Gimme Shelter

Maybe you’ve decided you’re ready for a new canine companion—one who reminds you of the golden retriever who was your faithful childhood friend or your neighbor’s beloved wiener dog. Breed-specific rescues throughout Florida cater to people who already know and love a particular breed of dog and who are willing to wait until just the right pooch comes along.

“A breed specific rescue such as DARE is not a one size fits all,” explains Alicia Duval, president of the statewide Dachshund Adoption Rescue & Education (DARE), based in Tampa. “You’re going to know about the dog you’re interested in or you’re adopting from us because the dogs are in our homes, we are familiar with the breed.”

A lifelong dachshund lover and dog mom to five, as well as several foster dogs, she maintains the “quirky, funny little dogs” make great family pets, but she cautions adopters—many of whom request puppies—to carefully consider their lifestyle before choosing a dog.

“The perfect home is out there for every dog,” she says. “It’s our job to facilitate that match.” Duval recalls that over the last several years she’s seen a few people who quickly figured out the tiny puppy they thought they wanted was not, in fact, their ideal fur baby.

“If they’re adopting a puppy from me I make them get on the floor in their living room and see what they can see. And every cord they see, I show them if they can see it so can the puppy. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve adopted dogs out and the owners will text me a couple days later a chewed-up iPhone cord or a chewed-up remote control. And I say: ‘Take a newspaper and roll it up like you’re going to smack somebody—and whack yourself on the head. It’s your fault for leaving it out!’ she says with a laugh. And they’re like, ‘You’re so right, you warned us.’”

Duval remembers one woman who was approved to adopt a puppy.

“After three days she called back and said, ‘I’m too old for a puppy. I can’t do this.’ And I went and got the puppy back from her. And so when the right adult dog came along, I placed that dog for her and it was a perfect match.”

Bob Levenson of The Villages found his ideal canine companions in rescued greyhounds. He came to Florida in 2003 with the beautiful, sleek Sophia, a full-size greyhound whose leg injury had forced an early retirement from the dog tracks of Southern California. In 2015, he applied to a Florida Italian greyhound rescue and adopted 5-year-old Siena and 9-year-old Sicily, who he describes as “excellent walking dogs, a lot of fun, and great company” for he and his wife Grace.

Debby Moyer, president of Senior Greyhound Adoption of Florida, says after Florida passed Amendment 13 in 2018, greyhound racing is nearly phased out. They specialize in placing older dogs in forever homes.

“Senior greyhounds are the best-kept secret in the greyhound adoption community,” she says. “They are friendly, intelligent, affectionate dogs who fit right into the family as if they’ve been there for years.”

After decades of rescuing Shetland sheepdogs, Barbara Davis founded Mid Florida Sheltie Rescue in 2004. With only a small number of adoptable dogs living in foster homes, her rescue focuses on finding “the best and last home” for each one, where they will be treated like a valued family member.

Suncoast Basset Rescue places the lovable, long-eared hounds in homes throughout Florida, and President Gail Wilson says the organization “gives bassets a second chance to live, as they were intended to be someone’s best animal friend.”

Golden Retriever Rescue of Mid-Florida started in the early 1990s with volunteers from the local breed club and help from the Golden Retriever Club of America. Since then they’ve rescued thousands of the beloved, intelligent pups made famous by Duke, the Bush Beans dog, and Shadow from the Homeward Bound movies. The group finds adoptive homes for both purebred and golden retriever blends they call “one-of-a-kind furry companions that can give you a lifetime of love and devotion.”