The Joy of working with Rescue Dogs (April 2024)

Many of the dogs I have been a sitter for, are rescue dogs. They are always the most lovable and thankful of all dogs; they appreciate every day that they have been given a warm home and seem to know how lucky they are. They have learned to love and trust again, thanks to all the amazing volunteers along the way that have made their new life possible and to their new compassionate family.  

I admire so much the persons who have taken it as their mission in life to rescue as many dogs as possible from abandonment, suffering and death. These people, who do all this work without earning any salary to themselves, should be the greatest inspiration to all of us. Volunteering at a dog shelter, being a foster family, or working as a coordinator of international adoptions comes with its fair share of challenges. You must also be capable of controlling your emotions, as you do get attached to the dogs and the whole procedure is an emotional rollercoaster. However, it all pays back a million times as it is also an incredibly rewarding life experience when you see how many lives you save. Furthermore, you will also acquire new skills from it, such as a deeper knowledge on animal behavior, care practices, first aid, training of puppies, managing anxiety issues, and much more. 

I must admit that I do have a problem with people spending high amounts of money buying a dog of a specific breed, while there are so many abandoned dogs in the shelters all over the world that could become just as good family-dogs (or better!) as the one you buy from a breeder. And if you donate that same amount of money to the shelter, they are able to do SO much, like for example castrating/sterilizing other dogs, paying for vaccinations or important operations, medicines for dogs in need of it, covering the costs of dog food, etc. etc. 

Another fact about purebred dogs coming from “puppy factories” is that they very often come with genetic diseases due to being inbred = this much too often causes them further suffering and very high vet bills for you! I encourage everyone to think it over more than twice and go visit a dog shelter before taking such an important decision. Because it is a huge life-changing decision for both you, your family and most of all for your future dog. 

Malcolm, my favourite little rescue dog from the U.S.