Nobody belongs on the street
Hello!
Today our topic is rescue dogs. Since neither of us has any experience with these furry friends, we turned to our acquaintances. Jenni, who also writes for the Myö.fi blog, was ready to tell how they ended up adopting a rescue dog and what everyday life has been like since then.
"One and a half years ago, the two became a couple of three, when the long-awaited tail wagger from Romania arrived in our household. The idea of getting our own dog had been brewing for a long time, so there was no "impulse purchase" involved. But why did we end up with a rescue dog? We both grew up in dog families, so the longing for a dog hit hard after a few independent years. Even in childhood, nothing was nicer than the fact that every time you came home, a furry friend was excitedly waiting? He licked your face and loved you unconditionally.
When we started seriously thinking about getting a dog, it soon became clear that neither of us had any absolute favorite breed. Rather, in our talks, wishes came up about the size of the dog ("a dog the size of a dog, not one that could accidentally get stuck on your feet") and its character ("such a cheerful and active one. That you could go a longer distance with us!"). Neither of us were used to show dogs, so purebredness didn't matter much either.
In our time, we googled litters and found animal homes, and somewhere in the search results we also came across rescue associations. These associations work to ensure that, one by one, those dogs who are without a home, the right kind of food or shelter from the rain, get a new start in a new home. When we looked into the matter more, we stumbled upon the website of the Rescue association Kulkurit Ry. The association's vision, values and permits were in order, and they already had experience from several years.
We found a litter on Kulkureite's website that was found on the outskirts of a village in January 2016. The puppies and their mother got to the home of a local animal protector and ended up in the strays' adoption program. That's where we Assi, now Nala, was then found. The website said that the puppies are happy, open, friendly and social by nature. "As busy and active dogs, these litters could make an excellent hobby companion, if for some kind of sport". Nala met our expectations both in terms of character and predicted size, and we thought, why not? Why should we, for whom breed doesn't matter so much, order litters here in Finland, when there are dogs without homes elsewhere?
After wading through the pages of Kulkurein a few times, front and back, we wrote a motivational letter to Nala's contact person, in which we told about our life situation, previous dog experiences and why we wanted to get a dog. The email received a reply the very next day, and Kulkureite's contact person suggested the next step in the process, i.e. a telephone meeting.
The first call with the Vagabonds representative lasted almost a couple of hours; we went over the dog owner's responsibilities and obligations, our capabilities and the special features related to rescue dogs. There was a lot of stuff, and it wasn't embellished at all. Like you don't like it. Anyone considering purchasing a dog should 100% understand their responsibility towards the animal, and should never get a dog on the spur of the moment.
After the call, both we and the Strays were left wondering if we could offer a suitable home for the dog in question. That feeling didn't change at all, even though we slept for a couple of nights and digested the matter. In the next call, we told them that the decision would hold and Nala was booked for us. For days of the month, the e-mail was updated every ten minutes; would it be possible to know the date of the flight? Nothing serious comes up in the disease tests, right? There was no bad news, and a couple of days before the flight arrived, we received the final confirmation that Nala would really come to Finland.
Almost a year and a half ago, a puppy-like tomboy who was a bit fed up with everything came into our lives. Check-out went quickly and exceeded expectations; Nala took us in almost immediately and although getting to know new places and people was obviously exciting for the puppy, our presence made the situations easier. In this time, a real companion dog has hatched from the old one; his tail wags frantically even when the door buzzer rings; there will surely be a new cracker in the village. First, of course, every guest has to bark a few times (tall men with more barks), before going further from the hall. A proper guard dog doesn't immediately let strangers in...
Nala is a hardworking assistant cook in the kitchen, a cleaner under the dining table and a place warmer on the couch. In point two of the yearling's character, you notice how the puppy raising has already been left little by little behind; when meeting other dogs, the going no longer incites to riot, but getting to know each other is done calmly by sniffing.
Fortunately, rescue dogs, which are becoming more and more common, are no longer as strange as they were a few years ago. I've read that many rescue dog owners have experienced outright ridicule and criticism for getting a dog off the street. They have been accused of spreading diseases and having behavioral problems without better information. For example, dogs that have entered the Kulkurei adoption program are tested and vaccinated against many diseases, even more extensively than dogs from Finnish litters.
