Breedist?

I am not!

Many times, I have been asked "Why do you only rescue Boxers?"  (Which, if you have been a long term follower of my blog, you know that I have indeed rescued and/or fostered several other types of dog, but boxers have become my specialty.)  I don't take offense at the question, even when it's asked in a judgemental way, which it usually isn't.  The judgers have never been in my place, or they would already know the answer. 

I love me some boxers, but I didn't seek them out to begin with.  It has really only been since spending so much time with so many wonderful ones over the past few years that I have become such a fan.  I am hooked and I am certain that I will always have (at least) one in my life.  But, it was coincidence that I stumbled upon the local boxer rescue, not a plan. 

As I got more and more involved, it became clear to me that choosing a focus is pretty much a must in private animal rescue.  There are rescues for almost every breed type, and senior dogs, hunting dogs, toy dogs, giant breed dogs, black dogs, and the list goes on and on.  We are all on the same page.  We all love all dogs, but everyone needs to concentrate on something or they will get swallowed alive.  Your specialty works as a filter, like blinders.  It is one way of narrowing down the completely impossible to at least a little less overwhelming. 

Picture, if you will, walking into a crowded shelter and you can only rescue 2 dogs out of the 100 that are there, staring at you with their big sad eyes.  How on earth do you choose who you will save today if you have no focus?  You can't do that to yourself.  But if you have trained yourself (which actually happens naturally over time) to search for only those that you have set out specifically to help, the burden is slightly easier to carry.  Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of other dogs that melt my heart online and I have my moments of weakness, but I do try to keep my eye on the ball. 

It boils down to this.  Do I think that the scruffy little mixed breed or the friendly yellow lab in the adjacent kennels are any less deserving of a second chance than the boxer I will take home?  No I don't.  Absolutely not.  But I can't save them all.