Adopting a Dog Rescued From China?

Many organizations started rescuing dogs from China even before the pandemic started. These groups are dedicated to rescue and rehabilitate dogs from China’s dog meat trade in the United States and Canada.

A lot of people show interest in adopting a dog rescued from China’s dog meat trade. However, several of them dive into adopting dogs without considering what they need and how it might affect their lives.

That is why animal welfare organizations and pet shelters urge people to find out how the dog is going to affect their lives. These are some of the factors that aspiring adopters must be aware of before diving into the adoption process.

Keeping a Dog Is Expensive

Americans spend more than $60 billion each year on pets because they are like our babies, and you need to take care of them. Most of that expenditure is on food alone. Pet owners are always looking for good quality food on websites like PetCareRx.com where they can be assured of the quality of what they order. These websites also offer memberships that can help you save a lot of money.

Apart from food, there are vet visits, vaccinations, preventive medicines, treatments, and several other expenditures that can pile up. Rescue dogs can be even more expensive because they might need additional healthcare than other dogs. So if you are not confident about supporting an extra member of the family, you should not adopt a dog.

Rescuing a Dog Is Costly for These Organizations

Before the COVID-19 pandemic started, most of these dogs were flown in by people who volunteered to bring the dogs along with them on a flight. But now, the process has halted due to the travel restrictions. Most of these organizations are relying on cargo planes to bring in the dogs which proves to be much more expensive. The adoption fees charged by these companies are often insufficient to cover the costs of bringing in the dog all the way from China.

That is why they are heavily reliant on aids and donations. So if you adopt a dog rescued from China, try to find out the organization that rescued it so that you can donate some money to them. If you are flying back from China, you can volunteer to bring a dog along with you.

Some of These Dogs May Have Health Complications

Most of these dogs are kept in inhumane conditions before they get slaughtered. That can create several physical or mental health complications. Some of these dogs show food aggression because they usually have to compete to eat.

Many dogs rescued from China can suffer from skin ailments but they are usually temporary and get treated before the adoption process begins. However, bear in mind that some of these dogs might have underlying medical conditions that can show up later. Therefore, you must be prepared to get those conditions treated if they occur at a later date.

You Would Need Extra Mental and Physical Energy

It is true that when you come home at the end of a tiring day, your dog can take away your tiredness. However, once you are feeling refreshed, get ready to become tired once again because your dog will have a lot of stored up energy. You will have to walk your dog for at least an hour.

If your dog is not energetic, you might need to play fetch with it or go running to burn off all the energy. Other than walking and playing, you will also have to spend time training them. If you are lucky, the dog you adopted might already be trained. But you will have to assume that your dog would need training every day.

You Might Have a Bit of Family Drama

As we mentioned before, having a rescued dog is like having a kid in the family. Unless you live alone, you will have a bit of drama in your household once in a while. They will be over trivial matters, like whose turn is it to take the dog for a walk, or who fed the dog something they shouldn’t have.

A dog can alter the family dynamics quite a bit, and you will have to make several adjustments to make your furry friends feel included in the family. You won’t be able to go for spontaneous trips or late night outings.

So whatever you had in mind about adopting a dog, the real scenario might be a bit different. But if you can do it right, there is no greater joy than adopting a rescued animal. You will not only be saving a life but giving it the life it deserves.