Why is Dog Rescue Important to Me?

Several years ago, when my son Gabriel was in middle school, the two of us volunteered at the Berkeley Animal Shelter every Wednesday afternoon. While Gabriel cleaned cat cages, did laundry and washed the animal catcher’s truck, I fed the dogs and gave them love and attention. Afterwards, on the way home, my son would look at me and ask “What’s wrong Mom?” I always had the same answer. “No one ever adopts those dogs. Every week we see the same faces.” I swore then that I would never purchase another animal.

My dilemma was that I had always wanted a dachshund. Most of the dogs at the shelter were large and many of them were of mixed breeds. How could I find a purebred dog without going to a breeder?

I soon learned that many purebred puppies and dogs including dachshunds, labradors, beagles and bulldogs are rescued by organizations that specialize in particular breeds. Some of these organizations are large and some are small, but they are located all over the country and they often network with each other. So if you’re looking for a particular kind of friend, there’s one waiting for you not far away.

Before adopting a new pet, I interviewed several dogs to make sure that the one I brought home would be a perfect fit with my family. When Gabriel and I laid eyes on Cookie, it was love at first sight. We knew she was the one.  

When we adopted Cookie, she was emaciated, demoralized and terrified. She had been living in the back of a housepainter’s truck, eating nothing but food scraps. There was paint embedded in her fur and worse, even though she was elderly, she had just weaned puppies. We bonded immediately and during the next few weeks, through constant love and care, she came back to life. My little dog became my shadow, following me everywhere… to the bookstore, to the nursery, to the office. Everywhere. When she died suddenly of heart failure a year ago, I was distraught. I could hear the patter of her tiny paws behind me for a very long time.

There is a special relationship between a rescued dog and its human. These animals, many of whom have been abused, are so grateful to be in a warm, safe home eating nutritious meals and getting regular affection that they become completely devoted to you. Every time they look into your eyes, their expression communicates “Thank you!” You will never experience more unconditional love. If you have an interest in exploring dog adoption, here are some links to rescue organizations of the most popular breeds as well as Bay Area shelters.

Since Cookie’s death, two more miniature dachshunds have come to me from the San Francisco Animal Shelter, via Dachshund Rescue. Beauregard weighs ten pounds and his sister Violet weighs seven. They are adorable and extremely energetic, big dogs in tiny bodies. While two more dachshunds seemed like a lot to take on (have I mentioned that I have a labrador and two rescued rabbits?) I couldn’t bring myself to separate them, since they’d never without each other. Beau and Violet have become part of our family. They love exploring their neighborhood and are excited by everything it has to offer.