Adoption is better

It’s that most wonderful time of the year again. Almost. People will be looking for the best gift for a loved one and dogs will undoubtedly be somewhere near the top of an awful lot of wish lists. However please take a moment to think before you do anything. Please!

There are rescue centres, adoption centres, re-homing and shelters all over the world, some bursting at the seams, with dogs of all shapes, sizes, colours and varieties all waiting for a comfy sofa to enjoy. The residents are puppies through to older dogs, all hoping for a chance to repay someone with love and loyalty for the remainder of their lives. For one reason or another every one of the dogs in “rescue” have not been able to find a home, or stay in homes, with people that could and often have loved them for a long time.

The bright lights, glitz and glamour of Christmas bring an alluring glow to the prospect of welcoming a furry bundle of joy and fun into your house, to please the children and make the adults smile and coo over the sheer cuteness. Think for a moment though about where the little bundle of fur has come from? Has he or she been bred through a reputable breeder or just mass produced by some puppy mill, who’s sole purpose is to make money likely for more criminal activities. Every time a puppy is purchased through a puppy mill, the money goes to unknown and very likely said nefarious activities continuing to cause misery to dogs. Many of the dogs provided through these mills are sick and will have a multitude of problems from the very first breath they take.

What happens also once the initial glitzy allure has worn off. That time you look outside and it’s raining, pouring even, and we need to go out for a walk and do what nature intended us to do. When the little bundle of joy wakes you up at 4 am needing to go out or having been ill and needs some love and attention. The time when you are working hard and we pine for some attention, some interaction through play or training. We can’t justifiably be pushed to one side as an after thought.

Rescue or shelter dogs are historically considered as having problems. This is fairly unlikely. The vast majority of rescue or shelter dogs are unwanted or abandoned for so many different reasons and very few of those reasons are our behavioural difficulties. Rescue and shelter organisations are adept at ensuring that those of us with behavioural difficulties are either homed with an appropriate family or we are assisted in steadying our fears and any reactions we may have.

Lenny and I are rescues, both from different organisations and different parts of the world. Both of us it seems were unfortunate enough to be unwanted and found wandering the streets. We weren’t a passing thought, a swift consideration or an off the cuff purchase. We were and remain a commitment. We are for life, not just for Christmas and a few months after. So many other dogs end up in rescue because little or no homework has been done on us prior to purchase.

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If you want to think about getting a dog this Christmas, please consider rescue. You would be saving two lives as you would empty a rescue kennel space for another dog to move into. The love and loyalty you will receive in return for your decision will make you smile and feel happy day after day.

We are worth it. We remain a commitment, however you will have such a feeling of satisfaction from helping us into a loving home will warm you for ages. I promise you, from the bottom of my happy and thankful heart.