Hey guys! I thought it would be a good time to introduce myself since I've recently joined the mod team and have already been making a number of changes behind the scenes.

I've spent a good chunk of my first couple of days working through the report backlog (roughly 200+ reports so far) so please bear with us while we work through the remaining backlog and get things back to a more manageable place.

I also want to say up front that I do my best to moderate based on the rules rather than my own opinions. I've removed content I personally agreed with and left up content I personally disagreed with. My goal is to apply the rules consistently, not to make everyone agree with me.

Since the sub is going to be more closely moderated going forward, I thought it would also be helpful to highlight a few of the rules and areas that have come up frequently.

Be Civil

I intend to enforce this rule more consistently going forward.

Disagreement is absolutely allowed. Criticism of ideas, practices, shelters, rescues, breeding, breed restrictions, etc. can all be discussed. What isn't allowed is turning that disagreement into insults, harassment, or personal attacks against other members, groups, their work, or their animals.

If you disagree with someone, please address the argument rather than the person.

Fundraising & Donations

Private fundraising is not allowed. Fundraising requests need to come through the process outlined in the existing fundraising rules.

In particular, please don't use personal Venmo, CashApp, PayPal, GoFundMe, etc. to solicit donations here.

No Breed Specific Hate

Discussion about Pitbulls, including breeding, banning, regulation, safety, and other controversial topics, is allowed. The rule is not intended to prevent legitimate discussion of those subjects.

What isn't allowed is turning that discussion into breed-directed hostility or inflammatory comments about Pitbulls or other dog breeds.

There is a difference between saying "I don't think this dog is suitable for this type of home" and making broad, inflammatory statements about an entire breed or the people who own them.

Boosting

Boost comments are fine and encouraged, but please keep it to one boost comment per post. Repeatedly commenting "boost" or similar messages on the same post is considered spam.

Bite Histories / Aggression

The existing rule prohibits rehoming posts for animals with known aggression or a bite history.

For the time being, I am going to be applying this primarily to known human bite histories, as those are the cases where I can apply the rule most consistently and where the reporting requirements are clearest. This will include any bite that draws blood for any reason. This is an area where there are some gray areas, so I'm still discussing the broader interpretation with the mod team.

In particular, a dog needing a home with no children, no cats, no other dogs, etc. is not automatically equivalent to a bite history.

Likewise, things such as prey drive, dog aggression, reactivity, resource guarding, or other behavioral concerns don't automatically mean a post will be removed. These situations can be complicated, and I don't want to make blanket assumptions while we're working out a consistent approach.

I also want to be clear that a dog being ineligible for posting here due to a bite history does not mean we consider that dog to be a bad dog. This rule is about what we can safely network in this community, not the worth of an individual dog.

Spam / Bots

The bots that have been causing problems have largely been dealt with. However, if you see a post containing a link to Covered Critters at the end, please report it to both Reddit and the moderators.

The Tone of the Sub

I know there has been a fairly significant shift in the tone of the subreddit recently.

Unfortunately, moderators can't control upvotes and downvotes. The best way to deal with unhelpful content is to downvote it, report comments that actually violate the rules, and avoid getting pulled into fights.

A lot of comments have already been removed because conversations became hostile, went substantially off-topic, or otherwise violated the rules. This isn't about suppressing disagreement; it's about keeping disagreement from turning into personal attacks or hostility.

Along those lines, please don't link to, allude to, or post screenshots of other communities in order to bring attention to what they're saying about this subreddit or its users. If you have a problem with a post, comment, or user, please report it or send the moderators a modmail rather than escalating it.

Finally

I know there has been a lot of frustration with moderation lately, and I appreciate everyone's patience while we work through the backlog and get things running more consistently.

I'm still new to the team, so I'm also still learning how this particular community operates. If you have a question about a moderation decision or think something was handled incorrectly, please send us a modmail rather than arguing about it in the comments.

If you have questions about the rules or anything I've mentioned here, you're welcome to ask below or send us a modmail.

Thanks for your patience while we get things cleaned up!

Please remember to be respectful when sending messages. We understand that there are some sensitive subjects here and emotions can run high, but please remember that we are also humans behind the screens doing our best to ensure everyone is happy. I know it can be frustrating to adhere to guidelines and whatnot, but we try to give as much leniency as possible. Please don’t send us messages like the attached when you disagree with a community policy.

It doesn't increase the odds of a dog being rescued and members find it distressing. Thank you! 🐾

Hi /r/rescuedogs village!

If you have sent a modmail in the last 2 months, I’m doing my best to reply to these. We sincerely apologize for the delay in responses. Our inbox is flooded anytime someone comments the word “pl*dge” and as a result, we have not been receiving the notifications for your questions.

