- 1). Determine your start-up needs. You will require ample living space for each chihuahua -- including shelter from the cold and elements -- a budget for food, maintenance and pet bills, and a willingness to devote time to their care. You also should determine the range of your rescue operation. Do you want to focus on a single city, or will you open your rescue shelter on a county- or even a statewide level? Luckily, chihuahuas are very small dogs, so you should be able to accommodate them more easily than you would, say, a St. Bernard.
- 2). Based on your needs, prepare a detailed budget determining exactly how much money you will require each year, how many chihuahuas you can support with it, and how you intend to cover your expenses. You also should prepare a list of specific goals, detailing the overall purpose of your operation and what you intend to achieve with it. If you intend to help chihuahuas find permanent homes, you should prepare a list of criteria for anyone who wishes to adopt from you. Chihuahuas can be temperamental, which means they are not good for families or noisy situations. They make excellent pets for people living in apartments, however, as well as elderly people living quiet lives.
- 3). Contact the IRS and ask for an application to become a 5013c nonprofit organization. You'll need to fill out Form 1023 and follow the instructions as laid out in Publication 557. This will provide you with tax benefits for your operation and is generally the simplest way to proceed.
- 4). Contact the state of Maryland and request an article of incorporation. You will need it to legally open a chihuahua rescue.
- 5). Consult the zoning board of your local Maryland town or principality and inform it that you intend to open a chihuahua rescue operation. It may have specific rules about the number of animals you may keep in your home and will likely request regular inspections to ensure that you are running a safe and healthy operation.
- 6). Contact the Maryland SPCA for information on local shelters, adoption programs and chihuahuas in need of somewhere to live. You can also contact local shelters directly and tell them that you are prepared to shelter any purebred chihuahuas which they take in. County humane societies in Maryland are excellent resources as well.
- 7). Look for fellow chihuahua lovers to volunteer at your shelter. Additional hands are always useful for walking, feeding, trips to the vet and cleanup duties. The SPCA and similar animal lovers groups can provide a list of names and phone numbers of people who may be able to help.
- 8). Advertise your shelter by passing out fliers, starting up a Website or running an ad in your local paper. Let people know that you are accepting donations and invite qualified applicants to consider adopting one of your dogs.
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