the dogs. A Tibetan Spaniel in need of re-homing who is identified as being owned or bred by a member of TSCA Inc. is not a rescue dog but the responsibility of the owner(s) and/or breeder of record.

A rescue is defined as any Tibetan Spaniel who is without an owner and is homeless for any reason.
A Tibetan Spaniel who is owned by a person or persons, including a Pet Shop or Commercial Breeder/Puppy Mill, is not considered a rescue. Rescue is not a placement service for those who do not want to keep a dog.
A rescue that is a biter, terminally ill, or otherwise deemed unadoptable should be humanely euthanized.
All rescue dogs shall be spayed or neutered and vetted by a licensed veterinarian before placement

Veterinary Protocol for Tibetan Spaniel Rescues

Tibetan Spaniels Being Re-homed

All shots must be up to date, including rabies and DHPP. Dogs must be currently on heartworm medication. If the dog is not currently on heartworm medication, blood work is to be completed to rule out heartworms and heartworm medication is to begin after heartworm testing returns a negative result. A fecal sample should be taken and worm medications administered if necessary. Teeth and nails are to be checked. If nails are seriously overgrown, they are to be trimmed to an appropriate length under anesthetic if quicking is necessary. Teeth are to be cleaned if excessive tartar and periodontal disease is present. Both procedures should be completed under one general anesthetic. All rescue dogs/bitches should be neutered or spayed before placement. At time of spaying, the veterinarian should check for mammary tumors.

Tibetan Spaniels Acquired From a Shelter or Puppy Mill

The Trust does not provide funds for the purchase of dogs from pet shops or puppy mills but will reimburse fees for releasing Tibetan Spaniels to TSCA Rescue from licensed animal shelters on a pre-approved basis. In the case of dogs acquired from puppy mills, and dogs that are in the care of rescue groups that charge a fee to re-home dogs, the Trust shall not reimburse veterinary expenses unless the dogs are first relinquished to TSCA Rescue.

Skin, ears, nails, and teeth are to be evaluated. If ears, teeth, and nails are in need of extensive care, all are to receive care under one anesthetic procedure, if possible. Blood work for heartworm testing and brucellosis (brucellosis if you are a breeder and keep the rescue on your premises) should be done. Fecal testing should be done and worm medication administered if necessary. The dog is to receive all necessary vaccinations: rabies, DHPP, etc.

Other Considerations

If a Tibetan Spaniel shows signs of hyper-pigmentation, is noticeably overweight, lethargic, and/or has appreciable thinning of coat, thyroid testing may be done at the same time as heartworm testing.

Any Tibetan Spaniel taken into rescue exhibiting signs of aggression is to have a full panel of blood work including thyroid testing and cortisol level check. If all blood work is normal, a fasting bile acid test followed by feeding and a repeat of the bile acid test (evaluating for liver disease which can cause a build-up of ammonia toxins in the blood and aggressive behavior) should be done. We also suggest that you immediately place the dog/bitch on a low protein/vegetarian diet and watch for changes in behavior.

Any Tibetan Spaniel 8 years or older should have a complete blood work-up to ascertain the health of an aging Tibetan Spaniel.

The Trust should be notified of any major health issues noted during veterinary exam.
Expenditures should have prior approval from the Trust before the care/service is provided. The Trust shall approve expenses up to $500 per dog, to cover the cost of vet care and to include 1-2 days boarding prior to dogs being placed in a foster home. On a case-by-case basis, funds for transporting a dog to foster care may be approved. Additional funds may be approved on a case-by-case basis, but MUST be approved in advance of expenditure to be eligible for reimbursement. The attached form will be submitted, along with all receipts, to the Trust Treasurer for reimbursement.

Tibetan Spaniel Club of America Rescue & Health Trust

Health Related Funding Guidelines

The Tibetan Spaniel Club of America Rescue & Health Trust (“the Trust”) encourages breeders and owners of Tibetan Spaniels to be proactive in maintaining the general health and well-being of the breed. To this end the Trust shall when possible and prudent:

Make donations to relevant research
Perform health surveys
Provide financial assistance to Tibbie owners who incur vet expenses related to health research.

Data generated from periodic surveys will be considered when funding health research and studies. Each request for funds will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Health surveys will be conducted on a periodic basis, as determined by the Trustees, but no less than every 10 years. Reimbursement of vet expenses related to health research and studies (i.e., DNA, blood work for PRA, liver shunt, etc.) must be submitted to the Trust and approved in advance of the procedures.