Adopting a rescue dog: the pros and cons
Many people choose dogs from rescue organizations or animal shelters. Others avoid rescue dogs, due to worries about the dog’s health or behaviour.
Here are some points to think about when adopting a dog from a reputable animal shelter or rescue group.
Breeds
- By adopting a mixed-breed dog from a shelter, you might be reducing the risk of medical problems which are associated with purebreds.
- Pedigree dogs are also often available at shelters, but popular breeds may be difficult to acquire.
- You may have less background information available. If you purchased from a reputable breeder you can obtain information about the dog’s parents and ancestors, as well as research common behavioural characteristics and medical problems for the breed.
Puppies
- If you prefer a puppy, they are occasionally available at rescue centres. Often they may be a little older then from a breeder
- While it is possible to adopt a puppy from a shelter, they may be much more difficult to find, and with unknown parentage their final form may be difficult to judge.
Medical health
- Most rescue dogs have had a veterinary exam, vaccinations, testing for and prevention of parasites, and are spayed or neutered. This thorough evaluation and treatment increases the likelihood that your new dog will be healthy.
- Some dogs adopted from animal shelters or rescue groups may have diseases that they acquired while in the rehoming facility. Reduce this risk by asking your veterinary surgeon about reputable rescue centres.
Behavioural health
- Most rescue dogs have had a behaviour evaluation performed, in an attempt to determine their safety in a home and to match them to an appropriate home.
- Many rescue centres will try to evaluate the dogs behaviour with other animals and children
- Many dogs at rescue organizations will have been surrendered because of behaviour problems.
- Find out as much as you can from the shelter about the dog’s behavioural history, and the shelter’s treatment of any problems, or post-adoption support policy. Ensuring a healthy relationship from the start is key.
Training
- Adopting an adult dog from a rescue centre may mean that you are acquiring an already obedient and housetrained dog.
- Some dogs will have been surrendered because their owner did not have time to train them and they may have behavioural issues which will resolve with the correct training
- If the shelter has not performed remedial training, you may be acquiring a dog that requires a significant investment in training. But if you are consistent, many training problems with previous owners will disappear.
Support
- By adopting a rescue dog, you are supporting an organization whose primary goal is to save animals’ lives and improve their welfare.
- Ensure the shelter is reputable, with the animal’s welfare considered foremost, or else you may not be supporting good welfare as much as you think you are.
- Resucing a dog may genuinely be saving it's life. Sometimes the previous owner has simply had no other option through no fault of their own or especially the dog's!
The information supplied on this page was kindly provided by the BSAVA (British Small Animal Veterinary Association).
Please Note
These factsheets are provided as guidelines only. If you are at all concerned about the wellbeing of your pet then please call Hope Veterinary Surgery immediately by using our phone number 01782 657788.
