What Rescue is and What Rescue Isn't

I had one of those annoying email conversations with someone. They want to find a good breeder to get a border collie puppy from. They're doing their research. They know what they want. Wonderful! I suggest to them that they go to a few herding trials and network with the people there to find out where their dogs came from and what they had to say about the breeders. I also said I couldn't recommend any local breeders because I didn't know much about them - both my dogs are rescues.

Then, I got the email back about how the person is sick of people looking down on them because they want to get a puppy, not a rescue. And then he gives me the big ole' rationalization speech. You've heard it: All the dogs in rescue are border/pit mutts, there aren't any puppies, they all kill cats, they won't be good pets because all rescued border collies are chicken-killing, kid biting, vicious cat eating monsters that would be absolutely unacceptable for a pet home. They need a puppy so that they can train it up right, blah blah blah.

It's so frustrating. If you want to buy a puppy, buy a puppy - but don't feel obligated to rationalize that choice by spreading lies, ignorance and misinformation about rescues!

a.) There are purebred, registered dogs in rescue. I know several people who have acquired them.
b.) There are puppies in rescue. That's where mine came from.
c.) Most rescues have a perfect temperament for a pet home. Both of mine came from the pound. They live with cats, compete in events, and are around children. You have to train them, of course, but you have TRAIN any dog.

I don't know why people want so hard to believe that any dog in rescue must be defective, or undesirable, or have something wrong with it. Most rescue organizations don't have time or funds to scrape up the unadoptables - they're skimming off the cream of the cream of the adoptable dogs. I'm not sure where people think the dogs in rescue came from, why they would be so profoundly different than the dogs that come directly from breeders. Do they think rescue dogs materialize with the morning dew? Rescue dogs come from breeders, just like all dogs do.

Rescuers aren't trying to scam or guilt you into taking an inferior dog. They have no monetary interest in unloading a dog on you. They can't afford the liability of adopting out an unstable dog. Most rescue organizations do charge a fee, but that money goes back into the fund for redeeming dogs from the pound, paying vet costs, and such. Foster homes don't get a penny. Any legitimate rescue organization insists that you return the dog to them if it doesn't work out, and offers support and counseling on adjusting to life with your new dog. In fact, it is more difficult to get a dog from rescue organizations as they will do a much more thorough screening process than most breeders.

The emailer expressed concern that they knew what they wanted, but you wouldn't know what you were getting with a rescue dog, like you would with a puppy. That is absolutely backwards. Look at the rescue sites, like Arizona Border Collie Rescue. There is a great deal of information about each specific dog, its energy level, sociability, personality, age, health, habits, training, etc. With a breeder, you will at best get speculation that since the parents didn't exhibit any health problems, it will probably be healthy and a nice dog. They can't give you much hard information about the specific puppy, they can only speculate and hypothesize.

Rescue isn't going to the pound, picking out a dog and hoping for the best. It is way beyond that.