I "Adopted or Rescued" a dog

Oh this is a hot one -- I remember threads on this that have gone on and on hot and heavy. 

I agree with you -- but then, I'm one of those people who will boycott a manufacturer because I don't like their advertising or such just on principle.  I don't want my money going into their profits. 

Some people will adopt the idea that they "rescued" the dog because it was an ugly situation, but they won't walk away thinking the dog will suffer.  Others won't give the seller money for breeding badly.

It's an un-ending battle that has no end.  What do you do with those pups who didn't ask to be born?  ME?  I'd rather call the cops on them and then go bail the pups out of Animal Control.  (but sometimes THAT doesn't work either)

I've been known to make myself REALLY unpopular because I'll stand there while everyone is looking at the puppies and say something like 'You know this guy is a backyard breeder of the WORST kind -- there's been no testing of these dogs and they already LOOK sick -- look at that one's eyes!!  I hate to see these dogs in this kind of situation, but do we REALLY want to give this guy money?" (That kind of comment can get you a black eye too!)

I agree with you -- it's not a rescue.  It's knowingly buying a badly bred dog.

I agree with you, and I do come from a breeding background.

However, I think people are pretty innocent when it comes to saying they have adopted a puppy from a breeder. Related to adopting a human child, which can cost easily over $10,000. You would never say you "bought" a human child, even though many children go through adoption by many, many means (not just inappropriate, poor homes). It doesn't really bother me, but it's not a term I would use to explain how I got a dog from a breeder.

Callie, I totally understand that it is a slippery slope.  I, myself, have dogs who were not bought, but, by my definition, are not adopted or rescued either.

 listen my point is that ther is a line .you say potatoe Isay taters,get it so what I want her out fo that situation.so we paid.all the others were uthed.this is cruel.I agree on some things you say ,**removed soliciation for funds**  what is the words you guys would use for rescue it is what it is

 read my profile before you judge.my dogs are not underwieght,I have been triyng to get hstory on my 2 dogs.Your right Igot her for luv ,breeding,But I called a rep breeder in Pa and she informed me of all this.Yes I adopted her for a price .she was worth it the luv we be both get is our reward.when i can I will be poting their pics.thanks for your info

HOTTDOG456

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last chance on personal attacks etc.  This is an online community, think about what it is you are posting and consider whether it is a worthy contribution

 I agree Amanda.... by "helping", "rescuing" that one cute,sick puppy.... you enable the breeder to carry on and condemn how many more? to endless suffering.... It is wrong.  I applaud anyone who really wants to help dogs in this situation, but IMO buying the dog out of it is not the best way.  And it is NOT the only way.

I don't get the personal comments though..... I thought this thread is a generic one and not aimed at any one person, but maybe I am missing soemthing.

 I hear it all the time, as a groomer, and I absolutely agree. It drives me insane. I adopted Emma from a shelter. I did NOT rescue her from the shelter, she'd already BEEN rescued! Ena Bean was purchased by a coworker who was unable to care for her. That is NOT a rescue, it's just a dog that was given to me. Jewel was due to be euthanised the week I picked her up, as an IG rescue volunteer. I guess that makes her a rescue? I just call her a foster dog, LOL! Purchasing a puppy from a flea market, puppy mill, unethical breeder, just puts money in their pocket to continue abusing their breeding dogs.

I rescued/adopted Apollo. He was to be gassed at a tiny, rural dog pound (after being there for about a week) in GA a few hours before I faxed in the adoption agreement. I feel that I rescued him and adopted him. Oh, and before he was brought to the dog pound he was chained to a tree 24/7. Patty & Molson I got from a relative that couldn't care for them anymore, but if we didn't take them they were probably going to be put up on craigslist *shutters*. If feel like I sort of rescued them, too. They were matted and being fed Ol'Roy and hadn't been to a vet in a long time. Molson also had a double ear infection. ETA: *I* paid for ALL of Apollo's vaccines (rabies, etc) and neuter out of my own pocket- NOT the dog pound. The dog pound he was held at did nothing except hold him in a cell. Inmates cleaned the cells the dogs and cats are held in. A few volunteers put his info online and that's how I found him- they are a wonderrful group of women. His "adoption fee" was $20. He wasn't temp. tested or anything. He was "as-is".

What would you all consider "rescuing" then? Is it getting a dog from a terrible situation w/out paying any money? I personally feel that anytime you get a dog from a bad situation and make the dogs like better you rescued it. I mean, I wouldn't want to pay someone at a flea market for a sick puppy, but I wouldn't want to leave that puppy either....*sigh*.....good thing I've never seen pups for sale at flea markes/Wal-Mart parking lots/BYB's, etc because I honestly don't know what I'd do; the rational side would say, DO NOT pay for this pup! DO NOT support this BYB! But my heart would be saying, What's $200? When you'd make this dogs life 10,000x better? I'd be so conflicted! That's why we're only human.

