Rescue Groups | 489 species, and because of these animals’ unique behavioral and physical needs These groups must attempt to place birds, reptiles and other non-domesticated animals into new homes, while at the same time discouraging people who can’t adequately provide for their needs from obtaining these animals in the first place In addition, animal shelters often have to rely on these rescue groups to take their nontraditional animals because they are so overwhelmed in the first place, are often ill-equipped to deal with the specific needs of exotic animals, and the shelter adoption rates of these animals are consequently much lower than those of cats and dogs Some animal rescue groups specialize in rescuing animals, both domestic and wild, from disasters In the United States, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 demonstrated the need for comprehensive disaster plans that included provisions for animals to be rescued along with people By the devastating Southern California wildfires in 2007, local and national officials had recognized the necessity of providing for animals, and joined with numerous animal rescue groups to provide for hundreds if not thousands of companion animals during that disaster Animal rescue groups are funded primarily by private donations Those which have charitable status can offer tax benefits to their donors, but many groups are operated by well-meaning individuals who have not taken the steps to incorporate or obtain tax-deductible status Many groups have newsletters, and most engage in fundraising efforts such as walkathons, merchandise sales, or services such as boarding, veterinary care, or grooming Groups that are staffed entirely by volunteers and that operate out of a network of foster homes will have lower operating costs than those groups with paid staff and/or a permanent facility such as an animal shelter These groups must additional fundraising in order to meet their expenses Some groups, like the ASPCA in New York, operate their city’s animal control contracts, and thus are paid in part by the city Other groups may run their own private shelters, taking in animals from the public, often for a fee, but not collecting stray animals or responding to cruelty calls While most animal rescue groups not euthanize animals except for health reasons, some, in particular those that operate shelters, Many animal rescue groups make use of foster homes that provide permanent sanctuary care to animals that, by virtue of their age, health, or temperament, are deemed unadoptable Other groups specialize in certain kinds of animals, such as disabled animals or seniors, often keeping them as sanctuary animals, but also often offering them for adoption Before the age of the Internet, animal rescue groups were primarily local operations with a network of local volunteers, a relationship with their local shelters, and a list of local supporters to provide funding In the 1980s in the United States, Project BREED (Breed Rescue Efforts and Education) was founded to provide a resource for animal shelters, the public, and rescue groups The Project BREED directory, still published today, listed thousands of breed-specific, for dogs, and species-specific rescue groups, as well as specific information on the breed or species, to aid people who are interested in adopting a particular kind of animal Today, with the Internet, not only are there numerous websites that provide such information, but rescue groups are