Emotions are sometimes evoked in surprising ways when it comes to pets. Love, kindness, and patience are just a few. We found quotes about rescuing dogs that illustrate the feelings many of us have. Giving a homeless pup a forever home can change you for the better. Keep reading to feel all the feels with us.
What Makes a Dog a Rescue Dog?
A rescue dog is one that is rehomed after being abandoned, surrendered by its original owner, or found stray on the streets. The rescuer is the human who takes in the dog and gives it a home.
Homeless dogs come in all sizes, ages, and breeds. You can rescue them from shelters, and organizations focused on adoption.
Why Are Rescue Dogs So Special?
Often people want a purebred dog because shelter dogs have a stigma of being mangy mutts with health issues. They picture those sad images we see in commercials about abused animals. So, they disregard rescuing a pet.
But the truth is there are a lot of purebred dogs that end up in shelters for various reasons. And if a homeless pet has health issues, they’re usually treated by a veterinarian. Rescuing versus buying from a breeder is a personal preference, but we strongly advocate for adoption or fostering. It’s likely to change your life as you receive the unconditional love of a pup.
Rescue dogs bring unexplainable joy to individuals and families. They’ve gone through a struggle and come out stronger on the other side. Dogs are intelligent; they live their best lives when given a home, love, and a human to dote on them.
Furthermore, when you rescue a dog, you’re not just saving its life. You’re also saving the lives of another dog who can take its place in the shelter. Animal shelter overcrowding is a serious issue around the world. So, freeing up space by adopting a pet is crucial.
10 Best Inspiring Quotes About Rescuing Dogs
Quote about rescuing dogs is an excellent way to get inspired to adopt or foster a pet. Or, if you’re already an adoptive dog parent, these quotes will harbor special significance.
Quotes are meant to inspire, uplift, and remind us. If there’s a quote that really speaks to you, use it as a screen saver or print it out to display on your desk or refrigerator.
Heart-Melting Love Quotes About Rescue Dogs
Love is one of the most significant feelings that come to mind when we think about pets. So, we’ve compiled some heart-melting words. These rescue dog quotes resonate deeply because of the unconditional love dogs provide to their humans.

“Unconditional love is as close as your nearest shelter.” – Anonymous
Our rescue dogs don’t judge us, don’t question us, and forgive us of all the things we hold on to or feel we fall short of. They trust with everything and get pure joy from just being with us. It’s such an incredible thing, and it’s just waiting patiently for you in your local shelter.

“Adopting a shelter dog is an excellent way to turn love into action. The love you receive is an extraordinary extra benefit.” – Abby Underdog
Abby Underdog is the protagonist of the book “Big Small Dog” by Suzanne Marshall, a children’s book about standing up to bullies and breaking stereotypes.

“The world would be a nicer place if everyone had the ability to love as unconditionally as a dog.” – M.K. Clinton, Showstoppers
This well-know rescue dog quote is from the second book in The Returns series by M.K. Clinton called Showstoppers. The synopsis of the book is, “The Returns, whose human lives were mistakenly cut short, found themselves being returned to Earth in the bodies of some of the funniest dogs in creation!” Recommended readers are from ages 12 and up.

“I didn’t believe in fairy tales until I walked into that dog shelter and met my soulmate.” – Anonymous
In fairy tales, everyone falls in love, lives happily ever after, and has all their dreams come true.

“My favorite dog breed is rescue.” – Anonymous
Many dogs found in shelters are of unknown breeding. While modern DNA testing can now help you find out the breed of your pound pup, many people consider “rescue” dogs–no matter the actual breed–the best type of dog out there. We’ve always had rescue dogs and couldn’t agree more!
Quotes About Finding Purpose & Self By Rescuing Dogs
Dogs have a way of bringing out emotions and inspiration in us we forgot we had. They sometimes rescue us as much as we’ve saved them. These rescue dog quotes are all about finding purpose with a fur baby by your side.

“I gave this dog a house, and they gave me a home.” – Anonymous
While you’ve technically done adopting and providing of shelter, food, and water, dogs have a way of pulling their weight in the relationship. This rescue dog quote points out how they become family, and with family, you create a true home. Especially folks who don’t have partners or children can benefit from the companionship and sense of family rescue dogs provide.

“I found me when I was rescued by dogs.” – Anonymous
This quote is for those who found their purpose in life through rescuing dogs. After experiencing the love and happiness of a dog rescued, how can you not be changed?
Do you know anyone looking for a purpose in life and love dogs? Consider fostering or volunteering at your local shelter. Sometimes the dogs aren’t the only ones that need to be rescued.

“Some people see an unfortunate dog sitting in a shelter. I see an angel that someone threw away.” – Anonymous
This rescue dog quote means that some people may avoid adopting from shelters because the dogs are assumed to be bad or less worthwhile than dogs purchased from a breeder. In actuality, the vast majority of these dogs are sweet, loving, and even partially or completely trained. Animal rescuers see these “angels” for who they are and can be in a loving home.

“People who say money can’t buy you happiness have never paid an adoption fee.” – Anonymous
Not only does that adoption fee get them a vetted and microchipped dog, but it gets them an adorable, loving companion for the rest of that dog’s life! If that ain’t happiness, we don’t know what is.

“Rescue: It’s not just a verb. It’s a promise.” – Anonymous
This quote reminds us that we are here to do not only a job but a good job. When we rescue a dog, that dog will go to a home that will not only care for them but love them like family.
When Rescuing Dogs, Sometimes We Need Extra Inspiration
Some rescue cases are more complex than others. And some dogs come with a lot of history, so they need patience and love to work through it all. Quotes about rescuing dogs like these help us remember why we rescue in the first place and ground us in the bigger picture of love and second chances.
We hope these quotes inspire and motivate you to keep helping dogs live the life they deserve, whether that’s through fostering, adopting, or supporting your local animal shelter.
Is It a Good Idea to Get a Rescue Dog?
We believe it’s a great idea to rescue a dog. Giving pets a forever home is one of the best things we’ve ever done. It brings us more joy than we can describe, and we couldn’t image life without our pups. They’re our family. But, most importantly, it saves the lives of innocent animals.
However, it’s important to determine if a dog is right for you in the first place. Just because you want to help an animal doesn’t always mean caring for a pet in your home is in your or its best interest. Dogs require time, money, and commitment.
So, if you’re not able to open up your home to a dog at this time, there are plenty of other ways you can help rescue animals. Shelters continuously seek volunteers to help love dogs, clean, walk dogs, and more. Donations are another way to help keep rescue organizations in business and provide shelters with supplies to care for pets until adoption.
Pro Tip: Check out our guide to the best pet adoption and rescue organization websites.
Welcoming a Rescue Dog Home Will Change Your Life
Welcoming a rescue dog home will change your life. We can’t express that enough because it happened to us and many of our friends and family members. When your pup follows you around the house or lays its head on your lap for the first time, we can almost guarantee something will change in you.
In fact, studies show that pets can contribute to your happiness. They’re known to help reduce stress in human lives, which is directly related to our overall health. That’s amazing!
Do you have a rescue dog or want to welcome one into your home? Leave a comment below to let us know about your adoption story.
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