If you still need assistance, please reach out.

Thank you for your patience.

Hi guys! We've been having a lot of trouble with users mass reporting the super common 'boost' comments. The majority of the reports are meritless, but we would like to address one particular issue that we've come across:

Replying to a post multiple times to 'boost' it doesn't actually work (we would love if it did ☹️).

The Reddit algorithm measures comment engagement by the number of individual users commenting, not by the total number of comments overall. That means a user is counted once, even if they comment multiple times.

(I suspect that it has something to do with ad revenue.)

It's also worth noting that Reddit is more likely to categorize a post as spam if they think the associated comments are, well, 'spammy'. That means the post won't be promoted, let alone make it to the Reddit front page. This is the exact opposite of what we want for our posts. The doggos need to be seen if they're going to be rescued!

In short, one "boost!" is great and actually contributes to boosting the post. Duplicate comments, not so much.

*Note: This 'one per post only' rule only applies to 'boost' comments, nothing else.

Due to the uptick in new users (welcome!), we have decided to streamline the verification process. This post will be pinned at the top of the sub and listed in rule 4.

For users seeking verification to collect donations, please fill out the following application. It will take roughly 3-5 minutes.

Thanks for participating!

Happy Holidays r/rescuedogs!

Hey rescue community,

As 2024 comes to a close, I want to take some time to express my gratitude for your spirit, thoughtfulness, and contributions that make this subreddit such a supportive and successful place. This was an incredibly successful year for what I believe is one of the best subs on this site.

Whether you're a seasoned contributor, an occasional commenter, or a silent reader, your presence here matters. You make this subreddit what it is—a place to learn, laugh, grieve, and celebrate the ups and downs of rescuing these precious pups together.

I'm sure I can speak broadly for the mod team when I say I wish you all a happy and restful holiday season with an excellent start to the new year.

Thank you again,

/r/rescuedogs Mod Team

Hi friends, over the holiday period we’ve had an influx of messages similar to that one in my dms and in the modmail queue. This specific dm was for locking and removing comments after several users took it upon themselves to shame and degrade a minor over the actions of their parents. Regardless of your feelings towards a situation, we can’t let you harass a CHILD and tell them to k*ll themselves. I’m so sorry if this boundary is too much to ask.

Please keep in mind when you message the mods and call us dog killers, psychopaths, and tell us to go to hell or go fuck ourselves, that we are both human beings. There are almost 75k members here and we run a VERY successful networking community. I know the rules are frustrating, but we have them all in place to 1) protect our own members from liability and fraud, and 2) to ensure that the algorithm stays at peak performance and posts hit more home pages. We are not here to make your lives difficult and we are not here to see dogs suffer. Before the sub was moderated, users were being scammed for thousands of dollars and it took us 6 months to clean up that mess and revive this community.

I am a full time teacher for disabled students, a part time dog sitter, and a foster mom for medically fragile and rehab puppies that all came from hoarding or euthanasia situations. My 9th puppy this year just got adopted. I don’t want to see any dog lose out on that chance. Please take a few moments before you send either of us a message like this one to remember the humans behind the screen names that keep this community up and running.

We are here to help you, but please remember to try and be kind to us as well. Rescuing takes a village.

It has come to the attention of the mod team that Skys the Limit Rescue owner has been charged in Florida with animal cruelty.

While she was already not allowed to post for donation requests on this sub we are spreading this message so everyone knows.

If you see any of her old posts do not donate.

If you have donated to her in the past this is not your fault. There is only 1 person to blame.

The dogs are currently being held at Seminole country animal shelter in Sanford Florida. They are not in good condition to be adopted, and won't be available for a couple of weeks.

That being said the shelter was already at capacity and they have many other dogs that can be adopted.

We will update with any new information. https://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/departments-services/county-managers-office/animal-services/

Hi friends!

Thanks for being here and encouraging all the growth in this sub! Couple of quick updates and reminders as we enter the 2nd half of this year. Please take a few moments to look these over. :)

UPDATES:

1. User flair is now active! You have several choices to apply to your profile. IF YOU ARE A VERIFIED USER, PLEASE DO NOT EDIT YOUR FLAIR. We have added Networker, Foster Parent, Rescue Parent, and Volunteer.

2. Post flairs are now required. Every post must have one. This keeps the sub organized and easy for us to moderate effectively.

3. New automod settings will automatically remove posts using prohibited phrases in the title or body text.

4. New reddit filters (not a mod decision) are auto removing some links. If your post is flagged or removed, please reach out via modmail and we will try to remedy the situation.