I consider Shadow re-homed with me. That might be splitting a hair, but, oh well. He was originally bought by friends of ours from a pet store. Then she could no longer keep him and he was to be surrendered to the local animal shelter, which does have a euth schedule based on room and resources. Might have someone adopted him from the shelter? Maybe. A big, dark, untrained who doesn't act like a Lab? Possibly. There wasn't a lot of time to consider. It was Labor Day Weekend 2004 and he was to be surrendered the next business day, that coming Tuesday. The shelter's schedule is 7 business days, after eval and health check. But I also see any number of people talking to the people that park in the Home Depot parking lot to sell their "registered" pups.

But I tend to agree with the OP. A rescue or adoption implies receiving the dog from a shelter or rescue org. If you paid money to a person or store, it is a bought puppy. Or, if you received the dog from a person, free of charge, it was a re-homing. Though I wonder what the distinction would be if you received a free dog that might otherwise be surrendered to the shelter.

BEVOLASVEGAS

However, if you got your puppy/dog from a breeder, a pet shop, WalMart parking lot, flea market, your neighbor......... I'm sure I missed a few but you get my point.  If you paid money then you BOUGHT a puppy.  You didn't adopt it.  You didn't rescue it.  You bought it. 

 Really you bought the dog no matter where you got it, unless it was free. There is a rescue here that charges $400++ for dogs they "rescue" from auctions. The use of the word "adopt" is not really accurate when describing obtaining animals. Of course, it has become politically incorrect in this country to buy a dog which is probably a large reason why people prefer to say "adopt" instead. And the term certainly appeals to people who have dogs in place of children.

 Well, I took my dogs from a bad situation, and gave them a pretty good one to live in.  BUT I WILL NOT CLAIM THE TITLE RESCUER.  I bought both of my dogs.  I did not do my research.  I bought both of them from a BYB of the worst sort...well, maybe not the worst sort, I suppose there are worse, but she was definitely a BYB.  Now I know better.  Now I would never buy another dog from her.  Now I have learned my lesson. 

Ok, actually I can claim the title on other dogs.  My Pint was a rescue.  She was found by a guy in the bush with 5 littermates, only one other living.  Her mother had been shot.  Pint was about 3 weeks old.  We got her a week later.  

Trooper was also a rescue.  He belonged to a friend's family.  They beat him.  My friend took him away and asked me to take him and give him a home where he would be loved.  I did not pay anything for either of them.  

Durc was bought from my sister's BIL.  He was in no way a rescue.  I got him cause he was cute.  That's it.  He was a good dog.

But I've known too many people that have truly rescued a dog(or cat etc.) from terrible situations, truly turned that animal's life around, and made them happy, to ever try to claim that as my own.  It would be like walking around in a hospital in Doctor's scrubs.  I've never been to medical school either.

ron2

Though I wonder what the distinction would be if you received a free dog that might otherwise be surrendered to the shelter.

I'm not sure it matters there, Ron.  In my mind, if the dog was homeless (either off the street, from a shelter or rescue), or about to be homeless, then it's a rescue or adoption.  I mean, Sammy was an owner surrender.  He was surrendered to a shelter, where he was adopted two months later...by me.  So, absent the shelter, he was a re-home.  But in my eyes, he was adopted.

To me it's more about the mentality of the person making such claims.  If someone tauts the fact that they bought a dog, giving the impression they think they're somehow superior because of it, I have an issue with that.  The same can be said of someone who boasts about rescuing or adopting a dog.

I also wonder if people who buy a dog from a BYB, pet store, flea market, Walmart parking lot, what have you, who then turn around and claim they "rescued/adopted" said dog, aren't doing so out of a feeling of guilt because they realize they just might have made a mistake (not a mistake in getting a dog that they love and care for, but that they are supporting a practice they realize they should not).

Ths is always a question I have no idea how to answer. Was Misha a rescue? I don't really think so, but then again, consider that almost all of his siblings (from three litters) are dead as well as his mother... Not due to poor health, they're farm dogs, mutts; they attacked another dog and got shot for it. I most certainly didn't pay for Misha, I walked over and said, "I want this one." and he was mine. I've known where he is and who has him for his entire life.

I do agree that people take "rescue" to mean a lot of things it probably isn't, but I wouldn't have a problem if someone said their dog was a rescue (not that they had rescued them) if they had gotten them from a shelter.