Our “Square Pegs” Philosophy
The fact is that some dogs and cats just don’t have a chance at a traditional shelter because they’re set up to help the “average” animal who finds itself without a home. And they do a pretty good job of serving the majority…the ones that conform…the ones that fit.
But what about the ones that don’t fit – those “Square Pegs” that will never fit into the round hole of services provided by shelters? Every day, animals at shelters are deemed un-adoptable for many reasons. Sometimes it’s a health issue or injury that shelters see as too costly or time-consuming to address. Other times its emotional instability– the byproduct of a lifetime of neglect or abuse. It doesn’t matter why they don’t fit – only that the shelter isn’t set up to help them. Without someone else stepping in, euthanasia is the inevitable outcome.
And that’s where Indigo comes in. We believe that everyone deserves a chance, and that the right home is out there for everyone. We take those “un-adoptable” Square Pegs and we find a place where they can fit. We provide them with the individualized care they need to succeed – to allow that non-conforming animal to develop into a one-of-a-kind pet. Whatever it takes… whomever it takes to do it.
What Sets Us Apart
Indigo doesn’t focus on numbers. We save one special animal at a time, creating a one-of-a-kind placement plan for each one of a kind pet. Ours are not the kind of animals that are easy to “flip.” It takes time. It takes patience. It takes experience and it takes ongoing resources. Most will only ever learn to thrive in a loving foster home.
We own a beautiful, peaceful farm in Vernonia, Oregon, about an hour outside of Portland. Although we knew that housing most our rescues on that site would not work, we also knew it had potential. Resources are in short supply in the animal rescue world, and it is the "Square Pegs" that are first to suffer the consequences of that shortage. That’s why we have worked to make our efforts largely self-supporting with our for-profit camp-style boarding facility, Indigo Ranch. This for-profit business is wholey owned by Indigo Rescue, and 100% of the profits go to fund our rescue efforts. The Boarding business also "pays'' us a very favorable monthly rent. We have decades of experience helping dogs that are traumatized by a shelter environment, so we are particularly well-suited to offer our canine guests a less stressful time away from home in a beautiful country setting.
Because we own that property and already have a resident there for the boarding business, we are able to also run a small farm animal sanctuary on site, providing a home for many rescued farm animals, including goats, sheep, donkeys, a club-footed pony, alpacas, chickens, geese and the occasional discarded “Easter Bunny."
In short, we do what ever it takes to provide for those animals for which it is most difficult to provide.
We're a small organization with a tiny staff, so our board both determines our direction AND does much of the work necessary to keep us moving. And remember, we are always looking for people with the skills and motivation we need to help us meet new challenges going forward!
Get a really good idea of the work we do by watching this video we produced for our 25th Anniversary Celebration in May of 2024.
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