

Rescuing a Life


They just Keep on Coming

cDiane Rich 2012
Can you tell which dog is the rescue? Purebreds and mixed breeds can share the same fate ending up in some sort of rescue situation. The Border collie mix by my Doberman was found under a truck in Eastern WA. when she was 6 months old. She was scared of men and just about everything else. With kindness during her rescue and adopted by a patient man, yes a man, she is thriving and enjoying each and every day. She is 13 mths old in this photo.

Millions of dogs are euthanized each year at shelters around the country. The word, Euthanasia is another word for killed and comes from the Greek word meaning “good death.” It refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering.  To me the only relief  is actually society’s pain and suffering. Those unfortunate dogs, at our mercy at a kill shelter usually only have a few days before they are destroyed due to limited space and budget. When a dog is destroyed another one takes its place. They just keep on coming.

cDiane Rich 2012
This sweet staffy was adopted by a loving family while she was going through treatment for her skin condition

No Kill Shelters
Thank DOG, there are a growing number of no kill shelters around the country. Dogs picked up as strays or are surrendered to these shelters are the lucky ones, in a way. They will be cared for until adopted. Their precious life is spared, but they keep on coming.

cDiane Rich 2012
Taken at the Seattle Humane Society, Bellevue, WA a no kill shelter

More and more people are learning that no kill shelters and rescue organizations  offer wonderful opportunities to find the next family pet. There are mixed breeds and purebred dogs that work their way through the system.  The numbers of dogs up for adoption around the country are staggering and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. They just keep on coming.  

cDiane Rich 2012
These two dogs that have similar physical features, not related were adopted by another client after she lost her previous rescue to old age.

The  tireless  hearts of those individuals who rescue, foster, transport dogs have my utmost admiration.
The people who volunteer to work at their local shelters cleaning kennels, walking and loving dogs, kudos to you. Those individuals involved with cases that include hoarding and abuse and contain themselves from throttling the perpetrator for what they do to and with animals, again my admiration for self restraint. I applaud the Vets who work with shelters and rescue groups offering their services pro bono or at a reduced cost.

The Emotional Cost
I train many dogs from shelters and rescue groups. Some dogs are resilient and seem to be unaffected by their history and some wear their history on every strand of fur of their body. The majority improve drastically with patient rehabilitation.  I don’t blame the dogs that are fearful of  humans.  Humans  who take out their anger or self appointed superiority over helpless creatures by hurting them are cowards.  That is all I will say about those individuals for now.

Think about adoption. Visit a shelter. Talk with your local rescue organization. Go to adoption events.  Many rescues and shelters have websites posting photos of pets up for adoption.  Rescues  and shelters are non profit and survive due to the generosity of donors. Not so easy in this economy.  These non profits also survive from the generosity of people giving their time and love from the moment a dog is found or surrendered, through  adoption.

Diane Rich Dog Training, LLC

Diane Rich

Comments are closed.