How We Got Started

by Claudia Sharp

The BTCA Rescue Support Committee was formed in 1995 to financially help regional bull terrier clubs with their rescue expenses. The BTCA board recognized that many regional clubs did not have the funds to support rescue. The BTCA board felt they had a responsibility to the breed and to the regional clubs, as the parent club, to assist with funding.

Regional clubs are on the front line of rescue. They are the ones looked upon as caretakers of the breed. It is through their commitment, that bull terriers in need are rescued, rehabilitated and placed. Fortunately, for bull terriers, there are also individuals who assist with rescue that are not close to a regional club.

The first Rescue Support Committee members were Claudia Sharp, Chairman, Marilyn Sibley, Norma Shepherd, Sandra Hill Cowan, and Susan Murphy. Our mission was to identify regional club needs and come up with a fair and equitable distribution of funds. The committee was the first to use AOL Chat for meetings and met almost weekly online for a year. Some of our meetings were "hot", but we battled it out until we came up with a plan that was mutually satisfactory to all.

In the first year, the RSC put together a rescue manual that was distributed to all regional clubs. It contained educational material, posters and forms to assist clubs with their rescue program. A rescue network was compiled and put on the BTCA web site listing regional club contacts and individuals in all areas of the US. The committee also recommended to the BTCA board that all recognized regional clubs be eligible to receive $350.00 per year as rescue reimbursement for veterinary and shelter expenses. Expenses were to be submitted to the Chairman for review and sent to the BTCA Treasurer for payment. Disbursement and funding were reported to the membership quarterly in the BTCA minutes.

Funding for regional club reimbursement is supported by the BTCA Silent Auction and donations to BTCA Rescue Support.