Big love: share your forever home with a rescue dachshund

Rescue groups that specialise in supporting specific breeds tend to be run by people with deep knowledge and experience of these breeds. These groups usually have very small annual incomes, and generally rely on volunteers to manage their services and provide foster homes for dogs until they can be placed in permanent homes.

Dogs - including dachshunds - who are supported by rescue organisations may have been surrendered by loving owners who are facing serious illness or a change in circumstance which makes responsible dog ownership impossible. Mistreated dogs in rescue centres may be rescued as strays on the street, or abandoned at kennels or vets in the face of expensive medical treatment or old age. Some may have been used by people running unscrupulous factory breeding operations.

When you contact a breed rescue group, be sure to find out as much as you can about the group, how it cares for its animals, how it decides which animals are adoptable, and what other adoption and post-adoption services are available. You’ll have to pay an adoption fee, reflecting the veterinary and other costs that have been incurred by the organisation up to the point you take your rescue dachshund home.

What to expect from a rescue dachshund and the rescue process

Like many rescue dogs of all breeds and none, rescue dachshunds are often older dogs.

Like humans, older dogs tend to have more diagnosed medical conditions. Some rescue organisations offer financial support for particular conditions.

Older dogs are likely to be housetrained, and more calm and relaxed.

Dachshunds can have long lives. If you rescue an older dachshund you can still expect plenty of time together. Older age will bring certain changes to your dachshund, as with humans, but the emergence of changes of energy levels and health is a gradual process

You’ll need to do a certain amount of evaluating their behaviour and training needs once you bring your new family member home. Reputable rescue organisations will provide you with a detailed report on preferences and safety issues, such as the ability to live with small children and other pets. Your rescue dog may have behavioural issues or particular fears related to the way they were treated by previous owners.

You’ll need to tell the rescue staff whether you plan to leave a dog alone for long periods when you go out to work, among other things. Dachshunds generally do not tolerate being left alone all day, and rightly, dachshund rescue organisations may not allow you to adopt a dachshund under these circumstances.

You’ll need to move fast! Dachshunds are undeniably cute, and it’s a fact of life that cute dogs get adopted more quickly. Do your homework on the breed before you start looking for a rescue dachshund, so that you’re ready to visit and make a decision. .

Here are some not-for-profit organisations in the English-speaking world who specialise in the rescue and rehoming of dachshunds.

Even if you are not looking for a dachshund right now, please help them with your financial support, this is the type of support they need the most. If you are willing to say goodbye at the end of a placement, another way to help is to register as a temporary foster home for a rescue doxie. We’ve done that with one of the UK charities, although no dachshund guests have stayed yet! These charities are also likely to be your best bet if you can no longer care for your dachshund.

As one dachshund rescue in the USA puts it:

If you can’t adopt, foster…
If you can’t foster, donate…
If you can’t donate, volunteer…
If you can’t volunteer, spread the word…
Until they all have a home.

In huge territories like the USA, Australia and Canada, dachshund rescue organisations tend to operate state by state, or region by region. You’ll need to search for local organisations.

Dachshund rescue charities in the UK

Dachshund Rescue http://dachshundrescue.org.uk/

The Red Foundation - Emergency Dachshund Rescue UK

https://www.facebook.com/TheRedFoundation.DachshundRescue/

Doxie rescue organisations in the USA and Canada

Canadian Dachshund Rescue (Ontario) http://www.canadiandachshundrescue.com/

Alberta Dachshund Rescue https://www.albertadachshundrescue.com/

Dachshund Rescue of North America http://www.drna.org/

Dachshund Rescue List site (a USA nationwide list) http://dachshundrescuelist.com/

Getalong Dachshund Rescue http://www.getalongdachshundrescue.org/

Dachshund rescue organisations in Australia

Dachshund Rescue Australia https://www.dachshundrescueaustralia.com.au/