Rachel Wade
When a family adopts a dog, it is so commonly a puppy. Of course, it sounds lovely to be able to adopt a puppy and raise them from birth within your own household - like a real part of the family. But what about the others? What about the dogs who weren’t given the chance to experience family love from their puppy years?
We should thank Paul O’Grady’s ‘For the Love of Dogs’ television series for highlighting to a widespread audience about the mistreatments, trauma and suffering in which rescue dogs must endure before being taken into the shelter, but this is only those who are fortunate enough to be seen and reported to animal shelter. In O’Grady’s show, he shows the world that rescue dogs are just as lovely as adopted puppies from breeders. Still, I often see them get overlooked:
My dog, Gus, is a rescue dog. He is a crossbreed of Labrador and Rottweiler, and we adopted him from the animal shelter when he was one years old (however his actual age was just an estimate, so he could have been older or even younger). He's been in our lives for over a decade now, and nothing will ever feel better than coming home from a long day and spending time with him - no matter how grumpy he may be sometimes.
As a Labrottie, he has a lot of physical Rottweiler features, such as the orange marks on the eyebrows and around the mouth, but his personality is completely Labrador. From his appearance, it is understandable that prior to being adopted, he was treated like a Rottweiler who is stereotyped for their aggression.
His old owners neglected him heavily, and it wasn’t until one of the neighbours heard Gus in the garden in which the shelter was called. He had been outside for an unknown amount of time, but it is assumed that his owners left home either on holiday or to travel somewhere far whilst leaving him in the garden. To add to his poor treatment, the shelter told us he was called Stewart by his neglectful owners. If I told you this fact before showing how they treated him, it would be enough to demonstrate the lack of love he received in that home.
Gus is just one, single dog out of millions. You can imagine the delight upon reading about the increase of rescue animal adoptions in 2020 from Battersea during the beginning of the pandemic. It was reported that many people had those animals who would be once again isolated from a loving home during the pandemic in their thoughts prior to adopting.
All rescue dogs need is reassurance, love, food, healthcare, warmth, and a comfortable bed to rest their paws. After experiencing great trauma at such an early age, like Gus, surely they deserve the same amount of love many families give to puppies? Trust me, if it is a ‘cute’ dog you’re looking for, then a puppy from a breeder is not the only answer. The only thing which differentiates rescue dogs from breed puppies is their background. More than any others, they deserve a happy ending.
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