Why You Should Rescue a Dog

Really, I hope you do. Let's be friends. :) 

For real though, if you like dogs then this is a place for you. If you like rescue dogs, then this is an even better place for you. I've spent most of my adult life in the presence of many furry friends. I worked professionally in sheltering and pet care for eight year before starting my cleaning business, and I've shared my home with nearly 40 (yes,forty) foster dogs in the last three years. Because of that, I've been able to compile a list of reason why YOU should rescue a dog. 

1) Dogs are great. Please, try and argue that. I love my family, don't get me wrong, and I hope that they never feel second best when I talk about how much I LOVE dogs. But, there is nothing like a dog. Dogs don't care if you flipped someone off on the interstate because you were in a hurry and grumpy. They don't care if you gave your waitress a crap tip because you drank too many Long Islands and ran out of cash. You can really, honestly be a pretty sh!t bag person, and your dog is still going to think you're the greatest thing to walk the earth. Dogs love us, eternally, no matter what. 

2) Now that we've established that you need a dog in your life, are you aware that the United State euthanizes several million dogs each year? "Well, those dogs probably had issues." No. Well, okay, maybe some did. I'm not naive enough to think that EVERY dog can be saved, but I think I have enough years under my belt to be able to confidently tell you that most truly can. Do some come with a little more baggage than others? Sure, but many will also fit quite easily into about any home setting, and have wound up at the shelter/rescue only because they were unfortunate enough to end up in the hands of an irresponsible person. You then get to swoop in like Superman/woman and save the day. Its a pretty dang good feeling, trust me, and guess what? Those dogs know it. I swear. Until you have a rescue dog, you won't understand. 

3) Rescue dogs come in all shapes, sizes and ages, but their hearts can all love you the same no matter what they look like. Keep that in mind before you get too caught up with, "I want XYZ." Your best bet? Go meet some dogs. See which one you like! Get pre-approved through a couple of organizations that you like and see where it goes. Getting a dog is a lot like dating. You might be super attracted to that fancy blonde "Goldendoodle", but is she really right for you? Will she get you? Or will she want you to just sit around day and night brushing her hair and waiting on her hand and foot? She might be pretty, but you also might be way happier with the slightly less attractive shelter-mutt red-head dog who has a WAY better personality and isn't so caught up with her looks. Red-head shelter dog just wants to chill and watch The Office, and isn't that what you want too? So what if neighbor Joe has the best looking dog on the block, yours is WAY cooler. 

4) Rescuing a dog allows other dogs to be rescued. The fosters that we take come from the massively overpopulated Houston, Texas area. The foster homes there are always bursting at the seams with dog, as are the shelters. When you come to my house and adopt my foster, I immediately sign up to foster another dog. When I foster another dog, that frees up space in the Houston foster home, when they have space they go directly to the shelter and pull out a dog that literally has days (or less) to live. The less dogs there are in the shelter, the better chance they all have at surviving. You adopting one dog sets a whole series of events into motion that saves a TON of dogs. Do a good deed, adopt! 

Getting a dog, no matter where you decide to go, is always a huge commitment. Any dog, of any age, of any breed can develop health or behavioral issues. Going to a certain breeder does NOT guarantee you of anything. You can do everything right and your dog may still grow up to not be fond of other dogs, or kids or cats or whatever. You might think your dog's "pedigree" was outstanding, and they still develop hip issues early in life. Choose a dog that fits you, choose a dog that loves you, and give them the best life that you can! 

You can purchase my Hope You Like Dogs doormat on Etsy, but be sure to mention "Lola's Lucky Day" in the seller notes so that they make a donation to help save more dogs in the Houston area! You can also find the black & white rug on Amazon, but be sure to always checkout in Amazon Smile to send a donation to your favorite charity!