Maine Cocker Spaniel Rescue, Inc. (MCSR) is a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to rescuing American Cocker Spaniels and placing them in loving permanent homes. Founded in 2000, MCSR works closely with veterinarians, shelters and other rescue groups in the state of Maine to save as many of these Cockers as possible.

If you have any questions, comments, or are interested in adopting, please Email us!

Cockers come to us from many places. Some of the dogs come as strays with little or no known history; others are turned over by their owners because they can no longer care for them (divorce, illness, move, etc.). Once in rescue a dog is thoroughly examined by a veterinarian, brought up to date on all its shots, heartworm checked, and spayed or neutered if necessary. No Cocker leaves MCSR without being spayed or neutered. This is an attempt to reduce the number of unwanted and homeless Cockers in the future. The temperament of all the dogs is evaluated and in some cases limited obedience training is given. The dogs are then placed in a foster home or housed in a boarding kennel until a permanent home is found.

To attempt to ensure that the right dog goes to the right home, we have a fairly extensive adoption process that includes:

· submission of an Adoption Application
· agreement with MSCR, Inc.'s Restraint Policy
· a telephone interview
· a home visit by a MCSR volunteer
· reference checks, including your veterinarian and your landlord if you rent your home.

Once these steps are successfully completed, a MCSR volunteer will discuss with you and your family the dogs that are currently in need of a home and together your family and the MCSR volunteer will decide which, if any, of these dogs might be the right one for you. When a dog is found that seems to fit with your family then we will arrange for you and your family to meet the dog. This meeting may be at the dog’s present home or at a “neutral” location, like a park or a friend’s house. If you have other dogs, we encourage that they come along for the initial introduction. After the initial introduction, the MCSR volunteer and you will decide if this is the right dog for you. If it is, you may be able to take your new family member home with you that day, or you may need to wait a few days. Either way you will now need to sign MCSR’s Adoption Agreement.

Because of the thoroughness of our adoption procedures most of our adoptions are complete successes. If for some reason we’ve “missed” and your new dog is not the right one for you and your family, please contact a MCSR representative immediately. We will want to take the dog back and try to find it a new, more suitable home. We will be happy to continue to work with you and your family to find the right dog for you.

You may complete an Adoption Application on line (just click on MCSR Forms) or you can print out an application and mail it to us. Please, if you have any questions contact Kim or June. They are all very happy to answer any questions that you may have.

There are lots of ways, besides adopting, to help homeless Cocker Spaniels in Maine. Many of the dogs are not able to stay in their current home while a new home is found. MCSR is always in need of persons that would like serving as a foster home to a dog. In general the foster family provides for the day-to-day care of their foster dog, while MCSR Inc. takes care of any medical expenses that may occur while the dog is in foster care. If you are interested in becoming a foster home please contact us or you can find a Foster Home Application by clicking on MCSR forms.

In addition to being a foster home there are lots of other ways to help. Dogs frequently come to us without collars or toys so we love getting these as donations. If you have some time and would like to help us by taking a dog to a vet appointment, or picking up a dog from a shelter we can always use help in these areas. And as with most volunteer organizations, we gladly accept any and all financial donations. But the way that you can help the most is to be a responsible pet owner, spay or neuter your pets and help “spread the word” to friends and family about the many, many homeless dogs and the benefits of adopting an older dog.