"Tai Tai" is a 5-year-old Akita who has been through the revolving door of the rescue system for most of her life. In 2002, Tai Tai was bought by a Florida man as a companion for his elderly Akita. Unbeknownst to this man, Akitas can exhibit dog aggression and sometimes do not get along with other Akitas. The elderly Akita did not appreciate Tai Tai’s youthful exuberance, and the 16-week-old puppy was turned over to Akita Rescue Society of Florida (ARSF) in Clearwater.

Jill Smith, a volunteer for ARSF, became Tai Tai’s foster parent. "She was a wonderful puppy," recalls Smith. "She was already housebroken, and I crate trained her so she would be ready for adoption."

After careful screening, the rescue selected a family who seemed to be perfect for Tai Tai. No one could predict, however, that the husband would be deployed to Iraq and that the wife would decide a puppy was too hard to handle.

A second adoptive family had previously owned German Shepherd Dogs and seemed to fully understand the needs of a large dog. ARSF provided education about the physical and emotional needs of an Akita, and after a home visit, Smith finalized the adoption. For a year, Smith maintained positive contact with the adoptive family regarding Tai Tai’s development. Then out of the blue, Smith received a call.

"The husband said they had to return Tai Tai to me," Smith says. "‘She’s just too big, and my wife can’t take all the dog hair anymore. When she barks, it’s really loud!’" he said.

"I rushed over the next day. When I saw Tai Tai, her coat looked awful. The husband explained that his wife had bought clippers and shaved her the week before."

With much hesitation, Smith found yet another adoptive home for Tai Tai. After almost two years of updates about family hikes with Tai Tai, Smith was hopeful that this adoption would last.

In May of 2006, Smith got a call from a kill shelter in Titusville, Fla. Tai Tai had been sold by her adoptive family to another home, a practice that is against ARSF’s adoption guidelines. The purchaser had gifted her to a single mother who could not afford to buy the 5 ½ cups of food consumed by Tai Tai every day. Twenty pounds underweight and balding from poor nutrition, Tai Tai made her way back to Smith’s home again.

"I have been doing animal rescue for nine years and fostering Akitas for five years," Smith says. "I am dumbfounded at what has happened with this dog. She was repeatedly abandoned or returned to rescue, and none of it was her fault."

Smith continued to foster Tai Tai, but had three dogs and a cat of her own. Smith knew that Tai Tai needed her own home where she would receive the love that she deserved. Finally last January, Smith interviewed Ken and Michelle Cashwell of Clermont, Fla.

The Cashwells had previously owned two Akitas, one of which was a rescued dog. They had a house with a large yard, knowledge of the breed and enough love to give Tai Tai her "forever" home.

"Tai Tai took to the Cashwells from the first minute they were together," Smith says. "I knew immediately this was going to be a great fit."

"Tai Tai is just awesome," says Michelle Cashwell. "She’s a big lush who loves hugs and kisses. She’s very loyal and a good watchdog. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect dog. It was destiny that brought us together."

Tai Tai is one of thousands of purebred dogs that are given up or abandoned by their owners every year. Families are eager to add a pet to their homes, but often don’t thoroughly research the financial, emotional and lifestyle demands that a particular breed may place on their household.

The Right Breed for You

When considering a rescued purebred, it is essential to examine whether the breed is the right fit your life. Their size alone could make Akitas and other working breeds unsuitable pets for the average family. However, a toy dog such as a Pug or Chihuahua may be perfect for apartment dwellers or families with less room.

Sporting dogs such as Pointers or Labrador Retrievers are very active and may require daily exercise. Herding dogs such as Border Collies were bred to herd livestock. If not given a proper "job" to do every day, they can demonstrate undesirable behaviors. Hounds have an unusually powerful sense of smell. For this reason, a Beagle must have a fenced yard or be on a leash outdoors to avoid the urge to follow his nose into trouble.

Today, with rescue groups for almost every breed imaginable, resources are available to help adopters make educated decisions about their new pets. Marilyn Lupinski is director of rescue for Arizona Saint Bernard Rescue (ASBR) in Phoenix. Having owned Saints since 1968, Lupinski knows firsthand the importance of researching a breed before deciding to adopt a purebred.

"A Saint’s temperament is typically sweet-natured and easygoing," Lupinksi says. "As a rule, they are a very gentle breed that is good with children. However, if you don’t want fur or slobber, this is not your breed. They are also social dogs that need to be with people."

Vickie Kuhlmann of Loveland, Colo., is the West Central rescue coordinator for the American Lhasa Apso Club. She is adamant about proper research and education before adoption.

"Apsos need to be groomed frequently," she says. "You either learn to properly groom them yourself or you are looking at a commitment of $25 to $40 every six weeks for the life of the dog.

"The biggest issue that we have with Apsos arriving in rescue is child issues. Fully 85 percent of our rescues have bitten, nipped, snapped or growled at a child. An ancient breed shaped by the environment and the need to survive, they are apt to issue a ‘correction’ for what they deem as improper behavior by another pack member, or child.

"Make no mistake, if an owner doesn’t assume the role of alpha, the Apso will. We never place our dogs in a house with a toddler. The high-pitched squealing and the herky-jerky movements of a young child tend to set an Apso off. We also do not recommend them for a first-time owner."