Anyone considering the purchase of a dog should weigh their own resources and purpose carefully before purchasing any kind of dog. It is true that abandoned dogs may require special attention and slightly different training methods than dogs acquired from a breeder. For us, Rescueyhdistys Kulkurit offered a great way to acquire a new family member and the "risky dog" became an irreplaceable part of our everyday life. Thanks for that, Tramps!"
A BIG thank you to Jenni for sharing your story with our followers too! :) For every KOIRA t-shirt or hoodie ordered from us, we donate three euros to an organization working for rescue dogs.
In our time, we googled litters and found animal homes, and somewhere in the search results we also came across rescue associations. These associations work to ensure that, one by one, those dogs who are without a home, the right kind of food or shelter from the rain, get a new start in a new home. When we looked into the matter more, we stumbled upon the website of the Rescue association Kulkurit Ry. The association's vision, values and permits were in order, and they already had experience from several years.
We found a litter on Kulkureite's website that was found on the outskirts of a village in January 2016. The puppies and their mother got to the home of a local animal protector and ended up in the strays' adoption program. That's where we Assi, now Nala, was then found. The website said that the puppies are happy, open, friendly and social by nature. "As busy and active dogs, these litters could make an excellent hobby companion, if for some kind of sport". Nala met our expectations both in terms of character and predicted size, and we thought, why not? Why should we, for whom breed doesn't matter so much, order litters here in Finland, when there are dogs without homes elsewhere?
After wading through the pages of Kulkurein a few times, front and back, we wrote a motivational letter to Nala's contact person, in which we told about our life situation, previous dog experiences and why we wanted to get a dog. The email received a reply the very next day, and Kulkureite's contact person suggested the next step in the process, i.e. a telephone meeting.
The first call with the Vagabonds representative lasted almost a couple of hours; we went over the dog owner's responsibilities and obligations, our capabilities and the special features related to rescue dogs. There was a lot of stuff, and it wasn't embellished at all. Like you don't like it. Anyone considering purchasing a dog should 100% understand their responsibility towards the animal, and should never get a dog on the spur of the moment.
After the call, both we and the Strays were left wondering if we could offer a suitable home for the dog in question. That feeling didn't change at all, even though we slept for a couple of nights and digested the matter. In the next call, we told them that the decision would hold and Nala was booked for us. For days of the month, the e-mail was updated every ten minutes; would it be possible to know the date of the flight? Nothing serious comes up in the disease tests, right? There was no bad news, and a couple of days before the flight arrived, we received the final confirmation that Nala would really come to Finland.
Almost a year and a half ago, a puppy-like tomboy who was a bit fed up with everything came into our lives. Check-out went quickly and exceeded expectations; Nala took us in almost immediately and although getting to know new places and people was obviously exciting for the puppy, our presence made the situations easier. In this time, a real companion dog has hatched from the old one; his tail wags frantically even when the door buzzer rings; there will surely be a new cracker in the village. First, of course, every guest has to bark a few times (tall men with more barks), before going further from the hall. A proper guard dog doesn't immediately let strangers in...
Nala is a hardworking assistant cook in the kitchen, a cleaner under the dining table and a place warmer on the couch. In point two of the yearling's character, you notice how the puppy raising has already been left little by little behind; when meeting other dogs, the going no longer incites to riot, but getting to know each other is done calmly by sniffing.
Fortunately, rescue dogs, which are becoming more and more common, are no longer as strange as they were a few years ago. I've read that many rescue dog owners have experienced outright ridicule and criticism for getting a dog off the street. They have been accused of spreading diseases and having behavioral problems without better information. For example, dogs that have entered the Kulkurei adoption program are tested and vaccinated against many diseases, even more extensively than dogs from Finnish litters.
Anyone considering the purchase of a dog should weigh their own resources and purpose carefully before purchasing any kind of dog. It is true that abandoned dogs may require special attention and slightly different training methods than dogs acquired from a breeder. For us, Rescueyhdistys Kulkurit offered a great way to acquire a new family member and the "risky dog" became an irreplaceable part of our everyday life. Thanks for that, Tramps!"
A BIG thank you to Jenni for sharing your story with our followers too! :) For every KOIRA t-shirt or hoodie ordered from us, we donate three euros to an organization working for rescue dogs.