Adoptable Georgia Dogs for October 7, 2013

“My family is considering a Vizsla and are open to adopting. What would you suggest?” That question came in via Facebook, so I thought I’d share a little with you about my answer. Both specific to Vizslas, and also generic to other breeds.

For a Vizsla specifically, I’d contact Atlanta Vizsla and Weimaraner Rescue via their website, their Facebook page, or look them up on Petfinder.com.

If I hadn’t owned the breed I’m interested in, I’d ask if they have adoption days or other events so that you can meet some of the dogs and learn from their owners about their personality, temperament and known medical issues for the breed. Most breed-specific organizations are enthusiastic about prospective owners who want to learn first and to help them make sure it’s a good fit.

This is Houdini, a young Vizsla available for adoption – keep reading for more about him.

Meeting foster dogs with their foster parents also helps you learn more about a specific dog you’re considering. It also helps the organization get to know about you and how serious you are – breed-specific groups can sometimes be more choosy when it comes to adoptive homes and they also might keep an eye out for the right dog for you and let you know when they have one if they think you’re serious about adopting. While you’re there, if you still think it’s the right breed for you, get applications to both foster and adopt and start the process so you’ll be ready when the right dog comes along. You’ll probably have to schedule a home visit.

This is as good a time as any to mention the “foster to adopt” that many rescues offer, where a foster home is generally given the first option to keep a dog, sometimes at a reduced adoption fee. This is how we got our last two dogs, Dolly, and Henry. Dolly was a foster failure and she has stayed with us; when we got Henry from Adopt A Golden Atlanta, we went to an adoption day thinking we might first foster and never got any further once he chose us.

Fostering does two great things and has some side benefits. First, it allows your rescue group to save another dog – no foster home, no life saved. Second, it gives you a test drive with a prospective new family member with less than a lifetime commitment that adopting means. It also endears you to the rescue group, who will be certain to help you find the right dog. Sometimes fosters are needed for as little as a weekend, such as when a foster parent needs to travel, while many fosters quickly become permanent family members.

Reba is a Vizsla or Vizsla-mix female, about one-year old and 44 pounds. She’s playful and attentive and needs a good yard to play in. She’s available for adoption from the Charles Smithgall Humane Society and Adoption Center in Sautee-Nacoochee, Ga. What a beauty!

Finally, many of the breed-specific rescue groups also can provide support after you adopt, recommending trainers and doctors who understand your breed, encouragement with tough puppy phases, and help in addressing medical issues common to the breed. Adopt A Golden Atlanta provided better support for Henry when he got sick than I thought was possible, and I will forever remain grateful to them.

If you’d like to donate to a breed-specific group, I can recommend Atlanta Vizsla and Weimaraner Rescue as a great example of a smaller breed-specific group who does a great job. To mail them a donation, send it to:

Atlanta Vizsla & Weimaraner Rescue
885 Hunter Hill Drive
Roswell, GA  30075

 

And Adopt A Golden Atlanta is absolutely the best breed-specific group out there. If you’re considering adopting a Golden, or, God forbid, have to give up your Golden family member, contact them on the web or their Facebook page. You can donate online to them or mail a check to:

Adopt a Golden Atlanta
P.O. Box 420256
Atlanta, GA 30342-9998

If you decided to donate to AGA, please tell them that Henry (aka Jake) sent you; it’ll help us honor our little buddy’s memory and tell AGA that their alumnus was loved.

Houdini is a stunning young , 7-month old male Vizsla mix with maybe a little hound dog. That’s a great combo, as we suspect Dolly is a Hungarian/Hillbilly mashup of Vizsla and Coonhound. But with Houdini, I don’t know where they get the hound dog idea, as he looks like a Vizsla to me. This show-stopper is available for adoption from Friends of Screven County Animals in Sylvania, Ga.

This cute little puppy is a Collie mix, about 2-3 months old male, very friendly, and he’s urgent and ready for adoption from Barrow County Animal Shelter in Winder, Ga. Barrow County is in an overflow crisis and having to euthanize dogs on a regular basis.

This little black puppy is also described as a Collie mix, 2-3 months old, so I’d guess he’s from the same litter as the little guy above. This friendly little male is urgent and available for adoption from Barrow County Animal Shelter in Winder, Ga.
This little lady is described as a young female Golden Retriever/Chow mix, but looks pure Gold to me. Goldens usually go directly to breed-specific groups unless they’re a mix, and Chow mixes are often challenging to place with rescues, even if the only Chow characteristic is black spots on the tongue, which are not unique. She is available for adoption from the Barrow County Animal Shelter in Winder, Ga. If we had an opening in our household I’d be driving up to get this little sweetheart this morning.

Yesterday, we took Dolly to church for the annual Blessing of the Animals service. She made some friends and everyone had a great time.

Passing the Peace with a new friend:

And now, may the Peace of the Lord be always with you. Have a great week and take a moment to indulge in the gift of giving a hand to someone in need. Or a paw.