Before the phrase "animal rescue group" was even coined, most groups operating as such were mostly breeders and some volunteers who were touched by the plight of abandoned animals.
It was not a popular endeavor, merely a morally necessary one.
In recent years, many animal rescue groups have surfaced, which may be a good thing if all of them actually took part in rescues and did not serve a fronts for puppy mills.
Havanese rescue groups are part of this growing trend and if you're looking to adopt a dog of that breed, that group is invaluable.
So keep in mind that some Havanese rescue groups may actually be impostors, claiming to be what they are not, or are at least working in tandem with puppy mills.
You may not believe this, but there have been reports that some puppy mill operators pose as rescue groups, which then charge people a higher than normal fee for their supposedly rescued pups, or pass their unhealthy dogs at heavily discounted rates.
You can't really trust many breeders these days, since many of them are part of puppy mills, which breed designer dogs with no regard for the health of the bred pups - what's important to them is that you buy their pups, not whether the pups survive their usual fifteen year lifespan.
There are also certain differences in how rescues operate, different operations, focus, and practices that may affect how they take in, evaluate, and place rescued dogs.
There are also variations in how rescues evaluate possible candidate adoptive home.
For these reasons, you are to inquire about the rescue group's workings, that is if you are thinking of joining or supporting their efforts, or are considering adopting from them.
About the their rescue procedures -about how they obtain their rescues, if and how the rescues are evaluated before placement.
About the potential adoptive home, does the rescue group regularly perform their screening before dogs are placed in them.
You also should ask about how the rescue group is using donations.
It's good to be clear on how the funds are primarily being used - for maintaining the needs of the group, or for the dogs.
Keep in mind that donations may also be used to buy dogs from puppy mills and shops and commercial breeders.
You could always say this is a noble cause, as it "saves" dogs, too, but it's also one revenue source for those unscrupulous people.
The reason is that it's encouraging puppy mills to keep selling their pups - it actually expands their clientele, from just pet owners to rescue organizations.
Which is why breeding clubs and kennel clubs usually do not support this kind of rescue group fund usage.
You should also ask about whether donations are used on operations that may be expensive instead of being used to rescue a larger number of dogs.