Why You Should Adopt Your Next Dog From A Rescue

Did you know that about 25% of all shelter dogs are purebreds?

So, whether you are looking for a Dachshund, Labrador Retriever or a mixed-breed
dog, you are likely to find your perfect companion at a rescue, Humane Society or
other local shelter.

There are various reasons why dogs end up at shelters. Many times it is because the
dog strayed from his home and the owners did not use identification, such as a dog
license or embedded chip. In other cases, breeders may turn older females that are
passed breeding age into shelters. Also, owners that run into financial difficulty
or health problems sometimes bring their pets to shelters for re-homing.

Rescues are better places to start your search for a new dog than a pet store.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are roughly 10,000
active puppy mills in the U.S. Puppy mills often supply puppies to pet stores, and
even though these operations fall under the Animal Welfare Act, enforcement is
lacking; so the animals are not always cared for properly and can suffer from
health issues, neglect or endure badly overcrowded conditions.

If you choose to go with a breeder, do your research. Ask a lot of questions and
get a full medical history on the parents. For pure breeds, try to find an AKC registered breeder. Be suspicious of any breeder that is not willing to show you
their operation or let you see the parents of the puppies.

“I recommend checking your local shelters first. Then, I highly recommend that
people use RescueMe.org or Petfinder.com to continue the search.”, said Linda
Jenkins, founder of DoxieTees.com.

On RescueMe or Petfinder, you can narrow your search by breed, location and more.
Locally, you can also find many breed-specific rescues such as the Golden Retriever
Rescue of Michigan, Allies for Greyhounds or Portland Dachshund Rescue, for example.
It might seem like extra work to do this research, but it is so worth it when you
can give your perfect companion a forever home!