The single greatest thing you can do for another life
Often times when I am at the dog park or running on a trail with one of my wonderful dogs, Parker and Sylvia, trailing behind as they bound through the landscape with pure joy, I am saddened by the thought that many, actually millions, of dogs in this country that were born like them, a mix, a rescue — will never have this experience.
Unlike Parker and Sylvia, these unlucky ones will never get the chance to feel the comfort of a loving home, the hours of joy soaking up the sun and experiencing life — because the deeply saddening reality is that in the U.S. alone every year 1.3 million homeless dogs are put to death — most of them entirely healthy but receive a death sentence because their shelters are too crowded and there are not enough people willing to adopt them.
1.3 million is a staggering number, and one too large for the human brain to truly grasp the extent of this suffering and sadness. Famously, humans show far greater compassion and emotion for a single individual rather than eight, or one hundred, even if the original person or animal is included in the larger group. For me, the possibility of Parker or Sylvia having met this fate is too overwhelming to bear. Yet, it’s happening to dogs equally wonderful and deserving of life across this country every day.
There are many aspects that contribute to the magnitude of this problem — lack of education about the benefits of adopting and spay/neuter, lack of access to affordable spay/neuter, irresponsible breeders and puppy mills, and much more. However for this essay my focus is on perhaps the easiest solution — more adopting homes. I set out to make the argument that rescuing is not only the single greatest thing you can do for another life but also one of the most rewarding things you might ever do.
Confusion and stigma about homeless animals, their behavior and past
Sadly, many potential owners hold the perception that a homeless animal is necessarily “troubled” “broken,” possibly “aggressive” “unpredictable”, labeled not a “blank slate.” Perhaps they believe that because the dog is not purebred, he or she is somehow prone to medical issues. On this last point, evidence actually suggests the opposite — dogs that are not purebred tend to be healthier over their lifespan.
But, like all stereotypes, these labels come from a few cases generalized to the whole. There are many situations that we can imagine where these stereotypes are rendered completely invalid. Many times shelters have puppies, just a few months old, coming from an unexpected litter who are just barely beginning to experience the world. How can one say that this animal is troubled, broken or aggressive?
And what about the most common reason that a dog ends up in a shelter, a family who needs to move across the country or into a new apartment that does not allow dogs? Does this lifelong companion who has demonstrated nothing but positive behaviors suddenly become unpredictable or broken because they have ended up at a shelter? Certainly not.
Actually, because a shelter is able to work with a dog over a period of weeks or months, potentially putting the dog into foster care, much more is known about the dog including any potential triggers or behavioral issues. Contrast this with buying a puppy from a breeder, where virtually nothing is known about the dog’s personality or what that personality will become. The fact that a puppy is a “blank slate” (as adoptable puppies are as well) certainly does not guarantee that as an owner you can mold the puppy’s personality how you want — to be friendly with other dogs, to be accepting of all strangers, etc.
Perhaps most importantly, before making any judgments about a specific shelter dog’s personality/behavior, and especially that of shelter dogs writ large, it’s imperative to consider the environment in which you are meeting that animal. As a volunteer for many years at Chicago shelters PAWS Chicago and Anti-Cruelty Society, I definitely understand that seeing dogs in a shelter environment can be jarring — one is met by a chorus of barking and many dogs exhibit anxiety even at the humans passing by. Consider, though, how stressful this environment must be for these dogs — perhaps they have just been separated from their previous owners, or have arrived after a multi-state journey. Undoubtedly they are confused, weary and anxious.
But these same dogs in any other environment, including outside in a courtyard or on a walk, and especially in a loving home become the most adorable, calm dogs, especially after a period of adjustment.
I know this to be true because I have experienced it firsthand many times as a volunteer and as a rescue owner myself. Which brings me to..
Making their suffering more salient
The philosopher Peter Singer has an interesting thought experiment: Imagine that one day you are walking, wearing a pair of designer shoes, when you happen across a shallow pond where a child crying out for help, in the process of drowning. Saving her (or him) does not portend any danger for you — the only thing that you might risk is damage to your designer shoes. Certainly the price of this child’s life is worth more, right? But, Singer points out, each day many of us make the decision to allow that child to drown in a shallow pond. For the same price, or likely less — we could ensure that a child, suffering somewhere across the world, is fed and clothed— but the reason we don’t often is because the suffering of that someone else is not salient enough for us. They’re not on our doorstep, but somewhere out there, far away.
This is precisely why as compassionate people we need to do the thing that will make the suffering of homeless animals more salient— visit your local shelter.
At the shelter, the abstract knowledge that there are many homeless animals out there — loving, deserving, beautiful animals who all need homes —becomes tangible and salient. And this fact can be transformative for you and those animals.
An added benefit of this visit is that as a potential adopter, you have the chance to spend time with these wonderful animals and see firsthand that they are not broken, most or all are not aggressive — they are simply confused, sad and anxious, hoping that you will take them outside on a walk, and even more hopeful that you will take them home.
You might be thinking that you could be intimidated by the experience of cages and barking dogs or feel overcome with sadness. However, many shelters like PAWS Chicago and the Human Society of Huron Valley, are moving away from cages and toward private ‘rooms’ for the animals. Even if this isn’t that the case at your local shelter, most have the opportunity to meet the dogs outside of their caged areas such as in a courtyard where you can walk with them and get to know them.
