My Mom tells me that Max, Perla and Zeke were all "rescues", but I didn't know what that meant until she showed me a picture of a dog named Djuma (he's the dog in the picture). Dogs like Djuma often end up their lives without the people who originally loved them and made them part of their family when they were puppies. This is often no fault of their own - they didn't do anything bad.... except maybe get old, bark too much, or just cease to be fun to take care of in the eyes of their human family.
Mom tells me that dogs like Djuma have a harder time finding homes because they are old, but she also says that older dogs and most rescues have lots of advantages like:
- They have been checked by a vet, have their shots and are either spayed or neutered.
- Their behavior has been tested by people who know dogs and know whether these dogs can be with kids or cats or whatever.
- They are so appreciative (unlike those of us who don't know anything but love from puppyhood on...)
So, think about a Rescue. There are rescue organizations for every breed out there http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm. It's a great way to get into a breed that you think you want to have in your life. Mom says that is how she found Max and her way into the lives of dogs like me and Henry. Whatever you do, love the dog you choose for life. They deserve no less than that since that is the way we dogs love our humans.
P.S. you can find Djuma on http://www.ridgebackrescue.org along with a bunch of other Ridgebacks in need.
