Speaking from the experience of someone that was rescuing dogs that no one else would touch, ie mixed breeds and doing it before it became the popular thing to do, I find it extremely offensive that some people use it as an advertising slogan.

You know who you are, the people with the “If you don’t rescue, don’t breed” banner plastered all over the website, the people that tout themselves as rescuers but don’t have the history in rescue to back it up.  The people who throw the term rescue around to make themselves appear to be something they are not.  The people who uses the term rescue to legitimize themselves in the eyes of the public.

Rescue is a serious business.  I lost count of the numbers of dogs that have come into my house and been rehomed over the past 20 years; the amount of my own money that has gone into spays and neuters, vaccinations, out of the ordinary vet work that had to be done before the dog could even be considered for placement; the hours spent reconditioning and training these dogs so that they could be rehomed; the hours spent and the gas used to transport dogs from one location to another.  When I think of all of that and then realize that there are people out there that are presenting themselves as champions of rescue it makes me want to toss my cookies.  Then it makes me angry.  It makes me angry because there are so many rescuers out there that quietly go on about their business, doing the work that many won’t and are overshadowed by those that have to blow a horn that’s not even in tune. 

I don’t hesitate to tell people that for the past year and for an indefinite time to come, I have not and I will not be doing rescue.  And even when I was doing rescue I didn’t feel the need to plaster it all over my website and throw the term around in order to make myself look good or to feather my ego.  I won’t be doing rescue for a while because I am not in a position to do rescue at this time.  By the same token, I haven’t bred a litter of puppies since 2003.    

To these people that seem to have the need to use rescue as a means of self validation I say “put up or shut up”.  Let’s see how many dogs you have actually rescued, how much money you have spent, how much TIME you have actually put into rescue.  You know, let’s see how many rescue organizations you actually support and have done active work for, not just an internet link to?  Or do you say you rescue, but when push comes to shove, you always have an excuse not to help?