Ditching the idea of “status symbol” dogs
Have you noticed that, particularly in wealthier areas, certain dog breeds tend to be common at the exclusion of almost all others? It seems to me that golden retrievers, labradors and now ‘goldendoodles’ or ‘bernedoodles’ tend to be the “it” dogs. Why do you think this is? Is it because these breeds are that much cuter, smarter, friendlier, more loyal, better with kids, or more deserving of a home than all other dogs? I don’t believe so.
As a long-time volunteer, dog walker and of course dog lover, I’ve interacted with thousands of dogs over my life and I have yet to find that certain breeds reliably exhibit a certain set of traits.
Like people and other animals, every dog is an individual.
From my experience golden retrievers are equally likely to be good with other dogs or afraid of people as every other breed. The idea of “Top 10 dog breeds for families” or “Most loyal dog breeds” is generally just a ploy to generate page views.
I believe the primary reason, like the explosion of popularity of Canada Goose jackets over the past few years, is that certain items come to be seen as a achieving social acceptance. For lack of a better term, a status symbol. Similarly, if a potential owner sees a friend or a stranger with a particular dog that they like the look of, they may think “oh, I have to have that.”
But I would argue that in matters of significance — and the decision to rescue or go through a breeder is one — we have to make educated, compassionate choices and not let these instincts of wanting something just because someone else has it override conscientious decision-making.
So, let’s put an end to the idea of an “in” or “trendy” dog breed. Let’s put an end to the idea that breeds tend to exhibit certain traits. Because every dog is an individual. There are so many loving animals out there who are deserving of a home too.
If, in the event of truly considering this and visiting your local shelter multiple times, you feel you absolutely have to have a certain breed, there are many great rescue organizations that specialize in certain breeds — from yorkshire terriers to German shepherds and Bernese mountain dogs. If there’s a particular breed you want, there is almost certainly a rescue for that particular breed. In fact, 25% of dogs in shelters are completely purebred.
But again, why that breed? The first dog I adopted, a one-eyed Great Pyrenees mix named Sylvia, I could not have conjured up her as my ideal representation of a dog. And yet I love her more than anything. The same goes for Parker, my second adopted dog, who, when I initially fostered, I told PAWS “I’ll foster any dog, doesn’t matter who they are, whichever dog is in most need of fostering.” And, despite the challenge of Parker being extremely afraid of cars, which makes walks difficult, he is the most loving, attentive, fun, life-loving dog that I could ever ask for.
What I have found is that no matter the dog, we tend to fall in love with them. And you will never experience love like the way you will from your rescue dog.
One amazing story
As I mentioned earlier, the suffering and redemption of one animal often has a great effect on us, so I would be remiss to write an article about rescuing and not mention a story that tugs at our heartstrings.
There are thousands of wonderful stories out there about dogs who were rescued and transformed the lives of their owner. But one that has stayed with many of us is that of Xena the Warrior Puppy who has formed an amazing bond with her 8-year old owner, Johnny, who has autism. This is a story that shows the power of rescuing, and you might find yourself asking — who rescued who? Read more about Xena and Johnny here.
Parting thoughts:
When you rescue, you save at least two lives You’ve just saved and made your adopted pet’s life as well as made space for another animal in need to take their spot. Plus, given the positive association between mental health and exercise with having a companion animal, you might even save your own.
Fostering gives you the opportunity to get to know your future potential pet before permanently bringing them into your home. If you are looking for a companion that is obedient, snuggles, licks you all over, won’t be destructive at home.. whatever it is, you have the opportunity to find this out through bringing them into your home before making the decision final.
You will have a support system Unlike purchasing a puppy from a breeder, adopting from your local shelter offers you a sense of support. Local shelters have a community of volunteers and employees who can be relied on to answer questions you may have about owning or taking care your new companion
It’s more affordable Many local shelters like PAWS have special adoption events where adoption fees (which normally range $100-$300) are completely waived. Plus, they might have as part of that adoption fee a built-in rebate for attending a training class. PLUS many dogs that have been at the shelter for extended periods such as beloved Baron (no idea why he is still without a home…) are time are ‘featured’ or ‘sponsored’ coming with benefits such as a year’s worth of free food. Think about all the money this would save! Especially when considering that most purebred puppies can range $1,000 and up.
Be the best owner you can be Animals, especially social animals like dogs, are equally in need of stimulation, exercise, socialization, and outdoor time as people are. It’s not fair to a dog to rescue him or her, even from a difficult situation, and leave them outside or inside all day. Dogs require walks to explore new place at a very minimum of once per day. A dog who is taken to the park several times a day to play will be much happier, healthier and more obedient than a dog who is chained outside all day. It is a great thing to rescue but it is an amazing thing to provide your new companion with a high quality of life, and you will find yourself happier and more active as a result.
You get a lifetime’s worth of good karma Think about being on a first-date, or first meeting with someone and telling them that you are a rescue parent. That you saved an animal-in-need’s life. Would this not automatically create a glowing impression of you? I know it does for me and for many dog owners; we feel warmth and appreciation toward people who rescue. It goes without saying this shouldn’t be sufficient motivation to rescue a pet — you have to be prepared for all the responsibility it brings and be prepared to give them a good life. However, when you look in the mirror and everywhere you go, you can feel that you are a good person who has given a loving animal another chance.
