Dogs are considered man’s best friend.

In the past, they’ve become partners in hunting food or as guardians of goats, sheep, or cattle. Today, people use them to sniff items at the airport or to assist people with health issues. But the unhappy truth is that not all dogs truly experience having someone to take care of them. There are 200 million stray dogs globally, and many failed get adopted.

With numbers like these, it can be good to adopt a rescue dog from a rescue center. According to The House Dog, by adopting, you’ll not only save a life, but you can also reap the benefits of being a dog owner. Some benefits that you can gain are practicing responsibility in taking care of a dog, reducing stress, and the opportunity to save cash by choosing to adopt rather than buy.

Here are the top reasons to adopt a rescue dog:

1. You Can Save A Life

Saving and adopting a dog that’s been in the rescue center for years or a dog that’s destined to be euthanized is good, let’s face it. It can be rewarding to know that a person has given another chance to a dog that may have suffered difficult experiences such as abuse or abandonment.

Sadly, there’s a lack of potential owners that visit rescue centers annually in ratio to the high numbers of rescue dogs. This scenario causes some rescue centers to euthanize many dogs to make room for other abandoned dogs. Therefore, adopting them is helpful to prevent these deaths — perhaps the best reason to choose adoption.

2. You Can Help A Nonprofit Organization

One reason to adopt and take care of rescue dogs is that you can help rescue centers and their volunteers provide ongoing care to abandoned dogs. Rescue centers help in keeping stray dogs off the street. They’re the ones who address the dog’s behavioral issues that could badly affect the way they live in a new house. They’re also responsible for managing overpopulation by spaying and neutering dogs under their care and on the streets.

All in all, the donation or adoption fee you provide before getting a rescue dog can help keep these dogs healthy. It can also help with necessary supplies at the rescue centers, such as:

  • Dog toys
  • Grooming supplies
  • Flea and tick treatment
  • Towels and blankets
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Collars and leashes

3. You Can Save Cash

It costs a lot to buy purebred animals. Purchasing Tibetan Mastiff and French Bulldog puppies usually costs more than USD$3,500. But, adopting a rescue dog typically has lower costs as the adoption fees are much cheaper and rarely more than half the cost of buying a purebred dog.

Also, the adoption fee generally covers things  such as:

  • Deworming medication
  • Spay/neuter surgery (if needed)
  • Flea and tick treatment
  • Canine distemper combination vaccination and Bordetella; rabies vaccination is also given to age-appropriate dogs
  • Canine heartworm test
  • General physical examination and behavioural evaluation by veterinarian services staff or a veterinarian from a separate off-site clinic
  • Free medication for 14-days (if required)
  • 60-day return period

4. Rescue Dogs Can Improve Your Life

Having a pet can help extend your life while improving your happiness and wellbeing. These loyal dogs can give companionship to individuals with stress, depression, anxiety, and many other health issues.

Furthermore, they can also help with loneliness. The first reason dogs can address loneliness is that they can provide unconditional love, especially when you need company due to stressful situations. Second, dogs also encourage you to go out of your house as they need regular time outdoors. Going out of the house opens up an opportunity to meet other people with dogs. It can also help you become physically active.

And last, dogs can be a way for you to volunteer in a therapy dog team. You can go together with your dog to visit sick people who feel lonely. Altogether, as there are a lot of health benefits that rescue dogs can give both to you and other people, it’s another reason for you to adopt them.

Conclusion

Dogs have been a companion to humans for thousands of years. From being a helper in guarding livestock to becoming a pet, much evidence shows dogs are suitable companions. However, not all dogs get the care that they need. Millions of dogs suffer abandonment by their owners, which can be disheartening.

Therefore, to make a difference concerning these numbers, it’s ideal to adopt a rescue dog from volunteers and organizations. Adopting a dog can save them from living a really hard life and dying on their own. It also has big benefits for humans and can keep you healthy!

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About the author

Kevin T. Judd is a 4th yr. vet student. He devotes his time to animal volunteering work. He also writes blogs to educate people on how to best care for animals, especially on people’s pets, as his way of promoting animal welfare. When he has no tasks ahead, he loves to bond with his friends and watch Netflix.
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