Rescue a Dog – Don’t Buy a Puppy!
Dogs for Depression’s twin goal is to promote the rescue and adoption of abandoned dogs and encourage dog welfare. We were recently horrified to receive an email from a guest telling us they had read our site and then bought a new puppy.
Why Rescue an Abandoned Dog?
The answer is simple – almost 1 dog an hour is put down in the UK according to the Dogs Trust research. That’s a shocking statistic. According to the RSPCA, the number of stray dogs collected by British councils rose 23% in 2009 to almost 113,000. And in the recent economic climate that number is only likely to increase, pets are often the first to suffer when household finances get too tight.
By rescuing an abandoned dog you could make reduce those awful statisticsless by one innocent, helpless dog.
Almost 20 dogs a day are euthanased or put down – that’s almost 1 dog an hour, according to the annual Stray Dog Survey conducted by GfK NOP*
While the majority of unwanted animals are successfully rehomed, tragically some are left unadopted and end up being put down.
Charities constantly need loving responsible owners to offer a new home to these abandoned pets. Adopting a dog that had a difficult start to life can be incredibly rewarding for both the adopter and adoptee.
How will rescuing a dog help me?
One of the best resons to rescue a dog rather than buy a puppy is the very fact that the decision in it’s own right can be the start of feeling more positive about yourself. Deciding to rescue an abandoned dog is an incredible act of human kindness and generosity that gives another living being a chance for a new beginning and a caring loving home.
The decision to rescue a dog rather than buy can in its own right be the start of feeling more positive and raising your self esteem
It’s no coincidence that we feel good about ourselves when we hand back a possession that someone has dropped or tell a shop assistant when they give us too much change back. Honesty is one of many positive traits that are considered positive, ethical behaviour and are therefore valued in society. Its human nature to feel good about displaying these positive behaviours.
Nothing could be easier than walking into a pet store and impulsively walking out with a cute puppy, but why should you feel good about yourself for an act of self gratification? While good ethical breeders do exist, there are many more unscrupulous ones that pay little regard to the welfare of the pregnant mothers and callously discard unsold puppies, the lucky ones may make it to a rescue home.
Choosing a less easy path to rescue an abandoned dog desperately in need of a loving home is a deliberate act of will born of compassion. It requires conscious effort on your part to find a suitable dog and a commitment to improving the wellbeing of a vulnerable animal. Such a decision displays personal qualities of altruism, humanity, generosity, personal integrity and a certain inner strength of character – all admirable qualities and great reasons to feel good about yourself!
Rescuing a dog that has been badly treated or been unwanted can also bring out your nurturing instinct. Many people who adopt abandoned dogs can relate to the animal’s predicament due to some of their own life experiences. Offering the care that a creature desperately needs, in a way that someone perhaps might not have received themselves when at some point in their own lives they needed it, and thereby creating a “happy ending” can be a very powerful and positive emotional experience.
Ultimately, adopting an unloved, unwanted animal can not only be a hugely rewarding experience, by taking the very step of chosing to do a morally “right and good” thing by deciding to rescue a dog rather than just buy one, you can also take the first step to raising your own self-esteem
To read about dog rescuers’ positive experiences read our case studies.
To find out more about the ways in wich resucing a dog can help your emotional and psychological wellbeing if you have suffered depression or other illness visit how dogs help us
Good Luck
Notes
* Source: Dogs Trust
** Source: RSPCA