breed rescue

Sometimes I wish that my twentysomething self would peek her idealistic head into my fiftysomething life, and tell me that I really can change the world, that all I need is faith and hope. I am no longer sure that is true. It can be very disheartening trying to raise awareness about topics such as breed specific legislation, puppy mills, and breed rescue and then…

your neighbor hates and fears your dog just because he is a Rottweiler
your coworker buys a puppy from a pet store after you have offered to put him in touch with breed rescue and some ethical breeders
your friend buys a cross-breed “designer dog” from a so-called breeder for more than you paid for your well-bred show dog… or your first car

And there is the unfortunate truth that awareness does not necessarily equal change or even concrete support. But I can’t quite bring myself to give up. My twentysomething self would be even more disappointed in me than she probably already is. What I do to keep myself sane is to try to remember that little things count, too. I may not be able to effect great changes in the world, but I can make life better for a few animals in it.

Right now, I can’t be very actively involved in breed rescue. I can always spare a few hours on a weekend every so often to help with transports, though. These usually involve moving a dog from a high-kill shelter to a rescue or foster home, or from a foster home to a forever home. As an experienced dog owner with a minivan that’s set up for traveling to shows and trials, it’s something that is a good fit for me as a way to contribute. I may not be making a big difference in the world, but I know I am making a difference to my canine passenger.

Between work, The Total Rottweiler Magazine, and the newly forming breed club I’m involved with, I’m on the computer a lot. One little tiny thing I can do while stuck behind the keyboard is to click to help. Not just donations, although I do that, too, while going through my favorite pet blogs. When you can’t make donations, you can still click (and shop) at The Animal Rescue Site and Freekibble.com to donate food and care to shelter animals.

These days, I’m not able to contribute as much time and money as I would like to… well, a number of very good causes. One of those causes is Rottweiler rescue. Today I gave a few hours of my time to help get Rollo, an abandoned Rottweiler, from his temporary foster home in Ohio to the rescue in Wisconsin who will be getting him ready for his next chance at a good life. He was a little scared, but he was a nice dog, not aggressive or wild, and traveled well for me as we went from a meeting spot in the southwest suburbs to the next meeting spot just over the Illinois/Wisconsin state line.

Although many potential adopters are now aware of the number of purebred dogs that find themselves homeless each year, I am not sure that the advantages of adopting from a breed rescue rather than a shelter could be considered widespread common knowledge yet.

In most cases, a dog adopted through breed rescue has been evaluated by people familiar with and knowledgeable about the breed. The dog may have also spent time with a foster family where any problems would be noted and worked on, and information passed on to the adopter.

If you are concerned that adopting a dog through breed rescue means condemning a shelter dog to death, please know that in many cases, purebred rescue dogs do come from shelters. Many of the transports I have assisted with are to move a dog from a high-kill shelter to a breed rescue foster home.

My current dogs were both acquired as show prospects. This does not mean that I do not support rescue, just that I wanted a show dog. Our last rescued Rottweiler was a very important part of our family and we miss her to this day. She was a very maternal presence of the tough love variety and when Freya and Axel were puppies, I always wished that Missy were still around to “raise” them.

If you are looking to add a purebred dog to your family, and are not interested in showing or breeding, please consider your local breed rescue as you go about your search.

(NaBloPoMo | November ’09: 1 of 30 | 75% Challenge: 246 of 274)