The soulful eyes of a Doberman stare out from between the chain-link of an animal shelter kennel. An ad runs in the Sunday paper, offering a “Purebred Golden Retriever, free to good home.” An emaciated Beagle is seen running through a neighborhood but no one can catch him. What do all these dogs have in common? They could have been helped by a breed rescue.
What is a breed rescue? Simply put, it’s an organization dedicated to finding secure, stable homes for puppies or dogs of a particular breed. There are also mixed-breed rescues, which, as the name implies, helps any type of mixed-breed dog. Breed rescues can be big or small, highly organized, have its own kennel space, or be assisted by foster homes.
Folks who are associated with a particular rescue are generally dedicated to a certain breed. There are rescues for every breed, whether they are a common type or very rare. These organizations often advertise the dogs they have available for adoption in newspapers, veterinarian offices, adoption days at pet-supply centers, Internet sites, and through their local breed clubs, such as the American Kennel Club.
Adoption is a very different idea than giving away or selling an animal. Reputable breed rescues screen potential adopters very carefully to ensure that if a dog is placed with them, it will be a “forever” home. Pet stores, for instance, will often sell an animal to anyone who has the purchase price. A rescue will have the adopter fill out a detailed application and may make a home visit, talk with the adopter’s veterinarian, check references and ask for a contract to be signed. This contract will vary from group to group, but will basically include an agreement for regular health care, where the dog will be kept (most rescues will ask that dogs be kept inside and not left outside unattended, for example) and the understanding that if the dog must be given up for any reason, that it will be returned to the rescu
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