I think I am feeling compelled to write about this today because I thought I had lost my family’s sweet Dachshund rescue Max yesterday. He was hiding under our deck. For me, I think our pets can be so much work, sometimes I don’t always realize how special they are to the whole family. I sure came to that realization fast yesterday! Max hasn’t been part of our family for long, but he already joins in on our weekend outings, believe it or not, he is great on hikes even with those short legs.
I never knew how many breed specific rescue groups there are. If you have a fondness for a particular breed, there is almost certainly a rescue group. Below I will list just a few. We found ourselves dogless again last spring and while it made for an easy summer with no worries about who was going to take care of the dog while we were on vacation and away for the weekend, our house was too quiet. We had always had bulldogs and most of the family loved their comical bullish ways, but my daughter didn’t. They would bulldoze her friends, chew on her dolls and occasionally steal whatever she had and take off. She had always liked dachshunds, particularly the smooth haired and smaller versions. She and I looked online and found Dachshund Rescue of North America and sure enough there was Max.
I will say it took a lot of paperwork and time to bring home Max, but it was worth every minute. We first filled out a long questionnaire, complete with references and scenarios about how we would handle our Dachshund in various situations. They called my vet to determine what kind of pet owners we had been. They came to our home to check out what type of environment he would be living in. They looked at our staircases (which can be tough for some Dachshunds), asked many questions about our Koi pond and fencing and even made sure we keep household cleaners out of reach. We then traveled a few hours away to meet a group of Dachshunds at a park that were looking for homes. There we were able to meet Max’s foster parents, ask questions about him and they could also ask further questions of each of us. A few days later we got the wonderful news that we were chosen to be Max’s family. I think these groups do wonderful due diligence in matching the right dog to the right family.
Another great web resource for finding virtually any pet is Petfinder. They link to virtually all SPCAs, breed specific rescue groups and even private rescue groups. You put in what type of animal you are looking for, age, size, gender and your location and it will return all that meet your criteria.
Dachshund Rescue of North America
Saint Bernard Rescue “Save our Saints”
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