©Scott Sheaffer, CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, USA Dog Behavior, LLC

Rescuing a dog, versus buying one from a breeder, is always a great idea for a number of reasons. Primarily you are keeping a potentially great dog from being euthanized. By rescuing a dog you may also take a sale away from a puppy mill since the majority of puppies come from puppy mills these days unfortunately. People who buy puppies aren’t aware they are oftentimes actually buying from a puppy mill instead of a legitimate breeder. Puppy mills produce dogs that commonly have health issues and genetic behavior issues; sadly, I see these dogs every day in my practice. For more information on puppy mills, please see Puppy Mills 101.

“Rescuing a dog is always a noble thing to do. However, just because it’s a virtuous thing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask some questions before taking the leash.”

But, are all rescue dogs and rescue organizations problem free? No. I’m going to provide some guidelines below to ensure you’re likely getting a dog that will work in your family and is coming from a legitimate rescue organization. I’m always surprised at the questions that aren’t asked by dog adopters.

Before I give you the guidelines, it’s important to know this one important fact. There are considerably more adoptable dogs available than there are adopters. A lot more. You can’t adopt them all so give yourself permission to be picky and select the exact dog you want. I’d much rather someone pass over a dog that won’t work in their home and is eventually returned to the rescue organization versus choosing the right dog that will stay with the family for the dog’s entire life.

Questions to Ask a Rescue Organization

The most important question to ask is, “Can you provide the following information about this dog I’m considering adopting? This information can include:
- Prior owner and why the dog was originally surrendered
- Has the dog been returned by another adopter(s)?
- What notes do you have about behavior?
- All veterinary records
- Has the dog lived with a foster(s) and can I talk with them?
- Any human bite history?
- Has the dog been assessed by a qualified dog behaviorist?
How long has the rescue organization been in business? There are a million rescue organizations run by well-meaning people. Unfortunately, some of them come and go on a whim and aren’t very good partners for potential adopters. Partnering with a good rescue is more important than most people realize in order to easily and quickly resolve problems that may pop up with the dog after adoption (e.g., physical and behavioral issues). A good measure of their legitimacy is to ensure they are truly a 501(c) (i.e., non-profit) organization registered in their own name.
What does their facility look like if they have one? A dirty and disorganized facility is a red flag. Are they really taking care of their dogs?
If they don’t have a facility (which is most common), how do they train their fosters? The best rescue organizations have a standardized training program for their fosters that ensures the dogs are cared for properly and facilitates good communication with the organization.
What kind of medical treatment do they provide and by whom? Do they ensure all vaccinations are up to date and all dogs are spayed or neutered before they are adopted? Neutering and spaying of adopted animals is required by law of rescue organizations. Most top-flight rescue organizations have a small handful of carefully vetted veterinarians who perform all of the veterinary care for their animals.
Are their dogs clean and reasonably groomed? A standard of care for legitimate rescue organizations is that all of their dogs are clean and have at least been decently groomed.
While the dogs are with them, what training methods do they use? Dogs can be in rescue sometimes for months so improper training methods can have a long-term negative effect on them. If you hear things like prong collar, shock collar or “we use Cesar Millan’s methods”, you might want to look elsewhere.
Do they qualify potential adopters? In other words, does the rescue organization ask a lot of questions about the potential adopter to ensure they will take good care of the dog and provide a sound home environment?
How long have they had the dog? A dog that has been with a rescue organization a long time (e.g., six or more months) can be a red flag for physical issues, behavior issues or issues with past adopters.

Rescuing a dog is always a noble thing to do. However, just because it’s a virtuous thing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask some questions before taking the leash.