Bloggers Unite for Dog Rescue: Be the Human

I have a hard time saying, or even thinking, that we “rescued” any of our dogs- maybe with the exception of old man Howie, as who knows if Old Dog Haven would have been able to take him if we hadn’t been lined up as a foster home. But even though we have adopted all of our dogs from shelters, I rarely think of that as rescue. They all came from no kill shelters. None have needed any type of rehabilitation- physical or behavioral.

I also don’t feel any kind of superiority for having gotten my dogs from shelters. I think all dogs- whether they come from a breeder, a grocery store parking lot, or a shelter, deserve loving homes.

And yet, here I am today, asking you to “rescue” your next dog, to adopt from a shelter or rescue organization. Why?

It’s certainly not about money. A dog from a grocery store parking lot is likely less expensive than any place other than your local government run shelter, and could even be cheaper, if you find a “free to good home” litter. And some rescue organizations, to cover their bills, ask for adoption fees that rival what breeders charge.

It’s not about unconditional love, loyalty, tail wags, and puppy kisses either. Any dog you bring into your home will give you those.

On the other side of the coin, let’s end some misconceptions about shelter dogs.

First, there is nothing wrong with them. Most animals are given up due to something being wrong with their people- ie not enough time to care for the animal, that has absolutely nothing to do with the dog.

Two, you can get purebreds from shelters. I got a 9 month old Australian Shepherd and a 6 month old Beagle from county shelters. And now that the breed rescues have really taken off- trust me, if you want a specific breed, you can get it.

Three, if you want a puppy, trust me, there are puppies at shelters and in rescue.

To recap all of that, shelter dogs aren’t “better” than dogs gotten elsewhere, but nor are they worse. And you can get a full selection of dogs from the shelter.

So why rescue your next dog?

Because we’re the humans. It’s like when you’re dealing with a child and you have the urge to be childish right back, but you can’t, because you’re the adult. Guess what, we’re the humans.

Pet over population is our fault. We don’t spay or neuter all of our pets, even if we don’t intend to breed them. Puppy mills still exist because there is still a demand for “pure bred” puppies from a pet store.

There is always going to be some need for animal shelters. There will always be unforeseen circumstances like illness or job loss that take away our ability to care for our pets or force us to move somewhere they can’t come with us. There will always be natural disasters that separate pets from their families.

But the number of animals currently in shelters far exceeds the number of pets given up due to personal tragedy. And that’s our fault.

We have caused, by our actions or inactions, these animals to be in the world. And it is our responsibility to care for them. Shelters and rescue organizations have finite space. For every dog adopted from a no kill shelter or rescue, another can be pulled from a kill shelter and given more than 8 weeks to find the right home.

We brought these animals into the world. It is our responsibility to take care of them, to do everything in our power to prevent healthy, happy dogs from being killed because we need the space they are occupying for more dogs that have lost their homes.

Step up, be the human. Adopt your next pet.

I can guarantee that the tail wags, puppy kisses (or kitty head bumps and purrs) will make you smile just as much as a dog from a breeder. And for you, they might even be sweeter, when you look at the face you’ve come to adore and realize what their fate would have been, if it weren’t for the fact that some people took responsibility to stand up and be the humans.