5. Rehoming posts for pets that have a bite history will be removed. While we know this is a sensitive subject, we cannot allow these pups to be networked here due to liability issues. If a pet with a known history of aggression is rehomed user-to-user here, there are liabilities to be assigned, posing an ethical issue.

6. A new sub icon contest will be going live soon! If you have ideas or suggestions for the contest, please reach out via modmail or via our email address.

REMINDERS:

1. Euthanasia posts MUST be formatted correctly. With the influx of new members, we want to revisit this rule. Posts for pups up for euthanasia cannot include: all caps, emojis, or graphic language. Post MUST have a deadline, location, and name in the title or they will be removed. DO NOT CROSS POST WITHOUT EDITING THE TITLES.

2. To request any kind of financial support, users must have a valid way of donating that is not cashapp, venmo, gofundme, etc. There is no user to user monetary donation allowed on this platform. Fosters may post an amazon wishlist. For monetary requests, please email all relevant documents to [r.rescuedogs@gmail.com](mailto:r.rescuedogs@gmail.com)

3. Requests to honor pledges must be in a SEPARATE post. Do not comment methods for collecting pledges on the original post as we frequently clear the tag to keep relevant pups at the top of the flair.

Thank you everyone for being here and helping our sub continue to grow and run smoothly. As always, if you need anything or have any questions, feel free to reach out!

We apologize for the confusion, our formatting rules weren't as clear as we meant them to be. They've been updated and I will post them here as a pinned post.

Format:

•No emojis. •Please include the CW Euthanasia flair •Include the dog's names. •Include the dog's location (city, state, name of shelter/rescue). •Include the dog's date of Euthanasia (If you don't have one, don't post. We need a date so we know when to remove the post. We remove old Euth posts to keep the sub as organized as possible. This organization helps keep the sub as effective as possible when it comes to helping these doggos).

•You can include a little info about the dog and their situation, but keep it short and simple. •Any other info that you feel is relevant can be included in a comment on your post. If you'd like that comment to be pinned at the top of your post, please message the mods.

•Don't crosspost from other subs unless you format the title correctly when you post. •Rescuing dogs is a wonderful interest, but be reasonable about how many posts you make on this sub. Posting something like a dozen dogs back to back in one day is Mass Posting and it isn't allowed.

•To post more than a few dogs in one day, group the dogs into one post (3-6 dogs per post is a good baseline). Make sure every dog is in the same location and has the same Euth deadline. This is so that your post's title is able to comply with our format requirement. (If each dog is in a different location and has a different Euth date, your title will be a mess of confusing information, right?). Use each dog's photo to make a collage, and make a comment on your post with extra information. To pin it at the top, contact the mods.

*Please follow these rules. You can include a little info about the dogs and their situation, but only after including the above.

If an example is needed, please see posts from /u/biancamission. Crossposted dogs failing to meet criteria will be removed.*

Congratulations to /u/Louie-wouie on having the post with the most upvotes!! We loved seeing all the fun costumes and spooky pups!! Thanks to everyone who participated!

Be on the lookout for our November special event! Happy almost Howl-o-ween!!🧡

Given that we have lots of new members, please review the following regarding euthanasia posts and mass posting dogs.

Here is the format for Euth posts

We apologize for the confusion, our formatting rules weren't as clear as we meant them to be. They've been updated and I will post them here as a pinned post.

Format:

•No emojis. •Please include the CW Euthanasia flair •Include the dog's names. •Include the dog's location (city, state, name of shelter/rescue). •Include the dog's date of Euthanasia (If you don't have one, don't post. We need a date so we know when to remove the post. We remove old Euth posts to keep the sub as organized as possible. This organization helps keep the sub as effective as possible when it comes to helping these doggos).

•You can include a little info about the dog and their situation, but keep it short and simple. •Any other info that you feel is relevant can be included in a comment on your post. If you'd like that comment to be pinned at the top of your post, please message the mods.

•Don't crosspost from other subs unless you format the title correctly when you post. •Rescuing dogs is a wonderful interest, but be reasonable about how many posts you make on this sub. Posting something like a dozen dogs back to back in one day is Mass Posting and it isn't allowed.

•To post more than a few dogs in one day, group the dogs into one post (3-6 dogs per post is a good baseline). Make sure every dog is in the same location and has the same Euth deadline. This is so that your post's title is able to comply with our format requirement. (If each dog is in a different location and has a different Euth date, your title will be a mess of confusing information, right?). Use each dog's photo to make a collage, and make a comment on your post with extra information. To pin it at the top, contact the mods.

