No, in fact rescue dogs often come from shelters! You can get a dog at an animal shelter for $25-$75. Why should you pay an adoption fee of $150-$250 for a rescue? You could get a purebred dog from a quality breeder for only a few hundred more. Here's why many people find rescue to be the best source for a dog.

Unlike the shelter animal, a rescue dog has been evaluated by someone who knows the breed and who believes that your adoptee is a suitable pet. If he needs training, you'll be told what he needs and the training most likely has been started. If there are ways this animal is unusual or if he has special needs, you'll be told up front.

Rescuers know the breed's real characteristics and can advise you on whether you really want one. Not every dog is suitable for every home and a good rescue will make a real effort to match the right dog to your household. For example rescue would not place a very shy dog in a noisy home with children or a boisterous 'teenager-type' with a frail person. That means lots of picky questions and possibly even being turned down. But when you do adopt, you have a much better chance of success.

Because they rarely stay long and aren't watched closely, shelter dogs can have health problems that will have to be diagnosed and treated after you adopt. A rescue dog has lived in the home of a knowledgeable dog person for a couple of weeks or longer before he's adopted. Most rescuers have several years of experience with the breed and know the common problems -- sometimes even more about specific breed problems than most vets.

No one can predict your dog's future or spot every problem, but rescue is miles ahead of most other places you could get a dog. Your rescue dog will be up to date on all recommended shots, not just the legal minimum. You'll get a shot record and as complete a health record as possible, plus recommendations for future care. With a shelter dog, you may get a short guarantee period.

With a rescue dog, you'll be able to consult the volunteer right away if there are problems, before things get so bad you have to give the dog back. And if it should turn out that you can't keep the dog, a good rescuer will take him back at any time ... whether it's a week or five years from now.

So though a rescue dog may not be better than a shelter dog by any means, he comes with a good head start on becoming the pet you are hoping for and you have a safety net should you need it.

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