Breed characteristics such as these are the reason that purebred rescues have stringent adoption guidelines. Many dogs, such as terriers that were bred to hunt and kill vermin, can have little tolerance for other animals - even other dogs.

A misinformed placement can lead to heartache for the family and a potential trip back to the rescue for the dog.

ASBR avoids these problems by following strict adoption procedures. The rescue asks people to locate a dog on its Web site. After an adoption application is submitted, a committee of five individuals from the rescue reviews the application. The potential adoptive family must make an appointment to observe and interact with adoptable dogs. The rescue then conducts house visits and checks veterinary and personal references to ensure that the family can properly care for the dog.

"We make phone calls periodically to adoptive families," Lupinski says. "In the first few weeks, we call every couple of days. Some­times we even conduct surprise visits to make sure that everything is as the family says it is. Our main responsibility is to the dogs that we are adopting out."

Lynette Kaufmann of GoldHeart Golden Retriever Rescue in Mt. Airy, Md., points out that the benefits of the adoption process go both ways. The adoptive families must meet certain criteria before adoption, and the rescues must ensure that their animals meet certain standards.

GoldHeart’s dogs stay in foster homes until they are adopted. During this time, a trained foster family determines whether the dog is socialized with humans and other animals, is housetrained, or has aggressive tendencies. The foster families crate and leash train the dogs and help the rescue write a biography of each individual dog’s personality and needs.

GoldHeart ensures that each dog has a complete veterinary physical and updated vaccinations. Experienced rescue workers are aware of health conditions common to the breed and can address these before a dog is adopted.

"Goldens can be prone to hip dysplasia, cancer, skin allergies and ear infections to name a few," Kaufmann says. "We make sure that dogs have been tested for hip dysplasia, and we work to clear up any illness or infection before we adopt them out. We also insist that each dog is spayed or neutered before adoption."

Competing in Sports

Despite all the positives of rescued purebred adoption, many people are hesitant to adopt for fear that dogs without pedigree papers will not be permitted to compete in American Kennel Club (AKC) registered events. For this reason, the AKC created the Indefinite Listing Privilege(ILP) program.

New owners of unregistered dogs of registrable breeds can compete with their dogs in a number of AKC sanctioned events. Some examples are agility trials, hunting tests and obedience trials. Confor­­mation, or dog shows, are the exception. In order to qualify, dogs must be distinguishable as a purebred of a breed that has full AKC registration status. The dog must be older than 6 months of age, spayed or neutered, and may not be registered as a breed other than that stated on the application. Interested owners may download the application and requirements on the AKC’s Web site at www.akc.org/reg/ilpex.cfm.

"Duncan" is a rescued Weimaraner who has used his ILP certification to win many awards. Adoptive owners Michael and Nancy Grimm of Tucson, Ariz., acquired Duncan’s ILP number and trained him for the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate. He earned several titles - Companion Dog (CD), Rally Novice (RN) and Rally Advanced (RA) - and is now just one leg away from the Rally Excellent (RE) title. Duncan also passed Delta Society therapy dog certification and accompanies Nancy Grimm to hospitals and elementary schools.

"I was looking to adopt a Weimaraner for the purpose of training and registering him as a Delta Society therapy dog," Nancy Grimm says. "I found Duncan on Weimaraner of the South’s (in Huntsville, Ala.) Web site. He was listed as a very calm, loving soul who might make a good therapy dog."

In an age in which purebred dogs are becoming expensive additions for a family, many people are turning to rescued purebreds to meet their needs. Some, like Duncan, will go on to have successful careers in therapy or competition. Regardless of the role they fill, the vast majority of rescued purebreds, when properly screened and placed, go on to become loyal and dedicated family members.

Tips for Finding a Purebred Rescue

Locating a reputable rescue should be the first step in adopting a rescued purebred dog. Here are things breed experts recommend to look for in choosing a rescue organization:

• Learn the number of dogs returned to the rescue every year. Rescues should not place dogs on a first-come, first-serve basis. The rescue’s mission should be to find the perfect fit for each animal with the ideal family and to encourage lifelong adoption.
• Look for rescue groups that require adopted dogs to be current on vaccinations and heartworm preventive and to be spayed/ neutered and free from any treatable illnesses. Rescues should have working relationships with veterinarians for pre-adoption health screenings.
• Rescues should require a minimum period for animals to be in foster care. Most recommend four to six weeks to allow a dog time to settle in and for his true behavior to surface.
• Pre-adoption training should be a priority. Dogs should not be released without being housetrained, assessed for behavioral issues, and leash and crate trained.
• Rescues should provide a written biography of each adoptable dog. This will provide information so that families know what sort of medical or personality issues to expect.
• Dogs may have an adjustment period after adoption during which they have trouble sleeping, urinate in the house or experience extreme personality changes. Rescues should provide support to ease this period and ongoing breed-specific education throughout the life of the dog.
• Most rescues require an adoption fee or donation. Ask how the fee is determined. Is it based on the age of the dog, the amount of medical treatment required for a particular dog, or a flat fee for all dogs regardless of age and/or care?