Give a homeless dog the gift of love this holiday season
If you are looking for something positive to look forward to every day, especially during the pandemic, consider adopting a homeless dog.
Every time you look at your adopted dog, you will feel happy and fulfilled that you can provide it with a safe and loving home. Your home may be their first household.
There are a few steps in adopting a dog and one common misconception about rescue dogs. Hopefully, this column can help clarify the adoption process and dispel the myth.
When you have identified the dog you and your family are interested in, you need to reach out to the rescue or shelter of your choice. Organizations will request you complete an adoption application before you meet the dog. You may find the adoption application lengthy, but it must cover a significant amount of information to ensure you and the dog are a perfect match. The rescue's most important responsibility is to find a loving forever home for the dog.
Volunteers will check your application's references, and an appointment is then made to assess your home and family situation. During this time, rescues and shelters will happily answer many of your questions. When adoption is approved, somebody will arrange a meet-and-greet for you and your family with the dog. A shelter will likely allow you to meet the dog before the application process is complete, as the dog is onsite. Rescue organizations house their dogs in private homes, and they may not want to inconvenience the family until you are authorized to adopt.
Dogs arrive at a rescue for many different reasons. A popular myth about these dogs is they must be bad dogs, which is not true. Many of these dogs come from good loving homes, experiencing a family tragedy or lifestyle change. Some families may be forced to move far away, or they may be experiencing financial difficulty. Sadly, pet owners can become gravely ill or pass away.
Dogs found wandering at large without identification collars or microchips can also arrive at rescues. If the owner doesn't claim the dog in a reasonable amount of time, they can be offered for adoption. Animal control, shelters, and rescues do everything possible to find the owner; however, if they cannot be located or identified, volunteers will work hard to find a forever home for the dog.
Whether you adopt a homeless dog or cat, you will find the experience rewarding. Helping a homeless pet in need can only be a positive experience. Please contact your local shelters and rescues as many terrific animals are looking for loving homes.
Please be kind to animals.
Tracy Jessiman is a pet portrait artist who lives in Halifax with her husband and their three pets. She is a volunteer with Animal Rescue Coalitions of Nova Scotia. She has been rescuing animals most of her life, but more intimately, animals rescued her.