What is the best thing about rescuing a dog from a shelter?

Question

Simply that "What is the best thing about rescuing a dog from a shelter":?

Answer 1

giving them another chance.. a new life! Saving them from euthanasia

Answer 2

Wow. Hmm. Lessee.... How about

Saving the life of an innocent creature

Acquiring the best friend you will ever have in your life

Offering your family the opportunity to learn what unconditional love feels like

Incredible health benefits such as lower blood pressure, etc. from petting the dog.

Motivation to get up and exercise instead of sitting on your butt - your dog is a great running/walking buddy.

Great conversation starter if you're shy. People love to pet other people's dogs - so a nice dog can be an introduction to making new friends.

I could go on and on. But in short the best reason to rescue a dog from the shelter is

IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!!!!

Answer 3

My boyfriend's family has rescued 2 dogs from a shelter. Sparky, a female mix, was right at home as soon as she walked into the door. Tiny, a min pin, was more scared about things. But the best thing is you are giving them a good home and loving them as all animals should be loved.

Answer 4

Providing you have the knowledge, time and experience to rehabilitate a dog with potential behavioural problems or one that's suffered neglect or trauma previously, the best thing is that you're giving a second life and a second chance to an animal - a great thing to do. You can get a beautiful, loyal friend who otherwise might have been wasted thanks to someone elses' carelessness.

It's debatable whether rehoming a shelter animal without being prepared for one is just as great a thing to do - though most shelters vet so strictly that it doesn't happen often. I always say that there's only one thing worse than a dog being let down by an owner, and that's a dog being let down twice by an owner.

Answer 5

The fact that you are giving a dog a second chance of happiness. I have a rescue dog and she's absolutely lovely, she's only 6 months old and the home microchipped her and gave her her first injections and wormed her. I had her second injection done recently which wasn't too costly.
I just think it's a really nice thing to do for an animal that has been dumped.

Answer 6

I don't know if I can chose one thing! I can tell you about Max though.
4 yrs ago I was interested in finding a small dog to keep me company while my husband worked nights, we had just transfered to a new state. I had been checking the newspaper on Mondays the shelter runs an ad. Weeks went by no small dogs that really caught my eye. There was the cutest "sheep dog" in one of the pictures though that made me kinda giggle, cause he was so shaggy and had a big smile. (I live in a rural area, and the shelters don't groom).
But that kind of dog was way to big for me............So I thought.
Wednesday morning I was doing breakfast dishes and that
sheepdog kept coming to mind, I dug out Mondays paper, giggled again when I saw the picture and decided it wouldn't hurt to call and ask about him, I was sure he would have been adopted by now! I got the nicest man on the phone, and he was so excited when I asked about this particular dog. He actually was kinda pushy. I told him that my husband sleeps days and asked if we could come Saturday to look at the dog.
He paused and told me that he knew the dog would no longer be there. ????? He then shared with me a secret they are not supposed to share with callers.....The sheep dog was due to be put down at 7pm. The care taker had even extended it for 2 weeks because he didn't have the heart, but he couldn't wait anymore.
That was all I needed to hear, I woke my husband, we fiddled around and finally found this shelter which was over an hour from our house and we are new to the area so it was no easy trip!! lol My husband still laughs and says that he didn't even know where we were going for the first half hour because I was so worked up that I never explained it was for this dog. I just knew that I couldn't go to bed that night knowing an animal was gone and I could have prevented it. We finally found the shelter and boy was it primative. We walked into, this room (after walking past an oven outside ?) and all these dogs started barking and growling, I looked over to my left and here sits this filthy dirty, shaggy dog just wagging his tail and smiling at us, he never barked at us once.

I looked at him and said Well Hi Max(the name just popped in my head) I asked him if he wanted to come home with me and he got up and walked to the gate, we clipped a leash on him and it was done. He jumped in the back seat of our truck just like he had been doing it his whole life, came home was grateful for a bath and trim and has been the best smartest, funniest most loving dog I have ever had. I am convinced that he was meant for me to have. Shortly after we got him, I had a awful accident and was flat on my back pretty much for 3 months in alot of pain. Max rarely left my side. He save me from the depression and frustration of what i was going through.
In the beginning I thought that I had rescued him and saved his life, but the truth of it is, He has rescued me and saved my life. I never would have made it through that time with my husband gone 10hrs a night in a strange state without Max.


Hope this helps you decide, sorry its so long.

Answer 7

everyone has said giving them a new life and a chance, but also some of the older dogs at shelters are trained already... house broken, know basic commands, and some may even know more... with a shelter dog, you dont know Exactly what your getting... but you can get the basic idea fromt he people who work there and as you get introduced to the dog... but there are a look of killer herding dogs in shelters, or just any real working bred, you get a lot of them because people dont do research, they just see a pretty puppy and dont see how much energy they will have when they get home.. and then give them away...

Answer 8

I think the word "rescue" says it all. We know a couple of families that rescue them from these "two week kill shelters" in West Virginia. They are mostly great dogs that just are not good hunters.

Answer 9

The feeling you get knowing you have saved a dogs life, and knowing you can give the dog the home it deserves.

Answer 10

You give a unwanted dog the chance to be loved and have a happy life.

Answer 11

Simply that the dog will love you to bits and all that you have to do is give return the affection......and a bit of food, water and walkies.

Dogs are amazing animals, mine never ceases to surprize.