all pets · 11 min
PillarAdopting from a rescue: what to expect
rescue dogs and cats come with histories. here's what's different from buying from a breeder, and why it matters.
Rescue adoption is not buying a pet. It's matching a complicated little animal with a complicated life with a household that can take both on. The process is longer than a breeder. The animals are older or harder to read. The reward is enormous.
Why rescue
Six and a half million animals enter US shelters every year. About 920,000 are euthanized for space. The animals at rescues are not 'damaged' — they're displaced. Rescuing one is one of the most consequential acts of consumer redirection available to a normal household.
The application
Rescue applications are sometimes long. Don't take it personally. They're trying to avoid returns. Be honest about your home, your other animals, your kids, your work schedule. The rescue's goal is the same as yours — a placement that sticks.
Decompression
Rescue animals decompress differently from animals raised in a single household. Two weeks of low-key, predictable routine in a quiet home does more good than any amount of training in week one. Read the dog or cat in front of you, not the cat or dog you imagined adopting.
Questions, answered
- What if it's not the right match after I bring them home?
- Most rescues take returns and want you to call them first. Returning to the rescue is not a failure; it's responsible. Letting it go badly because of pride is.
Letters
The newsletter
A monthly dispatch from an eleven-cat household. New writing, new products, the occasional honest opinion. No filler.