Sick as a Dog

When we adopted Bruno, he was eight weeks old and completely malnourished and dehydrated. He’d been kept with 30 other dogs in one pen, and I don’t think he got too much face time with the food bowl.

It took a week of vet appointments to get him back to normal, and I’m happy to report that at six months, he’s the picture of perfect health.

We thought we’d avoid another sick pup and go for an older dog when we were ready for a second, but apparently, general malaise is a common theme among pound pups. We adopted Molly two weeks ago and she’s underweight and has a sparse, rough coat.

She’s covered in cuts and scrapes and has a case of kennel cough that makes her sound like an asthmatic chain smoker. We’ve been nursing her back to health with good food and medication, but I’m sure it will be a few more weeks before she’s on top of her game.

The majority of people I know who’ve rescued dogs from shelters have had similar experiences with health problems, and I’ve had several friends tell me this is why they won’t adopt, and will only work with breeders.

While the vet bills are costly, and recovery can be a slow road, I don’t have it in me to shell out an obscene amount of money for a purebred dog, when there are millions of homeless pets available. I understand both sides of the issue, but something tells me I’m a rescuer for life.