The Internet Miniature Pinscher Service, Inc. (IMPS) was formed in July of 1998 with the adoption of Lister through the Miniature Pinscher e-mail group at saluki.org.  For information on the Miniature Pinscher e-mail list, please visit the "Minpin List at saluki.org" Page.

IMPS attempts to assist Miniature Pinschers in need by providing foster care, transport, adoptive homes, veterinary care, and other services and information for the well-being of Miniature Pinschers.  All Miniature Pinschers placed through IMPS will be spayed or neutered prior to placement, and have been thoroughly evaluated by a breed representative for temperament and training needs. An Adoption fee is charged for dogs placed through IMPS. However, this fee may vary depending upon the age and health of the dog, or the individual circumstances of placement. In addition, IMPS will generally request reimbursement of required veterinary costs (eg. the cost of the spay/neuter, microchipping, and any veterinary care required prior to placement), and in some instances, travel costs. In all cases, fees and payment will be agreed upon prior to placement. While the Adoption fee may be negotiable for some dogs, please remember that the care and upkeep of a dog, even the "King of Toys", requires some financial outlay, and if a small placement fee is beyond your means, you may wish to consider a pet which does not require as much care as the Miniature Pinscher.

IMPS Contact Stations

Online Forms and Guidelines

IMPS Donations

What Is Breed Rescue?

Is the Miniature Pinscher The Right Dog For You?

Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinics

Purchasing A Puppy?

Dogs Available

Homes Available

Success Stories

Closure

The country has been divided up into groups of states, with a Regional Coordinator for each area. Please feel free to contact the Regional Coordinator in your area for assistance with the rescue or placement of miniature pinschers.

NOTE: If urgent help is needed, call our hotline at 1-877-Minpin1 and leave a message, as our volunteers listed below may not always be available via email.

The success of IMPS is only possible with the volunteers who have agreed to help with the rescue and placement of miniature pinschers. Assistance from our team of volunteers includes fostering, assistance with owner give-ups & home checks, local shelter checks, and transport & placement of min pins to approved homes.

Please note that IMPS no longer lists the names of our Volunteers on this website. If you have any queries about your application, please contact your Regional Coordinator.

IMPS is in need of volunteers in all of the above described areas. To volunteer, please fill out the On-Line Volunteer Application Form. Or, call our hotline at 1-877-Minpin1 and leave a message.

On-line volunteer assistance forms and guidelines:

Guidelines:

• Volunteer FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
• Guide to Evaluating Shelter Dogs

Printable forms:

• Owner Give-Up Form
• Adoption Contract

On-line forms for the IMPS Database:

• Potential Home Questionnaire
  Please fill in this form if you want to adopt a MinPin
   
• Volunteer Application Form
  Please fill in this form if you want to become an IMPS Volunteer
   
• Dog Rescue Questionnaire
  Please fill in this form if you've just picked up an IMPS rescue dog.
  Note: This form can only be filled in by an IMPS Volunteer. If you are not an IMPS Volunteer and you have picked up a dog, please call the IMPS Hotline at 1-877-Minpin1, or contact an IMPS Regional Coordinator nearest to you.

Other useful links:

• Can We Help You Keep Your Pet?
• Minpin Handbook by Kelly-Sue (IMPS Canada), available from the Southern Alberta Toy Dog Fanciers Page
  - visit the page and click on the Minpin Handbook link

Even if you are unable to perform the above tasks, IMPS  can still use your assistance in the form of donations.   We need stamps, leashes, collars, crates, toys, blankets, and at times veterinary donations. Please contact Petie at hoving@hamptons.com if you are able to make any sort of donation.

Monetary donations can be mailed to:

IMPS, Inc.
P.O. Box 770575
Naples, FL 34107-0575

Please make checks payable to IMPS.

Internet Miniature Pinscher Service, Inc. (IMPS) is a not for profit corporation as recognized by the State of Florida Department of State, and is registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE, 800-435-7352. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

Internet Miniature Pinscher Service, Inc. (IMPS) is exempt under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code as an organization described in section 501(c)(3). However, it is suggested that you consult your tax professional for a determination as to whether your donations may be tax deductible.

IMPS thanks you for your kind support.

The Miniature Pinscher is grouped with the Toy Group by the American Kennel Club. Often referred to as "The King of Toys", the Miniature Pinscher is an assertive, outgoing, active and independant breed.

Correct Miniature Pinschers measure only 10" to 12.5" at the shoulder, but pack quite a bit of energy into a small package!!!  They can be incredible escape artists, hard to housebreak and obedience train, but in the right home, with the proper training, they can be the best companion dog you have ever owned. Loving, affectionate and playful, the Miniature Pinscher makes its own rules, but will bend to yours if treated with affection and care.

