Eastern Sierra Dog Rescue
Bishop, CA

Why adopt a rescue or shelter dog rather than buy a puppy? My parents always advised me never to buy a used car, because I would just be buying “somebody else’s problems.” Unfortunately, that’s how some people view rescue dogs – as dogs that weren’t wanted because they had problems and didn’t make good pets.

In the vast majority of cases, that’s just not true! Most dogs that come into rescue or the animal shelter were not given up because they were “bad dogs” or had behavioral problems. 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 relinquished to a shelter include the following:

1. The owners don’t have time for the dog.
2. The owners find that they can’t afford either basic vet care or the expense involved in treating an illness or injury.
3. The owner dies or goes into a nursing home.
4. The owner’s divorce and neither party can keep the dog.
5. A young couple has a child and no longer has time for the dog, or the dog no longer fits into their “lifestyle.”
6. The owner is moving to an apartment building that doesn’t allow dogs.
7. The kids are off to college and the parents no longer have time for the old family dog. (This is the saddest one, and yes this actually does happen!)

Another myth is that rescue dogs are, by definition, inferior to dogs bought from a breeder or pet store. Dogs who are rescued came originally from show breeders, pet stores, and hobby (backyard) breeders-they run the gamut when it comes to origin. They are a cross-section of the dog population, and, as such, are no more or less likely to have genetic problems than any other dog.

Those of us who volunteer in rescue all have at least one rescue dog, and we know what terrific pets they can be! Here are some reasons to consider a rescue dog, rather than buying a puppy, if you are ready to add a dog to your family.

1. You’re not starting from scratch…
When you buy a puppy, you’re essentially bringing an infant into your home…a completely untrained, unsocialized little critter who thinks the crate you bought for him is a jail (and who cries to get out…at 3 AM!), the newspaper you put down for him to squat on is a wonderful toy to be shredded, your new shoes are much tastier than rawhide, and your best carpet is an excellent substitute for grass when nature calls! Rescue dogs may have spent time in foster homes before they are adopted, and they come to you with at least some social skills and some degree of housebreaking.

2. Training is easier…
Whatever additional training needs to be done with a rescue dog will be much easier than training a puppy. It’s like the difference between training a one-year-old child and an eight-year-old. Dogs who have been around for a while just “get it” faster than puppies-especially housebreaking! The bond is strong. Dogs who have not gotten off to the best possible start in life-who have been neglected or even abused-tend to be very loyal and affectionate. Remember that dogs are pack animals, and they take their treatment by the “pack”-their owners and families-very much to heart. A dog that has been neglected or abandoned once is usually eager to become part of a loving pack, where she feels safe and secure, and is likely to act accordingly. We find that rescue dogs are generally eager to please their new owners.

3. What you see is what you get…
When you buy a puppy, you can never really be sure what type of dog you’re going to get. All puppies are cute and playful, but their adult personalities aren’t visible until they’re about two years old. So you don’t know whether you’re getting a dog that wants to play all the time (ALL the time!) or a couch potato. When you rescue a dog, you know what the dog’s personality is like and whether it fits with what you want in a dog companion. You also know, in advance, about any problem areas you will have to address. It teaches your children good values. Face it-we live in an extremely materialistic society, in which TV teaches kids that everything can be bought, that they should get their parent to buy them everything, and that anything worth having costs a lot of money. Adopting a rescue dog for your family presents a wonderful opportunity to teach your children basic values of compassion and caring, and also about the value of second chances.

4. You can save a life…
You can do your part to undo what puppy mills, pet stores, and backyard breeders have created—which is over 8 million dogs euthanized in this country annually. If you can save even one, you’re part of solution!!