GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — October is National Adopt A Shelter dog month. Rachel Mairose, the founder of Animal Rescue Second Hand Hounds joined us to talk about what you should know before adding a new dog to your family.
Q: HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’RE READY TO ADOPT A DOG?
- You need to ask yourself a few really important questions:
- Do I have enough time?
- Dogs, especially puppies, take time to do basic training, potty training.
- Is your home dog-friendly?
- If you’re renting, does your landlord allow dogs? Do you have space for the dog to be active?
- Can you afford a dog?
- Between food and vet bills, dogs can cost a few thousand dollars a year.
- Is everyone in the house on board with a new dog?
- What is the best breed and energy level for our family?
- Do I have enough time?
Q: WHY ADOPT FROM A SHELTER OR A RESCUE LIKE SECONDHAND HOUNDS?
- For Secondhand Hounds, our dogs live in foster homes before being adopted so we get a really good idea of their personality.
- If you think about it, you’re saving the lives of two dogs -- the one you are adding to your family and the one that’s able to be cared for because of the space your dog opened up.
- Most shelters and rescues take care of micro-chipping, spaying, neutering and de worming so there is a huge cost savings as well.
Q: WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD YOU ASK BEFORE ADOPTING FROM A SHELTER OR RESCUE?
- Ask to meet the dog first -- have them interact with your kids or any pets you already have.
- How long has the dog been with the shelter or foster family -- need more than a few weeks to determine actual personality.
- Ask about health issues. We have our own vets on staff to make sure the dogs are ready to go. Any responsible organization will be 100% upfront about any health concerns.
Q: WHAT MISCONCEPTIONS DO PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT ADOPTING FROM A SHELTER OR RESCUE?
- That all the dogs are mutts. We have a lot of purebred dogs that need a home.
- We also have every age -- puppies, young adults, adults and older dogs.
- People also assume something is wrong with a rescue dog -- most of the dogs we get at Secondhand Hounds were surrendered because of other life circumstances -- family move or an illness. But these dogs have already been trained, socialized around kids and other dogs, and they just need a good home.