The following was seen on the Internet. The author has given permission
to reprint it here. She knows that a rescue dog is BETTER than a new dog,
and here she tells why:
"The primary factor behind a dog who ends up in a rescue situation is the
owner, not the dog. The best dog in the world can end up abandoned, through
no fault of its own. And it doesn’t matter how responsible the breeder was.
Whether they’ll admit it or not, dogs from 'good lines' can end up on the
streets too.
I choose rescue dogs preferentially because it doesn’t seem fair that a
good faithful loving dog will be killed just because its previous owner was
a jerk, an imbecile, or (to be kinder and perhaps fairer) simply unprepared
to have the responsibility of owning a dog at that particular time in their
lives.
It is true that a rescue dog often has an unknown past. It is also true
that they often come with emotional baggage from their past lives. Sometimes
they have bad habits that are difficult to break. Sometimes they have health
problems. However, dogs of known background have these things too, sometimes
even more than a rescue dog. At least with a rescue dog you know how big it
will be and what the problems are; Remember: ALL pure breeds have inbred
health problems.
You can mitigate all these factors by contacting rescue societies and
finding a dog that has a known background and is known to be well-mannered.
Not all rescue dogs come from the streets; some come from good homes that
just can’t keep the dog due to family illness (or whatever).
On the plus side, a rescue dog will love you so hard that sometimes you
think your heart will break. Often, they know what it’s like to be lost,
alone, lonely, afraid, hungry and hopeless. When you take one into your home
and your heart, when you give him good care and consistent reasonable
boundaries, you get the privilege of watching a living creature blossom. You
can have the privilege of seeing a dog look up at you with grateful eyes
every morning, just for doing something simple like giving him a pat on the
head!…"
Shawna knows the pleasures of a rescue dog: reward and gratification you
will never receive from a dog bought at a breeder. Fill out an
Adoption Application and give a
small breed rescue dog a good home.
