Dog blog
Adopting Rescue Dogs: What Should You Know Before Getting One?
If you have decided to bring a friendly companion into your home, there are many places where you can look for it. While local pet stores, breeders, and online forums are viable options for adoption, your best friend might be waiting for you right now in an animal shelter or rescue near by.
In fact, 3.3 million dogs enter U.S. national animal shelters every year which unfortunately end up being euthanized because too few people consider adopting rescue dogs.
Why should you adopt a rescue dog?
Having a dog is a wonderful experience for many people. Moments like playing together and walking in the park with your canine friend are memorable, but so is the first interaction with your pet.
The place where you get your dog will play an important role throughout your lifelong friendship.

And if you haven’t decided which one it should be yet, we’ve prepared a few reasons why you should adopt a rescue dog instead of buying one:
✓ Save a life.
About 670,000 shelter dogs are euthanized each year in the US. Unfortunately, that means most dogs that end up in shelters never had an owner and won’t have one until the end of their lives.
If more people adopted rescue dogs instead of buying them from pet stores or other places that sell pets, these worrying numbers would reduce dramatically.
More than that, adopting dogs will leave a free space for other dogs that urgently need shelter.
✓ It won't cost you a fortune.
Buying your dog from a pet store can cost you a few thousand dollars, depending on the breed, while adopting rescue dogs can only cost you between $50-$200.
In general, adoption fees are used by shelters and rescue groups to provide care for the other animals and to sponsor their overall actions to rescue and rehome new pets.
However, supposing you are a great lover of purebred dogs, it won’t be impossible to find exactly what you are looking for among rescued dogs.
That’s because 25% of pets in shelters are purebreds. So instead of paying a lot of money to get your dream Labrador or Bulldog, you can visit local shelters. There are great chances to meet your favorite dog breeds in one of them.
✓ Stop puppy mills.
Most pet store dogs come from puppy mills. Also called puppy farms, these places are high-volume dog breeding facilities whose sole purpose is to make a profit from the puppies born there.
As a result, many of them never get to see the sunlight and are forced to live in terrible conditions. Due to poor hygiene, overbreeding, lack of attention and veterinary control, these puppies usually suffer from various health issues which go unnoticed for a long time.
The steps in adopting rescue dogs
The primary purpose of shelters and rescue organizations is to ensure that their dogs reach loving families that can properly care for them.

That means if you want to adopt a rescue dog, you have to prove that you are the right candidate.
Let’s take a look at the steps you have to follow to complete the adoption process for a rescue dog:
- Find a local shelter. The Internet will make it easier for you to find a shelter nearby. There are 3,500 animal shelters in the US, and most of them will be easy to find as they all have websites. This should help you to find some local shelters in just a few clicks.
- Complete their rehoming application form. You will need to provide some information about yourself. These include where you live, whether you own a house or live on rent, if you have other pets living with you, how many hours per day the dog would be alone, and more.
💡 The purpose of this form is to inform the shelter's counselors about your intentions and ability to care for a rescue dog.
- Meet the rescue dogs. When you visit a dog shelter, you will have the opportunity to meet the dogs that live there. Consequently, being surrounded by dozens of sad eyes will make it extremely hard for you to choose only one of them, which is why we recommend arming yourself with a lot of empathy and patience.
- Go through an interview. If you thought the adoption form would be enough, well, you will also have to go through an interview to adopt the chosen dog.
However, the purpose of this step is not to hinder the adoption process. During this interview, the shelter representatives analyze if you are suitable for the dog and vice versa.
💡 By analyzing aspects such as the dog's history, his behavior, and needs, as well as your situation, the final goal of the interview will be to find a perfect match.
Things to keep in mind before adopting rescue dogs
There are several types of dogs that you will meet when visiting dog shelters. Some of them will be very happy to see you, some will be scared, while others will act like you’re not even there.
However, many of those who visit dog shelters make the mistake of basing their choice only on how dogs look.
No matter how adorable some of the rescue dogs can be or how much you are attracted to a certain breed, there are some things you should consider above appearance.
🐾 The size when she/he will be full grown.
All puppies are small clumps of fur that seem to fit anywhere you place them. But what happens when they become adult dogs? Therefore, the difference between a big house with a backyard and a regular apartment is the same between a small and a large dog.
🐾 Their energy level.
Will you be able to keep up with your dog’s energy? Some dogs love to sleep all day, while others are far from being couch potatoes and will want to run all day long.
🐾 Tolerance of other pets.
Bringing home a new dog that your other pets won’t accept or the other way around is something you will have to work with. It is up to you if you are willing to make an effort to accommodate your pets, or you want to adopt a dog with tolerance for other pets or children.
🐾 Health conditions & special needs.
There are often situations in which dogs in shelters have health conditions, which means that they will need special treatment once adopted. Even if it is not the case of serious diseases, some dogs suffer from allergies that should not be treated superficially.
🐾 Sterilization.
If you are adopting an adult dog, it is important to know if he/she has been spayed or neutered. If not, you will have to deal with this shortly after adoption. In case you’re wondering why you need to know this about your future dog — sterilization will reduce the risk of disease, increase the life of your dogs and prevent unnecessary breeding.
🐾 Dog background.
Maybe the dog you fell in love with during the shelter visit has had owners before, or maybe you’ll be the first one. There is a possibility that he/she has gone through cruel treatments in the past or never had the opportunity to socialize with other people and pets before. Either way, informing about the rescue dogs’ background will help you make it easier for them to adapt to their new homes.
Preparing Your Home for a Rescue Dog
You visited the shelter, filled in the adoption form, chose your dog, and passed the interview successfully.
You are officially the happy owner of a rescue dog that will impact your life in the most beautiful ways! But…what’s next?
Bring your friend home!
That’s the part where you have to make sure that the new family member has everything he/she needs to easily accommodate in the new home.
With this in mind, we have prepared a checklist for newly adopted rescue dogs that could help you.
- Food and water bowls
- Dog treats & dental chews
- Supplements (if needed)
- A crate & blankets
- Leash, collar & harness
- Regular & chewy toys
- Dog tags
- A brush or comb for grooming
- Dog pads & poo bags
- Toothpaste & toothbrush
- Dog shampoo
First vet visit after adoption
Once you get your recently adopted dogs home and start to get them settled, it’s time for a vet exam. Ideally, this should happen within the first week after adoption.

