Every year, hundreds of Mastiffs are abandoned by their owners. While some are lucky enough to be found by mastiff rescue groups, these poor dogs can still have problems, including malnourishment and illnesses. By adopting one of the dogs as your pet, you will not only be able to provide an abandoned dog a loving home, you will also be able to do your part in making sure that a dog isn’t put down because of unfortunate circumstances.
There are several mastiff rescue organizations and shelters where you can adopt your new pet from. More often than not, these are run by volunteers who are dedicated to giving dogs another chance to have a happy life. Adopting a dog from a mastiff rescue organization will mean less costs (at least, when compared to getting a dog from a breeder). However, you will usually be the one who will need to bring the mastiff to the vet to get the required vaccinations as well as to have him or her checked for any health problems.
A caveat: before you consider adopting a dog from a mastiff rescue organization, make sure that you actually have the capacity to take care of him or her. A mastiff can easily grow up to 32 inches at the shoulders and weigh between 150 to 240 lbs. This will mean not only having to face having a giant dog in your home, but also making sure that his or her needs, from food to exercise, are met. Furthermore, because the dog is likely to be abandoned, he or she may have behavioral problems that you need to correct, and that can take a lot of your time and patience. Make sure that you are prepared to face the problems that you may encounter when adopting the dog, otherwise, you may end up causing the mastiff more heartbreak if you end up returning him and or her to the shelter.
Even if you don’t have the capacity to adopt a dog from a shelter, you can still do your part in mastiff rescue. You can join one of the volunteer teams on a part-time basis to find these abandoned puppies and dogs so that they can have a second chance at life, or you can donate money to the local shelter to help them in their mastiff rescue efforts.
Mastiff rescue is not just a heart-warming experience; once you adopt a mastiff, the dog will practically see you as his or her hero, and as a result, you get a pet that is loving, brave, and loyal to you.