The Rewards Of Dog Adoptions

We've all seen stray dogs roaming the street looking scared, hungry, and frazzled. It tears your heart out. It always makes me wonder how they ended up that way.

Some slightly luckier strays might end up in shelters or getting rescued by a compassionate person. Not all dogs end up in shelters because they were necessarily "bad" or had behavioral problems. Alot of them end up in shelters because people buy dogs without considering the effort and expense of dog ownership. Some end up there because an owner dies or goes into a nursing home. Some are also are either given or simply dropped off there because of divorces and neither person wants or can care for the dog by themselves. Some couples who end up having more children might find themselves too busy to also care for a dog. But there's many dogs end up discarded because they were used by breeders or puppy mills as sort of breeding machines. Then when they no longer serve that purpose, they are given up. I think this is the saddest reason for a dog to be tossed aside.

Rescued dogs who have been neglected or abandoned need training and gentle to be a good member of your household. So do the puppies that most people buy. However, slightly older rescues most likely will need less training than a puppy would. People don't know that a good percentage of rescue dogs aren't just mutts, but come from breeders (as mentioned earlier) or pet stores, and are pedigrees. Either way rescued dogs can make great pets and can, with your compassion and patience adapt to your lifestyle and family members. You'll then be rewarded with their loyalty and affection. An abandoned dog is usually eager to become part of a loving pack where they feel safe and loved - since they are by nature pack animals. Many who adopt these rescued dogs describe their new family members as eager to please and form strong bonds with their human "pack".

Should you go to a shelter or rescue society (usually for a specific breed such as greyhounds), there's usually a fee (usually between $100 to $300) which covers a medical exam, spaying or neutering, and any necessary shots. It also contributes to the cause of the shelter which is after all to keep doing what they do. The volunteers at these shelters are committed to finding homes for as many of the animals as possible. I applaud their dedication and persistence. Going the route of adoption, you are demonstrating your compassion as well. So on the day you go to the shelter, you will likely meet with a volunteer worker at the there so that you can meet the dog before you adopt and to see if it's a good match. Some people are looking for a high energy dog, while other would prefer more of a lpa dog. If the dog you like, chooses you too with a loving gaze, then that's a good sign that you've been approved to receive their friendship hopefully for many years to come.