Rescue / Adoption of a Siberian Husky, Before you buy
Save a Life! Rescue / Adopt a Siberian Husky
People like to own purebred dogs either because of aesthetic reasons or because they know what sort of temperament/size/looks they can expect from a particular breed once it grows up. Some of us may have the knowledge how to take care of a dog, but might not necessarily have the possibility to get one from a reputable breeder right now. The sad reality is this: there is an endless supply of Siberian Husky dogs out there that have been abandoned by their previous owners, and are eagerly awaiting for new families to open their arms and welcome them as their pets. These Siberian Huskies are there not because they are not good looking or are bad animals. (“irreparable” / dangerous animals are put to sleep at shelters.) They are there because their temperament and care requirements clashed with their owner lives’ schedules and expectations.
When you rescue a Siberian Husky, you are faced with both advantages and disadvantages. Let’s start with the negative aspects. 1) In most cases, you do not know anything about the background of a rescue Siberian Husky. 2) The dog might have developed some strange habits due to past traumatizing events it experienced which means you will have to invest into training if you want to have a well behaved companion. 3) A rescue Siberian Husky might require a considerable amount of time before it can learn to trust a new owner again.
The good news however is that as mentioned before rescue Siberian Huskies are tested and evaluated by shelter staff to determine their adoptability degree. Dogs that are deemed non-adoptable because of irreversible personality and health issues are put to sleep. Having known what it’s like to be abandoned, a rescue Siberian Husky will be more appreciative of a new home. These rescue dogs will generally be healthy good pets, or pets on the road to recovery, with no major scars from past misfortunes. (You will of course encounter cases of dogs with special needs, however I don’t think that is the majority of cases.) You might think that unless you raise a Siberian Husky from puppy hood you cannot have a good bond with it, however, this is not true. Dogs learn who is taking care of them and in time, will bond with their new owners. Another great advantage to adopting a rescue Siberian Husky adult is that you can already see what its full size and personality are like and you won’t have surprises in that department. An adult dog will also most likely be already housetrained and will know some basic commands, if not more. This means you will have less work to do initially, compared to caring for a puppy. (Should you choose a puppy or an adult? Read more about this in “Puppies or Adults: Which one should I choose?”) Add to this the fact you could acquire a purebred Siberian Husky for a price somewhere between 100-200USD, (compare these adoption fees to 500-1000USD from a breeder) and I think you’ve got yourself a great deal! Unless you plan to show or reproduce your Siberian Husky, you don’t really need pedigree papers, nor do you necessarily need to buy from a breeder. Don’t forget that when you adopt a rescue Siberian Husky, you are doing a wonderful gesture by saving a life, a great pet that has done no harm and doesn’t deserve to be there.
