Every year on May 20, we mark National Rescue Dog Day, which brings attention to the many wonderful dogs waiting in shelters for someone to take them home. It was founded by Lisa Wiehebrink, a rescue dog owner who also wrote the Tails That Teach book series, which teaches young children to be kind and gentle with their dogs.
Millions of dogs enter U.S. shelters each year. The encouraging news is that the numbers have fallen considerably over the past couple of decades, and adoption rates have risen—but plenty of dogs still wait far longer than they should, particularly adults, large breeds, and dogs with medical or behavioral needs. If you're ready to add a dog to your family, here are some good reasons to consider a rescue.
Saving Lives
Choosing to adopt rather than buy means a dog gets a home, and it frees up space and resources for the next dog through the door. Your adoption fee also goes back into running the shelter and caring for the animals still there. If you can't adopt right now, shelters are almost always short of donations, supplies, and volunteers—and taking photos or walking dogs makes a genuine difference to how quickly they're placed.
Adopting also means you aren't supporting puppy mills or backyard breeders. These are volume breeding operations that prioritize profit over the welfare of the dogs, with breeding females often kept in poor conditions and bred repeatedly. Puppies from these sources are more likely to have health and behavioral problems, and the operations frequently sell through pet stores and online listings that make them hard to identify. If you do decide to buy a puppy, a responsible breeder will let you see where the dogs are kept, meet the mother, and discuss health testing—and will ask you plenty of questions in return.
Wonderful Companions
Rescue dogs come from all sorts of circumstances. Some are surrendered because of a house move, a change in family circumstances, financial hardship, or an owner's illness—not because anything is wrong with the dog. Others have had a harder start.
Either way, most settle into a new home beautifully and become devoted companions. We wouldn't claim a rescue dog knows they've been rescued, but what many owners describe is real enough: a dog who was anxious or withdrawn gradually becoming confident and affectionate as they realize they're safe. It's one of the more rewarding things to watch.
It's worth going in with realistic expectations, though. Most dogs need a few weeks to settle, and some show behaviors in the first fortnight that fade as they relax—or others that only appear once they've found their feet. That's normal, and it's worth knowing in advance rather than being caught out by it.
Often an Easier Transition
Puppies are hard work. There's house-training, basic training, socialization, integrating them with other pets, and a series of vaccinations and check-ups through the first months.
An adult rescue dog skips much of that. Many have lived in homes before, and a good number arrive already house-trained and knowing basic commands. Teething is behind them too, which your shoes and furniture will appreciate—puppies chew indiscriminately for several months and there's no shortcut through it.
Adult dogs also come with a considerable advantage: you can see who they are. A puppy's adult size, energy level, and temperament are educated guesses, whereas the staff and foster carers who've spent weeks with an adult dog can tell you what they're actually like—whether they're calm or lively, good with cats, comfortable with children, happy to be left for a few hours. That's more useful information than any breed description, and it makes finding the right match far easier.
Cost Savings
Buying a puppy from a reputable breeder is a significant expense, and there's a good deal more to come on top of the purchase price. Adoption fees are usually a fraction of that, and much of the early veterinary work is generally already done.
Costs that typically come with a puppy:
- A course of vaccinations and deworming
- Spaying or neutering
- Microchipping
- Training classes
- Puppy supplies
Do ask the shelter exactly what's been done, though, and get the paperwork. Some dogs come fully vaccinated, chipped, and neutered; others have had one vaccination and still need the rest, or are booked in for surgery later. Knowing which means you can plan.
It's also worth budgeting for the ongoing costs whichever route you take. Food, preventive care, parasite prevention, dental care, and the possibility of an unexpected illness add up over a dog's life, and that's the part people most often underestimate.
Bringing Your Rescue Dog Home
Whether you adopt this National Rescue Dog Day or another time, a few things smooth the first weeks.
- Book a check-up with us in the first week or two. We'll give your dog a full examination, confirm what vaccinations and parasite treatment they've had and what they still need, and check for anything the shelter may not have picked up. It's also a good chance to talk through diet and any behavior questions.
- Transfer the microchip registration into your name. Adopted dogs are usually already chipped, but the details often still point to the shelter or a previous owner—and a chip with the wrong contact information can't bring your dog home.
- Keep the diet the same at first, then change it gradually over a week or so if you want to switch. An abrupt change on top of the stress of moving is a reliable way to cause diarrhea.
- Go slowly with introductions to other pets and to new people, and let your dog set the pace.
- Expect a settling-in period and give them somewhere quiet of their own to retreat to.
This National Rescue Dog Day, it's worth a visit to your local shelter—there's a fair chance you'll meet the right dog for your family. And whenever you adopt, please contact us to get your new companion booked in. We'd be glad to meet them.