Why should you adopt a rescue??

Second hand pets?  Someone else's problems?  Why bother?  Wouldn't you rather buy a puppy than an adult dog?  I mean with a puppy, you are assured you are getting just what you want aren't you?

Not exactly.  Rescue groups carefully screen their dogs so you do have a better idea of what you are getting.  Dogs in rescue aren't defective.  Most dogs who come into rescue were not given up because they were “bad dogs” or had behavioral problems. Unfortunately, many people buy dogs without thinking about the time, effort, and expense involved in keeping a dog. These dogs end up in shelters, or along the side of the road, or, if they’re lucky, in rescue. In fact, the most common reasons a dog ends up with a rescue organization include the following:

• The owners don’t have time for the dog. Chances are though, they are bored with the dog,usually by the time dogs are given to rescue they require less time and energy than they did as a puppy.
• The owners find that they can’t afford either basic vet care or the expense involved in treating an illness or injury.
• The owner dies or goes into a nursing home and the remaining family doesn't want to be bothered.
• The owners divorce and neither party can keep the dog. (You would be amazed at how a dog that was once treated as a "child" is quickly thrown out the window)
• A young couple has a child and no longer has time for the dog, or the dog no longer fits into their “lifestyle.”
• The owner is moving to an apartment building that doesn’t allow dogs.  Or the owner is just plain moving and doesn't care to take their dog or take the time to find housing that allows dogs.
• They got a "new" dog and the older dog doesn't care for the new puppy.  I see an influx of older dogs around Christmas time or shortly after especially if the older dog is a little bit grumpy about the addition of a puppy.
• It wasn't what they expected.  Those Christmas puppies start coming to the shelter about the time they would be 5-8 months old and are more to feed, exercise and supervise.

Dogs also come from kill shelters, where they have ended up because they were lost, and from puppy mills, where uncaring owners have used the dogs as breeding machines and don’t need them any more. Some dogs who have been prisoners of puppy mills turn out to be the most loving and affectionate dogs we see; it’s as if they know they have left their miserable pasts behind forever. 

Here are the top reasons to adopt a rescue dog

1.  HOUSEBROKEN! - Most of the time people wanting to adopt are working adults who are gone between 8-5 or a relative set of 8 hour blocks.  Housetraining a puppy can be very difficult. Puppies need consistent schedules and frequent opportunities to go outside to learn proper elimination.  They just can't hold it all day long!  An adult dog or older puppy can hold it much longer and in some cases all day.  Sometimes the dog has been in rescue long enough to be already housebroken and /or crate trained.

This includes getting a full night sleep as older puppies and adults will be able to sleep through the night without a bathroom break.  Little puppies just like little babies will wake you in the middle of the night.  They need to take a midnight or later trip outside to help them get the consistency they need for housebreaking.

2.  INAPPROPRIATE CHEWABLES -   lets face it, puppies chew and they chew everything from shoes, socks, underwear, and furniture.  You can expect holes in cushions, missing magazines, books, pillows, cordless phones, cell phones and don't forget the remotes.  An older dog will destroy less and may get to a point where it can be trusted loose in a home much quicker than a puppy.

3.  LESS EXPENSE AT THE VET - puppies need three sets of shots, worming, physical exams, rabies boosters.  They also have other puppy problems such as chewing inappropriate objects that require a trip to the vet.  When you adopt a rescue, their vetting has usually been completed including spaying and neutering and your adoption donation helps defray the costs of this vetting. 

4.  WYSIWYG - in other words, what you see is what you get.  How big is your puppy going to grow?  Well with a rescue, you already know.  Same with temperament, activity level, personality, ease of training.  Is your puppy going to be everything you hoped for?  With a rescue dog, you will know going into the relationship that this dog is what you want. You can pick everything you want.  Size, shape, color, and personality.  Do you want a high drive dog for active dog sports or are you looking for a low maintenance couch potato?  With a rescue, you can pick that too.  The rescue and foster homes can help you pick just what you really want.  Rescues have lots of dogs that were "failed puppies" in their former homes.  They didn't turn out just like they wanted or they got in over their head.

5.  BREED EDUCATION - The rescue will provide you with all the breed education that they can provide. They want your match to work.  They are out to find permanent homes for their dogs so rescues do their best to educate owners about breed characteristics and general dog behavior.  Rescues will also be available to new dog parents for as long as they need help.  It is in the rescues best interest to be as helpful as possible.

6.  Instant companion - just bring food and water.  Your new pet is automatically going to be what you want.  It won't have to grow into anything.  It is a ready made companion raring to go start a new life with you.  Again, you are going to be able to select the most compatible dog for your lifestyle and personality.

7. You can't beat that bond you have with a rescue.  Dogs who have been in shelters or torn from their homes or haven't had a good start in life are deeply bonded to their new people.  They bond hard and fast and want to please you as best they can.  Rescue dogs truly seem to be thankful for the new start in life and it shows in their happiness.

Dogs in rescue aren't genetically inferior to your papered dog you bought from a breeder.  Chances are, they could be from the same breeders you are buying your puppy from...or had papers at one time.  A large percentage of dogs in shelters are purebred dogs.  It is not uncommon for Rescue to get $500 - $1500.00 dogs that have either outlived their usefulness or their novelty with impulsive owners who considered their dog a possession rather than a friend or member of the family; or simply did not really consider the time, effort and expense needed to be a dog owner. Not all breeders will accept "returns", so choices for giving up dogs can be limited to animal welfare organizations or kill shelters and Rescues, or owners trying to place their own dogs.

Choosing a rescue dog over a purchased pup will not solve the pet overpopulation problem (only responsible pet owners and breeders can do that), but it does give many of them a chance they otherwise would not have. But, beyond doing a "good deed", adopting a rescue dog can be the best decision and addition to the family you ever made. Rescue a dog and get a devoted friend for life.