Adopting?
 

I have always loved Yorkie's. I finally have the means to get one of these little bundles of joy. I found one when I went with my friend to an animal rescue to adopt his dog. She was 8 years old, and has a bad eye. Though the people that run the rescue didn't know anything about her eye, I asked if she was blind, and they didn't know. All they knew about her was she was around 8 years old, and her owner died and no one in the family would take her. She is adorable, and I really would like to adopt her. I have also found a local kennel that raises Yorkie puppies. So I would like to hear some other opinions on what I should do, either adopt the older dog, with the bad eye, or buy a puppy from a breeder.

Hello and Welcome to YorkieTalk!

Personally, if finances are not a problem, I would adopt the rescue and take her to an eye specialist to make sure she is in the best health possible.

Good luck with your decision. :)

There are so many dogs in rescue with no mommy and daddy. The puppies will always find homes. I say go for the rescue, they are worth it. I just adopted a rescue myself

Oh, yeah, definitely go for the rescue! Puppies always find homes, but there are never enough homes for rescues.

Jeanette

You have such a wonderful heart to want to adopt the older dog with the bad eye. I say go for it! Just think of how much she will love you for taking her in and giving her the love and attention she needs! :thumbup:

Rescue...hands down. My next dog will definitely be from a rescue.

Rescue dogs are loyal and grateful. Yorkies can live good long lives, (up to 18) so this 8 yr old gal still has many good years left. With a puppy, you have to be so careful in choosing a breeder, and honestly, there are more bad ones than good ones out there. An ill bred dog, (even from a clean home) is going to be an expensive mess of problems. And remember, most people underestimate the amount of work a puppy can be. Just saying.

I agree with everyone else...rescue this sweet little 8 year old.

I know that little rescue girl will be forever grateful and repay you in love. It would help if you knew what her eye condition is. I have a 17-18 year old rescue I took in from an elderly friend 17 months ago and he is blind in one eye, very limited vision in the other and he gets around really well. He is the easiest to care for of all my babies. When I first met him he had clouded over eyes. This was not affecting his vision, but a condition that affects older dogs. Maybe that is all that is the matter with the rescue girls eye. Keep us posted.

I am not too fond of a "rescue" that allows people to adopt pets with unknown problems...a good rescue has the dog checked by vets and know what is needed...most fix the problem before adpotion....if not some new owners might not follow through if it is a very expensive problem...a pet owner can spends 1000's to correct some things.

I would ask the rescue if you could have the Yorkie checked out by a reputable vet and get an idea of what you are dealing with...has this Yorkie been checked for heartworms, rabies vaccine and other problems...if so I would think the vet would have given them some sort of idea what was wrong with her eye.

Thank you for at least considering an older dog with a known health problem. We adopted an 8 year old retired puppy mill breeding dog, who was blind in one eye, had chronic pancreatitus, protein losing enteropathy and circled all the time due to having spent her life in a small crate. Needless to say, she changed our lives immeasurably -- for the better. Tina taught me that compassion does not go unrewarded. She repaid us generously with her kisses, loyalty and affection.

Having said that, ask yourself what is the reason for your hesitation. If you are worried that the eye problem will be expensive, consider what you will be spending on a new puppy.

First are the known expenses, the purchase price of the puppy. Next are the vet bills: Puppies need a series of vaccinations, so you'll be paying for at least 2 office visits, plus the price of the shots. And once those are done it will be time for spay/neutering.

Next is what it will cost you to get through the teething phase. You'll be buying chew toys and/or replacing shoes/eyeglasses/dresser knobs and whatever else they get ahold of while they are teething. Even tiny baby teeth can be destructive (just ask my new reading glasses that a foster puppy "customized.") Also, won't be able to resist buying them clothes, beds, etc that they will quickly outgrow.

Also, think of what you'll spend to get through the housebreaking phase. (Now this might be an expense with the rescue dog, too, depending if he's trained yet or not.) But you'll need a crate, piddle pads, enzyme cleaner, (lots of that) renting and/or buying a steam cleaner, spray deterrents, (which don't work but you'll be desperate enough to try them anyway) books, classes and whatever other means you turn to for help.

If your hesitation is because he's older and you are afraid you won't have him very long, again I speak from experience. We had Tina for 6 years. I would love to have had more time with her, but 6 years was a good run, and I wouldn't trade our time with her for anything in the world.

Also, consider the fact that puppies and young dogs get sick. They can come down with serious, sometimes fatal diseases. So getting a puppy does not guarantee that you won't have big vet bills, or that you will grow old together. Spend a little time on the YT Forum that is devoted to pet illness and emergencies and you'll see what I mean.

But the important thing is to follow your heart. Getting a dog that you don't feel a bond with doesn't do either of you any good. If you decide to buy a puppy, please read through the information on this site about how to select a breeder. You don't want to reward a bad breeder with your hard earned dollars. And to offset the guilt you may feel over leaving the older dog in the rescue - give them a donation to help cover their expenses while they continue to take care of him as he waits for a forever home.

My Biggest concern was her age. But I guess you're all right, puppies will find homes, but this little girl may not and I dont want her to spend the rest of her life in the rescue. I think for sure that I'll adopt her from the rescue. When I went with my friend to get his, she just kept looking at me and barking, it was so sad, I just wanted to take her home then. Her eye was just clouded, I wasn't sure if that meant she was blind or what. Here is her link on petfinder. HARLEY Thank you all for your feedback and advice. =]

Oh my goodness - Harley is a doll! She doesn't look 8 years old! What a beauty.

She is BEAUTIFUL! And I love the typical yorkie head tilt - you can see that she's very responsive to the person taking her picture. As for the cloudy eye, it might just be age related. I found this on a web site, but of course only a vet can give you an accurate assessment:

Nuclear sclerosis is a normal change that occurs in the lenses of older dogs. Nuclear sclerosis appears as a slight graying of the lens. It usually occurs in both eyes at the same time and occurs in most dogs over six years of age. The loss of transparency occurs because of compression of the linear fibers in the lens. The condition does not significantly affect the vision of the dog and treatment is not recommended.

She is adorable. I hope you adopt her.