There are two types of rescue shelters. There is your local animal shelter that keeps dogs for a certain period of time and then euthanizes them, if they are not adopted in a certain amount of time. The dogs that are elderly, seriously ill, or have behavioral problems are euthanized at an even quicker rate through a local animal shelter. The alternative place to adopt a dog is from a "no kill" rescue shelter. They will often times send dogs to a foster home to be raised and looked after until a permanent living situation can be found.
Both local animal shelter facilities and "no kill" rescue shelters will nurture and care for abandoned dogs. The workers bathe, feed, and give dogs any needed medications until they are adopted by a loving family. The main difference between the two shelters is that a local animal shelter has rules and regulations about how long they can house abandoned dogs, while a "no kill" facility has no regulations regarding this.
Why Dogs are Placed in a Rescue Shelter
It is a misconception that dogs in a rescue shelter are vicious or have other behavioral problems. Local animal shelters especially get a bad wrap for housing these types of dogs. The truth is about 80% of all the dogs that are brought to animal shelters, whether local or "no kill," are brought there by circumstance. The owners may have had to move into an apartment that does not allow pets. Maybe there is a new baby coming into the home or possibly the owner died. Maybe someone in the house developed allergies to the dog.
There are an array of reasons why dogs end up in shelters as a homeless pet. But one thing is certain, you can find loving pets by adopting through a rescue shelter. Any dog that is not fit for ownership, will not be offered for adoption.
Benefits of Rescue Shelter Adoptions
Why a rescue shelter, you might ask? Why not buy from an ad in the newspaper? Many of the ads you see in the papers for purebred puppies come from puppy mills. They are usually dirty places, and they do not take care of the dogs or give them any love. A puppy who is raised without human handling often times ends up being either aggressive towards or afraid of humans. A "no kill" rescue shelter makes sure that the dogs are handled and cared for. In fact, if you are set on a particular breed, there are many shelters that cater to specific breeds.
One huge benefit from getting a dog at an animal shelter is that they are already trained and housebroken. Many people nowadays don’t have the time or patience to potty train a puppy, much less train them to do simple commands. And, all of the dogs at the shelter have had shots, as well as already been spade or neutered.
Both local animal shelters and rescue shelters spend a lot of time with dogs assessing them. They know what type of personality they have, how well trained they are, and how their health is. They will know if they are good around children or with other animals. When you get a dog from a rescue shelter there are no surprises as to what you are getting. You can get just the dog you want.
There are a wide variety of dogs at rescue shelters to choose from. There are young dogs and older dogs, as well as small, medium, and large dogs. There are pure breeds and mixed breeds. There are dogs that are fun-loving, lap dogs, watchdogs, dogs good with kids, and dogs perfect for the elderly.
If you want to save a dog's life, and make a loving companion at the same time, go on down to a rescue shelter and take a look around. Talk to the people who work there. They can answer all of your questions and give you some wonderful advice for keeping your dog happy and healthy.
You do need to be patient, as you may not find your perfect dog the first time. Keep going back. You will know at first glance what dog will be your new best friend, you will both fall in love with each other.
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