After a year or so of discussion, my boyfriend and I have decided to rehome a dog. We decided a puppy wasn’t for us as it will be the first dog we personally own (I’ve lived with dogs when growing up) and so want to start with a older pooch. Besides, you can’t beat the warm fuzzy feeling of ‘rescuing’ a dog in need.
Our hunt for the perfect dog only began to take place after we’d ironed out all of the responsibilities it would involve:
- Who’s going to walk it before work? Who will walk it after?
- How much will a dog sitter cost for when we’re at work?
- Who will care for him/her if we go on a ‘no-dog’ holiday?
- How can we ensure our beloved moggie will remain happy?
- How much will food, vets bills, insurance, poop bags, treats, a lead, a bed etc. cost and can we afford that?
- Is the garden secure?
As I hope you can see, we didn’t take the decision lightly, and I’m rambling on for a reason; I think it’s really important to make sure we’re 100% committed to providing a loving and appropriate home for the dog we eventually find. I mentioned finding the ‘perfect’ dog before, and I didn’t mean aesthetically speaking, I meant for our situation. We cannot get a complex pooch with extremely high energy levels as our first dog as I don’t think we’d be the best owners for it…taking the time to find the best fit for us is SO important, especially as many of the dogs on the rescue sites have already had a massive upheaval (if not worse).
One thing that made me sad as we looked through some sites was the amount of dogs that were between 6 and 12 months old 😦
Anyway, as well as giving a home a dog in need, my boyfriend and I are so eager to take him/her on walkies! There’s nothing I love more than strapping on my muddy shoes and getting out into nature…having a dog there only enhances the experience.
I’ll keep you updated on our search 😀
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