Miniature Pinschers can be good with children if the children are good with dogs!!! While this is a Toy breed, they are not toys.  Children should always be supervised with dogs, and most especially with small dogs.  While a Miniature Pinscher will tolerate a certain amount of attention from a child, grabbing, pinching, sudden moves and aggressiveness will be met with defensive reactions. If you have young, active children, you may want to look at larger, calmer breeds, such as the Golden Retriever, Labrador, Newfoundland, etc.  If you are in a situation where you must have a smaller dog, you may want to look into Standard Poodles, Bichon Frise, Beagles and other small to medium breeds more suited to an active environment.

One of the questions which often comes up in Miniature Pinscher rescue is the relation of Miniature Pinschers to Doberman Pinschers.  Miniature Pinschers may have been used in the creation of the Doberman Pinscher, but it is highly unlikely. Much more likely is the probability that the two breeds are related through their common ancestor, the German Pinscher.  Miniature Pinschers bear no resemblance to Doberman Pinschers in temperament, they are *not* miniature Dobermans, and really only have a resemblance in coloring - head type, gait, and other conformational aspects are all completely different.

Many more questions regarding the Miniature Pinscher can be answered on the General Information page of the Miniature Pinscher Club of America located at: http://members.aol.com/mpcapec/minpingeneral.html

For a list of low cost spay/neuter clinics, please visit http://www.minpinrescue.org/lowcostspayneuter.html

If you have information on low cost spay/neuter clinics in your area, please forward to: Petie at hoving@hamptons.com

Purchasing a puppy should be a lifetime decision.  You are responsible for a life with this commitment. IMPS recognizes that it can be hard to find the perfect breeder at times, and many people resort to newspaper advertisements and pet stores.

Unfortunately, most puppies who come from pet stores are bred by large breeding establishments known as puppy mills.  These businesses do not generally socialize or care for their dogs in the manner that a reputable, caring breeder would. Puppies from puppy mills are brought up in cages, shipped off to pet stores at 4-6 weeks, and can come with a host of genetic and temperamental problems.  

For further information on puppy mills, what they are, what you can do about them, etc., please follow the link in the banner below (WARNING:  This site is not intended for children under the age of 15, it contains graphic descriptions and photographs which may be upsetting.)

While some reputable breeders may use newspaper advertising from time to time, most newspaper ads are placed by high risk breeders. These are breeders that do not belong to a National club, do not health test their dogs (min pins are prone to patella problems), do not show their dogs, and do not offer written health guarantees on their dogs.  These breeders have generally bred their female to a male that they own or who lives close by simply because they think their female is a nice girl.  Unfortunately, there is more that goes into breeding than just being a nice dog!!

If you would like more information on purchasing a puppy through your local newspaper, please read the following article:   Reading Classified Ads

If you are looking for a Miniature Pinscher puppy for show purposes, you are best off inquiring with the Miniature Pinscher Club of America. If you simply wish to add a Miniature Pinscher to your home, then rescue might be for you!!!  IMPS has dogs of all ages available from time to time - all dogs are temperament checked, and are placed in homes that are appropriate to their age and emotional needs.

Generally in this area, we will show photos (when available), names and descriptions of Miniature Pinschers available for adoption. If you have, or know of a Miniature Pinscher in need, please e-mail Petie at hoving@hamptons.com and we will update this page.

If you would like to apply to become an adoptive home, please read our Adoption Contract, then fill out and send the IMPS Potential Home Questionnaire. Qualified adoptive homes are selected based on proximity to the dog to be adopted and length of time on the wait list.

If you would like to apply to become an adoptive home, please read our Adoption Contract, then fill out and send the IMPS Potential Home Questionnaire. Qualified adoptive homes are selected based on proximity to the dog to be adopted and length of time on the wait list.

Please note that IMPS no longer lists the names of adoptive homes at this website. If you have any queries about your application, please contact your Regional Coordinator.
 

IMPS is very proud of our "kids". Click HERE to see some of our Success Stories.
 
 

We hope that this page has entertained, educated, and assisted you in your search for information on Miniature Pinschers. IMPS is a different sort of rescue group, providing a loosely knit band of rescue stations around the United States rather than an individual base in one area of the country. There are individual Miniature Pinscher Rescue groups located in some areas of the US, and whether you have a Miniature Pinscher you must part with, know of a Miniature Pinscher in need in your area, or are searching for a companion dog, we strongly urge you to work with an established rescue group in your area. There is no substitute for the support that an experience breed representative can provide to you in your own neighborhood.  Following are web page addresses or e-mail links for individual Miniature Pinscher rescue groups:

MPCA Rescue Chairperson - Joanne Wild

A.D.O.P.T. page

Dog Rescue Resources

Background, buttons and bars by:

Additional graphics provided by:

Dawn Sullivan: Home of Skootchie,Millie,Captain & Tenille

Logo designed and donated by Kathi of vom Viersen Rottweilers:

This page copyright 1998 by Liz Bauer. Permission is freely given for reproduction and/or distribution by non-profit entities working to assist the Miniature Pinscher. Visit Liz at:

This page is currently updated by Mag at mglsim@cygnus.uwa.edu.au

This page was last updated on August 12, 2001