Thanks for the encouragement. I'll be checking back frequently!
Oh and let me take this opportunity to stress that I am not suddenly against rescues, and I don't think that all rescues are illegitimate or anything of the sort (I don't want my words to get twisted). I am just concerned about finding a trustworthy one as there seem to be so many of them all of a sudden - and sites like Petfinder don't have the will or the resources to check on the rescues which post on their site. I've also been trying to find a group I can volunteer for, and am hearing that some rescues treat their volunteers/fosters very poorly, etc - plus I'm getting the feeling that nobody wants my help, despite the pleas posted on their sites!
Hope you all understand I'm not knocking rescue! Just need a little guidance, that's all