A dog from an animal shelter (1)
We at Dog & Dress love all dogs, of course. But the little (and big) rascals from animal welfare are particularly dear to our hearts. In this blog post, we want to share our experience with employee dog Pippa (from Romania) and clear up one or two prejudices about street dogs.
Three years ago, Pippa was still living in a shelter in Romania that is run by Prodogromania ev. No one can say whether she was born there, was a surrendered dog, or was picked up on the street as a puppy.
I (Tina) would now like to tell you how Pippa came to us and why it was the best decision for us to adopt a dog from an animal shelter despite having a 1.5 year old toddler.
First, we thought about what our dream dog would have to have, and it was quite a long list. Here are a few of the points that were important to us:
- It should not be too big, but also not too small
- Not too hyperactive, but still be sporty
- Have a healthy exterior
- Cope with children and all kinds of small animals
- Be friendly to visitors
- Being a bitch
Since we thought at the time that dogs from animal shelters were far too difficult, and it would be irresponsible to adopt a dog "blindly" from a photo with a small child and no experience, we first looked for suitable breeds. But (luckily) no breed appealed to us 100%. Then I contacted an old friend who I knew had a lot of experience with dogs and was involved in animal welfare in some way.
I found out that she has been a foster home for an animal welfare organization for many years and always has around ten dogs in her home. I had never heard of foster homes before. She explained to me that it was not necessary to take in dogs without getting to know them first, she would look for dogs that potentially fit our description. These would then go to a foster home near us, where we could see in peace and without pressure which dog would suit us best. From that point on, we stopped looking for purebred dogs. Sequel follows...
Three years ago, Pippa was still living in a shelter in Romania that is run by Prodogromania ev. No one can say whether she was born there, was a surrendered dog, or was picked up on the street as a puppy.
I (Tina) would now like to tell you how Pippa came to us and why it was the best decision for us to adopt a dog from an animal shelter despite having a 1.5 year old toddler.
First, we thought about what our dream dog would have to have, and it was quite a long list. Here are a few of the points that were important to us:
- It should not be too big, but also not too small
- Not too hyperactive, but still be sporty
- Have a healthy exterior
- Cope with children and all kinds of small animals
- Be friendly to visitors
- Being a bitch
Since we thought at the time that dogs from animal shelters were far too difficult, and it would be irresponsible to adopt a dog "blindly" from a photo with a small child and no experience, we first looked for suitable breeds. But (luckily) no breed appealed to us 100%. Then I contacted an old friend who I knew had a lot of experience with dogs and was involved in animal welfare in some way.
I found out that she has been a foster home for an animal welfare organization for many years and always has around ten dogs in her home. I had never heard of foster homes before. She explained to me that it was not necessary to take in dogs without getting to know them first, she would look for dogs that potentially fit our description. These would then go to a foster home near us, where we could see in peace and without pressure which dog would suit us best. From that point on, we stopped looking for purebred dogs. Sequel follows...