With so many animal shelters filled to the brim with homeless dogs, space is severely lacking to house so many deserving animals. Far too many dogs have only two ways out of shelters — death or adoption. In “kill shelters,” animals that are not adopted are euthanized (put to death) while other inbound animals continue to fill the shelters. Dogs on death row wait to be adopted, but often they simply run out of time.

Many compassionate individuals and groups step in, sometimes at the very last minute, to rescue dogs and save their lives. After successfully rescuing dogs, groups are then faced with the task of finding loving homes for the homeless dogs and puppies. From the time a dog is rescued to its adoption, rescue groups incur many costs including housing, feeding, grooming, micro chipping, veterinary care and sometimes training to socialize traumatized animals.

There are many reasons why dogs become homeless. Often they are found as strays and captured by local animal control authorities. Attempts to find the animals’ owners may be unsuccessful; but sometimes even when the owners are located, they decline to reclaim their dogs. Some owners surrender their animals to shelters, citing reasons including having a new baby, moving to another city, or not having the time or money to care for their dogs. Many rescue dogs come from puppy mills and others are removed from abusive owners.

My first rescue dog, Lucy, was a real gem. In 2011, I adopted Stella, my second rescue Yorkie, and she is delightful. Often purebred dogs are surrendered to breed-specific rescue organizations; for example, the Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue, or various local breed-specific rescue groups. This way, breed-related health problems, temperament, diet and other issues can be addressed by professionals who are familiar with their rescue dogs’ breed requirements.

Whether purebred or mixed breed, all dogs deserve loving homes. Please consider adopting a rescue dog into your family. Your life will be richer for it.

About the author: Victoria Blackstone is the founder and owner of Gracie & Co., the inventor of the GracieLoo and the author of “Dog Litter Box Training: Here’s the Poop.”

Even older rescued dogs can be successfully trained to use a litter box. Please contact us with any questions you have about training your dog.