The Importance of Pet Rescue
Posted by Irene on Jun 25, 2012 in Adoption Stories | 2 comments
This post was written by Evelyn Avila-Palmacci, dog walking/boarding expert from Tail Waggers. Tail Waggers is a dog walking and pet boarding organization, servicing the Aurora and Newmarket area. They promote personalized care for your furry friend, so you can rest easy knowing that your bff is in best possible care when you aren’t around. Check them out at: http://www.tail-waggers.ca
The Estrela Mountain Dog is believed to be one of the oldest breeds of dogs from the Iberian Peninsula. The dogs were used to protect the sheep in the high mountain pastures in mid-Portugal during the summer. During the winter, the Estrelas were used to guard the shepherds’ homes. The first breed standard was produced in Portugal in 1933 and the breed was introduced to the U.S. in 1974. The United Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1996. In Canada, nowadays there are only 10 dogs of this breed as the President of the Estrela Mountain dog Association of America told us.
A few weeks ago we got an email from someone that had been referred to Tail-Waggers to seek help to rescue a dog. Although we are not a rescue group, we were told that because of our campaign SHARE A LINK. SAVE A PAW! they thought we may be able to help. This is what the email said:
“I have no experience with rescuing dogs, but have been a dog owner and trained many of pet dogs to be well balanced and socialized creatures for the benefit of all. I do have a signed released form from the previous owners who surrender Bruce to me. I am working with Bruce to address his socialization issues but this takes time and consistency which is not always easy to find and available to me….He has been in 3 homes so far, so a forever home would be best for him. Since I have never done this I am going on instincts from what I know – but am worried of not going through this process in the best way possible….”
Bruce is one of the 10 Estrella Mountain Dogs in Canada.
After reading the email we started to contact people we know to find the best way to help out Bruce. These kind of events really can get you emotional and you feel like grabbing your keys to go to pick up the dog. Unfortunately things don’t work that way. The process of rescuing a dog has many steps and it all depends of what the situation is.
Many rescue groups don’t have a physical address and they relay on volunteers that are willing to foster the dogs until they can be up for adoption. Every dog needs to go through an assessment and if there are any issues like behavioral problems or sickness, these need to be addressed before they even go up for adoption.
While it can be a joyous experience to bring a new puppy or kitten into your life, you should also consider adopting an animal from an animal rescue group. There is so much work put into saving these lives and to be honest they deserve a chance to know what it feels to be in a family that loves them.
Every year in the United States 9 to 11 million animals are euthanized because they have no home. There are many benefits to adopting that older animal. Animals adopted from rescue groups/shelters usually have been fully vetted. They have been dewormed and are up to date on their vaccines, they have been screened for contagious diseases and if they are age appropriate have been spayed or neutered. If they are too young for surgery at the time of adoption they will be scheduled at a later date.
Adopted animals help decrease both pet overpopulation and the number of euthanized animals in shelters, foster homes and rescue groups. The adoption/placement fees for these animals is much less than if you were to purchase from a breeder or pet store.
There are many ways you can help to rescue a dog if you can’t or don’t want to foster or adopt. Educating your friends and family about all the work involved into rescuing, sharing the links you see on Facebook and Twitter are some ways you can contribute. Adoption is not for everyone but if you are looking for a wonderful animal to share your life and home with a rescue will definitely appreciated your kindness after what he has been through…
As for Bruce, he is currently at a farm where a trainer is working with him to overcome certain issues. We were told he is doing great! keep smiling! -:)
Learn more about Esterla Mountain Dogs in our: Dog Breed Guide | The Estrela Mountain Dog
Check out Animal Rescue groups that have been featured in our bitty pals section
I am happy to announce that BRUCE found a home! A good lady took him in to look after the animals she has in the farm. Bruce is having a great time!!!
So happy to hear Bruce found his Fur-ever home!