During the first veterinary examination after adoption, your dog will undergo a general examination. The veterinarian will usually check his/her medical record and current physical condition, provide parasites prevention, a detailed vaccination schedule, and a spay or neuter discussion if necessary.
However, the first vet visit may differ depending on a very important criterion – your dog’s age.
Here's what to expect if you adopted a puppy:
- socializing tips – The vet will tell you how to help your puppy make friends with other animals and how to deal with the people around him.
- training suggestions – You will learn how to avoid aggressive chewer behavior, how to play with your dog, and how you can use treats and other methods to make training easier.
- vaccine calendar – Last but not least, the veterinarian will schedule your puppy’s vaccines. That is a mandatory step that you should not skip in any way.
- food & nutrition – Food is the most important thing in the development of your puppy. That’s why you can’t feed your puppy with anything, but you will have to give him/her only special food for puppies. The vet will tell you what kind of food you have to buy, when, and how much you should feed your puppy every day.
💡 If you have adopted a puppy, the vet will explain everything you must know to ensure healthy development for your little one. Between birth and one year of age, dogs go through several distinct stages of development and will need the help of their owner to successfully go through each of them.
Here's what to expect if you adopted an adult dog:
- health check & dental – Bringing an adult rescue dog to the vet will be a real challenge, especially if the dog has never had a consultation before. Even though most dog shelters and rescue groups handle medical examinations for newcomer dogs, there are cases where dogs are being adopted very quickly. Your veterinarian will check your dog for parasites or other conditions which have not been discovered so far and require immediate medication.
- discover the age and weight of your dog – The veterinarian will take care of identifying the age of your rescue dog, as well as weighing him/her in order to determine the weight.
- spaying & neutering – Sterilizing your dog it’s a little controversial. Some breeders say you should do it closer to the two-year mark, while some believe the right time is at six months of age or before the first heat. However, in the case of unsterilized adult dogs, the veterinarian will tell you everything you need to know about this procedure.
- tips for easy adaptation – The first few weeks in a new home can be overwhelming for rescue dogs, especially if they only lived outdoors. Your vet will advise you on how to bond with your dog and help him adapt easily.
💡 If you have adopted an adult dog, a vet examination is the best way to get to know your dog better, even if you have not been a part of his life from the beginning. The vet will help you understand things about your dog that you could not find out from anywhere else.
The bottom line
If you already adopted a rescue dog, remember to celebrate your friendship every year on May 20, which has been designated national dog rescue day!
Now that you’ve reached the end of our article, Ruff-Ruff invites you to share the story about your rescue dogs. Tell us in the comments about how you met your canine buddies and how the adoption process went!
FAQ’s
>> How do I know if a rescue group is legitimate?
With so many unethical breeding facilities, the doubt about the legitimacy of dog shelters comes naturally too many people.
Check THIS LINK to see what questions you should ask when visiting a rescue group or shelter and you have any doubts about them.
>> Will I receive home visits after rehoming a dog?
There are cases in which some delegates of the shelter where you adopted your dog will visit you several times a year. These visits are usually mentioned in the adoption contract, so if there are no clauses about the post-adoption visits, you should not expect anyone to knock on your door after bringing your furry friend home.
>> Where should rescue dogs sleep first?
You can prepare a special place for your rescue dog to sleep by buying a new dog bed and comfortable blankets. However, even if you do this, it is recommended that you let him/her choose the place to sleep. Your dog may like the bed you bought or even want to sleep in your bed.
>> What do I do if my adopted rescue dog does not adapt?
Give it time. It can take six to eight weeks or even more for a rescue dog to adapt to your house. Many dog owners(especially those who have never had dogs before) misunderstand the behavior of their dogs, claiming that if they are not very active and friendly with those around them, it means that they have behavioral or adaptation problems.
However, if all this time passes without him/her adapting, it means that your dog is simply shy, not that there are adapting issues.
>> Why aren't rescue dogs free for adoption?
Dog shelters and rescue groups charge adoption fees because they also deal with vaccination, neutering, and other medical expenses, not to mention daily food and other supplements that dogs need.
>> Can I adopt several rescue dogs at the same time?
Depending on where you want to adopt your dogs, some shelters allow you to adopt several at the same time. However, you may need to go through the adoption process independently for each of them.