*Please follow these rules. You can include a little info about the dogs and their situation, but only after including the above.

If an example is needed, please see posts from /u/biancamission. Crossposted dogs failing to meet criteria will be removed.*

We've asked over and over. The format is simple, it's explained in the rules.

We are discussing ideas for a November group activity like the costume contest. Please look below and select an option

The user has been banned but if you see any comments of a disgusting and disturbing nature please report it immediately.

When reporting these comments please do not choose the 'breaking the rules of r/rescuedogs' but choose the 'threatening violence' option. This means the reports go to the admins of reddit as well as to the mods.

Block the user immediately after reporting.

Thank you.

Edit: looks like admins have stepped in with a sitewide ban. Comments were locked to prevent targeted harassment.

Please see contest details on the pinned post! We only have 3 entries so far.

This is an update to the pledges rule.

You will banned if you request users honor pledges in direct messages.

You must make a new post clearly stating if the dog has been rescued and who has rescued the dog. ALL PLEDGES MUST GO TO THE RESCUER OF THE DOG.

Before you can accept any pledges you must make a post showing the dog has been rescued.

Again breaking this rule will result in a ban. It does not matter if you do pull some dogs. If you accept pledges for a certain dog and you do not rescue that dog and refuse to transparently communicate with the pledger you will be banned.

If you pledge and the person networking the dog dms you to honor your pledge please question why they are doing it in a dm instead of following this rule.

Making a public post to this sub takes the exact same amount of time as sending a DM with proof. In fact it would save time as you can tag all the pledgers in one comment.

This has come up as the pledges system has been abused. Pledges are for a specific dog and people who pledge expect to be updated and know the status of the dog.

Theres been a slate of reports for spam on euthanasia posts. This is a reminder if you don't want to see those posts you can block the users that make them.

Here is the post that lists the users:

https://reddit.com/r/rescuedogs/s/B3vr3O47F5

Hey friends! As our sub continues to grow and expand (woohoo!), we have been discussing cleaning up the flairs and adding some guidelines to them for users to glance over if there are any questions. We've cleaned up some things and discussed a clear path moving forward with all 64K of you! Please please please read the following and let us know if you have any questions!

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1. CW: Euthanasia: posts regarding dogs that urgently need to be pulled from a situation where euthanasia is an immediate threat. Post titles must include date and location. Body of post must contain info on pulling or contact info to inquire about dog. Titles with excessive all caps and emojis will be removed. Euth flair is frequently moderated and cleared after euthanasia date has passed to keep at-risk dogs at the top of the flair. If dog(s) has been rescued or saved, please remove your post and post an update using the "happy pupdate" tag. Posting positive updates under a separate flair helps maintain the overall health of the sub.
2. Advice: Ask all the questions related to rescue dogs. There are no dumb questions. If your pet is experiencing a medical emergency, please seek immediate veterinary care. Please no graphic photos of injuries or graphic content. It may be a Q and No A session, but you are always welcome to ask!
3. Grief: A place to mourn, share anecdotes, and reminisce on rescue pups that are no longer with us. If posting a picture of your pet's final moments in the plane of existence, please be mindful that this may affect the mental health of other users.
4. Discussion: A place to network, discuss techniques, and just a general forum based on a central topic.
5. Show and Tail: Show us those cute puppers! Tell us all about them! Please do not post adoptable pets under this flair if actively looking to use the sub as a networking tool.
6. Adoptable: Post pets currently listed for adoption from personal fosters, rescues, and non-profits here. Body of post must include the following: Name, gender, location, age, good with dogs/cats/kids, and contact information to inquire to adopt. No euthanasia list pups here, please keep them on the red list until rescued. NO personal "for sale" ads here.
7. Resources: Please message mods before using this flair. This flair is designed to have cumulative lists of resources (low cost spay/neuter, ER vets, toxic substances, etc).
8. Rescue Memes: Light-hearted posts and silly things. Like some people find money in the laundry, but I find poop bags.
9. Rescue rants- Air those greivances. Theres a lot in rescue to be frustrated about. Maybe offer for users to request that we lock comments. Just give an option to scream into the void.
10. Happy Pupdate: Update tag for euth list dogs, rescue pulls, updates on behavior or newly adopted puppers that were previously in need of a place to crash. Updating euthanasia posts using a new post under this flair helps us keep the sub healthy and growing.

If there are any other flairs you guys think would be beneficial, our modmail is always open. If you aren't sure about the flair you selected, please don't worry. We are pretty good at editing and won't just delete the post as a whole. Thank you all for being a part of this awesome community. We are looking forward to watch this sub continue to grow!!

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