It is an amazing fact but Benji in the movie “Benji: Off the Leash” was actually an adopted dog. He came from the Humane Society of South Miss. Benji came to be at that humane society when he was found wandering around the streets.
Of course, most dogs won’t have such good fortune to be movie stars, but they will certainly be glad to be rescued. And the person who rescues them can rest easy that they’ve done the right thing. It’s not hard to find a dog to rescue either; there are thousands of animal shelters all over the United States.
Some people think that rescue dogs are unhealthy and unclean, or that there must have been a good reason for the previous owner to give them up. While this is true in some cases, it is more often that it was the owner’s fault and not the dog’s.
If you’re on the fence about buying a dog from a shelter there are three good reasons you should consider getting one.
1. There are shelters all over that are filled to the brim with these great pets. When you adopt a dog you will be freeing up room for the shelter to save another dog.
2. You will be saving a lot of money. It can cost a lot to buy your dog from a pet store. When you buy from a shelter you will only spend in the neighborhood of $45 to $160. If you choose to buy from a breeder you could end up paying in the thousands for the same kind of dog.
3. You are saving a dog’s life when you rescue a dog. There are no two ways about it. When these shelters get overcrowded they have no choice but to put some dogs to sleep. When you buy a shelter dog you will literally be saving its life.
Of course, not everything is always so rosy. There are some negatives to buying a dog from a shelter as well. Many of these concerns are physical and behavioral reasons.
1. The dog you rescue might be physically disabled in some way. Even if you don’t notice these problems at first they might show up stronger down the road. One example is Hip Dysplaisa. This is kind of like dog arthritis and can impair your dog severely.
2. If your dog is hurt in some way the pain can cause them to act out in ways they would not normally. If you have small children this can be a bad situation for everyone involved.
3. Behavioral issues are also a problem because you never know what kind of life the dog had before it was in the shelter. If the dog was malnourished or abused in its previous home you might run into a lot of problems and odd behaviors.
4. It can be hard to train a dog that you find in a shelter. These dogs might be set in their ways and not willing to learn. House training is a must and it can be very difficult with a dog that is wary of training.
It’s best not to get discouraged despite all of these seemingly negative problems. There are ways for you to overcome physical and behavioral problems with your dog. Try going to your local Humane Society or ASPCA. There are also specific breed animal rescues that are likely to be in your area. Rescuing a dog means getting a brand new member of the family.
Why You Should Rescue Dogs courtesy of Dog Articles.
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