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For the last few years I have donated to a rescue group in Colorado called National Mill Dog Rescue. They go to auctions at puppy mills :-( and buy the dogs that have outlived their breeding years or puppies that have a defect that would make it unsellable to a pet store. Many of their dogs need a lot of patience as they have been traumatized from years in a cage and might be a little harder to housebreak. They have all kinds of purebred animals. I was hoping to adopt another Chihuahua from them but they don't out of state adoptions.
My issue with a lot of rescue groups is their demand that you have a fenced yard. Yes, I can understand this if you are adopting a large dog or even a high energy small dog. But there are dogs that are content with being walked to do their business and maybe one long walk a day for exercise. Then there are tiny dogs who can be trained to use a pee pee pad during the day and have one walk a day just for fun. But some of these rescue groups insist you have a fenced yard even if you have a 5 pound dog and a dog park near your house.
I have adopted from both our local shelter and the local Humane Society. Other than one very bad experience with an older cat from our shelter all the animals I have adopted for the last 13 years have been rescues and they have been pretty good dogs.
Please never buy a puppy or kitten from a pet store. Their parents are languishing in a cage 24/7, most of the time in the elements and with little to no vet care or a loving touch.
Many thanks for this post and I second your recommendation of NATIONAL MILL DOG RESCUE
Another rescue I think is legit is SPERANZA RESCUE (in Pennsylvania)
A good rescue will have already had the animal spayed or neutered prior to placing it up for adoption.
Incorrect. Giant breeds should not be fixed before 12 months of age minimum. It affects the closure of their growth plates and can cause multiple health problems. Adopted puppies should not be fixed before adoption. As for good rescue organizations, many I know of are snobby, cliquish, and act like no family is good enough for their dogs. They turn people away from adoption for the most ridiculous reasons, then complain they are overloaded with dogs. Thus, they indirectly contribute to the pet overpopulation problem when families give up on adoption and buy from breeders.
Many people are turned away because they have small children, have jobs, don't have jobs, want to crate the dogs, don't have experience with the breed they are applying for, rent their homes, live in apartments, don't promise or can't afford expensive obedience training, and there are many other requirements that normal human beings can't live up to. The latest requirement in some Great Dane rescue organizations is stomach tacking, an expensive surgery which is unnecessary and should be optional. I applied to adopt three times. I had nothing bad in my history and was turned down for reasons I know not what. I ended up getting all my Danes from breeders and they are loved and spoiled.
Now, one must wonder how do you find a good rescue organization for pets? What characteristics put up red flags? What characteristics show they are a quality rescue?
I volunteer for a rescue (mostly places dogs, but has cats too!) and I think they're fantastic.
A potential adopter has to complete an application with basic information. They have a conversation with an adoption counselor about their lifestyle, family, work schedule, yard space, and experience. This is to match an adopter to a dog. Yards aren't a general requirement to adopt but might be necessary for a specific dog. Working families are fine, obviously (gotta pay for kibble!) but a couple that's out for 9 hour stretches isn't going to be a good fit for a young puppy. You know, logic.
If they've had a pet in 5-8 years we will check in with the vet. Spoiler: Regular checkups are non-negotiable but the vaccine schedule is much more flexible. Obviously all dogs in the home must be spayed/neutered.
Last step is a home visit. I don't care if the house is a little cluttered but it has to be a safe place for a dog to live.
I've come to expect these steps in a rescue and it bothers me when I see one missing.
A red flag? "Clear the shelters!" days where all adoption fees are waived and people can FastPass the adoption process. I hate it. If an adopter can't pay an adoption fee, how are they going to pay 15+ years of vet bills? If drive-through adoptions are a thing, how does the organization know they're placing the dog in a safe home with a family that can meet their needs? I think it's setting the dogs up to be returned in a few months (or worse)...
A good rescue will have already had the animal spayed or neutered prior to placing it up for adoption.
I disagree. 6ish months is recommended by my vet generally (though the recommended age can vary by breed/size). A 10 week old pup should not be spayed/neutered so it can be adopted.
Anyone notice half of the pets on Petfinder are just "pet click bait"? When you go to the organization's website, they're not even there or if you send an inquiry email, you get a response that the animal has already been adopted out. If it's already gone, why is their picture still on the petfinder site? I am now suspicious they keep the most traffic generating profiles up, just to get people to go to their website. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what it seems like to me.
Over the years, we've adopted dogs from a several different rescue organizations. They've all been reputable as far as I can tell.
Once adopted a Vizla mix from a rescue group two states away. She was a farm dog, and just the sweetest girl, but she kept returning to a farm where the farmer shot at her because he thought she was getting his chickens. Perhaps, she did. Who knows? She never went after any chickens around us, so I think she was unfairly accused. In any case, she needed to be adopted somewhere she wouldn't return to the farm. A relay of rescue organizations brought our sweet girl to the state line where we picked her up and drove her the rest of the way home.
We once fostered a few dogs for a week for a couple girls who were fostering through a rescue organization, and they both seemed a half a bubble off. But they took good care of the dogs.
The hardest thing about loving dogs is that they leave far sooner than I'm ready. You'd think I'd get used to it. Oh, but no. One of our sweet girls died last fall, and our other is looking 14 in the eye, well, with her good eye. She is slowing down, and I know it won't be long now.
I've started the search. I love puppies and have adopted a couple. My favorite was a Labrador Retriever, Golde/Retriever mix. So smart, and easy going. However, I generally seem to adopt 1 - 3 y/o dogs. Just the way it works out.
We've had several Newfies, but they rarely come up. Would love a Newfie/Poodle cross which would be smaller, less shedding, and drooling. That would be nice, but what are the chances, really?
We'll see what the universe has in store.
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