Want a purebred? Adoption is an option

PetDoc.com and many other pet websites are taking part in PetSide.com's Pet 'Net Adoption Event to promote animal adoption. To learn more about adoption visit the Pet Net Adoption portal. To see a list of participating websites, scroll down to the end of the article.

Watachie was my first German Shepherd Dog and he was everything that I wanted a dog to be: he was smart, handsome, loyal, and he loved me. Watachie also came from a rescue group - San Diego German Shepherd Rescue. I liked the idea of saving a dog’s life and Watachie had been abandoned with his littermates on a rural road. San Diego German Shepherd Rescue took the puppies in, got them veterinary care and then adopted them out to good homes. So if you have your heart set on a purebred like Watachie, make sure you consider adoption.

Purebred rescue and adoption

Purebred rescue groups are organizations run by people who love a particular breed (dogs or cats) and want to save the lives of these pets. Sometimes the rescue groups are run by national or local breed clubs while other rescue groups are independent. All depend on donations to continue their work.

Purebred dogs and cats can also end up in local shelters. Although some shelters will call a local rescue group to come pick up a dog or cat of their breed, many people have found the dog or cat of their dreams in the shelter itself. A spokesperson at the North County Humane Society in Oceanside, CA says that the number of purebreds in the shelter varies but often 25 to 30% of the dogs appear to be purebred.

Why are they in rescue?

Judy Price, the Director and Founder of Atlanta Pet Rescue & Adoption, says purebred pets are given up for many of the same reasons that mixed breeds are. That includes:

• Moving
• Not enough time
• Kids have lost interest
• Animal isn’t housetrained
• Problem behaviors
• Someone in the household is allergic

Brandy Burton-Tarantino, the Pacific Northwest Rescue Representative for The Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. and a long-time volunteer for Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue says, “Many purebred dogs are given up to rescue with their papers (registration papers) in paw!” She agrees that many purebreds come into rescue for a variety of reasons and that many have suffered from neglect. She adds that divorce and a death in the family also cause many pets to lose their homes.

Both Price and Burton-Tarantino stated that training is a vital part of dog ownership. Price says, “Dog owners must appreciate the importance of training their dog to become a great pet.” Many dogs end up in rescue because no one took the time and effort to train the dog.

Burton-Tarantino adds, “Rescue does not mean abused!” Although many dogs and cats coming in to a rescue situation may act frightened, that does not mean the animal has been abused. The animal may simply be scared and uncertain. The pet may also be grieving for the home and family he has lost.

Adopting a purebred of your own

Before adopting any pet, dog or cat, purebred or mixed breed, do some research. Look into the various breeds of dogs and cats and find four or five that have traits you could comfortably live with. Burton-Tarantino says, “There is a breed for everyone; that choice should be based on breed characteristics first and physical appeal second.”

Breed traits and characteristics you should think about for dogs and cats include:

• Activity level. How busy is this breed? How much exercise or play time does this breed need?
• Grooming. How much grooming care is needed? Does this breed shed? Does it need daily brushing? Can you handle that?
• Owner interaction. Do these dogs and cats need to be with the owner a lot? How much time will the pet be alone?
• Training. Do these pets housetrain easily? Are they easily trained in obedience or to stop clawing the furniture?
• Social skills. Is this breed typically good with kids? With other dogs? With other pets?

A good place to start looking at bred characteristics is on our breed pages for dogs and cats.

Once you have a few breeds in mind, then go looking for one. You can check out the dogs and cats at your local shelters or you can find a rescue group in your area by doing a web search. For a German Shepherd group in San Diego, for example, you can search for “German Shepherd Dog rescue + San Diego.”

There are many other internet resources for finding pets in need. Petfinder is an excellent, user-friendly website dedicated to find homes for pets (purebreds and mixed breeds) in need. Purebred Cat Breed Rescue is dedicated to purebred cats and has a great deal of information about various cat breeds, how to choose the right cat for your family, and more.

The rescue group or shelter will ask you to fill out an application and to be available for an interview, either in person at their office, at your home, or on the phone. You will be asked many questions, including:

• Whether you have owned pets in the past
• What happened to them
• Whether your yard is fenced
• Where the pet will live and sleep

Answer the questions honestly; don’t try to tell the interviewer what you think he wants to hear. The job of the interviewer is to find out if your home is the right one for this animal; after all, they don’t want to see this pet back in rescue again.

When looking at individual pets, keep in mind that although many of these pets may be purebreds, purebreds come in a range of quality. Price says, “The pup may not have read the breed standard (the description of the breed) and may not behave accordingly.” It’s important to meet each individual dog or cat and choose the breed that fits you best as well as the individual animal who best meets your needs and expectations.

Sites participating in the Pet 'Net Adoption event:

• PetSide.com (http://www.petside.com/petnetadoption)
• About.com Cats (http://cats.about.com)
• About.com Exotic Pets (http://exoticpets.about.com)
• About.com Veterinary Medicine (http://vetmedicine.about.com)
• The Daily Puppy (http://www.dailypuppy.com)
• The Days of Johann (http://blog.johannthedog.com)
• Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Pet Central (http://petcentral.startribune.com)
• The Pet Haven (http://the-pet-haven.blogspot.com)
• PetDoc (http://www.petdoc.com)
• PetLvr - The Blog (http://www.petlvr.com/blog)
• Petopia (http://www.thestarryeye.typepad.com/pets)
• PetPeoplesPlace (http://www.petpeoplesplace.com)
• Pets Channel (http://www.petschannel.com)
• PetsitUSA.com (http://www.petsitusa.com)
• Polka Dot Pup (http://www.polkadotpup.blogspot.com)
• Raise A Green Dog (http://blog.raiseagreendog.com)
• Rescue Me (http://blog.helpingpups.com)
• Thoughts Fur Paws (http://thoughtsfurpaws.com)
• YouPet (http://www.youpet.com)