Article Title: Dog Rescue Adoption
Author: Steve Evans
A few months back, I brought home a Dog Rescue Society adoption
dog.
I feel like I was allowed to rush into it without enough
cooling off time. I saw a dog rescue adoption advertisement in
my local paper, I took to one photo of one of their dogs and
the image stuck in my brain. The next day I happened to be
travelling past the kennels with some spare time in hand. I was
tempted and I took a look around and I just couldn't say no to
one dog I saw, despite the fact that he was only a mongrel of
doubful origin and and must have been greatly cross bred.
But, how could you say no to such a cute dog with such wide sad
eyes, sitting alone in a pen waiting for someone to come and
pick him up. Animal shelter rescue operations know how to pull
at your heartstrings – they can't help wanting to help the dogs
to find a home, it is human nature. Nevertheless, I should have
thought twice before I went in for this dog rescue adoption. It
really was not a wise choice for me.
You see, dog adoption rescue is all well and good for the first
week or two. The dog I got was really friendly and followed my
every move around the house.
The trouble is that it was a little bit older than I wanted.
After a week it dawned on me – I would have to take care of
this dog for the rest of its life. I already have a Doberman –
not the easiest or smallest of dogs – and I would have to train
this second dog, take care of it, and keep it out of trouble all
of its life.
Now with a puppy this would not have been daunting, but this
dog had not been schooled at all. It did not have a clue about
training, and would not even answer to its name.
One of my friends told me that I could take the dog rescue
adoption dog back, and give up on the whole thing, but I did
not want to do that. I felt like the poor dog had already been
through too many things. Although this dog was only about three
years old, it had by all accounts already been in the kennels a
year back, and had been found wandering on the road.
I think that dogs are more like humans than we would like to
think, (even mongrels!). They are affected by the way that they
are treated. If they are treated like property, shuffled around,
and not allowed to bond to anyone who owns them, they will
develop serious nervous problems. It seemed to me that if I
returned this pooch to the dog rescue adoption centre just as
it was getting used to me, I would be betraying it. I would be
damning it to a life of misery. It was already so insecure that
it would not let me out of its sight all day around the house.
However, after a while I did manage to drum some basic
obedience training into the mongrel. My Doberman Pinscher
helped. I think this was because the new dog could see the
obedient responses my Doberman gives to my command.
Then, my luck came when I met a friend while out dog walking
about three months back. We had walked together several times
since I had him, and from the start, she had really taken a
fancy to him, and him to her for some reason. However, she had
her own dog and no inclination to take on another.
I was at first surprised that this time we met she had no dog
with her. Soon after we got talking she explained her sadness
that her pet had lost all appetite and had virtually stopped
eating over a period of about two weeks. She had taken the
animal to the local vet, and he had found a cancer which was
well advanced. In only a little over a fortnight her dog had
died, and now she was walking alone and very much wanting for
canine company.
When I realised her grief - and don't underestimate the depth
of grieving which can occur for a dog - I really wanted to help
her, and I knew that I now had a much better behaved dog due to
my training of him than the animal I had taken on. That mongrel
was no longer a liability on walks or likely to run-off in an
uncontrolled fashion. He was no longer uncontrollable and at
risk of causing an accident, or misbehaving out of control.
So, I offered her the chance that she might take him on, and
she was delighted. The first while he was on loan to her, but
that soon changed, and now I doubt she would give him away for
any amount of money!
Finally, though, I would like to say that I am a quiet kind of
a guy. It takes a while for me to get to know people.
However, in handing over that mutt I got to know that lady
rather well. It created a common bond between us, which became
a friendship. Well, I have to say we are really enjoying each
other's company now. It could just be that I didn't truly get
that dog away out of my life at all. It may be I just got me a
life partner... and that dog never left at all... not bad eh!
That's dog rescue for you!
About The Author: Steve Evans is more of a dog lover than he
will tell you. He contributes to the Dog Breeds Compendium,
where you can find most things to do with dogs. Visit:
http://www.dog-
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