Rescuing a poor, abused, neglected animal sounds amazing, right? It’s an incredible feeling to know that you’ve made a positive change in an animal’s life, but it’s not an easy thing to do. Here’s what you should take into consideration before making the big decision:
1) Your life will change.
You will have to learn to work with your animal, not make them work with you. This might mean only having one or two visitors over at a time so you don’t overwhelm your new newest member of the family. It might mean feeding them or taking them for walks at very specific times of day if they have a strict internal clock. You will also have to learn their stressors and triggers and how to help them cope. It also means spending a lot more time at home with your animal.
2) You will probably have to get rid of some things.
Maybe your animal will have a chewing problem and you’ll have to invest in better laundry baskets and garbage cans. If your vacuum cleaner is too loud and terrifies them, you might have to replace it. It may seem difficult at first, but it’ll become normal over time.
3) It won’t be a dream-come-true at first.
When you imagine rescuing an animal, you picture the two of you snuggling, kissing, and the animal being thrilled with love. However, the animal is usually scared at first. They don’t know if they can trust you and they will likely be nervous of too much touching or sudden movements on your part. Give them some time and space and they’ll come around.
4) You are their forever home.
Yes, rescuing an animal can be incredibly difficult at first, but this doesn’t mean you just give them up. They are worth the effort.
5) You’ll need to do research.
Before you bring home your rescue, research them. Look online or talk to people from the shelter if that’s an option. Make sure that you are prepared for your animal. This will make everything much easier on the both of you.
Once you know a rescued animal is right for you, it’ll probably be the best decision you’ve ever made. Showing an animal love is an incredible feeling and they will love you back for all of your flaws.